Album Reviews
Mother Mother
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Vancouver quintet Mother Mother release their album 'O My Heart' in the UK on May 31st.
The album which is their second has achieved great milestones across radio, press and charts in both Canada and the US since it's North American release.
Greatly regarded for their unique and original take on modern pop/rock music, mixing floating vocal harmonies with clever lyricism and vibrant melodies and instrumentation.
'O My Heart' is a beautiful diverse album which will appeal to many with it's fun and ingenious pop moments sitting side by side with more intimate numbers such as 'Try To Change'.
'Wisdom' mixes the slow strum of acoustic guitars with it's build up into a carnival/street party style stomp. 'Burning Pile' seems like a melancholy amble with it's bluesy, dusky quality.
'Ghosting' is a beautiful song with a slightly cinematic air to it's opening strains. Continuing on into a gorgeous acoustic number that will bring out those long forgotten memories from even the darkest corners of the mind.
The single 'Hay Loft' is an unforgettable and catch number where the band meld a rampant, intertwining spaghetti junction of guitar parts and hypnotic vocals to the strains of “my daddy's got a gun...”
As for the rest of the album there can be no disappointment, it's hard to put your finger on just what Mother Mother have that will make you listen. Is it the unique music? The vocal arrangements? Or the slightly quirky nature of the album? We can't be sure. But what we can be sure about is that you will fall in love with this album if you give it a try.
It would be a shame not to.
Existence
Detroit Social Club
Detroit Social Club release their much anticipated début album 'Existence' on May 31st. With festival season just starting to peek it's head around the corner, the album comes just in time.
Latest single 'Prophecy' is as cited a musical exorcism of Northern blues, rock n soul.
A prophecy within itself building into a wonderfully guitar driven song. With its strangely relaxing chanting and its compulsive hand-clapping, Detroit Social Club have created something magical in time for the start of Summer Solstice.
'Northern Man' is to Detroit Social Club what 'Bitter-sweet Symphony' was to The Verve, a luscious guitar heavy, string-led track with enough power behind it to have the masses swaying when it hits the festivals later this summer.
'Chemistry' is a haunting track with all the power of the rest of the album written for vocalist David Burn's daughter. And when listened to could make even the coldest hearts melt from sentiment alone.
The album overall is something that will appeal to many. With it's mix of sounds, to the summery feeling of the festival season there seems to be something for everyone.
Anthemic, atmospheric and with what could be a number of key tracks on a film score 'Existence' is what DSC are about. Passionate and full of the swagger and attitude to back it up.
Expect big things from this band.
Simple Science
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids will be releasing 'Simple Science' on May 17th with Hassle records. The first new material from the band in over six years and it's a return to supreme form from the Kansas city quintet.
'Simple Science' features four brand new tracks from the band. The band show that they haven't compromised on quality over the past six years, if anything their recent individual projects (Spoon, My Chemical Romance, Leathermouth, The New Amsterdams, Reggie & The Full Effect) have made them better musicians with a scope to branch their sound out into something they can call their own again in 2010.
'How You're Bound' is a light number with a repetitive piano piece driving throughout the track. With a synthesizer of growling warp and tinkling drums, the soft vocals skim across the music as it gently builds into a gentle fury.
'Keith Case' features off-beat drums, filthy bass, some disembodied piano notes, growling guitars, and lilting vocals.
'Your Pretty Pretty Things', a tight bass-driven number with some 'Walking On Sunshine' style 80's drums, and some synthesiser horns to make a solid, summery track. With understated vocals and a potent rock edge.
Overall The Get Up Kids have produced an EP that will please many of their fans and maybe win them some new ones. The gentle and melodic vocals over light melodies laced with at times gritty and growling guitars and synths just go to show how far the band have come since their last record.
Yes!
K-OS
'Yes!' is the fourth album from musician/emcee/producer K-OS.
'Yes!' manages to mould a multitude of influence and guest artists into a cohesive and flowing record, which many fail to accomplish.
Flirting with a distinct variety of styles; alternative hip-hop, soul, funk, electro, rock to name a few, K-OS not only manages to provide listeners with a succinct ability to recall artists such as Prince, but also manages to have this recall sound new.
'Burning Bridges' will have you tapping your extremities, or at the very least bopping your head along with the addictive hand-clapping melody.
