Uplifting

Week 21: Lewis Capaldi- Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent

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Apart from working in the studio on fellow Celtic fan Paolo Nutini’s album, where has Lewis been? Well, he’s been touring his debut album since the world opened up again and has thrown a few teasers for the follow-up. It has been four years since “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent” was released. Has it? Blimey. I remember doing a track-by-track review, but it was the first month of 2020? It appears not. Anyway, in 2021, he postponed many tour dates to start work on “Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent” and, as mentioned earlier, aid Paolo Nutini with his. I don’t know if Lewis is Catholic, but he compares love and heartbreak in biblical terms, which makes this album have more of a religious slant to it.

Now, a new term of music has been created to describe some of his songs, and that’s blue-eyed soul. No idea if that is now officially a genre or if it is just one made by fans. Honestly, when he does ballads, I’d say they are more melancholic than “blue-eyed soul”. That is…I don’t know what it is, but I know the term is adopted for his ballads.

This record resembles his debut regarding the themes, instrumentation, and lyrical content. Albeit, this time, he goes deeper. ‘Heavenly Kind of State of Mind’ explores the rollercoaster ride of a growing relationship, and ‘Burning’ appears to be about his relationship with that girl off Love Island (Meg, is it?) who he wrote ‘Used to be Someone You Loved’ about, where it was never going to work out.

Despite being nothing like the late John Prime’s version, ‘ Wish You All the Best’ echoes the exact sentiment of a male wanting to let rip on his ex-girlfriend but then electing to let it go and wish her well to move on quickly.  Of course, we see the other side of his emotions, and it is explored in ‘Pointless’, where he talks about being in love but also mentions his struggles with depression.

‘Haven’t You Ever Been in Love Before’ explores the anxiety of falling in love but being afraid of letting it wash over you for fear of having your heart broken once again. We can all relate to this because we tend to be close to doing or doing sabotage. We cannot let what happened before happen again, so we panic.  So, that’s what the first half of the record explores. In the second half, we see more of his vocal ability. I especially noticed his diverse range in ‘Leave Me Slowly’, where he finds his inner Michael Bolton. When I heard it, that was the first singer that registered. There are many other comparisons, but I struggle to find a better one.

Beautiful strings can be heard on ‘How This Ends’ to combat his rich yet melancholic vocals. Honestly, what else would they be on? Besides, a song about a relationship meeting its end? The final track is quite apt and quite insightful regarding his struggles with depression. The title is taken from his Amazon Prime (Might be Netflix.) documentary ‘How I’m Feeling Now’. You may recall from my previous review that Ed Sheeran had a song where the instrumentation was uplifting in contrast to his lyrics to represent hiding behind a mask, and this track works on the same level. However, rather than putting on a brave face after a personal tragedy, Lewis is putting on a brave face when the depression controls his outlook on every aspect of his life. He isn’t alone in this. Several other musicians have admitted their struggles with mental health, one of them recently being George Ezra, which he documented in End to End.

As I mentioned, this is a continuation of the debut record regarding melodies and the constant use of a piano. Still, as I also said earlier, the lyrics go deeper than last time, but there is also now maturity within those lyrics. For example, he laid bare his hurt on the debut album and expressed anger. This time, he appears to move forward and forgive her for hurting him while trying to battle depression, fame, touring, and giving love a chance. I love seeing this guy perform these songs live, so that is when I will appreciate this record a lot more.

Song recommendations: ‘How I’m Feeling Now’, ‘Have You Ever Been in Love Before’, ‘Leave Me Slowly’

8/10

Week 19: Ed Sheeran- –

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Boat:

One thing you will notice about “-‘ is that Ed uses a lot of weather-based themes to foretell the latest trials and tribulations in his life. Although the lyrics and his delivery are pretty heart-wrenching, they are encased with rays of sunshine regarding the instrumentation. You may start to think it is a typical Ed acoustic, but the song builds as the choir comes in, making it more uplifting over Ed’s heartfelt vocals. Some of you may not like it and feel it is the same old thing because Ed is out with the acoustic again, but I say, listen to his frank story.

