A review of the album Liquor Store by Teron Beal. Review Snapshot:  Songwriter to the stars certainly doesn’t keep the best for himself as Teron Beal releases his debut solo effort...

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A review of the album 'In Silence' by Little Children Review Snapshot: Linus Lutti or his musical alias Little Children, has been known as the quiet antithesis of the screaming, noisy...

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Artist: Lisa Cuthbert
Release: Obstacles (Album)
County of Origin:  Dublin
Genre:  Melodramatic Piano Pop-Rock
The Freshly Squeezed Rating: 7.5 drops out of 10

 

 

Lisa Cuthbert obviously owes something to Dolores O’Riordan and company, but her music definitely stands on its own as both novel and emotionally engaging. From the anger of “My Material Girl” to the desperation of “Second Leaving”, this highly impressive debut album will catch you between its crystal highs and throaty lows.

The artist was born and bred in Dublin, and initially earned a reputation for her diverse repertoire, including a number of Metallica covers. Last year she recorded her first EP, Ready to Unfold, and with it she began to explore a more pensive style, which retains the occasional vein of aggression: in my opinion, adding immeasurably to it.

Lisa Cuthbert’s combination of piano and vocals is incisive, and at times derails the listener with walls of unexpectably sincere lyrics. I can see people dismissing this music without a second thought, but it commands my respect. Especially look out for “Obstacles”, “My Material Girl” and “Storm Coming On”. 

Lisa Cuthbert released "Obstacles" this March. She performs in Tower Records and in the Bewleys Cafe Theatre this Friday the 6th: more details can be found on her Myspace here.

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A review of the album 'Playing out: Songs for children and robots' by The Crayonettes. Review snapshot: Former punk queen Anna Spencer and folk singer Kathryn Williams combine their hatred...

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A review of the album 'Gone for Good' by My Jerusalem Review Snapshot: The critic in me has heard it all before but the music fan doesn't care making Gone for Good a rather perplexing ...

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A review of the album 'Innundir Skinni' by Ólöf Arnalds Review Snapshot: Dreamy beauty graces this short but sweet album by Iceland’s Ólöf Arnalds. Her v...

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A review of the album 'For Posterity' by Ten Kens Review Snapshot: 'For Prosperity' is the second album from Toronto Four-piece Ten Kens. The album is a heady mix of psychedel...

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'Gainsbourg', Joann Sfar's disappointing biopic of France's greatest ever pop star, opens in Irish cinemas on 30 July.

You'll remember that we reviewed it in detail here when it first came out in France back in January. Just to recap: the first half-hour featuring the boy Lucien Ginsburg is energetic and promising, but the rest of the movie (focusing on the adult Serge Gainsbourg) is merely a series of clumsy caricatures with no character development or motivation. Ever wondered how the worldwide scandal and fame of 'Je T'aime (Moi Non Plus)', still pop's most notorious single, affected Serge and Jane Birkin? Well, you won't find out from this film.

That said, if you're a Francophile you'll probably find it interesting enough. The initial concept - personifying Gainsbourg's self-doubt as a cartoonish alter-ego - is quite clever, even if Sfar makes it carry too much of the film's dramatic weight. Eric Elmosnino, an astounding dead-ringer for Gainsbourg, is watchable throughout. Still, the whole film survives on the good-will created by its entertaining first act.

Music-lovers will get little insight on the creative processes of a genuine pop genius: Serge is just shown serving up ready-prepared classics like 'Comic Strip'. Non-francophiles will quickly tire of seeing French stars impersonated for the amusement of a French cinema audience.

However, if this film and its publicity help introduce Irish audiences to Serge's 1967-71 golden period, some of the most thrilling and influential pop music ever made, then it will have done some good. 

Looking very cool indeed, here's Serge Gainsbourg smoking along to his magnificent 'Initials B.B.':

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Artist: Kowalski
Release: Take Care, Take Flight (EP)
County of Origin:  Down
Genre:  Indie-Disco
The Freshly Squeezed Rating: 3.5  drops out of 10

Kowalski are the epitome of well-polished - although 'Get Back' seems slightly discordant to me - but entirely uninteresting music. Their music is occasionally good, sometimes original - but never both at the same time. 

This particular brand of Indie, entirely lacking personality or bravery, especially irritates me. The very essence of Indie music is the struggle for independence and individuality, and this band is the type of timorous conformity and of seeking the centre. Kowalski offends me by its excessive desire not to offend anyone at all. The death of Indie lies in this sort of pathetic appeasement of the musically ignorant.

I think that my distaste for this music is heightened by my aversion to moany vocals of any genre. I only grudgingly accept the necessity for Michael Stipe's whinging as a necessary component of R.E.M.'s sound. Here, I see no such necessity. Kowalski seem to be simply afraid of playing out loud.

This band, who hail from Bangor, have saved themselves from a lower rating with their general togetherness, and their relatively acceptable lyrics. Perhaps someday Kowalski will throw off their shackles and begin to create for themselves, rather than for other people. Until that day, though, £3 for a digital copy of one of their EPs is a very high price.

Kowalski's Myspace can be found here, and you can download and listen to their new EP here. 

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Your Paris correspondent finds it the most over-hyped and over-rated Irish album of recent years, but what do we know? Everyone else in Ireland can only rave about Villagers and 'Becoming A Jackal'.

This party line has also been adopted by our UK neighbours: Conor O'Brien's recent appearance on 'Later... with Jools Holland' was this week followed up by him popping up on the Mercury Music Prize shortlist for 2010. (Only a begrudger and player hater would dare suggest that he's the token Irish act on the list.)

And like one of those animated map graphics showing the Nazis' advance through Europe, Villagers-love has spread to France.

On the radio, O'Brien joined Laura Leishman for an interview and acoustic session on her high-profile show on alt-music station Le Mouv'. Villagers tunes have also popped up in the playlist of C'est Lenoir, France Inter's long-running and much-loved indie hour.

In the press, 'Becoming A Jackal' has got the serious rave. Les Inrockuptibles devoted a typically flowery feature to the "little genius" O'Brien and "his gothic folk, haunted by black lights and bruised words" comparable to Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Prefab Sprout and Van Dyke Parks. The more readable Magic RPM, in their 5-out-of-6 review of what they consider "a masterpiece", spot a different set of reference points: Paul Simon, Belle And Sebastian and Leonard Cohen. 

On the web, O'Brien features in a set of 'Takeaway Show'-style performance videos by French site Le Hiboo. ('Hiboo' is the French for 'owl'.) Filmed in Abbesses, a less-touristy part of Montmartre, the videos have O'Brien strumming and singing and strolling all at the same time. Sharp-eyed French movie fans will recognise the shop in the picture above: the greengrocer's in 'Amelie'. (No wonder that grocer was always in such a foul mood.)

Anyway, for the countless millions of you who like Villagers, check out Conor O'Brien on the streets of Montmartre singing 'Set The Tigers Free' and, below, 'Home':

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