Album Review // Tubelord - Romance

After almost exactly two years since their quite excellent debut album, Our First American Friends, Tubelord are now releasing their long awaited follow-up under the Big Scary Monsters/Holy Roar/Blood & Biscuits record label collective, Pink Mist. 

As was hinted in their Tezcatlipoca EP, this was never going to be OFAF Mark II. They’ve moved from a math rock, Biffy Clyro-esque, ‘pop song for rock kids’ sound to a more indie math-pop vibe, a change brought about mostly by the addition of James Elliot Field on synths/keyboard. Nowhere is this more evident than ‘4t3’, a guitar-free, synth-dominated affair that plods along with quirky grace. 

Read the rest of my review of the album on Musical Mathematics, with links to buy the album. 

This review is from the print edition (zine #4) of Musical Mathematics

Review: Dad Rocks! - Mount Modern

You know that feeling when an album you've been waiting so eagerly for the past few months for actually turns out to be utter crap? Well, that feeling can go suck a line of asses because that's not what happened with Mount Modern, the debut album of Snaevar Njall Albertsson (Mimas frontman) under the moniker of Dad Rocks! [Read my interview with him HERE]

At the core of it, Mount Modern retains many of the traits that make Digital Age the successful record it was: the cynical, ironic lyrics, the light-hearted yet slightly mournful music, and the earnest yet incredibly thoughtful tone the whole thing is packaged in. While his Digital Age EP was an absolutely wonderful piece of work with instant classics such as the incredibly titled Aroused By Hair and the cynical yet superb Kids, Mount Modern is several steps forward in Albertsson's maturity as a songwriter. Mount Modern dwarfs Digital Age with its depth and songcraft.

It is less of a lo-fi offering than his EP, with a myriad of instruments complementing his intriguingly idiosyncratic fingerpicking style. Mount Modern attempts to pose questions and tricks you into giving some thought into the grievances he brings up, when all you probably wanted was to listen to an acoustically-led album to spend your lazy weekend with. 

Dad Rocks!'s songs are sunny days that come along when the world is slowly going to shit. It works as well when you're having a lovely cup of hot chocolate and there is a thunderstorm outside as it does when you're having a picnic at the beach while warships and battleships occupy the horizon.

Mount Modern is without question the album of the year so far, in my honest opinion. Every listen only convinces me more and more of this. It will take an absolutely special record to come out in December to topple Mount Modern off its high pedestal.

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Review: Ornament Tournaments - Tacheles

Ornament Tournaments, with an excellent name which rolls off the tongue, have released their debut album Tacheles, and it’s a corker of of an introduction to the three-piece from Horsham. Last month I interviewed the band, talking about the album, the band, and all sorts of other good stuff. You can read the interview here. 

The record starts with ‘Crab Face’, which is reminiscent of melodic punk bands such as The Attika State and Grown Ups. This is true for most of the album, with jangly, twinkly guitars aplenty and math pop playing a heavy influence in their sound. ‘Flower’, which was previously an exclusive download from Musical Mathematics, is a familiar favourite. The extra instrumentation on the song adds welcome depth to what is arguably the best song of the record.

Then we move on to ‘Bungee Scream’, which - suggested by its title - starts with a bang, and then as quickly slows down and vocal harmonies come into play. This is before it erupts into a gang-vocal, riff-tastic segment interjected by the classic ‘parappa’ moment, and then concluded with syncopated riffs and glockenspiels.


‘Brass Buttons’ goes for a different approach, with a more conventional alt pop rock sound. Keep in mind that when I say ‘conventional’ here, I mean it in a relative sense compared to the other songs. ‘Avoid it’ slows the pace down slightly with its vocal harmonies and alternating quiet-loud-quiet structure. 

Title song ‘Tacheles’ is surprisingly not representative of the whole album. It’s a fine, slow-burning instrumental piece that’s maybe too short for its own good, and probably would’ve served better as an introduction or a closer. I would love to hear this song fleshed out more, because it deserves its own explosive climax.


Alas, ‘Tacheles’ is not a closer, ‘Alas’ is. At five minutes and seven seconds, it’s by far the longest in the album, and it uses that length well. Meandering guitars, driving basslines, tight drumming and woo-ohs are put to excellent use. 

Tacheles by ornamenttournaments

It’s an excellent record, and at ₤3, is an absolute bargain. Get it, listen to it, love it. I know I did.  

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Musical Mathematics // Review// Yes We Canada - ‘Hector Oswald’

I was pretty gutted when Folkstone’s finest, Elephants, decided to call it a day. So imagine my delight that certain members would be teaming up with ex-members of another animal band (Wolves). So what do you get when you breed an elephant with a wolf? What, you don’t think it’s possible? Oh you skeptic, hear us exclaim in unison; indeed it is possible. Indeed, Yes We Canada.

How’s that for a long-winded, totally unnecessary introduction? Anyway let’s move forward, forget that atrocious piece of writing and listen to Yes We Canada’s new single, Hector Oswald.

Read the rest of my review and the link to listen and buy on Musical Mathematics.

Musical Mathematics // Review // Ed Wood Jr - ‘Silence’

Ed Wood Jr was a man who became a cult figure, not because he was a great director or writer, but because he was so utterly shite at what he thinks he does best. But what does this have in common with his French duo namesake? Not a whole lot, as I can tell.

‘Silence’, their upcoming EP, is an exercise in loops, syncopated rhythms, samples and some fine drumming that drives the whole experience forward. Maybe I can blag it and say that the layered rhythms and use of samples are reminiscent of Wood’s recycling of footage, sometimes creating jarring, stuttered stories that made little sense to anyone but himself. Sure, that sounds credible. And it might even be true. But unlike his films, the Lille duo has actually created something rather competent.

Read the rest of my review and the link to buy the LP on Musical Mathematics.

Musical Mathematics // EP Review// Bombers - ‘Film Fanatic’

Bombers. What an apt name. They come, they drop a bomb on you, and they’re gone. With songs that range from 1.30 to 2.30, you can listen to the whole EP in your fag break. Post-punk with a pinch of Art Brut-ish indie, it combines a frenetic sound with witty, dark lyrics sung with devil-may-care vocals. These Brummies rely on a very rate of high hooks per minute to pull you in into their sweaty brand of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it doom punk.

Read the rest of my review and the link to buy the EP on Musical Mathematics.