What a turnaround in fortunes for Tom. Once, he had a budding football career that caught the attention of his local club, Luton Town, but he was let go at a young age. He then embarked on his next passion, singing, and his debut album, “Lighting Matches”, was very successful. Indeed, Tom’s song “Found What I’ve Been Looking For” became the official anthemfor Sky Sports Super Sunday coverage and was featured on the FIFA 18 soundtrack. However, he had another final chance atfootball when Luton Town’s former manager Graeme Jones offered him a trial in August 2019, just as Luton Town was starting the campaign in the SkyBet Championship since 2008. He is still singing and has released his second tells me that it wasn’t a fruitful trial at the Brache training ground.
The second album is called “Evering Road”,named after a street in Newham, East London. It is also where Tom lived with an ex-girlfriend. Was that before he got fame or after? However, he grew up in London as well as Bedford. As Tom hit his mid-twenties, he changed it up with “Evering Road” and made this record about his break-up with his ex-girlfriend from Newham, with whom he spent three years. He candidly discusses his toxic behaviour and thanks her for helping him learn the errors of his ways in this audio letter of apology that spans over 14 tracks. The record reflects the volatile relationship rather than Tom passing blame or asking for sympathy for his diabolical attitude. Tom has laid this record out to perfection; it is laid out in the order a story of the events that took place would have happened.
So, not only is this album an audio letter of apology, but it is also an autobiography. In other words, it is more like reading a book on this period of his life and, therefore, flows. Imagine when the live music world opens up again and hearing Tom perform these songs at Capital Radio Summerball 2022 at EE Stadium. Songs like “Little Bit of Love” are one of his singles, and they are very punchy pop that’ll get the crowd singing along. Then, you have “Something Better”, with its jumpy piano and soulful backing vocals, with the latter adding layers to the track, making it sound fuller.
In “Amen”, Tom has an almost gospel-like texture when discussing never going to church. Still, the Hozier-esque track is more about his struggles to make decisions that his heart is in rather than just making them without consideration. The song starts to lose its power towards the end, but then Tom turns it back on with his vocals and a message that’ll be open to interpretation by the listeners. When the tracks seem waning, Tom plays to his strengths to keep the listeners engrossed. “Oh Please”has a funk vibe, but the lyrics make the track stand out because Tom’s attitude has changedfor the better. Rather than being angry and having a chip on his shoulder, he becomes more mature and shows humility.
Of course, you have an album that sounds familiar to the debut; Tom has drawn on many artists who inspired him this time, on many genres and producers. As we have discovered, “Evering Road” is an audio letter of apology, and that comes across with pinpoint accuracy on “Sweeter Then”, which is a reflection on the many beautiful summer days he spent with her, and “Make up My Mind”, which is about confessing that he didn’t know what he wanted from the relationship. Instead of being honest, hetried to fight on without knowing how he felt. However, my favourite might be somewhat of a cliché is “Let’s Go Home Together”, featuring Ella Henderson.
This song was co-written by Ella with James Arthur and performed live with the two writers in question, but for some reason (Let’s face it, it isn’t a bad choice.)Ella elected to do it in the studio and on Tom’s album. You can hear an acoustic guitar playing while Ella exchanges verses with Tomand then sings the chorus in unison while playing a gentle piano ballad. As much as the track is romantic, it is laced with cheeky lyrics andinnuendos. What is odd about the song is that it is about a couple who have met in a bar/pub/nightclub and, upon exchanging a few words, find that they haven’t much in common, but once they are tipsy, they find each other quite attractive. Maybe this is how Tom felt about his ex,or he has discovered a new love interest in this manner.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this track, and the cheekiness of it all was a lovely refrain from the usual heavy subject. It’ll be interesting to see where Tom goes from here because this is night and day compared to “Lighting Matches”. A more mature approach shows another side of him and for the better. He has addressed the issue and is learning what it is like to be an adult.
Song recommendations: “Let’s Go Home Together”, “Sweeter Then”, “Amen”
Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s latest album:
Making a Fire:
Some might say it is a typical Foo Foos track, but not quite. Although you have the usual elements that make that up, I would also classify it as “cheesy pop”, including its hand-clapping and “Na na na” refrain. Despite the element of cheese infused with regular Foo Fighters, it is a very upbeat track.
Shame Shame:
The band recently played some of the material for some lockdown sessions, with this included, so the listener should be familiar with it. We go from a pop chart-friendly song into a full-on rock that will make the setlist when the record is toured, I’m sure of it. The track in question was also used to promote the album and has had an astronomical amount of airplay, which saw it rise to no.1 in the Rock chart in America in record speed.
