The opening track to her ninth studio album is called ‘the Grants’, and it features her in the studio( you can hear interactions between her and the production crew) that leads into a gospel intro with backing vocals. As with most of the record, it is her usual piano ballad. From what I listened to, this is the only track that slightly deviates away from the typical piano ballad. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a boring listen because she has plenty of conscious lyrics to compensate, but there is little regarding the instrumentation. The strings give some flesh to the ballads.
Song recommendations: ‘A&W’, ‘Candy Necklace’, ‘the Grants’
I must confess that I was fucking terrified of how to approach this review. I wondered if it would be a written paragraph review, track-by-track, or short track-by-track. I mean, U2 are the most fucking iconic band ever, and I wanted to do them justice with a review of this.
The band started in Dublin during the mid-70s when Larry Mullen Jr requested band members wanted on the school notice board. He would get five responses, which included Bono, the Edge, Edge’s brother, and Adam Clayton. Before the lads settled on U2, Larry thought he would be in charge of the band until it appeared 10 minutes into the formation that Paul Hewson, aka Bono, had other ideas. Dik Evans (Edge’s brother, who has gone on to have a successful music career) would be phased out a year after the formation of Feedback, then the Hype. Ivan McCormick lasted a mere two weeks before being dropped. He would go on to become a composer.
Since then, the rest of history. The band has several iconic albums packed with political issues, bombastic choruses, and stadium anthems. The band was very punky, to begin with, before working with Brain Eno, which proved highly challenging for the band, who fell out on several occasions with Brian during recording sessions. In a documentary, the band admitted that they hated those sessions because he wanted to bring his production watermark to the album. Bono would constantly push back. However, “the Joshua Tree”, which the band confessed, until they did the anniversary in 2017 and 2019, supported by the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, they were not particularly fond of, but now have found some love for it. Many people are fond of “the Joshua Tree”, where the hits and stadium anthems started to roll in. There is no doubt that Brian’s second time working with the band changed their sound forever and made them more versatile from that moment on.
The band have been together for over four decades, and despite the squabbling during the recording sessions for “the Joshua Tree”, they haven’t got close to breaking up since. How did it get to this? Well, last year, Bono released a book called ‘Surrender’, an autobiography ranging from anecdotes about his time in U2 to meeting the Pope with bonus content in the audiobook. Bono would do acoustic versions of their iconic hits when he did a reading tour., which brought the “Songs of Surrender” to life.
From there, the band had this concept of doing stripped-back versions of all their hits (That’s a staggering 40.)over four discs titled after each member. The Album is over three hours of listening time in total. Anyway, I have opted for a brief track-by-track review, so here goes:
Disc 1: the Edge
One:
Piano ballad, a gentle cymbal at the end of the chorus, soft vocals throughout, and the last chorus builds up with ghostly backing vocals and marching drums on the outro.
Where the Streets Have No Name:
Cello intro, haunting synth verse, the piano joins on the chorus, synth rings out on outro.
Stories for Boys:
Piano intro leading into verse, backing vocals on the verse, piano break, vocals over piano riff on the chorus, short piano riff outro.
11 O Clock Tick-Tock:
Drums and acoustic intro, acoustic plucking and piano in verse 1, bass riff and Bono falsetto in chorus, harmonic vocal break, backing harmonies with piano in verse 2, acoustic solo joined by plucked acoustic, gentle electric guitar on outro
Out of Control:
Acoustic solo intro, pulsating acoustic on the verse, reverb vocals over rhythmic acoustic on chorus 1, backing vocals on chorus 2, rhythmic acoustic on the bridge, acoustic solo break, bass on chorus 3, acoustic rings out on outro.
Beautiful Day:
Piano ballad with pulsating acoustic with scratching and backing vocals, pulsating piano in chorus, harmonic vocals leading into verse 3, choral bridge, pulsating drums in chorus 2, and choral outro.
Bad:
Acoustic intro over tambourine leading into verse, piano and strings join on verse 2, marching drums with an acoustic riff on the chorus, marching drums build before the harmonic outro.
Every Breaking Wave:
Haunting piano riff intro is repeated in verses, with backing vocals on the bridge, light strings in chorus 1, reverb vocals in verse 2, synth joins in chorus 2, piano break, and piano riff outro with sustained high vocals.
