Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

We haven't heard any new material from Yeah Yeah Yeah's for close to 4 years and after the fantastic 'It's Blitz' came out back in 2009 I have been yurning for more from this trio ever since. Mosquito however I feel isn't the follow up I had hope from by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it's certainly not as memorable or instant as either 'It's Blitz' or 'Fever To Tell' and it doesn't reach the astonishing highs the flawed 'Show Us Your Bones' reached. When I listen to this album I often feel like I'm listening to a band that had a long period of writers block during the album writing process and it's an album that provides very few highs and an astonishing amount of misfires. It's not as if the is anything particularly offensive on this album, it's just I always leave this album feeling like the is no reason to come back at all, and that's the first time I've felt this way about a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album; as far away from bad as it may be it's equally as distant from being 'great'. Song's such as 'Mosquito' and 'Area 51' come off as a band completely going by the motions and that's a real shame. 

Music Video: A Primitive Evolution - We Are Lost

A Primitive Evolution are an alternative rock/blues band from Toronto whose accolades read pretty impressively for any upcoming band with various festival appearances, support slots with popular acts such as Billy Talent and coming 2nd in a regional hard rock competition; it's fairly clear to me that this band has appeal. What struck me was how polished and high budget this music video is for an unknown band, with very acomplished direction & some impactful imagery,  I kind of like it! Now whilst this is far from my usual cup of tea & I cannot envision myself listening to this too much in the future I can definitely say as far as big anthemic rock songs go this is a tier above from your average band, and I can imagine fans of bands such as Queens Of The Stone Age, The Dead Weather and Jane's Addiction getting quite the kick out of it. Whilst not a huge fan I can definitely see this band potentially grasping a large audience, the blend of acoustic guitars in what is a fairly heavy up-tempo track & those harsh guitar tones towards the end adds a breath of fresh air in what is often seen as a very stale genre; it's pretty good but those looking for a revolutionary sound may need to look elsewhere. 

'We Are Lost' was released on debut album 'The Prize' last year & is available on Spoitfy 

 A Primitive Evolution – The Prize

Why am I rebooting my blog with a song I'm not in love with you ask? I got an e-mail and remembered I had a blog! I will now resume updating said blog.

Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man (6.7/10)

I have been quite a huge fan of Bat For Lashes for quite some time now, the first time I heard 'What's A Girl To Do' I knew I found the quirky female musician for me. Fast forward to 2012 and we see Natasha grace us once again with her third album 'The Haunted Man' and where the kookiness has left Bat For Lashes ambition has never been greater... unfortunately this leaves a distinctive lack of charm and identity. Bat For Lashes has never released a killer album, I found Two Suns to be a bit top heavy, but for me it's always been about those great moments Bat For Lashes produces on quite a consistent basis. This year it's all about the likes of 'Laura' which is an incredible conventional ballad with some real power behind it with an incredibly strong vocal performance, 'The Haunted Man' is quite an epic  , 'Rest Your Head' has a really nice dream scope underlying the driven momentum & 'Winter Fields' hits you in the face with an incredibly haunting yet driven sound. However this album falters, where the low points of previous efforts where mealy disappointing, the lulls in this album often feel soulless and lifeless & this can mostly be blamed on incredibly limp production.  The synths and drums on this album sound particularly pathetic as you hear snare hits quietly whimper in the background & with synths that leave no impression at all, I honestly couldn't pin point a single tone or sound a synth produced on this entire album despite their heavy presence.  'Oh Yeah', 'Horses Of The Sun' & 'Deep Sea Diver' are three clear examples of an idea not quite coming together  they all sound like songs with killer ideas in them but they never feel like cohesive and engaging songs threw and threw. This album is a collection of some incredibly ambitious ideas & to her credit she does have more then her fair share of moments where the album all comes together to produce something fantastic but unfortunately about half the duration of the album left me incredibly frustrated, underwhelmed and bored. I think these songs will for the most part translate really well live but I cannot stress how truly awful the production is at times & this hindrance really shows up some of the flaws of the song writing.

+ 'Laura', 'Marilyn' & a few others are really strong songs; some of her best to date
+ Shows a lot of ambition
+ Should translate well live with a lot of big moments which will sound much better without lifeless drums

- A lot of songs don't quite come together as well as I would have liked
- The production is awful, the drums & synths have no presence and it's often way too bassy
- This album lacks true identity, relies a bit heavily on sounding 80's & conventional

The XX - Coexist (4.0/10)

Lets get this right out of the way, the self titled album, yeah I didn't like that (aside from a few choice moments) I thought the album was several levels of bland and had nothing in the way of sincerity or even likeability as this very stylised and constructed image that swamped the band from the get go tried to cover up quite shallow and insubstantial music. 'Coexist' seems to only continue in this trend as it seems to strip what little character the was to be found on the debut entirely leaving a collection of very minimal and broody songs that have that fake emotional whimper slapped all over it. I understand why they're popular and even had a few awards thrown their way but this album just amplifies all of the XX's weaker moments and makes a whole album out of them. The songs are mostly forgettable with a few moments occasionally shining through, the synth sound on 'Try' is really hypnotic for example, but it's thrown in between incredibly contrived, uninspired and incredibly flat verses & this is par for the course on this album. Aside from some interesting pieces of production from Jamie XX this  album is coffee table music in the worst sense of the word, it's just very bland & the sort of thing people in middle management would throw on if they're feeling conservative.

