ALBUM REVIEW & STREAM// C2C – Tetra

C2C is a French turntable group that has won the Disco Mix Club World Team DJ Championship four years in a row (2003–2006) earlier this year they released their first EP “Down The Road” and I have just found a link to their album online.

The album entitled “Tetra” features all songs off the first EP and some new fantastic songs featuring other artists, C2C truly are a group to watch their DJ style is phenomenal keeping the traditional French DJ sound of Justice & Daft Punk alive. It’s hard to review every track of “Tetra” as there is a lot of variety, I wouldn’t expect any less from such diverse DJ’s. They seem to have streamed almost every track of the album via their Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/C2Cdjsofficial

Below I have posted my favourite two tracks and their mix for one of the DJ Champoinships back in 2005:

ALBUM REVIEW// Grizzly Bear – Shields

One of the most anticipated albums of the year and possibly the album I have been itching for the most is finally in my possession: “Shields”

I adore Grizzly Bear, CANT and Department of Eagles it seems anything any member of this group dabbles in is masterful and ‘Shields’ is no exception…

We all knew following up “Veckatimest” would be an incredible feat. However, there is something about ‘Shields’ which has allowed them to complete this task seemingly with ease. I will now attempt to take you on that journey, the journey which is their incredible return:

The opening track [above] ‘Sleeping Ute’ is reminiscent of the past GB albums whilst adding a new ‘modern’ ambience, unique to ‘Shields’. With hints of CANT and a very ‘In Ear Park’’ kind of outbreak towards the end Sleeping Ute is the evolutionary scale of Grizzly Bear. With this modern growth to Grizzly Bear comes tracks such as “Speak In Rounds” or “Gun-Shy” which carry concepts of the “Age of Indie” and “Folk Revival Period”, in which we are trapped, to a new individual level and definition. Much like “Veckatimest”, ‘Shields’ is an album that stands out from those of other bands to which they are often compared e.g Fleet Foxes and seems to be birthed from personal inspiration.

“The Hunt” is very Radiohead-esque with it’s wailing guitar and deep piano and does [controversially] bring another band name into mind: Coldplay. When I first read a comment on YouTube under the video to “Yet Again” comparing the two I felt sick putting them in the same league as have many others:

//people who compare Grizzly with Coldplay: Coldplay is snobish one-layer pop with vague lyrics. Grizzly is multi-layered, multi-influenced and well crafted music with extremely good lyrics and nothing like coldplay. – David Pint

//are you fucking kidding me right now?? get the fuck out of here with your stupid child like comments.- Helki Dovah

However, when listing to early Coldplay I found through songs like Shiver, 42, Don’t Panic that Shields has got a hint of that beauty and feeling. Obviously to a much more mature and powerful level but a level nonetheless. ‘Shields’ is teeming with influence of music in out era, it is modern and takes elements of  influential songs, be it “Knives Out” or “Yellow” Grizzly Bear are reinventing our era by using elements of it.

Unfortunately I cannot find a link to my favourite track “Sun In Your Eyes”, the closing track, so here is the controversial Coldplay sounding “Yet Again”

Shields is an album of evolution and it could well be Grizzly Bear’s most significant album yet.

ALBUM REVIEW// The XX – Coexist

Finally, the follow up to The XX’s incredible debut is upon us. It is different as well, it may not be quite as captivating as the first but this is probably due to the fact their sound isn’t so much as a shock as it was when we first heard ‘Crystalised ‘ back in 2009.

Coexist is like the return of an old friend. Just like “XX”, “Coexist” has not got a bad track on it. They all blend into each other to create another phenomenal album of bliss and beauty. Raw and relaxed, ‘Coexist’ is said to be influenced by “club music”.  Knowing that Jamie XX is a huge fan of deep house and garage it is obvious that some of the beats are influenced by Jamie’ s club preferences.  I think The XX have had  a good approach to their second album, considering they were initially not to record another album at all, this more laid back album is the perfect follow up to the debut that was so solid and infectious. This relaxed ambience to “Coexist” may not please all fans of XX as it doesn’t quite pack the punches of ‘Crystallised’, ‘Intro” or ‘Heart Skipped A Beat’ however, it’s the rawness of this album which isn’t trying to defeat it’s predecessor which makes it so effortlessly brilliant. Are there tracks that will make you want to sway and groove as much as XX? Yes, to some degree, but it’s a different kind of addiction you get to this album than you have every felt before.

