Month: February 2021

Week 8: Slowthai- Tyron

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

What is there to say about the lad from Northampton? He’s a ball of energy that rubs people up the wrong way, and his antics have landed him in trouble, most notably at the NME awards, where he later made a statement saying it was all in good nature rather than malicious. They should have known what to expect from him after the release of his debut album “Nothing Great About Britain”. Even the title would upset those flag-waving loon balls. It had the spirit of Punk in it and has been described as an updated version of the Streets’ classic debut “Original Pirate Material”.

It’s worth noting I am not a fan of Slowthai’s music, but I respect his lyrics and his persona in general, so I will try my best to give a decent review on “Tyron”. Since the first album, he has been out on the road with Liam Gallagher supporting “Why Me. Why Not”, which has garnered him more fans, but enough of that. The record is extremely short, considering it’s a double-disc at 35 minutes or thereabouts with seven tracks on each disc. For most of the first disc, Slowthai is consistent with what we saw on the first album and most of the tracks he collaborated on. There’s still that punk spirit and aggressive attitude blended with hard-hitting bars. However, “I Tried” is inspired by West Coast American rap from the 1990s. Even for a relatively short song, clocking at just over two minutes, it gets his message across, and the production compliments it.

I should have stylised the song as mentioned earlier as “I TRIED” because Slowthai defines the two discs by capital-lettered tracks on the first and lower-case lettered tracks on the second. It doesn’t reflect his mood in any way, as he still keeps up the levels on both. 

Unfortunately for Slowthai, it could also be interpreted as the caps side is, well…shit and the lowercase side is an improvement from the first half. I would describe the album as schizophrenic in that regard. I’m sorry, but I am, by and large, not a fan of most rap out of America at the moment, and that’s precisely what the first disc sounds like. I don’t think he wanted that. Instead, it was forced upon him because that is what sells now. It ruins “CANCELLED” because it doesn’t fit into his flow and delivery. It needed to be harder and have a grime or drill instrumentation. I want to hear that from rappers on this side of the pond. For me, it makes it more authentic. I don’t want to fucking hear Drake-style production over here. The only time this works is when Slowthai collaborates with an American rapper. For instance, A$AP Rocky on “MAZZA” because he is used to rapping over those beats, and it works, but Slowthai’s flow seems unsuited to it. I mean, there’s a track early doors he does with Skepta, and it’s just fucking awful because the wrong production was chosen. Again, it should have been a grime or drill beat.

Of course, then you have tracks like “WOT”, which is Slowthai in his original form at his very best. No shitty American beats ruining the listen. Although the aggression and the attitude are still up, because of the use of the American rap commercial beats, a lot of the Slowthai temper is nullified, and therefore it doesn’t add to his sound. Overall, the first half of the album is very disappointing. However, in the second half, the American beats are at a premium, and we get to see Slowthai being sincere yet laid back, a change from the angry side we are used to seeing. The bars are even more thought-provoking.

I especially liked “Push”, which featured Deb Never, as Slowthai brings some conscious bars over soft beats throughout the second disc. Deb Never is one of the most unlikely collaborations you would think of to be on the record, but as Slowthai gets more relaxed, the collaboration fits quite nicely. On more of his aggy material, it would look entirely out of place. 

However, with it being such a short record, you need to remember what you heard on the first disc, so you have to listen again to recall what happened. You have to commend him for an original approach, even though he does fall victim to the shitty commercial American rap and RnB beats that never saw the light of day on his debut. It’s great that he has evolved and is forward-thinking, but that aggression has yet to be lost here by the watered-down beats. I enjoyed the second disc more than I enjoyed the first. The more relaxed and serene side is great to listen to; if only the songs were at least four minutes long, he has plenty to say, and it’s great hearing his many fables of the struggles of life and his social commentary. As I said earlier, he isn’t my cup of chai, but I respect him for what he says and does; he is very much like the late Joe Strummer with his outlandish comments and unapologetic attack on the establishment. It’s apt that he supported Liam Gallagher when you come to think of it. Both of them have the same outlook and energy. It will be interesting to see what Slowthai does with his third album because he has shown that he dares to change it up and keep the listener interested. The best body of work I have seen by Slowthai is on Mura Masa’s “Deal wiv It”. Give that one a listen.

Song recommendations: “push”, “adhd”, “WOT”

6/10

Week 7: Foo Fighters- Medicine at Midnight

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Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s latest album:

Making a Fire:

Some might say it is a typical Foo Foos track, but not quite. Although you have the usual elements that make that up, I would also classify it as “cheesy pop”, including its hand-clapping and “Na na na” refrain. Despite the element of cheese infused with regular Foo Fighters, it is a very upbeat track.

Shame Shame:

The band recently played some of the material for some lockdown sessions, with this included, so the listener should be familiar with it. We go from a pop chart-friendly song into a full-on rock that will make the setlist when the record is toured, I’m sure of it. The track in question was also used to promote the album and has had an astronomical amount of airplay, which saw it rise to no.1 in the Rock chart in America in record speed.

