BELLOW BARITONE

Dedicated to music reviews. Live, albums, singles, outfits, facial hair, etc.

[bellowbaritone]

NEW MUSIC: NORMAN WISE - COUNTENANCE

Hello again, long time no see. Not a year's absence this time, but another absence nonetheless. I've alluded to creative struggles before on this blog so I won't mention them again here. What I will say is that in the last week I have heard a song that has made me feel something in a way I hadn't done for a long while, and I simply must write about it.  

A hidden gem in amongst a sea of Soundcloud tracks, 'Countenance' by Norman Wise begins shyly; unassuming vocals are laid ever so gently over summery, unobtrusive synths. Just as your brain begins to form any assumptions, however, they are blown away around 40 seconds in when the track bursts into life, driven along by an indomitable beat and the bounciest of basslines. There's a joy to this song that belies its jaded lyrical content, right through to the end of a dreamy-as-fuck coda. It's hard not to be completely enamoured by 'Countenance'. Why would you resist its many charms?

I may or may not have convinced you to listen to this track with, let's face it, that slightly bland, writer-y last paragraph, so here's my impassioned plea: listen to this song at least twice, while the sun is still out. Give it your full attention, don't do anything else while you listen. Let your mind wander where it may. Whether you're after the joy of discovering the unknown, or the catharsis of expression, there should be something for you here.  

Why do I like 'Countenance'? It doesn't really matter, or at least it shouldn't. Why did I feel compelled to spend an afternoon agonising over a few hundred words to be flung into the ether? Your guess is as good as mine. There's no reason in the world for you to take my word for it, but if you want to take a chance on this song you're likely to be rewarded.  

[bellowbaritone]

2015 RETROSPECTIVE - PART 2

LONE WOLF - LODGE

Music and anxiety often go hand in hand, in my experience. There are records in my music library that foster anxiety that I should probably stay away from; there are others I can turn to for sensory or emotional respite from the shakes and the sweats. I had yet to come across a record that encapsulated both responses, until I first heard Lodge by Lone Wolf. 

Faced with the news that much-favoured recording space The Lodge in Bridlington was closing, Paul Marshall booked some studio time and made what would be his final release as Lone Wolf over the course of a few weekends. The result is Lodge, a record that doesn't shrink away from its subject matter. It is a wonderfully sparse record; ever-present piano is joined in turns by unassuming bass, drums and mute trumpets, all of which are complemented by the sound of a room that almost lives and breathes with the music. There is nowhere to hide here; the elephant in the room must be addressed. 

The sound, therefore, sets up the final part of the Lone Wolf journey, with Marshall going from storyteller to confessor over the course of three records. It couldn't be simpler; he has some things to get off his chest, and he'd like to tell you all about it if you'll listen. Gone are the more abstract lyrics and stories from The Devil and I and The Lovers, and in their place are devastating words that have the power to make the listener recoil. The darkness and self-flagellation of anxiety and depression are explored in their entirety on tracks such as 'Give Up', 'Taking Steps' and 'Get Rough' in a way that is difficult to hear, but at the same time absolutely essential. The elephant in the room is being addressed.  

Addressing these issues is difficult but it can pay dividends, and evidence of this is also present on Lodge. 'Art of Letting Go' is the blueprint; it's no guarantee of success, that's down to you, but it sympathises and lends a helping hand. There is something about the end of 'Token Water' that evokes the giddiness that occurs in the aftermath of an anxiety attack ... an oddly specific evocation that is probably no use to anyone reading this but hey, music belongs to its listeners right?  

Tangents aside, Lodge is a stunning record. It says important things quietly; those who choose to listen have their close attentions rewarded exponentially. Louder records may get more accolades but you shouldn't have to shout for your voice to be heard.  

Lone Wolf

[bellowbaritone]

2015 RETROSPECTIVE - PART 1

EAST INDIA YOUTH - CULTURE OF VOLUME

On this day last year I began my look back at 2014 music with TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER, East India Youth's Mercury-nominated debut record. I did not envisage that I'd be starting this year's retrospective with William Doyle's second effort CULTURE OF VOLUME, but I'm not complaining. Spoiler alert: it's a bloody good record. The ideas open out as opposed to the enveloping of TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER; everything sounds widescreen, the vocals are stronger, the production sounds just that little bit slicker. While in many ways this second record is an elaboration on the first, there is one thing that remains the same; both records demonstrate a formidable audacity that manifests itself in multiple ways.

