Bella Union Schallplatten & CDs

Review: "A document created in the shadow of incredible darkness. One from which the creator hadn't planned on escaping and still doesn't. Hence the title of the album. It is the result of an illness that I've battled my whole life. It isn't something that the world has done to me. It's the world I live in, and it's no one's fault."
So says Brian Christinzio, AKA BC Camplight, of his sixth album. As ever, it's a musical masterpiece packing dense layers of instrumental experimentation and theses-worthy lyrical poignance. An artist who has never played by the musical rules, fans of strong juxtapositions will again be in there element, with a tracklist that spans grunge-y garage rock, twisted barroom journeyman stuff, theatrical guitar pop, and plenty more. But the sounds themselves are only one half the genius. When it comes to arrangements, things are as playful as they are innovative, keeping listeners guessing as to how structures will pan out.

Review: 2022's stunning album Once Twice Melody was a fine example of Beach House doing what they do best - living bang up to that name, with intimate-but epic instrumentation falling somewhere between surf-y jangle and grand shoegaze. 'Become' is definitely on a similar tip, and as such feels much like an extension of the long form.
Dig a little deeper, though, and scratches begin to show. While the full-length record represented Beach House reaching for the stars, or at least the moon, and stepping into the role of festival headliners, here the sense of pure confidence and occasion is less pronounced. That may not be a bad thing, mind, because while Once came across like a finished article, refined and prepared, things here seem somehow rawer, as though we're sitting in on a session as oppose to getting the signed off product.

Review: Fans of Explosions In The Sky no doubt read the band's new album title with a degree of trepidation. Would this be the grand finale it has always felt like the outfit were gearing up for? Hopefully not, but nevertheless it certainly has the power of a magnum opus. "Every song comes from a story, or an idea one of us has had that we've all expanded on and made its own world," the group say of the new LP. "Our starting point [here] was the concept of an ending - death." If that sounds bleak then it might be worth reconsidering attitudes towards endings. Rather than wallowing, Explosions In the Sky do what they have always done so well here, but perhaps even better than before. Monumentally-sized operatic rock music highly influenced by classical, grand enough to see your entire life pass before the mind's eye as the keys, refrains and bombastic melodies unfold, reminding us that while nothing last forever, it was probably a blessing to be here in the first place.

Review: You don't have to spend long looking at the cover art for Plantoid's Terrapath to have a stab at guessing what the record is all about. The oil painting-style image is at once retro and futuristic, invoking thoughts of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and John Wyndham's Day of the Triffids, among other classic science fiction works. We couldn't ask for a more apt visualisation of the record itself. Terms like 'prog rock jazz' may not be particularly flattering today, but here Plantoid prove there's plenty of life left in the (sub) genre yet, especially when you throw funk, soul, and subtle hints of downbeat into the mix. Terrapath is at times fragile and gentile, in other moments rowdy and brash, and it never, ever feels like it could do with seven or eight minutes shaving off a track. A wonderfully conceived collection you'll be coming back to again, and again.

Review: It's hard not to feel that the first time you heard Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space it was a lightbulb moment - one of those life, or at least music-affirming experiences that's hard to come back from. Not the first Spiritualized album, but certainly the most critically acclaimed at the time, and arguably still to this day, it confirmed the Warwickshire band had arrived at the highest level of chart-friendly artistry. That point when a band realise they can do what they want, and it resonates with both niche and mainstream ears. Everything Was Beautiful arrived 25 years later, and emphasised that point. Yes, we're talking about a group that reached full maturity some time ago, rather than a troupe of rising enigmas pushing rock 'n' roll in new directions. Nevertheless, the way in which we are invited back into their world is captivating. Tracks that rouse, inspire, and feel utterly timeless. As a record, this is an exhilarating ride from start to finish, almost seeming to distill all that has come before into one intoxicating brew. Here in a limited Spanish pressing, grab it while you can.