Piano

Week 51: Taylor Swift- Evermore

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Here is my track-by-track review of her 9th studio album and her second album release of the current year:

Willow:

This isn’t just the opening track of the album, but it is also the leading single. This is Taylor returning to her roots when she was gigging constantly across America to get herself noticed within the industry by basing herself on country music. It’s a bizarre choice as a single, as it hasn’t any of those typical pop traits to chart that high. It is pure country with its delicately plucked acoustic guitar. Her vocal delivery synchronises with the subject of being in love with someone, and you’re trying to make them feel the same way. Taylor expresses this by how we would feel in those moments. From feeling high and excited to feeling low and being unable to breathe from the panic that they don’t love you. There are also some deep lyrics within, so listen carefully.

Champagne Problems:

This piano ballad was written with her boyfriend, who uses the alias William Bowery (Of course, his real name is Joe Alwyn.). Is the subject matter supposed to be about their current relationship? Rather than about a couple in college who share very different views about a night where one wants to break up and the other wants to propose. I don’t know how happy they are, but I can’t see them dropping hints while writing a song together. I also learned that “Champagne Problems” is a phrase (I guess only in America.) that means when an individual’s troubles are genuine but, when put into perspective, are less important than how much others are suffering. Like with “Folklore”, Taylor touches on the very fragile subject of mental health. In this song, the female character mentions her problems with mental health and how the break up of her relationship has further impacted it. I am going to quote some compelling lyrics taken from the male character in this, as he is the one who has been left heartbroken. “Sometimes you just don’t know the answer til someone’s on their knees and asks you; she would have made such a lovely bride, what a shame she’s fucked in the head, they said, but you’ll find the real thing instead”. As you can see, the song is very emotional.

Gold Rush:

Wasn’t this also a song on “Folklore”? I can’t remember, but someone will tell me when they visit my archives this year. Bizarrely, the producer of this track only features once on the record when you consider Jack Antonoff has produced half of her songs over the past three albums. This song is more chart-friendly compared to the previous tracks on the record. This time, the leading character starts falling for someone popular among several others. Unfortunately for the leading female character, the other women chases the man in question. Still, just like the leading female, they are also looking for gold in California, which, when you think about it, makes the title make sense. The leading character becomes jealous and longing to have him, and she decides she can no longer chase him because she has no fight left in her and feels it is futile. Again, some lyrics stood out for me, and they are intense by the lead character. “At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit, and the coastal town we wandered round had never seen a love as pure as it, and then it fades into the grey of my day-old tea, cause it could never be”.

Tis the Damn Season:

What I found about Taylor’s songwriting is she can tell fables about fictional characters based on actual events or fables about her own life experiences. It is challenging to do the former, as you must design the characters and build the fable around them, but Taylor does this effortlessly. Once again, on this album, she has devised a character from Tupelo, Mississippi, who is leaving her town to achieve her dreams in Hollywood on the big screen. You may be wondering where the Christmas element comes into it. The lead character returns home to enjoy the festivities, where she stumbles across an ex-lover. As one of the lyrics depicts over this electric guitar track, she says how she is breaking her own heart by returning to Los Angeles, where everyone she meets is superficial, including the way she smiles, rather than remaining in Tupelo to get back with her ex-lover and feel loved and happy once more.

Tolerate it:

There appears to be a trend with Taylor and the obsession with the fifth track; the fifth track always seems to be a ballad with a heart-wrenching confession. “Evermore” doesn’t buck the trend. Again, the song is seen from the female perspective. She is sick and tired of devoting her life to her lover, and she is not getting much compassion or any form of emotional connection in return, so she is starting to hate and resent him for that. She has tolerated this behaviour for far too long from him, and now she is ready to confront him. This track perfectly depicts when love fades away from one perspective and turns sour from the other.

No Body, No Crime:

HAIM features on this, but it is based more on the country music scene, from what I recall, rather than the usual rock-based music from HAIM. As you can tell from the title, Taylor, with HAIM doing backing vocals, has gone for a topic about committing a murder. However, it is a double homicide told from different perspectives. The first verse is the narrator’s friend bringing up in a conversation that she thinks her husband is seeing another woman; in the second verse, her friend disappears, and the narrator is sure that the husband killed her and to avenge her friend’s death in the third verse, she kills the husband, but by doing this she compromises the case. Again, this is another powerful fable told by Taylor on this record.