Many will recognise the strains of Phantom Planet's 'California' which has been re-crafted into an entirely new song as fresh as the day we first heard it in its original guise.
Then you have 'Uptown Girl', which has refashioned Shocking Blue's 'Love Buzz' (though many will probably best recall Nirvana's version of the song) into somewhat of a future classic.
Veering this way and that, taken at face value it's easy to assume that the record in its entirety would not manage to sit and encompass all these different sounds, however, somehow the core hooks of the record manage to keep it all tied together and once these songs get inside your head, there is no going back. They will be there for the foreseeable future.
Whatever is said, it's impossible to make or to give an impression of the album as a whole based on a few of the stunning tracks as each of them will in their own right tell you an individual story. Yet each will fit nicely with the next.
If it is given the true chance to reach it's potential there is no doubt that K-OS could have a huge success on his hands, however as is usually the case it will no doubt struggle to find the audience that it deserves in today's market, which means that many will miss out on this uniquely inventive album.
Plastic Beach
The Gorillaz
Five years on from the release of Demon Days, Murdoc Niccals and co. are back with Plastic Beach.
The
orchestral opening of the album applies a touch of drama to the
proceedings, setting almost a sense of patriotism, pride or glory with
its opening strains. It's hard to describe exactly what you get from
it, but you do get a sense of something before the album sets forth
into 'Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach'.
With this track and its fanfare we are launched into the world of The Gorillaz.
The
opening track combines the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, synths, organs and
steady beats and is simplistic in its listening. The distorted vocals
accompany guest vocalist Snoop Dogg in a way which is almost hypnotic
in itself.
The lead single from the album 'Stylo'
is easily recognisable, and it is easy to see why this one was chosen
for the job. Set to a steady almost unwavering beat soulful vocals
almost growl along with Albarn putting in a vocal appearance in the
chorus.
While a few do have a touch of what we're used to hearing from The Gorillaz, this record is definitely a step in a different direction.
I think it's main problem is the use of too many guest appearances. While on occasion this does suit certain tracks well; 'Some Kind Of Nature' featuring Lou Reed, and 'Stylo' featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def. It is definitely hindering the record as a whole.
There is not enough from the band themselves, and while you could argue that there is plenty, it just doesn't feel like it.
Fans of The Gorillaz are sure to love it, where as those who enjoyed their earlier singles will probably find they don't have the same enthusiasm.
Everybody Wants To Be On TV
Scouting For Girls
Scouting For Girls return with their new record 'Everybody Wants To Be On TV', their first release since their 2008 number 1 début.
The album opens with the first single, 'This Ain't A Love Song', which is a beautifully bouncing mid-tempo song, which will no doubt grow to become a crowd favourite on the live scene.
'Little Miss Naughty' opens with a hint of 'Gorillaz' which is then interlaced throughout the brass infused second track.
Forward to track 4, and Scouting For Girls give a nod to the 80's with the Buggles inspired 'Famous', a musical observation of a generation who can't get enough of reality television and the urge of being in the spotlight regardless of the consequences.
'Take A Chance' is relatively new territory for the band and is their first sweeping anthem. Having performed the song on their last UK tour back in 2008, fans will recognise it as the instant sing-a-long that it became by the end of the first chorus. The song is probably the sort of song you'd expect to hear from a band like Scouting For Girls, but don't let that put you off as it is a lovely song of grand proportions which will have arms up in the air swaying back and forth.
The album overall, might be nothing different to what we've heard before, however given the chance to listen to it in its entirety, Scouting For Girls have created something that sounds fresh, and something that can suitable injected into today's charts without problem.
Perfect for summer and something that seems to have been lacking on the music scene, 'Everybody Wants To Be On TV' is a nicely done record, which we're sure the bands fans will love, and given the chance others will enjoy too.
Tales From The Doombox
Subsource
Subsource release their new album 'Tales From The Doombox' on April 5th.
Representing the underground UK dance music scene, Subsource are a beat and bass driven rock act. The band have attracted a diverse fan-base, just as diverse as their influences with their unique combination of drum and bass beats, metal guitars and sung, screamed and rapped vocals. Subsource are here to show that they can also bring it off stage as well as on.
