ALBUM: Bitch Falcon – ‘Staring At Clocks’

An apt title for 2020, but one that would still resonate without the current social hellscape we’re living through, Bitch Falcon’s debut album Staring At Clocks is a blistering cacophony of grunge, post-punk and shoegaze inspired sounds. Set for release via Small Pond Records on 6th November, the Dublin trio’s first full length record sees them effortlessly galvanize their melodic tendencies with their trademark heaviness, resulting in a visceral yet graceful collection of noise.

Bitch Falcon have been cutting their teeth on the Irish and UK live circuits for the past few years, sharing stages with Girl Band, Fontaines DC, Torche, Black Peaks and Pussy Riot, as well as playing live for GIHE back in 2017. Since then, the band have been carefully channelling their formidable live presence into polished recordings, and Staring At Clocks is proof that they’ve mastered this craft. Opener ‘I’m Ready Now’ is an affirmation of this, filled with drummer Nigel Kenny’s racing beats, Barry O’Sullivan’s thundering bass lines and Lizzie Fitzpatrick’s powerhouse vocals.

‘Sold Youth’ intoxicates with its swirling grungy melodies, followed by the rapturous splendour of ‘Turned To Gold’. Despite being about the exhaustion that comes with stretching yourself emotionally thin for a loved one, the restless riffs and charged percussion on ‘How Did I Know?’ provide a fierce catharsis. The eponymous ‘Staring At Clocks’ is permeated by Fitzpatrick’s dreamy vocals, building towards a riotous outro full of bruising bass lines, manic guitar sounds and relentless drums. Exploring the fleeting feelings of running away and escaping your situation, ‘Test Trip’ is a formidable fluctuation of soothing and abrasive elements.

Effortlessly switching from a savage scream to a sublime extended yearning, Fitzpatrick’s elastic vocal ability never fails to impress throughout the record, and admiration for her natural talent swells with each listen. On ‘Martyr’, ‘Damp Breath’ and ‘Gaslight’ in particular, there’s even echoes of the mighty Bjork during her ‘Army Of Me’ era. Fitzpatrick’s intuition for knowing exactly when to unleash a cord-ripper, or to lull listeners with a hushed intonation is matched by Kenny’s razor sharp cymbal strikes and O’Sullivan’s brooding bass hooks and epic closing track ‘Harvester’ is a clear amalgamation of these talents.

An enviably strong debut, Staring At Clocks is propelled by gritty riffs, urgent vocals and a striking awareness of what it means to take your time, to reflect on what you’ve been through and to charge on through the dissonance. Bitch Falcon should take pride in this immense first full length offering and we can’t wait to hear it live when the coast is eventually clear.

Pre-order your copy of Staring At Clocks from bandcamp.

Follow Bitch Falcon on Instagram, Spotify, Facebook & Twitter for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Sister Ghost – ‘Season Of The Witch’

Previous winners of ‘Best Live Act’ at Northern Ireland’s Music Prize, and having previously wowed us with their contribution to The Fight Is Not Over – a live EP capturing the protest nature of many of Belfast’s bands, and addressing the need to continue pushing for more inclusive spaces – Sister Ghost last week shared a special Halloween Compilation EP, The Samhain Mixtape. Featuring covers from Shannon and Maeve, as well as special spooky tunes from a number of their favourite bands (including Party Fears, Alumna, Mom Fiend), it’s a perfect selection of seaonal treats!

Taken from the EP, Sister Ghost’s rendition of Donovan’s ‘Season Of the Witch’ provides the perfect Autumn soundtrack. As dark throbbing bass lines and jangling hooks create a playful sense of doom, it’s propelled by impassioned vocals and a seething energy, adding an underlying gritty power to the catchy spirit of the original.  

 

You can buy the The Samhain Mixtape for the suggested donation of £6.66 or Pay What You Can over on Sister Ghost’s Bandcamp. All proceeds will be going to Girls Rock School NI, the local Girls Rock chapter founded by Shannon from Sister Ghost. The organisation have been working online with young women and non-binary young people during lockdown to reduce isolation, create community and make music together.