Recommended Tracks:

Jessie Ware - Devotion (9.0/10)

The is something I really love about melodic and understated pop music & provided it's well produced then the concept of it alone is probably enough to carry it to a seal of approval. Devotion is such an album & after hearing 'Wildest Moments' & 'Running', which sounded like instant classics to these ears, I was already expecting this album to meet my expectations. So the question I have to ask is does it exceed my expectations & once again the answer to this question would be a resounding yes. As said earlier in the review 'Wildest Moments' & 'Running' are both the sort of instant classics that most musicians could only dream of having with their strong hooks, strong performance & incredible production the really isn't a single thing you cannot like about those songs. But it's also the sheer amount of other songs on this album that also reach the dizzying heights of 'Wildest Moment' & 'Running' which really took me aback, for example '110%' is a more upbeat song with lush chorus but all achieved without really ever hitting the volume dial; the energy and melody carries song so as a result it never really needs to, and 'Something Inside' is an incredibly beautiful song with some fantastic melodies and harmonies in the chorus.... hell even the bonus track 'Strangest Feeling' is the sort of track that would normally stand head and shoulders above the rest of it's contemporaries. The vocals on this album are really top notch and accompany the understated melodies and use of instrumentation incredibly well, the vocals are definitely at the forefront & are generally significantly louder then the music the accompanies it, but such is the strength of the instrumentation you will remember and pay equal attention to both. 'Devotion' does bog down a little bit in the middle, the highs are not quite as high and the themes become slightly repetitive but this is something I found become less of an issue on repeat listen & I eventually found it serves as a reliable bridge between the start and the end of the album. Some people may say think this album is a bit 'Radio 2' or 'MOR' for them but for me I think this is an incredibly well crafted album with some of the most memorable songs you're likely to hear this year; it's clever, it's catchy, it's memorable & as far as I'm concerned it has all the makings of an instant classic.

Why - Sod The Seed [EP] (7.5/10)

I often find that even my favourite bands are often fully capable of releasing an album that does absolutely nothing for me, usually right when I feel the band is capable of doing no wrong, it was in 2009 that Why? became the latest addition to this ever growing list of bands. 'Eskimo Snow' was an album I found to be rather bland, it kept all the melodic scope of Why? but it seemed to lose the quirkyness along the way & I found it made for a collection of rather dull forgettable songs. As a result this latest EP from Why? felt like a bit of a re-evaluation, are they going a direction not meant for me, or was 'Eskimo Snow' just a one off? Thankfully 'Sod The Seed' passes this test with flying colours as it seems to be calling back to the sort of sound found on 'Elephant Eyelash' with it's focus on melody still firmly intact but with the added bonus of their quirky sound and hooks, something I felt was missing almost entirely from 'Eskimo Snow' and as a result the personality that drew me to Why? seems to be back in full force. The album opens off with title track and 'Sod In The Seed' which in particular reminded me of the 'Elephant Eyelash' days with it's soft chorus and rapped vocals over bass line and organ. This is followed by personal favourite 'For Someone' which does more of the same and then the very church organ inspired 'The Plan' comes in full force with a very catchy melody which could come off a bit hokey but the uplifting feel of the organ tone really suits this song. The closer 'Shag Carpet' follows a couple of incredibly short but very much enjoyable tracks which almost trade off as interludes between the start of the album and the closer which carries the slightly darker  feel found on 'Alopecia'. On the whole Sod The Seed has the very much unmistakable sound of 'Why?' about it and whilst 'Elephant Eyelash' had this sparingly this album breams with 'Why?'s' very distinct character and that's what I like about them more then anything, it's the concept & sound of the band that first drew me to them & whilst the lyrical prowess remained  threw out Eskimo Snow the sound I fell in love with was no there but with Sod The Seed it appears to be back.

