BBC Radio 1

Week 29: Wet Leg- Moisturizer

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Since their self-titled debut, which I reviewed, everyone has been longing for their follow-up, “Moisturizer”. I’ve heard a rumour that the band (which is actually a duo) is planning to release their own brand of moisturising cream, and this album has been released in conjunction with it. That could all be nonsense, but who knows? I must say, before I begin a more in-depth review, that I found it fantastic. It is fun yet tender, with catchy lyrics, playful references that we have come to expect from them, new soundscapes, uplifting, and plenty of love. As I mentioned earlier, they’re a duo, but I have just done some quick research and discovered they are now a five-piece band. It is always tricky to emulate the debut record, but they have avoided the second album blues. As I mentioned, it features new soundscapes, which make them more emotionally intimate, but they still retain their identity.


We begin with ‘cpr’, a song currently being played to death on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. It is a song about falling in love set to a high-tempo beat, driving guitars, and full-on rock. Let’s examine some of the lyrics. There is a part where frontwoman Rhian Teasdale says, “Hello, 999, what’s your emergency?…Well, the thing is…I’m in love’ was delivered in her trademark raspy and gaspy vocals. It is both cheeky and clever lyricism. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is based around love. The soundscapes include 80s pop-punk and, of course, 90s indie rock. They have been discussing very deep and emotional things, but they still maintain their fun side, so the listener remains engaged rather than getting discouraged from listening.’


liquidize’ follows, a track about anxiety and wanting to desire without delay, for example. “It’s not like me to fall over heels-I melt for you, I liquidize- I want you to want me all the time’ speaks to the majority of us because when we are infatuated, we want to rush straight in, and push things forward in a relationship before it is given a chance to breathe. ‘catch these fists’ is up next, and I absolutely love it. The leading single features fuzzy guitars and garage-rock foundations, accompanied by flirtatious and sometimes threatening lyrics. It is in-your-face with plenty of attitude.


‘davina mccall’ is a soft, romantic track that leaves us pondering its connection to a television presenter. The band’s use of pop culture references, such as Davina McCall, in the chorus, is thought-provoking. They have a knack for transforming what might seem like ‘mediocre things’ into something deeply personal, which shows their creativity. This was previously demonstrated when they incorporated numerous Mean Girls references into their self-titled debut.’


‘mangetout’ sees the band further flirt with new soundscapes, as they turn into half-post-punk, half-sensical slogans, and half-whimsical daydreams. It is sure to be a success when performed live. One of the great aspects of the record is the balance between sincere vulnerability and the band’s playful nature. The tempo slows during ‘pond song’, with bassist/guitarist Hester Chambers confessing that she has “never been so deep in love” over tender guitars and a dreamy soundscape.

Then comes the extremely intense ‘pillow talk’. This raw track with pulsing addresses wanting to do everything imaginable with a crush.


The last three songs condense everything that has come before. ‘don’t speak’ uses clever language, ’11:21’ acts as someone eavesdropping on a personal, and intimate late-night call, and to complete the trio is ‘u and me at home’, which is a sweet love song. It serves as a reminder that even though the last three tracks are more tender and downtempo, they reflect that the loudest statements of love are often found in the quiet.‘


Of course, their debut was littered with songs about partying, crushes, film references, playfulness, comedy, sexual innuendos, and quick-witted one-liners. Well, their second record still includes all that and then some. The songs are bigger sonically, revealing a deeper side.


It is nice to see that the band is not a one-trick pony and will be around for a long time. This album showcases the band maturing, but just enough to preserve their fun and humorous side.


Song recommendations: ‘catch these fists’, ‘cpr’, ’11:21’

9/10

Week 42: Coldplay- Music of the Spheres (Volume 1. From Earth with Love)

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My introduction to Coldplay was the year of their debut album “Parachutes” at the start of the millennium. It wasn’t ‘Shivers’ I heard either, but instead their classic song ‘Yellow’. While on a break in the common room at sixth form college, I remember hearing it on Radio 1; I think that was the station, and the DJ was Chris Moyles. I loved the idea of someone ready to do all crazy things to prove their love to another. Not to mention the instrumentation itself. Later that day, I went home to do some coursework and download songs through Napster (Remember that?), and of course, ‘Yellow’ was one of the tracks. 

“Parachutes” was a tremendous debut album, and everyone thought they would follow in the footsteps of Oasis, but the band had other ideas from the second record onwards. Indeed, Chris Martin said the band was created in the same image as his idols, U2. U2 upset many people when they changed from punk to make music to appeal to a broader audience.

