Album Review

Week 41: Queen + Adam Lambert- Live Around the World

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Who isn’t a fan or was a fan of Queen? I have been listening to this band for as long as I can remember. I am glad they decided to continue even without their great frontman, the late Freddie Mercury, who essentially made the band the success they still have. Adam Lambert isn’t a bad replacement, but MIKA was the ideal replacement for Freddie because he seems like a modern-day Freddie with his onstage persona and vocals. 

This live album features songs performed over the last six years from the tour, with Adam adding his unique persona and showmanship. The “American Idol” (I forget which year.) runner-up doesn’t pretend to emulate Freddie, nor should he. It is about being unique and bringing something new to the band while still being capable of delivering the vocals well, if not better than your predecessor, which Adam does.

Let’s look at how he does that in “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Since his inception, Adam has given this track new life in the live capacity. He teases the crowd by stretching out notes when the crowd is ready to jump up and down and go nuts. Thus, by doing that, they have to wait for the note to reach the summit. After this happens, Adam gives a cheeky wink and a nod to the crowd. I am not a fan of the next track, which I must confess I first heard being performed by Father Noel Furlong (Played by Graham Norton.) while he was under a pile of rocks in “the Tentacles of Doom” Father Ted episode. The track in question is “Fat Bottomed Girls”. There’s another reason why I am highlighting this track: it was performed at the AT&T Stadium, which is the home of my beloved National Football League franchise, Dallas Cowboys. Queen performed at this particular gig in Arlington, Texas, with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders dancing onstage. Adam cheekily threw in “Not true” after the line “Ain’t no beauty queens in this locality”. Now, he said it about himself rather than the Cowgirls, which makes this ad-libbing somewhat comedic.

Adam could be considered one of the best vocalists around at the moment (In rock, anyway.), and sometimes, he even surpasses Freddie by taking risks to reach higher notes, which makes drummer Roger Taylor redundant in the vocal aspect. Whereas Freddie often relied on him for backing vocals to look after his vocals, Adam would instead go it alone and take the risk of being vocal-weary over a long and arduous tour. So, Freddie would want to take care of his vocals and pace himself, whereas Adam would give it his all every show regardless of the health of his vocals. It’s not a destructive mindset for Adam, but as the years pass on the tour, some in the crowd might feel short-changed by hearing tired vocals.

“Who Wants to Live Forever” is another standout on the record. Adam dedicates it to those unfortunately caught up in the Orlando shooting earlier in the year, and this live performance is taken from the night before the concert. You can hear the emotion in his vocals, especially as he reaches the chorus.

As well as a plethora of the band’s hits, they found room for two solo tracks by their beloved late frontman in the shape of “Love Kills” and “I Was Born to Love You”. Just to let the crowd and Freddie know that he is remembered and his legacy lives on even though he is no longer on stage.

There are bad points to the record, and I was highly disappointed that two of their most iconic tracks were shortened to just over two minutes. I mean, how on earth can “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Voted the best song of all time.) and “We Are the Champions” be given such short shrift and disservice? I find this insulting. I looked forward to hearing them the most and was left cold by the time they were performed.

Song recommendations: “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We are the Champions”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”.

7/10

Week 40: IDLES- Ultra Mono

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I remember a lady talking to me about great music acts out of Bristol, and funnily enough, she was a Bristolian. And I hadn’t heard of them then, but she asked if I had heard of IDLES. To which I replied, “No”. Anyway, she recommended that I listen to them as they are very much the Sex Pistols of the 21st century. It wasn’t long after that conversation; in fact, a mere few hours later, they were making their debut appearance on Later…with Jools Holland, so naturally, I was always going to give them a listen. I remember they played their pro-immigrant song “Danny Nedelko”, which also happens to be a friend of theirs from Poland. I can’t remember the name of the other song at present, but it was about a dad telling his son to be macho and stop moaning about how he truly felt. The next thing I knew, they were nominated for the Hyundai Mercury Prize and performed “Never Fight a Man with a Perm” at the ceremony. I didn’t think much of their lyrical content, but the energy they created with the music could have caused the world’s end (You know what happens in Akira when Tetsuo goes mental?). They spent over a decade in the underground scene before finally getting their break two years ago, so when they released their latest and second album, there was more of a fanbase that they built up mainly on the festival circuit.

