Timmins is currently working on a series of songs based around old maps from the German school system in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and while the inspiration may seem a strange one, there are actually interesting parallels to be drawn between the two. As he explains:

“I see a strong connection between maps and songs…both take the infinite chaos of the world and shape it into something comfortingly comprehensible. Thousands of kilometres of rugged coastline represented with a simple line; an extended period of intense emotion reflected in a few minutes of organised sound. A map or a song can only ever be a shadow of the complex beauty that inspired their creation, but under the right circumstances they can shape a new reality with its own intrinsic beauty.”

‘Vulnerable’ is the latest single, what Timmins describes as “a call to emotional honesty and integrity.” As such, the song is as sincere as it is self-aware, trying to live a better, simpler life of candour while bemoaning the current habits of pride and shame. This is all backed by gentle-yet-technical guitar work which swells with a pleasing repetition.

“Walking numb and reckless through the trees
What’s the good in imperfection
Callous hearts are not anomalies
How we selfishly crave affection

But we’re so afraid to cry
Woohoo-ooo
I don’t want to live a lie
Let me be vulnerable this time”

You can find all of the songs on the Mark Timmins Youtube page.

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Today we are happy to bring you the music video for the track ‘Farewell Navigator, which we described as “lean and wiry indie pop, a song of changes and goodbyes”. It was probably my favourite track on the record, and just gets better when twinned with the charmingly psychedelic DIY video by Henry Demos/Nice Legs’ (and all round good guy) Mark Lentz. Check it out via the Z Tapes Youtube channel below:

Farewell Navigator is surrounded by other good songs on the band’s self-titled début. If you haven’t already then why not grab Naomi Pop via the Z Tapes Bandcamp page? There are still some tapes left! You’ll get a lovely package in the mail which may even include some delicious Slovakian sweets (which are worth the price tag alone, trust me).

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Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting on You)

“It’s heartening to know that a band who have been toiling away at their craft for years can go from relative obscurity to flavour of the month with one astounding T.V performance. It’s also heartening to know that within the loose circles of pop music, there’s still an appetite for the surprising and the unusual. When I first saw Samuel T. Herring’s chest beating, lateral chicken dancing and unexpected bellowing during Future Island’s performance of Seasons on Letterman, I was bowled over—it violated every expectation I might have had of a synth pop band within the first thirty seconds and left me wondering what the hell I’d just watched by the end. It’s catchy, it’s refreshingly different, and Herring’s performance absolutely demands your attention in a way that few other songs have this year.” Dave 

Field Report – Pale Rider

“Every year I seem to fall for an album that demands to be played front to back (see: Hospice, Spectral Dusk, White Lighter) and 2014 was no different. It’s difficult to settle on a single song from Marigolden but I’ve plumped for ‘Pale Rider’, a track which exemplifies what Field Report are all about. The song deals with the pressure of meaning so much to another person, a blend of sadness and regret illuminated with sparks of intense emotion and a fierce hope. I’ll leave you with my favourite lyrics of the year: ‘now you’re cantering crooked and screaming at the wind / and shooting off flare guns in memory of the kid / his birthday was yesterday; he would have been six / oh my god, I am so sorry.’” Jon

Strand of Oaks  – JM

JM is Tim Showalter’s tribute to the late Jason Molina, and more generally to the consoling and healing power of music. The lyrics are comprised of a (presumably autobiographical) list of struggles and difficult times – “And I hated all my friends, I wouldn’t let them in”, “I was sitting in the bath, cleaning off the ash” – followed repeatedly by the caveat “but I had your sweet tunes to play”. Describing how Showalter (and every single one of us) finds solace in songs, the track smoulders in a flickering twilight before igniting in a storm of wailing guitars and thundering drums, ending with: “I won’t let these dark times win, we got your sweet tunes to play”. It’s big and triumphant and sincere and it’s my favourite song released this year. Thanks for the sweet tunes, Tim.“ Liam

Photay – Reconstruct (Feat. Seafloor)

I have a theory that Photay must have stumbled on the formulae for the perfect song. Reconstruct has absolutely everything. After battering in your ears with a raw as hell bass riff, it journeys successively through a dreamily singalong chorus, a ponderous breakdown and a jazzy jam-ending. I haven’t stopped listening to it for months.” Matt

