Wahey! a better number one than last week’s pile of shite. Louis Tomlinson is known for appearing on some talent show on ITV, where One Direction was born. Louis was with the band until they “split” in the last decade. Albeit, he was on the books of Doncaster Rovers for a while, despite it being a member of the boy band. That ended after the Stiliyan Petrov charity match in 2013 at Celtic Park when Louis, in the hoops, was brutally tackled by Gabriel Agbonlahor (sporting the gold away kit.) and vomited by the by-line and came off. He wasn’t on for that long before that happened. It seemed to have given those inside Paradise a chuckle.
Anyway, the weirdest thing about Louis doing a solo project since the “split” is no one saw it coming because he never gave you a clue that he would do anything in that manner. He was still trying to figure out what he planned to do. There was no mention of starting/joining another band, either. I reckon it was pure peer pressure because within a year of One Direction “splitting”, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles had albums out. He released his debut “Walls” in 2020, which was met with praise by the Directioners (super fans.), and for the rest of us? Well, we weren’t impressed. It was neither here nor there. It was just a standard record.
What people might only be aware of if you happen to be a Directioner is that Louis was the most prolific songwriter in the band. Hard to believe when you had the likes of Harry and Niall. He is also responsible for the change in direction the band had in the latter years. He brought more of a rock element, which was fit for the stadiums they were playing.
Although I am left unimpressed with his vocals on “Faith in the Future”, I was impressed with the overall production. For example, ‘the Greatest’ combines the Script and Imagine Dragons, and ‘Written All Over Your Face’ is modern indie. The album teaser ‘Bigger than Me’ has an acoustic accompanying an electric guitar, with a steady drum beat in the verses that turns into a marching beat during the bridge before the song rises into an explosive chorus. ‘Lucky Again’ is another modern indie track. What do I mean by this? Listen to Indie radio on YouTube, and you will see that it would fit perfectly on those live broadcasts. ‘Face the Music’ has a steady rhythm guitar that has a frantic riff alongside it, and ‘Saturdays’ is a mid-tempo song about the brutal reality of splitting up with someone (Maybe in Louis’ case, it is veiled. Meaning it could be about One Direction?).
Okay, the voice may need to be ready for these songs in vast arenas for a tour next year, but the songs are in place. Dare I say it, the majority are prepared for stadiums, should he decide to do that for the tour.
I have heard many pan this album saying it is “boring” and “wannabe Arctic Monkeys”. However, I disagree with what seems like the majority. Apart from the dull moments towards the end, I found it a brilliant, quintessential indie record.
Song recommendations: ‘Bigger than Me’, ‘Written All Over Face’., ‘the Greatest’
I won’t lie to you. I was not too fond of this album. I initially gave up after five tracks. However, I went back to it. The excessive use of autotune drives me insane and deems most tracks skippable. 21 Savage has been boasting recently that he is “the best UK rapper”. I can assure you; he isn’t even close to being up there—bloody awful rapper with shit content to boot. As for Drake, he is still droning on about the same things. I miss mainstream rap that had hard-hitting subjects in them. I don’t want to fucking hear about what car they drive or what watch they are wearing. This album was unlistenable. Please don’t buy it. Don’t even buy it for someone as a late Christmas present. It isn’t very good.
Maybe I am being naïve, but according to the diehard element of the fanbase, Taylor has removed herself from her other albums like “Folklore” and “Evermore”. The fans feel “betrayed”, but like I said,
maybe I am being naïve because I haven’t noticed that much of a difference, and don’t forget, I reviewed both the previous records. Regarding the bitchy nature of the lyrics? Well, that’s quintessentially Taylor to start with, so nothing new there. However, it did lack punch on the production side from Jack Antonoff.
I enjoyed, ‘Karma’ for its cutthroat lyrics. Also, ‘Anti-Hero’, ‘Maroon’, and ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’ displayed those kinds of lyrics. Taylor doesn’t show an ounce of remorse on these tracks. The record’s premise was to act as drive-time music you hear on the radio during the dead of night, and it does that quite well. Sometimes, you forget the music is playing as your concentration is elsewhere.