Salt Water:

Again, listen to the lyrics as he goes deeper with another life story. When you listen to the instrumentation, you understand how apt the title is. You have piano keys throughout, which represent the waves engulfing him, and the slow, steady drum beat, which means his struggle to stay afloat as the water tries to pull him under. There is then a bright moment with Female vocal harmonising coming in, which represents Ed’s soul letting go as it burns him inside from the pain he is experiencing. The bridge is where the tracks have ethereal tones, meaning Ed succumbs to the waves as he falls to the ocean bed. He has accepted drowning in his sorrows. The track then fades out, which represents Ed’s spirit giving up.

Eyes Closed:

For once, Ed starts a track on an uplifting melody. However, the song in question is another heartbreaker and a moment of reflection. This one is a tribute to SBTV’s Jamal Edwards, who tragically passed away early last year due to an overdose. Jamal was the guy who gave Ed his early but growing fan base when Ed performed from his London home over the Internet. It is undoubtedly how I initially heard of Ed after a friend, Joe, showed me some of the performance through his mobile phone in 2009. From there, I would keep my eyes peeled for Ed as I was left impressed. Those performances on SBTV gave him the platform he needed. So, the track has an uplifting melody, but it is also there to show that not everything appears as it seems and represents Ed’s sense of loss perfectly. Why? Because the upbeat melody represents Ed’s veil of happiness as he carries on after Jamal’s death when really behind the veil, he is struggling to come to terms with it.  The behind-the-veil segment of the tracks is Ed’s lyrics, which reveal the true extent of his grief. Ed, with an acoustic baring his soul, is Ed at his best.

Life Goes on:

If you thought the previous track was heavy, put on your lifejacket because this one is gut-wrenching and pulls at your heartstrings—a deeply personal story. Cherry Seaborn, Ed’s childhood sweetheart and now his wife, is carrying their child when Ed taps into the emotion Cherry is experiencing when she hears the news. Ed belts out ‘it hit like a train’ to convey the feeling that Cherry has found out that their happiness is soured with news that she has been diagnosed with cancer. The track is Ed talking directly to you candidly about how he is worried about what may be on the horizon. Ed is begging his wife throughout to fight and beat the horrible illness as he cannot imagine life without her. Why is it called ‘Life Goes on”? Well, Ed is saying that, unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop when a tragedy occurs. If you don’t shed tears or feel anything as Ed pours his heart out about Cherry, then quite frankly, your body is just a vessel with nothing in it. Even though Cherry could not be operated on during her pregnancy with Jupiter, she has since had treatment and is recovering.

Dusty:

After the heaviness of the previous track, Ed switches up to hip-hop. The instrumentation is quite groovy, as most hip-hop is, and represents the light at the end of the tunnel for Ed, as do the lyrics, as they are more optimistic. Indeed Ed even says enthusiastically, ‘the future is so bright’. The bridge is out of synchronisation with the rest of the song as it sounds like something the likes of 5ive, 911, Boyzone, Westlife, et al would utilise in their songs back in the 90s. This track is like a continuation of ‘Salt Water’, although this time, it is Ed climbing off the ocean bed and swimming up while floating on the calmer seas as he gets above the water. Ed represents this with a high-frequency sound at the end of the track. The sound means his ears are unblocking as he returns to the surface.

End of Youth:

Oh dear, that calm ocean has turned rough again as Ed finds himself battling the waves that are dragging him under. To represent the sense of drowning and hopelessness, Ed utilises minor chords, which, if you have a good ear for music, are used in sad/reflective songs. To add to the gloomy mood, Ed throws in strings that match his vocals as he foretells how the grief drove him to attempt suicide. Another track that leaves his heart open.

Colourblind:

Staccato piano chords over loving lyrics to begin with Ed propelling back to 2013 when he was recording “X” and recording the controversial ‘Thinking Out Loud'( I am not going to go into the details about that. Just Google Marvin Gaye and Ed Sheeran for that story.), which this song draws inspiration from. The track is uplifting, and Ed’s happiness is heard through the vocals. When he was in the booth, he had a smile on his face when delivering the vocals on this one. Ed then tests his vocal range as he goes high and falsetto over a choir, adding that angelic and floating touch.

Curtains:

Ed showcases another segment of his vocal range: singing lower than ever. This track also breaks away from the usual acoustic and heads into the electric and rock arena as you can hear electric guitars, crashing cymbals, and thumping drums over Ed’s vocals. The chorus is even more frantic, representing that Ed is breaking free of his worries and rediscovering his zest for life. This whole track has a positive message for Ed and the listeners.

