Conscious

Week 6: Shania Twain- Queen of Me

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This is a continuation of her 2017 album regarding the subject matter. However, this time, Shania is in a better place and with a new husband. That story is the ultimate in shithousery. As you may well know, Shania’s husband was stolen by her best friend (I imagine she’s an ex-best friend now?); well, Shania returned the favour and is now married to her best friend’s ex-husband. One would call this sweet, sweet revenge. We cannot help who we fall in love with, but sometimes, there is a line, and her friend crossed it first. Anyway, the record is called ‘Queen of Me’, and denied RAYE’s “21st Century Blues” from being number one. I haven’t seen the figures, but it was extremely tight until the last hour of who would get it. Any of those two deserved the top spot. I am delighted all the same for Shania.

Shania stated that the album is about female empowerment. Yes, I agree, as she takes out her ex-husband and best friend throughout, but I am not sure where precisely what she said the record is about coming into it. It is an album about her situation only.

There are a few tracks like ‘Not just a Girl’ where she touches on feminism, but it is all too brief, and the lyrics are somewhat nebulous. Even more, her track ‘Best Friend’ could be more precise. It is difficult to decipher if a said friend, who has stuck by her all these years, is male or female. Shania doesn’t specifically say which.

A jaunty country-pop record is something Taylor Swift would do. That’s what I compared it to when I finished listening to “Queen of Me”. ‘Giddy up!’ opens the record, laying the foundations for the rest of the album. My favourite will come as no surprise, as it happens to be the same as many other writers, and that is ‘Pretty Liar’ I like the passion in her delivery and the explicit chorus to back up her anger towards her ex-husband.

The title track is probably the most unambiguous indication of feminism on the record, as Shania calls out all the pet names we men use for women, and she states that she doesn’t need a king because she is a queen.

It is harsh to say this, but most of the listen is a bit arduous. For instance, you have to go through songs with a lot of filler involved or just repeated lyrics. An example of the latter would be ‘Got it Good’ where she repeats ‘I got it Good’ too many times to keep count. She does plenty of harmonising on other tracks to fill empty space.

I have to say, I was disappointed with “Queen of Me” and feel that her previous record “, Now”, had plenty more going for it both sonically and lyrically. ‘Last Days of Summer’ is my second favourite, and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album. It belongs on her previous five albums, but certainly not this. For a start, it has a catchy hook, which Shania is famous for. Something that is pretty much lacking elsewhere on “Queen of Me”. I imagine those who bought/streamed/downloaded Shania’s record are quite disappointed that RAYE didn’t get the top spot. In hindsight, RAYE should have been number one. Her album has more substance and versatility to it. Shania’s sixth record is highly disappointing and, as I mentioned earlier, is devoid of her usual great songwriting.

Song recommendations: ‘Pretty Liar’, ‘Last Days of Summer’, ‘Best Friend’

6/10

Week 5: Sam Smith- Gloria

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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’

7/10

Week 4: the Reytons- What’s Rock n Roll?

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I fucking think it is fucking brilliant what the band have achieved without any label behind them and how it has now changed the landscape of music. RAYE is also releasing her debut album, “21st Century Blues”, next week after leaving her label, which gave her nothing but grief, and releasing it independently after just over a decade of waiting. Funnily enough, the band’s motto is “No backing, no label, all Reytons”. Of course, off the back of the success of the record, through social media postings and gigging, they are now signed. 

I vaguely knew who the band from Yorkshire was before I found out they were heading for the top of the chart. I am switched on to Indie UK and Irish twitter. I have discovered artists/bands like Fontaines DC, the Lathums, the Great Leslie, Forgotten Door, Skylights, Citylightz, Rianne Downey, and the Reytons. I must confess that I had yet to listen to any of the band’s tracks before discovering their album on their YouTube account. What struck me almost immediately was how much frontman Jonny Yerrell sounds like a young Alex Turner. Their wall of sound reminded me of the Arctic Monkeys in their early days. A very raw and in-your-face sound. Nothing polished, clean or sounding like the last two records by the Arctics.

I remember watching a documentary asking, “is Guitar Music Dead?” featuring Noel Gallagher, among others. Noel said it was, as well as Paul Weller, but Jehnny Beth from the Savages strongly disagreed. The music that has hit the top of the album chart since 2020 proves that guitar music is still alive. When you think about it, many genres use the guitar in their production, so it will never fade out, far less die. 

The Reytons are proving again with their second album and bringing back the type of indie which made you jump around and belt out songs like a soul possessed. I found out, upon research, that their name is the Yorkshire dialect for “right ones”. As I mentioned earlier, Jonny sounds like a young Alex Turner and even had the sarcasm to boot. The rest of the band played at 100 miles an hour, which, apart from the Arctics, could be compared to the Libertines in their prime. You will certainly enjoy yourself at their gigs, which will be explosive and over before you get a chance to catch your breath. The choruses are from another world, too. Catchy and full of energy, which will see a crowd surge towards the front barrier.

