Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Jul 2021

AT THE GATES – The Nightmare Of Being
Solid effort by much-copied Swedish melodic death metal pioneers but they’ll never be able to get rid of the “Slaughter Of The Soul” measuring stick, no matter how many saxophone solos and orchestras they experiment with. (7)

BEARTOOTH – Below
An excellent, catchy slab of hardcore-infused modern heavy metal. (8)

LUCY DACUS – Home Video
I thought Julien Baker was going to be this year’s Phoebe Bridgers but apparently there’s some serious competition from Dacus. No wonder the three of them were in a band together. (8)

VINCENT NEIL EMERSON – Vincent Neil Emerson
A new Texan singer/songwriter and a good student in the school of Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clarke, Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell (the latter, not coincidentally, serving as producer here). (7)

BOBBY GILLESPIE & JEHNNY BETH – Utopian Ashes
Primal Scream guy and Savages girl conceptually attempt a Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris thing, and it works. (8)

JOHN GRANT – Boy From Michigan
Deeply personal, in places disturbed and disturbing, often funny – in other words, classic John Grant. And I’ll take his vintage synth sounds over synthwave any day, even if many songs on this album run a couple of minutes too long. (8)

ANGELIQUE KIDJO – Mother Nature
The undisputed Queen of Africa passes the torch by unselfishly inviting a bunch of up-and-coming African artists as guests on this environmentally focused World music album, and it’s so good that I could even forgive the Sting collab, maybe. (8)

JOHN MURRY – The Stars Are God's Bullet Holes
A sarcastic, tortured poet in the Lou Reed tradition, this guy will fuck you up if you pay too much attention to what he’s singing about. Produced by John Parish. (8)

THE RECORD COMPANY – Side Project
Blues rock trio does covers, some expected (Willie Dixon, Big Mama Thornton), some not (INXS, Cypress Hill). RYIL The Black Keys. (7)

FAYE WEBSTER – I Know I'm Funny Haha
Yet another female singer/songwriter doing this emotive soft rock/country/easy listening folkish thing. A pleasant listen but seriously, I’m beginning to have a hard time telling them apart. (7)