Borderline:

Once again, Ed sinks to the bottom of the sea as the depression takes hold. I call this the manic depression track because the instrumentation represents the manic cycle, and the lyrics describe the clinical cycle. When we get to the chorus, the song breaks free of the manic depression, and a bright sky breaks through. Very autobiographical.

Spark:

This is like swimming against the rough seas, represented by the bouncing beat before the drums match Ed’s soaring vocals to mean conquering the rough seas, which gradually get calmer. Ed is leaving his worries and his past behind and moving forwards.

Vega:

Another reflective moment as Ed returns to his beloved Martin in a song talking about the devastating news of his wife Cherry heard during the pregnancy and almost broke Ed entirely. He delivers his pain perfectly in the chorus—an emotional track. The track is very downtempo, but the lyrics contrast this with optimism that things will improve for Cherry and the family.

Sycamore:

This is a follow-up to ‘Vega’ with Ed and Cherry feeling relief that the nightmare is over and they can recover from the ordeal. Strings accompany an optimistic but wary Ed as he talks about being by Cherry’s side at the hospital. A clever track melodically because it shows the feeling of optimism and fear, which is what happens with an experience like that.

No Strings:

This is Ed letting go over stabbing piano chords as he expresses what Cherry means to him. After his wife’s recovery, Ed feels she has to know just how much he loves her, and that love is why they made it through.

Hills of Aberfeldy:

Remember when everyone mocked ‘Galway Girl’? I didn’t mind it, to be fair. I found it rather uplifting, but many thought it insulted Celtic music. He is back again with another Celtic song, but it will be warmly received this time. This is your typical traditional Celtic song. No fancy additions like on ‘Galway Girl’. The vocal delivery is that of an old Celtic singer with acoustic guitar joined by bagpipes and marching drums. Sonically, the track is calm, suggesting that Ed finds peace after a rough journey. Another ode to his wife, which looks to the future and ends the album with a message of hope and never fading love.

Song recommendations: ‘Salt Water’, ‘Hills of Aberfeldy’, ‘No Strings’

9/10

Week 18: the Lottery Winners- Anxiety Replacement Therapy

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The Lottery Winners( an unusual name.) hail from Leigh, Greater Manchester, and formed in 2008. They have supported Starsailor and have collaborated with Frank Turner and Sleeper frontwoman Louise Wener. They are with an independent label (Modern Sky) despite being in existence since 2008. This band still needs to be signed. Regarding this staggeringly, this is their FIFTH album under a small label, and member Thom Rylance says it is their album for those struggling with mental health issues. The record opens with a posh-voiced psychiatrist telling you to relax and begin the session. It also closes with a thank you for sharing; the session is now over, or words to that effect.

This album is about Thom Rylance’s ability to feel better about himself when he gets all his emotions off his chest on the tracks. Yet, at the same time, we can all relate when we listen to the lyrics and feel much better by the album’s end.

After the brief introduction, the record bursts into life with the fast-tempo track, ‘Worry’. I had never heard of the band before this track, but they gave me a Lux Lisbon/Slow Readers Club vibe to their sound. I also loved how the first two tracks (‘Burning House’ is the second.) were energetic—the kind of energy you want at the beginning to pique your interest.

We then move on to ‘Money’ featuring Shaun Ryder, who brings his Mancunian swagger. The track is very Happy Mondays/Black Grape-esque (Probably the new band, too. Mantra of the Cosmos, which includes Ride’s Andy Bell.)The track is about coping with working, being a musician, and longing to ditch the regular job for music. 

The record even has an ode to the anti-depressant, Sertraline, and is called such. Thom talks about how that particular one makes you feel better, and as I took that myself, I can vouch for that. I indeed related to this one. At this point, the album changes tempo and is more uplifting. As I stated, the record theme is based on a therapy session, and this record has reached the point where you would start to feel more optimistic and better for discussing what upsets you. ‘Letter to Myself’ features Frank Turner, as Thom addressed himself when he was 12, where he discusses how difficult school is but how one can overcome it. The video for the song is good, too.

‘Let Me Down’ features the brilliant Boy George and stands out for me. George’s vocals are like Galaxy chocolate and soothing, adding warmth to the uplifting track. You will understand it more when you watch the video of the child dressed as Boy George upstairs in his room singing along, and his father walks in, and instead of being angry with him, he accepts it and asks how he is.

