Panic Room - Skin

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At last, I've got my hands on this new album by Panic Room, one of my favourite bands.  It's an essential purchase.  You can hear extracts at the band's website http://www.panicroom.org.uk/music.html
and you can buy the album and its predecessors there.

This time around the music of Anne-Marie and the boys is enhanced by the addition of a string quartet.  This adds a lush extra layer to the sound, while avoiding sounding like ELO!  The album is also the first to feature the charismatic presence of new bassist Yatim Halimi.  My favourite track just at the moment is "Chameleon" which is quite moody and haunting, with some excellent  jazz shadings from guitarist Paul Davies.  I am also particularly fond of the fat synth sound Jonathan Edwards gets on "Screens".  It reminds me of the great Mick MacNeil of Simple Minds.

I can see this album selling well, as the band's product is now released through the Cherry Red group's new Esoteric Antenna imprint.  It's the same label that has released the new Van Der Graaf Generator album "ALT", featured here in the review immediately below this one. 

Panic Room are playing a few promotional dates in England and Italy.  I'm not sure I can get to one of the shows, which is a shame.  I see they are appearing at the Cambridge Rock Festival, as are Welsh rockers Sankara.  Perhaps we'll get a more extensive Panic Room tour in the winter?

This album is available as a download and as a CD.  The only downer for me with the CD version of the album is that it comes as a digipak.  Apparently this is a "Limited Edition" and later copies will come in a standard "jewel case".  Don't let this small disappointment put you off buying this outstanding release. 

Van Der Graaf Generator - ALT

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I really think if I was managing Van Der Graaf Generator, I'd have talked them out of releasing an all-instrumental album.  Of course, we've been here before to some extent - the instrumentals on the re-issued "Pawn Hearts", the thoroughly weird "Time Vaults", Disc 2 of "Present", etc, etc.  This new album "ALT" is surprisingly good.  I hadn't expected much, but it is challenging and rewarding, if a little bit pointless.  There is plenty of weirdness here, even without the distinctive sax of Jackson - although there is some fake sax from a synth - are they having a laugh?  Indeed, I suspect there is something arch about all of this, and that the band are having a joke at our expense, to a certain extent. It's almost as if this was released as a spoiler to the re-issued Metropolis concert, also a June release.

The CD is released on Esoteric's new sub-label Antenna.  I cannot see this being a money spinner for them.   The album is presented as a standard CD, with entertaining notes by band member Guy Evans.  He hits the nail on the head when he says that "these tracks really require you, the listener to complete them and give them life."

I can hear plenty of the influence of the frequently inconsistent Robert Fripp on Hammill's guitar. The real highlight of this album for me though is the amazing drumming of Guy Evans.  Would I rather have had a vocal album?  Yes, but this will do nicely.  Do you need to buy it?  No, you don't.  Regard this one as an optional purchase, even for hardened VDGG fans.  For all news on Hammill and Van Der Graaf, visit http://www.sofasound.com/

Two releases for fans this month...

Dodgem-X - CD and free downloads

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Live at The Swan in Wantage!

Dodgem-X hail from Bargoed, Wales.  I recently had the pleasure of attending their first English gig at that hallowed rock'n'roll shrine, The Swan at Wantage.  What was I doing there?  Catching my favourite indie band The Dacoits.  Dodgem-X were also on the bill that night, and I must say they were very entertaining.  In singer Jody Davies they have a frontman of rare charisma and humour.  They even have a Gaye Advert style bass player in the cool Natasha Muller.  Line-up is completed by Luke Davies on mean yellow guitar and Geraint Bodman on drums.

I would say this music is typical British punk rock circa 1977.  However, the band claim to be influenced by Therapy?, Helmet and Queens of the Stone Age.  Well, these are bands I'm not terribly familiar with.  They also mention Nirvana, but who doesn't?  They remind me of 999, The Lurkers and The Adverts.  The songs are strong, the hooks are catchy, the band could be huge.  I really hope they stick with it.  You can sample their wares with free downloads of the songs "Straightjacket" (live from the Wantage gig) and "Diane" (the latter a cover) at http://www.reverbnation.com/dodgemx and I recommend their CD album "If You Don't Want To Know The Score, Look Away Now".  My copy of the latter was bought at the gig and was decidedly home-made rather than factory-pressed.  Anyway, it was a real bargain at just £3!  It includes the single "Action Man."  Treat yourself to a copy now!

UPDATE: The album has been available on iTunes and Amazon downloads for some time.  But now the band are offering a free download of the ENTIRE album, track by track at http://dodgem-x.moonfruit.com/ - how generous is that?  Get it while you can and pass your thanks on to the band.

Alexander Shchetynsky - Sacred Music From Ukraine

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This is an interesting CD.  Somehow it seems fitting to be reviewing something from Ukraine right now.  This is another Naxos release, so is available widely at a very reasonable price.  This is modern choral music, and fully deserves four and a half stars.  It hasn't got me hooked in quite the same way as sister release James Whitbourn - Luminosity which is a five star CD if I ever heard one! 

At the time of writing you can find "Requiem" from this disc on YouTube, but as it is not an official upload it may not be there forever, so I am not linking to it here.  The other pieces on this CD are "Know Yourself" and "Light To Lighten".  I think this disc is a bit of a grower, with hidden depths.  It's well worth seeking out.  I got my copy from Devizes Books...

Van Der Graaf Generator - Recorded Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios, London (2 CDs and 1 DVD)

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My copy of this remarkably cheap release arrived today.  What we have here is a reissue of the recent "Classic Rock Presents" DVD with a new bonus of the concert soundtrack on 2 CDs.  This isn't the only release from the band due this month, there is also an official one, entitled "ALT" and it is apparently all instrumental!  I have a copy on pre-order, so will report on it as soon as I get it.  It's worth stressing to anyone who has lost touch with the band that the line-up on both releases is Hammill, Banton and Evans.  Saxman Jackson has dropped out of the the line-up again and I do miss his presence.  What a shame too that Peter Hammill plays so little guitar live with the band these days.

The concert promotes recent material from the "Trisector" and "A Grounding In Numbers" albums.  Old favourites "Nutter Alert", "Man-Erg" and "Lemmings" are also included.

This triple disc set is on specialist reissue label Salvo, and is joined by similar sets by Bill Nelson, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest (the superior John Lees version), Roy Harper and The Zombies.  All these concerts were recorded live in front of small fan audiences, and were originally scheduled for broadcast on ITV here in England. This album, although not really an official release is available from Peter Hammill's site at http://www.sofasound.com/ as well as the usual suspects.  Might as well get a copy of "Alt" as well!

Packaging is better than you'd expect for a budget release.  This is a large 4-panel digipack, and there is even a booklet with good notes.  At this price this surely is unmissable.  Only reason I could see for not buying this is in case a Blu-Ray is forthcoming.  Right now, that doesn't look likely though.

A generous release of DVD and two audio CDs

This was the original release, just 1 DVD and no CDs!