It's been a busy few weeks of new music, not all of which I can cover. Likewise, I saw a number of bands at End of the Road festival (which I highly recommend to all Dorset residents!) which I could write individually about... as well as Wolf Alice at Brixton academy on the 26th September. Let's see how much I can cover.
So, I'll start with an album I wasn't really waiting on, or indeed expecting to like very much. Lana Del Rey's music has always interested me. Intense, dark, yet accessible pop music with a real sad and bitter atmosphere. A pretty unique combination these days. All these elements are rife on 'Honeymoon', creating a beautifully sombre album, drenched in misery. 'Terrence Loves You' is a really gorgeous track, with some of my favourite vocals by anyone I have heard this year. Lizzie Grant doesn't follow pop music's trends and she hasn't here. This is a captivating piece of music and one to really immerse yourself in.
8/10
I've been a fan of Chvrches since the early EP days, prior to their brilliant debut - "The Bones of What You Believe". That album was a great collection of synth pop tracks, paving the way for a number of new and existing artists to follow suit. I don't think Chvrches got enough credit for starting that mini-wave of music off 3 years ago, but in my mind they most certainly did. The question was; could Chvrches create something refreshingly new without taking away their strong identity. The answer simply, is yes! This is a great album, and for me confirms Chvrches as one of the best British bands around. We are in a time where British bands are dwindling in quality and indeed in numbers. The singles released prior to album release date were a delight. 'Leave a Trace' and 'Never Ending Circles' do ultimately continue directly where the debut left off. 'Clearest Blue' was Chvrches sounding, but dabbled in the art of the electronic music 'drop'. They pull it off pretty well, with another infectious track. Something Chvrches continue to do with tracks such as 'Keep you on my Side' and 'Empty Threat', with the latter focusing on Lauren Mayberry's bold fight against misogyny, predominately on the internet. A real highlight for me however is 'High Enough to Carry You Over'. A criticism of the debut could be that Martin's vocals weren't that great. Here, he delivers some sharpened vocals which provide a nice contrast to Lauren Mayberry's youthful tones. I think Chvrches have a bright future, let's hope they can continue this quality for a while yet.
8/10
End of the Road was great fun. A pretty small festival, that is really well thought out and designed. I thought there was a real eye for detail around the site which added to the already wonderful setting. I really couldn't fault it. It has it's own character and atmosphere, which all good festivals have. My favourite acts from the weekend were:
5.Girlpool
4. Tame Impala
3.Django Django
2.The War on Drugs
1. Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco really did steal it for me on the last day (even if The War on Drugs set was more headline worthy and grand). I think Mac DeMarco is a the musical equivalent of marmite. Firstly his music is of a particular style that would certainly royally piss off the more classic rock audience that End of the Road did have (hence the younger crowd for this set). However, if you're a fan of his music, then his charm and wit really add something to live performances. Especially when the rest of his band are as goofy as him. Also, the sound levels were on point for both him and The War on Drugs which couldn't be said for everyone. The joys of a festival... The War on Drugs were pretty faultless on the last night and Adam Granduciel was astonishing.
Tame Impala were good to see at last, but overall the sound levels let them down. Kevin Parker's vocals were pretty quiet and the bass guitar seemed to be the loudest thing on stage. Django Django were the surprise of the weekend, with a great 45 minutes of essentially the same beat. But, hey it was fun! Girlpool played to a pretty small crowd but were one of my favourites.
Overall, a great weekend in my home county. The War on Drugs, Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco in Dorset?! Never thought I'd say that! P.s Fat White Family are dicks.
Finally, without waffling on too much more. Wolf Alice played the Brixton o2 Academy last weekend. Drenge supported and were on top form as usual. Despite Eoin Loveless' vocals being a bit half hearted at times. Wolf Alice had sound issues from the start, with the live rendition of 'Freazy' being a real mess. Eventually the sound techies pulled their finger out and the sound was greatly improved towards the end. 'You're a Germ' and 'Giant Peach' were examples of the better side of Wolf Alice. They were definitely up for it... Homecoming gig, to their biggest audience yet. For me, they were a bit sloppy for the majority and that was intensified with some pretty abysmal sound levels for the first half. The crowd towards the back where I was standing were pretty much static for an hour. Their second album will be a test. We shall wait and see.
