Month: February 2023

Week 7: Paramore- This is Why

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I first heard of Paramore entirely by accident. I was playing Saints the Row Third, and when you complete the game, their song ‘Misery Business’ features on the end credits, and I have been a fan of that song ever since. The next song I heard of theirs was ‘Ignorance’ while co-Djing in 2010 with a rock enthusiast. I also downloaded another song on Rocksmith to learn on lead, rhythm and bass guitar. It is called ‘Now’ off their self-titled record from 2013. 

So, there is a conflict about when the band formed. Some say it was 2002, whereas others have said 2004. Hayley Williams and Zac Farro formed the band, with Taylor York joining as the drummer in 2007. Taylor also attended the same school as Hayley and Zac. The weirdest thing about the band is Zac and Taylor and the past members were all signed to Fueled by Ramen, whereas front girl Hayley Williams has been signed to Atlantic since she was a teenager. So even though the band itself is signed to Fueled by Ramen, Hayley isn’t. Despite this, Hayley has been ever present., and featured on all the albums to date.

The last we heard from Paramore was last October when they co-headlined at When We Were Young in Las Vegas alongside My Chemical Romance. The band played a couple of songs post-2013, but most of the setlist were their usual emotional rock anthems.

So you would expect this album to be full of the usual emo material, but surprisingly, to my amazement, no. It appears that last October was nothing more than keeping their cards close to their chests to ensure no one knew what to expect from “This is Why”. The opener, which happens to be the title track, hits you by surprise. Although we have the vicious lyrics that Hayley was known for in the past, this time, it is over a quintessential indie instrumental. I was like, “Where the fuck has this come from?” I was taken aback that Paramore sounded more like an indie band from these shores. Hayley said the album is inspired by Bloc Party, who they are fans of, but I wasn’t expecting it. Some songs have an element of the kind of indie Franz Ferdinand is known for.

Does their aggressive songwriting fit in with this new direction in sound? Yes, yes it does. Indie is known as a rebellious genre. ‘Running Out of Time’ fits aptly with that whole Franz Ferdinand sound I was telling you about in the previous paragraph, and ‘C’est Comma Ça’ probably many won’t agree with me, but the intro riff has a touch of Hard-Fi’s ‘Hard to Beat’. Maybe, after reading that, you might go back, and hear what I mean. All I can hear is Hard-Fi on that. Again, ‘ Big Man’ is an indie track with riffs that the French band Phoenix likes to use. Yes, Phoenix might experiment with their sound, but they are known for indie. I liked ‘Big Man’ for going into that indie element because Phoenix is an exciting band. The indie songs on this album also have that typical Bloc Party riff by Russell Lissack.

The record is an exciting listen. Of course, there are the usual Paramore tracks, but they are fleeting. The lyrics are old school yet wiser, the subject matters are more political, and Hayley’s vocals show a lady who cannot be labelled as that sweet yet angry girl anymore. She has ditched that on “This is Why” and has delivered more of her soul.

Of course, the album ends in typical fashion with ‘Thick Skull’, your standard Paramore track. Overall, I am looking forward to where they head sonically, but I cannot wait to hear these songs performed live. Will it work alongside their current setlist? We are about to find out if they fit.

Song recommendations: ‘C’est Comme Ça’, ‘Big Man’, ‘This is Why’

8/10

Week 6: Shania Twain- Queen of Me

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This is a continuation of her 2017 album regarding the subject matter. However, this time, Shania is in a better place and with a new husband. That story is the ultimate in shithousery. As you may well know, Shania’s husband was stolen by her best friend (I imagine she’s an ex-best friend now?); well, Shania returned the favour and is now married to her best friend’s ex-husband. One would call this sweet, sweet revenge. We cannot help who we fall in love with, but sometimes, there is a line, and her friend crossed it first. Anyway, the record is called ‘Queen of Me’, and denied RAYE’s “21st Century Blues” from being number one. I haven’t seen the figures, but it was extremely tight until the last hour of who would get it. Any of those two deserved the top spot. I am delighted all the same for Shania.

Shania stated that the album is about female empowerment. Yes, I agree, as she takes out her ex-husband and best friend throughout, but I am not sure where precisely what she said the record is about coming into it. It is an album about her situation only.

There are a few tracks like ‘Not just a Girl’ where she touches on feminism, but it is all too brief, and the lyrics are somewhat nebulous. Even more, her track ‘Best Friend’ could be more precise. It is difficult to decipher if a said friend, who has stuck by her all these years, is male or female. Shania doesn’t specifically say which.