Happiness:

The calibre of this song is quite astonishing when you consider it was the last one to be written in just under a week before the album was due to be released. Most might panic and therefore not put much effort into the last song they are writing just in case they miss the deadline by taking too long, but Taylor has managed to create a good song under that pressure and have it all done and ready to be included on the album. The story is both one of despair and optimism. The individual is going through the agony and six degrees of separation phase of splitting up with their lover, but they show signs of optimism, knowing that happiness will return once this phase has passed. The production complements the lyrics with its slow tempo and melancholic tone. Is the individual Taylor? It shows a mature approach to handling a breakup compared to her as a teenager, where she attacked every ex with venom over wax. If the character is indeed Taylor, then she has shown that as she has got older, she can move on and enjoy the next one to enter her life.

Dorothea:

Remember the track “Tis the Damn Season” earlier on and the unknown female? Well, this is her name and the continuation of the story. However, this is not told from Dorothea’s perspective but by her ex-lover. He was devastated when she moved to Hollywood and longed to be with her. He also ponders, now she is in L.A. chasing her dreams, whether she pauses to think about him. Although the subject is deep and emotional, the song has a relatively upbeat tempo.

Coney Island:

Now, I expected HAIM to feature, but the National? I wasn’t expecting that. Nor was I expecting a duet between Taylor Swift and Matt Berninger. However, I discovered that the National’s Aaron Dressner produces most of the tracks on this album, so it makes sense for Taylor to collaborate either by request or suggested by Aaron. The subject matter is once again that of broken love. This time, it is about a couple reminiscing on the relationship and how it fell apart because the levels of commitment were not balanced. The song also appears to be the couple trying to work out what went wrong and trying to see if they can try again. Taylor’s melodic vocals complement Matt’s customary raspy yet deep vocals.

Ivy:

The banjo is the main instrument this time. It features the first of two collaborations with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Later on, the entire band feature.) over a story about a wife committing adultery and subsequently falling in love with her secret lover. Even though she continues the affair as she enjoys the attention, she is trying to stay faithful simultaneously. It is similar to the story in “illicit Affairs” from the previous album and is also freakishly the tenth track.

Cowboy Like Me:

Another song inspired by her roots in country, the story is that of gold diggers who, instead of chasing those with wealth, end up falling for each other. Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons provides backing vocals. The song is also typical of a song likely to be composed by Mumford and Sons with guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, and anything from country music you can think of.

Long Story Short:

From an album steeped in country, this track departs from that with its catchy pop chorus, drums, and guitars out of indie rock. You can see this being on her albums before her current two. Taylor goes after the media and the misogynists who tried to ruin her career a couple of years ago (See my first review on the album where she goes fucking ballistic on those people for the whole story.). However, rather than getting herself worked up, Taylor’s vocals are balanced and calm. Even the lyrics are about not sweating the small stuff. She displays happiness knowing she is content in her relationship and that she is way past all this petty bullshit from her enemies. She writes lyrics to her past self to let these things slide and let her enemies defeat themselves by being starved of her attention and reaction. Taylor has shown a lot of maturity so far on the record.

Marjorie:

I am starting to wonder if “Evermore” is the continuation of “Folklore” with the topics, sound, and production. It seems like it is. Still, it doesn’t bother me a jot because I prefer Taylor when writing music in the genre her heart belongs to. Pop was to get a wider audience, but country is where her heart is. Also, there is another reason this is a continuation, and it is related to the thirteenth track of the respective albums. “Folklore” was an ode to her grandfather, who fought in World War II, and “Evermore” focuses on her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer whom Taylor didn’t appreciate until she passed away when Taylor was just a teenager. Taylor regrets this and wishes she could go back and fix this with her grandmother. It is also a grand, haunting gesture, that Taylor used her late grandmother’s vocals for the backing track. Sends chills down your spine.

Closure:

Many of us can relate to the topic here. I’m sure we have all been in a relationship where it ended badly, and we wanted to explain ourselves later on after the dust had settled as to why, but our ex simply refuses the closure and doesn’t want to know. This song describes that. In this case, it’s a male looking for closure from the female, but she has moved on and doesn’t find it necessary to explain it, rather than doing something to avenge the hurt he caused. The lyrics mention that he wants to remain friends after the closure and that he’s angry she won’t hear him out.

Evermore:

The closing and my favourite track. Sorry, but it’s got Bon Iver on it. What more is there to say? Justin Vernon and the rest of the band produce good music. I love this piano-based song with Taylor and Justin doing a cypher and harmonising together, which touches on depression with a mix of dark and optimism to end the album. The highlight is the cypher for me; it is scarce to see vocalists go bar-for-bar like they were rapping or sharing a poem.

Song recommendations: “Evermore”, “Coney Island”, “Long Story Short”.