Walk on (Ukraine):
Plucked acoustic intro, backing vocals and bass join verse 2 with plucked acoustic, rhythmic acoustic on chorus 1, piano on chorus 2 with a light cymbal crash, pulsating piano on outro with riff.
Pride (in the Name of Love):
Rhythmic acoustic with bass intro, backing vocals on the chorus, piano with an acoustic riff on break, electric guitar solo break with full band outro before fade out.
Disc 2: Larry
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses:
Pulsating acoustic, cello and piano in verses, a rhythmic acoustic riff in the chorus, bass joins from verse 2, backing vocals from Edge in chorus 2, and synth rings out on the outro.
Get Out of Your Own Way:
Drums, acoustic and backing vocals on the intro, bass joins in the verse, harmonic backing vocals with an acoustic riff on the chorus, and instrumental outro.
Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out of:
Acoustic intro leads into verse, backing vocals from Edge, bass joins on the chorus, bongos on verse 2, piano joins on the outro, and acoustic rings out.
Red Hill Mining Town:
Haunting synth and acoustic on intro leading into verse with drums, bass and Trombone Shorty, chorus 2 with harmonic backing vocals, sustained trombone on the outro.
Ordinary Love:
Acoustic riff intro leading into verse, synth, bass and backing vocals on the chorus, acoustic riff break between verses, acoustic rings out on outro.
Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own:
Piano intro leading intro verse, falsetto backing vocals on bridge, electric guitar riff, marching drums, tubular bells on verse 4 and final chorus, piano and bass drum outro.
Invisible:
Acoustic riff, piano, bass and drums intro leading into verse, the song builds on the chorus with backing vocals leading into the instrumental break, full band outro before Bono and backing vocals acapella.
Dirty Day:
Cello intro leads into verse, Bono whispered vocals in verse, the electric guitar riff in chorus, the violin joins in verse 2, Bono’s vocals slightly louder in verse 3, backing vocals in chorus 3, sustained violin, Bono’s sustained vocals, and acoustic rings out on outro.
the Miracle (of Joey Ramone):
Acoustic lead and full band intro leading into verse, backing vocals on chorus, piano, acoustic and Bono harmonies on break, backing harmonies on verse 2, short acoustic break, harmonic vocals with an acoustic outro.
City of Blinding Lights:
Piano and bass intro, piano and Bono on verse 1, backing vocals on bridge, backing vocals and acoustic on chorus 1, electric guitar joins on chorus 2, haunting harmonic vocals break, piano rings out on outro.
Disc 3: Adam
Vertigo:
Violin and rhythmic acoustic intro, rhythmic acoustic verse, violin and acoustic on chorus and post-chorus, violin and acoustic break, cello outro.
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For:
Acoustic riff and tambourine intro lead into verse, Bono with mid-volume vocals, Edge backing vocals, and bass join on verse 2, electric guitar on break, piano and full drums join on verse 3, ghostly outro.
Electrical Storm:
Piano and electric guitar intro, piano in verse 1, rhythmic acoustic joins in verse 3, reverb vocals on the chorus, verse 4 same as verse 1, full band in verse 6, tambourine joins on the final chorus, light cymbal crash to end.
the Fly:
Bongos, full drums, bass and electric guitar on intro leading into verse, haunting backing vocals on the chorus, piano post-chorus, backbeat break before the verse, piano break, reverb falsetto vocals followed by an acoustic solo, then reverb vocal outro.
if God Will Send His Angels:
Piano intro, whispered vocals over the piano in verse, chorus with backing falsetto vocals before piano rings out, piano solo post-chorus, falsetto vocals to end verse 2, distant reverb vocals post-chorus 2, piano outro.
Desire:
Electric guitar intro, falsetto vocals, handclaps and keyboard reverb effect on the verse, fiddle solo on bridge, yoddling with backing vocals on bridge 2, keyboard reverb effect outro.
Until the End of the World:
Rhythmic acoustic intro, piano and acoustic on the verse, backing vocals on the chorus, acoustic break, acoustic solo after chorus 2, falsetto vocals on verse 3, light harmonic vocals with backing harmonic vocals outro.
Song for Someone:
Pulsating acoustic with piano intro leading into verse, backing vocals join on the bridge, piano solo with vocals on the chorus, piano solo with acoustic and bass, acoustic rings out on outro.
