Noah and the Whale (live in Whelan's, Dublin)

Review Snapshot: An enjoyable night of folk-pop, that included the song we all came for: “Five Years Time”.

The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10

Full Review: It was a large and excitable crowed packed into Whelan’s to see Charlie Fink and his troop of pop-folk instrumentalists. The age-range went from just old enough to be there, all the way up to – as I could see it - fifty. Noah and the Whale clearly have a wide following, owing much of it to the extensive radio- and music channel play of their first single “Five Years Time” and also, the Laura Marling connection. No longer playing with the band, female vocal duty has been taken over by a red haired girl, whose name I did not catch. Also present on stage, a small brass section, violin and some keyboards.

After building some suspense, and showing a strange short film, they took the stage. Although well-translated to live as a whole, the stronger album tracks such as “Shape of my Heart”, “Jocasta” and “Rocks and Daggers” were instantly appreciated and definite highlights. Their frequent build-ups came across very well, and the layers of the different instruments on stage added a dimension to them that can’t be found on CD. I have a new apprecation for the very folk violin solos, now that I have witnessed them.

They took care of the die-hards, of which there were a few, with an old track, “Beating”, dedicated especially to them. Unfortunately, the pace took a hit when slow songs “Second Lover” and “Mary” were played back to back, follwed by a new song. But this was swiftly reversed when they played “Five Years Time”, smiling all the way through. It was hard to find a person not singing, jumping, head-nodding along. Another major sing-a-long came in the form of the limited-release single “2 Bodies, 1 Heart”, where we were given the opportunity to be their choir.

Throughout the gig, there was plenty of crowd interaction, made possible by the compact surroundings of Whelan’s. The front line of the crowd were less than arm’s length away from the band. However this did seem to cause some touble with some inexperienced gig-goers chatting noisely right under Charlie’s nose. He was stern but fair, and the kids subsquently shut up. And a girl called “Niamh” got plenty of attention from Charlie, which no doubt kept her happy.

There was no sign of  an encore, but people didn’t seem too put out about that. It was a nice, pleasant gig, that left everyone feeling a little bit happier.

Christine Cooke

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Cois Fharraige, Day 3 (Kilkee, Co. Clare)

Review Snapshot: The third and final day remained without highlight until Travis gave us what we wanted to hear - the hits!

The Cluas Verdict? 5 out of 10

Full Review:   After a promising opening night, and a slightly less solid second, I feared the final night would continue the downward trend. This was not helped by the admittedly poor line-up. But, it was the unlikely Scots, Travis, who saved the night from mediocrity.

Oscar and Simon from the dad-friendly Ocean Colour Scene performed their acoustic-driven set to an early crowd. Like a hotel-lobby band, they pleased the punters with their familiar sing-a-long anthems. Oscar and Simon, however, seemed surprised to be playing to such a small crowd, but I was surprised there was even a crowd at all.

I’ll admit I was highly skeptical of the reggae addition, Natty, to the line-up, not least because of all the typical Bob Marley comparisons. But, after opening with a catchy song and singing “this is just the intro…”, he proved just that, carrying on to play a pleasant and enjoyable show. The songs of revolution and oppression went down a storm with a merry Irish crowd, and he left me feeling a little more hopeful for the rest of the line-up.

Starsailor couldn’t seem to top this, though, playing a mildly diverting set of bottom-drawer Britpop. Strangely, they opened with their hit, “Alcoholic”, which was instantly recognisable but set a pace they could not keep. Though unmemorable, the set was not unpleasant to listen to. “Four to the Floor” was notable, giving brief respite from unimaginative album-fillers. The crowd seemed to enjoy them, as they did every single act, singing along to a cover of Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova” at the end. Not strong enough to be on so late in the evening, we were left looking forward to Travis.

After the ordeal that clearly was “playing the new stuff”, Travis slipped into a more comfortable mode and showed us doubters why they were headlining. They churned out all of the hits to what was regrettably the smallest crowd of the three days. No one could resist Fran Healy’s friendly chat and novel approaches to engaging the crowd. At one point, he encouraged everyone to goad on their Swedish keyboardist for his solo by shouting his name – “Claes! Claes!”. For their inevitable encore, the band huddled around one microphone performing “Flowers in the Window”. After taking up their instruments once more, they closed with “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?”, sending the crowd into a singing frenzy and ending the festival on a high note.

Barring the likes of The Futureheads and Supergrass, the Cois Fharraige festival had very few acts to draw music fans. And, at three days, the thin line-up seemed a little strained. It has a long way to go to compete with the likes of Electric Picnic, but if you’re looking for a weekend on the lash, this is the festival for you!

Christine Cooke

• Check out the CLUAS reviews of Day 1 and Day 2 of Cois Fharraige 2008.

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Cois Fharraige, Day 2 (Kilkee, Co. Clare)

Review Snapshot: Improved weather but fewer highlights.