It makes sense now what the diehard fans meant when looking back over the review. It isn’t a typical in-your-face album by Taylor, but more sedated yet still has anger within the verses and choruses. In hindsight, I may have opted for the deluxe version, which comes with bonus material. I have heard that is where the “magic” of the record is to be found.
Song recommendations: ‘Karma’, ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’, ‘Anti-Hero’
Fuck’s sake. It has unfortunately come to this—another review on an overhyped band with the young crowd. I do not get the appeal of these little rich boys. They are simply awful. I’d rather listen to Tim Healy than his son.
For their fifth album (How the fuck did such a poor band make it to five?!), they employ the services of Jack Antonoff, who has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift on re-working her original records that were being held to ransom by Scooter Braun. You would think with; what he did with Taylor’s re-works, we would finally have a decent album by the 1975. Their leading single ‘Part of the Band’ showed promise (I think, I am going to be sick.)as it didn’t sound like their usual pop-rock dirge. I mean, the song has jazz influences over Matt’s conscious lyrics. Matt’s stream-of-conscious lyrics are probably the only thing going for them.
I find it insulting they dare acknowledge the likes of Crowded House, Michael McDonald, Paul McCartney or LCD Soundsystem. Their music is nowhere near any of their level. I zoned out on most of the record and went on my phone. A bloody awful album yet again. My instinct after listening to one of their songs on FIFA 14 was enough to tell me how crap they are. I stand by that, and I felt for all those at Reading and Leeds who had to endure them headlining when Zack was unfortunately injured while on tour with Rage Against the Machine. Hardly an apt replacement, is it?
I reviewed their previous and fourth album in 2020, so an introduction is unnecessary. One thing you will notice with the album is it is based around conversations in the pub. A place which Paul used to frequent until he became teetotal several years ago now.
The music is uptempo, as you can imagine with most of Paul’s work, be it with Jacqui, solo, his former band the Beautiful South, and his first mainstream band the Housemartins. The opener is ‘the Good Times’ and is centred around a pub landlord by the fireplace sitting by himself, I imagine, a few hours after closing. Yes, the lyrics are laced with melancholy and anti-establishmentarianism, but the songs tend to be uptempo, ranging from ska to rock. Going back to those mentioned earlier, the song isn’t so cheerful when you hear the lyrics where the landlord is lamenting the death of his wife and feeling somewhat guilty for contributing to her demise.
Uptempo instrumentals wrapped around melancholic lyrics. This seems to be the pattern for the rest of the record. What surprised me was the scare use of attacking the establishment, which Paul likes to do regularly.
The standout performance on the album has to be by the other half of the duo, Jacqui Abbot. I saw a few live performances of some of the songs from “NK-Pop”, and Jacqui’s vocals were tremendous and seemed to work well with Paul’s quintessential brooding vocals. Again, just like Paul, she isn’t afraid to mince her words, and if you have crossed her on social media, trust me, you know how brutally honest she is.
This record remains on the same wavelength as their Beautiful South days with horns, piano, ska, rock, Motown, country, and pop. My favourite on the album will come as no surprise to those who know me personally, and that is ‘My Mother’s Womb’; the song is about being anti-patriotic and fits well with Paul’s political opinions. Very unusual for such outspoken artists. This was the only political song I could find off the record.
I highly recommend ‘Too Much for One(Not Enough for Two). We have a bouncy piano with bombastic horns, Paul’s mid-range vocals complimented by Jacqui’s high and loud vocals. With Jacqui shining throughout. This reminded me so much of the Beautiful South in its prime.