Cloudspotter:
This one is not a track I associate with the band; I am struggling to think of a song where they have gone into something the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Led Zeppelin would have made. Yes, this song is inspired by the psychedelic rock of the 1970s. Greta van Fleet would put this on an album rather than the Foo Fighters. It is brilliant that the band has decided to experiment on the record and made a song ready for the floor. Now, I mention him quite a bit in every review, but has the band drawn inspiration from the likes of Noel Gallagher to step back into the 70s and make music with an upbeat vibe?
Waiting on a War:
You think this track is purely acoustic, but as it swells, it turns into a full-on rock track that will shake the foundations of the arenas, especially with Dave Grohl’s in-your-face vocals.
Medicine at Midnight:
The title track is undoubtedly experimental, where the band dips into funk, acoustic, raw sound, and just like “Cloudspotter”, another song ready for the disco. I’m curious if the fans who know them for the natural rock sound will be impressed, but the band has shown how versatile they can be.
No Son of Mine:
They take it back to what the people have come to love them for with this punk-fuelled track sprinkled with Motorhead, whom they are highly inspired by. Indeed, the late Lemmy had joined them on stage as a guest. The message is also one that we can allrelate to. I mean, who the fuck wants war?
Holding Poison:
Dave opts to use reverb for his vocals over choppy riffs and rhythms. It is not a great song on the record, but that’s purely academic when you consider even the shit ones on their strong albums are probably much better than what some of the other artists/bands churn out for most of their records.
Chasing Birds:
This is likely to be the second single and will probably fare better than “Shame Shame” because it is, in effect, the second instalment of their classic and my favourite song, “Everlong”.
Love Dies Young:
The final song off the album, which so far is unbelievably short. All the songs have yet to be near the five-minute mark, which is the norm nowadays for tracks. The record clocked in at just over 36 minutes, a relatively short listen. Also, there are only nine tracks, which is unusual, especially for the Foos. Now, this track might be a typical FF track. Still, I could hear a bassline inspired by New Order or Peter Hook and the Light. It also reminded me of their acoustic ballad that builds into their usual rock style, “One of These Days”, so if you do feel underwhelmed by the shortness and tempo of the tracks, you can be won over at the end of the album, just as you were at the offset. If you buy the deluxe edition of the record, there is a listening party complete with commentary from the band after each track. Usually, this type of thing is saved for DVDs, but you have to admit, it isquite an interesting approach from the Foo Foos.
Song recommendations:“Love Dies Young”, “Making a Fire”, “Cloudspotter”
I might put this in the bio somewhere because this is getting to be something of a soundbite on my reviews (Albeitit is utterly authentic.), but once again, it was through Later…with Jools Holland that I discovered Celeste. I remember she performed “Lately” and “Strange” with just her incredible vocals and the piano to accompany her (I’m pretty sure that Jools joined her on one of the tracks.). At the same time, the likes of Liam Gallagher looked on, on that October night in 2019 at the original home of the Later series. From there, Celeste would go on to more extraordinary things. In the year just past, she won BBC Sounds Artist of the Year, joining the likes of Adele, Ellie Goulding, and Michael Kiwanuka, and that’s an excellent accolade to claim to look at the success it has brought for the artists. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Celeste followed their path. Since her debut, she has featured on Later twice to discuss the music she likes and what inspires her in the lockdown editionof the last series and the socially distanced 2021 Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve.
Of course, this long-awaited album has seen her popularity soar, and you hear her songs everywhere, from the supermarket to the radioto the television. If anyone complains about that, I don’t know why; she has such a fantastic voice and reminds me of a rising star back in 2006 called Corinne Bailey Rae, who was heading to the top until a setback put her career on hold. She is now steady in her career and will soon release an album that attracts mainstream listeners. My point is that Celeste sounds like her, and I will also throw in Lianne La Havas. I hear that when Celeste sings a mixture of Corinne Bailey Rae and Lianne La Havas, respectively. It’s not a bad combination if I say so myself.