  

Album Review: Port St. Willow - Holiday

Holiday but Port St.Willow is an album created with 2 very simple rules; Atmosphere & Falsetto. 'Holiday' is what I'd like to call a cohesive album and is something that really needs to be listened to as a whole piece and probably in solidarity with your eyes shut and preferably with headphones. Despite it's sparse song arrangements and atmospheric approach the is something really quite grandiose sounding about this album, it manages to pull off quite a large and urgent sound, and this gives some tracks a sense of umph about them that a lot of 'atmospheric' albums tend to lack, at least whilst not jarring the listen at all. Songs such as 'Hollow', 'Amawalk' & 'Consumed' are pretty great and have already become some of my favourite songs of the year, this album will be a nice tickle to the senses for fans of bands such as Sigur Ros and The Antlers, however on the whole I feel this album just doesn't quite tick all the boxes for me and as such falls just shy of being a great album. 

Album Review: Gaggle - From The Mouth Of The Cave

This album is the kind of album that'll get an immediate pass from me because it's an album with an experimental edge but has it's roots firmly rooted in pop music & for anyone that knows me that's pretty much a winning formula in my ears. Often this album actually reminds me of bands such as 'The Go! Team' just in terms of the energy and chanty vocal delivery often shown on 'Army Of Birds' & 'Power Of Money' in particular show this side to them with their 2 most concise and catchy songs taking center stage early. Songs such as 'Gaslight' focus on the noiser element of the band with lots of really interesting sounds and experimentation thrown in amongst the forumlar established in the early goings. Personal highlight for me is the beautiful and majestic swooping 'Hello Spider'  & the hypnotic album closer, 'Leave The City', which truly shows 'Gaggle' as a band with an incredibly fresh, dynamic and unique sound & that 'From The Mouth Of The Cave' is an album that should hopefully put the notions, that this 23 piece all girl band are nothing more then a novelty act, to bed.

Album Review: The Walkmen - Heaven

I've always been one of these people who will always say 'I enjoy but do not love The Walkmen'. I don't know why this is the case, they produce music that sound like my cup of tea and the sort of thing I should go wild for, up until 'Lisbon' I never really considered them a band worth following but here's the thing 'Lisbon' really grew on me and showed me more of what I liked about The Walkmen then ever before with some really nice interplay between band and vocals. This album though, frankly, is a choir to sit through. It's not bad it's just very dull with the exception of a few songs such as the fantastically brooding and building 'Line By Line', 'Heaven' & 'The Love You Love' but for the most part this album comes off very predictable & flat and is the first album I've heard of theirs where I felt this way. It feels over long as well even though it's only 47minutes & to me seems like  a shadow of their discog up until this point, fans however, appear to really enjoy it so maybe I don't know what I'm going on about but for me this a load of songs I think I should enjoy but don't actually enjoy. 

Album Review: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon

I've always enjoyed Phil Elevrum's song writing, it's always been so atmospheric and hypnotic but it has to be said I've mostly been left a tiny bit cold ever since it evolved from 'The Microphones' into 'Mount Eerie' and despite being impressed by the songs when I saw him support Earth earlier on in the year I hardly jumped into this album the moment it was released. In fact it's taken a bit of a back seat for other newer artists that I thought I'd try out instead of falling back on the old dependable ones & what a fool I was as 'Clear Moon' by Mount Eerie is a fantastic album. From the beginning where the album starts off fairly conventional and warm it slowly progresses into an almost apocalyptic atmosphere in such  a seamless & engrossing way that I feel it's a ride anyone should try at least once. It's dusty, atmospheric, medative & at times very noisy, so it follows Phil Elevrum's song writing ethos & is my favourite Mount Eerie release to date.

Album Review: Karin Park - Highway Poetry

I appear to have a real thing about Scandinavian female pop this year, I am finding myself just naturally drawn to their music & here is the latest one in for my collection 'Karin Park'. Karin Park is an incredibly strong vocalist, I'm going to get it out there right away, she sounds like a blend of Bjork & Karin Dreijer Andersson, but not in a way that sounds like pure imitation as she carries her vocal patterns with real confidence and swagger. These vocals are put to good use against some really quite textual backing tracks mostly made up of   synth and drums, these compositions are both incredibly catchy & complex with some really interesting ideas going on amongst the dancey flair. The more outright experimental track on the album stands out for me  '6000 years' sounds like Bjork if she were to front The Residents... a prospect that always excites me. On a whole this is straight up Scandinavian pop goodness with dancing shoes but with some real depth ,complexity and a sinister feel to it & as a result I love it. 

                                                                                 

Partially covers and partially original material the aptly named 'Electric Sound Of Summers' (I consider it a bit more analog myself with electronic elements) was apparently almost a decade in a making and featured esteemed guest musicians Stephen Lawrie of 'Telescopes' & Willie B. Carruthers  of 'Spiritualised' which is what makes it all the more surprising that, for the most part at least, this album really does nothing for me. The tone of this album is a very spaced out one, one that encourages you to shut your eyes in the midst of a hot summers day and to get lost in the music and whilst this works in some places such as the later half of 'Cheree' I just don't feel it working a great deal. It's the sort of album I would throw on in the background if I had it in a limited pile if it & were sunny out, but this one isn't likely to stick around in the memory banks very long & I would be hard pressed to really recommend it to anyone. It just lacks imagination and immersive qualities similar albums have & whilst I did kind of enjoy the cover of 'Some Things Last A Long Time' I'm not sure if the world is ready for yet another Daniel Johnston cover. The album is by no means bad just decisively 'okay'. 