I recommend this album, and I hope now that they have smashed that glass ceiling by having massive success with this album, they get on to bigger and better things. 

Song recommendations: ‘Let Me Down’, ‘Money’, ‘Letter to Myself’

9/10

Week 15: Ellie Goulding- Higher than Heaven

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Much criticism was given over her last “Brightest Blue” in 2020, with quite a few critics saying the album lacked excitement. I cannot remember what I said, but in all fairness, it was recorded during the lockdown, so if the record was more downtempo, then it is easy to understand why. This time Ellie has decided to bring more uplifting dance-like music. The album is full of synthesisers and thumping basslines. The record doesn’t give you time to settle because it is more like going to a club, and the DJ playing song after song that makes you not want to leave the dance floor. ‘Love Goes on’ is the only mid-tempo track, but even that still has some energy.

The album begins with ‘Midnight Dreams’ to start the disco-themed adventure and is followed by ‘Cure for Love’, a song about breaking up in a relationship with an infectious chorus. The title track shows off the best of Ellie’s vocals so far in her career. She then goes into that 80s disco, which has been used by the Weeknd of late on ‘Like a Savior’ and ‘Let it Die’. You will see what I mean by hearing them and the dirty deep bass on both.

What is a shame, but probably understandable on the record, given its disco and uplifting instrumentals, is that Ellie focuses less on her brilliant songwriting. Her vocals also need more energy on ‘By the End of the Night’. The record also ends with the trap beat inspired ‘How Long’, which seems totally out of place with the rest of the instrumentation that comes before it. I wonder why that happened. Ellie may be teasing her next album sound.

Regardless of the lack of songwriting and the peculiar addition of ending with trap, the album mostly doesn’t lack energy and is uplifting and fun to listen to. You feel alive and get this sense of being on that dance floor in the club. Also, what a way to shut your critics up who lambasted her last album.

Song recommendations: ‘Midnight Dreams’, ‘Like a Savior’, ‘Higher than Heaven’

8/10

Week 14: Boygenius- the Record

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Boygenius are a rock supergroup formed in 2018 consisting of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. The former is the only one I have ever heard of, and I enjoy most of her material. Five years ago, the band also released their self-titled EP. They share common ground, and what makes Boygenius dynamic is their similar tastes in authors and poets. There is more than just a love of music, and unlike most supergroups, this has been formed on music and other passions to make the chemistry extra special. They also have their unique style of writing. Julien Baker is more melancholic, whereas Phoebe Bridgers, although she can sing softly, brings more energy, and Lucy Dacus brings consciousness to the fore.

Here is my track-by-track review of “the Record”:

Without You Without Them:

The opening track begins with the trio singing acapella. The trio exchanging cyphers. 

$20:

This has Julien Baker written all over it (Although I only know of Phoebe’s work, I did a little listening research.), where she gets political and her watermark guitar riffs, which, when you listen to her work, your ear picks up on the familiarity. Of course, as it is a trio, Lucy and Phoebe find a space on the track, with Bridgers doing a 90s-esque grunge rock scream, and Dacus leads the line during the fast tempo and fleshy verses.

Emily, I’m Sorry:

This song is split into two parts. The song title doesn’t fit the narrative that you should expect it to. Instead of being an audio apology letter to a specific individual, it discusses how uncertain life was during the pandemic ( depending on where you live.). You can hear Phoebe’s solo work coming through, but it also shows Boygenius working together to give it that unique sound. 

True Blue: 

This is quite obviously the turn of Lucy again. Why? Because her vocals are at the forefront, whereas Julien and Phoebe’s are more muted. This track is mellow and mid-tempo compared to what has happened so far. You can tell the band work democratically.

Cool About it:

We finally get to the acoustic song on the album with a cameo appearance from the banjo. The track could be described as folk-rock. Each member exchanges a cypher with different variations of bumping into the dreaded ex. The cyphers showcase just how talented each individual is at songwriting.

Not Strong Enough:

Just listening to this, you can tell that Sheryl Crow heavily influenced the trio. The track discusses the hotbed issue of the treatment of women (to this day, unfortunately.) within the industry. The instrumentation itself goes back to the sound more akin to ‘$20’ before developing into something more uplifting, which creates a rush of blood in your body. Synths feature on the bridge, and the strumming of the guitar with effects gives it that indie blend. I can imagine this one doing quite well on the tour. Although the lyrics are blunt, there is a sense of this becoming a tour anthem.