When I was referring to Celeste’s tracks being pretty much everywhere, here are two examples I mean: You have “Stop ThisFlame”,a track with a piano riff that, when I heard it, felt very familiar to Rhythm is Rhythm’s “Strings of Life”, which in turn inspired Noel Gallagher to write “AKA…What a Life!”, so, yeah, the track sounds like those two combined. It is also very commercial, and one mightbe categorised under pop. It is also very different from the kind of music Celeste has sung or put out in the past. The uplifting tempo and optimistic lyrics encouraged Sky Sports to use it to open their Super Sunday programme since the start of the 2020/2021 football season. Of course, an advert was released in October last year to promote the Christmas period. The advert in question was for John Lewis/Waitrose, and the company chose Celeste’s “A Little Love”. You can certainly hear Lianne La Havas coming through in that one. The fantastic thing about Celeste is even if you are unaware of her, I guarantee you have listened to her wherever you have been, heard on the radio, or watched on the television. You might have bought a magazine, and there’s been an interview, article, or even an advert promoting her music. She is very much like her fellow winners of BBC Sounds because she can cause an earthquake with her vocals, be tender with almost a whisper, and sound fragile whiledelivering a song about heartbreak. For example, “Stop This Flame” shows off her ability to sing with passion and loud, “A Little Love” to sing very quietly and softly, and “Strange” where she can sing with a fragile voice and appear broken-hearted to match the song’s subject.
I disagree with the comparisons to Adele in terms of the vocals. I think elements of this album sound more like what the late Amy Winehouse would do (I should have mentioned her earlier in what this record sounds like. I felt it had Amy Winehouse-esque songs, sonically.), I can also imagine Mark Ronson teaming up with Celeste at some point and producing an album with her. Jamie Hartman is one of the producers on the album and has worked with the likes of Rag n Bone Man. The only comparison I can draw with Adele is how the record goes from pop to ballads with Celeste, just like Adele, singing with just an acoustic guitar to accompany her. Funnily enough, the album starts just like that. Celeste is singing “Ideal Woman” over just an acoustic guitar. Another comparison would be her ability to be melancholic and tracks of that nature. She doesn’t fake the delivery on the more sombre tracks. Just like an actor, she goes into character effortlessly.
Some have argued that this album is too safe and Celeste hasn’t taken any risks, but I beg to differ. I never expected her to try something like “Stop this Flame” or “Tonight Tonight”. I didn’t expect a Mark Ronson-inspired production with “Love is Back”. It was an outstanding effort by Celeste, and there are a few surprises along the way on the album. I listened to the deluxe edition, so the record ends on her rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, which is an unusual way to end an album, but it works. I recommend buying or listening to “Not Your Muse” because Celeste is an incredibly talented artist, and more is to come from her.
Song recommendations: “Stop This Flame”, “Ideal Woman”, “Strange”
Here is my track-by-track review of her 9th studio album and her second album release of the current year:
Willow:
This isn’t just the opening track of the album, but it is also the leading single. This is Taylor returning to her roots when she was gigging constantly across America to get herself noticed within the industry by basing herself on country music. It’s a bizarre choice as a single, as it hasn’t any of those typical pop traits to chart that high. It is pure country with its delicately plucked acoustic guitar. Her vocal delivery synchronises with the subject of being in love with someone, and you’re trying to make them feel the same way. Taylor expresses this by how we would feel in those moments. From feeling high and excited to feeling low and being unable to breathe from the panic that they don’t love you. There are also some deep lyrics within, so listen carefully.
Champagne Problems:
This piano ballad was written with her boyfriend, who uses the alias William Bowery (Of course, his real name is Joe Alwyn.). Is the subject matter supposed to be about their current relationship? Rather than about a couple in college who share very different views about a night where one wants to break up and the other wants to propose. I don’t know how happy they are, but I can’t see them dropping hints while writing a song together. I also learned that “Champagne Problems” is a phrase (I guess only in America.) that means when an individual’s troubles are genuine but, when put into perspective, are less important than how much others are suffering. Like with “Folklore”, Taylor touches on the very fragile subject of mental health. In this song, the female character mentions her problems with mental health and how the break up of her relationship has further impacted it. I am going to quote some compelling lyrics taken from the male character in this, as he is the one who has been left heartbroken. “Sometimes you just don’t know the answer til someone’s on their knees and asks you; she would have made such a lovely bride, what a shame she’s fucked in the head, they said, but you’ll find the real thing instead”. As you can see, the song is very emotional.
Gold Rush:
Wasn’t this also a song on “Folklore”? I can’t remember, but someone will tell me when they visit my archives this year. Bizarrely, the producer of this track only features once on the record when you consider Jack Antonoff has produced half of her songs over the past three albums. This song is more chart-friendly compared to the previous tracks on the record. This time, the leading character starts falling for someone popular among several others. Unfortunately for the leading female character, the other women chases the man in question. Still, just like the leading female, they are also looking for gold in California, which, when you think about it, makes the title make sense. The leading character becomes jealous and longing to have him, and she decides she can no longer chase him because she has no fight left in her and feels it is futile. Again, some lyrics stood out for me, and they are intense by the lead character. “At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit, and the coastal town we wandered round had never seen a love as pure as it, and then it fades into the grey of my day-old tea, cause it could never be”.