After the unfurling of opener THE JUDDERING, END RESULT is a deftly textured track that creates the effect of walking through some cold, vast expanse that probably doesn't really exist except in the mind (incidentally, this is a record that travels very well). When I listen to HEARTS THAT NEVER, it sounds like a neuroscientist cut my brain open, targeted the exact areas of the thing responsible for my completely random and unintelligible sensory pressure-points and put them all in a song, all happening at the same time. I might be affronted at this blatant invasion of privacy if it didn't sound and feel so unbelievably fucking fantastic. CAROUSEL is simply stunning. To reiterate: it's a bloody good record.

What is most impressive about CULTURE OF VOLUME is its evocative quality. When I think of this record many things come to mind: anxiety attacks, coach rides, a wet December night in Leeds, karaoke (don't ask), walking through the streets of London at 11pm and discovering a beauty in the city that I had never seen before. I don't expect anyone to share in these evocations; they are personal to me, and really that's the point. We don't react to music in the same way, we are shaped by our brains and our experiences and we sift music through those filters. All we can hope for is to find music that is an open and easy conduit, that not only creates associations but refreshes and remakes them as we go along. Luckily for us, records like CULTURE OF VOLUME make the process wonderfully effortless. 

East India Youth

[bellowbaritone]

In The Interests of Transparency

It has been 5 or 6 days since my last daily 2014 Retrospective post; since then I have dropped the reins entirely. This has been partly for circumstantial reasons, as I've been travelling a lot in this time, as well as having to face up to the fact that it's Christmas and I must do Christmassy things. At the heart of it though, these reasons are merely excuses; I could've still updated this blog every day, if I had really wanted to. The truth is, as much as I wanted to be egalitarian throughout my flurry of end-of-year posts, I had been unconsciously ranking the records as I went along. As I drafted the post for day 11 and Present Tense by Wild Beasts, I realised that this post was my favourite to write because Present Tense was my favourite album. The thought of continuing to traverse the mountain ranges of this year's music, when I had just reached the summit, no longer seems that appealing to me, so I will not continue with the 2014 Retrospective. See you next year ... 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 11

WILD BEASTS - PRESENT TENSE

Today's post must begin with a disclaimer; when I comes to Wild Beasts I find it damn near impossible to be impartial. I was so enamoured with Present Tense when it was released in Febraury that I wrote a love letter to it. For all our sakes I won't reproduce it here, but it goes to show the extremity of my affection; if I were pushed to pick an 'album of the year', it would be this one here. Having said that, I find myself somewhat reticent about waxing lyrical here, afraid of tarnishing your view of Present Tense, dear reader, with my muddy footprints.

I can speak about the facts; I could talk about how Present Tense was the band's first UK top ten record, how off the back of it they've played to 5000 people at Brixton Academy, and many more people in support of Arcade Fire and The National. When it comes to how utterly stunning the record is, however, and the ineffable grace with which it has aged as I have listened to and lived with it throughout the year, it is here where words begin to fail me (which is quite inconvenient considering words are my trade). In the end I must defer my words to others; as Jane Austen's Mr Knightley once said, "I cannot make speeches ... If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more". 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 10

2:54 - THE OTHER I

Just a quick one today, partly because of life things but also partly because The Other I is one of those albums where the more you write about it, the more you ruin it. 2:54 have always itched some kind of primal scratch for me; from the first time I heard 'You're Early' from Colette and Hannah Thurlow's self-titled debut record, I was hooked. They continue the good work on The Other I, at once both unsettling and beguiling with strong guitar work and siren-esque vocals. Most of all, the work has a transcendental quality; when I listen I somehow feel like I'm wandering some barren, foreboding terrain and fighting to stay afloat in choppy waters, all at the same time. All of which is to say: it's just a bloody good album. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 9

SPRING OFFENSIVE - YOUNG ANIMAL HEARTS

Revisiting this album now, I cannot help but approach Young Animal Hearts with more than a twinge of sadness. In the last month Spring Offensive have gone on what I will optimistically describe as an indefinite hiatus; it still seems quite hard to stomach that a band with such talent are unable to continue sharing that talent with us. While Young Animal Hearts would've featured in this retrospective regardless of the recent context, there is an added poignancy that colours my perception of it.

