I have been a fan of the Phonics since their first appearance on CD: UK(Countdown United Kingdom) in 1998 (I think.)Performing ‘the Bartender and the Thief’. The first thing that struck me was the guitar of the frontman and chief songwriter, Kelly Jones. A red Gibson SG. The only other person around the latter end of this Indie mad era I can recall using one was Paul Weller. That was the only reason I watched the performance on that early Saturday afternoon in the first place. At that time, plenty were in circulation due to Oasis making it ‘cool’ again. However, Kelly’s raspy vocals stood out; I found them different from the bands around then. Most of the newer bands tried to be Oasis, but thePhonics with Kelly’s vocals were pathing their own way to notoriety.
Amazingly, they have amassed twelve albums from their debut, “Performances and Cocktails”. Their debut produced hits such as ‘Just Looking’., ‘Hurry up and Wait’, ‘the Bartender and the Thief’, ‘Pick a Part that’s New'(My favourite.), and ‘I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio’. Anyway, that’s off track. Let’s talk about their current record, “Oochya!”. The cover is the first thing that caught my attention, and it resembles Green Day’s 1994 album “Dookie”. The opener is ‘Hanging on Your Hinges’, which sounds like it was recorded live in the studio. What do I mean by this? Well, bands like the Phonics back in the 90s and years before used to record a performance rather than the method used today of stopping and starting to edit out mistakes. Everything was recorded in analogue back then, which would be a pain in the arse to edit because you would have to cut segments of the tape. This is why bands and musicians from the analogue decades are masters. They mastered the ability to record performances with minimal mistakes. Indeed, it made them sharper and tighter when performing on tour.
Apart from that, I noticed that the band didn’t resemble their usual sound. Almost immediately, I noticed a rather LCD Soundsystem song. I enjoyed it, but it left me intrigued about where the album would go next. I was expecting a grand Phonics-esque entrance.
However, over the remaining 14 tracks, the record trends common ground. So far, it is one of the longest albums I have heard this year, clocking in at 64 minutes and 12 seconds. The band are back to what you heard on “Performances and Cocktails”. Some have said it is a bit long, but I enjoyed that the Phonics returned to their electric guitar-laden roots. The records of late have been full of ballads and have been on a more reflective side. Although most of Kelly’s songs are quite cynical, the bombastic instrumentation gives it an upbeat feeling.
Kelly’s good friend Noel Gallagher is also a master of pulling that off. Something they both would have learned from Johnny Marr.
Of course, the album has some slower-paced tracks like ‘Right Place Right Time’ and ‘When You See it’. The latter is better for its resemblance to ‘Have a Nice Day’ with Kelly’s raspy vocals, the carefree yet melodic strumming of the acoustic guitar, and the steady drums to give the song flesh around the bones.
Like every band trying to capture past glories, “Oochya!” doesn’t quite get there. We associate Kelly’s vocals with raspy and rough, but on this, he does change tact, like on ‘Running Round My Brain’, where he changes up to Blues. It almost sounds like a song associated with the likes of Cody Johnson (A country star for those unfamiliar.)After all, it is challenging to find that winning formula you started with.
Again, even though recorded live, ‘Don’t Know What Ya Got’ stays on that Country path, remaining chilled out and with a Stereophonics originality, which lies solely with Kelly’s vocals.
The band probably sounded like any band then, but Kelly’s vocals stood out.
Apart from that LCD Soundsystem moment, the band are trying to re-capture what they had on their debut rather than moving forward. Now, this is good and bad because the good is there are no shit songs or songs that much out of place, and the bad. After all, they have yet to try to flirt with new concepts. I love the Phonics, so this is fine with me. I know they have experimented before, so as the Embrace song title says, “Come Back to What You Know”.
Song recommendations: ‘Close Enough to Drive Home’, ‘When You See it’, ‘Hanging on Your Hinges’
I first heard about Frank when he followed me on Twitter. I must confess I had yet to learn who he was or what kind of music he did until after that follow, in 2010. Despite watching his journey unfold since the 2010s, I learned this is his NINTH Album! The record initials stand for ‘Frank Turner Hardcore’, and I remember when Liam Gallagher described his debut album “As You Were” was going to be “Rock out with your chin out”…well, Frank’s undoubtedly is that. It is so far removed from “No Man’s Land” and “Be More Kind”.I cannot recall many acoustic and soft moments.