I’m not going to do a track by track analysis for ‘Coexist’ as no doubt I will be praising each track in a similar way. The inevitability that everyone will buy this album in full also keeps me from writing a ridiculously long review. However, I will link 4-5 songs off the new album for download via Zippy share:

http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/48073330/file.html

http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/7884750/file.html
http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/37152138/file.html
http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/78648523/file.html
http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/60504413/file.html

Your Welcome

ALBUM REVIEW// Bloc Party – Four

It’s a shame no band from the early naughties couldn’t survive. Four is definitely the worst we have heard from Bloc Party so far…

Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight and now Bloc Party have dwindled. Who would have thought a change in drummer would change everything so drastically? I have been a life long fan of Bloc Party and one of their final gigs before Kele went off with ’The Boxer”, in the Astoria was (and to some degree still is) one of the best gigs I have ever been to. Now, I don’t believe that Bloc Party’s live performance will be anything less spectacular than it ever was however, I do believe that their gigs will be inhibited by the tracks they will undoubtedly perform off this new album:

1.) So He Begins To Lie.

This track begins with a messy drum kick followed by feedback and false starts. It is just a real let down for an album opener. How could Kele and the group drop from their electro experiments of “Intimacy” into this loud messy cluster fuck.

2.) 3×3

Kele chants “No one loves you”, which is exactly what I was thinking throughout the song. This song has sinister aspect to it, but it’s lost in the messy guitar and Kele’s wails. Just when you thought the first track was an anomaly 3×3 is that dreadful kick while your down.

3.) Octopus

At first listen I really did not like this song. I was thinking where is the ‘Flux’, ‘The Prayer’, ‘Positive Tension’? But after listening to the album for two weeks in order to see if it is a grower or not I discovered more to Octopus. It has the glitchy aspect of ‘Intimacy’ we all got used to. The chorus is fairly infectious and it is one of the few tracks that does stick with you.

4.) Real Talk

Finally this track is a breath of fresh air. It’s what it says on the tin, there is no messy guitar and wailing vocals it is clean and a break from the sharpness of the rest of the album. In fact it even has a degree of beauty. There’s a banjo in it! Who would have guessed that? This is a nice new side to Bloc Party… Until it gets to Kele’s talking at the end.

5.) Kettling

This protest song is a bit of a grower. At first listen it’s heavy and punchy and quite hard to listen to but after a few listens it is quite an interesting track especially in comparison to others. But if you are not going to have the patience to give it a few listens I doubt Kettling will be for you.

6.) Day Four

For a song which starts off sounding like a remix of David Guetta’s “Titanium” Day Four is a nice reminder of what Bloc Party used to be. Day four takes us back to the root of Bloc Party, glittered with remnants of “Silent Alarm” and proves to be my favourite track on the album.

7.) Coliseum

When I first heard it, I was in awe. Amazing! A new bluesy side to Bloc Party! But like most of the tracks on Four you are in for an unpleasant surprise. The cool and gripping bluesy beginning is completely drowned in the overwhelming heavy guitar riffs. making the entire song sound as if someone decided to give up on covering Beck and decided to attempt a Metallica song instead.

8.) V.A.L.I.S

Bloc have seriously gone pop in this one. Easy listening. Not terrible, but not what we all hoped from Bloc Party’s revival. Sadly, it’s just a little bit bland.

9.) Team A

In my opinion this is the other stand out track off the album and I hope it will be the second single. It’s fast paced but ordered much like “Helicopter”. Team A is what Kele probably wanted from Four, it has that old Bloc Party we all love with the powerful heavy guitars they seem to employ in almost every song on Four. Team A is a must buy for Bloc Party fans, it’s a shame I can’t say the same for the whole album.

10.) Truth

Another poppy track, however unlike V.A.L.I.S it’s not bland, like Day Four it has a degree of beauty to it. Truth is a track to buy even though it may be a cornier side to Bloc Party. Truth steers away from the heavy, overwhelming guitar and creates an ecstatic infatuation you will not find anywhere else on the album.

