Album Review : Pixie Carnation - The New World Record

First there were Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men, then came Sweden’s MO and following just behind are Pixie Carnation, there is just something about northern European pop, electro, rock or folk that really gets me.

On the cusp of releasing their debut album 5 piece Pixie Carnation are to play London’s XOYO, hailing from Malmo (that’s in Sweden) they play the middle ground between ‘Because Of The Times’ Kings Of Leon and ‘Sigh No More’ Mumford & Sons, a great combination, faultless even. The last 3 years has been a culmination of hard graft, touring, band members coming and going and a re-recording of soon to be released album ‘The New World Record’.

For anybody that has ever seen The Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine’ you won’t forgive me in saying the opening seconds to ‘The New World Record’ is Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band just before the Meanies decide to mute, a wonderful matrimony of sounds flows into opener ‘When Did The Lights Go Out’ which gently pushes you into the journey beyond, the indie/rock influences begin to bubble on the surface. A southern American guitar twang chimes ‘We Can Lie’ into the mix, the vocals of Ola (Lead Singer, Guitar) pierce the versatile composed musical ensemble that contrasts to early Mumford crossed with Band Of Skulls, A slow building indie/rock hit.

Three tracks in and the strong Kings Of Leon/Mumford similarities begin to inch its way into the Pixie Carnation sound, ‘Speed Up Your Heart’ is ‘On Call’ meets ‘Winter Winds’ though the burden of the sound surrounds the band, the influence of either bands could well be vacant and be a complete act of innocent genius. ‘Keep It Coming’ takes Arcade Fire to the next level, a journey within a 5 and a half minute track, a weaving ride through long country roads on a mid-Sunday afternoon.

The ebbing flow from track to track in a prominent feature within ‘The New World Record’ as well as the never ending ability to pin down the exact sound of the band, from one track to another different sounds and influences arise but not one exact pigeon hole is available. ‘From The View Of A Gun’ puts us in the middle of the album, looking backwards at a now darker light and forwards to the next single ‘Young And Free’ the definitive Pixie Carnation sound at its strongest, the track to make you stamp your feet and sing at the top of your voice, a sure fire crowd pleaser a la ‘Little Lion Man’.

A celebration of life and everything it includes ‘Dreaming Still’ flows from ‘Young And Free’ with a positive resonance, Pixie Carnation take the traditional ensemble of musical creation, every track included within ‘The New World Record’ begs no less a duration of 4 minutes, inviting you in to feel every lyric and chord, something of which some artists and bands lack, throwing tracks out thick and fast than throwing their arms around them to create the spectacular music that can be appreciated.

Into the last quarter of the album ‘Little Sister’ throws a much later radio friendly type spanner into the works, the long dulcet tones of Ola collaborates pleasantly beside the bass of Lars and drums of Kristoffer, the collective as a 5 piece come together throughout to create brilliance. ‘Smile’ is the penultimate build-up to the drop and all out ballad that closes ‘The New World Record’ that is ‘Easy Love’.

There is a musical niche that surrounds Pixie Carnation, lots of ‘not quite...’ but ‘really likes...’ if you are a fan of certain bands and a certain genre then this is the band for you, there is also a certain success that will surround the sound that they own and will see them through to chart around the world.

‘The New World Record’ slips itself into one of the best albums I have heard in 2013, alongside Justin Timberlake’s ‘20/20 experience’ Biffy Clyro with 'Opposites’ and Bastille ‘Bad Blood’. A possible outside runner for Novembers Mercury Music Prize, young and free Pixie Carnation keep it coming.

Pixie Carnation play London's XOYO on April 22nd, Tickets are still available. Single 'Young And Free' is set for release on May 6th with the album 'The New World Record' being released on the same date.

EP Review : Biffy Clyro : Black Chandelier

The calm before the double album storm has been brewing in a settled sea just off of our fair coast, and it’s debatable if the double edged storm will cause any damage at all. Many will be holding doubt around the release of Biffy Clyro and their now imminent outing with ‘Opposites’ but for now we can sit and watch it brew nicely on the horizon with the EP release of ‘Black Chandelier’.

The rock 3 piece come sailing in gently with EP opener and title track ‘Black Chandelier’, everything we expect from the ever existent badge of approval we continuously hold for our flag baring Scottish counterparts. Spinderley (even if that isn't a word) guitar riffs we expect of Neil are present throughout, the bass build and drum break, the gentle ease and final all round smash...It’s all included within ‘Black Chandelier’, the perfect Biffy Clyro song. Lyrically Simon Neil is still driving us around the houses, plucking verses of confusion then translating them into simplicity. ‘Black Chandelier’ is the perfect medicine to follow their epic previous return of ‘Stingin' Belle’.

Following the opener is ‘The Rain’ a ballad of sorts, the expected bubble wrapped commercial based X factor chart pleaser, the most simple of songs which is a complete disappointment but not what we shouldn't expect of the only out and out rock band in the UK (minus Band Of Skulls and a few others). For if it wasn’t for a certain Matt Cardle and the over filling wallet of Simon Cowell, the ever growing plethora of fans from previous album release ‘Only Revolutions’ would cease to exist and the hardcore would still remain, for what thanks we have.

 The subject of weather continues to dawn on us with ‘Thundermonster’, which wouldn't have been out of place on the ‘Infinity Land’ track-list  A thrashing riff-driven rock track of which we expect from Biffy of the past, something that some still long to return. It’s nothing short or long of acceptance and if this is what is expected in the contents of ‘Opposites’, those fans who have just got a ticket and joined the Biff bandwagon could soon be in for a shell shock. The final track on the EP is a live version of ‘Many Of Horror’, the track plucked from ‘Only Revolutions’ and propelled into the public eye, the EP filler and fan collectible  We all know the real lyrics, sit down Cardle.

In a rocking chair on the front porch of a city somewhere non-existent, we all sit and wait with baited breath, a 90-minute storm named Biffy Clyro is waiting to hit land. We can all batten down the hatches or lovingly embrace, ‘Black Chandelier’ is the tornado taster which causes minimal damage, sit tight as the blackened sky approaches.