Lil' Pud knows what the fuck she's talking about- weekly.

With careful reference to "High Violet" from Brooklyn based band - The National.

You may be wondering why I should be reviewing music for Zero Review. Well my credentials are pretty varied. I learned how to play "Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder in second grade, so obviously I am musically inclined and pretty talented. I can still bang out a pretty mean “Hot Cross Buns” on those plastic wind instruments. Don’t get me started on “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the keyboard. Fucking amazing stuff! I’ve seen The Last Waltz four or five times so I know what goes on behind the scenes too. I’ve also seen Mr. Holland’s Opus. Music does change lives. Anyway, besides all that I’ve read a few A.A. Gill articles in The Times, I guess you could say I’m pretty much a journo. I just finished the first year of my Arts degree, I know a lot about a about a lot of shite. If someone was to say I didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about- I’d have to point out that THEY didn’t know what the fuck THEY were talking about. I’m like a black, female Lester Bangs, biotch.

I enjoyed "High Violet" by The National, however something was niggling me as I listened to it, I just could not figure out what it was. Until… I realized that a certain gobshite in town would LOVE this mid-tempo stuff. You shouldn’t hate a band for purely personal reasons but I’ve always beefed with bands, it’s just how I am. The only local band I’ve never beefed with is Japs Eye Drops. I’ll beef with every other bands till the day I die, fuck’em. Anyway, all the members of the band seem to have half grown beards. I say make up your minds assholes. Go the whole hog or shave that shit off. Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner seem to have a musical partnership based on enabling each other to be depressing bastards. This is not a criticism it’s a fact. My opinion is to take this bitch for a twirl.

8/10

Black Puddin' (AKA lil' pud)

ALBUM REVIEW:- MIDLAKE / The courage of others

With this, the third album from Texas Quintet Midlake, I was full of hope for the listening. On it's cover it bore a sticker with "Mojo - Album of the month" imprinted upon it. And then I put it on. All of the different musicians who play on this album are brimming with competence and ability, and I find it hard to fault the production as it is a tidy sound overall ; a very spacious and easily distinguishable mix. The problem I had with it, I realised after Track four 'Core of Nature' that for the first four songs it had seemed like I was listening to the same one. It was all very wistful and medieval and ultimately quite insipid and unimaginative. Track five : 'Fortune' was a welcome, if short-lived change. It showed the potential of a band that can but don't. For a start- a major chord sequence was visited: a brief holiday of hope. A momentary breath of fresh air only to return to the gloom as soon a the respite had come. Track 9, 'The Horn' bore some interest, and was in some ways reminiscent in it's music of early Richard Thompson such as 'Valleria'.
Overall this Album is a well produced, depression inducing fog. Their sweet sounding monk-like harmonies are "nice", but are not well served by the 14 or so centuries of Gregorian chants or indeed the Clannad of the early 1990's while in their 'Robin of Loxley' phase.
Tim Smith - the lead singer is cursed with a very notable voice as, in the absence of any decent material, all one notices about the songs are that his voice was yet again present in another mediocre song. This in the long -term can have a detrimental effect on the life-span of a band like this.

                                                                                                                                              Score : 4/10