8/10

Week 45: Ariana Grande- Positions

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When you listen to any of her music, you know you will get entire honesty as she is not afraid to reveal each layer of her life. The same can be said for this album, as she is talking so openly about her sex life. It’s hard to believe she would do it when you consider she’s a Judy Garland fan and her past in children’s television shows.

I mean, she even had the fucking audacity to name a track after a particular area in the vagina, so everything is revealed, and she is not giving you a chance to use your imagination. It’s refreshing to see a modern-day R&B artist opting for a production from the 1990s R&B scene. Some tracks sound like the UK Garage scene from the early 2000s, and some remind me of house with that iconic piano.

She is fucking nuts; she even has a song called “My Hair”, which is all about her ponytail, which has somehow managed to get as famous as her. My favourite is “Motives”, featuring the talented singer/rapper Doja Cat. Although the record is highly sexually forward, there are moments where Ariana stops being playful and goes much deeper into her soul with tracks like “Off the Table”, “POV”, and “Safety Net”. I wonder where her next album is going, as we know so much about her sex life after listening.

Song recommendations: “Motives”, “Safety Net”, “Off the Table”.

7/10

Week 44: Bruce Springsteen- Letter to You

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I just had to do a track-by-track review for the Boss:

One Minute You’re Here:

This is just Bruce being alone in a bubble with his soul (This is what I call playing an acoustic guitar in a room all by yourself.) in a reflective mood with the lyrics remembering his friends lost over the years—aptly named.

Letter to You:

The album gets going with this track, and the E Street Band are once again proving that they still have the juice on this intimate and fragile ballad with Bruce, where he talks about what he always was and will remain to be.

Burnin Train:

In a nutshell. Fire.

Janey Needs a Shooter:

You’ll never guess who is on this track. But it does make sense, considering it is his first profession over being an actor. It is Steve van Zandt who played Silvio in the Sopranos. He provides backing vocals during the chorus. I don’t know if he is a new member of the E Street Band, but there are plenty among the original members. It works, though, and both stand out at each point of the song.

Last Man Standing:

Rumour has it, the Boss uses his usual three chords, but this one is leaning towards melancholy as he remembers his former Castilles bandmate George Theiss, and the title reflects that.

Power of Prayer:

A typical E Street Band accompaniment with its trademark saxophone solo. It’s a song ready for when Bruce can finally take this album on the road and have the crowd join in on a hot summer evening as the sun sets.

House of a Thousand Guitars:

I am seeing reviews of this track as the worst on the album when I found it the best on the record. I also found it ironic that the piano featured heavily, and the guitar, the weapon of choice for the Boss, is seldom used.

Rainmaker:

Ah, this is Bruce attacking the American government. It was written during George Bush Jr’s time in charge but has remained relevant to the current presidency of Donald Trump. So far, there have been no political songs on the record that go after the government. It’s good to see that Bruce has still kept his values.

If I Was the Priest:

It’s not one of his best songs, and the rhyming is very basic for someone of Bruce’s ability at songwriting.

Ghosts:

Again, this is another track ready for the road, with the E Street Band putting all their energy into it.

Song for Orphans:

It transpires that this is part of a trilogy that includes “Janey Needs a Shooter” and “If I Was the Priest” and were written when the great Bob Dylan highly inspired Bruce, so these songs were quite obviously written back in the 20th century, rather than just purely new songs for this album. It contains a plethora of words, which is a very Dylan trait.

I’ll See You in My Dreams:

The album doesn’t end on a high note. It is similar to how the album began. Hopefully, this isn’t the last record released by the boss, or this is not a good way for him to sign off. I can’t imagine Bruce timidly ending his studio career.

Song recommendations: “House of a Thousand Guitars”, “Last Man Standing”, “Ghosts”

7/10 

Week 43: the Vamps- Cherry Blossom

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There is no need for a background on the Vamps, as I already did in 2017. Anyway, “Glory Days” is the second track off the album, leading off from the short piano introduction of the said track. It is about living in the moment. The band has said that instead of releasing track after track or album after album, they needed a break to find their creativity again, and you can see that with how the songs are written on this record. There has been an improvement since they took this decision.

Let’s look at “Married in Vegas.” it no longer sounds like a Vamps song from their youth but a more grown-up one, giving you a sense of what direction they intend to take on future albums. They also released this as their first single to tease the new album.

Although the sound may have got more grown up, and they’re shaking off that boy band tag, the sound was very familiar from their usual songs, which meant that my concentration wavered a bit when I noticed that—saying that it is a departure from their younger days and a sign of things to come as they grow with their lyrics and versatility. 