Following the previous paragraph, Frank hurls himself into the moshpit with the ‘Non Serviam’ opening track. It blows your ears off from the first note, and you hear Frank’s punk vocals. That caught me off guard when I knew Frank’s music to be more reflective and soft. It was a surprise, but a fucking nice one. He then launches himself into ‘the Gathering’ like he has jumped on a Kawasaki Ninja, weaving in and out of lanes and overtaking other vehicles on the M1 North and South when it is the dead of light, and you have the freedom to tank it. Once again, it doesn’t fit in with Frank’s back catalogue, butyou can hear he has been fucking pissed off with having his livelihood taken away from him for over two years. He isreturning with punk fuel inside him. You can hear the aggression in his vocals and the frustration pouring out of him in every bar and expletive.
I look forward to hearing the first two tracks and the energy he will bring when I see him perform. The softest track I could find on the record was ‘Haven’t been Doing So Well’, but don’t let that fool you. Frankis still bringing that punk, energetic rebellion sound.
However, Frank’s work is slightly milder than generic punk and rock. Of course, it is much punkier than his usual work, but that’s where it ends. Not that I am complaining whatsoever. Listening to Frank let rip and put the acoustic away was nice. Why do I say it isn’t like generic punk? The guitars are not as raw as you would expect from generic punk. There is no IDLES, Ireland’s Fontaines DC, or even Amyl and the Sniffers who bring that punk energy to their songs. You could add shame to that mix.
Another thing I noticed is that the vocals seem to overpower the production, which takes away that live element that Frank was trying to bring across. Indeed, sometimes I struggled to hear those screaming guitars, thumping drums, and crashing cymbals. Frank was in a band called Million Dead from 2000 to 2005, and it is a slight return to those days with the production and the vocals full of angst and yelling. Only a little bit more constrained.
At the start of this paragraph, I will mention what makes this “Hardcore”, as Frank puts it in the album title. Well, it’s not really for the sound but more for his vocals and the lyrics. Yes, I am aware that Frank is usually quite melancholic with his lyrics, but he has taken it further this time. Frank appears to be conversing with his past. Especially when talking about his transgender father in the following three songs; ‘Fatherless’, ‘My Bad’, and ‘Miranda’. Let’s begin a summary of the trilogy (If you will.) with ‘Fatherless’. In this song, he talks about being alone due to the absence of his then-father. In ‘My Bad’, he expresses guilt of having theresponsibility of carrying the flag for the transgender movement put on him by his father. Finally, in ‘Miranda’, he addresses the fact his father is now transgender. Instead of feeling angry and alienated, he shows solidarity with his father’s decision and says that his father is a proud transgender woman, and his resentment has gradually faded away. He even says the line ‘Miranda, it’s lovely to meet you’ to show he has accepted what has happened. These songs exemplify Frank visiting the past and learning to live with it in the present.
You might say that Frank’s latest record is a bit “deep”. Yes, that may be true, but you will laugh at hiswitty lyrics, which somewhat take the edge off the subject matter. I enjoyed listening to “FTHC”; my concentration didn’t waver like on some of my reviews because I got bored. The lyrical content, vocal delivery, and production had my full attention. Frank has smashed it with this album, and I look forward to hearing these tracks while the moshers go fucking mental during live performances.
Song recommendations: ‘the Gathering’, ‘Non Serviam’, ‘Miranda’
Bizarrely, the first time I heard of this band from Bedford was way back in 2008 on some weekly Xbox Live magazine show. I didn’t know who they were, but when they played a snippet of their latest track, I knew they would challenge the likes of Enter Shikari, who are close in terms of geographical distance. They reminded me of several bands of that ilk. Especially Bring Me the Horizon. You can add Royal Blood to that list now.
“Amazing Things” was released late last year but, for some reason, didn’t hit the top spot until this year. A song featured on a recent television programme might have got the viewer’s attention. The album explodes into ‘Gumshield’, undoubtedly aptly named as the song is reminiscent of being in the ring. The production is brilliant with its use of synths, orchestras, full-on metal guitars, and, as I mentioned, the razor blade vocals provided by Rob Damiani and Matt Donnelly. The assault on your ears is ferocious, including the vocals. After that intro, you are fully expecting an all-out sound.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed the second track, ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan, ‘ despite not being a fan of Manchester United (It’s pretty obvious the song is about them). I enjoyed it for its in-your-face rock attitude. I liked “Amazing Things” more for its instrumentation than the lyrics. They are not up to much, albeit they are witty, funny and sarcastic, backed up by vocals with attitude. The instrumentation is what makes it, though. It follows the same premise as their previous album, 2018’s “Technology”. You might say the band embraces their posh background on their latest record. Unsurprisingly, the latest five singles released from the album are on the record’s first half. I will go into that more in the next paragraph or so.