There is ample evidence of excellent songcraft to be found here, from the undeniable 'Bodylifting' to the jaunty, direct 'Speak'. There is also a dignified maturity in the lyrical content, perhaps most succinctly communicated in tracks like 'Young Animal Hearts' and 'Cut The Root'. The qualities I've mentioned can be found in droves on this record, but the thing that will stay with me is the image nestled right in the middle of the album, at the end of 'The River': "as the water rose around my knees, I found myself smiling". This coda is built up and repeated, until all instrumentation cuts out and only the voice remains. This is my lasting image of Spring Offensive: beautiful, transient, haunting. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 8

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW

I'm going to try my best to prevent it, but today's post is likely to descend into a complete gush-fest because today's album is more than gush-worthy. Sometimes we listen to music when we are sad, to justify our sadness; sometimes we listen to music when we are happy, to accentuate our happiness. Sometimes an album comes along and makes you feel what it wants you to feel, completely disregarding your natural emotional state, and So Long, See You Tomorrow is one of those albums. You just can't ignore this kind of happiness. 

I saw Bombay Bicycle Club on tour in March, a show which has become a live highlight of 2014 for me. One of the reasons that BBC are so good live, aside from the fact that they write a darn good tune, is that you can feel the joy of playing live roll off the band in waves, a tangible and infectious effect. It seems to me that with each album, the band get closer and closer to transmitting this joy on record as well as live, and with So Long, See You Tomorrow they might just have made it to the summit. Getting to know this record over the course of the year has been, quite simply, a pleasure. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 7

JESSIE WARE - TOUGH LOVE

The world is full of people who are either in love, out of love or, to crudely paraphrase Shakespeare's Romeo, "out of favour where I am in love". For those who fall into the latter two categories, never fear; in Tough Love, Jessie Ware has released an album so full of the stuff that there is more than enough to go round for all us lovesick pups. If debut record Devotion is concerned with the thrill of the chase, Tough Love is more of the opinion that there can be just as many thrills in the capture. 

Now I am a grumpy sod; every time I see a couple holding hands in the street I lurch for the nearest bin to hold my vomit. But when I listen to Jessie Ware, my cynicism melts away and is exposed for what it really is: a mere defence mechanism to cover up my singleton sadness. Having torn down this wall down, the tracks on Tough Love take pity on me and allow a peek at the sleeping monster that is love; a counterfeit version, but convincing all the same. In this weakened state, I cannot help but listen to songs like 'Say You Love Me' and 'Sweetest Song' and melt along with my cynicism. "Can you hear it?" Jessie asks on 'Sweetest Song'; yes Jessie, good god I can hear it!

My defence mechanisms kick back into gear, as they always do, but Tough Love will always give me a little glimpse of what I might be missing. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 6

METRONOMY - LOVE LETTERS

Firstly, a confession: I only began to listen to Metronomy 6 months ago. I am truly ashamed to have arrived so late to the Metronomy party but at least I made it, and for this I have Love Letters to thank. I stumbled upon the video for 'I'm Aquarius' by chance and got hooked in by the murky synths, and there are many more myriad electronics to be found across the record and of course, as I have since learned, throughout Metronomy's whole back catalogue. I'm listening to Love Letters now, trying to pin down exactly what it is that I like the most, and I'm finding it difficult. It could well be that there is a track called 'The Most Immaculate Haircut', or that on 'Never Wanted' Joe Mount manages to give a holiday packing list a heart-sinking gravitas, or even that 'Reservoir' makes me yearn for a non-existent long-lost lover. Hell, it might even just be that 'Boy Racers' is my unadulterated jam. After some thought these tracks rise to the top, but only after some coaxing; if I were to describe Love Letters in one word, it would be 'unassuming'. It's a record that waits for you to find it, and rewards your effort and endeavour in discovering it.

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 5

DAMIEN RICE - MY FAVOURITE FADED FANTASY

When I die, I want it marked down in my obituary that I survived the Great Damien Rice Drought of 2006-2014. There was such a long gap between Damien's second album 9 and the release of My Favourite Faded Fantasy last month that I almost forgot he existed ... and then I remembered and fell to my knees because Damien Rice makes me feel things like no other artist does. The first piece of music to ever make me cry was 'Accidental Babies'; just typing the words brings a lump to my throat. You may notice the weak attempts at hiding my affection with humour; to be quite honest, the effect Rice's work has on me makes me feel uncomfortable. He is, by far, the most arresting songwriter in my music library, and if you disagree I will fight you (see? I did it again. I can't handle this level of sincerity and yet the work demands it). 