Tis the Damn Season:
What I found about Taylor’s songwriting is she can tell fables about fictional characters based on actual events or fables about her own life experiences. It is challenging to do the former, as you must design the characters and build the fable around them, but Taylor does this effortlessly. Once again, on this album, she has devised a character from Tupelo, Mississippi, who is leaving her town to achieve her dreams in Hollywood on the big screen. You may be wondering where the Christmas element comes into it. The lead character returns home to enjoy the festivities, where she stumbles across an ex-lover. As one of the lyrics depicts over this electric guitar track, she says how she is breaking her own heart by returning to Los Angeles, where everyone she meets is superficial, including the way she smiles, rather than remaining in Tupelo to get back with her ex-lover and feel loved and happy once more.
Tolerate it:
There appears to be a trend with Taylor and the obsession with the fifth track; the fifth track always seems to be a ballad with a heart-wrenching confession. “Evermore” doesn’t buck the trend. Again, the song is seen from the female perspective. She is sick and tired of devoting her life to her lover, and she is not getting much compassion or any form of emotional connection in return, so she is starting to hate and resent him for that. She has tolerated this behaviour for far too long from him, and now she is ready to confront him. This track perfectly depicts when love fades away from one perspective and turns sour from the other.
No Body, No Crime:
HAIM features on this, but it is based more on the country music scene, from what I recall, rather than the usual rock-based music from HAIM. As you can tell from the title, Taylor, with HAIM doing backing vocals, has gone for a topic about committing a murder. However, it is a double homicide told from different perspectives. The first verse is the narrator’s friend bringing up in a conversation that she thinks her husband is seeing another woman; in the second verse, her friend disappears, and the narrator is sure that the husband killed her and to avenge her friend’s death in the third verse, she kills the husband, but by doing this she compromises the case. Again, this is another powerful fable told by Taylor on this record.
Happiness:
The calibre of this song is quite astonishing when you consider it was the last one to be written in just under a week before the album was due to be released. Most might panic and therefore not put much effort into the last song they are writing just in case they miss the deadline by taking too long, but Taylor has managed to create a good song under that pressure and have it all done and ready to be included on the album. The story is both one of despair and optimism. The individual is going through the agony and six degrees of separation phase of splitting up with their lover, but they show signs of optimism, knowing that happiness will return once this phase has passed. The production complements the lyrics with its slow tempo and melancholic tone. Is the individual Taylor? It shows a mature approach to handling a breakup compared to her as a teenager, where she attacked every ex with venom over wax. If the character is indeed Taylor, then she has shown that as she has got older, she can move on and enjoy the next one to enter her life.
Dorothea:
Remember the track “Tis the Damn Season” earlier on and the unknown female? Well, this is her name and the continuation of the story. However, this is not told from Dorothea’s perspective but by her ex-lover. He was devastated when she moved to Hollywood and longed to be with her. He also ponders, now she is in L.A. chasing her dreams, whether she pauses to think about him. Although the subject is deep and emotional, the song has a relatively upbeat tempo.
Coney Island:
Now, I expected HAIM to feature, but the National? I wasn’t expecting that. Nor was I expecting a duet between Taylor Swift and Matt Berninger. However, I discovered that the National’s Aaron Dressner produces most of the tracks on this album, so it makes sense for Taylor to collaborate either by request or suggested by Aaron. The subject matter is once again that of broken love. This time, it is about a couple reminiscing on the relationship and how it fell apart because the levels of commitment were not balanced. The song also appears to be the couple trying to work out what went wrong and trying to see if they can try again. Taylor’s melodic vocals complement Matt’s customary raspy yet deep vocals.
Ivy:
The banjo is the main instrument this time. It features the first of two collaborations with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Later on, the entire band feature.) over a story about a wife committing adultery and subsequently falling in love with her secret lover. Even though she continues the affair as she enjoys the attention, she is trying to stay faithful simultaneously. It is similar to the story in “illicit Affairs” from the previous album and is also freakishly the tenth track.
Cowboy Like Me:
Another song inspired by her roots in country, the story is that of gold diggers who, instead of chasing those with wealth, end up falling for each other. Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons provides backing vocals. The song is also typical of a song likely to be composed by Mumford and Sons with guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, and anything from country music you can think of.