Song recommendations: “Glory Days”, “Bitter”, “Better”.

6/10

Week Thirty-Four: Biffy Clyro- a Celebration of Endings

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Upon doing my research, I was astonished to discover that the band from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, has been around since 1995, with their debut album “Blackened Sky” released in 2002. I didn’t know of them when the 2008 single “Mountains” was their first to break into the top ten of the singles chart. I only started to know of them after their 2009 album “Only Revolutions” and singles called “Many of Horror” and “the Captain”. Indeed, I was taking my mind off a particular personal matter and helping out a mate DJing and going clubbing, and Biffy Clyro was played almost anywhere I went back in 2010. They have constantly reminded me of A Day to Remember and Alkaline Trio, albeit with an American sound mixed with original Scottish vocals. Since then, their stock has risen, and they are regulars on the festival scene.

This is their ninth studio album, and they were only well-known in the mainstream after 2008. When you listen to this record, you can recognise straight away that you are listening to Biffy, albeit they have given new hope to budding musicians (Especially guitarists and guitar bands.) to show that guitar music is still alive and, therefore, will encourage people to play the instrument still. They have decided to go experimental, too, which is always a good idea for music; it’s always good to freshen up your ideas and sounds. “Celebration” is a testament to that. I never have and never will believe that guitar-based music is dead. From what I see and hear upon discovering new music, it tells a very different story to what the critics have you believe.

“North of No South” opens the album and is gargantuan in sound. It starts with a ferocious tempo that, for the majority of the record, features heavily with crashing drums, rapid guitar riffs, dramatic orchestral sounds, and angelic choirs. “The Champ” is the only reflective moment with this fable of a relationship falling apart wrapped around a piano ballad, and “Space”, which you can see is the moment the phones are held aloft when the band finally get to tour this album to an audience in packed out arenas, stadiums, and festivals.

As the album ends, we enter “Cop Syrup”, which is six minutes and the longest track on the record, with just seventeen seconds of the hidden track “Less is More”, where Simon Neil sings a bit before the song ends. The first six minutes felt like listening to Tame Impala with its psychedelic and experimental feel. If I didn’t know I was listening to Biffy, I would think it was Tame Impala playing an instrumental track. It’s quite refreshing to hear that material by Biffy because it isn’t what they are known for and might indicate the next project.

Song recommendations: “North of No South”, “Celebration”, “Cop Syrup”

8/10

Week Thirty-One: Taylor Swift- Folklore

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the 1:

The opening track is about a perfect scenario if someone from her past relationships survived the course and lived happily ever after, rather than the usual song about her pain of breaking up with someone, which most of Taylor’s songs have been the subject of. Once again, Taylor doesn’t hold back on her language; from that, you can tell that what’s in store for the rest of the record is pure honesty.

Cardigan:

This track was released as the album teaser, and the obligatory video was subsequently released on the same day as this album. This song is about Taylor about being done wrong in a past relationship by being cheated on. I say that because it is done from a first-person perspective, and I imagine that Taylor is talking about it and how she has learned from it and can now sense the signs to get out before getting extremely hurt. The vocals reflect the maturity of the topic, and she is not being overly aggressive or even shouting her vocals. When talking about such a subject, that shows great restraint.

the Last Great American Dynasty:

Wow, this is a highly controversial subject to touch on. Living in England, I cannot say how much this would piss off the American folk because it is just a touchy subject for me, but it wouldn’t rattle anyone in England and Europe when she is digging up the past. For Americans, this is very controversial. The subject of the song is the Rebekah and Bill Harkness scandal. Rebekah is a middle-class mid-western, and Bill is the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. Why is it controversial? Because their marriage caused an uproar 70-odd years ago. Another reason why Taylor wrote this is because she happens to live in their mansion in Rhode Island. This is her finest songwriting to date. It combines the story of the scandal, yet she manages to draw comparisons to her own life.

Exile:

The album’s first feature is a duet with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, where they both have various views on a breakup. The vocals fall in synchronisation with the piano.

My Tears Ricochet:

If you thought “the Last Great American Dynasty” was controversial, this is more controversial. Taylor doesn’t hold back as she takes a swing at the fucking idiots who somehow managed to stop her from regaining the rights to her masters for her first six albums (I believe one of the arseholes involved is Scooter Braun, as I saw it unfold on social media at the time?). It is a pretty sad song as Taylor is in her coffin, and I imagine Scooter turns up at her wake. This appears to be a metaphor that your enemies will destroy you and still dare to attend your funeral/wake to mock you even after death. I commend her for shining a light on the subject of how you can get fucked over in the industry and lose the rights to what is rightfully yours.

