England is one of the last places I would expect a musician to be “bored”, especially if they are native to the country. Its rich history aside, every major label houses an office there and there are certainly a surplus of venues present, not to mention an endless list of British influences to get inspiration rolling. It has all the privileges of the American music scene in a more condensed geographical area, which only helps in making European tours more convenient for the locals and artists alike. It was not singularly the people, music industry, or potentials of the UK that made Chris Hicken leave his native Birmingham, the second most populated British city (and home to the likes of The Moody Blues and ELO). Obviously those bands had little issue growing up in Birmingham, but like Hicken they eventually relocated after sincerely valuing their musical ambition. “It seemed very natural to me, something I could be good at,” said Hicks, who always showed glimpses of musical talent despite learning difficulties like dyslexia interfering with his school work. “Very quickly it became all I wanted to do.” Although there remain groups (primarily in the art-rock, Arctic Monkey-ish vein) that maintain significant success in the UK while encompassing a large US following, it often pertains most to a group’s style when determining which country they would fare best in.

Both the US and UK possess very similar mainstream tastes in regard to music, arguably more than ever before due to music’s new level of accessibility. We are seeing more simultaneous Euro-American successes more than ever, which opens up a nice opportunity for Hicken. The Birmingham native has always been enamored with American and British folk music alike, but his rarely complex taste at an early age allowed him to differentiate between the two country’s distinctive musical styles (which was a lot easier in the preceding decades to this one). His preference as an artist seems somewhat obvious, though much of it can also be accredited to the assimilation that took place after moving to New York City in 1993 with his then-band, Bigmouth. This project saw little attention apart from opening for UB40, but it opened up plenty of opportunities for Hicken. Times in the city were pretty routine for Hicken after Bigmouth was abolished, as he went to work as a bartender in the East Village before kicking off his solo career with 2004’s Championship Boxing. This job was actually where his alias, Cantinero, derives from; his Ecuadorian co-worker had always called him cantinero, which means “bartender” in Spanish. Prior to that he was actually contemplating starting his solo career with electronic experimentation, prompted by a recent fascination with Boards of Canada. Entertainingly enough though, Hicken was so touched by the musicianship on Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary that it made him reconsider going for a more natural sound.

Hicken’s follow-up Better for the Metaphor continues upon the infectious alternative-pop that Championship Boxing so effectively conveyed. Hicken’s style of alternative-pop touches both the eccentric folk of an Andrew Bird or Devendra Banhart while reminding listeners of a charming vein of power-pop where electronics are not entirely prohibited, but instead ushered in sporadically to maintain the natural harmonics of the power-pop or alternative-rock. (think Phoenix, Holopaw, Califone, Royal City, etc.). Hicken’s tendency for anthemic choruses and a boatload of hooks allow him to sit comfortably in both genres, combining both British and American schools of pop music to produce an album that improves upon Championship Boxing in its sheer diversity. The opening “My House” describes Hicken quite nicely as an artist – straightforward lyrics, bouncy variations of keys and percussion, and a chorus that strikes gold. What makes Hicken such an accomplished pop songwriter and a track like this is the variation between momentary transitions. While “My House” is mainly an ode to proper gratitude, Hicken avoid monotony by implementing a variety of successful techniques. Whether he temporarily subdues the percussion or brings in a masterful keyboard progression to accompany an already-familiar melody, every small contribution leads up to a plethora of efforts that are accessible and contagious.

Whereas Championship Boxing supplied us with a fusion of folk, pop, and electronica by providing samples of an acoustic nature with natural instrumentation, Better for the Metaphor succeeds even more because of Hicken’s willingness to play it all himself. A talented multi-instrumentalist for sure, this effort sees less in the way of samples and more naturally constructed hooks. “Go-Getter” is reminiscent of Beck so much that, without Hicken’s unique vocal range, it would be difficult to distinguish between the two. Like Beck’s best and earliest work, “Go-Getter” an instance of awe-inspiring stylistic multifariousness. As the rhythm section hints at a story based around smooth-flowing jazz, Hicken’s rushed and hushed vocal delivery sounds tranquilly suitable for chillout electronica instead. The gurgles of synth that he introduces prove surprisingly compatible with the natural acoustics of a piano, and this chorus-focused element serves as the primary source of melodies reflective of alternative-rock or power-pop. This is precisely Hicken’s most treasured ability, one that allows him to introduce various genres with instrumentation that would be contrary to popular belief. Whether he is incorporating psychedelic nostalgia into maudlin ballads or jazzy rhythm sections into electronic ambiance, it all comes off so cohesively that these short pop songs expand into a more memorable territory. There are plenty of these tracks on Better for the Metaphor, which is finallyE seeing a wide release after its initial pressing in 2007.