You see, the reason that I find his music so compelling is that I believe every word he sings. With some music you don't believe a thing, and then other music is quite compelling and you believe it and just let it sit, and then there's Damien Rice. When his voice cracks on 'The Greatest Bastard', more than once, you better believe I'm slumped forward in my seat, reaching for tissues, utterly devastated. It's not a pretty image, but then the emotions on My Favourite Faded Fantasy are not pretty; no one could say they don't recognise them. All through 'The Greatest Bastard' Rice toys with my faith in his words as he constantly questions himself; almost whispering he says "I made you laugh, I made you cry, I made you open up your eyes ... didn't I?" By the end of the album, as with every Damien Rice album, I just want to give him a big hug. And I'm not a hugging person. 

It's good to have him back. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 4

TAKING BACK SUNDAY - HAPPINESS IS

It has been nearly 10 years since I first encountered Taking Back Sunday, watching them support Green Day at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and it's been about 8 years since I started seriously listening to their work. I found them at the perfect time; I had just discovered boys and, more importantly, their tendency to hurt you endlessly. Taking Back Sunday provided the pointed, bittersweet soundtrack to this awkward stretch of adolescence, and they have stayed with me to this day; a little bit like the Harry Potter books, I've grown up with TBS always around.

The Harry Potter comparison may seem a bit strange, but the final track of Happiness Is, 'Nothing At All', gave me the same kind of feeling as reading The Deathly Hallows. The realisation of the journey from adolescence to adulthood is a serious one for those that feel it, and 'Nothing At All' is the beautiful, lingering coda of an album which is undoubtedly Taking Back Sunday's most adult body of work yet. The reason that I still listen to Taking Back Sunday when other music from my younger years has fallen by the wayside is that as I have grown, so have they; in the same way that they have never sounded as adult as on Happiness Is, I have never felt so adult as at the time in which I first listened to it. When so many bands around them kept still, Taking Back Sunday never stopped running. I hope they don't stop any time soon.

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 3

I've been thinking a lot about this blog recently. Why do I do it, who is it for, standard existential concerns. I am enjoying this extended schedule of posting, not least because it has made me think about form and style; I have tried to do something different with the end-of-year model and as a result, I'm also scrutinising the way I write on here. I am happy for the few readers that I have on this platform, but ultimately I write for myself and I have allowed a more personal edge to come through (while at the same time trying to unlearn many bad habits of music writing that I have accumulated over the years). Basically, this has become less of a polished Music Thing and more of just me rambling on about records that I like. And I'm OK with that. 

FOSTER THE PEOPLE - SUPERMODEL

Never in a million years did I think that a Foster The People record would make it onto any best-of list of mine, and yet I have to scold my former self for being so close-minded. Having had 'Pumped Up Kicks' forced down my throat by every media outlet possible in the summer of 2011, I had developed a kind of negative Pavlovian response to any mention of the trio. In fact, when I first heard Supermodel I didn't know who it was by; it was one of many records put on at work by my colleagues in the name of pure curiosity. About halfway through the record I checked out what was playing and, rather than turning it off, I turned it up and went back to work. 

Like with many good albums, Supermodel can be enjoyed on a number of levels. What caught my interest was the sheer amount of groove: see 'Are You What You Want To Be?', 'Best Friend'. What kept me coming back was Mark Foster's understated delivery on tracks like 'Goats In Trees' and 'Fire Escape'. Lyrically this record gets pretty introspective, and it imparts what I've found to be a rare gift, giving the illusion of singing, and indeed speaking, to me and only me. And then of course all on its own sits ' Pseudologia Fantastica', a behemoth nestled in the middle of Supermodel, charging and snarling for 5 and a half minutes straight with next to no relent. As a once staunch critic, consider my socks charmed off. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 2

WOMAN'S HOUR - CONVERSATIONS

One of the most striking moments of Conversations, the debut from Kendal quartet Woman's Hour, comes in the middle of 'Darkest Place'; Fiona Burgess' voice sounds almost too close as she sings of a lost love: "wherever I look you're always there/I close my eyes and it's even worse/you hang around on the clothes I wear/and I can't even tell you how much it hurts". There are no lyrical flourishes here, no metaphor or allegory. The simplicity and starkness of these lines are beyond devastating. 

