Album Reviews

It’s all very low-fi and rootsy, and your opinion of it is likely to be dictated by what you make of Vile’s voice. His delivery is positively narcoleptic, but don’t be put off because there are moments of outstanding beauty: Baby’s Arms, Runner Ups and in particular Peeping Tomboy, a genuine stunner, make it all more than worthwhile. AM

Those Dancing Days – Daydreams And Nightmares (V2 BOOOT97SZ2): The Swedish five-piece girl band return with their second album. Following their 2008 debut In Our Space Hero Suits, this is more indie-pop encapsulating punk and new wave with 1960s girl-pop. Dream About Me truly is dreamy with ethereal guitars and beautiful harmonies and Help Me Close My Eyes is in a similar wistful vein. Other tracks such as Reaching Forward and One Day Forever are more frantic, the latter has The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks joining Linnea Jonsson on vocals. LA

Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 2/Ravel Piano Concerto (Naive V5238): Anna Vinnitskaya, tomorrow night’s Russian-born soloist in the Leeds Town Hall concert, has the finest piano concerto disc I have heard this past few years. In Prokoviev’s Second – the one that many pianists avoid – she bristles with technical brilliance in the most fiendish passages, and to follow those primary colours, her Ravel is an object lesson in dexterity and subtle shades. High impact and incredibly detailed playing from the Deutsches Symphony with Gilbert Varga conducting. DD

Brahms - Piano Quintet/Two Songs (Mirare MIR 130): With pianist, Jean-Frederic Neuburger, in the driving seat, this a very exciting journey through the Piano Quintet. When he takes his foot off the accelerator in the Andante, the much acclaimed Quatuor Modigliani, playing their quartet of celebrated instruments, produce gorgeous sounds. But throughout this is a virile and youthful account with a suitably dramatic finale. The disc is filled with Andrea Hill singing the two mezzo-soprano songs. DD