Long Story Short:
From an album steeped in country, this track departs from that with its catchy pop chorus, drums, and guitars out of indie rock. You can see this being on her albums before her current two. Taylor goes after the media and the misogynists who tried to ruin her career a couple of years ago (See my first review on the album where she goes fucking ballistic on those people for the whole story.). However, rather than getting herself worked up, Taylor’s vocals are balanced and calm. Even the lyrics are about not sweating the small stuff. She displays happiness knowing she is content in her relationship and that she is way past all this petty bullshit from her enemies. She writes lyrics to her past self to let these things slide and let her enemies defeat themselves by being starved of her attention and reaction. Taylor has shown a lot of maturity so far on the record.
Marjorie:
I am starting to wonder if “Evermore” is the continuation of “Folklore” with the topics, sound, and production. It seems like it is. Still, it doesn’t bother me a jot because I prefer Taylor when writing music in the genre her heart belongs to. Pop was to get a wider audience, but country is where her heart is. Also, there is another reason this is a continuation, and it is related to the thirteenth track of the respective albums. “Folklore” was an ode to her grandfather, who fought in World War II, and “Evermore” focuses on her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer whom Taylor didn’t appreciate until she passed away when Taylor was just a teenager. Taylor regrets this and wishes she could go back and fix this with her grandmother. It is also a grand, haunting gesture, that Taylor used her late grandmother’s vocals for the backing track. Sends chills down your spine.
Closure:
Many of us can relate to the topic here. I’m sure we have all been in a relationship where it ended badly, and we wanted to explain ourselves later on after the dust had settled as to why, but our ex simply refuses the closure and doesn’t want to know. This song describes that. In this case, it’s a male looking for closure from the female, but she has moved on and doesn’t find it necessary to explain it, rather than doing something to avenge the hurt he caused. The lyrics mention that he wants to remain friends after the closure and that he’s angry she won’t hear him out.
Evermore:
The closing and my favourite track. Sorry, but it’s got Bon Iver on it. What more is there to say? Justin Vernon and the rest of the band produce good music. I love this piano-based song with Taylor and Justin doing a cypher and harmonising together, which touches on depression with a mix of dark and optimism to end the album. The highlight is the cypher for me; it is scarce to see vocalists go bar-for-bar like they were rapping or sharing a poem.
Song recommendations: “Evermore”, “Coney Island”, “Long Story Short”.
I just had to do a track-by-track review for the Boss:
One Minute You’re Here:
This is just Bruce being alone in a bubble with his soul (This is what I call playing an acoustic guitar in a room all by yourself.) in a reflective mood with the lyrics remembering his friends lost over the years—aptly named.
Letter to You:
The album gets going with this track, and the E Street Band are once again proving that they still have the juice on this intimate and fragile ballad with Bruce, where he talks about what he always was and will remain to be.
Burnin Train:
In a nutshell. Fire.
Janey Needs a Shooter:
You’ll never guess who is on this track. But it does make sense, considering it is his first profession over being an actor. It isSteve van Zandt who played Silvio in the Sopranos. He provides backing vocals during the chorus. I don’t know if he is a new member of the E Street Band, but there are plenty among the original members. It works, though, and both stand out at each point of the song.
Last Man Standing:
Rumour has it, the Boss uses his usual three chords, but this one is leaning towards melancholy as he remembers his former Castilles bandmate George Theiss, and the title reflects that.
Power of Prayer:
A typical E Street Band accompaniment with its trademark saxophone solo. It’s a song ready for when Bruce can finally take this album on the road and have the crowd join in on a hot summer evening as the sun sets.
House of a Thousand Guitars:
I am seeing reviews of this track as the worst on the album when I found it the best on the record. I also found it ironic that the piano featured heavily, and the guitar, the weapon of choice for the Boss, is seldom used.
Rainmaker:
Ah, this is Bruce attacking the American government. It was written during George Bush Jr’s time in charge but has remained relevant to the current presidency of Donald Trump. So far, there have been no political songs on the record that go after the government. It’s good to see that Bruce has still kept his values.
If I Was the Priest:
It’s not one of his best songs, and the rhyming is very basic for someone of Bruce’s ability at songwriting.
Ghosts:
Again, this is another track ready for the road, with the E Street Band putting all their energy into it.
Song for Orphans:
It transpires that this is part of a trilogy that includes “Janey Needs a Shooter” and “If I Was the Priest” and were written when the great Bob Dylan highly inspired Bruce, so these songs were quite obviously written back in the 20th century, rather than just purely new songs for this album. It contains a plethora of words, which is a very Dylan trait.
