W/e 31/01/25 - Larkin Poe, Matt Berry, Mogwai, FKA twigs, Inspiral Carpets

Congrats to Mogwai, our winners this week and in at #3 for the year. This effort is 500 places above their 2022 album , but 100 below the one a year before that.

Matt Berry’s quirkiness lands him in the bottom 3 for the year.

Larkin Poe have our TOTW with Nowhere Fast.

Quite a marmite week with some big deltas on the high/lows. We’ve only had handful of occasions when 2 people have been further apart than Sam and Justin were for Larkin Poe

(at the top of this category is one I reckon Andy will instantly guess).

Andy has his best set for 3 months, and takes our 😄 by a few lengths. Justin has his lowest ever set of scores so grabs the ☹️ with both hands.

Inspiral Carpets were a nice reminisce for a few, a first listen for others and land in the top half on the classics list alongside The XX and Saint Etienne.

Andy

Matt Berry - Another cracking mixture from the erstwhile Jackie Daytona. It can get a bit too odd at times (Hi Natasha Lyonne) but it's mainly enjoyable smooth grooves and not bad at all for a side hustle 7

FKA Twigs - Pleasant enough but a bit slight and overall unmemorable 6

Larkin Poe - Terrific stuff. Rollicking Southern goodness, the female Black Crowes, if a bit more country 7.5

Mogwai - Another cracker from the Glaswegian noise merchants, even if this is a bit easier listening than some of their previous efforts. Still full of ideas and the potential to break out and make a racket at any moment. Wonderful 8.5

TotW - Hi Chaos by Mogwai

Inspiral Carpets - Without trying to be all edgy probably my favourite band of the Madchester era and this is a fantastic debut, even if, as was the practice of the time, several of their breakout songs aren't included (my vinyl copy doesn't even have Move on it) It's easy to say that Clint's organ is their main signifier and it adds to the psychedelic vibes but credit also to Craig Gill's marching band style drum work, making them the only band of the time to feel the need to incorporate majorettes into their live show. Oh and This is How it Feels is a top 10 song of all time, lovely stuff 9.5

Sam

Matt Berry : this was amusing for a couple of minutes but then mainly irritating . Not sure why it was picked or who it’s aimed at : 4

FKA Twigs : bits of ok music but bad voice and singing style . 4.5

Larkin Poe : thank God ! Proper rock and roll band : lovely stuff . 8.2

Mogwai: some lovely soaring soundscapes . 7

TOTW : Nowhere Fast : By Larkin Poe .

Inspiral Carpets : The big hitters are great and the organ does well to carry the whole album . Brave stuff at the time . Not quite as majestic as the Stone Roses but a decent trip down memory lane. 7.5

Phil

Matt Berry 5

“Why on fire”? Why anything? Why this album? The only musical style I can discern is a fascination for early 70s arrangements - and instruments. It sounds like a thankfully forgotten album from the days when mellotrons strode the earth. Matt Berry seems to have a decent career as an actor. Who the hell let him make TEN albums? And are they all this tedious?

FKA Twigs 3

Well, for some of the group, wafty female vocals are musical kryptonite. This is mine. Any album that has entirely synthetic music, flirts with the dancefloor and includes treated vocals is going to have me reaching for the “off” button. I did pay enough attention to this to hear that fka has an impressive vocal range but that did not compensate for the lack of anything else to make me play this more than once.

Larkin Poe 7

We’re in Sheryl Crow territory here. Musically solid but I don’t hear much that raises Larkin Poe above the “would sound great in a Texas bar with a Miller lite” level. Easy love part 2 is pretty good though.

Mogwai 7.5

After nearly 30 years of making music Mogwai have still got it. Yes, they’ve mellowed (although the title suggests they still fear Satan) but they can still write a fine melody and spread it over six or seven minutes to swoonsome effect. Mark E Smith must be wishing he’d thought of the title Pale Vegan Hip Pain before he pegged it.

TOTW : Mogwai – Pale Vegan Hip Pain

Classic

Inspiral Carpets 7

Clint Boon’s Farfisa still sounds great and they still sound perfectly poised in that place where pop meets cool and they get along fine. Besides me is the best track here. Or is it Sun don’t shine?

Simon

Matt Berry: only knowing Matt Berry through his acting I was intrigued to find out what his music was like - have to say I'm impressed, whilst a bit out there at times this has plenty of variety and invention, and I'm always partial to a slice of trippy psychedelia/60s lounge music. Top stuff. 7.5

FKA Twigs: have listened to this three times but still not sure what to make of it - the opening 2/3 tracks are shiny dancefloor bangers, but after that it's a mixed bag at best and the closing track is terrible. Too much autotune on the vocals as well. 6

Larkin Poe: they're clearly accomplished musicians but can't say it did much for me - way too mainstream country for my liking. 5.5

Mogwai: enjoyed 2021's As The Love Continues but this was even better - as sonically expansive as you would expect from a Mogwai album, no weak spots to my ears and the three tracks with vocals are all belters, more than a hint of MBV in 18 Volcanoes. 8

Inspiral Carpets: like a number of you I bought a copy of this whilst at Uni (along with one of their trademark T-shirts) although it's been a while since I've listened to them - certainly enjoyed giving it another spin, Clint's organ was the point of difference compared to their peers and it's stood the test of time pretty well. 7.5