Now, there appear to be many ready to shoot the band down and have nothing but contempt for them because they like to stick up for the people and attack the establishment at every turn, but once again, they have shown they don’t fucking care what their critics have to say and have decided to be even more controversial on this record with their political opinions, which I loved. If you follow me on Twitter or whatever, you will know I dubbed the album  “Energetic Rebellion”; that is precisely how I would describe it in short.

“War” and “Grounds” are just the beginning of the band’s assault on the political spheres, and Joe screams on “Grounds”, “Do you hear that thunder? That’s the sound of strength in numbers”. From that alone, you can see the band already calling their listeners to rise and attack the establishment.

On “Model Village”, they attack nationalism and even lay into the current government and their cowardly leader. It is my favourite off “Ultra Mono” just for that reason alone. I fucking despise the current government and the prime minister too.

“Anxiety” is another brilliant track off the album and gets even more political. These lyrics stand out and grab your attention “Our government hates the poor, cold leaders, cold class war, keeping drugs you can’t afford, so the poor can’t buy the cure.” in “Reigns”, the band accuses the government of selling the working class down the river with their bullshit over a bullshit referendum that happened in 2016. The instrumentation and production on most of the record sync perfectly with Joe’s passionate and aggressive vocals.

I can’t remember a calm moment on the album, save for “Kill Them with Kindness”, which starts with a lounge Jazz piano but then launches into an attack on the royal family and so forth. “Seize the Day” is another track that talks about chasing pricks away who threaten humanity.

Although the lyrical content is minimal, what it does offer is utter honesty on the political sphere and how the band couldn’t give a fuck if you hate their anti-establishment opinions. You can see why they have gained a rather large following with these views and hard-hitting punk with their songs that are bound to create mosh pits at every venue or festival they are at. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Song recommendations: “Model Village”, “Anxiety”, “Grounds”

8/10

Week Thirty-Nine: Pop Smoke- Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

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You know what? I struggled with what would be the best way to write this. I didn’t enjoy this posthumous album, so I will not even bother with a bit of fact file on the late Pop Smoke because this album is awful. I heard so much about this kid in the past couple of years, about he’s the next blah, blah, blah. So, I thought that I would be surprised and agree with the masses, but I don’t. Out of twenty songs, I only liked four because no fucking autotune was used, and they had great lyrics and great production. The tracks in question were “44 Bulldog”, “Make it Rain”, “Tunnel Vision”, and the very popular “Dior”. Just like Drake, I will give this a rating because it merits one. Unlike the fucking awful Bieber album at the start of the year ( Give or take.), it’s not going to be very high, because I didn’t enjoy it.

3/10

Week Thirty-Eight: Doves-Universal Want

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My first experience (Knowingly.) hearing the band from Manchester was while I was playing FIFA 06 in October 2005 when “Black and White Town” came on the official soundtrack. Not my favourite of theirs, but it did pique my interest and made me want to check them out. I was probably intoxicated at the time, but I had heard them three years back on Later…with Jools Holland, even before then, if I am being honest. Their songs “Cedar Room” and “There Goes the Fear” were everywhere, from radio to television adverts. Those two being my personal favourites of theirs. Not forgetting their acid house classic “Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)”. Pardon? Yes, that’s correct. Doves started as Sub Sub in 1991 until 1996, when they worked with New Order’s Bernard Sumner. Since then, the members of Sub Sub decided to change direction with their sound and formed Doves in 1998, just after releasing “Delta Tapes” as Sub Sub.

Anyway, this is their fifth album after eleven years on a break, which initially was supposed to be the end of the band after 2009’s “Kingdom of Rust”. Jimi Goodwin even suggested during a gig in 2010 that it would either be one of their last or their last. But he was constantly dropping hints that maybe it wasn’t the end of Doves, a bit like the Stone Roses (Fucking hell. That’s the fourth Manchester band mentioned so far.) it looks like they have split again, but there is no confirmation on the official site or any announcement made. It’s just like Ian Brown with a cryptic quote, but he wants to concentrate on his solo career now. Jimi had been dropping these hints for six years and leaving cryptic messages via social media that maybe Doves were returning. And this year, they announced a string of gigs supporting various artists, but no mention of a new album that features the production of Dan Austin, who did their previous album. This one has been recorded at Frank Bough 111 Studios.

Now, I will do something different than usual with these reviews and do a short but sweet track-by-track review. Kind of a summary, if you will:

Carousels: Reminiscing about childhood experiences, especially at fairgrounds.

