7th July, 1997

I believe some Manchester band released a single this week. Never mind...

Single of the Week

"Cowboy" by Portishead

After 3 years in the wilderness, trip-hop pioneers Portishead rumble back over the horizon with "Cowboy", a mighty behemoth of bass and lazy beats. Released on 12 inch vinyl only and in a strictly limited edition of 7500, the band could be accused of elitism and awkwardness. I don't care. When a band - any band - produces music of this calibre and degree of innovation, they could make it available only to purchasers of a certain brand of soft drink and they would be forgiven.

"Cowboy" is heavier than the Portishead of old. The band seem to have plugged their equipment into the earth's core and turned it up to 11, producing a truly seismic bass and an eardrum-shattering sound. Placing them amongst fellow noiseniks and high-volume merchants such as MBV, the Velvets or Spacemen 3, Portishead carve out their own mighty slab of sonic stone with a nod to dance and hip-hop beats. And when Beth Gibbon's unsettling Eartha-Kitt-on-dope voice appears in the mix like a slightly unhinged ghost at a seance, the effect is no less than spine-tinglingly superb. The most vital release this week by miles.

The b-side consists of an instrumental version of the a-side, in which Geoff Barrow's aural Frankenstein's monster escapes from Castle Portishead and sends tremors throughout the land.

Rating: 10/10

The Rest

"Risingson" by Massive Attack

Not a million miles away from Portishead's echoing urban soundscapes, "Risingson" by fellow trip-hop Bristol triangle outfit Massive Attack features similar dubbed-out bass and doped-up beats. Threatening vocals a la Massive collaborator Tricky, the track is more sinister and lithe than the 'head, but no less vital. Spilling out into a hollow echoing electronic juggernaut towards the end, "Risingson" sees the band setting controls for the heart of the dub and jamming the brake.

"Superpredators" on the b-side is a jagged and sharp instrumental, forged in the bowels of some trip-hop metalworks and discarded into the real world. Two remixes of "Risingson" (the space metal of "Otherside" being the best) complete the picture.

New releases from Portishead and Massive Attack in the same week: is it Christmas??

Rating: 9/10

"No More Talk" by Dubstar

Back up for air now with the indie disco delights of Dubstar and this upbeat - though old-fashioned - dancefloor filler. Calling to mind Saint Etienne or even some of the late 80s Blonde bands (Primitives et al), "No More Talk" is effective at what it does but no classic.

"Unchained Monologue" is a scathing spoken word effort about what men and women really mean when they say things like "I'm so confused" ("I know what I want and it's not you"). Cynical? Dubstar? Nah...Next up is "La Boheme", a cover of the old Charles Aznavour classic, the Pernod-drenched atmosphere of which suits the band well. Last on the EP is "Goodbye", a forgettable run-of-the-mill indie thing.

Rating: 7/10

"Alkaline" by Scarfo

Power-trio histrionics from Scarfo with "Alkaline", a nice big spiky guitar thing with the distinctive and slightly out of place EMF-ish vocals. When you hear the music, you expect either a big raucous Travis yowl or a Brian Molko yelp at the very least, not the little boy lost style that you are limply offered. Still, it's not distracting enough to be bad, merely noticeable. And 10/10 for the guitars.

"Brazil" is the next b-side, and now I've made the EMF comparison, I can't get it out my head. Placebo fronted by the bloke that did the singing out of EMF. That's all I can see. At least last song "El Topo" sounds a little different (like Suede fronted by the bloke that did the singing out of EMF).

Rating: 7/10

"One Big Family" by Embrace

Supposedly one of those Next Big Things you hear about. Not sure about that, but this rabble-ish big guitar sound isn't bad in a kind of Travis meet Oasis and the Glitter Band way. Hardly essential, and a little formulaic, this is on the whole disappointing.

First b-side is "Dry Kids", a slow ballad that goes all over the place searching for a tune. "You've Only Got To Stop To Get Better" sounds exactly like its Oasis copyist title suggests - i.e. second-rate Beatles-influenced guitar nonsense. "Butter Wouldn't Melt" is the last, and is a piano-oriented slowie that - musically at least - echoes early Lou Reed. Probably the best thing on offer here, and even it's not all that great.

File under Next Big Thing That Wasn't then...

Rating: 5/10

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