All I Want is You:
Panpipe effect with bass and drum intro leading into verse, acoustic lead on the chorus, rhythmic acoustic break with the full band, bongos and falsetto vocals on final chorus, bass and bongos outro.
Peace on Earth:
Acoustic intro, empty church ambience vocals, the choir joins acoustic on chorus, full band joins choir and acoustic on chorus 2.
Disc 4: Bono
With or Without You:
Acoustic bass and synth intro leading into verse, building post-chorus, vocals build on the bridge, full band on the final chorus, electric guitar solo with brief Bono harmonic vocal outro.
Stay(Faraway, So Close!):
Backing vocals over piano intro leading into verse, electric guitar and full band on verse 2, falsetto with falsetto backing vocals on chorus, piano and Bono vocals on verse 3, verse 4 as verse 2, brief instrumental break before the chorus, harmonic vocals with backing harmonic vocals break partially spoken word on outro with electric guitar ringing out.
Sunday Bloody Sunday:
Acoustic riff with harmonic vocals, rhythmic acoustic on the verse, Edge backing vocals on chorus with change in rhythm, acoustic break, bass joins on chorus 2, acoustic solo, three-string pluck outro.
Light of Home:
Acoustic riff with synth intro, backing vocals in verse, full band in the chorus, ghostly vocals in post-chorus, full band in verse 2, backing vocals on bridge, acoustic solo, sustained vocals before a change in tempo with backing vocals outro.
Cedarwood Road:
Rhythmic acoustic intro leading into verse, change of acoustic tempo with backing vocals on the chorus, reverb vocal effect on verse 2, change of rhythm with the full band on verse 3, reverb effect outro.
I Will Follow:
Acoustic riff with strings intro, piano and bass join on the verse, acoustic riff break, full band on verse 2, backing vocals on the chorus, brief acoustic solo, sudden stop to end.
Two Hearts Beat as One:
Piano, bass, beatboxing, funky intro. Pulsating drums with the full band on the verse, backing vocals on the bridge, funky break with electric guitar, and piano break before the outro.
Miracle Drug:
Drum intro leading into verse, the piano joins on the verse, backing vocals on the chorus, acoustic rings out, acoustic with Bono on verse 2, full band on verse 3, brief acoustic break before the bridge, brief silence before the final chorus, rhythmic drum outro.
the Little Things that Give You Away:
Acoustic and bass intro, keyboards join on the verse, full band on verse 2, acoustic break before verse 3, backing vocals with reverb on chorus 2, acoustic, keyboards and bass on verse 4, the song builds on the bridge before the brief acoustic solo break, acoustic rings out on outro.
40:
Haunting piano with electric guitar intro leading into verse, bass joins on the verse, backing vocals on the chorus, piano break.
Even if you are not a fan of U2, you will be after hearing this. Upon listening, you will soon realise every track has a unique originality to its original version. It is a monumental effort to reimagine songs; looking at what I’ve written, you might consider it tedious, but far from it.
Song recommendations: ‘Two Hearts Beat as One’, ‘Beautiful Day’, ‘Vertigo’
I do not know how I first came to hear of Miley. I just knew she was the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, who had the early 90s country pop smash shit ‘Achey, Breaky Heart’. I also knew she played a character called Hannah Montana on some children’s television channel, and I believe she was also part of the infamous Disney Kids Club. I remember her appearing as Jake’s fling on Two and a Half Men. Now, as you can imagine, the music I have heard of hers is all that awful pop chart shite. But I have enjoyed her collaborations with DJs, and her country songs, which her vocals are better suited for. I also enjoyed her cover of ‘Nothing Else Matters’, which I reviewed on someone’s album. The name of the artist who collaborated with Miley to cover the popular Metallica songs escapes me now. I have so far avoided her cover of ‘Slideaway’ by Oasis. I have heard it’s good, but nothing beats the original or better.
So, “Endless Summer Vacation” certainly wasn’t the usual kind that Miley churns out; far from it. This album is not pretentious in any way. Miley reveals every detail about her marriage, divorce, embarking on a relationship, and other topics, with minimal swearing, which is a surprise.
