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ALBUM

REVIEWS

ROCK COMPACT DISC SUPERAUDIO DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD

JACK CHESHIRE
Future Fractal Plays
Loose Tongue GN200004; LP: GN200003
Jack Cheshire has always shown himself adept
at writing folk-tinged, acoustic guitar-based
tunes in the singer-songwriter tradition. But
while ‘Ocean Floor’ falls into that category,
he also looks beyond such stylistic limitations
and Future Fractal Plays finds him venturing

further out into landscapes of strings and
spacey synths. On ‘Tunnel Vision’, in precise yet
curiously rounded tones, Cheshire exhorts us to
‘move into the light’ over the busy drums and
spangly electric guitar. Meanwhile, on the title
track, he ponders the multiverse and advises
the listener to ‘pack your psychic bags and
vacate inner space’, shifting musical and lyrical
perspectives in a way that’s typical of this
brilliant, enigmatic collection. MB

Sound Quality: 90%
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THE CRIBS AMY MacDONALD BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
Night Network The Human Demands The Symbol Remains
Sonic Blew COOP804CD; LP: COOP804LPI BMG 4050538641035; LP: 4050538641011 Frontiers Records FRCD1060; LP: FRLP1060
When The Cribs emerged in the early On Amy MacDonald’s fifth album the Back in the early ’70s Blue Öyster Cult were

2000s, their stroppy neo-punk saw acknowledged influence of bands like referred to as the heavy metal band for
them likened to The Libertines, but their Travis and The Killers on her dramatic, people who don’t like heavy metal, and
continuing success stems from their love Celtic-tinged music comes across strongly, with their tongue-in-cheek occult, sci-fi
of vintage British pop. The sibling empathy and is amplified by the big production and fantasy lyrics, and penchant for strong

of the three Jarman brothers is evident in sound of Jim Abbiss, who has worked with tunes, they helped create the genre while
the tight playing and vocal harmonies, and Kasabian and Adele. With her powerful lampooning its pretensions. After a 19-
their songwriting looks back to Ash, The voice driving the songs, the effect can be a year break, original vocalist/guitarists Buck
La’s, even The Hollies on ‘Never Thought tad blustering, but is balanced out by her Dharma and Eric Bloom lead a revamped,
I’d Feel Again’, but with overdriven guitars emotionally articulate lyrics. The title track remarkably fresh-sounding lineup, who
bedded into the mix. Produced by Steve finds her riven with existential doubt and on deliver songs about alien abduction (‘Edge

Albini, 2017’s 24-7 Rock Star Sh*t was a ‘The Hudson’ she tries to stop her dreams Of The World’), forlorn vampires (‘Tainted
more feral beast but they took over desk turning sour, as the song climbs into a Blood’) and cyborg love (‘The Machine’).
duties themselves for Night Network at Foo Bruce Springsteen-like chorus. By contrast, They avoid metal and classic rock clichés
Fighters’ Studio 606 in LA, and their eighth she muses on the pitfalls of attraction on and ‘Box In My Head’ shows that they have
album has both heft and clarity. MB the acoustic ‘Young Fire, Old Flame’. MB retained their knack for pop melody. MB
Sound Quality: 80% Sound Quality: 85% Sound Quality: 85%
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DECEMBER 2020 | www.hifi news.co.uk | 99