Week 15- The Libertines- All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade

In August 1997, a young teenager named Pete Doherty was interviewed on television outside His Master’s Voice, Oxford Street. He shared his thoughts on Oasis’s eagerly awaited third album, “Be Here Now,” and his opinion of the band. Pete later co-founded The Libertines (Originally The Strand) with his flatmate Carl Barât, although their names and band name were unknown. The band had a history of members leaving and returning before eventually signing with the infamous Rough Trade in 2001. Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell briefly served as a bassist for the band. The drummer, Paul Dufour, was sacked by their female manager, Banny Pootschi, for being ‘too old.’ An American-born Brit named Gary Powell was recruited to play on their debut album, “Up the Bracket,” released a year later.

The band was known for performing guerilla gigs, inviting fans to their flat to watch them perform, often causing trouble with the police. During this period, they experimented with various drugs, including cocaine, crack, heroin, and cannabis. Pete and Carl’s friendship was also unstable, swinging from best mates to enemies, reflected in their 2004 self-titled album, especially in their monumental anthem, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now,’ and ‘Don’t Look Back into the Sun.’ Unfortunately, the band split the same year due to infighting between Pete and Carl.

Pete later formed Babyshambles a year before The Libertines split, while Carl formed Dirty Pretty Things a year later. In March 2010, the band announced that they would reform and headline the Reading + Leeds festival in August, surprising fans as Pete and Carl had not spoken since the band split. The short reunion was a success, with thousands of fans flocking to the stage and several others watching on the BBC. The gigs are the main search results on YouTube for their live performances.

Carl stated in an interview two years later that he could see the band reforming again. Another two years passed when a cryptic picture of Hyde Park appeared on their Facebook page on April 20. The Barclaycard British Summer Time Festival then made an offer to Pete and Carl to perform on July 5 and close out Saturday. They accepted the offer, and a further surprise was in store when they announced they would perform three nights at Alexandra Palace in late September. I had the fortune of attending the final night with my friend Keano. Circa Waves supported them, and it was fantastic. We were absolutely fucked, but then so were Pete and Carl. I do not remember much of the gig, but we enjoyed ourselves. I have to watch videos of that night to remember just how good the performance was, and it is the band at their best. They were back, and you could feel the chemistry.

After those four successful gigs, Pete attended Hope Rehab Centre in Thailand. Once he completed his rehab, the band joined him in January 2015 to start writing the next album. The album was released later in the year and called “Anthems for Doomed Youth.” It topped the charts at No.3. The band has been together since, with Pete having a solo project from 2016 and Carl returning during hibernations to Dirty Pretty Things.

Now, regarding their newest album, it is unbelievable that it has been nine years since the band’s last release. They have been on the road regularly since their second reformation a decade ago. Their name, song titles, and albums all reference books. The new album, “All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade,” is no different and has no interludes.

The album opener is ‘Run Run Run,’ which discusses escaping the past over quintessential indie from the early 2000s, most notably The Strokes. ‘Mustang’ has the bass and drum sound that the band was known for in the early 2000s.

Pete takes over from Carl on ‘Have a Friend,’ which has the same structure as a typical Libertines track but lacks the punch instrumentally. ‘Man with the Melody’ is one of the slower tracks on the album, and Pete and Carl talk about facing their demons on this piano ballad complete with strings.

‘Night of the Hunter’ adds the band’s love of books to the mix, something the band is known for with tracks like ‘What Katie Did.’ They have a knack for turning books they have read into their original songs with nods to the book. The record teaser ‘Shiver’ departs from their indie/rock roots. It is more theatric and sounds quite evil before it fades out.

‘Be Young’ is my favourite from the album, and there are no prizes for guessing why. This is the band with their wall of sound, the sounds we have known since “Up the Bracket.”

The closer is ‘Songs They Never Play on the Radio’. This song sounds similar to ‘Music When the Lights Out’. When the pair trade off vocals, the delivery mimics that song, and so does the instrumentation. It is a good way to end the album, as the tempo is brought down.

