Phoenix

Week 7: Paramore- This is Why

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I first heard of Paramore entirely by accident. I was playing Saints the Row Third, and when you complete the game, their song ‘Misery Business’ features on the end credits, and I have been a fan of that song ever since. The next song I heard of theirs was ‘Ignorance’ while co-Djing in 2010 with a rock enthusiast. I also downloaded another song on Rocksmith to learn on lead, rhythm and bass guitar. It is called ‘Now’ off their self-titled record from 2013. 

So, there is a conflict about when the band formed. Some say it was 2002, whereas others have said 2004. Hayley Williams and Zac Farro formed the band, with Taylor York joining as the drummer in 2007. Taylor also attended the same school as Hayley and Zac. The weirdest thing about the band is Zac and Taylor and the past members were all signed to Fueled by Ramen, whereas front girl Hayley Williams has been signed to Atlantic since she was a teenager. So even though the band itself is signed to Fueled by Ramen, Hayley isn’t. Despite this, Hayley has been ever present., and featured on all the albums to date.

The last we heard from Paramore was last October when they co-headlined at When We Were Young in Las Vegas alongside My Chemical Romance. The band played a couple of songs post-2013, but most of the setlist were their usual emotional rock anthems.

So you would expect this album to be full of the usual emo material, but surprisingly, to my amazement, no. It appears that last October was nothing more than keeping their cards close to their chests to ensure no one knew what to expect from “This is Why”. The opener, which happens to be the title track, hits you by surprise. Although we have the vicious lyrics that Hayley was known for in the past, this time, it is over a quintessential indie instrumental. I was like, “Where the fuck has this come from?” I was taken aback that Paramore sounded more like an indie band from these shores. Hayley said the album is inspired by Bloc Party, who they are fans of, but I wasn’t expecting it. Some songs have an element of the kind of indie Franz Ferdinand is known for.

Does their aggressive songwriting fit in with this new direction in sound? Yes, yes it does. Indie is known as a rebellious genre. ‘Running Out of Time’ fits aptly with that whole Franz Ferdinand sound I was telling you about in the previous paragraph, and ‘C’est Comma Ça’ probably many won’t agree with me, but the intro riff has a touch of Hard-Fi’s ‘Hard to Beat’. Maybe, after reading that, you might go back, and hear what I mean. All I can hear is Hard-Fi on that. Again, ‘ Big Man’ is an indie track with riffs that the French band Phoenix likes to use. Yes, Phoenix might experiment with their sound, but they are known for indie. I liked ‘Big Man’ for going into that indie element because Phoenix is an exciting band. The indie songs on this album also have that typical Bloc Party riff by Russell Lissack.

The record is an exciting listen. Of course, there are the usual Paramore tracks, but they are fleeting. The lyrics are old school yet wiser, the subject matters are more political, and Hayley’s vocals show a lady who cannot be labelled as that sweet yet angry girl anymore. She has ditched that on “This is Why” and has delivered more of her soul.

Of course, the album ends in typical fashion with ‘Thick Skull’, your standard Paramore track. Overall, I am looking forward to where they head sonically, but I cannot wait to hear these songs performed live. Will it work alongside their current setlist? We are about to find out if they fit.

Song recommendations: ‘C’est Comme Ça’, ‘Big Man’, ‘This is Why’

8/10

Week 30: Jamie T- the Theory of Whatever

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I first heard of Jamie T in 2009 after hearing ‘Calm Down Dearest’ in a supermarket. I thought it was a good song with heartfelt lyrics, but that was about as much attention I paid to his music until 2010. I attended several Indie discos to find myself again after having woman trouble and needing to let loose, have some fun, socialise, and chat with other women in clubs. A song besides Phoenix ‘1901’ getting the absolute shit played out of it was ‘Sticks n Stones’. Now, I initially thought it was the Libertines or Babyshambles (I have no idea why. Carl and Pete sound nothing like Jamie.), so I scoured the internet to find it and saw it was by Jamie T. That’s when I started to pay attention to his music and sought out live performances. I also saw them when he was on shows like Later…with Jools Holland. The next time I would hear of him until recently was when he performed ‘Zombie’ on Later…with Jools Holland.