11.) The Healing

To be honest, I enjoyed The Healing. In comparison to the other tracks Bloc Party have churned out it is nothing but once again it provides a nice escape from the headache of Four’s heavy guitars. Nothing special, it’s just like a diamond among rocks.

12.) We Are Not Good People

They got that right. You’re terrible people Bloc Party, after 2 great tracks and the mellowness of The Healing you have to go and injure our eardrums again with the heavy metal mess that is your closing track. This closing to the album is effectively the final kick in the bollocks, lulling you into a false sense of security Bloc Party do not fail to remind you that their revival has been 3 steps backward.

A revival is not easy, they never are, many have fallen. It’s a shame this album is too “rough around the edges” for a revival but to me this album could have been “Silent Alarm’s” predecessor it sounds like a young group of boys playing loudly in a room…

I can see why they called it Four. Four years on from “Intimacy”, four band members, fourth album, ONLY FOUR GOOD SONGS.

Day Four, Team A, Truth, Real Talk.

The album cover is unfortunately as exciting as the album itself.

ALBUM REVIEW // The Antlers – Undersea

Undersea: “the serenity of drifting off to sleep or sinking to the bottom of the ocean,” is what The Antlers have described as their new EP and WOW, do they deliver.

The success of both Antlers albums made my expectations of Undersea very high, but this EP is arguably the best thing the band has produced yet. The most striking thing for me at least was the use of horns and effects  which created a new dimension to The Antlers’ already broad musical diversity. The album moves as one, a without a doubt adds this “serenity of drifting off to sleep” .

Each track stands out individually but maintains the same ambience of drifting in the ocean…

The EP opens with “Drift Dive” and an array of hypnotising slide guitar, soothing horns and synths which begin our slow journey undersea. We then merge into “Endless Ladder” an 8 minute odyssey of effects, soothingly sinking us deeper into relaxation and bliss. “Endless Ladder” is a side of The Antlers that has very been revealed before. In the depths of this oceanic EP it lures you in to the next melody of “Crest” , the shortest yet stand out track of the EP. “Crest” employs smooth, haunting horns, phenomenal falsetto and touching croon from Silberman and sounds like a missing masterpiece off ‘Burst Apart’ that drifted away. The Final song is entitled “Zelda” , the ending to our drift, sings out clearer than most of the other tracks with a relaxed driving guitar lead supported by more horns bringing us to a slow yet relaxing halt.

I could not recommend this EP more, it really is a promising growth to The Antlers and a flattering peak at what their third album may have elements of.

Below is “Crest”:

ALBUM REVIEW: ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’ – Bombay Bicycle Club

Been away on a Rugby Camp for a week so missed out a few essential albums.Here we go. The start of my many reviews.

Bombay Bicycle Club are back with ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’. The album starts with one of my favourite B-B Club songs ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep?’ which yes, I know they shamefully recorded for part of the Twilight Saga soundtrack. However, it didn’t feature in the film I believe, I wouldn’t know though as I watch real vampire movies/shows not ones where they fucking glitter in the sun. Why is it one of my favourite songs by Bombay? I cannot say, it just really gripped me and is the only reason I bought the damn Twilight soundtrack. The enchanting and almost meditative sound of the drone already gives ‘A Different Kind of Fix’ a different kind of fix to earlier slightly monotonous sound of ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’. The guitar and familiar drum rhythm gives a lively start to the album with a ‘Magnet’-esque feel, lyrics though repetitive and slightly simple do the trick of easing us in to a more experiment side of Bombay, a side which I would say they lacked on ‘I Had The Blues…’

‘Bad Timing’ is the next track on the album which was one of 3 new songs they played from ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’ at Reading. Bombay are a very under rated band. The review I remember reading of ‘I Had The Blues’ gave it 4 or 3 out of 10. ‘Bad Timing’ is definitely one of the more powerful tracks on the album and is even quite synthy which is a very different kind of B-B Club. It doesn’t quite follow on from the opener as well as you hoped, however it builds up to a grungey ballad the likes of which we haven’t heard before and although the grungey disonant chords remind me of ‘Cancel On Me’ and ‘The Boy I Used To Be – EP’ this still is a more adventurous and experimental song that anything on ‘I Had The Blues…’

‘Your Eyes’ is one of the more jolly and memorable tracks on the album. It’s different still. It’s not like normal jolly Bombay not too like ‘Ivy & Gold’ or ‘Always Like This’ it stands on it’s own and sounds almost unlike Bombay. The guitar is very Mystery Jet like while the vocal lines are just like usual upbeat Bombay tracks. One of the first things I noticed about the difference in material was that the new tracks are longer, is this a bad thing? It depends. It can feel over stretched in places but overall I find that in this track especially it’s more time spent in ecstasy rather than too much of a good thing.