In my opinion, “All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade” represents the band clean and sober. There is a more mature sound and less chaos than what you had on “Up the Bracket” and the self-titled record. “Anthems for Doomed Youth” was a bit calmer, but this one certainly has the lads discussing hard-hitting issues with less kick in the music. Hopefully, we will not have to wait another nine years for the next album.

I look forward to hearing how these new songs with a more mature approach go down on the tour, which is almost sold out.

Song recommendations: ‘Be Young’, ‘Song They Never Play on the Radio’, ‘Run Run Run’

8/10

Week 14: Beyoncé- Cowboy Carter

The media has been excessively hyping up Beyoncé’s latest album, “Cowboy Carter”, which her massive following eagerly anticipated. Despite the endorsement of some well-known country artists like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Luke Combs, the album fell short of the high expectations.

This is the second part of a trilogy that Beyoncé is producing, and the album features 27 tracks with a runtime of almost 80 minutes. It’s a collection that could have been a country music masterpiece, with big names like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Miley Cyrus, and Paul McCartney on a cover version of ‘Blackbird’. However, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

The 27 tracks are filled with pointless interludes that add nothing to the album. Although some of these interludes are meant to be like radio DJ introductions, they add nothing to the album but make it feel like a tough listen. I wish there were more complete tracks instead of these inane interludes. By the time I finished listening to the album, I was relieved.

There are a few good moments on the album, such as the lyrical content and the guitar and harmonica played by Stevie Wonder on the ‘Jolene’ cover. However, using autotune on some tracks didn’t work for me, and Post Malone’s track with Nile Rodgers was also a letdown. I didn’t like the cover of ‘Jolene’ either. It didn’t do justice to Dolly Parton’s original version.

In conclusion, I didn’t enjoy “Cowboy Carter” and wouldn’t recommend any specific tracks. The album isn’t worth the hype it’s been receiving, and I am disappointed with its overall quality.

5/10

Week 13: Elbow- Audio Vertigo

I am not the biggest fan of Elbow’s music. I avoid it because I do not understand all the hype around them. This is the band’s 10th studio album and their first in 3 years. I am going to surprise you and say that I liked this one. It was the most un-Elbow record I have heard from them. I heard elements of old-school Kasabian, indie, Royal Blood, and funk.

My research said that the band worked hard in the studio last year to have this released early this year, and they decided to experiment this time rather than stick to their usual tried-and-tested method. The lyrical content has dark humour, usually related to romance. The opener, ‘Things I’ve Been Telling Myself for Years,’ immediately surprised me. I was surprised to find fuzzy guitars and a song with plenty of instrumental attitude. 

Another highlight was ‘Balu,’ which, with its bongos, horns, synths, and driven guitars, somehow still managed to have a rock-n-roll edge.

I liked the bassline on ‘Very Heaven’ with the drumstick count-in at the introduction. The guitars are more mellow on this one. The whole track is easygoing, as Guy Garvey’s vocals are more in the spotlight.  ‘Her to the Earth’ focuses more on keys. Again, another funky track. ‘The Picture’ is a sublime rhythmic drum beat over heavy guitar riffs and a key break. ‘Poker Face’ is one of the shortest on the album and a rare break from the record’s intensity. ‘Knife Fight’ is another highlight, and this time, it has warm and rich guitar riffs and lead guitar that are in focus.

“Audio Vetigo” is a huge departure from your typical Elbow wall of sound. It has shown their ability to adapt and get their name back in focus. I will still not become a fan, but I liked this one. I hope for more of the same, then who knows?

Song recommendations: ‘Balu’, ‘Things I’ve Been Telling Myself for Years’,  ‘Knife Fight’

8/10

Week 11: Ariana Grande- Eternal Sunshine

Let’s dive straight into the track-by-track review:

intro (end of the world):

This short intro consists of guitar plucking an orchestra and vocal layering as Ariana asks questions about being in the right relationship.

bye:

From the intro, Ariana has made a decision: The relationship isn’t the right one for her. She conveys this over a power ballad inspired by the 1970s fused with disco-pop. I also loved her cheeky lyricism, where she says, “This hook feels too hard to sing.”

don’t wanna break up again:

Even though she expressed about leaving the relationship in the previous track, in this one, she doesn’t want that to happen because she doesn’t enjoy it when a relationship ends. She mentions crying herself to sleep while her boyfriend watches the television and turns up the volume to drown out her sobbing. She also toys with his emotions, which breaks his heart. Look out for the infectious chorus on this one.