However, unlike U2, Coldplay is the marmite of music. You know where I am going with this, so there is no need to explain further. Some idiots follow like sheep and believe it is “edgy” and “cool” not to like Coldplay, whereas some simply do not like their music because they changed dramatically after “Parachutes”. I do not care what music they make because I enjoy it regardless and respect their creativity. I have been slaughtered for liking the band. So why do they have such a vast fanbase if many hate them? Well, it all boils down to their live shows. There is something magical about seeing them live. Like U2, they can have the audience in their palm at any stadium and are frequent headliners at signature festivals. Regarding live performances, Coldplay is the second most significant band in the world behind U2.

However, when becoming a considerable stage presence, frontman Chris Martin might have lost his edge to write songs in the studio. Their last album was 2019’s “Everyday Life”, which, in the many accolades the band have received, was a massive disappointment as it was their first album in 20 years not to go multi-platinum. It didn’t fare too well in America, neither where the band are top-rated. “Everyday Life” didn’t get close to the sales made by 2015’s “A Head Full of Dreams”, which featured the likes of Beyoncé, Tove Lo, and their good friend Noel Gallagher (I recommend watching the film of the making of the album, and the tour.) I am not sure why the previous record didn’t do well. Maybe people didn’t like the concept of the band experimenting with African and Gospel. That’s what the band are about, though. Experimentation.

The band didn’t run away after the disappointment of “Everyday Life”. Its poor reception has motivated them to return more robust and show people that they are keeping their standards from slipping after 20 years at the top. Coldplay is still played on Radio One during the pop-friendly daytime, unlike most of their counterparts who have been consigned to Radio Two as their music isn’t “hip enough”. 

To make their presence known, the lead single ‘Higher Power’, which is a track that is the Weeknd-esque with the electronic 80s theme, was premiered in the Mercedes advert to promote their new electric car after Chris had stated the previous year that Coldplay would not be releasing anything until 2022. It took many by surprise; some said that Chris was a hypocrite for saying such a statement and using it in the advert for Mercedes. It also boomed out in the International Space Station. So from there, only a few expected a new album by the band, going by Chris’ comments. Even though ‘Higher Power’ was released, many still expected that to be the sole material released until next year.

The collaborators of the previous record were not acquired for “Music of the Spheres”. Coldplay got Max Martin on board to produce the album and gave him complete control. Max brought in the likes of Selena Gomez and the extremely popular K-pop boyband Bangtan Boys, aka BTS. I also like that London’s Jacob Collier was also acquired. I can imagine the criticism they will get for working with BTS, but Coldplay has always known that the best way to garner new fans and appeal to a broader audience is to remain relevant in the pop charts. Who knows, maybe some BTS fans have been turned onto Coldplay through the collaboration. That is what the band are aiming for. Remember that most music is now streamed via Spotify, so that the streaming hits will propel the band even further.

This is familiar for the band in that they have made tracks like ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ and their 2015 album ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ while featuring guitars was centred around electronica. On “Music of the Spheres”, I noticed that the synths feature prominently and are the loudest instruments. On a side note, some songs do not have names but are represented by emoticons or, as the youngsters call them, “emojis”. You need to go to Wikipedia to have a rough idea of what they are called. For example, the title track is stylised as an emoji of Saturn. Who would know that that planet represented the title track’s name? I know the band has used emojis as the names of songs before, but although it is unique and fun, it could be clearer at the same time to decipher the name. The track featuring BTS shows their dynamic ability and blends into the K-pop scene. Of course, there are also moments of what we know the band to be on tracks like ‘Humankind’ with an element of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ or Huey Lewis and the News ‘Power of Love’. ‘People of the Pride’ sees the band again flirt with Experimentation as they try to sound like Muse. However, this time, Coldplay appear to be out of place.

What annoyed me about the record is that there are many instrumental tracks that I have classed many times on previous reviews as simply throwaway tracks that shouldn’t feature on albums. The record does drag somewhat, and it is a welcomed relief when the ballads arrive. My favourite, of course, was ‘Human Heart’ or rather just a heart emoji featuring the highly talented multi-instrumentalist/producer Jacob Collier, who always uses his falsetto range. Now, I usually detest that piece of shit known as auto-tune, but it is used correctly to give Chris a Bon Iver effect on his vocals this time. Yes, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon is the only artist I can think of who uses auto-tune to better his vocals. I can’t believe I am saying this, but ‘Human Heart’ is one of my favourites off the record because it sounds like a Bon Iver track.

