MIK SABIERS savours the first headline solo show of the stalwart of Brighton’s indie-punk outfit Blood Red Shoes
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Springsteenesque cacophonies and arresting musical vision
This week IAN SINCLAIR reviews albums by Okkervil River, The Flaming Lips, and Aisha Burns
New releases reviewed by IAN SINCLAIR
STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves
CAILEAN MCBRIDE welcomes a refreshing and timely study of the way officialdom creates structures that exclude LGBT+ rights and humanity
The bard mourns the loss of comrades and troubadours, and looks for consolation with Black Country Jess
CHRIS MOSS relishes the painting and the life story of a self-taught working-class artist from Warrington
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by a star-studded adaptation of Ibsen’s play that is devoid of believable humanity
Okkervil River
In the Rainbow Rain
(ATO Records)
★★★★
WHILE their last record was a largely subdued, introspective affair, US indie-rock band Okkervil River’s ninth album is a poppy and relatively bright set. “I hope it’s something fun that makes people feel happier,” says songwriter and lead singer Will Sheff.
As with their mid-2000s career high point, In the Rainbow Rain is full of Sheff’s dense lyrics, many verging on short stories.
Accompanying his words is an often bombastic, Springsteenesque cacophony of sound, including synths, brass, strings and rollicking piano, upping the emotional ante and imbuing everyday tales with world shattering importance — check out The Dream and the Light.
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