Album Review - Les Claypools Duo De Twang - Four Foot Shack.

Another feature i'll be doing weekly - reviewing one of the weeks new album releases as well as rounding up what else ive heard in the past week. As ever comments and suggestions for albums to check out will be most welcome.

As is always the case this early in the year its a bit slim pickings this week. The big indie release in Temples - Sun Structures, along with Cheatahs eponymously titled debut. The former is a nice enough record but sounds far too much like what a lot of other indie bands are doing - no obvious big singles just a series of songs that pass by without too much to grab your attention (6/10). the Cheatahs record is a little bit more interesting and at times harks to some of the more interesting sounds of shoegazing, with some lovely Chapterhouse style fuzz (7/10)

Elsewhere Sun Kil Moon - Benji is the latest effort from the prolific Mark Kozalek, and is a rather stark bleak album that sounds like it could be a real grower and one that could grab hold if listened to in the right frame of mind. Unfortunately when i listened to it, it kind of washed over me (6/10). Marissa Nadler - July aside from being confusingly titled for an album out at this time of year is probably my favourite album of the week, at times a beautiful elegant folk record - Nadler's voice is one that i find is always a pleasure to listen to and this is lovely intimate record that's excellent to listen to with the headphones on and the world shut out. (8/10)

I've decided this week to concentrate on Les Claypool's Duo De Twang's - Four Foot Shack. This is certainly the most interest release of the week and an intriguing listen for me. Les Claypool is best known as being vocalist and bassist in Primus - a band that pretty much passed me by i must admit.This side project, which appears to be one of the many diversions for Les, is a stripped back affair consisting of simple drum loops, twangy (hence the name) and at times really funky bass lines which appear to be his trademark and a very country, almost hoe down feel to the vocals. The tracklisting takes in some re-imaginings of Primus songs and other Claypool works, amongst other covers and even an interesting version of the Bee Gee's Stayin' Alive amongst

The scene is set for the album from the 40 second stomp of the title track. There's very little deviation from that sound in the other 15 songs but its all very fun and there are some stand out tracks in Red State Girl, Pipeline and Man In The Box.

Overall, its a fun record but rather one paced but good enough in what it does to make me want to go and listen to some Primus to evaluate them as i am impressed with bass style and i can see that that would be an excellent base to build a sound around.

7/10