Music Reviews (updated regularly!)
Islaja - Palaa Aurinkoon
Finlands free-folk scene has been getting quite a lot of attention lately and, as is typical of such an experimental style, opinons regarding it's real musical worth have been divided. Critics claim the fragmented, abstract and often disorientatingly droney improvised explorations of the nature of places/emotions and their influence on music to be merely a cover up, a way of hiding a lack of technical musicianship behind a surreal and often roughly recorded wall of restrained noise.
Islaja's latest album "palaa aurinkoon" comes hot on the heels of last years "meritie" and seems to work in direct opposition to the claims of free-folk's critics. While the off-time, rhythmically broken guitar strumming with it's wandering chord changes floating into the drone does certainly create a challenging atmosphere, it seems to tap into the nature of folk music and indeed nature itself; instinct over logic, feeling over thinking. Islaja's voice floats over the top of the hynotic sound like a half forgotten daydream, whispering (albeit in Finnish) subconscious truths, dark disembodied fairytales long since forgotten from our childhood.
One of the key elements to this is that lurking in amongst the dense drones are actual songs, not merely sounds. This is folk music afterall, a sometimes fantastical sometimes dark and forboding intepretation of the bearded hippy jamming round the campfire; playing intensely, only to himself, while we watch through a broken fisheye lense. This is pure folk music, internalised and leaked back out through the pores; an outstanding achievment and one of the most enthralling albums I've heard this year. 8.5/10
50 ON RED - S/T CD (DEAD AND GONE RECS)
A few months old now but still it seems many people don't know this band, hence a review on nailbunny is needed!
50 ON RED are are arguably one of the most pure hardcore bands around in the UK right now; playing it fast, hard and without any of the metallic pretensions of many of the bigger, "tough-guy" type bands. This 12 track CD features all of the previously released 7-inch tracks, unreleased demo's and a few new songs as well. The band have completed a heavy touring schedule and are now taking a break so this disc will be your only chance to hear this band in all their frantic glory till possibly the new year.
The songs themselves are old school in the fast and short sense but new school in the sense of higher production quality and tight breakdowns.
Easily one of the most intense and pure hardcore releases this year, 50 on red will likely remain one of the UK's most important hardcore bands for some time to come, if you like hardcore punk in any sense then get yourself over to the distro section and order this top quality release now! 7/10
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