'Tales From The Doombox' features both their previous single The Reason (Parasite) as well as the more recent 'The Ides', which highlights the groups love for dubstep, bringing into use vibrato bass effects that have been made popular with various producers.
Combining electronic guitar with reggae and a samba-esque breakdown in 'Street Soul Music' and for it to work as well as it does on this record is an accomplishment within itself.
In the same or rather similar vein as (hed) PE and Weapons, Subsource give us a mix of hip-hop infused beats embracing rock.
'Tales From The Doombox' is an album full of tracks that will undoubtedly find their way into many Subsource fans favourites. Not only that, but newcomers to the band will easily find their way around the diverse range of influences and will be able to just as easily find a track that they will enjoy.
A strong offering and one that will no doubt find it's way into many record collections.
Split The Atom
Noisia
Noisia - the Dutch trio comprising of Nik Roos, Thijs de Vlieger and Martijn van Sonderen - are set to release their début album 'Split The Atom' on April 5th.
Showcasing their incredible talent for brining the heaviest of beats to the table, Noisia are poised and ready to knock the entire music world off its feet.
The lead track and the first single to be taken from the record 'Machine Gun' is full to bursting with growling synths and an ongoing stream of aggressive drumbeats. 'My World' seems to transport you back to the early 90's and the days of trip hop.
Housing an impressive blend of sounds and styles ranging from not only drum and bass, but also electro and breaks influence proceedings and show the versatility of their production. With guest appearances from Foreign Beggars, Amon Tobin, Joe Seven and Giovanca to further impress.
Despite the length of the record (the album weighs in at 19 tracks) 'Split The Atom' contains enough variety, change of pace and recognition of the genres that helped to shape and build the trio's identity.
Overall the record is more than likely guaranteed to sate those who are followers of the group as well as those who enjoy drum & bass, electro and dance music. It isn't the most commercial of offerings and while that may be, it holds a little something for everyone.
'Split The Atom' represents a huge step for Beatport's "Best Drum & Bass Artist" award winners, a step they welcome with open arms as they continue to push the boundaries of their musical style.
Elliot Minor
After an incredible 2008/09 so far, which has included a début top 10 album, 2 full headline UK and European tours, Elliot Minor are now set to release their 2nd album 'Solaris' on November 16th.
'Solaris' signifies a growth and a more mature step for the band. There is considerable maturity in the playing, song-writing, production and ambition.
The album seamlessly flows from track to track, showcasing the bands development over the past year.
As well as their growth in production and writing, bringing in their experiences and allowing more depth into the songs, vocally the band have also developed.
Their most recent single showcases a lot of their development and holds a very memorable chorus, which will no doubt be a stand out sing-a-long with the fans when they tour.
The follow up album to a début can be a difficult one to write and to create, and on occasion it is difficult to create something better than the first, however Elliot Minor have succeeded in the latter.
'Solaris' is definitely better than their début Both musically and vocally.
Stand out tracks include the single 'Electric High', 'Carry On', 'Shiver' and 'Lets Turn Back Around'.
With more depth and maturity 'Solaris' could take Elliot Minor to the next level. And will have you wondering what the band can do next.
Bowling For Soup
Not ones to fade into the background, Bowling For Soup are back with their new album 'Sorry For Partyin''
Sorry For Partyin' is the bands tenth release and is no stranger to the punchy, powerful and fun pop-punk strains that we have all come to know and enjoy from the Texan quartet.
Kicking off this 14-track party with the very appropriately named 'A Really Cool Dance Song' which encapsulates in just under 4 minutes today's mainstream music scene, in the usual tongue-in-cheek style we know the band for.
From the get go we are thrust into the humorous world of the jokey-style lyrics that make Bowling For Soup who they are. Proving that no matter what trends are lurking outside their creative bubble they know what works and keep the fun coming.
Double-entendres a plenty such as the fun love song 'My Wena' which is filled with references about Jaret's girlfriend Wena.
From school boy humour, through to references to girls, beer and breaking wind through to a seeming refusal to grow up (Only Young) and some outright man love (BFFF) its easy to why Bowling For Soup are still going strong.
Musically it is still the same Bowling For Soup everyone knows, however like many bands they have progressed and incorporated different sounds into this record, giving it it's own stand-out persona. Be it the short bluesy intro on 'I Don't Wish You Were Dead Any More' or the more summery and soulful guitar strains on 'I Gotchoo' it's evident that Bowling For Soup are constantly taking their music to the next level, while always remaining true to their roots.