TotW: Mogwai - God Gets You Back

Guy

Matt Berry – pretty painful stuff. This was not my cuppa at all. Just downright odd and felt poorly written and produced. Stick to comedy - 4

FKA Twigs – didn’t dislike this but also didn’t find it anything to write home about. It’s a carbon copy of many others we’ve listened to for me. Annoying vocoder in places didn’t help – 5.5

Larkin Poe – Phil’s description is pretty apt imho. I’m not averse to a slice of Americana but this was an unremarkable rock / country cross-over. Serviceable but nothing special - 6

Mogwai – A classic sonic soundscape. Soaring tunes that go on for an eternity but are no worse for it. A solid listen – 7.4

TOTW : Mogwai – God Gets You Back

Inspiral Carpets – Took me back to the Freshers Ball in 1989. As someone remarked, it’s pretty original stuff versus lots of the similar baggy stuff at the time. The Hammond makes it instantly identifiable and it’s got plenty of energy. Great choice Annette – 8.8

Jim

Matt Berry 6

Hard to pin this down, it's unusual, not unpleasant with a wide range of styles. Not sure I loved any of them but it kept me interested at least.

FKA Twigs 8

Really enjoyed this. A cracking set of dancefloor pop tunes. Sets off at a great pace on the opening trio and whilst there are a few quirky numbers in the 2nd half, it had a feel of Jamie XX in the way she mixed it up and kept it fresh, with plenty of quality influnces shining through - Chicane, Lorde, Bjork and maybe some from Madonna's Ray of Light. Top work

Larkin Poe 5

On the other hand, felt this was 1-dimensional unoriginal 80s country/rock with every song sounding very much the same. Yawn

Mogwait 6.5

First half had a few of their classic, heady sonic sounds but I tired of it in the second as it drifted into noodling.

TOTW: FKA Twigs and the trancetastic Eusexua

Inspiral Carpets 9

A handfull of absolute worldies in here that still sound a maze ing. The freshers ball gig with a few hundred people blew me away and then seeing them a year or 2 later at the Gmex with 10,000 others was also a uni highlight. Mooo

Adam

Matt Berry

Like his acting features and this had its moments of 60s rock but definitely filing under personal art rock project. Which to be fair, if I could, I would. Sure it would have been fun to be in the studio for. 4

FKA Twigs

Good fast tempo electronica in the first half. Vocal synthesiser getting put to use in places - maybe this is the 90’s/00’s fashion coming back? After going a bit weird in the middle think Wanderlust is a solid pop track to end. 6

Larkin Poe

Good dose of Americana rock from this duo. Really upbeat tunes in places - can imagine having a few whiskeys and a bop to this. 7

Mogwai

Lovely soundscapes and riffing in places but personally I struggle without some more understandable vocals 5

TOTW - Larkin Poe - Nowhere Fast

Inspiral Carpets

Upbeat, fun indie rocking with….organs. Love it. A solid musical education of some of the Madchester scene. 7

Justin

Matt Berry - indulgent Austin Powers nonsense 3

FKA Twigs - a few interesting songs and different beats. Tails off towards the end. Probably worth a few more listens 6.5

Larking Poe - lame Sheryl Crow. Life's too short 2

Mogwai - they have their own niche epic sound. Definitely an easy listen. Maybe a bit more background than a full on listen type album. 7.5

TOTW Mogwai - Lion Rumpus

Inspiral Carpets - a real classic album. Always loved it. The organ swirls are great. Works brilliant live. 8

Mark

Matt Berry - groooooovy baby. Fair play to him, he really is something of a polymath, easily flitting between dark comedy and flower power psych. No idea of he's just taking the poss or not, but I like the vocal and the songwriting, bravo - 7

FKA Twigs - the album Charlie Brat would have the critics believe she made. It doesn't all work, and yes the vocal treatment is a bit of a drag, but all in all a decent floor friendly batch - 6.5

Larkin Poe - I wanted to like this and the opening few were good country rock stompers, but overall it put me more in mind of Shania Twain than the Crowes - 6

Mogwai - hard to distinguish between this and there other recent albums I thought, especially with the complete absence of vocals, although I do like this film noire shoegazy build up stuff, even if some of it gets a bit proggy - 6.5

TOTW - Fanzine Made Of Flesh by Mogwai

Annette

Matt Berry: 5

FKA Twigs: 7.5

Larkin Poe: 5.5

Mohwai: 6

TOTW: FKA Twigs - Eusexua

Classic: Inspiral Carpets - 9

Erol

Matt Berry - funky at times but pretty poor overall. 4.5

FKA Twigs - interesting dance pop that drew me in but I wish she’d give the auto tune a rest. 6.5

Larkin Poe - there’s something sexy about a lady rocker in denim and leather. The Texas twang gets me every time even if the tunes aren’t top notch. 7

Mogwai - prog rocky and expansive. Good stuff. 7

TOTW - Larkin Poe, Nowhere Fast

Inspiral Carpets - there are some classics here if a bit dated, but there’s also a fair bit of organ filler going on. 6.5

Matt

Matt Berry: 4.1

FKA Twigs: 5

Larkin Poe: 6.9

Mogwai: 7.6

TOTW: Fanzine made of flesh, Mogwai