I Will Not Hide: Great vocals with a spine-tingling guitar solo. It’s very psychedelic over chill-out style music.

Broken Eyes: Doves, the Smiths, and Toploader. Save for Toploader, it is that typical Manchester sound.

For Tomorrow: Inspired by Portishead with the trip-hop.

Cathedrals of the Mind: a Hymn-like anthem dedicated to the late David Bowie.

Prisoners: Funk with remnants of “Black and White Town”. One that is ready for their setlist for when they go back on tour.

Cycle of Hurt: Returning to their debut album “Lost Souls” in 2000 with this ballad.

Mother Silverlake: An autumnal track that is very much country funk.

Universal Want: A segmented track that goes from acoustic guitar back to their acid house days and into old-school techno.

Forest House: A mellow ending.

Song recommendations: “Broken Eyes”, “Prisoners”, “Universal Want”

8/10

Week Thirty-Seven: the Rolling Stones- Goats Head Soup 2020

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I have always liked the Rolling Stones more than the Beatles because the Stones’ sound is a lot edgier and has more attitude than 12-bar blues. It’s ironic when you consider the Beatles wrote a track for them that set them on their way. Anyway, this particular record has never been loved by the critics, so being typical rebels, what do they do? They reissue it for the Compact Disc, Digital Versatile Disc, and Download age. 

Of course, from 1968 to 1972, the band were flying in terms of their success, which many have said they haven’t reached since, but they sell out on pretty much every tour and are still one of the most-watched bands live, so think on this “lack” of success what you will. All-in-all, they have released 26 studio albums spanning from 1964 to now.

Of course, “Goats Head Soup” was originally the 13th album released in 1973, and many critics said the record, which was a two-sided ten-track vinyl (five both sides.), lacked that edge the band was renowned for at the time. On another note, the album was named after a Jamaican aphrodisiac.

Of course, the biggest hit they garnered from it was “Angie”, which sounds just as good now it has been remastered, but if I’m being honest, the first disc didn’t capture my imagination because I heard it before in its original form.

The second disc, though, is where my interest picked up with its unreleased songs that I imagine were from the recording sessions and the featured remixes, especially the one by the War on Drugs. So, being typical Stones, they rereleased this record three years before its 50th anniversary, which most bands and artists would tend not to do, but not the Stones; they have always been rebels and done as they have pleased.

I enjoyed “Scarlet”, with Jimmy Page taking over from Keith Richards on lead guitar, bringing a sense of funk into it, not forgetting the contribution to the War on Drugs remixing it. Then, I was impressed with “All the Rage” and finally, the alternative mix of “Hide Your Love”. However, this reissue seems to be for collectors only, I feel. 

A third disc features the performances from the “Goats Head Soup Tour” at the Forest National Arena, Brussels, Belgium from both of their shows. I wasn’t fussed about listening to that as I have heard the band many times performing live, so I wasn’t expecting anything I hadn’t heard before.

Song recommendations: Disc two only: “Scarlet”, “All the Rage”, “Hide Your Love”

7/10

Week Thirty-Six: Nines- Crabs in a Bucket

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I have to admit that I don’t know much about him apart from an incident in Harlesden last year when someone mentioned it in conversation and asked if I knew of him or his music. Anyway, I highly recommend listening to his album because there are some fascinating and gritty stories about his life with some tremendous wordplay chucked in. The album suggests that he is a rapper rather than an MC, of which I wonder if he has ever been the latter in the sense of grime, drill, or garage.

Nines captures your attention from the first track with his best introduction to date out of his previous two albums plus mixtapes. The track features a piano accompanying a horrific story about his father’s cancer diagnosis, seeing his friends getting sent down for life, not having material ready to give to major labels, and declining to appear at several festivals. He also yearns for freedom from that period, and how he feels trapped despite his current success. This isn’t just any old intro; this is an intro where the artist reveals, in this case, Courtney Freckleton rather than just Nines. “Intro” just blew my mind, and I have to say that I think it is up there as one of the most revealing tracks I’ve heard from an artist.

I also discovered that Nines is no small-time player in the game within the confines of the UK hip-hop scene, and that shows with the various features on the record who are the major players. Again, the contributing artists used impressive wordplay and told stories to make your ears prick up.