I need clarification on why the opener “Flowers’ gets a raw deal. It is by far the best song on the record in both guises (The closer is a stripped-back demo version.). Again, I wasn’t expecting her to do a melancholic song over a disco stomper, which also throws in a strings section that deems this track a comparison to Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’. I like how the song is directed at Liam Hemsworth, but with the disco vibe, you are carried away by the uplifting instrumentation.
‘Jaded’ is the second track, and…wow! Fucking shoegaze? I never thought I’d hear Miley channel the War on Drugs or Slowdive. So, you got that floaty instrumentation over a synthesiser and Miley’s best vocals on the record. The topic concerns being in a dysfunctional relationship and how she is often at home waiting for her boyfriend (Now an ex, in this case.)to return from the bar after heading out in his car. However, he does not try to notify her of when he will return, so she is unaware. She is exhausted by his coping mechanism. Hence, why the chorus says, “You Leave me feeling jaded”.
The next song is ‘Rose Colored Lenses’, another shoegaze moment. ‘Thousand Miles’ follows, which features Brandi Carlile on co-vocals and acoustic guitar. This Americana track is about keeping your shit together when the head is all over the place. ”Handstand’ is a spoken word song with a synth and springs to life after the halfway point turning into electropop. Only then will the song have a lot going on.
‘Muddy Feet’ features Sia on both the song and the writing credits and sees Miley aim at a cheating ex. The delivery is raspy until she steps it up by telling him to “fuck off”.
‘Wildcard’ sees Miley explaining her imbalance in a relationship, saying that she wants it all and is fully committed, but she cannot guarantee that it will remain that intense.
‘Island’ is a double-sided coin. It can mean feeling euphoric about finding someone, and then it can also mean feeling alone after breaking up with someone and longing for those moments.
On the outro, Miley has shown maturity on this album and discusses things she might have shied away from before. It certainly is an eye-opener to the honest Miley and not the one portrayed in the media.
Song recommendations: ‘Flowers’, ‘Flowers(Demo)”, ‘Jaded’
After the 2017 album, “Beautiful Trauma”, this one would always have to raise its standards. P!nk has not had much success with her critics, who have mostly given mixed reviews, saying that her records lack the Punk we were introduced to in the early 2000s. That happened quite rapidly, as the first time we heard her, she was doing RnB, which attracted a fair few Garage producers to remix her songs. She has also been criticised for having children over ten years ago, being told that would ruin her career; P!nk believes that having children has made her more tender as an individual and changed her music style somewhat. As some people within her circle told her, it certainly didn’t end her career. She said before she had children, she felt alone in an industry where you spend most of your time in your presence out with the studio and touring.
“Beautiful Trauma” was given a challenging ride by her critics for being too conscious, the production, and her all-round maturity. Her previous album, “Hurts 2B Human”, which wasn’t as good as “Beautiful Trauma, was also panned by the critics because she spoke about her life as a mother and lacked a new perspective regarding the subject matters and the wall of the sound. They felt it was a typical P!nk record back in 2019.
“Trustfall” removes the chance of the critics jumping all over it because it is pretty experimental, ranging from ballads to dance. The record is quite reflective of her life so far. The opener is a track called ‘When I Get There’, which is a piano ballad, and her reflecting on her late father. It is my personal favourite on the album. Yes, it may be melancholic, but the tender notes and her delicate vocals make this a beautifully tragic song. A term I often use to describe my favourite Smiths song, ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’. P!nk released a teaser for the record called ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’, which takes us into the dance with an element of pop. The critics favour it, but for me, it shows a fun side to her. It’s Katy Perry-esque. The title track sounds like a club track that will fill the floor and get a pull-up. I recently heard Noel Gallagher talking about, as you get older within music, you have to try not to do “dialling it in”. He means it gets more difficult to do the kind of music you could do when you had nothing. P!nk hasn’t “dialled it in”, and you can tell she cared about this album and was dedicated to ensuring it was more than good enough to release.
‘Feel Something’ is another highlight of the album where she questions whether she was ever ready to be married and start a family and how all your demons don’t just disappear once you do. Another of my favourites features the Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit. The track is called ‘Kids in Love’. A country ballad where P!nk does the first verse, followed by Klara in the second, with sister Johanna providing backing vocals on the chorus. The song is quite reflective as she looks back on the innocence of youth and the naïvety of falling in love. There are a few more emotional moments from P!nk with ‘Our Song’ and the ill-tempered ‘Hate Me’. The latter is just a “fuck you. I don’t care what you think. This is who I am” track. Bringing it back to the days of ‘So What’.