A jaunty country-pop record is something Taylor Swift would do. That’s what I compared it to when I finished listening to “Queen of Me”. ‘Giddy up!’ opens the record, laying the foundations for the rest of the album. My favourite will come as no surprise, as it happens to be the same as many other writers, and that is ‘Pretty Liar’ I like the passion in her delivery and the explicit chorus to back up her anger towards her ex-husband.

The title track is probably the most unambiguous indication of feminism on the record, as Shania calls out all the pet names we men use for women, and she states that she doesn’t need a king because she is a queen.

It is harsh to say this, but most of the listen is a bit arduous. For instance, you have to go through songs with a lot of filler involved or just repeated lyrics. An example of the latter would be ‘Got it Good’ where she repeats ‘I got it Good’ too many times to keep count. She does plenty of harmonising on other tracks to fill empty space.

I have to say, I was disappointed with “Queen of Me” and feel that her previous record “, Now”, had plenty more going for it both sonically and lyrically. ‘Last Days of Summer’ is my second favourite, and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album. It belongs on her previous five albums, but certainly not this. For a start, it has a catchy hook, which Shania is famous for. Something that is pretty much lacking elsewhere on “Queen of Me”. I imagine those who bought/streamed/downloaded Shania’s record are quite disappointed that RAYE didn’t get the top spot. In hindsight, RAYE should have been number one. Her album has more substance and versatility to it. Shania’s sixth record is highly disappointing and, as I mentioned earlier, is devoid of her usual great songwriting.

Song recommendations: ‘Pretty Liar’, ‘Last Days of Summer’, ‘Best Friend’

6/10

Week 5: Sam Smith- Gloria

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As everyone who reads my reviews knows, I reviewed Sam’s last two albums, which were less than complimentary. Straight up, brutally honest about how they sounded the same as his debut. He left his comfort zone twice on the last record, and every song sounded like the previous. However, this time, I am pleased to inform you he has left his comfort zone when tackling new genres. He has, on the main, stuck with his usual falsetto vocals.

Sam has also changed his perspective on life since becoming happy with who he is, which is evident in the album. Yes, once again, it is conscious, but there are uplifting lyrics this time. He also has a few collaborations on the album with Ed Sheeran and Koffee, among others.

The record starts with ‘Love Me More’ delving into Sam’s love for Gospel. The lyrics themselves are pretty dark. I will now go into why the album has shown Sam a bit more diverse sound this time. First, I already mentioned the opener ‘Love Me More’. He dives into RnB with ‘Perfect’ and then into the disco-infused ‘Perfect, where he discovers how he has learnt to accept himself as whole.

The one that did take me by surprise was ‘Unholy’. It has a Grime quality to it, and to be honest, the song’s theme fits the music. Sam foretells about a family man who indulges in unprotected sex.

There are plenty of more RnB tracks or his usual piano ballads. This isn’t the best for me, but the disco floor filler ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’ is a standout on the record, and you can go right when you get Calvin Harris to produce the track. The great Nile Rodgers would be proud of this one.

My favourite, however, is something I wasn’t expecting as I’m not too fond of extremely short tracks. The title track is fucking excellent; Sam is accompanied by a choir, as each lyric elevates and reverberates around the church the song is performed in. The album closes with ‘Who We Love’, a soft and gentle duet with Ed Sheehan where they talk about giving you into your heart because it knows who we love.

Sam surprised me this time. I was impressed he experimented with other genres, and it made the listen fly by rather than dragging on.

Song recommendations: ‘Gloria’, ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’, ‘Unholy’

7/10

Week 4: the Reytons- What’s Rock n Roll?

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I fucking think it is fucking brilliant what the band have achieved without any label behind them and how it has now changed the landscape of music. RAYE is also releasing her debut album, “21st Century Blues”, next week after leaving her label, which gave her nothing but grief, and releasing it independently after just over a decade of waiting. Funnily enough, the band’s motto is “No backing, no label, all Reytons”. Of course, off the back of the success of the record, through social media postings and gigging, they are now signed. 

I vaguely knew who the band from Yorkshire was before I found out they were heading for the top of the chart. I am switched on to Indie UK and Irish twitter. I have discovered artists/bands like Fontaines DC, the Lathums, the Great Leslie, Forgotten Door, Skylights, Citylightz, Rianne Downey, and the Reytons. I must confess that I had yet to listen to any of the band’s tracks before discovering their album on their YouTube account. What struck me almost immediately was how much frontman Jonny Yerrell sounds like a young Alex Turner. Their wall of sound reminded me of the Arctic Monkeys in their early days. A very raw and in-your-face sound. Nothing polished, clean or sounding like the last two records by the Arctics.

