January & February Album Picks

Trawling through 2017's early releases so you don't have to

Music journalism is all about keeping in the loop of those new releases, not letting any good music, however wacky, whatever the state of the album cover and no matter how shite the name is, pass you by. Naturally then, my crude imitation of music journalism should be doing the same. So, like a bearded Scotsman somewhere on the North sea, I've trawled and trawled until I collected an excellently eclectic selection of new releases to bring to the table. And here they are...

Wyclef Jean - J'ouvert
For fans of: Outkast, Lauryn Hill, Pusha T

The world famous 'fugee whose hips don't lie: R&B / Hip-Hop veteran Wyclef Jean makes his dramatic comeback in style. He returns with a fully modernised sound featuring stripped back instrumentals, thumping bass and quickly snapping snares alongside his familiar soulful, rasping vocals. If you know what you're looking for, it's also easy to pick out some of those early 2000s throwback beats interspersed throughout as well, on tracks like Rear View and Party Started. His ability to incorporate his classy
guitar skills, always a unique feature of his music, is maintained here in songs like Hendrix and The Ring. A bit more of a variety of beats would be nice, with the album dwelling a bit too much on a Caribbean pop sound and not enough on his intricate lyrics or natural Hip-Hop flow but a triumphant return nonetheless. Watch him perform the maddest freestyle of 2017 on Sway In The Morning here. 3.5/5


Vant - Dumb Blood
For fans of: Cage The Elephant, Circa Waves, Catfish & The Bottlemen

One of the brightest up and coming bands in Indie music, 2017 is going to be a big year for Vant and what a way to kick it off. To summarise the band in three words, they're loud, they're angry and they're political, the latter, arguably their most exciting factor. Indie bands on the whole don't really dabble in politics nor social commentary, so to cover both in a debut record is remarkable. The London-based four piece comment on gun violence, atheism and global warming across thirteen tracks (all but one of which are under four minutes) in an album which offers us a feast of different styles.

There are grungy bass-lines and vocals intermingled with punchy garage rock power chords and bluesy guitar solos, all of which carrying the brash attitude of Punk. There are loud songs and there are even louder songs, not a lower-case letter in sight, as if to emphasise the latter. That being said, they demonstrate a fantastic range, Mattie Vant's raw, powerful and sometimes even delicate voice adapting seemlessly to such a broad array of styles. They offer something for rock fans of any persuasion. 4.5/5

Hanni El Khatib - Savage Times
For fans of: The Black Keys, Kings Of Leon

From the long hair and baggy tshirts grungy side of rock & roll to the raunchier, whiskey and hard drugs side, Hanni El Khatib brings us a collection of songs encompassing around two years of work. Khatib's voice is gravelly, passionate and has that echoey quality as if being recorded through a walkie talkie, a technique used by indie bands from The Killers to The Black Keys. Instrumentally, it's a mixed bag, sometimes dominated by heavy basslines and soaring solos, at others by the delicate, high-pitched 70s funk riffs and others still by the more arrhythmic percussive guitar sounds more familiar to modern indie fans. Some songs work themselves up into a dizzying frenzy whilst others remain more mellow throughout. The latter are the more successful on the album. I'd recommend Paralysed, Gun Clap Hero and

Black Constellation, the latter featuring by far the filthiest blues guitar solo I've heard in a long time. 3.5/5

Devlin - The Devil In
For fans of: Wretch 32, Kano, Skepta

'I've been away for a while cos shit weren't sweet like Tate & Lyle'. Devlin doesn't beat about the bush when it comes to his return. It's been a lengthy time away as well; his contributions have been noticeably absent from Grime's meteoric rise over the last few years. Very much a well-respected figure and prominent name within UK hip-hop, while other stars have reinvented themselves to ride the Grime wave (like Chip or Wiley) or carve their own alternative path through the scene (like Wretch 32), Devlin's style remains virtually unchanged. With that breakneck flow and razor sharp tongue, there's no danger of any maturing from that 'yout on the block' attitude that has, not only defined 8 years worth of his material but the emerging genre as a whole. Lyrically too, The Devil In is a continuation. Corned Beef City, Blow Your Mind and Bitches are typically acidic and venomous, not the sort of tune you stick on at a family dinner. Yet this has always differentiated him from others meaning 'Grimier' efforts like the Skepta collaboration 50 Grand feel somewhat forced. 3.5/5


The Menzingers - After The Party
For fans of: The Gaslight Anthem, Moose Blood, The Wonder Years

The Menzingers forge that beautiful little bridge between pop-punk and indie rock which, when done right, makes me very excited indeed. It gives you the best of both worlds: punchy guitar, catchy hooks and easy-on-the-ear harmonies balanced with well-crafted lyrics and more complexly structured songs. After The Party offers a combination of heartwarming love ballads (Midwestern States, Lookers), fond reminiscence of a decade as rock stars (Tellin' Lies, House On Fire) and your standard issue pop punk track about the little scamp running away from a girl's enraged boyfriend (Charlie's Army). The whole record carries with it a jovial air of unburdened youth despite most of the band members being in their thirties, yet not at a single point does this feel forced or tired. 4.5/5