I loved “Amazing Things” for its grandeur with the instrumentation and full-on metal rock, and the vocals of Mattand Rob complement each other well. Both have different styles, and it keeps the listener interested. However, going back to the previous paragraph about the singles coming from the album’s first half, it is no surprise because that is where the energy is. You lose interest after ‘Anaheim’ because the songs lose that intensity. It ends with a bang with ‘Easter Sunday’, which is worth listening to until completion. Concerning “Technology”, “Amazing Things” is the better record with excellent instrumentation, subject matter, and better structure.
Of course, if you are a fan of Don Broco, you will be happy with the end result. You will also feel the same if you like their genre. However, there is also other stuff for listeners to enjoy, like synthesisers fitting with the synth-era trend that is currently in full swing. Everyone appears to like the 80s sound at present. It differs from the Weeknd or Coldplay’s use of synthesisers, but it works nonetheless with their creativity. I cannot remember what track it was at the moment, but one of them uses synthesisers that reminded me of futuristic films like Tron. As I mentioned, the first six tracks blow your eardrums to pieces and have the intensity to match. The second half is like the middle section of a live performance, where things are slowed to let the audience catch their breath and take in some fluids. However, the final track is fit for an encore to leave the audience experiencing a rush. I only know a little about the band, but I have been impressed again. The follow up will have to be highly astronomical to beat this.
Song recommendations: ‘Gumshield’, ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’, ‘Easter Sunday’
My introduction to Sam is becoming somewhat of a cliché if you read my reviews and how I appear to discover many artists/bands.Once again, it was through Later…with Jools Holland where one song he played stuck out. It was called ‘Dead Boys’ and was hard-hitting with its content, and I detected a sound used by a big American artist known as “the Boss”. Funnily enough, after delving for more information, I discovered that the young artist I had seen on the programme happened to be a massive fan of Bruce Springsteen and said that he was his idol. It’s appropriate that he is dubbed “the Geordie Boss”. It’s also funny that the Newcastle United fanatic has a surname after the guitar manufacturer. He also happens to use a Fender during his performances. However, he is no relation. Sam released “Hypersonic Missiles” in 2019, intimate about his personal life.This second album goes a littledeeper into his teenage years and howhe became a 27-year-old musician during his turbulent childhood.
Through those turbulent times of seeing his mother leave when he was just 8, being kicked out of his father and stepmother’s house, returning home to live with his mother, being talked out of selling drugs to help support his mother and being bullied at school for being obese, Sam has built a strong character through writing and playing and overcame those obstacles. He talks about having his heart shattered in a teenage relationship and how he pretended she was dead so that he could move on. He touches on the loss of his grandmother and writes from the perspective of his father, who hid away the pain, but Sam couldsee he was devastated. In the latter instance, Sam is akin to Stereophonics frontman and chief songwriter Kelly Jones, withthe ability to speak in the third person.
Sam now knows what category his music belongs in with this record. Anything from Bruce Springsteen-style rock ballads to upbeat punk, complete with vocals from the heart. It is almost weird to hear his Geordie accent when it comes through on the tracks. Sam’s vocals sound like any region or country does not define them. They appear to be from deep within his body. Sam is from working-class Newcastle and isn’t afraid to show those roots as he calls out those in power for destroying the livelihoods of the working class. Sam mentions protests and wealth gaps on the punk-themed ‘Aye’ among other political issues.
Sam even throws in some jazz on ‘Mantra’, which is more instrumental than vocal. There is a slow build-up over the verse on the opening title track before the drums make a bombastic entrance. More instruments enter the phase, as with the guitars that can be heard at the introductionand the drums after the verse. The chorus is strange; I couldn’t identify it because there’s no clear indication there is one or much of one. The song is a lyrically remarkable story detailing his life from school to adolescence. There is a horn section reminiscent of Bruce’s E Street band, but that should come as no surprise for Sam’s inspiration for starting as a musician.