Revolution 0:

Another tender acoustic ballad to welcome in the second half of the album. The song has a frustrated delivery by Phoebe to match the writing. Phoebe ponders what love is and why it is called that if it isn’t love. 

Leonard Cohen:

Well, this is one of the favourite poets they all adore. The late Leonard Cohen was one of the best poets around. There is a nod to one of his tracks from 1992 called ‘the Anthem’. The track is, funnily enough, the shortest on the album, but in no terms does it mean they are insulting his memory. The band discuss the song’s meaning, which is about accepting your own imperfections. Lucy also has an Easter Egg in her verse, so listen out for that. Clue: It has already featured on the album.

Satanist:

This track features dirty and heavy riffs as Phoebe lets out a scream you will hear in many grunge songs. The track changes tempo again after the instrumental break after the bridge with Julien’s question about satanism as the song changes to downtempo and absent of guitars.

We’re in Love:

Phoebe has been taking over a bit with her songs, but Lucy steps up this time, showcasing her ability to write a specific feeling and deliver it on the instrumental. It also sees the band move away temporarily from the rock wall of sound (Depending on what your idea of “rock” is.).

Anti-Curse:

Julien’s turn, this time with a song which talks about romance. After the bridge is the best section of the song, as we hear full-on guitars with cascading drums.

Letter to an Old Poet:

By this point, I was starting to wonder if there was a democracy in the band as we heard yet another Phoebe trademark song. The track is about surrendering to what you used to be. It also has recycled lyrics from ‘Me & My Dog’, featured on the trio’s 2018 extended play. You can hear a crowd in the background. As the song gently fades, Phoebe closes with a message of hope.

You may think, by reading this, that the album is a fantastic listen. Unfortunately, I have masked that by measuring each track individually. Overall, I felt that for a band dubbed “rock”, there were many downtempo moments and many of the shoegaze side of indie. For me, the term “rock” has not been categorised all that well. There are sub-genres, in fact, many for rock, and this one falls under alternative/indie/shoegaze for me. This was more akin to an album by the XX than full-on rock. I was looking forward to hearing “the Record”, but I had to listen to it twice because my concentration wavered somewhat on the first listen. I felt it was all relatively tame for a “rock” album. There is more energy in a Phoebe Bridgers live performance than this.

Song recommendations: ‘Leonard Cohen’, ‘$20’, ‘Cool About it’

7/10

Week 6: Bastille- Give Me the Future

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This is a band I heard initially without even knowing who they were. I only knew once I saw them appear on Later…withJools Holland back in 2013 (I think.). Before then, I didn’t know much about them, and the songs I had heard without knowing who they were neither excited nor annoyed me. I remember Noel Gallagher said, “If Bastille had been around in the 90s, they would have been finished.”…now, I like Noel Gallagher, as regular readers know, but although it probably would have been true with the music around back then, I quite like Bastille. My opinion of Dan Smith and company changed after seeing them at Glastonbury, reading about them, and watching a few concerts on YouTube. Dan knows how to work with the audience, and they put on a great show. ‘Pompeii’ used to drive me around the bend, but that grew on me. I am often caught whistling or singing the chorus when I hear it.

“Give Me the Future” is their latest and fourth album, which has already amassed five singles. That is just below half of the record itself. Once again, Bastille plays it safe (Sort of.)with their usual songs, but there are some elements of new creativity. For example, the opening track ‘Distorted Light Beam’ takes some influences from the defunct French Houseoutfit Daft Punk, which is quite apt due to the band’s name. 

According to reports, Dan Smith began embarking on this album before the pandemic started and flirted with the idea of combining Bastille’s sound with elements of futuristic sounds. At the same time, you could argue that it takes something from the 80s. However, due to what has happened since 2020 or late 2019, Dan’s idea of this record has seen fact and fiction become convoluted, to say the least. Everything we believed to be fiction through music might be a reality now. At the moment, no one within any industry knows what is inevitable. We have seen the world shut down during these testing times despite it still spinning. Immense industries have seen companies and businesses suffer or fall, and music artists like Bastille suffered heavily because they could no longer go on tour worldwide. Some music artists signed just before the pandemic or after suffered even more. So, at the moment, it is no surprise a fair chunk of people look at the future with caution in mind. In “Give Me the Future”, Bastille takes all of that away and looks to embrace whatever happens in the future.