I’ll See You in My Dreams:
The album doesn’t end on a high note. It is similar to how the album began. Hopefully, this isn’t the last record released by the boss, or this is not a good way for him to sign off. I can’t imagine Bruce timidly ending his studio career.
Song recommendations: “House of a Thousand Guitars”, “Last Man Standing”, “Ghosts”
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”
I remember back in 1994, Oasis did a handful of intimate acoustic gigs to help promote their debut album “Definitely Maybe” at various commercial record stores like His Master’s Voice and Virgin Megastore. I also remember Liam saying he loathed doing acoustic songs, let alone gigs, back then. Let’s consider the infamous 1996 MTV Unplugged at the Festival Hall, where Noel had to take over vocal duties after Liam bullshitted about having a sore throat. Why do I say bullshitted? Because he was up on the balcony drinking and heckling his middle brother at every opportunity. He should have just said he didn’t feel like doing it and let Noel and the others do it without him, which they had to do, anyway. It showed great disrespect to the unplugged series by MTV who have had the likes of George Michael, Nirvana and Alice in Chains to name a few. It’s also more surprising that Liam didn’t do it after doing “120 Minutes” two years before for MTV.
Anyway, the venue chosen for his undeserved second chance with Unplugged came after his middle brother branded Hull “A fucking shithole.” in all fairness, I have heard other musicians call it and one who is even from there. He vowed to play in Hull and even thought the people and city were great.
Many have called this a “Great performance”, but as I have stated many times, Liam might be a nice person in the main (Unless you happen to be Noel, Paul and Johnny.), but his voice has been found wanting since 2004. When I hear the ultra parka monkeys who won’t hear anything wrong said about Liam, I simply cannot believe what the fucking idiots are saying. They sent me links to this gig at the time to songs such as “Sad Song” and suggested I pass comments on his vocals, and, unfortunately for them, I did, and they were not what they wanted to hear. It sounded like a fucking cat walking over a vinyl playing on the turntable. It makes me cringe having to listen to him these days. I feel embarrassed and saddened by what his voice once was.
I am not a fan of his solo material written by several songwriters, and I have to laugh at most of his songs being acoustic after what he said in the past. Again, we have a setlist top-heavy with Oasis songs. I wish he would let it go and enjoy his success. Oasis is the past and should stay there. Many would say, “You wouldn’t go and see Liam or Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds if they didn’t play Oasis songs”.
That’s a load of fucking bollocks. I will quite happily go to their gigs to hear their material. They both have enough to consign Oasis to television and YouTube archived footage. Liam can’t seem to let go and keeps pushing for a reformation only the ultra parka monkeys or the Supersonic 2016 generation want to see. It’s not the fault of Oasis that you missed the window. I wanted to see the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but you know? It’s just unlucky, and you must learn to accept that.
I remember hearing about this band in 2013 and giving them a chance, but I didn’t think they lived up to the hyperbole they were getting. I couldn’t stand their song on FIFA 14 either and removed it from my playlist. And would they have got on if it wasn’t for their leader Matt Healy being born with the mother-of-pearl spoon in his mouth? It certainly helps when your parents are well-known British actors. It also helps they came along when the rock side of music was not really doing a lot.
The opening track, named after the band, features a piano with a speech given by Greta Thunberg at one of her many climate change rallies. I might not believe in everything she says, but I admire her passion. Climate change is just a case of nature taking its course, but it certainly doesn’t help when you’ve got fucking idiots drilling huge holes in the ice for research. If I were the scientists, I’d suggest they leave the drilling well alone. Of course, that will agitate the ice and cause it to break up.
The next track I will mention is “People” It has shite elementary lyrics, but the drum beat reminded me very much of Blur’s “Song 2” and a very unusual assault for the band into the punk genre. I never had them down as a punk band or even attempting to do punk. “the End” is just one of those fucking pointless throwaways that are known as interludes. This one is just a short-stringed instrumental. That then leads us into “Frail State of Mind”, which, in my opinion, is a failed attempt to appeal to the fans of the garage genre. It didn’t work, lads. It’s not your forte.
“Streaming” is just another stringed instrumental interlude. “Yeah I Know” is yet another failed attempt at appealing to the club scene with its garage element. Seriously, lads, leave well alone.
“Then Because She Goes” is trying to emulate the indie scene of the 1990s, with this track sounding like the Wannadies smash hit “You and Me Song”. “Shiny Collarbone” is trying once again to break into the club scene with this house instrumental with a ragga sample chucked in. “If You’re too Shy (Let Me Know)” is very 1980s.