My favourite might surprise most people who listened to the album. It is ‘Angel in Lothian’ where Sam wishesan Angel in Lothian would save him during his dark times growing up. He talks about how he felt hopeless watching as his mother suffered from the pain that rendered her unable to work. Still, he was too young to help her and how living in North Shields affected his older brother Liam, a singer-songwriter who plays drums and piano. In the final chorus, Sam again wishes an Angel in Lothian would fix the problems he couldn’t and that when he has his children, they won’t suffer the upbringing he had or even the same health problems.
Like his beloved Newcastle United, Sam’s career can only improve, and his stock in America will surely rise as they recognise the Bruce in this highly talented North Shields lad.
Song recommendations: ‘Angel in Lothian’, ‘Seventeen Going Under’, ‘Aye’
I will do a track-by-track review of the Script’s first greatest hits album. I might add that I was disappointed that my favourite track, ‘the End Where I Begin’, wasn’t featured:
Breakeven:
This was their third single off the self-titled debut album and followed a specific song theme pattern. However, this track was more hard-hitting and spoke about one person from a former relationship “falling to pieces” and not wondering what to do while feeling choked up when the other seemed to be “okay” about the breakup. Danny O’Donoghue’s melancholic and heartfelt vocals deliver this song with conviction.
the Man Who Can’t be Moved:
The music video tied in brilliantly with the lyrics and the theme. Again, taken from the debut album, this track was the second single and depicts a man who will not move from the corner of the street until the woman he loves shows up and feels the same way. Indeed, the man in the song asks people to tell her where he is. This indicates a metaphor for being in a relationship. While it might be falling apart, the man will fight to show his heart is still in it. Again, Danny’s vocal delivery makes the song believable.
For the First Time:
This track would be the teaser for their second record, “Science & Faith”, released in the late summer of 2010. It stays within the songs off their debut album. Indeed, it might have been written back in 2007 when they went into the studio but wasn’t quite ready to feature on a record. The track is similar to ‘Breakeven’ again. It is aptly named because they fall back in love like it was for the first time. However, this time, there is still a relationship ongoing, albeit in a dire state, but both are willing to act like adults to make it work, which happens by the end of the track. Again, the lyrics are about fighting to save a relationship with lyrics like “Oh, these times are hard, yeah they’re making us crazy, don’t give up on me baby”.
Nothing:
The second single off, “Science & Faith”, ‘Nothing’ showcased Danny’s vocals with the ability to be a swooner and blend thatwith his forte of being heartbroken at the same time. The guitar riffs and the piano took you to a place where the Script had yet to achieve on their debut.
Hall of Fame:
Taken from their 2012 and rightly named album “#3”, the band teamed up with Danny’s fellow mentor on the Voice and the Black-Eyed Peas member, Will.I.am. However, I am not a fan because, in general, I am not a fan of Will.I.am. He spoiled the latest Black-Eyed Peas album with that shitty software I can’t stand that alters your voice and makes it sound bloody awful rather than improving it. To think, Tupac was a fan of theirs back in the early 1990s. If Will weren’t on it, I would like it because, as usual, Danny’s singing and rapping are excellent.
If You Could See Me Now:
The third single from “3” is more about closure as the band discusses personal loss. Danny talks about losing his father on Valentine’s Day suddenly the previous year, and guitarist Mark Sheehan wanted the lyrics to include the loss of his mother after a long battle with a horrible illness a few months before Danny’s loss. Just listening to it, you could hear that the emotion was still raw and resonated with all of us when experiencing the feeling of losing someone close to us as well. A piano can be heard at the intro before Danny raps the opening verse. The tempo attracts your ear, and the lyrics make this a heartfelt song. The chorus is kind of catchy, albeit melancholic.
Superheroes:
The teaser for the 2014 album “No Sound without Silence”, Superheroes isn’t my bag, and I have never enjoyed the track. It just didn’t have that get-and-go like their songs do. They just seemed too safe sonically. Lyrically? They are up there with their best.
Six Degrees of Separation:
The second single from “#3” is a masterpiece. It perfectly explains what we feel after breaking up with someone we fell deep for. Bizarrely, despite the topic, it is quite an uptempo ballad. The chorus is where Danny’s vocals spring to life as he delivers the details with raw emotion, and surprisingly, it is catchy for such a thought-provoking track.
Rain:
This would be the teaser for the record, taken from 2017’s “Freedom Child”. Again, another song of theirs I am not a fan of. I was impressed by Danny’s falsetto, but I don’t know. The track just didn’t fit at all.