Jamie would disappear for some time after that, and since he seldom uses social media, it can be challenging to stay in the loop. People started asking questions in 2020, and two years later, he emerged on Twitter to let the music world know he was working on an album, and a release date was slated for the summer as well as a tour. In June, he would appear on the most recent series of Later…with Jools Holland, where he performed his classic ‘Zombie’ and two new songs, ‘the Old Style Raiders’ and ‘A Million One New Ways to Die’. Noel Gallagher, his kids, and Rita Ora would watch his headline set at Glastonbury on the John Peel stage as he closed out the Saturday. Noel, among others, is a fan of the London artist. 

The first thing that strikes you when you first see the album is the cover art of Jamie playing golf. I don’t know its meaning, but he is now 36, reflecting that he is more mature and wiser. However, that might contradict his closing remarks at Glastonbury, where he addressed the crowd with, “I don’t give a flying fuck anymore. Thank you for coming to see us, but it really makes no difference to my life. I couldn’t give a fuck. I’d play to an empty room, I don’t care.”

That’s quite enough of that. I am now going to proceed to a track-by-track review:

90s Cars:

Slow drumming over keys, stuttering vocals that stop abruptly. It’s a good backstory over a slow but great melody.

the Old Style Raiders:

This is a quintessential Jamie T song with rap vocals over guitars, an anthemic chorus, and his version of indie rock. As mentioned earlier, I first heard this on Later…with Jools Holland. It was also the lead single that Jamie used to tell us all that he is back and what we should all expect from the new album. 

British Hell:

A punchy song with riffs to match, where Jamie foretells about the shit storm created in Britain and how it has become hell. The title is quite apt with the shit and corrupt government currently in charge who makes the general public’s lives miserable.

the Terror of Lambeth Love:

Jamie doesn’t hold back and tells it how it is over synths. It is a quick and angry rant, which makes the short length of the track quite apt.

Keyring Lamborghinis:

The story depicts a female who is a menace to society. She ruins people’s lives by terrorising them and the borough. The synthesiser is utilised once again.

St George Wharf Tower:

I am still trying to decide what to take away from this track, and the video wasn’t any clearer. He is just walking with the tower of wealthy business people behind him. The song sees the acoustic make an appearance with the strings plucked. It is slow, quiet and calm. I guess this is the hangover track.

A Million & One New Ways to Die:

Again, this is another song I heard on Later…with Jools Holland back in June. There is no time to catch your breath with this one. Jamie goes all-in from the first struck chord, and you can hear his passion and anger. One of the many qualities that attract people to Jamie’s music is that no-nonsense attitude. The guitars and the riffs play at a searing volume with an intensity that keeps you pumped for 3:17. Certainly, one of my favourites immediately caught my attention when watching it performed on Jools Holland’s show.

Thank You:

This sounds like a song that Damon Albarn would write for Blur. The story appears to be about a black cab driver and the pitfalls of being one.

Between the Rocks:

This relates to the same ferocity you experience in ‘A Million & One New Ways Die”. I don’t believe anyone can rap at the speed he does over indie rock. I am yet to witness it, anyway. In this, Jamie thanks those who have stood by him during the times when he struggles with his mental health. He also states that he still has a passion for songwriting, even though he doesn’t need to keep being creative with his songwriting. He still has the will and drive to carry on, which is fortunate for him and all involved.

Sabre Tooth:

 It is a song rich in instrumentation. Guitars, drums, keys, you name it. A lot is going on instrumentally.

Talk is Cheap:

Jamie gets out the acoustic guitar again, bringing down the tempo and gently singing from his heart. This track is about karma. The leading character has done many bad things in the past and is now paying for them.

Old Republican:

Jamie sings about pushing away someone you now realise you long for over the keyboard. Another clever thing about the track is that as the character’s feelings grow more intense, so does the instrumentation, which you sense in the guitar and the keyboard.