The obscurely named ‘Biutyful’ (From what I got from listening, it is pronounced “Beautiful”) sees the band try their hand at K-pop without the help of BTS. It works and has a beautiful melody. One wonders what the song’s original concept would be and why they decided to take a leap of faith in K-pop. The theme of the record is centred around the Universe. Indeed, the subtitle is “Volume 1. From Earth with Love”, which fits in with the humanitarian ways of Chris Martin. Chris is all about saving the planet. The album closes with ‘Coloratura’, which is far removed from most of the sound on the record. 

This 10-minute and 17-second track is your typical Coldplay anthem that rings out in the large stadia they perform in. The song includes strings during the instrumental breaks and synths that sometimes stand alone. The record itself is…well, a bit mental. There is no structure evident (If there is, fuck knows where.), and it reminds me of an album called “the River” released by Pink Floyd during the last decade. That record also needed an actual structure in place. 

However, I did enjoy “Music of the Spheres”, but it appears the band has rushed this rather than taken their time to make the album more structured. You go from an instrumental into a track, then a ballad, then a track that can’t make up its mind, whether instrumental or vocal. This is where Coldplay have fallen, in my opinion, on this album.

Song recommendations: ‘Human Heart’, ‘Biutyful’, ‘Humankind’ 

7/10

Week Four: Eminem- Music to be Murdered By

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Here is the track-by-track review:

Premonition (Intro):

Hahahaha, from this track alone, we have an album centred around his alter ego Slim Shady. As the piano is playing, you can hear a woman screaming as he raps about how all the original gangsters of the game have been forgotten because they are no longer considered popular by the new generation. However, he picks up on the hypocrisy included as he mentions that 2Chainz appears to be popular with the new generation, but he is, in fact, not that much younger than Eminem. It reminds me of when BBC Radio 1 deemed the likes of Green Day too old for their station, yet will play Pharrell Williams on their station despite him being around the same age as Green Day and staying on topic with the record Eminem. Eminem is trying to say that if you don’t make chart-friendly music, you will not get any attention from the generic listener. Hardcore fans, however, will listen regardless.

Unaccommodating:

Eminem always likes to bring new talent, and he has done it again with Young M.A. featuring on this track. This alone will intrigue Eminem fans, and you would think, get them to take a listen to her material or maybe even watch her pornographic film that is available on Pornhub hahaha (It’s called research. I haven’t seen it and was very surprised to discover that, she directed a porno. Oh, and M.A stands for “Me Always”.) the flow on this track is fantastic by Slim Shady and so is the rhyming. Rather than trying to describe it, I recommend you listen and lose yourself (No pun intended.).

You Gon’Learn:

Two features on this, Royce Da 5’9″ being co-rapper and White Gold singing a chorus that will, from what I have heard listening to this song, stand the test of time and is catchy as fuck. Royce Da 5’9″ uses a wide range of vocabulary and even mentions a very personal thing about his father going for a health screening. Em aims shit rappers, saying that they can’t work out when their words should land on the beat.

Alfred (Interlude):

Fuck’s sake, one of these pointless tracks, and no, I don’t care if it is Alfred Hitchcock, even though the album is named after something to do with Alfred. I’m curious if it’s one of his films, a reference in a film or something else. Either way, it’s another pointless record filler.

Those Kinda Nights:

Ed Sheeran is back, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t record his part in Australia and wait months for Slim Shady to get in touch, like what happened with “Revival” in 2017. Em enjoys working with the lad from Halifax, and the wordplay is incredible. Em foretells a story from the early-2000s.

In Too Deep:

Funny that the word “deep” should be mentioned in the title because this track has a profound subject. It’s about two relationships, where a wife is cheating on her husband with Eminem, who is cheating on his girlfriend. Still, neither the wife nor Eminem is willing to take their affair any further despite being much happier.

Godzilla:

This is an exciting track; it gets faster as it goes on. Juice WLRD provides a catchy hook, and Eminem increases his rhyming speed verse by verse. Is he going for a Guinness world record on this? I never even knew he could rap this fast.

Darkness:

Wow. Controversial, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Slim Shady. He’s talking about committing a massacre while in a hotel room in Las Vegas. He’s speaking from the perspective of the terrorist from the Route 91 country music festival. The aim is to highlight what can happen when people are tipped over the edge and become mentally ill. You may call that guy a mentally ill lone wolf. Not for me. He planned to cause mass terror to a community, and he did so. That’s terrorism.

