Originally published in The Penny Post April 2012.
Well, if we haven't already reached a point of the year where those in the know are discussing their albums of 2012 thus far. Frankly, this is a conversation I cannot join, as most of the albums I've heard this year have left me feeling a twinge of disappointment. Yes, I've been more than mildly diverted by records from The 2 Bears, Django Django, Perfume Genius and New Build, but nothing yet has had me falling to my knees weeping tears of nectar.
I have reason to believe, however, that this personal drought may be washed away this spring by a deluge of incoming albums. First up, on April 23rd, is the debut â finally â by Clock Opera. With a gestation period that would put a broody elephant to shame, Ways To Forget should be a corker. Touted as ones to watch at the end of 2010 with Once and For All, they've since released a steady stream of excellent, electronically-tinged, rousing-but-not-cheesy singles. Don't let us down, chaps.
A week later, Marina and the Diamonds 'drops' her second album, Electra Heart. I've given up trying to understand the concept (something to do with the American dream, a recurring theme of Marina's), but her 2010 debut was quite brilliant â although it didn't propel her to the heights she deserved as one of the UK's most unique popstars. Sadly, her rave-a-thon single Radioactive will only be on the special edition, but both Primadonna and Homewrecker suggest that the album won't be struggling for mammoth-voiced songs that are more than just a little bit listenable. In the closest thing to a homecoming (and the last night of her tour), Marina plays the Cardiff Coal Exchange on May 15th. It should be a good'un.
Next, we need to talk about Ladyhawke. Despite spawning plethora singles over a period that began to feel like 12 years, the Kiwi singer's 2008 debut blew away pretty much everyone who heard it, as well as obliterating the dancefloor at numerous indie discos. The long-awaited follow-up, tellingly-titled Anxiety, is released on May 28th. Lead single Black White & Blue and the album sampler that's been doing the rounds could be accused of being more of the same, but I fail to see that as a bad thing. Bubbling synths, jaggedy guitars, breathy vocals; she pulls off the trick of making songs that sound exactly like Ladyhawke, but simultaneously like all-time classics that you've known since time immemorial.
Now, Scissor Sisters have barely skimmed my radar since their debut, but I'm strangely excited about Magic Hour, out May 28th. The album campaign got off to a white-hot start, roping in rising superstar Azealia Banks to feature on Shady Love, alongside Jake Shears getting his rap on for the first time. It sounds like a real development for them and, while it would turn off the housewives who most definitely felt like dancing for a period back in 2006, a whole album with this much reinvention at its core could be brilliant. The band promise style-hopping âfuture popâ, and features collaborations with Diplo, Pharrell Williams and Calvin Harris. Not all of them turn out solid-gold nuggets every time, but when they're on form, they're on fire.
One band who has been turning out solid-gold nuggets since their inception is Niki & The Dove. Coming on like Kate Bush back when she did choruses and married to a pulsating beat, this Swedish duo have unleashed a volley of spectacular singles (The Fox, Mother Protect, The Drummer, DJ Ease My Mind, Tomorrow) and worked their way into fifth place on the BBC Sound of 2012 poll. Their debut album, Instinct, lands on these shores on May 14th. Catch them for yourselves in The Full Moon just a few days later on the 23rd (tickets are criminally cheap).
Also gracing Cardiff with their presence this spring is Saint Etienne, playing in the Gate on May 25th to promote Words and Music, only their eighth album in 21 years. Already the probable winner of cleverest sleeve of 2012 (a map, with every place name being a song title: Penny Lane, Electric Avenue, Yellow Brick Road etc), they've worked with their regular producer, Ian Catt, alongside Richard X and Xenomania, two of the greatest names in 21st-century British pop. Lead single Tonight is sublime, and this looks set to be sophisticated dance-pop at its finest.
Other albums of note this spring include newbies from Gossip (fingers crossed for a song that finally equals Standing in the Way of Control), Santigold (early reports are very positive), Richard Hawley (likewise), Rufus Wainwright (always reliable) and Hot Chip (purveyors of sublime singles but frustratingly imperfect albums). So, alongside the lambs bouncing their way o'er hill and dale and the daffodils bursting to reach the sun, this spring you should also look out for me, joyously clutching my iPod (other portable music devices are available) with a spring in my step, a song in my heart and considerably lighter pockets.
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