reviews

Kings of Leon – On Call (RCA)
Reviewed by Josh Green
The Kings of Leon’s new single On Call has a raw emotional edge.
Its icy circling keyboards and driving guitar break through the thumping, bass and percussion, to that memorable repeated hookline, delivered by the richly gravelled voice. The powerful central melody supports the lyric to make a song that sticks in the head, and returns, hours later, ringing around and around and around.
This single is a departure for the Kings of Leon, in many ways, yet fans will still recognise and appreciate all the that they already enjoy in this band.
The Kings of Leon are touring the UK in April.
For further details visit - http://www.myspace.com/kingsofleon
Echo rating 4/5

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Island Records)
Reviewed by Nadia Ghosh
Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, has been tipped as one of the finest soul albums to come out for years. Now she has released the title track as a single, and following the success of Rehab, it promises to be a huge hit.
This single is a musical tribute to Phil Spector, complete with an echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies.
She's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her smoky voice and created a modern feel with the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi.
It's not quire Rehab, but definitely worth a listen.
Echo rating 3/5

Nelly Furtado – Say it Right (Geffen Records)
Reviewed by Jessie
Nelly Furtado’s sweetly haunting voice weaves all through this percussive dance. The sultry swaying musical arrangement blends soaring guitar with insistent rhythms of the night.
As ever, Nelly Furtado delivers, with her own poignant brand of heartfelt pop with a narrative twist.
Echo rating 3/5

The Horrors – Strange House (Polydor)
Reviewed by Mouse
This album didn’t frighten me, nothing frightens me, since the plane crashed into that haunted swamp. Took me three days to fight my way back out to civilization, inch by zombie infested inch, hacking my way through those hideously misshapen murderous cadavers, with only a penknife and a rolled up copy of the inflight magazine to protect myself. Now that was a horror story, I can tell you…
The only thing missing was this album, playing in my head as a battle hymn!
This band are old school horror meets The Mighty Boosh and The Jim Rose Circus, dark and intense with a brooding intelligence and a strangeness that magnetically attracts.
The Horrors have an original sound, with outstanding vocals, keyboard, bass and guitar playing, and a very tight drummer.Yet there are echoes of the greats in there, a little bit Julian Cope and his sublime Teardrop Explodes, some Screamager vintage Therapy? A touch of ‘Night of the Vampire’ by The Moontrekkers, Comsat Angels keyboard flourishes and a definite flavour of The Doors at their ‘People Are Strange’ sinister best.
There are some interesting ‘Art Sounds’ in this music too. Not exactly sound effects, but certainly experimental noises, giving the music a richness that grows and blossoms blackly on multiple listens, and the weirdly illustrated cd insert is something of a work of art in itself.
Vampires and Zombies and sideshow freaks will play this at their weddings, and we will hear it in our dreams - the soundtrack to our cherished nightmares!
Echo rating 4/5

Julie Fowlis – Cuilidh (Shoeshine Records)
Reviewed by Rick Underwood
Cuilidh is a collection of songs sung in Scottish Gaelic by the very fine songstress, Julie Fowlis.
Julie hails from Scotland. But this has nothing to do with short bread or Donald and his troosers, this is the music of the real Scotland, North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, to be more precise. It is the sound of the wide and wild and ancient landscapes, of the sea and the sky, the rain and the sunshine on the lonely mountainside. This is authentic Celtic music, not the corny imitation stuff, and the difference is clear!
You don’t need to know the language to understand the songs, the meanings are clear enough from the hairs standing up on the back of your neck!
Julie’s music combines her marvellously evocative voice, sung high, sung low, sung fast, sung slow, but always sweetly poignant, with the instrumentations of group of highly skilled and sensitive traditional folk musicians, with impressive musical pedigrees, playing piano, bouzouki, fiddle, whistle, flute, and all the rest.
Julie was recently voted Radio 2 Horizon Award 2006 Best Emerging Artist, and listening to this album, it is quite obvious why!
This is a great album, from a rising star who just happens to be on tour at the moment.
She is playing several gigs in the NorthWest of England in April. For dates and venues, visit
http://www.myspace.com/juliefowlis
If she is anywhere near as good live as she is on this album (and folk musicians are usually better, if anything!) she will blow your little socks off!
Echo rating 4/5