Song recommendations: ‘My Mother’s Womb’, ‘Too Much for One(Not Enough for Two)’, ‘the Good Times’
was surprised to discover this is the band’s third No.1 album on these shores. I never appreciated the band and used to call them microphone abusers until a lad named Michael told me to listen to Corey Taylor over a slow ballad with another band he was in called Stone Sour. I was impressed with his vocals and realised he could do more than the growl. That was when I started to give this kind of music a chance, and it seems then I have come to like Mastodon, Pantera, Avenge Sevenfold, Alexisonfire, Megadeth and Killswitch Engage. I forgot to say Cradle of Filth from England, who I thought was fictional as Richmond Avenal from the IT Crowd, was a fan. I felt that being television, Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews made them up. Also, watching documentaries on bands like Mastodon took away my stereotyping because they are just regular people who love music. They are not satanic worshippers or goths.
Of course, as you would imagine, with Slipknot being a heavy metal band, most of the record is of that nature. However, there are slow ballads and even moments of space rock. The latter I would never have thought they would venture into. The lead single is ‘the Chapeltown Rag’, which sounds like Mastodon blended with Queens of the Stone Age. I found this album lighter than their previous ones; not a bad thing because we get to hear Corey Taylor’s sweet vocals to their full potential. I found some longish intros and outros that lasted about a minute with various sounds, like Corey playing the toy piano on the outro to ‘the Dying Song’. We all talk about great drummers like the late Ginger Baker, Buddy Rich, and Taylor Hawkins. However, some sensational drummers are in heavy metal, metalcore, and death metal. Jay Weinberg demonstrates that on ‘Hivemind’. If you picture it, his feet are working overtime on the bass drum.
‘H377’ is full of rage, with Corey attacking being a product of the system over a fast-paced instrumental synchronising with the anger in his vocals. ‘Medicine for the Dead’ also starts with the same tempo before heading into space rock.
However, you probably won’t be surprised to discover my standouts were the opener and the closer. ‘Adderall’ is a quiet beginning to the album with beautiful vocals by Corey over a smooth groove that reminded me of Fun Lovin Criminals. The final track, ‘Finale,’ starts with an acoustic guitar before Corey sings angelically over electric guitars and a choir.
The most experimental on the record, though, has to be ‘Yen’, a slow-tempo track with vocals to lure you in before the song explodes into the chorus.
I enjoyed listening to ‘the End, So Far’ and recommended it to a once devoted fan. I found it lighter and, therefore, more ear-friendly than their usual material. The songs were not what I expected from Slipknot. I suggest to those who are ignorant about them (Like I was.) to give it a listen. You will be surprised. I want to end with Corey Taylor is a fucking fantastic vocalist.
Song recommendations: ‘Adderall’, ‘Finale’, ‘the Chapeltown Rag’
You may recall sometime in 2020, I reviewed their third album, “CALM”, which was an acronym of the members’ names. So, instead of an introduction to who the band is, let’s begin the review of the Australian band:
I noticed that the band finally discovered their wall of sound and style. The beginning of the record is ‘COMPLETE MESS’, which happens to be the leading single. The song has a catchy chorus (Which is a perfect ingredient for a mainstream hit.)that you will find yourself singing along to long after you have ceased listening to the album. There is also a beat drop, which I haven’t heard utilised before.
Next up is my standout. ‘Easy for You to Say’. Thought-provoking lyrics over a piano. This song is about fleeing the nest and how hard it can be to leave the family home. The song is also personal to them as they mention Sydney, where they are from. So, it is also a song about them finding it hard to be away from Australia while they are on the road. They miss all the home comforts. For example, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, told Jools Holland during an interview on his recent Later show how she misses all the little things like doing the laundry. They also say despite being on the road, they learn to grow as individuals become more mature and wiser.
The record is a blend of the old and new versions of the band. For some reason, they always remind me of Panic at the Disco or Alkaline Trio. I feel they are more in that ballpark, sonically. On ‘Best Friends’, they take a trip down memory lane and talk about the early days of their friendship and the band. Michael Clifford has a reminiscing tone, but there is no denying his vocals have grown stronger as he has got older and gained more experience in honing his vocals.
On ‘You Don’t Go to Parties’, you can hear a song that could easily slot into their debut album. Fans will also be propelled back to the past with ‘Emotions’, a song about being trapped in a dark moment with your emotions being uncontrollable that sonically could belong on “Sounds Good Feels Good”. ‘Moodswings’ also brings nostalgia, with all the members chipping in on vocals. Something that was absent when I listened to “CALM”.