Much of the album uses samples from various hip-hop classics, mainly from America. He even chucks in a few 2Pac bars from his 1995 “Me Against the World” track. I believe the track in question is called “Lights” and uses the sample of Kool & the Gang’s “Summer Madness”.

As you know, I can’t stand interludes because they are often just throwaways, but there’s something about “Stalker Interlude”. Yes, it starts with Nines receiving a phone call from some next crazy woman asking why he hasn’t answered her fifteen calls. Still, he starts talking about the trials and tribulations of being caught up with women who act this way and even says to the lady in question that she’s a gold digger, but she isn’t the only one this song is aimed at. He talks about those who only want him as a boyfriend for his status and money and how he had problems with younger women and even posh women. An interlude I will listen to again and again. 

“All Stars 2” impressed me not just for Nines but for the story Clavish delivered, where he boasts about being on a Nines album when all others had doubted he was even worthy to appear on his mixtapes, let alone one of his albums. It’s a friendly little reminder for his haters to hear for eternity.

The album ends with no surprises: “Outro”, and just like “Intro”, it is every bit as compelling with the storytelling. Here, Nines addresses that he was once one of many crabs in a bucket and is now in high-profile business meetings. It is pretty refreshing to hear that even though he is now a made man, he still keeps it 100 by still living in Harlesden, rather than leaving at the first chance like one of his friends did.

Of course, there are drawbacks to the record; I especially hate using the dreaded autotune, so I didn’t listen to seven of the tracks. Despite that, “Crabs in a Bucket” offers more than his previous two albums, as Nines remains on the same topic throughout—his life. The listener discovers more than just his alter-ego, and it is always great to hear a rapper talk about their life outside of the business and what they have experienced and are like, from their strengths to their weaknesses to their vices.

Song recommendations: “Intro”, “Lights”, “Stalker Interlude”

8/10

Week Thirty-Five: the Killers- Holding the Mirage

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

My Own Soul’s Warning:

This is the first track I heard off the album while I tuned into Absolute a few weeks before the album was released. It is a slow-building track that bursts into a traditional Killers wall of sound. You can never forget the sound for that reason alone. The fable is quite religious, and what happens when you start questioning its validity? 

Blowback:

I remember while listening to this track if there is a deliberate drug reference behind the title. Because we all know when you partake in doing a blowback. However, the subject is altogether very different. It is about a lady trying to forget the past and move on but keeps getting blown back to times she would rather forget. Brandon Flowers has shown his ability to compel you with his lyrical content and stories. As the song draws to the end, two men appear to discuss the lady and how one has strong feelings for her, but the other man asks if he is willing to stay when the past creeps back in.

Dying Breed:

Brandon goes for it on this song, especially in the chorus, as his vocals grow in volume. A typical Killers track with all the synthesisers, et cetera. One to get the seating section up on their feet for a dance when venues are back to total capacity.

Caution:

The single promoting the album sounds like four bands rolled into one song. The intro is very Tame Impala, the verses are the War on Drugs and Slowdive, and the chorus is the Killers. Once again, the lyrical content and the story draw you in. There’s even an appearance by Lindsey Buckingham on the lead guitar. The story is about rolling the dice and throwing caution to the wind regardless of the consequences because you don’t want to regret missed opportunities.

Lightning Fields:

For the second track in succession, there is a feature in the form of K.D. Lang, and it works because her heartfelt vocals add to the whole aspect of the song. This is Brandon’s ode to his mother. As I said, it is Lang’s vocals that stand out over a typical Killers track that is inspired by the 80s. (It is hard to believe that when their debut was released, they were dubbed the American version of Oasis.).

Fire in Bone:

There is a bit of experimentation for the band here as they try doing funk. This reminded me of the prodigal son story from the holy bible, where you are forgiven for your wrongdoings upon your return. I especially love the lyrics, which thank the person for being there when they thought they were alone. It is also a reminder that only some of the time do we need to make it out of the dark without help and can confide in others. This is Brandon once again telling his wife that he’s always going to be there and she doesn’t have to suffer from her mental illness in silence. This could be a track that wasn’t quite good enough for the previous album, but Brandon felt that its unique beat and storyline fit perfectly on this record.

Running Towards a Place:

What with the biblical story on the previous track and the ongoing theme of religion, this album is very much invested in faith, and it’s no different on this track. Brandon could be a religious Mormon, but I am unsure. But on this track, he wants to believe that heaven and hell exist and to go to heaven and take the people he loves and cares about. Brandon has done a lot of soul-searching during the production of the record.