Leaving Heaven:

A song about optimism. Skylar Grey features.

Yah Yah:

Q-Tip is on the chorus, Royce Da 5’9″ is coming with straight-up honest lyrics, and I was delighted to see the most underrated rapper from the Roots, Black Thought. This guy is simply brilliant but always gets overlooked in the discussions of who is the best rapper or one of the best rappers. He is up there with Pac, Nas, Ice Cube and Eminem himself. He also doesn’t disappoint with his feature, either. I hope this will get Black Thought the recognition he deserves. Only the connoisseurs will know who he is. Denaun also features.

Stepdad (Intro):

Album filler where Em goes on a rant at his stepdad.

Stepdad:

Now to the track itself. I love how the hard drum kick compliments the subject and Em’s delivery. It fits in with the whole scarface rage thing. As the rage grows in the verses, in the final verse, Em talks about how he killed his stepdad with a baseball bat before beating the shit out of him and burying him next to his dog. The final bar says that if he goes to juvenile prison, he will tell them about why he did it.

Marsh:

Eminem is at his lyrical best. His flow as well is top-drawer.

Never Love Again:

I couldn’t tell if he was talking about his volatile relationship with his ex-wife Kim or his time on drugs. Either way, it’s a typical heartbreak song with a Slim Shady slant.

Little Engine:

The beginning sounds like Alfred Hitchcock talking before Em comes in. The beat is very creepy and something you would hear in a Dracula film or something.

Lock It up:

An Artist I was delighted to see on the record and, in all honesty, never expected to be Anderson.Paak mainly performs with the Free Nationals. Yes, Anderson can sing, but have you heard him rap? I can’t remember the name of the track I have listened to him rap on, but it was pure fire (Something about a woman, from what I remember.), and he compliments Slim Shady as they destroy the beat.

Farewell:

Slim Shady showcases more of his rhyming ability in this song about breaking up. If it isn’t about Kim, then I have no clue.

No Regrets:

Em has shown he can work with new school rap on this, and someone called Don Toliver features. I’ve heard this artist will be the one to watch this year, but this is my first discovery of him. I’m unsure if he can sing because he uses that fucking autotune. I can’t stand it, and it’s usually for those who can’t sing. Drake is a heavy user of it. He’s American, but I can hear the Caribbean in his vocals.

I Will:

What the fuck is this? As I said, I missed a fair chunk of Em’s career from 2003-2009 because I didn’t like the cheesy shite he was coming out with (Eight Mile an exception.), and I have no idea if this type of song was on those albums. KXNG Crooked, Royce Da 5’9, joins Slim Shady” and Joell Ortiz, where they reminisce and go fucking bar crazy. I loved Slim Shady’s controversial bars on this, and yeah, he’s up to his usual threatening some lady who hears Wu-Tang Clan and wanders out onto the patio to inspect, where he greets her by jumping out with a sword.

Alfred (Outro):

Just Alfred talking at the end.

Overall Review:

I planned on doing something other than these, but here we are. What I loved about “Music to be Murdered By” is he hasn’t lost his touch after “Revival” and “Kamikaze”. Yes, he might have taken his foot off Donald Trump’s throat, but this is still Slim Shady, who is pissed off and ready for war with the current rappers. This record is more aimed at his struggles in relationships and his battle with drug abuse. Not to mention the odd murder or controversial topics ( Being in the mind of a mentally ill terrorist, for example.). Since “Recovery” in 2010, I said Em was back, and he has further reiterated that on this album. His lyrical content is excellent and destroys rappers who weren’t even born when he was causing fuckery and pissing off the media in late-90’s/early 2000s. Loved his flow, delivery, wordplay and all-round lyrical content. Not to mention his speed, I have never heard him rap that fast with anger. If anything, this is an Alfred Hitchcock film, but in music form. I’ve listened to fucking snowflakes moan about the non-PC nature of this record, and they feel he should be banned or boycotted. Do fuck off, this is real rap, and there’s no political correctness in the game; it wasn’t designed for that. In rap, you shoot from the hip and fuck the consequences and people you piss off. Do you think Eminem is evil now? Wait until you fucking dickheads hear his material in the early years; you will fucking melt. Don’t like Eminem? Then don’t listen to him, and don’t listen to real rap.

Songs I recommend: “Godzilla”, “In too Deep” and “Yah Yah”.

8/10