 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Ultraflex

Described as a “cocktail of contemporary disco and futuristic boogie,” Norwegian/Icelandic duo Ultraflex have a joyful sound that can be appreciated while strutting around on the tiles of a dancefloor, or during a sweaty aerobics class at the gym. The pair – formed of Farao and Special-K – recently released their debut album, Visions of Ultraflex, which showcases their ability to craft carefree but polished electronic tunes.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Ultraflex to ask about their “Five Favourites” – five songs that have inspired their song-writing techniques. Check out the band’s Soviet-themed favourite songs below, and scroll down to listen to their latest single ‘Full Of Lust’ at the end of this post.

 

1. Dimenzió – ‘Bamba’
This Hungarian jazz project released masterpiece ‘Bamba’ on their self titled debut album from 1981. The double bass melts perfectly into the rushed beat creating a constant feeling of progress and movement forwards into the synthesizer solo and playful vocoder vocals. Kari found this track on youtube years ago when she was digging for Soviet treasures and it’s been one of our favourites ever since. The track creates such a mysterious mood, as if it could have been the theme tune for a crime show.

2. Wojciech Karolak ‎– ‘Discopus Nr 1’
Although Poland was never part of the Soviet Union, they were one of the Warsaw Pact countries and I normally include Polish stuff in our Soviet themed DJ sets as it’s clearly very similar in style. Wojciech Karolak is a Polish jazz pianist who made this fusion banger in 1980, and considering the cover he clearly had great style as well. The track opens with a minute long ultra smooth intro to set the mood before the disco beat kicks in and we are good to go. Fusion like only Eastern Europeans do it.

3. Юрий Бучма – ‘Дождик’
Юрий Бучма (Yuri Buchma) used so many amazing synthesizers on his album Автопортрет (Self Portrait) from 1990, like the Roland D-50, Yamaha PSR-90, RX-5 and, an Ultraflex favourite, the DX-7. The track ‘Дождик’ (Rain) is irresistibly groovy and comes with a nice fan video showing some wild animals in the Russian countryside. The rest of the album is also worth checking out, for example the brilliantly titled ‘Чернобыль, год спустя’ (Chernobyl, one year later).

4. Adrian Enescu – ‘Cuvinte incrucisate’
Romanian composer Adrian Enescu released this record as a continuation of Funky Synthesizer 1, a very confusing and challenging release. Funky Synthesizer 2, however, is where Adrian finally found his formula, especially on ‘Cuvinte Incrucisate’ – the banger of the album.

5. Miha Kralj – ‘Computor’
Miha Kralj is a pioneer of Yugoslavian instrumental synthesiser music and he released three albums in the early ‘80s. Kind of a Giorgio Moroder of what is now Slovenia. His stuff is pretty out there. We also recommend his first album, Andromeda.

Thanks to Ultraflex for sharing their Soviet-themed five favourites with us.

Listen to ‘Full Of Lust’ below and follow Ultraflex on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook for more updates.

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Track Of The Day: Ailsa Tully – ‘Drive’

A tranquil alt-folk tune that gently encourages listeners to escape the greyness of their day-to-day reality, Welsh songwriter Ailsa Tully has shared her latest single ‘Drive’. Released via Dalliance Recordings who Tully has recently signed to, the track is a breezy reflection on what it means to break away from the daily stresses of life and exist in a peaceful moment of escapism.

“’Drive’ was inspired by a time when my brain was festering in a boring job,” Tully explains. Through her soft vocals and melodic guitar sounds, she eases the relatable tensions that come with wasting your precious time in an unfulfilling career, finding that “silver lining” in the greyest of situations.

A former guest on our Hoxton Radio show, Tully is deeply influenced by her Welsh heritage. A member of her church choir, she recalls walking across the Welsh countryside and hearing voices reverberate beyond the church walls, which has influenced her own sound to include elements of choral music, folk music and field recordings. ‘Drive’ is the first taste of Tully’s new music, and she’s set to release more singles in 2021.

Listen to ‘Drive’ below.

Follow Ailsa Tully on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook & Instagram for more updates.

Photo Credit: Adam Whitmore

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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