This is not an isolated incident. Conversations constantly brings forth the lump in the throat, battled back day after day, and puts a soothing hand on your back as you let it all out. From start to finish, this is a hugely cathartic record; the listener is gifted a seemingly endless sonic expanse but, like when the mind becomes clear, only then do you realise that you are forced to confront the nothingness and all that comes with it. Nicholas Graves' sparse keys open up the space, while the guitar work of Will Burgess skirts around the vocals, sometimes approaching, sometimes hanging back. 

For me, this record shows that catharsis begets catharsis; it comes so close to speaking to the most primal pain in us that it inspires the listener to pick up the baton and continue the quest of wrestling that bittersweet feeling into a creative capsule. Conversations is perhaps the most unashamedly personal album I've heard this year and because of this I am continually enamoured by it. 

[bellowbaritone]

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 1

Today is the 1st of December, and music writers everywhere are putting the finishing touches to their end-of-year lists. This blog is no stranger to such behaviour, but this year I would like to do something different. For every day in December you will find a post dedicated to a note-worthy album of 2014; that's right, 31 days, 31 albums. No ranking, no scores, no even numbers, just a lot of gushing over good music. After all, it is the season of goodwill ... so without further ado, let's get started. 

EAST INDIA YOUTH - TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER

Pablo Picasso had been painting for over a decade before he embarked on his Blue Period; for the first time in his career, he found a way of expressing the austerity and sorrow surrounding him without the restrictions of realism and formal instruction. The artwork for Total Strife Forever suggests that the record is East India Youth's very own blue period, but the playfulness of the title helps to ward off any serious attempt at a comparison; Will Doyle is hardly The Old Guitarist. Perhaps the best example of the resistance to "total strife" is 'Heaven, How Long', the centrepiece of the album. Lyrically there is plenty of 'grey sky' thinking here but the music teeters on a knife-edge between hope and despair, before the crescendo hits and lands somewhere between the two, a truce between resignation and defiance. This is the overarching tone of Total Strife Forever: a series of sighs, the tone of which to be deciphered by the listener.

I remember the first time I heard Total Strife Forever; I used to work in a small record store, and upon entering the shop for my first shift of the new year my colleague held up the CD and asked, "Have you heard of this East India Youth bloke?". I had heard of him thanks to the Quietus, and between my colleague and I there was enough curiosity to put the record on. Unusually, we stayed silent as we listened. My expectations were defied again and again as I stacked shelves and served customers; I had no idea what exactly it was that I was listening to, and because of this I was immediately fond of it. This album was my first of 2014 and it has been a comforting, ever-present companion. 

[bellowbaritone]

ALBUM: PAUL SMITH & PETER BREWIS - FROZEN BY SIGHT

My job on this blog (for want of a better word - perhaps compulsion would be better) is to capture and bottle my subjective viewpoint and release it into the wild of the internet; sometimes I forget this and the blog sits dormant, gathering dust in a distant corner of The Internet. Today I have been moved to bring Bellow Baritone back from the brink of obscurity in order to examine Frozen By Sight, a collaboration between Maximo Park's Paul Smith and Peter Brewis of Field Music. 

Paul Smith has a rare talent; in his mouth the English language as I have known it for approximately 20 years give or take becomes new again. I tend to think of most singer/songwriters as musicians who happen to write poetry, but Smith feels very much like a poet who happened upon a guitar one day. His sense of narrative is intuitive and impeccable; this has been honed throughout his time with the Park, and it shines here in this transformation of travel writing, especially on 'Exiting Hyde Park Towers' and 'Trevone'. Much of his words remind me of the great observer William Carlos Williams and of one of his favourite images, that of the artist in the automobile, seeing and recording flashes of life before him. Smith doesn't only record, however; in the beautiful closer 'St. Peter's' he leaves us with a question: "When does a view become a view?" It's not a question I have an answer to. 

Musically, Frozen By Sight has the advantage of being seasonally appropriate; the strings are decidedly autumnal and the indomitable sense of place within time is deftly crafted. Like one kneels close to the electric heater after a day out in the cold, this record sits close to the skin and ears, unobtrusive but essential. Brewis and Smith have created a rare thing in making music that is at once both primary and incidental; The music gives way to Smith's vocals when appropriate, and equally Smith steps back enough to let the strings swoop in and out, in and out. This is a very pleasant record, disarming in its gentleness.