I also enjoyed ‘Long Way to Go’ featuring the Lumineers. Quite an unusual song for the country band, as it is entirely out of their comfort zone, but the combination works. I have seen this record getting panned (No surprise there.), but I am in utter disagreement with the critics, because the album is incredibly diverse, and not your generic P!nk record. There is a lot of maturity on display, and she has proven she isn’t just the polar opposite of her rivals in the early 2000s. She leaves you pondering about life and issues based on reality.
Song recommendations: ‘When I Get There’, ‘Kids in Love’, ‘Long Way to Go’
As everyone who reads my reviews knows, I reviewed Sam’s last two albums, which were less than complimentary. Straight up, brutally honest about how they sounded the same as his debut. He left his comfort zone twice on the last record, and every song sounded like the previous. However, this time, I am pleased to inform you he has left his comfort zone when tackling new genres. He has, on the main, stuck with his usual falsetto vocals.
Sam has also changed his perspective on life since becoming happy with who he is, which is evident in the album. Yes, once again, it is conscious, but there are uplifting lyrics this time. He also has a few collaborations on the album with Ed Sheeran and Koffee, among others.
The record starts with ‘Love Me More’ delving into Sam’s love for Gospel. The lyrics themselves are pretty dark. I will now go into why the album has shown Sam a bit more diverse sound this time. First, I already mentioned the opener ‘Love Me More’. He dives into RnB with ‘Perfect’ and then into the disco-infused ‘Perfect, where he discovers how he has learnt to accept himself as whole.
The one that did take me by surprise was ‘Unholy’. It has a Grime quality to it, and to be honest, the song’s theme fits the music. Sam foretells about a family man who indulges in unprotected sex.
There are plenty of more RnB tracks or his usual piano ballads. This isn’t the best for me, but the disco floor filler ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’ is a standout on the record, and you can go right when you get Calvin Harris to produce the track. The great Nile Rodgers would be proud of this one.
My favourite, however, is something I wasn’t expecting as I’m not too fond of extremely short tracks. The title track is fucking excellent; Sam is accompanied by a choir, as each lyric elevates and reverberates around the church the song is performed in. The album closes with ‘Who We Love’, a soft and gentle duet with Ed Sheehan where they talk about giving you into your heart because it knows who we love.
Sam surprised me this time. I was impressed he experimented with other genres, and it made the listen fly by rather than dragging on.
Song recommendations: ‘Gloria’, ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’, ‘Unholy’
Now, my family have always been one to watch Eurovision, no matter how crass the songs are. However, I became hooked in 2014. I felt the competition had upped its game. You were now getting more house and RnB-type songs. One year, there was even a drum n bass track by Austria or something like that. Anyway, Sam Ryder finished second (Should have been first.) behind Ukraine, who had a fucking awful song that wouldn’t have got a sympathy vote from the public if it wasn’t for the current situation. It would have finished last. ‘Space Man’ was by far the best song there. I don’t root for any nation, but Sam Ryder was robbed.
So, where did Sam come from? I didn’t know of him until he showcased his ” Space Man” song on BBC’s One Show. Friends of mine, particularly from Glasgow, filled me in on Sam and his popularity. Sam uploaded covers of popular songs to TikTok, where he gathered an off-the-scale following. I enjoyed the song, so I was looking forward to what his album would be like.
Despite his recent rise, Sam has been familiar with music. He fronted some bands, did busking and wedding receptions. He also had his own Juice bar business.
What I liked about this record is the number of influences in his songs from Sam Fender, David Bowie, Elton John, Sum 41, AC/DC and club music. The opener is ‘Deep Blue Doubt’, and I couldn’t help but feel a Sam Fender-Esque vibe going on. The song could easily be mistaken for Geordie Sam from the instrumentation to the vocal delivery. It is my personal favourite off the album. Already a solid start and a twist of what to expect. This certainly sounds different from ‘Space Man’. The Fender horn section was missing from ‘Deep Blue Doubt’. ‘Somebody’ taps into Sam’s inspiration for funk. If I remember rightly, I thought while listening to the track; it reminded me of Nile Rodgers and Chic.