Saturn Returns Interlude:

Someone can be heard uttering something. I don’t know what exactly. I have no interest in interludes.

eternal sunshine:

We arrive at the title track, where Ariana longs to clear her memories of the toxic relationship that consisted of arguing, lying, and cheating. This track occurs after the relationship has ended and both have moved on. In the song, she expresses that her current boyfriend is all she ever wanted. This is a quintessential Ariana song, but it has been included to keep on topic with the rest of the album.

supernatural:

Over this beaming ballad, she discusses that even though love can be a rollercoaster, we cannot live without love. Mariah Carey’s songs inspire the chorus during her prime in the 90s. Ariana’s vocal harmonies are the icing on the cake.

true story:

She now goes full-on 1990s RnB, and it is no surprise that it works because Max Martin was responsible for producing quite a lot of this genre back then. It reminded me of what the late Aaliyah, TLC, et al. did in the 1990s. I also heard En Vogue on this one, too. As for the story, Ariana becomes the evil girl/villain, which is a humourous dig at the media. Rumour has it that this song started as a parody track and was used for a shelved comedy project, so it comes across as cheeky and playful.

the boy is mine:

Ironically, it has the same title as the hit by Brandy and Monica, but even more ironically, the song is old-school R&B. This track, however, is about stealing a boyfriend from another woman. Ariana has fun with her sarcastic delivery and tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

yes, and? :

This is my favourite track off the record. It reminded me of all that 1990s R&B fused with house that I grew up with. Lyrically and sometimes sonically, it nods to Madonna’s ‘Vogue’. It is extremely upbeat and rather out of synchronisation with the rest of the album.

we can’t be friends (wait for your love):

As you may be aware, Ariana is going through a divorce at the moment, which explains the narrative of the record. This track is about her cutting him off and trying to avoid the media’s attention while she deals with it. Look out for the catchy hooks and yet more brilliant songwriting by Ariana.

i wish i hated you:

There’s nothing fancy by her vocally on this emotional ballad. Instead, you will hear her voice in its purest form over a cosmic-like production. This song got the better of her as, at certain moments, you can hear her voice crack as she expressed that she finds it hard to leave him because she doesn’t hate him. 

imperfect for you:

This one was a shock. Considering her age, I was surprised the 60s would inspire her, but this has a Beatles psychedelic phase vibe. Don’t be fooled by the psychedelia within because this is another heart-wrenching ballad addressing her issues with depression and how it makes her relationships challenging.

ordinary things (ft Nonna):

As far as I knew, this was the only collaboration I heard on the album. This is another ballad that goes full circle with Ariana asking the question she did initially, concluding that the simple things only matter when you are with the right person because luxurious and materialistic items will never conquer love. Who is Nonna? Well, it’s her grandma, and on the coda, which is spoken, her grandma is giving advice about what to do in a relationship, and if she feels she can’t or is uncomfortable, then it is time to move on. 

Song recommendations: ‘yes,and?’, ‘supernatural’, ‘i wish i hated you’

8/10

Week 10: Liam Gallagher & John Squire- Liam Gallagher John Squire

As you know, the Stone Roses guitarist John Squire joined Oasis onstage in 1996 at their iconic Knebworth Park shows to play lead on ‘Champagne Supernova’. He also repeated this on Liam’s return to the venue as a solo artist in 2022. Back when John was rehearsing the song with Liam, John mentioned that he was in the process of writing an album and needed a vocalist. He said that Liam’s vocals would be ideal, and from there, Liam listened to the demos and decided he would be interested in collaborating with John. Liam grew up a Stone Roses fan, and in the earlier Oasis recordings, his vocals sounded like Ian Brown. The duo would head over to Los Angeles to record the self-titled album in the studio.

Of course, the project only came to light during the first month of the new year, when the duo released their first single, ‘Just Another Rainbow’ —a typical Stone Roses-esque song.

