Reviews roundup – Razzmattazz vs. Blinding Sparks vs. Linah Rocio

Reviews roundup – Razzmattazz vs. Blinding Sparks vs. Linah Rocio

 
RAZZMATTAZZ
Diggin’ For Gold
Fastball

Razzmattazz are back with a new album and they’re going to Razzmattazz you all night. The last time I heard from them they had just released ‘Down On My Knees’ (oo-err) and everything was alright in my Rhino Bucket meets Kings Of The Sun world.

Sadly, though, this time they’ve decided to release a jazz fusion concept album about inner harmony and world peace. Songs such as “Bad Girls Good Loving”, “Expect No Mercy” (no relation) and “Yes I Like It” seek to adjust your inner chakra and make you at one with Mother Earth.

Actually, they rock like bastards, turn the riffs up to 11 and make you want to down a pint quicker than is humanly possible. Which is a huge relief. The German outfit are content to do one thing very well. And that is to channel the rock gods of yore and churn out rock disco anthems of the future. So if boogie, blues rock, southern rock and seventies rock is what makes your loon pants dance, then this is the one for you.

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BLINDING SPARKS
Renaissance Insipide
Season of Mist

The French and rock music. Hmm. They’re not easy bedfellows and this one from Blinding Sparks won’t do much to redress the balance.

Strange to relate, it’s actually a reissue of an EP from 2014. The main body of the kirk consists of five indie rock meets post rock doodlings including two instrumentals. Actually, it’s the latter that come off best as you can hear some good musicianship in the grooves even if both of them are retreads of earlier vocal tracks.

But then things get weird, bearing in mind that it’s a five (four, really) track EP. The bonus tracks come on a second disc. Now it may be news over yonder but you can get 80 minutes of music on a CD so it all seems rather unnecessary with about 20 minutes of music on each disc.

Musically they’re very adept so it’s just a shame that the composition doesn’t live up to their performing talent. Great cover art, though!

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LINAH ROCIO
Warrior Talk
Aveline

Some indie jazz pop now for anyone out there suffering from Tori Amos withdrawal symptoms. And it’s from Swiss based Chilean singer songwriter Linah Rocio.

She had a debut album out several years ago but by linking up with the well regarded Aveline Records this one should see her start to make a name for herself. It’s got some things in common with labelmate Ruth Theodore but the bulk of the album lives in that off kilter, neo-pop world of the aforementioned Amos.

Songs like “L.A. or New York”, “Kill The Monsters” and “The Right Soil” benefit from adventurous arrangements and rhythms which will please many an Uncut reader. The songs are mainly pushed along by the piano and when a sweet melody is hit you can think of no reason why a songs like the above mentioned “Kill The Monsters” shouldn’t benefit from some radio play.

Lyrically, it’s largely introspective and personal which, for me, doesn’t work. You can share too much touch feely stuff. But the wider world seems to like it, and this should do very well for Ms Rocio.

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