The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10

Full Review:
Having waited two hours from the original gate time yesterday before seeing a band, today we decided to soak up the sun and atmosphere prior to the gig. However, on arriving 50 minutes after gates opening, we found that the second act had just begun their set. The inconsistent start times meant we had missed an anticipated gig by UK band 28 Costumes.

So, the first act of our day became The Broken Family Band. Playing to a handful of people in a near-empty marquee, their lively set may have gone down better in front of a larger audience later in the night. They managed to win over the minor crowd, not with their music, but with chocolates they cast from the stage, claiming they belonged to Travis.

The trad-jam session that was Kila drew the crowds in from the sunshine and treated them to a string of indistinguishable songs. This was punctuated only by brief banter and annoying, gratuitous bongo solos. Nevertheless, their live shows enjoy a baffling popularity with the Irish public, and this was no exception.

Seasick Steve riled up the crowd initially with his novel country-flavoured act, but the novelty soon wore off, and after an hour the whole thing felt a bit over-stretched. The stop/ start pace and generic blues sound did little for an act that was, essentially, warming up for Supergrass. While he wasn’t bad, this weathered character, drinking Jack Daniels straight from the bottle and sporting a grey beard and denim overalls, seemed a little out of place, and a slightly mis-judged attempt at being hip by the organisers.

Despite a series of successful hits to choose from, headliners Supergrass launched into the beginning of their set drawing mainly from their latest album “Diamond Hoo Ha”. Although enjoyable, the tracks by no means match the instant catchiness of early singles “Alright” and “Caught by the Fuzz”, and an unfamiliar two-song encore proved the point.

The best time of all, however, was had by the staff. The on-stage camera-men enjoyed picking out fans and security staff from the crowd to be displayed on the giant screens, turning the cameras on themselves at one point. The video editor had a great time utilising cheesy effects throughout the night, and one of the members of security even managed to perform a rudimentary jig on stage with Kila!

Although the weather improved, this second day did little to outshine the first, in musical terms, at least.

Christine Cooke

• Check out the CLUAS reviews of Day 1 and Day 3 of Cois Fharraige 2008.

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Artist (live in Venue Name, City)

Review Snapshot: An excellent start to the Kilkee festival, with an outstanding performance by the Futureheads.

The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10

Full Review:
“Who gives a f**k about the rain? It's a deadly festival!” So remarked Danny O'Reilly, lead singer of The Coronas on this, the first (and hopefully wettest) day of the Cois Fharraige music festival in Kilkee.

First up were Galway band The Kanyu Tree, performing their first live show as a four-piece. Their unoffensive pop rock was well-received by the gathering crowds, but their music and manner fails to establish them as anything more than a support band.

Next up were The Coronas, hailing from Dublin, but equally at home on the soundtrack of an American teen drama series. Their sound was rockier and their presence more charming than The Kanyu Tree, and it's not surprising that they've built up such a loyal fanbase in Ireland. Radio-friendly songs such as “Grace, Don't Wait” went down well with the ever-increasing crowd. After witnessing a mass chorale to their big hit, “San Diego Song”, you can believe them when they claim never to get sick of playing it live.

After a lengthy gap, The Futureheads kicked off their energetic set with their new single, “Walking Backwards”. It was the first in a series of lively numbers that showcased their enjoyable brand of power-pop rock. The beginning of their set seemed to fall on deaf ears. Many people didn't even appear to know who they were, turning their backs and consuming their beer. But, with their interactive banter and intense likeability, The Futureheads won over this distracted crowd. And, by the time they launched into “The Beginning of the Twist”, everybody seemed to to have caught on. This was followed by two more crowd-pleasing songs; their popular Kate Bush cover, “Hounds of Love”, and the last track from their debut album, “Man Ray”. Their songs transfer well to a live setting and are executed with such confidence and gusto that even the most distracted viewer can't but love them.

Following this class act, were questionable headliners, The Zutons. Their gimmickery (a giant neon “Z” against a scenic backdrop, superfluous female saxophone player) only highlighted their shortcomings as serious song-writing talents. The set list included all of their hits. Their most popular song was undoubtedly “Valerie”, which they decidedly played mid-set. A strange choice, considering they themselves remarked afterward “That was our biggest song.” This meant an unfortunate early peak for The Zutons, who paled in comparison to The Futureheads.

Despite the torrential weather, this was a promising start to the last festival of the summer.

Christine Cooke

• Check out the CLUAS reviews of Day 2 and Day 3 of Cois Fharraige 2008.

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A review of Yael Naim's self-titled album

Review Snapshot: This self-titled second album from French-Israeli Yael Naim, shows off an excellent voice and some excellent compositional flare, though with much of the same from start to finish. The tracks go from folk to pop and back again, remaining rooted in acoustic guitar and piano. With some snapshots of something special dotted throughout, don’t be surprised if it ends up putting you to sleep...

The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10

Full Review:
Describing Yael Naim and knowing very little about her, you could be forgiven for calling her a French Feist. Both have got the husky-dreamy female vocalist bit down, both have sold their songs for use in ads, and sometimes, they both sing in French.