As usual, the band set the stall out with their dancefloor fillers to give the listener a chance to escape from what was happening and lose themselves as they mentally picture themselves enjoying life in the club again. We are gradually getting back tothose days and nights, but listening to music that propels us back to those feelings is excellent. Bastille have always beenknown for their hard-hitting subjects shrouded in upbeat instrumentation, and they have done just that yet again. The lyrics are pretty dark, but the instrumentation diverts your attention. For example, in the Daft Punk-Esque opener ‘Distorted Light Beam,’ Dan says, ‘It isn’t enough, if this is real life, I’ll stick to dreaming, come see what I see.’ That is powerful. No one can deny that that lyric reverberates the current feelings the majority of us have. I’d rather escape from the trappings of reality and stay in a dream just for my sanity. My standout has to be ‘Promises’, which is Spoken Word performed by Riz Ahmed over strings and other instrumentation. Why ‘Promises’? I am a spoken word artist, so for that reason alone. I love to hear what poets have to say. Of course, I like other tracks on the album, like ‘No Bad Days’, the title track, and ‘Future Holds’. The latter features Bim, who you will be familiar with if you attend Bastille concerts. Her rich vocals complement Dan’s on the uplifting closer with a message of hope about who cares about the future as long as we all have someone to love and care for us.


The album is also structured cleverly. The listener goes on an adventure where they will be lost but find themselves again. Now, this could be explained by Dan’s love of cinema. He wants the songs to be a cinematic experience rather than music-related. I only know a few bands or artists that use the method. Most tell a story, but not in this manner. I can only think of Clannad or London Grammar in recent times. “Give Me the Future” wasn’t made to pick out tracks and listen randomly, but to listen from start to finish due to the cinematic nature. 


Yes, you can listen to any tracks you like. I mean, that’s your choice, but it takes away the premise of the record. Is it their best? Well, it’s up there. Although, it is bloody short for a Long Play. The longest is the title track at 3:39. One thing I will say is, going back to “is it their best?” is that it is incredibly creative, and they have moved with that but have still kept that distinct sound we associate with the band. So, they have yet to complete 360 and lose their identity.


It’s pleasant to listen to an album that gives you hope about the future rather than being bogged down and depressed by the shit we are surrounded by. The record is uplifting and sends you off into a dream. 

The attitude adopted by Bastille is one of “Fuck it. Let’s have fun while the world is falling apart”.




Song recommendations: ‘Promises’, ‘Give Me the Future’, ‘Distorted Light Beam’




8/10

Week 45: ABBA- Voyage

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Well, everyone knows who ABBA is without even knowing who they are. Now, I am not a fan, but there is no denying that their music is funky and uplifting. At some point, whether at a party, school disco or wedding reception, the DJ has always played at least one of their iconic songs. The band split up 40 years ago, but through the request of Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus put their differences aside and reformed the quartet for a tour and new album in the here-and-now. 

The record is full of their signature sound, but somehow, they have managed to put a modern spin on it. That is what made “Voyage” enjoyable for me. I expected to hear the same old ABBA but was surprised by how modern yet retro the sound was. It is hard to describe precisely what I mean by this in words. You will have to listen to understand where I am coming from with that statement. There are even two songs based around Christmas, and my particular favourite off the album ‘Little Things’. It is a typical Christmas song with a children’s choir and all the other trimmings of a familiar, uplifting Christmas song. It will compete for the top spot for Christmas because this and the Lathums song ‘Krampus’ deserve to be at the acme. When was the last time an actual Christmas song was at number one for Christmas? I can only think of the Darkness’ ‘Don’t Let the Bells End’ in 2004. 

ABBA’s return has not been a damp squib as you find all four singers singing sublime harmonies with solid vocals. Whatever trials and tribulations they went through in the past have been put behind them as they appear as one on the record. Some bands struggle to see past conflicts, which can appear evident on the recordings of an album or even during live performances. Surprisingly, although the record does sound more modern yet retro with the melodies, the quartet has yet to succumb to the concept of using modern pop chart methods like including a rapper, auto-tune and those God-awful beats. For a start, ABBA has held back a track since 1979’s “Voulez-Vous” sessions. The track in question is ‘Just a Notion’; honestly, it was the only track I heard that seemed like ABBA of old. 