Arms Open:
The second single from “Freedom Child” again is lyrically beautiful. The message is that it doesn’t matter if you are alone when dealing with something because there will always be someone to hug you through the bad times. I found the song to be a traditional song for the Script, and the stripped-back sound elevated Danny’s vocals while the listener could relax and feel at one with themselves. It is worth checking out the video where the band worked with the charity A Sense of Home, which helps children find homes who are too old to be in foster care.
the Last Time:
The teaser off their latest studio album, 2019’s “Sunsets & Full Moons”, was released in November, a few months before all this shit happened across the world. As the title suggests, it deals with one of the lovers feeling like they are seeing the other one “for the Last Time”. The band sure knows how to draw the listener in with the relevant topics and the catchy melody, and of course, Danny’s vocals make this another great track by the Script.
Run Through Walls:
It is the second single off the aforementioned album. Once again, it was a brilliant subject and lyrics by the band. Just read this from thechorus; “I’ve got friends that will run through walls, I’ve got friends that will fly once called when I’ve got nowhere left to go, and I need my heroes, I’ve got friends that will run through walls”. Have you read them? Catchy as fuck, wonderfully executed with falsetto vocals, and what a beautiful message about the real ones who have your back and who are not related to you. The first verse addresses how true friends have saved his life (Whoever that is, I am not sure of because the band share ideas, melodies, and lyrics together.), and the second verse, the death of his mother, is brought up, and how the real ones were there and helped him through it.
Before the Worst:
The final single off the self-titled debut album again shows Danny’s vocal ability. It is about a boyfriend trying to return to the point of the relationship where everything was right and they were happy. The lyrics are typical heart-wrenching verses and choruses by the band. I also felt it sounded (in the chorus at least.) melodically like Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill(A Deal with God)’. Yes really. Pay close attention to Danny’s delivery next time.
We Cry:
The teaser off their debut album, and as you have already worked out, the single that started it all. It caught your ears back in 2007 because there was no band coming out of Ireland who mixed guitar music with rapping (Sorry if I have made a mistake there. I think the rapper Redzer might have done that. I am not sure at the time of writing.), and that was refreshing to hear. Now, at the time, I listened to this song unconsciously, and my interest came in when ‘the End Where I Begin’ was featured on a FIFA console game soundtrack. The track has many different characters talking about their struggles, from a teenage single mother to a drug addict, et cetera. Danny described the melancholic song as people who are all experiencing hardships coming to cry together and, therefore, sharing the burden.
Science & Faith:
The title track off the 2011 album would be their last single. The song is up there as a fan favourite because it is a wonderfully composed love song. The lyrics are always the standout and why the band is well respected. It talks about finding “the one” and how, even though there are bumps along the way, you are destined to stay together until the end, which is quite a surprise from most tracks by the Script. I heard this song is written from Mark Sheehan’s point of view. Considering the song’s name, it all makes sense and falls into place.
No Good in Goodbye:
The second single from the 2014 album “No Sound without Silence” made my ears prick up. I love the wordplay used in thechorus and the metaphors in the verses. Again, the band touches on heartbreak and how to overcome it. The chorus was melodically similar to Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’.
Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You”:
A surprise on “Tales from the Script”. This is the first and only track not to be released as a single. It is taken from the 2014 record “No Sound without Silence”. Many may disagree with me, but I heard elements of Ben Folds Five and fellow Irish band the Corrs. I could imagine Sharon Corr playing the fiddle and Ben on the piano. This love ballad is upbeat, and you can imagine this being played on St Paddy’s Day with everyone clad in green, stamping their foot, and clapping in time with the beat. Even the Script can write upbeat songs once in a while.
I Want it All:
It’s the exclusive teaser for this very album. The song contains all the elements associated with the band, and as usual, the lyrics stand out and pull away at your heartstrings. The music is sad yet subtle and goes along slowly, which is appropriate for an album closer. Danny’s vocals are once again on point even after two years out, and of course, the current climate prevents the band from touring all of last year and some of this year. His voice hasn’t waned during that period, nor have the band gotten rusty or lost their edge. Expect this one to feature in their live shows coming up shortly.