Drenge 7/10
Wolf Alice 6/10
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Friday, 25 September 2015
Foals - What Went Down - Review
A quick review... as most of my "music" time has been spent playing vinyl. Yes, I finally decided to stop buying CD's and follow the crowd into the 21st Century (or back to the 20th century?! :/) and opt for the hug-able form of vinyl records. There really aren't many things better than browsing vinyl. A reason why I will never ever buy vinyl from the internet (I mean, really? What is the point in that). Tesco are stocking vinyl. Don't get me started. However, I urge the other person who reads this blog. DO NOT BUY VINYL FROM TESCO. Thank you.
So, Foals. The "math-rock" outfit from Oxford (only Radiohead to live up to then... ) Having used the term "math-rock" (yeah, what the fuck is that?), they are in fact a million miles away from that. The horribly average "Holy Fire" saw a change in their musical style, which for me was a step backwards and a huge stride away from what made Foals so appealing. "Total Life Forever" was lush in it's production and beautifully layered at times. More than anything, it was an incredibly catchy album, that made you want to dance. Yeah, even me.
So, 2015 has brought 'What Went Down' to the table. Early singles, 'What Went Down" and "Mountain at my Gates" both set the tone for a heavier, grittier album. The former I wasn't keen on at first, but it grew on me slightly. "Mountain at my Gates" however, I was a fan of from the outset. Yannis' vocals especially on this single are great. He really drives his voice through here and the outro of "Gimme my, Gimme me, Gimme my..." set against the hard hitting drums are a album highlight. Sure to be amazing live, I'd imagine. The hard hitting heights really do end here however... A frustration for anyone who really liked the feel of the opening two.
"Birch Tree" is a more classic Foals feel type of song. Which does kind of make the first two songs a false representation of where the band are going. Nevertheless, I like this track a lot. It's bass riff sets the tone, the guitars are twangy and minimal and Yannis' vocals are soothing. Towards the end, you are getting close to feeling the "Total Life Forever" and "Antidotes" vibe once more. Like I said, classic Foals. "Give it all" is next and really is an album highlight. This is a gorgeous track, with albeit another shift in style. The hollow and synthy intro, flows into a lovely and atmospheric blast of "Wooooooo, Wooooooo, Wooooooo"''s from Yannis that have to be heard to be greatly appreciated! Pitchfork, sign me up...
The next two tracks serve one purpose. Not to be listened to. "Snake Oil" I can actually listen to at a push, but "Albatross" I can't. I have no idea what the band are trying to achieve in these tracks. They are B-side quality at best, So, moving on to "Night Swimmers". Back to classic foals again! At this point, you enjoy individual moments, but there really seems to be confusion over what the band want. The bass and guitar work in perfect harmony here. Yannis' vocals are nice one again, even if what he is saying really isn't that interesting. At 2 minutes 20 however, the track does push the boat out a little with a grittier guitar sound to counter-act the twangy, indie hooks. It's bass and hard hitting back drop does provide a glimpse of what Foals could have produced more of if they had more ideas. A snapshot of what could have been? It doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch but it's something more akin to what the album looked like it was promising from the openers.
"London Thunder" is the classic (or perhaps obligatory) slow Foals ballad. The vocal delivery and build up of sound delivered in the chorus is decent, but outside of this there isn't a great deal to get excited about. The lyrics provide moments, but nothing compared to the imagery of say, "Spanish Sahara". "Lonely Hunter" is a real grower. Despite a pretty horrible intro (reminiscent of MK Ultra - Muse), which does sound like a Bond song intro it is a good track with a belter of a chorus. Yannis' vocals on the chorus are a real delight. "In the deep blue see the whitecaps from the shore
But I can't swim, and it keep me wanting more".