Mirrorball:

One of Taylor’s favourite subjects to touch on is her love and hate-affair with the fame she has amassed through her talent and the attention, whether wanted or unwanted, that unfortunately comes with the music and songwriting. However, this is the first time that she has spoken so candidly about that affair. She talks about how she wants to please people and adapt to their wants and needs from her.

Seven:

How ironic that the seventh track should be aptly titled “Seven”? The subject of this Folkstyle song is about a friend trying to protect her best friend who is deeply traumatised desperately. The lyrics suggest that the best friend lives in an unhappy home where her father constantly shouts at her. The friend trying to help her mentions playing pirates at her house to escape the brutal reality of her home life.

August:

As we approach the halfway stage of the album, we hear part two of where “Cardigan” left off. This time, from the perspective of the “mistress”, over a faster melody and vocals full of optimism.

This is Me Trying:

This is Taylor baring her soul by revealing how she is only human with her mistakes, doubts, trust issues, and failures.

Illicit Affairs:

It is nice to see a song on this record wrapped around a guitar with its witty lyrics and emotional feelings.

Invisible String:

Taylor is known for writing songs about her exes, but this track shows her devotion to her boyfriend, Joe. It is quite biographical and mentions how fate played a part in bringing them together.

Mad Woman:

The fable to this song is about a widow who was made an outcast in her town and took revenge on it, but there is a deeper, more personal meaning by Taylor here. Taylor is charming here by not going directly to the issue she addresses. This song is hidden within a metaphor, but through the raw emotion in her vocals, you know that she is extremely pissed off with what the real issue is at hand here. This track seems aimed at all the misogynists who have made her life hell.

Epiphany:

This track is split into three subjects. Verse one is about her granddad’s post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered while serving in the US Army in World War II. Verse two is about those in the medical profession currently dealing with the pandemic, which has made their jobs both a risk and a living hell, and the chorus fuses both of these subjects and portrays her granddad and the medical professionals as American heroes. My only issue with this powerful song is it might lose its meaning with the production, which was Taylor opting for a Hymn.

Betty:

This track is done from the perspective of a male named James, where he takes a feminist view and says the man brought it all upon himself for cheating even though he is now feeling guilty and heartbroken that the woman in the subject of the song has moved on and found someone better. What’s more refreshing about this is that James takes the feminist view rather than confiding in another male.

Peace:

This song is dedicated to Joe, but Taylor asks if she will ever be enough for anyone when you consider her lifestyle and all the attention that comes with it. The sincerity in her vocals shows she is extremely passionate about the topic.

Hoax:

Seeing an album end on such a dark and sour song is very unusual. This track explores the impact of a toxic relationship but with reflection rather than anger. It’s a beautifully emotional song.

Song recommendations: “My Tears Ricochet”, “the Last Great American Dynasty”, “Hoax”.

9/10

Week Thirty: Ellie Goulding- Brightest Blue

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This is more like it. After last week’s piss-poor album on the top spot, we have an album that deserves to be there for its lyrical content, production, and delivery. I remember when I first heard Ellie (I’m pretty sure we all can.), it was the song that started it all for her back in 2010, “Starry Eyed”. Although it is not one of her best or even one of her favourites, in her own opinion, it was still a strong song, and the dubstep break was pure genius, considering how popular the genre was becoming around that time. I can’t say I know much about her debut 2009 single, “Under the Sheets”, which only charted at no.53, but no one will forget “Starry Eyed”, even though it only charted at no.4 and therefore isn’t her highest position of that year, let alone her career. It was everywhere. You walked into a shop, you heard it. You switched on the radio, you heard it. You went to a fast-food restaurant, heard it, switched on the music channels, and heard it. From all that promotion, it saw her debut album “Lights” hit the top spot in her homeland and chart at no.6 in Ireland. A year after being signed, all the hard work paid off in only the beginning of what has been an eleven-year career. She has since had success with the singles “Burn”, “Love Me Like You Do”, and “River”(“River” being a Joni Mitchell cover.) scoring top spots. And every album save for “Delirium”, which was her last, has reached the acme. Bizarrely, it has been half a decade since Ellie last released an album, and it appears that “Brightest Blue” was worth the wait.