Song recommendations: ‘No Good in Goodbye’, ‘Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You”‘, ‘Run Through Walls’
That’s more like it. Some music I can tolerate and enjoy listening to. None of this autotune bollocks. Manic Street Preachers, who isn’t a fan? I have enjoyed listening to this band since 1996 (Yes, I was a bit late to the party. Coming along after ‘A Design for Life’.)However, I have enjoyed many of their songs from the beginning to the present day and have seen them perform live on a few occasions and several times via YouTube. I have watched plenty of documentaries on themand, of course, the curious case of the missing ex-lead guitarist and ex-chief songwriter Richey Edwards. The Manics, known affectionately by their loyal fanbase, have evolved from full-on punk to indie pop-friendly hits to just being part of the music industry furniture. The band has been around since 1986 and has never shied away from political matters. Indeed, many of their songs involve some political message, and the 2014 album “Futurology” expressed this while being more ambitious with their songwriting, now led by bassist Nicky Wire.
There is a particular song off the record that I will describe as “delicious” with its message shortly. You could say that the Manics have got more political yet ambitious over the most recent records, and this album doesn’tstray too far from that path. Of course, their most recent record, 2018’s “Resistance is Futile”, gave Nicky Wire plenty of ammo to use regarding current affairs, so Nicky was never short of ideas on what to talk about. However, while “the Ultra Vivid Lament” is politically charged, Nicky reflects in tracks like the opener, ‘Snowing in Sapporo’, and even the fast-paced, ‘the Secret He Had Missed’ has a sprinkle of melancholy. When you listen to the second disc full of demos and one’s with just Nicky’s vocals and an acoustic guitar, you get a real sense of how melancholic andreflective the album is. I also noticed that most of the tracks feature an acoustic guitar, which Ifound quite surprising for the band. One of the latter tracks featured Julia Cummings and is what I would describe as a typical Manics track with its full-on rock and James Dean Bradfield’s in-your-face vocals.
The band have taken it back to their youthand has taken inspiration from the music they used to listen to. Particularly in the 1980s, which is evident in ‘Quest for Ancient Colour’. The first thing that caught my ear was how it sounded like a Simple Minds track, and I thought it might remain like that. Of course, Manics added their originality to it as well. My standout, though (As mentioned earlier without the title.), is the brilliant ‘Orwellian’. It describes perfectly the shitstorm we are all caught up in at the moment, which of course, the great late George Orwell said would happen as the years went by. I also love the attack on the useless prime minister and the current government. Once again, a particular party is never too far away from the sighter on the Manics sniper. I also recommend listening to the second disc.
Particularly Nicky’s version of ‘Don’t Let the Night Divide us’. Although Nicky’s vocals could be better, the message and delivery bring home the message. I have seen many pan this album saying that the Manics should give upand tour their back catalogue, but I am not on board with that opinion at all. I liked the record, and I don’t care if there is an element of the kind of songs Blossoms make (Because there is.), so shoegaze pop. It deserves to be their first number-one album for 23 years, which is remarkable when you consider just how strong their lyrical content and sound are. Indeed, it is an injustice not to have scored a top spot since the brilliant and very much still relevant “This is My Truth Tell Me Yours”. They were right. If we tolerated it, then our children would be next, and that is sadly looking more like the case now.
Song recommendations: ‘Orwellian’, ‘the Secret He Had Missed’, ‘Don’t Let the Night Divide us(Nicky Wire Home Demo)’
In 2004, I bought an RnB compilation album called “Ice”, which also happened to have an artist I was yet to discover called Kanye West, and songs called ‘All Falls Down’ and ‘Jesus Walks’ complete with about three remixes of those said tracks. Back then, I liked his music and was interested in discovering more. Many feel it is offensive to rip off ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ by Daft Punk off their iconic “Discovery” album. I didn’t mind Kanye’s sampling of it for his track ‘Stronger’, and I also enjoyed the track featured as the title track for the Saint’s Row the Third console game. The latter was in 2008; that was thelast time I was interested in listening to his songs.
In the previous decade, Hyde Park was beyond embarrassing. His music has been nothing short of cringeworthy since then. His woe-is-me act while wearing a diamond-studded Prada (I think) mask at the British Summer Time Festival was disgraceful. Yes, he came from a low-income family, but you don’t rant about that wearing such a mask. His hijacking of Beck’s award at the Grammys was also a joke. He wanted to protest about Taylor Swift winning an honourand stole what should have been an excellent moment for Beck Hansen. Luckily for him, Beck, although visibly stunned, found it funny and praised Kanye for his work.