The final two tracks I am going to mention are “Playing on My Mind”, which sees the band take time out to reflect and bring the tone down of the music by going acoustic and “Having No Head”, which is dance music that is ideal for a child’s disco.
I was thoroughly bored listening to this double-disc record; most of the time, the album didn’t hold my attention, and I wondered what my review would look like and if it would be even long enough. I cannot stand the band; I don’t understand the hyperbole surrounding them, and this album hasn’t changed my view.
Many of the fucking idiots who follow them will be like, “You’re just trying to be ‘edgy’ and ‘cool’ by saying you don’t like them”, but it IS actually true. I cannot stand them. My dislike of their music is genuine. Others might be like little sheep and follow, but I have my own mind, which tells me I do not like their music.
Here is a track-by-track review of Gerry’s second album:
Canter:
I found out via an interview by Gerry that Canter actually is Glaswegian slang for easy. Now, being a Celtic supporter, I was amazed I didn’t know that, but somehow, I still understand what Gerry is talking about in his songs. I can watch shows like Still Game and understand most of the Glaswegian slang used. Anyway, the song is basically about how not to take things too personally and to trust your instincts; as the track points out, “Things will only get better, if only you could stop being wee less of a wanker”, or lyrics to that effect. The fans who saw him at festivals and concerts last year already knew the words before it was recorded.
War Song Soldier:
A very touchy subject is discussed in the song, but even though Gerry finds it challenging to talk about the issue, he feels the only way to express himself is to write and record it through the medium of song. That’s probably how 90% of musicians express themselves, as they find talking about darker periods in their lives too much.
Where We’re Going:
When I heard this, I felt it was a cross between the Cure, the Smiths, Johnny Marr and Morrissey with its musical style. Again, Gerry is digging deep within his soul as he talks about hitting rock bottom and trying to get through the other side, no matter how tough. He believes that if you can see a future, you can escape. I like it. It’s based on reality.
Head in the Clouds:
This song wasn’t written by the time Gerry returned to record this record but was written in just three days. The song matter is about his struggles with insomnia and how after being deprived of sleep for three days, he finds it hard to function and concentrate and therefore, the things he wanted to do all turn to shit. However, as the song progresses, you get confused and start hearing a love story emerging, and you’re thinking, “What the fuck? I thought this was about an insomniac?”. By the song’s end, you realise it is about someone in love but can’t handle the prospect of getting hurt, so they want to run rather than give the love a chance to unfold.
Dark Days:
The title is misleading but, at the same time, very apt. It talks about being able to smile and enjoy life even through the dark times that either surround our environment or our own personal circumstances. Quite apt, we are surrounded by wars, corrupt politicians, and a global pandemic.
the Bonny:
The title track is actually about chasing your dreams (No matter how crazy.) and not giving a fuck about people putting them down and building on them to see the dreams come to fruition. The song is also part of a trilogy that began on his debut 2017 album “Erratic Cinematic”. It begins with “What Have You Done” and then starts on this record with “Canter” and ends with this song unless Gerry is going to surprise us with part four on his third album.
Sun Queen:
The verses are about wasting your time and caring about things that mean fuck all, and the chorus is about focusing on the things that really are worth your time and energy.
Outsiders:
I have interpreted this song because you have your mind and do your own thing, no matter what anyone tries to tell you what to do and how to think. It’s like not following what everyone else does and becoming brainwashed by what they are being fed in the mainstream. There are even lyrics within the track where Gerry mentions that even though there are times when he can’t be fucked with making music when he hears his fans repeat back his lyrics to him, he believes in himself and music once again because the fans make it all worthwhile. Gerry said that he was given “Outsider” as a nickname, but instead of taking offence to the term, he has embraced it and sees it as a compliment. The song has a combination of Green Day and Oasis. The melody reminds me of Green Day’s “Know Your Enemy” and the riff like the bridge on the acoustic version of Oasis’ “Supersonic”, which Noel Gallagher performs these days with just Chris Sharrock striking a tambourine and Mike Rowe supplying the solo on the keyboards for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Roll the Credits:
This plays out like a typical early 1900s film about a couple splitting up and saying goodbye on a train platform with tears in their eyes.
Mayhem:
Although Gerry carries on playing the acoustic guitar, rather than switching up to electric (Maybe the third album?), this song has a club feel to it with its pulsating kick drum (Well, the second part of it, anyway.). The beginning, though, suggests the track takes on a Latin vibe.