50,000 Unmarked Bullets:

Jamie closes the album with a soft piano ballad, reflecting the character’s mood, which is falling apart as the romance in his heart slowly disappears. However, instead of the record ending on a melancholic note, the character has optimism and reassures himself that someone is still there for him to be loved by.

Song recommendations: ‘A Million & One New Ways to Die’, ‘British Hell’, ‘Old Republican’

9/10

Week 15: the Snuts- W.L.

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This band from Scotland (West Lothian, to be precise)was first brought to my attention by several of my followers talking about them, but only since 2017, even though the band formed two years before that. The more I kept hearing about them and seeing them appear in regular new talent polls on Twitter, the more I got curious. I eventually gave them a listen and was highly impressed with their rock sound. 

Social media can be a potent tool in the music world these days. The Snuts were getting talked about ages before this debut album was in the offing. They were getting a reputation for their gigs and the demos they released. Bizarrely, thanks to that reputation, they were already playing out at significant festivals like TRNSMT, Reading and Leeds, and SXSW. They have also supported the Libertines, among others. Last year, they released their EP “the Matador”, which gained them a top 20 spot in the album charts—already encouraging signs from the Lads from Whitburn to fare well when the record finally did drop.

The producer used on “W.L.” has a good reputation working with the likes of the legendary Beck and the French band Phoenix( Do you remember ‘1901’? Well, you should because it was played to death at every student union bar or Indie night). 

Tony Hoffer travelled to the Firepit in London to work with the band and refurbished their back catalogue to give those songs a more professional finish. There’s no disputing they were not good before, but they could turn those songs into something else with Tony on board. Jack Cochrane’s vocals are wonderfully showcased over the acoustic ‘Top Deck’, which opens the album. The band’s versatility is displayed as we go from indie to blues to hip-hop. Not forgetting rock n roll and punk.

‘No Place I’d Rather Go’ is a track with a swift change in direction from an acoustic ballad; it then turns into an uptempo track that sounds like the Beatles if they had the chance to use modern equipment. Because it was my introduction to the band, my personal favourite is ‘All Your Friends’. I love the punk attitude and Jack’s venomous vocals, which sound like Alex Turner and John Power combined. Indeed, the track itself is something Arctic Monkeys and Cast would do. It’s also magnificent when performed live.

I was very impressed with Tony’s reworking of ‘Glasgow’; it sounds a lot beefier than the original while not overpowering Jack’s emotional vocals. Tony still respects the original by not going overboard on the production. Boardwalk’ was another highlight for me on the record because I loved the songwriting with the melody flourishing into all-out rock. Of course, the album’s standard edition closes with their now-iconic encore closer, ‘Sing for Your Supper’. Again, I love the energy in this song, and I always have, but maybe because I’ve heard it countless times, I have become immune to it and don’t get all that excited when I listen to it now. However, I like a good story in my songs, and this one is no exception.

Not only is this album full of several genres inspired by who the band members listen to, but it’s like an audio version of an autobiography depicting life growing up as working-class kids in West Lothian(Forgive me, my Scottish friends, but I don’t know whether West Lothian is working class. I have read bits and pieces, but it’s all somewhat blurred)and having hopes and dreams of making it big with their music. It’s a fucking brilliant debut album, and with their arsenal of songs already in their possession, the second record will hopefully live up to expectations.

 It is great to see that all this stuff about guitar music is dead(Including you, Mr Weller)is a load of bollocks. The Snuts have proved that it still kicks like a drum and that the working-class lads and ladettes can still find their way through. Indeed, I can give you many examples of that. Fontaines DC, the Lathums, Riviera, Citylightz, the Crooks, Tom Smith, and Rianne Downey. I predict they will do an Oasis and have as much success with their second album. Trust me, the working class is fighting back, not just through grime or drill, as Weller said. Kids with guitars, indie rock, and punk persuasion are banging the doors down.

Song recommendations: “All Your Friends”, “Boardwalk”, “Glasgow”

9/10