‘Lights Out, Words Gone’ is an immediate favourite for any listener and was definitely a highlight for anyone who was at their Reading set this year. The bass, synth, and rhythm all make this a stand out track. A female touch to this track gives it a nice ‘soft’ feel, like recently washed clothes, or new bed sheets. The guitar is still very distinctively Bombay, a nice hint of older muted and fresh guitar which gave them their fame and popularity. This is a must buy for every Bombay fan.

‘Take The Right One’ is pretty good again but unfortunately, it’s nothing special. It has no distinctive Bombay traits and is just strummed guitar if it weren’t for Jack Steadman’s unique voice I wouldn’t think very much of this track at all. It’s new and I’m all for bands changing, in fact I think to be considered a great band you must experiment a bit, but this has not grit nothing that hooks you it’s just got a nice vocal line.

‘Shuffle’ is a masterpiece. For Bombay who started out with simple sounds and simple songs to then go and sample ragtime-esque piano and create something so different to ‘Dust On The Ground’ and let alone the fact that their album before this was a folkly acoustic album startles me more that they created such a brilliant new sound. This track is the new kind of fix of the album and another essential Bombay song. Jolly, unique, gripping, and contagious, buy it.

‘Beggars’ is a track that has the hint of ‘Flaws’ which for some reason isn’t reflected much in this album at all. It starts with simple acoustic guitar and blossoms into a bouncy and lively Bombay track creating a nice diversity in the album. The lyrics and guitars really do compliment the fantastic folk side of Bombay a side which unfortunately is left out of this album too much for my liking, but perhaps after a fully acoustic album that was a wise choice.

‘Leave It’ is another great track, there is something unique but also something classic about it. The guitar is slightly mathy, something you would expect from Wave Machines or a watered down Foals, however the bursts of guitar are very much like ‘What If’, ‘Lamplight’ and all the other powerful songs on ‘I Had The Blues’. It’s one of the more ‘boppy’ songs, a ‘bouncer’.

‘Fracture’ is a soft ‘Flaws’ kind of track. The electric guitar and slow emerging drums create a strange ‘flow’ to the song like moving down a river it almost reminds me of Bob Dylan style guitar in the background of ‘Just Like A Woman’ and creates a nice relaxing come down from the sharp texture of ‘Leave It’.

‘What You Want’ confused me. The guitar, lyrics and everything doesn’t  seem to fit. It’s messy, its weird. The guitar starts the vocals come in the synths build up and eventually it all mixes together. The oo’s in the background create a very distinctive Bombay sound which contrasts the very new kind of synth and guitar sounds. It is probably one of the most intriguing tracks by Bombay I have heard it really give this album something special, something odd, abstract. I never used to see Bombay as an abstract band until I heard this track.

‘Favourite Day’ again is like ‘Take The Right One’ a bit better I must say but nothing to special to report on so I’m going to skip onto my favourite track on the album…

‘Still’ is just fucking brilliant. One of the best Bombay track I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear. Maybe it’s because I adore Radiohead but this reminds me of a Radiohead kind of melancholy but it gives this album a phenomenal send of something so different to all other track they have produced something beautiful, soft, simple, melancholic and triumphant. This is my new favourite Bombay track and I couldn’t recommended it more highly.