RIYL: Beck, Phoenix, Holopaw, Califone, Royal City, The Sea and Cake, Marjorie Fair, Apollo Sunshine

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Cantinero – My House

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Cantinero – Go-Getter

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Cantinero – Medicated

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Sub-genres are a tricky thing to analyze. It seems that any individual can coin one, from a music theory professor to a 15-year-old ranting on some message board. It’s funny – I personally know a few people who utterly ignore sub-genres out of pure scorn for the strain of its initial comprehension. Is it a tool for overly creative music critics? A way to concisely classify a new band? Or maybe it’s just a ridiculous attempt to sound knowledgeable? Whatever way you look at it, it is difficult avoiding the likes of “art-rock”, “psy-trance”, or “hypno-pop” if you regularly engage in conversation regarding contemporary music. Though it may seem like cutting larger genres (rock, pop, jazz, funk, etc.) into absurdly smaller slices to those who hold a fair amount of contempt, I don’t mind it that much unless it transforms into something like “breakbeat-electro-freeform-clown-falsetto-pop”; an example that, rather gruesomely, sounds familiar to the lot of us who have witnessed a write-up where a newly created sub-genre seems just as excruciatingly drawn out. I try to avoid such exaggerated tags in my own writing, but it appears that some bands won’t have it any other way.

Baggy? I must have missed that one when it rolled around the UK in the early ’90s. Though I had always listened to the likes of The Charlatans, Ocean Colour Scene, and The Farm with pure delight, I never had any idea that “Baggy” was the apparent sub-genre that onlookers preferred to use. “Brit-pop” was always good enough for me. Now seeing that it derives from the more frequently used “Madchester” classification, I suppose it makes more sense. A lovable mix of aforementioned Brit-pop, psychedelia, funk, and ’60s pop… yeah, I guess “Baggy” works in its own entitlement of the word “loose” where several genres are integrated fluidly and freely; loosely defined, indeed. And what led me to all this rambling? The Twang, of course. When I read any article about them, the words “Baggy” and “Madchester” went hand-in-hand, nearly proclaiming the five-piece out of Birmingham, England as savior revivalists of such a lost sub-genre. While initial listens may prove hard in the task of separating The Twang from the masses of British art-rock hopefuls, there are those occasional shades of jangle-pop, psychedelia, and Brit-pop that makes the “Baggy revivalist” tag at least a bit justified.

Formed in 2004 by a couple of lads who were tired of over-financed pop sensations, The Twang are composed of gritty talent, prime innovation, and not much else. With most of the band’s members growing up on the less glamorous side of Birmingham, there are no false identities hiding behind the band’s sound. “We’re normal lads instead of some little posh div,” lead singer Phil Etheridge told the BBC, “I ain’t going to sing about rivers, man. I don’t live by a river. I live by a canal and there’s bikes in it.” The “everyman” mentality that Etheridge employs in his lyrical delivery has already won over a cult following of fans who discovered The Twang very shortly after their formation, back when they were called “Neon Twang”. Like most successful British bands these days, The Twang were hyped by the press before they had even signed to a label. Now housed on B-Unique Recordings alongside the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Hot Hot Heat, and Alkaline Trio, the future is looking bright for The Twang. Oh, did I forget to mention that they were on the cover of NME in April and won the “Phillip Hall Radar Award” at the 2007 NME Awards? Despite how easygoing NME has been in the past several years, the hype this time seems to be warranted.

Whether their astronomical sales can be accredited to a magazine’s acclaim, nonstop airplay, a memorable stage presence, or a bit of everything, The Twang’s debut, Love It When I Feel Like This, now sits atop the UK charts at comfortable #3. Released in early June, it continues to hold its own in being led by the enormous singles “Wide Awake“, “Either Way”, and the recent “Two Lovers”. The single for “Two Lovers” was released today, featuring the sparkling b-side “I’ll Upset You” and a Mint Royale remix of “Two Lovers” in addition to the title track. You know a young band has potential for greatness when their early b-sides are album-quality material. “I’ll Upset You” epitomizes this wholeheartedly. Etheridge delivers his usual snarl during a reverb-filled verse, later to be uplifted by a more sympathetically reposeful chorus that serves as a highly gratifying hook with its guitar-led orchestral denouement. Mint Royale’s remix of “Two Lovers” is also a pleasant surprise, granting a newly acquired emphasis on electronica with the utilization of rapidly shifting percussion, glimmering keys, and fresh guitar lines. The Manchester-based producer Neil Claxton churns out a remix that I find even more enjoyable than the catchy original. The Twang’s next single will be the opening track from Love It When I Feel Like This, “Ice Cream Sundae”; set to be released this October.

I fully recommend Love It When I Feel Like This to all those who basked in the glory of the ’80s “Madchester” scene. Unforgettable tracks like “Either Way”, “Reap What You Sow”, and “Push the Ghosts” hearken back to a time where acts like Squeeze, Happy Mondays, and the Stone Roses reigned doubtlessly. Etheridge’s snarling delivery does additional justice in separating The Twang from other mindlessly repetitive British acts, as The Twang flawlessly incorporates elements of contemporary art-rock while simultaneously keeping the jangle aspects of the “Madchester” and “Baggy” eras in tact. Even if you find Etheridge’s vocals too conventionally overbearing, there is no denying the excellent guitar-oriented production in stunners like “Push the Ghosts”. Moments like those make it no surprise that The Twang finished second (behind Mika) in BBC’s “Best New Talent of 2007” poll, where 130 respected UK-based critics and broadcasters were involved. Mindless sub-genres aside, their stylistic momentum and ability to create powerful hooks are what makes The Twang a band to look out for in 2007 and beyond.

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The Twang – Two Lovers

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The Twang – Two Lovers (Mint Royale Remix)

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The Twang – I’ll Upset You

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The post Just Some Baggy Hype for The Twang appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.