‘Tiny Riot’ is aptly named and an intriguing listen. You have the presence of Bring me the Horizon, but if they performed soul. I do not remember Bring Me the Horizon ever doing that, but this would be the result. Olly Sykes could also carry it off because of his vocal range.
‘All the Way Over’ is the first real reflective moment as he performs a piano ballad, which showcases his vast vocal range, complete with a bombastic outro featuring an orchestra. He then goes into A Day to Remember mode. Not the band at their rockiest, but more the quiet and gentle acoustic moments for his mid-tempo ‘OK’, so even though he does pick the tempo up, it is only slightly.
You may be wondering why I mentioned the late David Bowie; it’s more to do with ‘Space Man’ and Sam’s fascination with all things in the cosmos. The song is laden with space references, and David did this during his Ziggy Stardust period.
Once again, Sam has added another layer to the album. ‘Put a Light on Me’ gives you a false impression as you hear the guitar at the intro before bursting into a club dance floor filler. I, for one, was surprised to find club tracks to feature. Even if this isn’t your cup of green tea, the hook alone will suck you in.
‘Whirlwind’ wouldn’t look out of place at the Grand Ole Opry. We go from one extreme to the other as Sam brings the tempo down to a folk ballad with excellent fingerpicking on the guitar, either by him or a session musician (We will have to wait for the tour to find out.). He slightly ups the tempo with ‘Ten Tons’, where he blends funk with a piano. The vocals appear to be Sam channelling the late George Michael. The song goes in the blues direction during the guitar solo. Again, who performs that? We know Sam can play the guitar, as witnessed at Eurovision.
Sam shows even more vocal versatility as he taps into the Lumineers/Mumford and Sons/Of Monsters and Men section with the uptempo and country pop ‘More’. The tempo then drops to another folk ballad, this time with ‘Crashing Down’, which is quite apt when you consider the title, and the context. He follows that with ‘This Time’, an upbeat blues number.
I will close this review with ‘Living without You’, my second favourite, and the record closer Sam goes full-on club with this. David Guetta and Sigala feature, and I cannot see this not filling the dance floors whenever it is played. It is so uplifting—a brilliant way to end a versatile album. Sam may have been on Eurovision and a TikTok star, but he is no passing fad. Sam has proven now he is in the door; he plans to stay around for a long time.
Song recommendations: ‘Deep Blue Doubt’, ‘Living without You’, ‘More’
I was incredibly pleased when I saw Derm get to number one. I have known him for a while now. He first followed me on twitter back in 2018 (I think.), and I have been pursuing the Dubliner’s career since. I was also proud to see him on the autumn edition of Later…with Jools Holland last month, where he performed ‘Dreamer’.
You’re probably looking at the title and wondering, “What the fuck is ‘sonder’?” I found while researching that it means “the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own, ” which fits in with how Derm writes. He doesn’t appear to write from personal experience per sé but instead tells a fable that reflects the lives of his listeners, which is quite evident in most of his songs. Also, a lot of rappers can write from that perspective (I believe it is the third person perspective, but right now, I am writing while listening to Groove Armada, so even though I can still write this review, I am having brain fog on the exact term I am looking for.) Another songwriter who has a knack for writing like that is Kelly Jones of Stereophonics.
The album contains love, loss and optimism. Another thing I like about Derm is his vocal delivery. You believe what he is saying when he sings with an aching heart. I also like the way he can sing while his voice breaks. What do I mean by that “voice breaks”? Well, for instance, on ‘Dreamer’, which is quite melancholic, you can hear the tears as he talks about the subject. He isn’t crying, but the way he delivers it is like the individual breaking down and crying.
Although the record may be titled “Sonder”, there is no title track. The nearest to it would be ‘Something to Someone’, which, as you can tell, is about breaking up in a relationship. I suggest going to his YouTube and listening to the album through that route because videos accompany the songs, and you get a true sense of what the songs are about. There are some compelling videos on there.
Like most artists who have had a record out last year or so, this was done while in quarantine, and Derm perfects how everyone was feeling on ‘Better Days’. The leading single talks of having optimism that we will get out of this mess and look ahead to better days.
The album is what you expect it to be—polished production-wise and vocally. Derm is a superstar back home in Mother Ireland and spent the last year doing outdoor events. He will play London’s O2 Arena for the “Sonder” tour next spring. He is about to become a star all over Europe and the world. Oh, I almost forgot, the opener ‘Any love’ has a touch of Bon Iver to it, which is an exciting start, and as I like Bon Iver, I liked what Derm did.