Here Is ‘Your Eyes’

The Weeknd – ‘Thursday’ Free Mixtape/Album Download. ALBUM REVIEW

Earlier on in the year the underground R&B all stars The Weeknd released ‘House Of Balloons’ their free mixtape/album and now here is their follow up: ‘Thursday’ I have already posted tasters of this album ‘Rolling Stone’ and ‘The Birds Part I’ and from those two tracks alone you can tell what kind of album/mixtape this is…

It kicks off with ‘Lonely Star’ in classic Weeknd Style with falsetto voice and pounding rhythm. It’s one of the classic Weeknd humming tracks which gets lodged into your head making it the perfect album opener leaving you hungry for more. ’Lonely Star’ is one of the tracks that has so many sections in it, it’s hard to put your finger on what aspect you like most. For example this track slows down towards the end which gives this mixtape a full flow as it leads on perfectly to the slightly menacing guitar riff and russian-esque rhythm of ‘Life of the Party’. It’s odd. Not like usual Weeknd, however it does give the impression of a sort of fucked up fun-house which kind of relates back to ‘House Of Balloons’ it’s definitely the darkest track I’ve heard from The Weeknd which kind of makes it the most interesting. People will have mixed emotions about ‘Life Of The Party’ but in my opinion it’s an interesting edgy side of The Weeknd we haven’t heard before. ‘Thursday’ being the title track is anticipated as one of the better tracks. In my opinion it’s kind of dull. It’s very long winded, the majority of the singing is repeated lines or lyricless melodic moans. It’s still a damn sight better than most R&B, the beat is still very entrancing and taking note of the word ‘melodic’ in my last sentence even the repeated moans and echoes of ‘Thursday’ are easy on the ears and relaxing. I think the only reason this seemed to be a let down is because this was the title track. ‘The Zone’ is time for everyones favourite rapper to join in, only kidding it’s fucking Drake. I must give it to him though, he didn’t ruin it. In fact Drake coming into the song is kind of refreshing it’s different so it’s interesting but where this track fails is where ‘Thursday’ failed. The expectation of this song being better than the others purely because a bigger artist is involved really is what makes you disappointed. It’s just like the song before it, long winded, this 7 minute ride isn’t at all like having a long, slow climb up to steep drop on a roller coaster in fact is more like a double ride on ‘It’s a small world after all’. Luckily, ‘The Birds’ are here to fix the albums past to anti climaxes. If you haven’t heard ‘The Birds Part 1’ it’s the first Weeknd song to get. It has a military drum roll to it and a classic R&B charm to it, whist still maintaing The Weeknd’s melancholic style. This is hands down the best song off the mixtape, it has everything you could want It has soft section with acoustic guitar and enchanting vocals towards the end and if that isn’t enough the softer more relaxing style of ‘The Birds Part 2’ should be enough. Part 2 is enriched with some brass and shaky guitar and sections with a ghostly, child-like voice all creating a nice contrast in part 2 to part 1’s powerful military rhythm. Next is ‘Rolling Stone’  which is another favourite of mine, just a simple reverb vocal and acoustic guitar song but with a gripping vocal line and a nice repetitive nature to it making you want to stick it on repeat for hours. ‘Gone’ is the longest track on the album/mixtape and again is pretty long winded but this time it changes towards the end however it’s only toward the last 2 minutes so if you tolerate the first 6 minutes of bland computerised synthy ornaments and the same kind of vocals you heard in ‘The Zone’ and ‘Thursday’  then you will get to an only slightly different kind of the thing at the end of the song. ‘Heaven Or Las Vegas’ has a reggae kind of tint to it. Merging the military style rhythm of ‘The Birds Part 1’ with a more reggae styled bass line and smooth guitar riff’s and ornaments gives ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’ a nice fresh feel to it. Towards the end of the track everything fades out in very smooth way with fading trumpets fanfare-ing in a reggae style creating a very refreshing end to a slightly monotonous album.

All I can say is at least The Weeknd are experimenting. There is a clear distinction between the softer more relaxing ‘Thursday’ and the more edgy, haunting and gripping  ‘House Of Balloons’

Tell me what you think: CLICK TO DOWNLOAD ‘THURSDAY’ BY THE WEEKND

 

Beirut – The Rip Tide // ALBUM REVIEW

Now don’t worry, the album isn’t quite as boring as it’s cover. You have already heard ‘East Harlem’, ‘Port Of Call’, ‘Santa Fe’ and ‘Goshen’ and you can already tell from just those songs Beirut’s ‘The Rip Tide’ is going to be an interesting album.