Once it was confirmed that the duo was releasing a record, Liam described it as Stone Roses and Oasis in their prime. When you listen to the album, that is certainly evident. As you can imagine, there are many Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, et cetera, within the songs because those bands heavily influenced both of them.

As well as being a nostalgic record filled with romance, there are modern references in songs like ‘I’m So Bored’, where John attacks modern technology, expressing that we tend to live in our phones rather than connecting with the real world.

You can tell Liam and John had fun on the album, with Greg Kurstin on production. Many Liam’s fans complain about it not being full-on rock n roll. It was never meant to be. Stones Roses are more psychedelic, so this would always lean heavily towards that. Apart from finding the lyrics cheesy, I also found them quite basic, and Liam’s vocals feel strained and nasal over the music. John is excellent as always and has retained his ability to show his axemanship. It wasn’t my cup of green tea, but good luck to them.

Song recommendations: ‘Mars to Liverpool’, ‘Just Another Rainbow’, ‘I’m So Bored’

7/10

Week 9: Rod Stewart & Jools Holland- Swing Fever

Well, it goes without saying that I am a big fan of Jools Holland; as you know, I discover many bands/artists through his show. Jools started off as the keyboardist in Squeeze before leaving to go solo while presenting The Tube on channel 4. He then went on to form His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and present the Late Show’s spin-off “Later…with Jools Holland in a pokey studio in Shepherd’s Bush. The show would expand and move to Maidstone Studios in 2011 (The Annual Hootenanny still takes place there.) before returning to Shepherd’s Bush in 2019 and then moving onto the current venue deep in the bowls of Alexandra Palace, where the first television broadcast for the BBC took place. The show had a live half-hour midweek show until 2019 before reverting back to a show that lasted just an hour on weekends from 2020 onwards. Of course, the series during 2020/21 was locked down, so it was limited to one guest per episode discussing their music and their favourite moments from the show’s archives with other bands/artists performing elsewhere. Now, onto Rod Stewart. I have no idea when how I came into his music because my mum is a big fan of his, and during the 80s/90s, she would go to quite a lot of his London shows. I guess I grew up with his music.

As you know, Rod was in the Faces with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, among others. He then decided to go solo, and the rest is history. He has amassed hit after hit and collaborated with a slew of artists.

You might think, “What’s the point of this album? It will be the usual compilation”. Well, I didn’t share that notion after listening to them talk about the project on the One Show and Jools’ Later Show. I know it all started after a love of building model railways, et cetera( Look closely at the opening credits of Later…with Jools Holland from 2015 onwards. You will see what I mean.). Honestly, I knew this wouldn’t be a compilation album with no love put in, because Jools and Rod are passionate about Swing. One thing that I was surprised about was the front cover. Why is Rod, with a whiskey shot, sitting in front of Jools, while Jools is in the background, sitting on a table leaning on an upside-down chair in what looks like a bar setting? This is supposed to be a collaboration. They should have been sat parallel to express this. The cover art gives the impression that this is Rod’s record.

As the album is set around the Big Band Era, the bulk of the songs are strikingly short, falling under the 3-minute mark regularly. This is how it used to be back in that era so that they could be played on the radio. Of course, songs can now qualify for anything up to five minutes. Talking of five minutes, the opener ‘Lullaby of Broadway’ is the longest track on the record, packed with brass, Rod’s swooning vocals and Jools’ iconic boogie-woogie. This is followed by ‘Oh Marie’ with more of the same, but much shorter. ‘Sentimental Journey’ is where Rod’s vocals hit top gear surrounded by brass and trumpets. Jools takes centre stage on ‘Pennies from Heaven’ with his band backing their leader. Rod’s vocals synchronise with Jools and his band on ‘Night Train’.

Rod and Jools have a lot of fun on this album. Where it falls down for me is that I thought this was supposed to be a collaboration. Too often on this record, I felt Rod was taking centre stage, and Jools was simply blending into the background. Jools is a phenomenal boogie-woogie player, but there wasn’t enough of that for me. We were not shown Jools’ pure craft on the piano. However, if you want an upbeat album for a knees-up, then this is it. 