Flying Lotus – Never Catch Me (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

“Never Catch Me sees two of the finest bring out the best in each other. FlyLo’s rhythm and grooves are matched every inch of the way by Kendrick Lamar’s flawless delivery. As songs about death go, it’s as upbeat as possible. Lines like “Looking down on my soul now, tell me I’m in control now, Tell me I can live long and I can live wrong and I can live right,
And I can sing songs and I can unite with you that I love, you that I like,
Look at my life and tell me I fight,” focus on our desire to affirm our time as worthwhile, the fear of wasting it and eventually being forgotten. Matched with a charming video, it’s been on regular rotation for a fair few months now.“ Will

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The track is a moody and atmospheric slice of alternative rock, supported by Brill’s excellent baritone vocals. Influences include The Bad Seeds, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, and contains some so-called “menacing viola vibes” from Smoke Fairies collaborator Neil Walsh. Inspired by his recent diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, the song’s gloomy nature veils a sense of determination and resolve. The finale could even be described as triumphant.

‘Muscle and Bone’ will appear on Brill’s forthcoming Pieces EP. If you can’t wait for that release, head to Notting Hill Arts Club on the 1st of June, where Brill and his band will make their live debut as part of Communion Presents.

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Miracle Temple illustrates a band that is growing and maturing, and as a result the new record sounds more deliberate, more accomplished. It seems that the experience of writing, recording and touring the debut has allowed the band to make a more considered and exploratory record, one that can deal with more complex issues. This fact is best illustrated with Heather McEntire, Mount Moriah’s lead singer and chief songwriter; On Miracle Temple she performs with a confidence that, although not lacking on the debut, was certainly less apparent. This is true in both a technical sense and also in a deeply personal sense. Much of the writing in her earlier songs (particularly Reckoning – which you can hear here on a brilliant session from the folks at HearYa) dealt with her sexuality and her experience of coming out to her Southern Baptist family. You get the feeling that the empowerment that she has gained from the experience of sharing those songs has allowed her to expand her songwriting range, to be able to write songs that are not just personal in a confessional sense, but also draw on past vulnerability to speak out to others. If Mount Moriah was cathartic self-help, then Miracle Temple is for the listeners. 

McEntire’s voice is one which would sound good if she simply sang numbers from a telephone directory. A throwback to the classic country singers, she could stand proud among the big names (namely a young Dolly Parton, which gets mentioned in pretty much every review I’ve read). However Mount Moriah do not live upon her vocal strengths alone – the writing is equally developed. The lyrics have a literary quality which are rooted in McEntire’s passion for creative writing, indeed Mount Moriah’s first album originated as a way for McEntire to utilise her collection of excess poetry and prose pieces. It’s therefore no surprise that the quality of writing here is very high. The over-arching atmosphere is one of nostalgia, and there are still plenty of references to the feelings of loss and isolation that abound in small-town America. Despite this, I think it would be wrong to describe Miracle Temple as a downbeat record. Its evocation of difficulty and pain is restrained and understated and lends the album a warm sincerity which is very rare in songwriting.

Notice that I have so far managed to avoid trying to describe the music. It’s always very difficult to tag bands with genres and it always feels a little unfair to pigeon-hole them with cliched terms that don’t seem to mean all that much to begin with. That said, it’s also very difficult to describe music in words without  touching on such terms. For that reason I will try to keep it brief. There is a big country influence here (hence the Dolly Parton comparisons), and there are also elements that could be described as indie-rock (which is to be expected considering McEntire fronted punk rock band Bellafea and guitarist and songwriter Jenks Miller played in psych-metal outfit Horseback before forming Mount Moriah). It is very difficult to come up with similar bands (presumably due to the fusion of styles), although one record which I was reminded of was last year’s Field Report album, which had similar literary stylings and country influences.

Miracle Temple is out now on Merge Records. You can buy it here on any format you desire. I highly recommend you check it out. Also have a look at the video for Bright Light below:

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Listen to the song in the player and download it for free via Soundcloud or Bandcamp. The track also has an official video which you can see on the band’s Youtube channel.

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