Cloudspotter:

This one is not a track I associate with the band; I am struggling to think of a song where they have gone into something the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Led Zeppelin would have made. Yes, this song is inspired by the psychedelic rock of the 1970s. Greta van Fleet would put this on an album rather than the Foo Fighters. It is brilliant that the band has decided to experiment on the record and made a song ready for the floor. Now, I mention him quite a bit in every review, but has the band drawn inspiration from the likes of Noel Gallagher to step back into the 70s and make music with an upbeat vibe?

Waiting on a War:

You think this track is purely acoustic, but as it swells, it turns into a full-on rock track that will shake the foundations of the arenas, especially with Dave Grohl’s in-your-face vocals.

Medicine at Midnight:

The title track is undoubtedly experimental, where the band dips into funk, acoustic, raw sound, and just like “Cloudspotter”, another song ready for the disco. I’m curious if the fans who know them for the natural rock sound will be impressed, but the band has shown how versatile they can be.

No Son of Mine:

They take it back to what the people have come to love them for with this punk-fuelled track sprinkled with Motorhead, whom they are highly inspired by. Indeed, the late Lemmy had joined them on stage as a guest. The message is also one that we can all relate to. I mean, who the fuck wants war?

Holding Poison:

Dave opts to use reverb for his vocals over choppy riffs and rhythms. It is not a great song on the record, but that’s purely academic when you consider even the shit ones on their strong albums are probably much better than what some of the other artists/bands churn out for most of their records.

Chasing Birds:

This is likely to be the second single and will probably fare better than “Shame Shame” because it is, in effect, the second instalment of their classic and my favourite song, “Everlong”. 

Love Dies Young:

The final song off the album, which so far is unbelievably short. All the songs have yet to be near the five-minute mark, which is the norm nowadays for tracks. The record clocked in at just over 36 minutes, a relatively short listen. Also, there are only nine tracks, which is unusual, especially for the Foos. Now, this track might be a typical FF track. Still, I could hear a bassline inspired by New Order or Peter Hook and the Light. It also reminded me of their acoustic ballad that builds into their usual rock style, “One of These Days”, so if you do feel underwhelmed by the shortness and tempo of the tracks, you can be won over at the end of the album, just as you were at the offset. If you buy the deluxe edition of the record, there is a listening party complete with commentary from the band after each track. Usually, this type of thing is saved for DVDs, but you have to admit, it is quite an interesting approach from the Foo Foos.

Song recommendations: “Love Dies Young”, “Making a Fire”, “Cloudspotter”

7/10

Week 6: Celeste- Not Your Muse

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I might put this in the bio somewhere because this is getting to be something of a soundbite on my reviews (Albeit it is utterly authentic.), but once again, it was through Later…with Jools Holland that I discovered Celeste. I remember she performed “Lately” and “Strange” with just her incredible vocals and the piano to accompany her (I’m pretty sure that Jools joined her on one of the tracks.). At the same time, the likes of Liam Gallagher looked on, on that October night in 2019 at the original home of the Later series. From there, Celeste would go on to more extraordinary things. In the year just past, she won BBC Sounds Artist of the Year, joining the likes of Adele, Ellie Goulding, and Michael Kiwanuka, and that’s an excellent accolade to claim to look at the success it has brought for the artists. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Celeste followed their path. Since her debut, she has featured on Later twice to discuss the music she likes and what inspires her in the lockdown edition of the last series and the socially distanced 2021 Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve.

Of course, this long-awaited album has seen her popularity soar, and you hear her songs everywhere, from the supermarket to the radio to the television. If anyone complains about that, I don’t know why; she has such a fantastic voice and reminds me of a rising star back in 2006 called Corinne Bailey Rae, who was heading to the top until a setback put her career on hold. She is now steady in her career and will soon release an album that attracts mainstream listeners. My point is that Celeste sounds like her, and I will also throw in Lianne La Havas. I hear that when Celeste sings a mixture of Corinne Bailey Rae and Lianne La Havas, respectively. It’s not a bad combination if I say so myself.

When I was referring to Celeste’s tracks being pretty much everywhere, here are two examples I mean: You have “Stop This Flame”, a track with a piano riff that, when I heard it, felt very familiar to Rhythm is Rhythm’s “Strings of Life”, which in turn inspired Noel Gallagher to write “AKA…What a Life!”, so, yeah, the track sounds like those two combined. It is also very commercial, and one might be categorised under pop. It is also very different from the kind of music Celeste has sung or put out in the past. The uplifting tempo and optimistic lyrics encouraged Sky Sports to use it to open their Super Sunday programme since the start of the 2020/2021 football season. Of course, an advert was released in October last year to promote the Christmas period. The advert in question was for John Lewis/Waitrose, and the company chose Celeste’s “A Little Love”. You can certainly hear Lianne La Havas coming through in that one. The fantastic thing about Celeste is even if you are unaware of her, I guarantee you have listened to her wherever you have been, heard on the radio, or watched on the television. You might have bought a magazine, and there’s been an interview, article, or even an advert promoting her music. She is very much like her fellow winners of BBC Sounds because she can cause an earthquake with her vocals, be tender with almost a whisper, and sound fragile while delivering a song about heartbreak. For example, “Stop This Flame” shows off her ability to sing with passion and loud, “A Little Love” to sing very quietly and softly, and “Strange” where she can sing with a fragile voice and appear broken-hearted to match the song’s subject.