My God:

Weyes Blood’s vocals complement Brandon’s beautifully over what I can only describe as a hymnal rock (Does that genre exist? Surely, it must do?). I know that Brandon talks about being relieved that something weighing him down has now been lifted and wants to celebrate that fact. It might be again about his wife and how talking to her and dedicating a whole album to her mental health has made him understand and become a better person and husband.

When the Dreams Run Dry:

This appears to be a follow-up to “Running Towards a Place” with the theme of getting to heaven but aimed more at the pop market and seems to be the sole pop track on the entire album.

Imploding the Mirage:

The album closes with the title track and is appropriately upbeat—the best way to complete any record. You want the listener to have enjoyed the experience and leave them washed with euphoria as the last song fades out. Brandon talks about how he first locked eyes with his wife and how their opposite personalities were worth the danger of combining—a superb way to end another magnificent album.

Song recommendations: “Holding the Mirage”, “My Own Soul’s Warning”, “Caution”.

9/10

Week Thirty-Four: Biffy Clyro- a Celebration of Endings

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Upon doing my research, I was astonished to discover that the band from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, has been around since 1995, with their debut album “Blackened Sky” released in 2002. I didn’t know of them when the 2008 single “Mountains” was their first to break into the top ten of the singles chart. I only started to know of them after their 2009 album “Only Revolutions” and singles called “Many of Horror” and “the Captain”. Indeed, I was taking my mind off a particular personal matter and helping out a mate DJing and going clubbing, and Biffy Clyro was played almost anywhere I went back in 2010. They have constantly reminded me of A Day to Remember and Alkaline Trio, albeit with an American sound mixed with original Scottish vocals. Since then, their stock has risen, and they are regulars on the festival scene.

This is their ninth studio album, and they were only well-known in the mainstream after 2008. When you listen to this record, you can recognise straight away that you are listening to Biffy, albeit they have given new hope to budding musicians (Especially guitarists and guitar bands.) to show that guitar music is still alive and, therefore, will encourage people to play the instrument still. They have decided to go experimental, too, which is always a good idea for music; it’s always good to freshen up your ideas and sounds. “Celebration” is a testament to that. I never have and never will believe that guitar-based music is dead. From what I see and hear upon discovering new music, it tells a very different story to what the critics have you believe.

“North of No South” opens the album and is gargantuan in sound. It starts with a ferocious tempo that, for the majority of the record, features heavily with crashing drums, rapid guitar riffs, dramatic orchestral sounds, and angelic choirs. “The Champ” is the only reflective moment with this fable of a relationship falling apart wrapped around a piano ballad, and “Space”, which you can see is the moment the phones are held aloft when the band finally get to tour this album to an audience in packed out arenas, stadiums, and festivals.

As the album ends, we enter “Cop Syrup”, which is six minutes and the longest track on the record, with just seventeen seconds of the hidden track “Less is More”, where Simon Neil sings a bit before the song ends. The first six minutes felt like listening to Tame Impala with its psychedelic and experimental feel. If I didn’t know I was listening to Biffy, I would think it was Tame Impala playing an instrumental track. It’s quite refreshing to hear that material by Biffy because it isn’t what they are known for and might indicate the next project.

Song recommendations: “North of No South”, “Celebration”, “Cop Syrup”

8/10

Week Thirty-Two: Fontaines D.C.- A Hero’s Death

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I remember hearing about the buzz of this band from Dublin a few years back from some folks I follow from Scotland on Twitter, so I first assumed they were an up-and-coming band from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Imagine my surprise when I finally listened to one of the many videos shared on that platform via YouTube. The track, funnily enough, was also the title of their debut album “Dogrel”. I have to say, I loved the energy, but the lyrics were…beyond basic. Their lead vocalist, unfortunately, didn’t impress me much, and I wondered what was the point of having Grian Chatten in the first place. His vocals sounded like a drunk punter slurring through a song on the karaoke machine. Despite that, his flat vocals work pretty well in the punk genre. Let’s face it: Johnny Rotten was hardly blessed with amazing vocal ability. I can’t think of many punk vocalists who can sing. Billie Joe Armstrong, maybe? After hearing the title track, I gave their debut album a full listen and was impressed with the picture they painted of their beloved Dublin City. I found the album had more structure lyrically than just that one song. Even if you’ve never been to Dublin or Mother Ireland, you have a good idea of what life is like from “Dogrel”. As much as I have never found the lyrical content impressive, I appreciate the energy the music provides; it is a bit like IDLES. There are minimal lyrics but fantastic energy in the instrumentation.