This is the second album from Yael, a French-Israeli singer-song-writer, released on the French independent label, Tôt ou Tard. It includes her most famous song - "New Soul", which was featured a while back in a MacBook Air ad, and gave her a top ten hit in the US charts. It really is the attention-grabber on the album, and for good reason. Being possibly the most energetic of the bunch - the remainder being more acoustic-orientated and down-tempoed, and having the added advantage of being in English, it's worth a listen in itself. It however is a slight misrepresentation of what to expect from the album. Expect something more slow-paced, pleasant and sleepy songs. Many are sung in Hebrew, which is an interesting experience.

Opener "Paris" sets up for some acoustic-folk, but a range of other influences make appearances throughout. David Donatein, himself a West Indian drummer, is Yael’s partner in crime on this album, and is responsible for the perfect accompanying backdrop to Yael’s voice. Her classical background is evident in the track "Lachlom", having all the correct interval-leaps for a successful tune. Also in Hebrew, "Levater" dabbles with a tension-building orchestral line, but never quite erupts. "Yashanti" and "Lonely" exercise Yael’s extensive vocal range – but this not exactly original stuff. Only when "Shelsha" finally breaks does it becomes a more noticeable song, highlighting a tendency for tracks to blend together in to - an admittedly pleasant - haze. However, "Too Long" is a memorable jazz-embracing pop-song, making up part of a clump of the catchier songs right at the start of the album. In quite unusual English, - "I irrigate illusions, then let them grow" - it also makes use of some basic but effective synth enough to make it a personal favourite.

The cover of Britney’s "Toxic" towards the album’s is slightly questionable. She manages to make it Bjork-esque, but deconstructed pop-songs to me just seem a little stale. It does however blend in seamlessly to the order of tracks, allowing the peaceful string of songs to hold up until the end. The final song is the disjointed waltz entitled "Endless Song of Happiness", which sounds like a merry-go-round. A pretty conclusion to a pretty, but only minorly eventful album.

Christine Cooke

 To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here.

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A review of the album 'No Shouts, No Calls' by Electrelane

Review Snapshot: The final offering from the superb quartet, departing to focus on their private lives while leaving us begging for more. Who said life was fair? Better put this one on repeat and start praying their "hiatus" is just a phase...

The Cluas Verdict? 9 out of 10

Full Review:
Within a week of what I will admit was constant rotation, I knew this album going to be a favourite of mine. It has the components I’m completely biased towards – an all-girl band, organ, pretty songs – precisely my bag. But that was only the beginning. Repeatedly pinned down by comparisons to the Organ, Sleater-Kinney, and a host of other female groups, Electrelane don’t have a definitive list of influences, and more to the point, a list of comparable bands. I’m a fan of good song writing, be it simple or otherwise, but it is the former that always leaves the more lasting impression, wondering just how it is a band does it. And I have wondered extensively how it is Electrelane does it.

“No Shouts, No Calls” is what became the originally Brighton-based band’s final album, announcing “indefinite hiatus” in November 2007 – a dark day in this reviewer’s diary. Released in May last year, it is their least experimental, displaying singer and keyboardist Verity Susman’s instinctive tendency towards memorable hooks and melodies, with just a bit more user-friendly song structure than seen in previous releases. Their previous album, Axes (2005), indulged the band’s desire for extended jam sessions and generous, yet melodic, instrumental rambles.

This time, however, you’ll find clear-cut single material in the form of  “To the East”, though with the odd throwback to the constraint-defying compositions of yore, in “Five” and “Between the Wolf and the Dog”. Some melodies here are at first, a little better hidden than others, but a little bit of digging will go a long way. Before long, and after the more immediate effects of opener “The Greater Times” and ukulele-based “Cut and Run” start to fade, fragments of songs that once seemed intangible will be circulating in your mind all day long – and I speak from experience. Of course, no review could be complete without special mention to the unnaturally beautiful “In Berlin”, a personal favourite. Combining icy guitars with the warmest of choral arrangements of Verity’s voice, complete with strings, spot-on harmonies, and all the right chord changes, it’s like the soundtrack for a sad dream. “Saturday” and “Sea” are similarly flawless examples of how together the band create something more perfect than the sum of its parts. It’s an idea often applied to other collective masters of the song-writing craft, but the aesthetic and atmosphere Electrelane synergistically create, is definitely all their own, and the element I admire most.

Although they have gone their separate ways, and the live experience no longer possible for the unlucky late convert, there is a substantial back catalogue from their short life to keep any fellow enthusiasts enthralled. “Singles, B-sides and Live” (2005) is a must.

In short, Electrelane can do no wrong by me, and if you like all-girl bands, organs and pretty songs, listen to “No Shouts, No Calls” which has left this reviewer - and I can’t credit for this one - Electre-fied! Ahem.

Christine Cooke

 To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here.

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