Luke Hemming’s fianceé Sierra Deaton appears in the reflective piano ballad ‘Older’. You can hear how much they are in love with each other as they exchange verses about how they couldn’t grow old without their relationship. You can feel the chemistry on this one; it is a lovely refrain.
The final track I will end with is ‘Caramel’. This is apt; the song has layers which synchronise with the tastes we experience when eating the confectionery. The first layer is sweet, so in terms of the song, it is about the wonderful feeling we have during the infatuation stage of being in love. The second layer is salty/savoury, so in terms of the song, it reflects the harsh reality of the sweet and sour of a relationship and coming back down after feeling the rush coursing through your veins. It’s quite a melancholic track about a relationship fading away, with the tempo starting quick and gradually slowing down to reflect the nature of the topic.
It was beautiful to hear the trials and tribulations of Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Calum’s lives and their friendship on this album. Although every member has a turn at vocals, Calum and Michael are on most tracks. I loved the powerful lyrics and topics used, which show their more mature side, and the risk they took to experiment with new sounds. I enjoyed listening to the record and would highly recommend you do, too. Much better than their previous albums.
Song recommendations: ‘Easy for You to Say’, ‘Older’, ‘Caramel’
When I checked to see who was number one, I had no idea who the girl band from the Korean Republic was. Funnily enough, they came up in an Answer Smash on Richard Osman’s House of Games that same week. That was my first introduction to them (Safe to say, I didn’t get the answer because I had no idea who they were).
So, who are Blackpink? They are a K-pop girl band from the Korean Republic and the female equivalent of the highly popular BTS. The band consists of three members: Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo. They sing in both Korean and English. In 2020, they released their debut titled “The Album”. A usual title, but in all honesty, I wasn’t aware of it. According to the research I have done, the problem with their debut is that it became too overloaded with K-pop with no versatility.
So maybe it was a blessing for me to review their sophomore record because, from the first listen, it made my ears prick up. I must confess, when I heard they were a K-pop girl band, I wasn’t looking forward to listening, but it took me by surprise. The album has plenty of versatility from K-pop, RnB, rock, hip-hop, and the occasional piano ballad.
The album opens with ‘Pink Venom’, the teaser released several weeks before the record. The song appears to be heavily inspired by Rihanna and the late Notorious BIG. So, you already have RnB and hip-hop combined on the first track, complete with the band’s name chant.
The second track, ‘Shut Down,’ has a gunshot sound effect over violins and a heavy bassline. The standout performer in the track is Jisoo rapping, which appears out of nowhere.
You will learn that many songs are about female empowerment, and just like the opener, ‘Typa Girl’ follows the same path. You may think the song is sweet and innocent as it begins with a child-like synth, but no. It abruptly goes into a heavy piano, and that is then followed by silence. When the song returns, the members swap verses expressing empowerment. For example, one of the lyrics is ‘I bring money to the table, not your dinner’. A cutting snipe at the misogynists all over a trap beat—a song bombastic in production and lyrically.
So, the first part has plenty of attitude, so what about after the halfway point? We begin with ‘Hard to Love’, a piano ballad that takes a surprise turn and switches up into a disco beat. Well, more disco funk. The guitar part was Nile Rodgers-esque. ‘The Happiest Girl’ is probably one of their only melancholic songs on the album describing the need to be happy during tough times. ‘Tally’ brings the attitude over rock instrumentals, where the band stresses the importance of being yourself and standing out from the norm.
What else can I say about the record? Well, they have learnt from their debut (I still haven’t heard it. Just going by the research.). “Born Pink” is full of versatility, which always keeps the listener interested. I found the production and the band all on point. A sublime listen, and not what I expected. I couldn’t give a fuck if they are K-pop; this was brilliant.