Song recommendations: ‘Something to Someone’, ‘Better Days’, ‘Dreamer’
was surprised to discover this is the band’s third No.1 album on these shores. I never appreciated the band and used to call them microphone abusers until a lad named Michael told me to listen to Corey Taylor over a slow ballad with another band he was in called Stone Sour. I was impressed with his vocals and realised he could do more than the growl. That was when I started to give this kind of music a chance, and it seems then I have come to like Mastodon, Pantera, Avenge Sevenfold, Alexisonfire, Megadeth and Killswitch Engage. I forgot to say Cradle of Filth from England, who I thought was fictional as Richmond Avenal from the IT Crowd, was a fan. I felt that being television, Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews made them up. Also, watching documentaries on bands like Mastodon took away my stereotyping because they are just regular people who love music. They are not satanic worshippers or goths.
Of course, as you would imagine, with Slipknot being a heavy metal band, most of the record is of that nature. However, there are slow ballads and even moments of space rock. The latter I would never have thought they would venture into. The lead single is ‘the Chapeltown Rag’, which sounds like Mastodon blended with Queens of the Stone Age. I found this album lighter than their previous ones; not a bad thing because we get to hear Corey Taylor’s sweet vocals to their full potential. I found some longish intros and outros that lasted about a minute with various sounds, like Corey playing the toy piano on the outro to ‘the Dying Song’. We all talk about great drummers like the late Ginger Baker, Buddy Rich, and Taylor Hawkins. However, some sensational drummers are in heavy metal, metalcore, and death metal. Jay Weinberg demonstrates that on ‘Hivemind’. If you picture it, his feet are working overtime on the bass drum.
‘H377’ is full of rage, with Corey attacking being a product of the system over a fast-paced instrumental synchronising with the anger in his vocals. ‘Medicine for the Dead’ also starts with the same tempo before heading into space rock.
However, you probably won’t be surprised to discover my standouts were the opener and the closer. ‘Adderall’ is a quiet beginning to the album with beautiful vocals by Corey over a smooth groove that reminded me of Fun Lovin Criminals. The final track, ‘Finale,’ starts with an acoustic guitar before Corey sings angelically over electric guitars and a choir.
The most experimental on the record, though, has to be ‘Yen’, a slow-tempo track with vocals to lure you in before the song explodes into the chorus.
I enjoyed listening to ‘the End, So Far’ and recommended it to a once devoted fan. I found it lighter and, therefore, more ear-friendly than their usual material. The songs were not what I expected from Slipknot. I suggest to those who are ignorant about them (Like I was.) to give it a listen. You will be surprised. I want to end with Corey Taylor is a fucking fantastic vocalist.
Song recommendations: ‘Adderall’, ‘Finale’, ‘the Chapeltown Rag’
You may recall sometime in 2020, I reviewed their third album, “CALM”, which was an acronym of the members’ names. So, instead of an introduction to who the band is, let’s begin the review of the Australian band:
I noticed that the band finally discovered their wall of sound and style. The beginning of the record is ‘COMPLETE MESS’, which happens to be the leading single. The song has a catchy chorus (Which is a perfect ingredient for a mainstream hit.)that you will find yourself singing along to long after you have ceased listening to the album. There is also a beat drop, which I haven’t heard utilised before.
Next up is my standout. ‘Easy for You to Say’. Thought-provoking lyrics over a piano. This song is about fleeing the nest and how hard it can be to leave the family home. The song is also personal to them as they mention Sydney, where they are from. So, it is also a song about them finding it hard to be away from Australia while they are on the road. They miss all the home comforts. For example, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, told Jools Holland during an interview on his recent Later show how she misses all the little things like doing the laundry. They also say despite being on the road, they learn to grow as individuals become more mature and wiser.
The record is a blend of the old and new versions of the band. For some reason, they always remind me of Panic at the Disco or Alkaline Trio. I feel they are more in that ballpark, sonically. On ‘Best Friends’, they take a trip down memory lane and talk about the early days of their friendship and the band. Michael Clifford has a reminiscing tone, but there is no denying his vocals have grown stronger as he has got older and gained more experience in honing his vocals.