‘A Candle’s Fire’ opens the album, it has a very similar start to ‘East Harlem’ and is a great great to start off The Rip Tide. The powerful fanfare introduction floods us with the regular folky sound and the softer verses lead by ukelele entrance us and grip us immediately, the rest of the song is a triumphant and joyous celebration and leads perfectly onto the next track…

‘Santa Fe’ sounds different to the live versions I had heard before, it has something electronic about it, the organ line that emerges towards the end again emphasises a different side of folk from Beirut. The drum beat is very repetitive to kind of drill the contagious rhythm into our heads, however the trumpets explode into action again and even with the repeating drum rhythm and electronic organ and keyboards adds the classic Beirut sound.

‘East Harlem’ is the next track and even though I have listened to it 1,000,000 times it’s still my favourite. It’s been voted one of the best tracks of 2011 and in many ways I agree. It was the return of Beirut and is just a phenomenal song to laze in the sun to. The piano rhythm, accordion, and trumpet fanfare all add together to make one fucking brilliant and uplifting track. This track is a MUST buy.

‘Goshen’ is the next track, another we have heard before. This is the first track on the album so far that mellows us out, the solo piano and vocal introduction creates a beautiful and touching song that really makes an impact on you. Then, about half way through we begin the build up of soft trumpets and a slight marching band drum roll rhythm. ‘Goshen’ truly gives a chance to relax and get in touch with our emotions.

‘Payne’s Bay’ is probably my favourite after ‘East Harlem’ it starts with some violin and builds up into another joyous folky tune, however ‘Payne’s Bay’ has something special about it, it’s joyous with a hint of disappointment, it really does make you think and I like that. When the track comes back up from its break down there is a nice harmony between Zach and a female singer which is always refreshing to hear making ‘Payne’s Bay’ that little bit more amazing.

For the title track of the album ‘The Rip Tide’ didn’t excite me as much as I hoped. Beautiful still, however it was very repetitive and the only really grasping part was the marvellous violin line. Like ‘Goshen’ it was a nice moment to relax and get sentimental. After listening to it a few times I got used to it, there are many different parts to ponder and reflect on however the continuous rhythm did off put me and if it wasn’t for the trumpets and violins creating all interetsing parts I would have been very let down by this track.

‘Vagabond’ is the next track and obviously a favourite of the band, I saw them backing up Arcade Fire last Thursday and excluding ‘East Harlem’ and ‘Santa Fe’ this was the only other new song they played. This is a marvellous song, it has pretty much everything you could want from Beirut fantastic trumpet line, contagious rhythm, nice accordion part slotted in the middle accompanied with a catchy harpsichord (or whatever they use) arpeggio and a fantastic vocal line. ‘Vagabond’ is another MUST buy.

‘The Peacock’ is the shortest track of the album lead only by organ and vocals. ‘The Peacock’ despite what the name would suggest is a very minimalist song, with only a few chords and repeating vocal line it somehow entrances you into loving it. The song is beautiful and gripping and sort of magical in a very odd way. It’s hard to explain so I can only urge you to trust in this one.

‘Port of Call’ is the final track and is my other favourite, the guitar rhythm is just awesome, the trumpets and rising trumpets in the background all fit in together like a puzzle of a sunny english field, honestly it is the perfect song to finish the album with. Finishing with the song about a port does also make me feel like the ship that set sail at the beginning of the album, the ship that fought through the rip tide has come into it’s port and it’s journey is over. It’s so uplifting and joyful it really does make me believe that this is the end of their journey and really does make me think of this album as a voyage rather than a cluster of songs

Below is ‘Vagabond’ which I haven’t posted before:

 

The Horrors – Skying // ALBUM REVIEW

The Horrors are back with a follow up to their incredible ‘Primary Colours’ which was voted the number 1 album of 2009 by NME and received a load of praise. Is ‘Skying’ going to let us down?

Well you see back in the days of Strange House, The Horrors were slagged off by critics they had two real options, to sack off the music industry and be the gothic, dark band they were OR they could give a middle finger to all the naysayers in a rebirth. Of course The Horrors were reborn with ‘Primary Colours’ and they moved forward away from the era of Strange House (in which they were compared to The fucking Automatic) and moved into a whole new era of praise.