Lyrically 'Sorry For Partyin'' gives us some of the strongest and most confident song writing in the band's catalogue, which only further proves that the band are masters of their craft.
A fun and punchy record with all the right ingredients, no apologies for partying necessary.
Ian Brown
Ian Brown is back with a new album. His sixth studio album, which débuts almost 2 years to the day after his last LP.
'My Way' sees him moving from social commentary to a more personal commentary, drawing from his own personal experiences to create his most intensely emotional record in years.
The opening track and first single 'Stellify' sets the tone; euphoric brass and pounding bass mixing effortlessly with staccato rhythms as Brown addresses his "angel fallen from the sky".
The next stand-out track 'Crowning Of The Poor' quickly follows and tells the tale of the "son of a poor boy", of aspirations and dreams, and of where things went right and wrong.
'My Way' is a record that will not only have the ability to stand up on its own in today's flooded market, but it will no doubt prove to stand the test of time and still fit in years down the line. While the record is a modern release, you will find some of the tracks hint at past decades pulling influence from the 60's right through to modern day. Diverse, yet not so diverse as to alienate or to fluctuate too much, the record has a sense of fit and a steady almost near perfect transition from one track into the next, with none of the songs failing to smoothly move on to the next.
Lyrically the record finds Brown in a reflective mood, the instrumentation is resolutely forward-thinking, led by propulsive synths, hip-hop beats and bass-lines. By the time 'So High' brings the album to a close, Brown has covered more than four decades, including 12 years of Stone Roses and more than 10 as a solo performer, while assembling an album that is arguably his finest work.
Era Of The Exposed EP
Ceesau
Many may pass this EP off without giving it the chance it deserves, even more so when they hear that it is a record made by an actor and his friends. But that level of superficiality means that you will be missing out on a very surprising find.
Era Of The Exposed is like a breath of fresh air in the over-done smog of pop-punk that has enveloped the music world in recent times.
Sounding like no one else out their the band have managed to create an old yet new sound, you think you've heard something similar, but when you look into it you realise that you can't place or find anyone that has done or is doing what they do.
The EP consists of 5 tracks, which from start to end have your mind thinking about your place in the world and the world itself.
From the opening track 'How Do You Feel' through our own favourite 'Wrote The Longest Word' to album closer the slower paced 'Sunshine', it shows you who the band are and gives you a feel of what's to come from them.
The most surprising aspect is not the fact that this record, despite its raw sound, is a good solid record, nor is it the unique and fitting vocals of front-man Carmine Giovinazzo. It's the overall impact the record has when you listen to it. It has a certain familiarity and almost a seemingly established sound, despite being a début, that usually doesn't present itself so early in a bands recording career. The fact that the band - which consists of Michael Brasic, John Amedori, Steven Tecci and Carmine Giovinazzo - are such good friends gives the record the finesse of those that have been together for much longer.
A record of this calibre which not only has uniqueness, familiarity and finesse that also gets your mind working and thinking may not be fore everyone, but regardless of this everyone should give the record a try.
It may just surprise you.
Mark Read
You may remember the name Mark Read as one quarter of early 2000's top selling bands - a1. But having squirrelled himself away since their disbanding back in 2003, he's back with a fresh sound and a début album that could put most of today's artists to some kind of shame.
'Peace At Last' is a summery smorgasbord of 14 well written and well composed songs. From the opening song (and first single) album title track 'Peace At Last' and its carefree ambience through the self-explanatory slow number 'Cold' to Cult-Followings favourite track off the album 'Your World Moves Faster', it is a record that shows a diverse artist while maintaining a continuous feel to it.
Showcasing Mark's skill and ability to craft amazing pieces of music based on his own experiences and bring them together to create something as smooth as this record overall, is a skill that not many have. This being said, when you listen to the album you can't help but realise that he is an artist that can write songs that will touch a chord with you. Be it one of the more upbeat songs, or one of the slow ballad's you can find something within the 14 songs that will grab you.
For a début album 'Peace At Last' is one of those that you will never tire of hearing. If this is what he can do with a début, we're looking forward to the next. So here's to that and many more, as we think that only good things can come to him from this point onwards.