On ‘You Don’t Go to Parties’, you can hear a song that could easily slot into their debut album. Fans will also be propelled back to the past with ‘Emotions’, a song about being trapped in a dark moment with your emotions being uncontrollable that sonically could belong on “Sounds Good Feels Good”. ‘Moodswings’ also brings nostalgia, with all the members chipping in on vocals. Something that was absent when I listened to “CALM”.
Luke Hemming’s fianceé Sierra Deaton appears in the reflective piano ballad ‘Older’. You can hear how much they are in love with each other as they exchange verses about how they couldn’t grow old without their relationship. You can feel the chemistry on this one; it is a lovely refrain.
The final track I will end with is ‘Caramel’. This is apt; the song has layers which synchronise with the tastes we experience when eating the confectionery. The first layer is sweet, so in terms of the song, it is about the wonderful feeling we have during the infatuation stage of being in love. The second layer is salty/savoury, so in terms of the song, it reflects the harsh reality of the sweet and sour of a relationship and coming back down after feeling the rush coursing through your veins. It’s quite a melancholic track about a relationship fading away, with the tempo starting quick and gradually slowing down to reflect the nature of the topic.
It was beautiful to hear the trials and tribulations of Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Calum’s lives and their friendship on this album. Although every member has a turn at vocals, Calum and Michael are on most tracks. I loved the powerful lyrics and topics used, which show their more mature side, and the risk they took to experiment with new sounds. I enjoyed listening to the record and would highly recommend you do, too. Much better than their previous albums.
Song recommendations: ‘Easy for You to Say’, ‘Older’, ‘Caramel’
When I checked to see who was number one, I had no idea who the girl band from the Korean Republic was. Funnily enough, they came up in an Answer Smash on Richard Osman’s House of Games that same week. That was my first introduction to them (Safe to say, I didn’t get the answer because I had no idea who they were).
So, who are Blackpink? They are a K-pop girl band from the Korean Republic and the female equivalent of the highly popular BTS. The band consists of three members: Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo. They sing in both Korean and English. In 2020, they released their debut titled “The Album”. A usual title, but in all honesty, I wasn’t aware of it. According to the research I have done, the problem with their debut is that it became too overloaded with K-pop with no versatility.
So maybe it was a blessing for me to review their sophomore record because, from the first listen, it made my ears prick up. I must confess, when I heard they were a K-pop girl band, I wasn’t looking forward to listening, but it took me by surprise. The album has plenty of versatility from K-pop, RnB, rock, hip-hop, and the occasional piano ballad.
The album opens with ‘Pink Venom’, the teaser released several weeks before the record. The song appears to be heavily inspired by Rihanna and the late Notorious BIG. So, you already have RnB and hip-hop combined on the first track, complete with the band’s name chant.
The second track, ‘Shut Down,’ has a gunshot sound effect over violins and a heavy bassline. The standout performer in the track is Jisoo rapping, which appears out of nowhere.
You will learn that many songs are about female empowerment, and just like the opener, ‘Typa Girl’ follows the same path. You may think the song is sweet and innocent as it begins with a child-like synth, but no. It abruptly goes into a heavy piano, and that is then followed by silence. When the song returns, the members swap verses expressing empowerment. For example, one of the lyrics is ‘I bring money to the table, not your dinner’. A cutting snipe at the misogynists all over a trap beat—a song bombastic in production and lyrically.
So, the first part has plenty of attitude, so what about after the halfway point? We begin with ‘Hard to Love’, a piano ballad that takes a surprise turn and switches up into a disco beat. Well, more disco funk. The guitar part was Nile Rodgers-esque. ‘The Happiest Girl’ is probably one of their only melancholic songs on the album describing the need to be happy during tough times. ‘Tally’ brings the attitude over rock instrumentals, where the band stresses the importance of being yourself and standing out from the norm.
What else can I say about the record? Well, they have learnt from their debut (I still haven’t heard it. Just going by the research.). “Born Pink” is full of versatility, which always keeps the listener interested. I found the production and the band all on point. A sublime listen, and not what I expected. I couldn’t give a fuck if they are K-pop; this was brilliant.
Song recommendations: ‘Tally’, ‘Hard to Love’, ‘Shut Down’
8/10
NB: I appear to have omitted Rosé from the review. Sorry about that. There are four members.
Honest Opinions 