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Elly Roberts reviews
Independiente
- Released: May 2008
- Rating: 6/10
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Everything seems alternative these days.
Now we get alternative pop. Cool.
Finally, former Tricky collaborator breaks loose.
It seems like an eternity since MTBs debut Quixotic. Well, it is fiveyears after all. Having built her reputation with trip-hop pioneer Tricky,she now enlists Gnarls Barkley supremo Brian Danger Mouse Burton at thecontrols.It falls somewhere between Morcheeba stylings (MTB sounds distinctly like MorcheebasSkye..and just occasionally Cerys Matthews) and pop quirkiness (Bjork comes tomind), but not that whacky.
Her second album takes some getting to know, but as Ive found after severalrotations, it gets under your skin. Martina says of her music, “Music is asmuch about challenging the audience as tapping into the creative flow Iminterested in using music as a way of exploring the emotional layers in life.”
She adds, “Brian is a huge Anglophile, and the album is very visual sounding.I wanted there to be a sonic manifesto as well as a lyrical one, and I thinkthats been achieved.”
Recorded over three months in LA last year, the production is a sumptuous asyou expect from DM fusing psychedelic pop riffs, Hollywood glitz, ambient interludes,chiaroscuro, and futuristic pop noir. Considering the melting pot, it remains verymuch a British album, sympathetically overseen by DM. Its a cool synth openingon the understated groove of Phoenix, and we begin to wonder if its all downto studio wizardry and soulless music. Thankfully it isnt because catchybeat-laden single Carnies has a real band feel, though April Groovedisappoints because of the artificiality of the production, but an edgy guitar soloshatters the illusion.
We hit a high point on the next two. Gorgeous Baby Blue is an out-and-outpop gem moved by some shifting sticks and textured instruments and the soaringchorus propelled by MTBs finest and sweetest vocals. Twanging and echoed ’60sstyled guitar introduces trip-hoppy ballad Shangri La boosted by distancedheavenly backups providing the album with a more widescreen soundscape.
Da Da Da Da is complex and simple in equal parts shifting one way thenthe other, but it works beautifully, which must have been a tricky challengefor Danger Mouse. Poison owes much to the ’60s as it does to now, aclever fusing of musical templates.
Happy-go-lucky Razor Tongue is a lyricless synth-based tune, full ofsunny vibes and wiry guitar solos. Complexity resurfaces on Yesterday. Sampled voices,complex drum movements, ambience, synth-squeals thrown into the pot to proveshes no one trick pony, and not shy of pushing the boundaries, when shechooses.
File under: Grower
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Phoenix
2. Carnies
3. April Grove
4. Something To Say
5. Baby Blue
6. Shangri La
7. Snowman
8. Da Da Da Da
9. Valentine
10. Poison
11. Razor Tongue
12. Yesterday
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.