Song recommendations: ‘Tally’, ‘Hard to Love’, ‘Shut Down’
8/10
NB: I appear to have omitted Rosé from the review. Sorry about that. There are four members.
have no idea where I first heard Robbie Williams. Take That appeared out of nowhere in the 90s and became extremely popular without a steady rise. I don’t mind some of Robbie’s work since he decided to go solo in 1997, which started with the indie-inspired ‘Old Before I Die’. I love that song, but Robbie isn’t too keen on it when you read his 2016 autobiography “Reveal”. He appears to hate it with a passion. I used to love hearing it on the radio, on television or on the jukebox at the local Riley’s snooker club. It epitomised the whole indie revival movement during that period. I am surprised by his submission because after being discarded by the Gallagher brothers, he said in his book, it didn’t deter him from liking Oasis, and he enjoys a lot of indie music. I don’t fucking care if some of you are smirking at me reading his book, it was an intriguing read, and you get to know the honest Robbie and not the one slaughtered by the media. So, my initial plan was to listen to the new tracks on “XXV”, but he had other ideas. Yes, it is his greatest hits, but not in their original guise. The songs have been reimagined with Jules Buckley conducting an orchestra, and there is even a Beethoven version of ‘Angels’. That’s the introduction over; now to the review. I have elected to analyse each classic and new song track-by-track.
Let’s begin:
Let Me Entertain You:
No one can forget this beast of an anthem with its rock attitude. When this was recorded, the La’s and Lightning Seeds drummer Chris Sharrock was drumming for Robbie. Of course, Chris would go on to join Robbie’s friends Oasis, Beady Eye, and his least favourite Gallagher brother Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The song carries on in the same vein, but the horns and choir bring that celestial finish to it. Already I am impressed.
Come Undone:
A friend had this on a Now That’s What I Call Music compilation in 2003, and I was reading the footnotes. Tupac Shakur inspires this song. I was shocked to hear this because I don’t hear any references to Pac in the song. On a side note, Robbie and Pac met in 1995 at the Versace birthday party. They both shared a joint, and they got on almost immediately. Pac didn’t know about Robbie’s portrayal by the media and didn’t seem to care either. They shot the shit about life and, for a brief moment, became friends. Has the song improved much since the original? Only slightly. Not much to write about.
Love my Life:
In the book, Robbie said he wrote this for Theodora(his daughter.) to tell her never to forget to love your life despite what others might say about you. Again, the orchestra lift this song to another level; to be honest; it is fit for the West End when they do a musical on Robbie.
Millenium:
There was no point in tweaking this track. It doesn’t enhance it, as the original already has a stringed section. I believe it was pilfered from a James Bond theme song. He was better off not bothering to rework this one.
the Road to Mandalay:
Again, a pointless rework. The original is better.
Tripping:
For the third time in succession, the track didn’t need necessary work. I am sure this one catches your attention by starting off with a reggae vibe before returning to the familiarity. You feel cheated when the reggae falls away after the introduction. I’d have preferred a reggae vibe on the rework, in all honesty. I cannot recall a single track where Robbie has done reggae.
Bodies:
I’ve never been a fan of it, and the rework didn’t do much for me.
Candy:
Jesus. This song made me cringe when it came out, and still makes me cringe now. Robbie is better than bubblegum pop.
Supreme:
Again, I believe another song pilfered from a James Bond film. I didn’t feel a rework was necessary. I mean, what could Jules have possibly done to improve it? The original has an orchestra. There are, however, female backing vocals. Still didn’t do much to improve, though.
Strong:
Again, Robbie puts on his indie head in the original, and to be honest, there is not much difference between the XXV version and the original. It’s a photo finish which is better.
Eternity:
Just like ‘Strong’, there isn’t much difference in both versions.
No Regrets:
My favourite track off “I’ve Been Expecting You”, and it has to be the original that will remain my favourite. He tries to make this more upbeat when the original is melancholic, which fits with the concept.