So…”Donda” is an album everyone has been raving about and comparing it to Drake’s “CLB” (I forget what it stands for right at this moment.). I wouldn’t say I like Drake’s rapping anyway. He wants to use autotune; that winds me up big time. Now, “Donda” lasts for almost two hours over twenty-seven tracks. I was willing to listen, but there were only three tracks worth listening to. The rest is just autotuned bullshit. It’s a shame because he does have some pretty hard-hitting stories to tell, but all ruined by that shitty software, ‘Donda Chant’ is just not worth putting on a record. It lasted 52 seconds, with a female repeatedly saying “Donda”. The three tracks I did like were ‘Jail’, which is rock-inspired, ‘Heaven and Hell’ and ‘Keep My Spirit Alive’, which took me back to something that 2pac and Tha Outlawz Immortalz might have done during their peak in the 1990s. Apart from that, an album shrouded in hyperbole. Utter shit.
Song recommendations: ‘Keep My Spirit Alive’, ‘Heaven and Hell’, ‘Jail’
This has been the female vocalist of the moment since 2017 (I think), and she has a cracking middle name with Pirate (I am not even joking! Look it up!). I first heard of Billie through Twitter but gave her a listen after some festival I happened to be watching. Two years later, she released her debut, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”. Of course, a lot has happened since then. Billie is almost 20, and she is coming to terms with people body-shaming her, being chatted up by musicians old enough to be her father, and coming to terms with her public status. It is evident in her sophomorealbum. Whereas her debut had more rebellion, “Happier than Ever” is reflective and downtempo.
Now, I am going to be honest with you. Her brother Finneas is more talented and has written some great songs with his sister and as a solo artist. He is also a multi-instrumentalist, which always scores high with me regardingtalent and songwriting. I spent most of my time zoning out when listening to this (I don’t fucking care if her pathetic little army comes after me for this. Fuck you, you little fucking idiots.), and her vocals aren’t that unique. She is a cross between Lorde and Lana Del Rey. When I first heard her after all the hyperbole, I thought, “Where have I heard that voice before?”. Granted, her genre choices differ from the other two, but you can hear them coming through. Every song fell into the next one, and I don’t mean regarding a theme. They all sounded the same. I didn’t hear much diversity in the delivery. Even on the rockier song (I thinkit was ‘Male Fantasy’? I can’t recall. I listened to the record two weeks ago and tried to figure out how to describe what I heard.). Do I have any song recommendations? Surprisingly, yes, but my God…the album just underwhelmed me. It only got to the top spot because of who she is. Here’s hoping her third record will be an improvement.
4/10
Song recommendations: ‘Male Fantasy’, ‘I Didn’t Change My Number’, ‘Therefore I am.’
Oh, dear. I am about to piss off many a fan of Inhaler by mentioning the old cliché that lead vocalist Elijah Hewson is the son of U2 frontman Bono. Many fans hate this tired cliché of Inhaler being roped in with U2, but unfortunately, that’s the way it is. I first heard the Dublin outfit after seeing their name in a festival flyer I discovered on the festival wizard (Fucking brilliant little website!). I already knew their background but hadn’t given them a listen so far. The set was only about eight songs, but I was left impressed, and yes, just like this album, I could hear thecomparison in the father and son vocals. Eli also looks a bit like his dad during the early years of U2. I would have described their set at that festival as ‘shoe gaze’, but this record surprised me because I could hear a more rock sound and, once again, drew comparisons to U2. In some of the tracks, you can hear the influence of U2 with the topics, bassline, obviously the vocals, and Edge’s riffs.
Inhaler has been making headway since they supported the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Despite the obvious connections and being signed shortly after forming, thisdebut effort has more than justified their position in the industry. I tend to frown upon this, but the band has shown that they should be taken seriously. The album starts with the title track, and from there, I was willing to give them a chance to provethey are worthy of their status. The album remains on that level as it progresses. I especially liked‘My Honest Face’ and ‘My King Will be Kind’. I loved the Indie rock sound to it. Of course, they go back to their usual shoe gaze momentarily, but it doesn’t suit the overall sonics of the record. Still, though, it was a good effort for a debut, and I enjoyed most of it.
Momentarily, I did start to wander. I mean, it’s not the best album I’ve heard this year, but it is up there. At the moment, it’s the Snuts.