You could say that the modern yet retro sound is down to their use of modern technology. Benny and Björn have relished the opportunity of noodling with the technology that wasn’t available to them in the year of their split (Obviously.). And the retro part? Most of their songs utilise the typical minor to major to minor key. I enjoyed their implementation of strings on ‘Ode to Freedom’, the final track of the album. It is utterly orchestral and a terrific and glorious way to sign off.

There is room for Celtic pop and a ballad about the environment with ‘When You Danced with Me’ and ‘Bumble Bee’, respectively. ABBA foretell about their return on ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, one of their teaser singles released in September. The other is ‘I Can be That Woman’, a story about rekindling a love lost through alcoholism. The protagonist, portrayed by Anni-Frid, has overcome alcoholism and wants another chance. However, an argument occurs in front of a dog, and she is visibly frightened by the heated exchange. Indeed, Anni-Frid mentions in the lyrics that the female dog jerks every time the male swears at his former lover. Although the song sounds great, the lyrics are far more sinister. Now, you might need to pick it up or pay more attention when listening to the track because the instrumentation conceals the subject’s realism. Still, when you check out the lyrics, you will realise just how sinister the subject is. In a way, it is like the Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’.

Another favourite of mine was ‘Keep an Eye on Dan’ (If you know why, you already know.). Another quite sinister track where a child called Dan (Again, obviously.) is being dropped off by his mother to spend time with his father as agreed during a custody battle in court. The mother appears anxious to let her son spend time with his father. 

Indeed, as she drops him off, she drives around the bend, punching the steering wheel as her heart aches. It might not be evident during the vocal delivery, but the lyrics depict a mother who is angry, frightened and full of anxiety at the thought of leaving her son in the hands of her former husband/lover. ABBA has appeared as the master of disguising melancholy within uplifting melodies on “Voyage”. The graphic shows should be something else with the broad sounds and subjects offered.

Song recommendations: ‘Little Things’, ‘Keep an Eye on Dan’, ‘I Can be That Woman.’

Week 44: Ed Sheeran- =

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I am going to do a brief track-by-track summary from Ed’s final album using mathematical symbols (Or so he says.):

Tides: 

This track sounds akin to ‘Castle on the Hill’ from his previous and best album so far “, ÷“. I also felt it had a touch of Oasis, Sam Fender, and Bon Iver. You can tell by the subject that Ed has grown up as he talks about his family rather than being drunk or high on nights out. Some might say the title is aptly named as life has changing tides and our responsibilities become more.

Shivers:

This was the second single off the record and reached the top spot in the first week of release. This is more a track about Ed witnessing others having fun and enjoying life again as the world slowly opens up after the pandemic. The tempo is ideal for vibes on a night out with elements of uplifting dance.

First Times:

We became accustomed to this typical Ed Sheeran song before and after his debut album “+”. Ed once again picks up his acoustic Martin & Co Junior, telling fables about his life, from his success of playing out and controlling EE Stadium(Wembley)to his marriage to Cherry and the birth of his daughter. Strings accompany this gentle ballad, and has an Irish folk feel to it. After all, Ed grew up listening to the likes of Planxty.

Bad Habits: 

Everyone wondered if Ed still had it after taking a sabbatical, but in the summer, he proved that when this track became the summer anthem. Originally, Ed had no plans to release this as the teaser, nor did he want it to play out as the record’s theme. However, Ed saw that people wanted to go out and enjoy themselves again after lockdown, so he tried to reflect that in the song.

Overpass Graffiti:

This uplifting track around synthesisers reminded me of Dua Lipa’s ‘Be the One’ from 2017. It even follows the same theme of Dua’s song: love. The track also has Bon Iver-Esque vocal overlays.

the Joker and the Queen:

This Piano ballad with strings about love reminded me of Bread’s ‘Make it with You’ and sounded briefly melodically like the Noisette’s ‘Never Forget You’. It also reminded me of the music in the 60s for some reason.

Leave Your Life:

Ed told Jools Holland that he wrote this song for his daughter so that she is always among his thoughts, even when he is on the road. It was also inspired after a close friend passed away. It features Ed beatboxing, a string sample looped during the verses., and how he remains faithful to his wife and daughter no matter how far away he is.