I can honestly say I fucking loved this album. The energy, the swagger, the conscious lyrics, the grandiose choruses, and just like their gigs, it is an explosive record that is over before you have realised. A fucking superb record. Truly outstanding.

Song recommendations: ‘Avalanche’, ‘Little Bastards’, ‘Cash in Hand & Fake IDs’

8/10

Week 3: Courteeners- St Jude (Reworked)

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Wow, oh fucking wow! 15 years! FIFTEEN YEARS! Since the original release of the band’s debut album, they finally made it to the summit (in 2008, it came in at No.4)with their re-worked version, which frontman Liam Fray announced at a gig they would return to the studio in 2020 to reimagine. 

Funnily enough, I was followed by Liam on twitter, but I think we had an argument over whether Oasis should return. Anyway, I liked the Courteeners when I first heard “Not Nineteen Forever’, which was heavily featured on Sky Sports show Goals on Sunday back then. Some fucking idiot said that ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ wouldn’t be heard of after a decade, let alone “St Jude” finally hitting the top spot. Not only is that fucking idiot wrong about the song, but the band did a monumental show at Heaton Park in their beloved Manchester at the end of the last decade. 

The band have also announced another show to take place at the same venue, and once again, it is a sell-out. When you watch the footage of the Heaton Park gig, you can see the band are in form and is not going away anytime soon. “St Jude” is why the band and Liam perform regularly. The record is a shit-or-bust attempt to remain mainstays or fade away like many bands who came out of that era. The album set them on their way; they have never looked back, and thousands attended their gigs singing back their anthems.

The original version of “St Jude” was met with mixed reviews, and even more so with the “Re: Wired” version, all of the songs done acoustically by Liam in 2018. They were more known in 2008 for being brash bigheads from Manchester and were not particularly liked by the media. Of course, they have grown up, and Liam has mellowed somewhat. He isn’t as outspoken as Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers put it that way.

One noticeable thing was that the band refused to play it safe, with 12 unique-sounding tracks on the record. Unlike many who would have preferred to recycle the same old four chords, Courteeners had none of that and wanted to make the album as exciting and surprising as possible to the listeners. Back then, it wouldn’t have mattered if they did play it safe because the fans of nu-wave indie would have lapped it up regardless.

As with the original, the opener is “Aftershow, ” the track they open with at their gigs and a firm fan favourite. This is followed by ‘Cavorting’, your quintessential nu-wave indie track. When Liam originally wrote this, he was mentioned in the same breath as fellow Mancunians Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr for his songwriting ability. Quite some statement and a compliment. ‘What Took You So Long’ showed Liam’s ability to tell a fable from a unique viewpoint. The only complaint one would have with the record, even on the reworked version, which is sharper than the original, is that it has a lot of acoustic tracks, which brings down the mood far too frequently.

The album then comes back with the band crashing in with ‘if it Wasn’t for Me’, a song that sounded like it belonged in that era. The original version of “St Jude” was too clean, which pissed a lot of people off at the time. This time, however, there is more of an edge to it, but it still sounds relatively clean. More mature sounding. Ergo, rendering the reimagined version much better than the original. Released all those years ago 

Song recommendations: ‘Not Nineteen Forever’, ‘Aftershow’, ‘Kimberley’

8/10

Week 50: Sam Ryder- There’s Nothing but Space, Man!

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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’

9/10

Week 49: Olly Murs- Marry Me

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I watched a Madness documentary while composing how to write this review. I wasn’t sure how to open it because I felt let down by Olly’s latest record. He, too, has discovered auto-tune. Why does someone with a great voice need it? What could have been a great album with thought-provoking stories and outstanding vocals was destroyed by auto-tune. I will always need to understand why anyone uses it. I will leave the introduction to the following review of Olly Murs. For now, I feel incredibly disappointed.

Song recommendations: None

No Marks

Week 47: Dermot Kennedy- Sonder

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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’

9/10

Week 46: Louis Tomlinson- Faith in the Future

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Wahey! a better number one than last week’s pile of shite. Louis Tomlinson is known for appearing on some talent show on ITV, where One Direction was born. Louis was with the band until they “split”  in the last decade. Albeit, he was on the books of Doncaster Rovers for a while, despite it being a member of the boy band. That ended after the Stiliyan Petrov charity match in 2013 at Celtic Park when Louis, in the hoops, was brutally tackled by Gabriel Agbonlahor (sporting the gold away kit.) and vomited by the by-line and came off. He wasn’t on for that long before that happened. It seemed to have given those inside Paradise a chuckle.