Song recommendations: ‘My King Will be Kind’, ‘My Honest Face’, ‘It Won’t Always be Like This’
My introduction to Wolf Alice was either in 2013 or 2014 on Later…with Jools Holland, and their punk attitude with a hardrock sound caught my ear. My favourite track of theirs at the time was ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ (It still is funnily enough. I love the energy oozing out of it.)I can’t recall if they played that one on Later or if I heard it live at a festival, which made me fall in love with that track. Then, in 2018, they released “Visions of a Life”, which featured such tracks as ‘Beautifully Unconventional'(My favourite off of that record) and ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’. They would receive a Hyundai Mercury Prize nomination in a strong field that featured the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds 2017 and third album “Who Built the Moon?”. The judges who voted chose “Visions of a Life” as their Hyundai Mercury Prize winner in 2018.
Ellie sang beautifully that Sunday night as they performed ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’. Could Wolf Alice follow up on their Hyundai Mercury Prize-winning album? Some have failed, like the Klaxons and Gomez. The band had their work cut out this time to meet expectations.
However, Wolf Alice accepted the challenge of bettering “Visions of a Life” by employing the services of Markus Dravs, the man responsible for helping Arcade Fire redevelop their sonic outputs as well as Florence and the Machine. Many called this a bold move by Wolf Alice and a surefire signal of their intent; it proved just how brave they were to take a risk on this album and take them another step closer to more accolades.
What is brilliant about this album, and with such a great producer as Markus Dravs on board, is that the album becomes eclectic. If you are trying to understand what that means (Of course, the connoisseurs can sit this part out.), the album in question doesn’t just stick to one or two particular genres but visits a multitude of genres. Some might argue that this is a dangerous precedent; for example, Paul Weller’s “Fat Pop Volume 1” was released last month. Somehave criticised that record for being too schizophrenic with how it utilises several genres, but that makes a great album to me. Yes, of course, it is also lovelyto listen to a record locked on one or two genres, but the beauty of an eclectic album is your ear doesn’t know what to expect next (Well, on the first listen, at least.),so I applaud Wolf Alice for going in this direction. In the next paragraph, I will describe the various bands/artists I heard within the record.
Funnily enough, I contacted Ellie Rowsell on Twitter as I got to the final track and gave her my thoughts on “Blue Weekend”. I told her I found it dreamy and could hear the XX, My Morning Jacket, Lana Del Rey, Amyl and the Sniffers, Keane and the Temper Trap. That’s how vast sonically the album is. You have tracks such as ‘Play the Greatest Hits’, full-on punk, and you can hear Amyl and the Sniffers there. I mean, literally. If someone listened to this on a blank CD or sent you an untitled file, you would think it was an Amyl and the Sniffers track. ‘How Can I Make it OK’ is a rock ballad, then ‘No Hard Feelings’ is out of the Keane catalogue with its melchanolic sound, lyrics, and keys that TimRice-Oxley is synonymous with. The opening track,’the Beach’, is very dreamy and something the XX would do. The track makesyou visualise being on a beach as the waves crash gently upon the shore.
‘Delicious Things’ has to be one of the standout momentsbecause it is autobiographical to Ellie Rowsell’s life. In this, she addresses suffering social anxiety and being homesick while in Los Angeles, sleeping with a shady character who only seems attracted to her because of her status as the bandleader and taking drugs when others around her in Tinseltown are. Ellie describes the LA experience to the last detail with utter accuracy.
‘Smile’ is just Ellie telling you what she thinks of your views if you don’t like hers, and she does as she pleases. ‘Play the Greatest Hits’ will sound great live, too, with its full-on punk energy. This one will be great for the tour whenever permitted to commence.
‘No Hard Feelings’ brings the energy levels down on this break-up song with Ellie’s soft vocals, which has an excellent reference to the late Amy Winehouse by including her song title within the lyrics.
‘the Last Man on Earth’ is where the production of Markus Dravs starts to pay off. The track builds slowly from what appears to be a piano ballad but then builds to a grander sound as it progresses. It’s another track that will sound great when the album istaken out on the road.
“Blue Weekend” is a brilliant record with several genres packed into just over 40 minutes of listening. It’s the kind of album you won’t just listen to once or twice but the kind you will want to hear repeatedly. It may be a departure from previous material, but this is their best art to date. As the record ends on the dreamy ‘the Beach II’,your mind starts to wonder whether they will once again receive a Hyundai Mercury Prize nomination because this album is up there with “Visions of a Life”, if not even better. However, the record aims higher than just a Hyundai Mercury Prize. Look out for “Blue Weekend” at several highly regarded music award ceremonies within the following year.
Song recommendations: ‘Delicious Things’, ‘No Hard Feelings’, ‘Play the Greatest Hits’