That’s enough brief history on the band and their debut; let’s review their second and latest album, funnily enough, also named after the track “A Hero’s Death”. They didn’t bother relying on the success of “Dogrel”; as you can imagine, they decided to intentionally head into another direction with the whole instrumentation and lyrical content. After all, writing about living in Dublin becomes quite challenging when you last visited before being on the road to promote your previous work. Grian has said that the band would have felt like they were frauds talking about life in Dublin again, as they haven’t been there much to experience it the past year, and therefore, it wouldn’t be fair on the listener to buy an album, which didn’t represent anything

authentic, thus making the listener lose interest in the band.

Instead, the band has talked about the places they have been on the road and what they have experienced and seen. As you can imagine, life on the road isn’t always sweet when you’re constantly sharing space on a tour bus, and this album certainly shows that as it discusses their excessive drinking, loneliness, depression, and fighting with each other because you are sick of the sight of each other during a long and arduous tour. I recommend a good documentary on life on the road and how this is depicted perfectly. It’s about Keane, so go and look online or buy their DVD. This album is more downbeat and lacks the energy of “Dogrel”, but I suppose that would always be the premise to replicate their mood on tour. For example, “Living in America” is very slow and melancholic. Then the tempo is switched up on “A Televised Mind.” the latter is not great lyrically, but you can feel the energy from the rhythmic pulsing of the guitar and the thumping bass of the drum. Once again, the title track is minimal with its lyrics (I believe, from what I remember hearing, it just repeats “Life isn’t always empty” for the duration?), but the instrumentation does it justice.

The band does not apologise for their change in direction and even know they may lose fans by not keeping in line with the debut. They even acknowledge that some people will be disappointed with the second record, but unfortunately, life has changed, and this is who they now are, so they cannot write songs about living in Dublin anymore. In fact, “A Televised Mind” is a dig at those who want to be appeased. “A Televised Mind” seems to be about people stuck in their ways and refusing to accept change. It is like some Oasis fans who can’t take that Noel does the music he wants to do.

Dan Carey’s services proved very successful on “Dogrel”, so the band chose him again. This time, as mentioned in this review, the sound would be very different in line with the band’s fresh outlook. The first record was very compact, but Dan gives more of the spotlight on the music this time, so you can fully appreciate Carlos O’Connell and Conor Curley on the guitars and Tom Coll on the drums. There is also room for ballads like “Sunny” with a gothic-like sound.

It is also worth noting to get the sound they wanted, and they were listening to quite a lot of the Beach Boys while they were touring stateside. The band wanted to make a record that wasn’t straight down the line, and that the Beach Boys heavily inspired “A Hero’s Death”.

As much as I liked the record, I am once again left unimpressed with the elementary lyrics that anyone could make up on the spot and the flatness of Grian’s vocals. Now, he is quite passionate about his profession, but it doesn’t come through in his studio performances and onstage performances. It’s quite sad. The music has the energy, albeit at times on this record brings it down, but Grian remains at the same tempo throughout. It is good that the band is willing to experiment so early in their career, but they are in danger of losing their identity, which accrued them fans. They must maintain sight of what made them unique, or they will fall into the generic bands they are frequently associated with.

Song recommendations: “Sunny”, “No”, “A Televised Mind”.

7/10

Week Thirty-One: Taylor Swift- Folklore

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the 1:

The opening track is about a perfect scenario if someone from her past relationships survived the course and lived happily ever after, rather than the usual song about her pain of breaking up with someone, which most of Taylor’s songs have been the subject of. Once again, Taylor doesn’t hold back on her language; from that, you can tell that what’s in store for the rest of the record is pure honesty.