I disagree with the comparisons to Adele in terms of the vocals. I think elements of this album sound more like what the late Amy Winehouse would do (I should have mentioned her earlier in what this record sounds like. I felt it had Amy Winehouse-esque songs, sonically.), I can also imagine Mark Ronson teaming up with Celeste at some point and producing an album with her. Jamie Hartman is one of the producers on the album and has worked with the likes of Rag n Bone Man. The only comparison I can draw with Adele is how the record goes from pop to ballads with Celeste, just like Adele, singing with just an acoustic guitar to accompany her. Funnily enough, the album starts just like that. Celeste is singing “Ideal Woman” over just an acoustic guitar. Another comparison would be her ability to be melancholic and tracks of that nature. She doesn’t fake the delivery on the more sombre tracks. Just like an actor, she goes into character effortlessly.

Some have argued that this album is too safe and Celeste hasn’t taken any risks, but I beg to differ. I never expected her to try something like “Stop this Flame” or “Tonight Tonight”. I didn’t expect a Mark Ronson-inspired production with “Love is Back”. It was an outstanding effort by Celeste, and there are a few surprises along the way on the album. I listened to the deluxe edition, so the record ends on her rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, which is an unusual way to end an album, but it works. I recommend buying or listening to “Not Your Muse” because Celeste is an incredibly talented artist, and more is to come from her.

Song recommendations: “Stop This Flame”, “Ideal Woman”, “Strange”

9/10

Week 5: Bring Me the Horizon- POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR

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I have been listening to the band from Leeds (I was pretty shocked to discover that until a bit of interaction with the crowd during a Download Festival in 2014.) towards the end of last year. In the first few days of the current year, I watched some of their gigs combined via the playlist function on YouTube. I also watched one of their recent shows from last year (I say current; it was last February or something.) Now, onto the album…well, as you can see, the title isn’t all that cheery, and when you listen to the record, it synchronises with the title. The subject matters are gritty, too, as the band talks about right-wing politics, addiction, mental health, political correctness, and how the world has become dependent on technology. I was instead struck by the odd choice of having less than ten songs, with the album having just nine, which makes for a relatively quick listen. What it loses in length makes up for it in collaborations, being just under half of the record. It also sees a return to the band’s earlier sound with experimental chucked in for good measure.

The opening track, “Dear Diary”, has an air raid siren thrown in, which one could say is quite apt when you consider the album’s title. You can also hear leading vocalist Oli Sykes declare he can’t stomach any more survival horror and is going insane over the heavy metal guitars. The guitar solo is sublime, which comes in after the first chorus, and the frenetic tempo of the drums will be sure to have you headbanging like Beavis and Butt-Head (Funnily enough, I was watching a football match while listening, and the pace of the play matched the speed of the album.).

I remember hearing some of the tracks being teased in 2019 and 2020 during their shows (Especially “Ludens”, which I might talk about a bit later.). I am next going to focus on “Teardrops” because this one comes from the heart, and Oli doesn’t hold back, and he talks candidly about his years of fighting addiction that led to him becoming depressed and suffering from anxiety. This could well be another turning point in a listener’s life because Oli foretells what it is like to feel rock bottom and how your life is slipping away, and you are just numb. We have the typical Bring Me the Horizon sound to match Oli’s distressed yet passionate vocals with heavy guitars and those hooks that get embedded into your soul every time you listen. With Oli talking about such an ordeal, this song will be the most essential song they have written in a long time. Young people will listen and feel encouraged to see health professionals if they are experiencing the same issues. Hopefully, that will lead to them losing the shame of discussing it with their friends and family. “Obey”, however, is a more uplifting track but laced with sarcasm as Oli and Youngblud aim at the shambolic British government.

I did like “Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)”, but it’s a segue into “Kingslayer”. It is quite simply a transition because both tracks have Pendulum-like Drum n Bass sounds. The Su-metal feature from Babymetal more than matches Oli’s acidic vocals, bringing an anime feel.

Now, the title is something of a mouthful: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death.”…You see? It’s a bloody long title and could be more pleasing to read. But, despite my love of the Pendulum-Esque “Kingslayer”, the final track with Evanescence’s Amy Lee runs away with the victory. Considering her vocals on “Bring Me to Life” by her band Evanescence, Amy Lee is ideal for this. The song has a very hymnal sound that gradually blossoms into slower pop. I love the vocal combination; you can feel how both got into character. It’s not a conventional Bring Me the Horizon song; it is more suited to Evanescence, but it is pretty beautiful despite the title and the ghostly aura.

Song recommendations: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death”, “Teardrops”, “Kingslayer”

8/10