Anyway, the weirdest thing about Louis doing a solo project since the “split” is no one saw it coming because he never gave you a clue that he would do anything in that manner. He was still trying to figure out what he planned to do. There was no mention of starting/joining another band, either. I reckon it was pure peer pressure because within a year of One Direction “splitting”, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles had albums out. He released his debut “Walls” in 2020, which was met with praise by the Directioners (super fans.), and for the rest of us? Well, we weren’t impressed. It was neither here nor there. It was just a standard record.

What people might only be aware of if you happen to be a Directioner is that Louis was the most prolific songwriter in the band. Hard to believe when you had the likes of Harry and Niall. He is also responsible for the change in direction the band had in the latter years. He brought more of a rock element, which was fit for the stadiums they were playing.

Although I am left unimpressed with his vocals on “Faith in the Future”, I was impressed with the overall production. For example, ‘the Greatest’ combines the Script and Imagine Dragons, and ‘Written All Over Your Face’ is modern indie. The album teaser ‘Bigger than Me’ has an acoustic accompanying an electric guitar, with a steady drum beat in the verses that turns into a marching beat during the bridge before the song rises into an explosive chorus. ‘Lucky Again’ is another modern indie track. What do I mean by this? Listen to Indie radio on YouTube, and you will see that it would fit perfectly on those live broadcasts. ‘Face the Music’ has a steady rhythm guitar that has a frantic riff alongside it, and ‘Saturdays’ is a mid-tempo song about the brutal reality of splitting up with someone (Maybe in Louis’ case, it is veiled. Meaning it could be about One Direction?).

Okay, the voice may need to be ready for these songs in vast arenas for a tour next year, but the songs are in place. Dare I say it, the majority are prepared for stadiums, should he decide to do that for the tour. 

I have heard many pan this album saying it is “boring” and “wannabe Arctic Monkeys”. However, I disagree with what seems like the majority. Apart from the dull moments towards the end, I found it a brilliant, quintessential indie record.

Song recommendations: ‘Bigger than Me’, ‘Written All Over Face’., ‘the Greatest’

7/10

Week 43: Taylor Swift- Midnights

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Maybe I am being naïve, but according to the diehard element of the fanbase, Taylor has removed herself from her other albums like “Folklore” and “Evermore”. The fans feel “betrayed”, but like I said,

maybe I am being naïve because I haven’t noticed that much of a difference, and don’t forget, I reviewed both the previous records. Regarding the bitchy nature of the lyrics? Well, that’s quintessentially Taylor to start with, so nothing new there. However, it did lack punch on the production side from Jack Antonoff. 

I enjoyed, ‘Karma’ for its cutthroat lyrics. Also, ‘Anti-Hero’, ‘Maroon’, and ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’ displayed those kinds of lyrics. Taylor doesn’t show an ounce of remorse on these tracks. The record’s premise was to act as drive-time music you hear on the radio during the dead of night, and it does that quite well. Sometimes, you forget the music is playing as your concentration is elsewhere.

It makes sense now what the diehard fans meant when looking back over the review. It isn’t a typical in-your-face album by Taylor, but more sedated yet still has anger within the verses and choruses. In hindsight, I may have opted for the deluxe version, which comes with bonus material. I have heard that is where the “magic” of the record is to be found. 

Song recommendations: ‘Karma’, ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’, ‘Anti-Hero’

6/10

Week 42: the 1975- Being Funny in a Foreign Language

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Fuck’s sake. It has unfortunately come to this—another review on an overhyped band with the young crowd. I do not get the appeal of these little rich boys. They are simply awful. I’d rather listen to Tim Healy than his son.

For their fifth album (How the fuck did such a poor band make it to five?!), they employ the services of Jack Antonoff, who has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift on re-working her original records that were being held to ransom by Scooter Braun. You would think with; what he did with Taylor’s re-works, we would finally have a decent album by the 1975. Their leading single ‘Part of the Band’ showed promise (I think, I am going to be sick.)as it didn’t sound like their usual pop-rock dirge. I mean, the song has jazz influences over Matt’s conscious lyrics. Matt’s stream-of-conscious lyrics are probably the only thing going for them.

I find it insulting they dare acknowledge the likes of Crowded House, Michael McDonald, Paul McCartney or LCD Soundsystem. Their music is nowhere near any of their level. I zoned out on most of the record and went on my phone. A bloody awful album yet again. My instinct after listening to one of their songs on FIFA 14 was enough to tell me how crap they are. I stand by that, and I felt for all those at Reading and Leeds who had to endure them headlining when Zack was unfortunately injured while on tour with Rage Against the Machine. Hardly an apt replacement, is it?

Song recommendations: ‘Part of the Band’

1/10