The Last Battle – Heart of the Land, Soul of the Sea
Welcome to the latest in an ongoing series where I try and review albums by my friends without either pissing them off or sounding like I’m slathering them with praise because we have on more than one or two occasions been spotted in the same pub together.
The Last Battle remind me, if not in sound, at least somewhat in politics of some other friends of mine, Broken Records. Both bands seemed to suffer something of a backlash before they’d really had much of a, er.. well, much of a frontlash. I’ve heard a surprising number of people spit feathers about these guys, given that they’ve hardly gone stamping about the place talking themselves up as far as I have noticed. They were greeted with rather hyperbolic levels of enthusiasm on their appearance a year or so ago, with a lot of people seemingly too hasty to find the Next Amazing Band from Edinburgh ZOMG! etc etc, and I can see how that might draw reactions, but it is hardly the fault of the band themselves.
Anyhow, in amongst all that hysteria proclaiming them to be alternately the best and worst band in the city depending on what day of the week it was, they simply got on with signing to my pal Ed’s label, 17 Seconds, and recording a debut album. Thinking for yourself can be tricky when there’s a lot of shouting going on, so with all the shrill reactions I’ve actually found it quite hard to gauge my own relationship with this record.
Edinburgh is more than well stocked with bands who tend to draw the term folk into descriptions of their music at the moment, but when you look at the likes of Withered Hand, Broken Records, eagleowl and Meursault, the Last Battle are probably closer to traditional folk than any of them. In fact, they remind less of their immediate peers and more of the folk-influenced stuff I was listening to when I first moved to Scotland in about 1994 or so.
Having not heard the full album before their launch night a couple of weeks ago I think I cemented my relationship with it when I found myself thinking ‘ooh good, this one’ within seconds of pretty much every song they played. Most bands can come up with a ‘sound’ if they’re pushed, but given the stuff that lands in my inbox I am constantly disappointed with how few can actually write songs which exist as good songs, independent of whatever signature sound the band may have developed. This elusive skill it appears the Last Battle most certainly have, giving each song its own distinct character,.
Possibly my favourite Last Battle song is absent from this though – the excellent Ward 119. That song bursts with such genuine tenderness I find myself wishing this was perhaps a more personal affair than the concept album it is, because for all even concept-based stories have to some extent be based on personal experiences somewhere I have, I think, always preferred more forcefully emotional songs like that one – they make a much stronger connection, for me.
Nevertheless, this is a really nicely uncomplicated album, and a consistent foot-tapper. Scott has a very normal-blokey voice, and it’s complemented really well by Arwen’s rather more gorgeous tones. The songs are held together by the consistent strum of the guitar or mandolin, like the constant rhythm of the yellow lines on an overnight drive, and given real pathos by the cello. As I said, it’s all done quite simply, but really well nevertheless.
The Last Battle – Oh Best Beloved
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I don’t see anything wrong with getting excited or giddy about a band as I did when I first heard The Last Battle.
Saying that, I am glad that this album lived up to what I wanted it to be. Simple, effective, braw.
Hi both, glad you like it, I’m just really chuffed to be involved with this…
I’m with Ian here, very frustrating when people’s automatic reaction to a bit of hype is to start rubbishing the band in question.
And you won’t catch me rubbishing this. Lovely stuff.
I think that’s a really, really good review, without being fawning, obsequious, or arty farty. Good one!
IMHO it’s actually a quite brilliant album; the songs are memorable, the cello is beautiful, the instrumentation – including the tinkling glockenspiel, drums & bass are all spot on, and Arwen & Scott’s harmonies are mesmerising.
Do your ears a favour & have a listen! I have to admit – I am partial – cos I designed their website, but even so I love this stuff.
Dick
I think the reason I was a bit perplexed by some of the meaner comments I heard is that they came before I personally had had much chance to hear the band, so I found myself thinking ‘Hang on, one gig and you’re that adamant? Fucksake.’
Dick, I assume you’re not partial because you designed their website, more likely you designed their website particularly because you were partial. Just a guess of course!
Ed, not that I am any kind of expert, but I think that’s exactly the most rewarding way to run a label – just releasing stuff you are chuffed as fuck to be associated with. At our level, as long as you’re not reckless, business cases can come afterwards.
Matthew -agreed. I have been asked if there’s a 17 Seconds records ‘sound’, to which I reply ‘no -but there is an ethos.’ If, of course, putting out records because you like the stuff can be described as an ethos!
At this stage of the game, it’s rewarding in a lot of ways -each positive review, radio session or play, or being featured in the front window of a record shop feels like a victory. To walk into Rough Trade records in London and see the first release we put put out -’Claire’ by Aberfeldy- was tremendously exciting. In all seriousness -and because I am a complete indie geek-that meant far more than seeing it in HMV in Edinburgh. (Because it was Rough Trade, not because it was London, I should add!)
i’m looking forward to hearing this,
seen them a couple of times but couldn’t really hear them as people were talking over them
TALKING?? Whatever next, drinking? Fun? This must be stopped!
(Sorry, just kidding, you know how I feel about that kind of thing.)
anyway, i’m looking forward to your other review……
Umm, sorry?
you don’t need to be sorry yet…….
Is this cool of me to comment on this? I don’t know. Thanks for this nice review though Matthew, I’m sure it was a daunting one to do.
I’m glad people are leaving positive comments however, and we’re really happy to have the album out.
The one thing that’s puzzled us though is the thought that we’ve inspired such negativity in some people. We’re a bloody quiet folk pop band!!
God knows what’s going to happen when we move into our loud drums and noisy guitars phase on the next record. (which, for the record -boom boom- we are)
Haterz look out
Chutters, I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about.
Scott, it really surprised me too. Not that some people won’t always hate bands as much as other people love them, but I just didn’t think there was enough information out there yet. But then, that’s just me. I don’t hate many people. Well, not all that many… oh alright, fuck off and stop sniggering.
Actully there are two reviews i’m looking forward to reading on this here site…..one for a album that isn’t out for another month, and one that i’ve just found has just come out.
Namely:
Broken Records
Small Town Boredom.
both, in my mind anyway, are immense.
Scott: regardless of the rights and wrongs of people yip yapping over merits of you and your band’s progress over the last year, just keep doing the do and these worthless fucks normally pass by the wayside.
Good advice, Chutters (I can’t believe I just wrote that).
In brief, really enjoying Broken Records, didn’t know about Small Town Boredom but will remedy that asap.
I have to say, this review tells me nothing about the record until the last paragraph and even then it says very little.
Listened to the songs and must admit it’s not my cup of tea but good luck to them.
Yeah, I hope they just keep doing their own thing and basically everyone else can like it or fuck off. I just bought the album this weekend and I love it. It’s tricky doing reviews when you know the people involved. I try to be informative and descriptive, without being judgemental, as my opinion matters not one jot from the next person.
On the Small Town Boredom note, I can suggest at this stage that it is bloody brilliant, but then I always was a miserable fucker. Still, well worth checking out, and what is classed as ‘miserable’ by some can be utterly uplifting to others.
Yeah, I always liked sad music anyway, so the ‘miserable’ tag is not so important. In terms of reviewing stuff, well I reckon that on a blog opinion is probably a little more important, but I do tend to try and lob in a couple of comparisons and some actual description so that people have something to balance it with.
In this case, the comparison to mid-90s alt-folk, which had a more obviously Celtic sound than now, and the description of how the instruments interact and so on. Nevertheless as Alex points out, there is always the mp3s, which are there specifically to balance the fact that everything else I write is really just my opinion and may be somewhat tangential even then.