This record has been recorded over three years, with the majority done in 2017. I heard a snippet of one of the tracks on the lockdown edition of Later…with Jools Holland. Now, it was difficult to gauge any opinion from it as, as I have mentioned, it was only a brief clip of the music video for “Power”, which subsequently was released a month after the show aired. From the snippet and Ellie’s discussion with Jools about “Brightest Blue”, it sounded promising. I will go into details of how that did indeed turn out to be the case.

The album starts strong and explosive in terms of the production and language with a track aptly named “Start”. The song features a crowd cheering, then Ellie starts to play the piano and what sounds like a slow jam with serpentwithfeet singing through a vocal tube. I don’t know what they are called, but the late Roger Troutman and Jodeci were big fans of utilising the device. Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a bit on the “explosive” part, but the production is, all the same, outstanding. I was leaning towards the language used by Ellie rather than the production. It doesn’t fit in with the slow jam, but it is refreshing to see Ellie pour out her feelings and go with them in a way she seldom sees in terms of swearing in a song.

“Tides” caught my attention much later in the record, and it sounds like a song produced by Jamie XX or, indeed, a song for the XX. I wasn’t too keen on the features as, once again, the artists resorted to using that dreaded autotune. It spoiled some potentially impressive tracks on the second disc, which only renders “Overture” and “Sixteen” worthy of listening.

“Wine Drunk” is a very short track, but you can tell that Bon Iver has inspired Ellie as she used the same vocal effects that Justin Vernon uses. The title track that ends the first disc is a powerful song, and when you look at the lyrical content, it is very poetic. Here is an example of what I mean:

“Even in the calmest seas, now it’s all I wanna be, a semi-precious mystery, yeah I love me more than you, doesn’t mean I can’t be true.”

I love lyrics like that. You could use it for rap as well as for just poetry. Ellie has done a great job on this record, and both discs end strongly with “Brightest Blue” and “Sixteen”.

Ellie is cementing her place in music history, and you can understand why she is still relevant with unique vocals, catchy choruses, lyrics that strike a chord, and her desire to mix up her songs. This is one of her best albums to date. “Brightest Blue” captures your imagination from the very first listen.

Recommendations: “Start”, “Ode to Myself”, “Woman”

8/10

Week Twelve: Niall Horan- Heartbreak Weather

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Of course, the lad from An Muileann gCearr (Mullingar) found fame after appearing on the X-Factor in 2010, where the band One Direction was put together (they finished third in that series.) and rapidly rose to be a world-renowned boy band. The band is no more at the moment, but that is a very grey area as the members are embarking on solo careers. Niall has remained grounded by all the success One Direction had and would prefer playing Oasis songs on his acoustic guitar and playing golf when taking a break from recording and touring.

If we are all being honest (Well, the Directioners, anyway.), no one was making any fuss about Niall’s solo career. The focus seemed to be on Harry Styles and initially Zayn Malik as well, but through this lack of expectation, Niall has been free from having a monkey on his back, and it seems to have worked as he is having a better solo career than the rest of his band mates. His debut album “Flicker” in 2017 went to the summit in three countries, including his native Ireland. 

As I listened to the opening track, which happens to be the album track, I was unsure if I could endure the ensuing forty-three minutes. It reminded me of the 1975, and if you know me well, I cannot stand that band. Despite the opener, you do have a range of tracks. “Black and White” sounds like One Direction, “Dear Patience,” and the closer “Still” are like ballads over acoustic guitars. “Arms of a Stranger” feels like a Lewis Capaldi piano ballad, and funnily enough, Lewis will be one of the support acts when the “Heartbreak Weather” tour begins in October (Well, maybe. With what’s going on in the world

at the moment, who knows?).

“Cross Your Mind” is a blend of the old with the new. I say this because the acoustic guitar reminds me of something Johnny Marr would have played in the Smiths. It probably is a sample of a Smiths song or a Johnny Marr song. When I heard it, it did sound very familiar. I was very excited to listen to the track after hearing that Johnny-esque intro, but then it went all modern and sounded like a typical pop song of late. It’s an utter shame, really, because a Johnny Marr-style song is what this record needed. Yes, Niall was trying to appeal to the Directioners as much as possible, but this lad is an indie rock fan. “Nice to Meet Ya” is where Niall chose to go all indie rock, though. Sounds very much like Arctic Monkeys infused with Kasabian. However, I think Niall is going to go down the synth route. 