[bellowbaritone]

TRAMLINES 2014

This weekend I went to Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, headlined by Katy B, Public Enemy, Sister Sledge and The Cribs. I can't write a whole lot about the headliners as I somehow made it through the whole weekend without going to the main stage at Devonshire Green, but this didn't stop me from seeing a wide range of acts across the city. 

BEST BEATS - Cholombian

Cholombian was my first act of Tramlines 2014; having listened to some tracks on Youtube I was ready to be impressed, and I was not disappointed. All through the set a near-perfect balance was struck between beats and soundscapes, intertwining and weaving in and out of each other, inviting in the most casual poser-come-barfly. 

LOCAL HEROES - Screaming Maldini

By the time I got to Sheffield Cathedral to see Screaming Maldini the place was packed - it was clear to see that these guys have a ton of hometown support. This was to be no ordinary show for the band; aside from the unusual setting, a string section and a choir were in attendance to bolster the Screaming Maldini sound. All this made for a very special performance that won't be forgotten easily by those who were there. 

SWEATIEST SET - Sky Larkin

Between songs Katie Harkin remarks "I can't remember a time when I wasn't sweaty ...", and she has a point. Sheffield was like a sauna for the entire weekend, but Sky Larkin were not in the mood to cool down. From the first strains of 'Still Windmills', Sky Larkin injected Queens Social Club with a burst of irresistible energy with no let-up whatsoever. Far from complaining however, the lively crowd welcomed it; there was a lot of sweaty love in the room. (Sky Larkin @ Queens also gets the award for Best-Smelling Photographer, which seems rather incongruous but there you go)

GOOSEBUMPS MOMENT - Jonah Matranga

Jonah Matranga played to a modest but attentive crowd on Saturday, a set tucked away in the Ballroom in City Hall. A musical journeyman, Matranga has played in many guises in a career spanning nearly 25 years; at various points he asked the audience what songs they wanted him to play, giving the set a very intimate feel. The highlight of the set was his acoustic cover of Deftones' 'Be Quiet and Drive', filled out in the middle with the story of how this version came to be on the B-side of the single release. As soon as he started playing the room went instantly silent; to hear such a quiet version of such a loud song, and to feel the poignancy of it, made for a beautiful moment. It was a pleasure to watch and hear. 

BEST DISCOVERY - Brontide/Maybeshewill

If you've been neglecting your post-rock tendencies lately, which I definitely have, then both these bands will provide the perfect antidote. Both Brontide and Maybeshewill were recommended to me by friends, and I was immensely impressed with the power and songcraft demonstrated by both bands. One of the best bits of a festival is stumbling upon unknown treasures, and once I have finished scolding myself for not having found them sooner I'll be getting to know both these bands a lot better. 

DREAMIEST SET - Woman's Hour

I was very excited to see Woman's Hour this weekend, especially after hearing their beautiful debut album Conversations. The band had to contend with some power issues that delayed their entrance, but once on stage they launched into a short-but-sweet set that included 'Her Ghost' and 'Our Love Has No Rhythm' among others. The Tramlines programme described Woman's Hour as "swoon-pop" and that description seems to be pretty spot-on; a tight rhythm section allows for gorgeous guitar parts to ghost in and out, and there's plenty of room for Fiona Burgess' vocals to rise up into the rafters of the cathedral. 

BEST VENUE - Sheffield Cathedral

This was a toughie; City Hall is a very close second, but the Cathedral clinches the Best Venue title due to the beautiful and unusual setting. On Sunday night, I found myself sitting cross-legged on the cathedral floor, surrounded by plastic cups and empty bottles of Bulmers, waiting for Denai Moore to come on and close out the festival. It was a surreal moment, but a beautiful one all the same. 

SPECIAL MENTION - East India Youth

I've seen Will Doyle aka East India Youth 4 times this year, in support, headline, and festival slots, and every time I see him it's always bloody brilliant. Even some sound issues in the middle of his Tramlines set at the Harley didn't stop him from winning over the whole room. 'Hinterland' is a massive track in itself, but it felt even more unstoppable on Friday night as the crowd moved not-quite in unison with the beat.