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’
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 albumby the band, going by Chris’ comments. Even though ‘Higher Power’ was released, many still expected that to be the sole materialreleased until next year.
The collaborators of the previous record were not acquired for “Music of the Spheres”. Coldplay got Max Martin on board toproduce the album and gave him complete control. Max brought in the likes of Selena Gomez and theextremely 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’
I have waited ages to listen to and review another Paul Weller album. I was delighted to have found out that he worked on it during the original lockdown. Paul told Charlatan’s Tim Burgess that he was bored and needed something to do. He also told Tim this might be his final album (let us hope not.). It’s great that some artists took the opportunity to be productive while isolated last year. Funnily enough, just as he started work on this one, his previous record, “on Sunset,” was not far from being released. The album begins with ‘Cosmic Fringes’ which sounds like electro-pop straight out of the 80s. You know, bands like Roxy Music, Heaven 17, or the Human League would have done. The end catches you by surprise because it stops without any warning. That sudden ending would last until the third track. From then on, the tracks would fade out.
‘Glad Times’ was like Paul went into a time machine and returned to the studio with the Style Council, and ‘Testify’ is a blues and gospel track with flutes. ‘Cobweb Connections’ is a sublimeacoustic song, and ‘Moving Canvas’ is like hearing Paul playing songs from the “Stanley Road” era. I didn’t find much Jam-inspired music in there, though.
The album is just a mix of several genres; younever know which way Paul will take you with it, which will keep your ears entertained. It’s great when a record is made that way. You don’t want a predictable album; you want something that will surprise and differ from the track you just heard to keep your interest. The cover and the name certainly had me fooled. I was expecting an album full of cosmic pop or psychedelic. Even the title “Fat Pop (Volume 1)” screams that the record will be focused on those two genres. It’s more like a trip down memory lane with influences from the Style Council, the Paul Weller Movement, and everything after 1992. As I said earlier, I didn’t notice anything the Jam might have done. It also has Volume 1 at the end of the title. I would like to know what volume 2 will be like.
Now, as I said earlier, the album is spontaneous and will keep your ear, but at the same time, if you do not find that concept interesting, you might lose interest as it might start to annoy you.Personally, that’s on you because it didn’t annoy me in the slightest. I loved the way the record was spontaneous. If you enjoy dipping your fries into your Strawberry milkshake (Thanks, Siân. Watch this space on her. She might well be presenting a radio show soon, and trust me. Her taste in music is eclectic.), then you will enjoy how this album works. Many may argue that the tracks on “Fat Pop (Volume 1)” simply do not work without structure due to its spontaneous nature. Well…I liked it, and it’sentirely different from a Paul Weller LP.
Despite how the album is structured, either to your satisfaction or not, there is no denying that Paul still has that fire burning to be creative after a 44-year career. One minute, Paulis in the 60s playing with the Rolling Stones, and the next, he’s back in the Style Council with songs like ‘Glad Times’. That is how Paul approached every session with spontaneous songwriting. It certainly makes for an exciting experience when you listen all the way through for the first time. You cannot knock it because Paul Weller is far from finished with business despite what he told Tim. How many albums are there left in him creatively? Who fucking knows. Going by this, he still has plenty more on the way. The only thing stopping Paul is if he decides to retire of his own accord.
Song recommendations: ‘Glad Times’, ‘Cosmic Fringes’, ‘Testify’
Frontman Danny O’Donoghue and Mark Sheehan have known each other since childhood, so, as you can imagine, history adds to the chemistry before drummer Glen Power was recruited. Still, the harmony was already set in place, so it didn’t cause any problems with him joining and helping the band further find their wall of sound and identity. Quite predictably, the band scored number one with their debut album back in 2008 in mother Ireland, with hits such as “We Cry”, “Breakeven”, “the Man Who Can’t be Moved”, and my favourite off the self-titled debut album, “the End Where I begin” not just capturing the attention of their homeland, but the world over. The style of music they are famed for doesn’t just revolve around one genre, but quite a few blended, which is pop, rock, hip-hop and r&b, and helped with their sophomore album from 2010 titled “Science & Faith, and then their third and fourth albums, “#3” and “No Sound Without Silence” released in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
On their latest record titled, “Freedom Child”, the band have decided to experiment and take up the challenge of adding different sounds to their tracks and choosing to head down the electronic route this time (No, not the band from the 1990s co-fronted by Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr). So, after the band took a short break from the scene, have they become rusty, and does this new direction to their sound work for them, or is it a gamble that didn’t pay off?
The record takes no prisoners and is honest, noble and positive. Of course, you are wondering if there is the trademark originality that we’ve become accustomed to with their sound, and the answer is, yes, it is still there but with electronic pop blended into it. Will you love it or hate it being a fan of theirs? Well, it is like marmite, so the choice is entirely yours. Give it a chance, though, because it is still an excellent record, and the message conveyed within the record is their usual love over hate.
The intro is very refreshing indeed. Almost like the band were recording on a cassette recorder as you hear the tape being into the player, and then a bass riff that becomes lodged into your head follows. The record then starts with “No Man is an Island”. A third-person perspective tells the band that regardless of how they feel, he/she is there to help them through. It is noticeable that Danny’s vocals have matured and improved since the previous records as he sings along with the electronic reggae sound.
The next track I will talk about is “Arms Open”, your more traditional song for the Script, where the stripped-back sounds elevate Danny’s vocals while the listener can relax and feel at one with themselves.
I also liked the catchy “Deliverance”, a Sonic Youth-type song with pop added in. It is highly bass-heavy, but it has a fast tempo to capture your soul and make you feel the music instead of losing interest. I also loved the political messages conveyed in this record. Especially the track “Divided States of America”. The name even screams political and controversial as you know, it will be aimed at the current president, Donald Trump. This track encourages everyone in the States to notice what is happening and unite during these times rather than fight against each other.
The sound used is entirely military-minded as Danny sings over drums that resemble a marching beat you hear at military parades worldwide. He may talk about violence, hate, racism, et cetera on this track, but the ultimate message conveyed to the listener says, “You better reconcile before it is too late, and we become consumed by hate that ultimately end with war and death”.
“Written in the Scars” is an intense track and talks about all the times Danny has been hurt over gently plucked guitar strings that further add to the effect of the subject. The song leaves you with a sense that we should wear our battle scars with pride and how they have shaped us through the years to grow stronger and overcome whatever caused the wounds in the first place. Although a deep track, it is worth noting that Danny sings confidently about the matter.
This is the standout track on the 14-track album for that very reason. Some of us who have listened to the record might not necessarily live in America (Referring to “Divided States of America”), but we all carry scars from events in our lives that are lessons of life that help us get more robust and wiser when they start to heal. A very sobering track, but a message we can all relate to.
The penultimate track is “Awakening”, which is an interlude with angelic piano sounds that leads you into the closing track, which is also the title track (I’m not even going to divulge what it is called. You should already know if you have been paying attention.), which is kind of like a mantra to remind you to be free, love rather than hate, and always to dream and block out the white noise that surrounds us in everyday life—a very uplifting message to end a very upbeat record.
My only real qualm with “Freedom Child” is that some of the songs could have spent more time in the studio being fine-tuned. Also, only half the album captures your attention, despite the lyrical content and the issues grabbing hold of you. The record as a whole is inspirational and full of honesty rather than being blinded by ignorance, which so many sadly in this world would instead be consumed by, rather than being awake to what is happening. Although I have said that only half the album is worth listening to, several tracks in this review that I have mentioned will capture you and render this album worth a listen and a gamble that has paid off sonically for the band.
Honest Opinions 