Song recommendations: ‘Sentimental Journey’, ‘Night Train’, ‘Oh Marie’

8/10

Week 8: IDLES- Tangk

I don’t know how the title is pronounced (Tansk?), but you will be surprised. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I dubbed the band “Energetic Rebellion”; however, this time, the band have kept some of that but has resorted to talking about parenthood, love, relationships, and political matters. Yes, there were smatterings of romance on the previous records, but this one steps it up to a level I wasn’t expecting. The volume has also dropped to a chilled vibe, matched by Joe Talbot’s relaxed vocals.

‘Roy’, for example, is more akin to soul. The opener, ‘IDEA 01, ‘ sounds ethereal and reminds me of Lana Del Rey’s style of music. ‘Dancer’ is one of the singles that features LCD Soundsystem, and you can hear that on the track. It isn’t of the iDLES ilk.

Of course, let’s not forget the band returns to their routes on tracks such as ‘Hall & Oates’, which is my standout from the record. I felt chilled out until that track came on, and I was shocked back into the room. Joe also aims for the royal family on ‘Gift Horse’, declaring his daughter is more important than someone in a bejewelled crown.

I know this album will have many mixed reviews because we expect the band to be full-on energetic rebellion, but this one takes it easy, and some people will hate that they have. For all that, the band have shown they can escape their comfort zone and show versatility. As I said, it is a record that is full of surprises. I certainly didn’t expect it. I would describe it as the band rolling a joint and taking it easy as they enjoy the weed. You could also say the band is on a comedown after experiencing an energetic high. One good thing from this is that the band will no longer be pigeonholed into just one category.

Song recommendations: ‘Hall & Oates’, ‘Gift Horse’, ‘Dancer’

7/10

Week 7: Noah Kahan- Stick Season

I was astonished to discover that “Stick Season” was released in 2022, with the latest single ‘Homesick’ released last month. The album is named after autumn before the snow arrives in New England. 

In 2020, Noah teased the title track on TikTok, which inspired many covers, several reviews, and comments by the likes of Maisie Peters, who I reviewed last year.

I don’t know much about Noah, but his first two records were quite poppy, whereas his third effort is all-out folk. This album is almost certainly folk. It sounded like a combination of Mumford and Sons, Hozier, Lumineers, and Vance Joy. Noah said in an interview that this is the kind of music that he prefers to do. God knows why, then, the first two records were pop. It’s probably pressure from the label for marketing purposes.

Along with Gabe Simon, Noah himself is on production. That doesn’t particularly stand out for me because folk is easy to listen to. It’s the songwriting where this album is at. You would think, as this record was done during the midst of the lockdowns, that it would be centred around that, but no. Noah chose a more reflective album where he wants to leave home, longs for home, and deals with the unfinished business of returning.

He addresses several subjects, including mental health, such as ‘Growing Sideways’ and ‘Stick Season’ of growing tired of home. The latter sees Noah talk bluntly about hating home. The record closer, “The View Between Villages’ is about when he drove back home. He feels excitement returning, but he also knows he will start to loathe the idea. It is apt that it ends with him on a journey because the album is life’s journey. In the beginning, he is angry; during the midway point, he is feeling sad, and by the end, he has accepted life. I found it hard to pick song recommendations because I like the bulk of the album. My choice varies the more I listen to it.

Song recommendations: ‘Growing Sideways’, ‘Northern Attitude’, ‘The View Between Villages’

8/10

Week 6: the Last Dinner Party- Prelude to Ecstasy

Once again, this is another cliché. I found this band via Later…with Jools Holland, where they performed ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘ My Lady of Mercy’. From there, I scoured YouTube, looking for information about them. I came across a review of one of their tracks, plus a little background on them by The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. He does a review show on there called Justin Hawkins Rides Again. It has become so popular that he is taking it out on the road. I was highly impressed with his knowledge of every tone in the track. He also mentioned that the band are rumoured to be “industry plants”. Now, if they are, who cares? You can tell they are highly talented, so they would inevitably break through regardless. This rumour is circulating because the band had minimal performances before being signed. Skunk Anansie must have been “industry plants” if that’s the case. They were signed after four gigs. That’s how ridiculous this rumour is for me. I am sure Skunk Anansie was in the right place at the right time. The other suspicions are that they also signed to the prestigious Island Records, have over 30 million streams for ‘Nothing Matters’ on Spotify, and have had this album produced by James Ford, who has recently worked with Blur, Kylie Minogue, and Arctic Monkeys on their current records.