Collide:

It has shades of Jimmy Cliff’s version of ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ with its implementation of maracas and the drumbeat. There is a haunting keyboard effect, pan pipes. The sensation can be described as being under a waterfall in the African jungle, as Ed assures you everything will be okay. The outro brings in the piano. The track is a top-heavy production.

2step:

So far, Ed hasn’t rapped on the album until now, albeit he does it sparingly. This is like an Usher RnB beat with a looping guitar riff as Ed touches on love, the common dominator on the record.

Stop the Rain:

An acoustic track with electronic drums, a funky bassline and synths. Sounds a bit Latin too.

Love in Slow Motion:

Ed isn’t just driven by music anymore—an ode to his wife about making their marriage the utmost priority in his hectic life. The song features a mandolin and his trusty acoustic friend. The track sounds like a combination of the Goo Goo Dolls ‘Iris’ and the Corrs’ ‘Falling in Love’.

Visiting Hours:

Ed wrote this about his late friend, mentioned under ‘Leave Your Life’ by Michael Gudinski. Ed lets out his raw emotion as he laments that he won’t be able to share future experiences with his friend and that he wishes there were visiting hours in heaven to update Michael and still see him. Again, the song features acoustic accompanied by piano with a choir during the chorus, strings at the breakdown, and horns and synths.

Sandman:

I imagine this lullaby was created as a song to send Lyra to sleep instead of him reading her a story. The lyrics are delightful, with dreams of those beautiful things we let our vivid imaginations run away with as children. For example, Ed says, “A Snowman made of ice cream”…I mean, we all had mad dreams like that. The track features a xylophone (usually used for lullabies.), a ukulele, a tropical beat, strings and a music box. You can’t get any more lullaby than this.

Be Right Now:

The closer has pulsating drums, electronic piano, synths, and a New Order/Peter Hook-Esque bassline, and as it reaches the chorus, the tempo speeds up and sounds like a track by Georgia.

Okay. I lied. It could have been a more brief summary.

Song recommendations: ‘First Times’, ‘Visiting Hours’, ‘Love in Slow Motion’

9/10

Week 46: Kylie Minogue- DISCO

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

How ironic that in such a fucked up year, Kylie releases an album choc-full of disco and funk songs? We can’t go out to clubs, attend parties or wedding receptions to dance with one another to these uplifting tracks. That’s quite sad, and I’m sure Kylie would prefer we were all doing that rather than sitting on our arses at home before heading out to get food or go to work. I should have started with an introduction to Kylie Minogue, as this is my first review of her material. This is her fifteenth album over a career spanned almost four decades. 

Talking of her career spanning almost four decades, this record sounds like music inspired by the 70s and the era she began her career, the 80s. “Say Something” is the leading single, a chance for us all to enjoy each other’s company and start living life again. Most of the album was written during the lockdown, and Kylie used a makeshift studio from home to record and edit her vocals. Indeed, she wrote “Monday Blues” about the struggle of doing that (It can be pretty tricky if you are not used to editing your vocals or even instrumentation, for that matter.)

These songs will be heard at wedding receptions when they are allowed to be permitted again. Especially “Supernova” and “Where Did the DJ Go?” are inspired by Nile Rodgers and Chic. Unfortunately, the album has no memorable content such as “Spinning Around” and “Love at First Sight”, but it sits pretty nicely into the generic Kylie song department. No risks are taken, and Kylie sticks to what she knows is guaranteed to sell rather than getting experimental and surprising us all. 

Another thing refreshing was this record doesn’t particularly have any filler. It is all good, full-on disco/funk. Even the more downtempo tracks like “Last Chance” keep your attention and mood at the same level because it is straight out of pop. Kylie co-wrote this album, and though the songs are mainly uplifting sonically, the lyrics are more melancholic as they talk about the rollercoaster of being in and out of love.

As the record closes, Kylie concentrates on adding a character called Mary in “Celebrate You, ” which is based on all of us when we feel sad and depressed. However, the instrumental is uplifting again, so your mood doesn’t shift despite the melancholy. Another thing that Kylie has mastered is her music. Most of her songs are based around the heartache of a relationship ending, but Kylie takes that element of sadness away with her uplifting instrumentals.

Song recommendations: “Where Did the DJ Go?”, “Supernova”, “Celebrate You”

7/10