Cardigan:

This track was released as the album teaser, and the obligatory video was subsequently released on the same day as this album. This song is about Taylor about being done wrong in a past relationship by being cheated on. I say that because it is done from a first-person perspective, and I imagine that Taylor is talking about it and how she has learned from it and can now sense the signs to get out before getting extremely hurt. The vocals reflect the maturity of the topic, and she is not being overly aggressive or even shouting her vocals. When talking about such a subject, that shows great restraint.

the Last Great American Dynasty:

Wow, this is a highly controversial subject to touch on. Living in England, I cannot say how much this would piss off the American folk because it is just a touchy subject for me, but it wouldn’t rattle anyone in England and Europe when she is digging up the past. For Americans, this is very controversial. The subject of the song is the Rebekah and Bill Harkness scandal. Rebekah is a middle-class mid-western, and Bill is the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. Why is it controversial? Because their marriage caused an uproar 70-odd years ago. Another reason why Taylor wrote this is because she happens to live in their mansion in Rhode Island. This is her finest songwriting to date. It combines the story of the scandal, yet she manages to draw comparisons to her own life.

Exile:

The album’s first feature is a duet with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, where they both have various views on a breakup. The vocals fall in synchronisation with the piano.

My Tears Ricochet:

If you thought “the Last Great American Dynasty” was controversial, this is more controversial. Taylor doesn’t hold back as she takes a swing at the fucking idiots who somehow managed to stop her from regaining the rights to her masters for her first six albums (I believe one of the arseholes involved is Scooter Braun, as I saw it unfold on social media at the time?). It is a pretty sad song as Taylor is in her coffin, and I imagine Scooter turns up at her wake. This appears to be a metaphor that your enemies will destroy you and still dare to attend your funeral/wake to mock you even after death. I commend her for shining a light on the subject of how you can get fucked over in the industry and lose the rights to what is rightfully yours.

Mirrorball:

One of Taylor’s favourite subjects to touch on is her love and hate-affair with the fame she has amassed through her talent and the attention, whether wanted or unwanted, that unfortunately comes with the music and songwriting. However, this is the first time that she has spoken so candidly about that affair. She talks about how she wants to please people and adapt to their wants and needs from her.

Seven:

How ironic that the seventh track should be aptly titled “Seven”? The subject of this Folkstyle song is about a friend trying to protect her best friend who is deeply traumatised desperately. The lyrics suggest that the best friend lives in an unhappy home where her father constantly shouts at her. The friend trying to help her mentions playing pirates at her house to escape the brutal reality of her home life.

August:

As we approach the halfway stage of the album, we hear part two of where “Cardigan” left off. This time, from the perspective of the “mistress”, over a faster melody and vocals full of optimism.

This is Me Trying:

This is Taylor baring her soul by revealing how she is only human with her mistakes, doubts, trust issues, and failures.

Illicit Affairs:

It is nice to see a song on this record wrapped around a guitar with its witty lyrics and emotional feelings.

Invisible String:

Taylor is known for writing songs about her exes, but this track shows her devotion to her boyfriend, Joe. It is quite biographical and mentions how fate played a part in bringing them together.

Mad Woman:

The fable to this song is about a widow who was made an outcast in her town and took revenge on it, but there is a deeper, more personal meaning by Taylor here. Taylor is charming here by not going directly to the issue she addresses. This song is hidden within a metaphor, but through the raw emotion in her vocals, you know that she is extremely pissed off with what the real issue is at hand here. This track seems aimed at all the misogynists who have made her life hell.

Epiphany:

This track is split into three subjects. Verse one is about her granddad’s post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered while serving in the US Army in World War II. Verse two is about those in the medical profession currently dealing with the pandemic, which has made their jobs both a risk and a living hell, and the chorus fuses both of these subjects and portrays her granddad and the medical professionals as American heroes. My only issue with this powerful song is it might lose its meaning with the production, which was Taylor opting for a Hymn.

Betty:

This track is done from the perspective of a male named James, where he takes a feminist view and says the man brought it all upon himself for cheating even though he is now feeling guilty and heartbroken that the woman in the subject of the song has moved on and found someone better. What’s more refreshing about this is that James takes the feminist view rather than confiding in another male.

Peace:

This song is dedicated to Joe, but Taylor asks if she will ever be enough for anyone when you consider her lifestyle and all the attention that comes with it. The sincerity in her vocals shows she is extremely passionate about the topic.

Hoax:

Seeing an album end on such a dark and sour song is very unusual. This track explores the impact of a toxic relationship but with reflection rather than anger. It’s a beautifully emotional song.

Song recommendations: “My Tears Ricochet”, “the Last Great American Dynasty”, “Hoax”.

9/10