Six String Gun:
The title is likely a nod to Gerry’s favourite weapon (The guitar, obviously. Henceforth, “Six String Gun”.). However, the premise is very different and discusses how to be a better person even in situations where that is extremely difficult and by showing yourself as a good individual, you will get taken advantage of. Especially in the industry that Gerry is in.
Every Man’s Truth:
This is a great way to end the album, as it discusses ideologies that we all share and whether the truth that we think we know is indeed genuine or if those who open their eyes to the world around them and don’t fall for all the bullshit that’s fed in the main are the individuals who are actually seeing what’s really hidden? The song, bizarrely, doesn’t appear to have a chorus until the end. Gerry has gone on record by explaining that “Every Man’s Truth” is about addressing the truth that we really don’t know and how everything we hear, read and see isn’t always accurate (Corrupt politics for a start.). He says that our opinions are only borrowed or forced onto us through the mainstream media and that what we believe is sold to us through our own biases and follows us from the cradle to the grave. This appears to be a dig at the secret council known as the Illuminati (You know? The all-seeing eye, pyramid folk?). Whether he does believe in that or not, I do not know, but he leaves it open to the listener to do some research or ignore him as a nutter. It’s worth looking into; from there, you can make up your own mind. Gerry says that the acoustic guitar is more honest when you’re writing and revealing the song, but I would like him to bring some electric guitar to his next album, but that’s entirely up to him.
Song recommendations: “Where We’re Going”, “Outsiders” and “Every Man’s Truth”.
I looked forward to reviewing this as they did a few festivals last year, and the lads from Perth, Australia, were on point. However, they should have stayed as pop punk like they were with their self-titled debut album. Unfortunately, going into the pop arena hasn’t worked with them on this record, and it just sounds poorly produced. It’s pretty much like their previous album, “Youngblood”. This reminds me of that record, as there is little change in direction.
For me, 5 Seconds of Summer is falling into the same trap Maroon 5 did. Maroon 5, when they first got started, were releasing good songs like “This Love”, “She Will be Loved”, and “Sunday Morning”. Unfortunately, then they started making shite like “Moves Like Jagger” and “Phone Booth”. I don’t mind listening to early Maroon 5 material but since 2011? Forget it. I am saying that any song with the potential for 5 Seconds of Summer is being massacred and turned into dogshit. The band have said leading on from their previous record that their inspiration is drawn from the 80s, but I don’t know what section of that era because the songs are incredibly flat and underwhelming. It’s a shame when you consider the producers behind this project, Louis Bell and Andrew Watt, who have worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Halsey, the Chainsmokers, the late Avicii, Post Malone, Lana Del Rey, and several others to significant effect. Unfortunately, this falls into their most minor inspirational works category. I mean, not even U2’s Edge or Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello could add anything to this record because the producers, with all their effects, have pissed all over their contributions. I mean, let’s face it, Edge and Tom Morello are very unique in the way they play the axe and are fucking amazing too, but even they couldn’t rescue a lacklustre album. Maybe if the producers didn’t piss about on the songs they featured on, the album might be worthy of its No. 1 spot. It’ll probably get a lot of streams, but that could be people like me who are listening to make a review on it. The number of streams counts for nothing and needs to be a fair reflection of how well an album is doing. The sales of it could be a different story. I hope so; it’s awful.
What’s quite puzzling is that they are actually extremely good live and remind me of Muse. I am not a great lover of Muse’s studio material, but live they are in a different sphere, and those songs take on a life of their own. The same goes for 5 Seconds of Summer. Now, I was still deciding about giving them a chance live, but I was left really impressed with the performance and the interaction with the crowd. It also begs the question, are they with the correct label? Because they seem to want, the band to churn out generic pop shite rather than let them be as creative as they are live.
I found “Thin White Lies” quite comical for its reference to cocaine, but the songs that really stood out for me were “Teeth”, which has a bass line that sounds like it was inspired by listening to Bloc Party or Maximo Park and “Lover of Mine”, which is the penultimate track for blending an acoustic guitar with dubstep. Those are the only genuine creative moments I heard in the thirty-nine minutes. I hope they consider their options for the next album and move to another label because this company stifles their creativity in the studio. Even though live performances are where it really matters, it helps to add some of what
you pick up on the road to your creativity in the studio. I can’t fault them live, but in the studio, there is much work to do, and they really need to work out what their identity will be on future albums. They need to leave this record label and find one that will let them bring their live qualities into the studio. 5/10
Honest Opinions 