I remember watching a documentary asking, “is Guitar Music Dead?” featuring Noel Gallagher, among others. Noel said it was, as well as Paul Weller, but Jehnny Beth from the Savages strongly disagreed. The music that has hit the top of the album chart since 2020 proves that guitar music is still alive. When you think about it, many genres use the guitar in their production, so it will never fade out, far less die. 

The Reytons are proving again with their second album and bringing back the type of indie which made you jump around and belt out songs like a soul possessed. I found out, upon research, that their name is the Yorkshire dialect for “right ones”. As I mentioned earlier, Jonny sounds like a young Alex Turner and even had the sarcasm to boot. The rest of the band played at 100 miles an hour, which, apart from the Arctics, could be compared to the Libertines in their prime. You will certainly enjoy yourself at their gigs, which will be explosive and over before you get a chance to catch your breath. The choruses are from another world, too. Catchy and full of energy, which will see a crowd surge towards the front barrier.

I can honestly say I fucking loved this album. The energy, the swagger, the conscious lyrics, the grandiose choruses, and just like their gigs, it is an explosive record that is over before you have realised. A fucking superb record. Truly outstanding.

Song recommendations: ‘Avalanche’, ‘Little Bastards’, ‘Cash in Hand & Fake IDs’

8/10

Week 3: Courteeners- St Jude (Reworked)

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Wow, oh fucking wow! 15 years! FIFTEEN YEARS! Since the original release of the band’s debut album, they finally made it to the summit (in 2008, it came in at No.4)with their re-worked version, which frontman Liam Fray announced at a gig they would return to the studio in 2020 to reimagine. 

Funnily enough, I was followed by Liam on twitter, but I think we had an argument over whether Oasis should return. Anyway, I liked the Courteeners when I first heard “Not Nineteen Forever’, which was heavily featured on Sky Sports show Goals on Sunday back then. Some fucking idiot said that ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ wouldn’t be heard of after a decade, let alone “St Jude” finally hitting the top spot. Not only is that fucking idiot wrong about the song, but the band did a monumental show at Heaton Park in their beloved Manchester at the end of the last decade. 

The band have also announced another show to take place at the same venue, and once again, it is a sell-out. When you watch the footage of the Heaton Park gig, you can see the band are in form and is not going away anytime soon. “St Jude” is why the band and Liam perform regularly. The record is a shit-or-bust attempt to remain mainstays or fade away like many bands who came out of that era. The album set them on their way; they have never looked back, and thousands attended their gigs singing back their anthems.

The original version of “St Jude” was met with mixed reviews, and even more so with the “Re: Wired” version, all of the songs done acoustically by Liam in 2018. They were more known in 2008 for being brash bigheads from Manchester and were not particularly liked by the media. Of course, they have grown up, and Liam has mellowed somewhat. He isn’t as outspoken as Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers put it that way.

One noticeable thing was that the band refused to play it safe, with 12 unique-sounding tracks on the record. Unlike many who would have preferred to recycle the same old four chords, Courteeners had none of that and wanted to make the album as exciting and surprising as possible to the listeners. Back then, it wouldn’t have mattered if they did play it safe because the fans of nu-wave indie would have lapped it up regardless.

As with the original, the opener is “Aftershow, ” the track they open with at their gigs and a firm fan favourite. This is followed by ‘Cavorting’, your quintessential nu-wave indie track. When Liam originally wrote this, he was mentioned in the same breath as fellow Mancunians Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr for his songwriting ability. Quite some statement and a compliment. ‘What Took You So Long’ showed Liam’s ability to tell a fable from a unique viewpoint. The only complaint one would have with the record, even on the reworked version, which is sharper than the original, is that it has a lot of acoustic tracks, which brings down the mood far too frequently.

The album then comes back with the band crashing in with ‘if it Wasn’t for Me’, a song that sounded like it belonged in that era. The original version of “St Jude” was too clean, which pissed a lot of people off at the time. This time, however, there is more of an edge to it, but it still sounds relatively clean. More mature sounding. Ergo, rendering the reimagined version much better than the original. Released all those years ago 

Song recommendations: ‘Not Nineteen Forever’, ‘Aftershow’, ‘Kimberley’

8/10