reviews: leif vollebekk, millimetre, s carey

Leif Vollebekk - Inland (**)

On Inland, Leif Vollebekk aimed for 'Hank Williams meets Sigur Rós'. Surprisingly, the results reflect the aim, with the influence of both (just about) discernable, but the amalgamation is less satisfying than might have been hoped. From the former comes an emotional tenor, from the latter a grandly forlorn atmosphere, but from their synthesis stultifying disappointment is born – seems Williams + Rós = a down in the dumps Fionn Regan in Dylan fancy-dress. This is Serious music, about Serious affairs of the heart, but ‘Serious’ has unfortunately translated to an unleavened tone that puts the ‘dour’ in ‘splendour’. Nonetheless, his soul-bearing intermittently hits hard: for example, he is lyrically fascinating throughout (“your body’s been honest but here again it lies”), and the trembling In The Morning evokes tumultuous emotion delicately. While sad songs needn’t be so dull, Vollebekk’s debut is intriguing enough to hope for another instalment.

Out Now


Millimetre - 13 Homes (***)

While summing up Millimetre’s sound isn't easy, The Blue Nile with laptops (or The XX remixed by Hot Chip, to put contemporary references to work) evokes some of the dislocated urban atmosphere which ebbs from Hymmigrant’s low-key opener, through industrial percussion to the claustrophobic echoes of A Stranger’s Face. Though born in small-town Ireland, the tone and timbre of city life flows through Millimetre’s baggy, synth pop creations (the cover is aptly illustrative).

The results can be glassy and distant: “I can’t walk these streets, tar and paving swallows me” begins one prickly track; “London dark draws its love... kill the newborn” threatens another. But there is levity, when the sun rises and dispels shadows from alleys and underpasses: Photo-Finish is cut-up Super Furry Animals churned out from circuits, while an old home-recording of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at the close reaffirms familial closeness amidst the alienation.

Out 16th August


S Carey - All We Grow (***)

You’d have to add a montage before it hits cinemas, but Sean Carey’s allegiance to Bon Iver has inspirational triumph written all over it. A morose inspirational triumph admittedly, but get Glee to cover Skinny Love for the soundtrack and it’d whip up that Almost Famous-vibe for sure. After a fortnight spent memorising For Emma, Forever Ago, Carey approached Justin Vernon at a gig, impressed him with his homework and was invited to join the band.

Unfortunately, it seems that in slavishly regurgitating Vernon’s music, Carey is stuck emulating it with lesser success. All We Grow’s evocative, rustic atmosphere is unquestionably beautiful, but lacks For Emma’s incisiveness. It nonetheless skirts close to excellence, but truthfully, if these nine tracks were released by someone unconnected to Bon Iver, they’d have to dodge justifiable charges of plagiarism. Yet if anonymously presented as Bon Iver’s second full-length, they’d spark more disappointment than excitement.

Out 30th August