                                                                                    

Album Review: DR. John - Locked Down

This is one of those albums that immediately make you think 'How have I never heard this guy before?' to my astonishment Dr. John has been releasing records since the 50s and influenced artists such as 'Captain Beefheart' and 'Tom Waits'  & yet I had never heard of him. Expect this to all be changed for 'Locked Down' is not only an incredibly enjoyable introduction to an artist with a truly gigantic discography it's also one of the best albums I've heard all year. The grooves found on this album are unrelenting and the hooks are plentiful, the is a lot of imagination going on here as well with some really interesting song writing... way more interesting and fresh then the majority of his younger peers. I highly recommend this album, it's a blast from start to finish & I cannot wait to get deeper into this mans discography.

Album Review: Tenacious D - Rize Of The Fenix

I'm not going to beat around the bush, to this day I still love the self titled 'Tenacious D' album and I frankly will never get over how perfect a song 'Tribute' actually is & the original TV series involving the duo is still to this date an incredibly funny & one of the best band based sitcoms I can think of. Truth be told though somewhere around 2006 when the album & movie double 'Pick Of Destiny' came out it all became apparently clear that the joke had long outstayed its welcome & 'the d' gracefully faded into obscurity. Is 'Rize Of The Fenix' even necessary? Well no it isn't at all necessary but to say it was bad would be a disservice to the album it's self, whilst not nearly as fun as charming as the debut the are a few giggles to be had out of this album and for the most part the song writing here is solid. 'Rize Of The Fenix', 'The Roadie', 'Death Star', '39' and the surprisingly hilarious skit 'Flutes & trombones' does justify it's existence somewhat but on the whole this album is one from a band of diminishing returns, a must for fans but those with a passing interest needn't bother.

         

Album Review: The Destroyers - Hole In The Universe

The Destroyers are very much a Gypsy Punk outfit from Birmingham, they bring the sounds from Eastern Europe and give them a punk rock edge and structure & as other bands have shown in the past this combination can really succeed & for the most part it works particularly well on this album. However this is a collection of songs, like I have said earlier about this kind of music, that'd fare much better in a live environment (ideally a festival). You see the problem I have with this album is it tends to grate after a little while, I dunno I just think the is limited appeal for this kind of music when I can't cha-cha in the sunshine in some field. It's by no means a bad album, in fact it's a very enjoyable one, but it's more an album I'd have in my collection so the odd song crops up when my media player is on shuffle, it's loud & fun but a little bit tiresome when listened to in a single sitting.

Album Review: Niki & The Dove - Instinct

Didn't know of this band until this past weekend when I saw them at a truly fantastic set during the Great Escape at the old mans pub Horatios located on Brighton Pier where I was instantly won over and put this album firmly on my radar. Comparisons to Stevie Nicks & Kate Bush are ripe on other publications but so I'm not going to dell on it too much but I will just confirm that these comparisons are accurate, only with a more tribal spin on their female vocal formula. This album is full of soaring euphoric pop songs & whilst it's not the perfect pop album it come staggeringly close with tracks such as 'The Fox', 'Mother Protect' & 'The Drummer' all with hooks so strong they should be illegal. I highly recommend anyone into the girl led electro pop or any fans of ms. Nicks & Bush out there, the is plenty to enjoy, even if it doesn't QUITE come close to capturing the totally epic and chaotic live performance it's still probably my favourite pop album released this year.

Album Review: Polica - Give You The Ghost

This is glossy alternative pop slathered in auto tune, but whereas often autotune often guarantees an emotional disconnect between the listener and the artist, this is an example where this isn't the case thus making it really effective. Like a crying pocket calculator you feel the raw emotion coming from the artist & it creates for a sprawling and atmospheric album full of swagger and sex appeal. Oh yeah this album is damned sexy, despite it being a very lonely, personal and atmospheric experience, it carries it's self with thick bass lines that love to groove & this makes it somewhat of a unique album. It's far from perfect but it is still an excellent debut & I highly recommend a listen of this, ideally on headphones.

Album Of The Week #2: Mike Patton - Mondo Cane

All that needs to be said is this album is Mike Fucking Patton lending his hand on Italian pop music from the 50s and 60s.... I mean after that description alone you should already want to listen to this and of course that's why I'm not going to say anything more then that. It's Mike Patton doing Italian pop songs! What's not to love? And if you think you've come up with an answer to that question then sorry, go away, I don't want to know you.