I would like him to release something more to his taste as it’s risky and shows that he is not afraid to cause shock waves. The loudest ones in One Direction have had moderate solo success, but as they say, the quiet ones are to be watched. Even though Niall was quiet in the band, his actions speak louder than his words. I don’t mind listening to a whole One Direction album, but once a day is enough. The same goes for this record. If I was young enough to be in that generation, I might have got it more and be listening to it more than once a day. That being said, I like Niall and wish him every success. Why? Because he isn’t a dickhead and is more talented than the rest of the band. 7/10

Week Forty: Shania Twain- Now

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Swingin’ with My Eyes Closed: 

We start the record with a typical Shania Twain track that fits into her 1990s sound with a short guitar riff. Still, rather than the guitars playing throughout the song like they would have done back then, they gradually fade before you can hear what sounds like steel drums taking centre stage and taking us somewhere else that we would never expect Shania to take us with. I’ve never listened to a Shania Twain track so far removed from the country as this. It’s like a country and calypso-infused sound.

Home Now: 

Ah, now we are back to the typical Shania Twain sound as her country roots come to the fore with this track that features banjos, fiddles and guitars. A song that you would hear in Nashville bars.

Light of My Life: 

As you can guess from the title, this track is about romance and is sung by Shania in narrating mode rather than a personal experience of hers (Who knows? Maybe it is her own experience.), where she takes on the role of a secret admirer expressing their feelings to a crush who is blissfully unaware. You could say that the song is a bit like the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” as it is rather sinister and unsettling that the secret admirer will reject all other offers in the hope of getting with the crush who has no idea of their existence. The song is wrapped around drum loops and the melancholic chords associated with songs such as this (Or, in the case of this track, just the one in Em.). The chorus, though, sees Shania deliver a fantastic hook that has been absent for twenty years in her songs of late.

Poor Me: 

This song is very personal, and Shania proceeds to tell the story of her divorce that happened almost ten years ago and how her heart took ages to sew back together (Naturally). There are some powerful lyrics in this one, and it even mentions that she caught him out lying and how he could leave Shania for another woman. In the short chorus, she seems to be forgetting about all the pain and asking the listener, who must be the person behind the bar hearing this story, to pour her another. So, yeah. This song is seen from the perspective of Shania drowning her sorrows and pouring her heart out to the person behind the bar who keeps filling up her glass when she requests.

Who’s Gonna Be Your Girl: 

I loved the background vocals in this sappy love song that opened with tremolo guitar and built up nicely into the very harmonious chorus.

More Fun: 

Another track that showed Shania’s versatility as an artist. This track would look good on Broadway and in London’s West End with thumping piano and Cabaret sound throughout. I can’t imagine it ever being a single because of this, but it does work, and who cares what those who dictate their record collection by what’s in the mainstream charts think, anyway.

I’m Alright:

 It looks like a follow-up to “Poor Me” as Shania foretells what unravelled after the divorce and breakup with her ex-husband while a soft acoustic guitar accompanies a thumping drum beat. The actual moment of the song, though, is when the sound of thundering hand claps meets the chorus, which she does acapella, as you would hear at a gospel church service.

Let’s Kiss and Make up: 

Well, another song that showcases her will to experiment as we now hear a track with a reggae and calypso sound that makes you feel that you are on a Barbadian beach until you are greeted by the guys you hear on the Doritos advert in the shape of Mexican band, the Mariachis as you can listen to all the horns ring out in the chorus.

Where Do You Think You’re Going: 

This track could easily feature as part of an official soundtrack with its angelic chorus and the fact it is a piano ballad with sublime vocals by Shania.

Roll Me on the River: 

Wow. Taken by surprise with this song. Don’t forget that Shania is originally a country artist, but this song should have Ladysmith Black Mambazo with its sounds of Africa.

We Got Something They Don’t: 

A track very much harking back to a vintage Shania love song. You have thumping percussion, a smooth bass line and many horns. I also noticed a very Michael Jackson-esque harmony on the outro, and you have to wonder, is Shania paying some homage to Michael?

Because of You: 

Yes, it is named after a Kelly Clarkson song, but no, it is not in the same vein. Instead, Shania has gone for a sentimental love song with this. It is dedicated to her current lover and sees her finally recovering from the heartache of a failed marriage. She mentions in the lyrics, “Because of you, I’m me”. This suggests that she has finally rediscovered herself through her new flame after all that happened. The song is completed with soft acoustic guitar playing, and I imagine that the drummer used brushed drumsticks, as the drums are soft, too.

You Can’t Buy Love: 

A song about how to deal with and overcome all those tricky situations we all incur at some point along our road in life. It features hand claps, several harmonies and a jolly chord progression that envelopes itself in the primary melody.