So, a little background on the band: They are from London. An all-female rock band (I beg to differ on rock.)consisting of Abigail Morris (Leading vocalist), Lizzie Mayland (Backing vocalist, guitarist, flautist), Emily Roberts (Guitarist, backing vocalist, flautist, mandolin), Georgia Davies (Bassist, backing vocalist), and Aurora Nishevci (Backing vocalist, organist, synthesiser, conductor, string arranger). I believe they also met at university, which is another reason people are suspicious of their rise. Fuck knows what that has to do with it. I like the name of the album, and I found the cover art quite eye-catching. The name might have a negative impact because it mentions a specific substance that also has taken its name from a form of joy. As everyone knows, I detest preludes/interludes, but there was a certain magic to them this time. There are two interludes. The title track and ‘Gjuha’, with the latter coming in just after the halfway point. Both tracks feature incredible vocal harmonies over what can only be described as booming classical music. From the reading, there is no clear indication that an orchestra was used, but it sounded like one in the prelude/interlude. You must admire the sheer audacity of using such music when this album was released in the mainstream. From this, you can tell that the ladies do not want to conform.

The band reminds me of a cross between Florence and the Machine and Elastica. Because of their sound, but also, Abigail sounds similar to Justine Frischmann. Talking of Abigail, her best vocal performance is ‘On Your Side’. However, that doesn’t take away from the other tracks. She is an outstanding vocalist.

The highlight has to be ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’. It changes throughout with different genres and tempos. Quite a lot of the tracks stop suddenly, but after half a minute, they come back in with frantic tempos, usually classical or a stabbing piano. The title of the record is quite apt. There are many moments of ecstasy. I was left highly impressed. It is pretty hard to believe that this is only a debut album.

Song recommendations: ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’, ‘On Your Side’, ‘My Lady of Mercy’

8/10

Week 5: James Arthur- Bitter Sweet Love

I have never been a fan of this 2012 X Factor winner, nor do I believe he should be No.1 after a bullshit technicality. The Reytons outsold him, but James got it due to a complaint from some jobsworth in the industry. I believe this decision has marred this week’s chart. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if corruption was involved. Unlike a fair few of the former winners and contestants of the ITV talent show, James has grafted away while they have disappeared into obscurity. He also has a mad hairstyle—a cross between Mike Flowers and Tim Burgess without the bleach blonde. 

“Bitter Sweet Love” is the fifth album released by James. Although he has distinctly husky and soulful vocals, how long has he got before this no longer carries him? Yes, it is different from the likes of Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles, and I am going to throw an obscure one from 2011, Josh Kumra, but they are versatile. When reading about this record or purely people’s opinions, I heard it was full-on rock. Really? Where? I heard some rock but also plenty of piano ballads and acoustic moments. The album is quite reflective. ‘Free Falling’, ‘Just Us’, and ‘Is It Alright?’ have some hard-hitting lyrics, but that’s about it. I tend to like piano ballads and acoustic songs, but they made this record disjointed, and you drift away because they are too frequent on what is allegedly a “rock album”.

The opener is the title track, which unfortunately turns out to be a false dawn. As I said, the record needs to maintain your interest. The title track, however, captures your attention with its bombastic sound. There are a few more moments like that on the album. ‘Blindside’ draws inspiration from the 1980s, and the highlight must be ‘Comeback Kid’. Now that is full-on rock. His attempts at being political on ‘New Generation’ fall flat. It had a nice rock feel, though.

Listen at your discretion, but I’m afraid there are too many moments when your concentration drifts away. The Reytons have been robbed, and this record didn’t deserve to “win”.

Song recommendations: ‘Comeback Kid’, ‘Bitter Sweet Love’, ‘Just Us’

6/10