She’s the One:
I love this cover of World Party’s track, even though the original is much better. It was a nice nod to World Party, but Karl Wallinger has said on many occasions he now hates performing the song and that Robbie ruined it for him. In the book, Robbie mentions how through a third party, Karl said, “When you see him, tell him he’s a cunt”. If Karl hated the original cover, he isn’t going to be too fond of the XXV version, either. However, I believe the majority will agree with him this time.
Feel:
I was not too fond of it then, didn’t like it when Peter Schmeichel played on it live, and I still don’t like it now.
Rock DJ:
When this came out in the summer of 2000, I liked it. Then, it was played to death, so I stopped listening to it, and as I got older, I could not stand it. Even listening to the rework was too much.
Kids:
I loved this when it came out in the autumn of 2000, with its rock attitude and the collaboration with Kylie Minogue. Kylie features in the rework. Again, a photo finish of which one is best.
Angels:
The original pisses all over this. Do look out for a surprise later on, though.
Lost:
Now, we have come to a brand new track. It was made for this album. Yes, I know it was actually made for this record, but what I mean is it’s a perfect fit. The orchestra musicians compliment each other.
Nobody Someday:
An acoustic guitar accompanies Robbie’s vocals, accompanied by a soft choir. A vast improvement on the original.
Lazy Days:
The original itself was lazy instrumentally and vocally. The rework brings it to life—the orchestra playing a pivotal role.
Hot Fudge:
I never liked it and still don’t.
Sexed up:
Again, I wouldn’t say I liked the original, and my concentration wavered on this one.
More than This:
Another brand new song. Once again, it is a perfect fit, just like ‘Lost’.
Disco Symphony:
Another new track that does exactly what it says. I can see this one being played at parties and wedding receptions imminently. Very uptempo and very disco.
Better Man:
You’re better off listening to the original.
Home Thoughts from Abroad:
The Magic FM moment on the album. Although to be fair, the majority of the record will fit nicely on their playlists.
the World and Her Mother:
The final new track has the Robbie signature written all over it.
Into the Silence:
Again, another photo finish.
Angels (Beethoven AI):
This song is merged with Beethoven’s ‘Unfinished 10th Symphony’, and fuck me; it fits in perfectly. I never thought I would see the day when ‘Angels’ collaborates with ‘Unfinished 10th Symphony’. I was blown away when I heard it, and it fucking destroys the original. That was a very clever move by Robbie. This version is beyond space; it’s that good.
Song recommendations: ‘Angels(Beethoven AI)’, ‘Nobody Someday’, ‘Disco Symphony’
7/10
Why such an average rating, you ask? Well, because I prefer the originals.
here is one thing I do not like about YUNGBLUD, and that is how he pretends to play the guitar. What do I mean? Well, I have seen some footage of him not playing. He has the guitar at his disposal, but the chords seem odd. An air guitarist could do a better job, and to be fair to professional air guitarists, they are proper guitarists without a guitar.
I am not writing an introduction to Dominic Harrison, aka YUNGBLUD, because I have already reviewed his previous album. I didn’t get the hate directed towards him then, and I simply do not get it now. YUNGBLUD is a colossal artist. His sound is bombastic, and when you look at his appearance, you certainly wouldn’t think he would be banging out indie/alternative rock. Again, with his self-titled record, he has made a gem. For me, it is better than his previous album.
He also has much darker subjects, as mentioned in ‘the Funeral’, ‘I Cry 2′, and ”Boy in the Dress’. Apart from sounding indie/alternative rock, he has ventured into the metal core arena and seems to take inspiration from Bring Me the Horizon. With his struggles with mental health, he isn’t that dissimilar to their frontman Oli Sykes.
YUNGBLUD also brings energy to tracks like ‘Memories’ and ‘Sex Not Violence’. Going back to earlier and darker subjects, the darkest would have to be ‘Die for a Night’, where he discusses with the listener honestly if anyone would care if this happened to him.
He comes into a lot of hate and ridicule via social media and the general public, but now he has toned down his arrogance and grown up, you can tell there is a very talented artist behind the alter-ego.
Song recommendations: ‘the Funeral’, ‘Boy in a Dress’, ‘Sex Not Violence’