Life’s About to Get Good: 

As you can see from the title, the premise is that Shania is walking away from her past and heading towards the here and now. This track was released to tease the album, and I can see why that was. This song is not only uplifting and full of optimism but is undoubtedly ready for the arena when she heads out on tour with its anthemic country hooks accompanied by a rather unusual taste of electronica pop. Looking at my research, I also discovered this song scored her a first top 40 billboard chart hit in well over a decade. Did Shania have a premonition when she wrote and recorded this track?

Soldier: 

Ah, another song that has a familiar theme across the pond. A loved one expressing how much they miss the soldier who has been away on a tour of some war-torn country for longer than the narrator here finds necessary (Is any war needed? In my own opinion, they are all fucking bollocks created by idiots who want to steal another country’s oil. Too much? I don’t fucking care. That should be accurate for those who are wide awake. Anyway, back to the song and off politics (How ironic. The song is political, anyway.), this heavily keyed piano ballad and Shania’s emotional and soaring vocals completed with strings could well be used as a track for a film about the subject or maybe even a drama on HBO? It’s a highly emotional song and does more than justice on the subject.

All in All: 

The title suggests that this track summarises all the feelings she has laid bare on the record. Indeed, it is her reminiscing and looking forward to all the good and bad times she will cross along her path. This coming-of-age track features a nice guitar riff with an eighties feel. I was surprised that the record ended in a mid-tempo vain when I was expecting a very soft piano ballad.

Overall:  Fucking hell. We discovered an awful lot about the trials and tribulations of Shania on this record. I will not lie that some of the tracks affected me (So what? I get emotional. I write poetry, so I can relate.). The lyrics were both uplifting, emotional, melancholic and eye-opening. Especially “Poor Me”, where it’s all aired about how she felt

during her divorce and the events that lead up to it. I was surprised to hear Shania deviate from country and rock to venture into reggae, calypso, gospel, rnb and electronica. Not to mention the sounds inspired by Africa where it would have been wholly appropriate to feature Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Labi Siffre, Baaba Maal, I could go on and on (Yes, I know my African musicians and bands. Surprised? Don’t be. I have a very eclectic taste.). It certainly was a departure from what we all became accustomed to during the early years of her time in the music industry. Some tracks could feature in films or the type of dramas you see on HBO. Now, that does show her diversity. She should have ended the record with a light piano ballad, which would have been perfect. As we know, the final track is titled “All in All”, so when we summarise events that have happened, we tend to talk about them calmly and soothingly rather than raising our voices in anger. That would have made for a better ending. All in All (Excuse the pun.) Shania is back and more than capable of producing another brilliant album when she is ready to return to the studio. A side note from this, Richard Ashcroft was on Twitter talking about how Liam Gallagher’s debut album was number one. I corrected him and said that was currently Shania Twain’s record, to which he replied, “That don’t Impress Me Much”. 9/10

Week Six: Elbow- Little Fictions

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Little Fictions

Since their formation in 1990 under the name of “Mr Soft” (They changed their name to Elbow in 1997), it is no secret that the band has progressed and improved vastly, with critical acclaim to back this up. They didn’t get their big break until 2008’s “the Seldom Seen Kid”, which firmly set their music career in stone. “Little Fictions” is the seventh album in their arsenal, and they have decided to produce it as a band rather than work with a producer.

The Album opener, “Magnificent (She Says)”, defines the wall of sound Elbow is known for. Guy’s soft and kind vocals, a string section, polished drums and an organ. There is, however, a surprise for the listener with the addition of a synthesiser that is heard throughout the duration of the song. “Gentle Storm” has Guy’s vocals in a melancholic tone over ringing piano chords and nothing much else. The track needed more, and I couldn’t help but feel that the listener would be disappointed with this track. It feels like the band had a “that’ll do” attitude about “Gentle Storm” and didn’t feel the need to improve it any more, although I think the track is half-baked. The recurring theme I noticed with “Little Fictions” is that the drumming is repetitive. Probably the track that stands out the most is “Little Fictions”. The track is introduced by a gothic-sounding piano, which leads into jazz before ending with the typical string section that Elbow’s listeners have become accustomed to. This is the only track I felt that Elbow could venture out of their comfort zone and try out other sounds that they otherwise would not even think about for fear of losing their identity.

This album had the potential, but the focus is once again on repetitive and tidy drumming and Guy’s vocals, which don’t give a platform for the other instruments and make them redundant. The album, therefore (despite being self-produced), is a typical Elbow sound with little imagination used to show any other direction. Definitely another album for the hardcore fans as they will enjoy it regardless, but to the casual listener, it’s another album of Elbow playing it safe, which pretty much makes their venture into self-production void as they didn’t really try out anything of the ordinary

1/10