So, Foals. The "math-rock" outfit from Oxford (only Radiohead to live up to then... ) Having used the term "math-rock" (yeah, what the fuck is that?), they are in fact a million miles away from that. The horribly average "Holy Fire" saw a change in their musical style, which for me was a step backwards and a huge stride away from what made Foals so appealing. "Total Life Forever" was lush in it's production and beautifully layered at times. More than anything, it was an incredibly catchy album, that made you want to dance. Yeah, even me.
So, 2015 has brought 'What Went Down' to the table. Early singles, 'What Went Down" and "Mountain at my Gates" both set the tone for a heavier, grittier album. The former I wasn't keen on at first, but it grew on me slightly. "Mountain at my Gates" however, I was a fan of from the outset. Yannis' vocals especially on this single are great. He really drives his voice through here and the outro of "Gimme my, Gimme me, Gimme my..." set against the hard hitting drums are a album highlight. Sure to be amazing live, I'd imagine. The hard hitting heights really do end here however... A frustration for anyone who really liked the feel of the opening two.
"Birch Tree" is a more classic Foals feel type of song. Which does kind of make the first two songs a false representation of where the band are going. Nevertheless, I like this track a lot. It's bass riff sets the tone, the guitars are twangy and minimal and Yannis' vocals are soothing. Towards the end, you are getting close to feeling the "Total Life Forever" and "Antidotes" vibe once more. Like I said, classic Foals. "Give it all" is next and really is an album highlight. This is a gorgeous track, with albeit another shift in style. The hollow and synthy intro, flows into a lovely and atmospheric blast of "Wooooooo, Wooooooo, Wooooooo"''s from Yannis that have to be heard to be greatly appreciated! Pitchfork, sign me up...
The next two tracks serve one purpose. Not to be listened to. "Snake Oil" I can actually listen to at a push, but "Albatross" I can't. I have no idea what the band are trying to achieve in these tracks. They are B-side quality at best, So, moving on to "Night Swimmers". Back to classic foals again! At this point, you enjoy individual moments, but there really seems to be confusion over what the band want. The bass and guitar work in perfect harmony here. Yannis' vocals are nice one again, even if what he is saying really isn't that interesting. At 2 minutes 20 however, the track does push the boat out a little with a grittier guitar sound to counter-act the twangy, indie hooks. It's bass and hard hitting back drop does provide a glimpse of what Foals could have produced more of if they had more ideas. A snapshot of what could have been? It doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch but it's something more akin to what the album looked like it was promising from the openers.
"London Thunder" is the classic (or perhaps obligatory) slow Foals ballad. The vocal delivery and build up of sound delivered in the chorus is decent, but outside of this there isn't a great deal to get excited about. The lyrics provide moments, but nothing compared to the imagery of say, "Spanish Sahara". "Lonely Hunter" is a real grower. Despite a pretty horrible intro (reminiscent of MK Ultra - Muse), which does sound like a Bond song intro it is a good track with a belter of a chorus. Yannis' vocals on the chorus are a real delight. "In the deep blue see the whitecaps from the shore
But I can't swim, and it keep me wanting more".
The album closes with another single 'A Knife in the Ocean', which is an average closer. The echo-ey voals of Yannis are the highlight towards the end with a 'Climbing up the Walls' esque wail to round things off. This track does however, sum up the album in it's entirety. When it's good, it is really good... and it certainly has it's moments where it is a enjoyable and instantly recognisible Foals record. At other times, you really are scratching your head wondering where the band are heading and why they occasionally abandon, the formula that made them so like-able. That sounds hypocritical I know, as I do actually prefer that side to Foals. But his half way decision between new and old really doesn't work. Especially in the form of an album. I'm all for bands changing styles. evolving and trying out new ideas. The problem is, I don't think Foals know what they are striving towards.
7/10
Other album reviews:
Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon - 8/10
The Libertines - Anthems for Doomed Youth - 3/10
Chvrches. Disclosure & Kurt Vile all out Friday.
Here is Mountain at my Gates:
Here is Mountain at my Gates:
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