Albums Of The Week

Jane Weaver and Bakers In Space offer kaleidoscopic, cosmic rock'n'roll

Rock 'n' roll through the cosmos with British singer-songwriter Jane Weaver and home-grown upstarts Bakers In Space

Magnetic sounds from Jane Weaver (above) and compelling melodies by Bakers In Space, comprising Hafi Zainor, Ernest Foo, Eugene Soh and Amirul Hakim.
Magnetic sounds from Jane Weaver (above) and compelling melodies by Bakers In Space, comprising Hafi Zainor, Ernest Foo, Eugene Soh and Amirul Hakim. PHOTO: FIRE RECORDS
Magnetic sounds from Jane Weaver and compelling melodies by Bakers In Space, comprising (above, from left) Hafi Zainor, Ernest Foo, Eugene Soh and Amirul Hakim.
Magnetic sounds from Jane Weaver and compelling melodies by Bakers In Space, comprising (above, from left) Hafi Zainor, Ernest Foo, Eugene Soh and Amirul Hakim. PHOTO: BAKERS IN SPACE

Kaleidoscopic, cosmic rock 'n' roll takes centre stage in these new releases by British singer-songwriter Jane Weaver and home-grown upstarts Bakers In Space.

Modern Kosmology is the ninth solo release by prolific, Liverpool- born Weaver, formerly of 1990s Britpop outfit Kill Laura and folktronica project Misty Dixon.

An exquisitely crafted collection, Weaver blends far-out, cosmic vibes with unassailable melodies that hook you in from the get-go.

Insistent, krautrock rhythms and vintage synthesizers drive tracks such as album opener H>A>K, I Wish and The Lightning Back as Weaver's haunting and ethereal soprano soars high into the cosmos.

Malcolm Mooney, original singer of German krautrock pioneers Can, appropriately delivers a trippy spoken-word performance on the shadowy and spectral Ravenspoint. Other than this guest spot, Weaver wrote, produced and played all the analogue instruments on the songs herself.

She channels the spirit of art- rock trailblazers The Velvet Underground in the droning tempo and trebly guitars of Loops In The Secret Society, while the tenacious synths, funky drums and sublime melodies in The Architect burrows deep into the mind.

Progressive, urgent and magnetic, Modern Kosmology could well be Weaver's most fully realised work.

  • EXPERIMENTAL POP/PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

  • MODERN KOSMOLOGY

    Jane Weaver

    Fire Records

    4/5 stars

    INDIE/ PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

    IMPLOSIONS

    Bakers In Space

    Self-released

    3.5/5 stars

Closer to home is the debut EP by Bakers In Space, one of the budding acts that emerged from last year's Noise Singapore, the National Arts Council's initiative for youth talent.

The five tracks in Implosions are a testament to the band's mastery over lithe and compelling melodies.

The quartet - lead singer and guitarist Eugene Soh, guitarist and backing singer Ernest Foo, bassist Hafi Zainor and drummer Amirul Hakim - offer refreshing takes on the old guitar band formula.

There is the surf-rock-by-way- of-Arctic-Monkeys vigour of Fools & Liars, emotive yearning and progressive tendencies on Miss Conception and jaunty, psychedelic rock on Drifters.

Opening track Autumn shines with its layered harmonies and dreamy, reverb-drenched ambience, while EP closer Mute is a luscious and buoyant ode to young love.

It is their canny mix of old-fashioned, Beatle-esque melodies and modern, indie rock sensibilities that hook you in and the EP heralds Bakers In Space as one promising band to watch out for.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 31, 2017, with the headline Jane Weaver and Bakers In Space offer kaleidoscopic, cosmic rock'n'roll. Subscribe