Skying does truly show Strange House is gone, I saw them live just three days ago, and  a few audience members were shouting ‘sell outs’, mind you these were the twats who were moshing to the beginning of  ‘Sea Within A Sea’. In all honesty live at Wireless I was disappointed, they were no where near as good as at Underage a few years back, but that was mainly because being the up-yours band they are The Horrors were not afraid to play all their songs from Skying which the crowd didn’t know and stretched them out so each lasted around 7 minutes long.

The album begins with a very ‘loose’ track with messy claps called ‘Changing The Rain’ this track was one the last tracks they were working on but they liked it so much they made it the album opener and I can see why. The loud and loose synth flows in a strange entrancing way over the messy claps and strong drum beats this is all complimented by Faris’ vocals which gives a very erie yet joyful  kind of feel,

The next track is ‘You Said’ a very vocal dominated song accompanied by some shakey delayed guitar lines and light keyboards. ‘You Said’ is apparently a Tears For Fears influenced song with a hint of a lost artist Black. ‘You Said’ keeps you guessing and interested constantly, there is never a boring section, things get added each verse and each chorus and you find yourself spaced out trying to absorb all it has to offer.

‘I Can See Through You’ is the next track which The Horrors managed to bust out for about 6 minutes at Wireless,  at first listen you don’t think much of this but that is because it isn’t really like anything off Strange House or Primary Colours it is very different live, it was the one track that got the crowd going even though they didn’t know what to sing or when to jump. ‘I Can See Through You’ despite having the whisper of Primary Colours does have hints of the Strange House kind of style which will make this a big song for all Horrors fans old and new.

‘Endless Blue’ opened The Horrors set at Wireless, the lazy introduction was complimented as Faris wandered out with a cup of coffee sipping leisurely while the other of the members of the band effortlessly strummed along. The start of the track is a nice mingle of bass and brass giving a nice new sound to The Horrors and giving Skying a distinctive sound. According to The Horrors they wrote this song on a Monday, explaining their lazy introduction which then shifts sharply into the lively riff. ‘Endless Blue’ is a Horrors track which will be heard a lot over the coming festivals.

‘Dive In’ has a very hippy guitar line and rhythm to it. The drums immediately establish the groove and vibe and creates a psychedelic and powerful mood. This psychedelic feel of ‘Dive In’ entrances you into a dark trippy nightmare which eventually breaks down into a slow kind of mystical section where you hear only bass drums and lengthy vocals. This track is one of the more powerful ones on the album and the track builds up more and more until a sharp drop into ‘Still Life’.

‘Still Life’ is the first single from Skying and I cannot support their decision to release that first anymore than I do. It sends out exactly the right message of what Skying is about, it shows the brass which is a key new factor to The Horrors, the more melodic vocal lines and more joyful kind of tracks that makes Skying what it is, ‘Still Life’ is a must buy if you haven’t already got it, the synthyness of this track is very much like 1980’s kind of synth and it really is entrancing.

‘Wild Eyed’ is the shortest track on the album and it’s 4 minutes long, you wouldn’t expect a 4 minute song to feel like its over too fast, but it does. It’s very relaxed and once again the return of the trumpets add something spectacular to the end of this track. This one of the first tracks written for Skying (after Still Life) explaining its chilled out vibe and relaxing melody.

Now for the ‘Sea Within A Sea’ track to Skying ‘Moving Further Away’, it’s longer, it’s stronger, it’s got more going on throughout. Is it as good? It’s different. ‘Sea Within A Sea’  was less synthy this is very much like The Human League with it’s monotonous synth riff. I must say at Wireless when they were playing this I was thinking, when will this fucking end but thats because It’s a grower, but can an 8 minute track afford to be a grower? Was ‘Sea Within A Sea’? You will have to decide if you like this track, I do like it, it’s very chilled out and again like ‘You Said’ it’s intriguing it has loads of different parts to space out and listen out for.

‘Monica Gems’ is the heaviest and messiest track on Skying, it’s still got hints of the past, you can hear Strange House in this. However, it’s built upon the foundations of british music in the 60’s and is full of brit pop influence of the 90’s as well. Josh’s new instrument is used as the key instrument in this track and provides the whirring that is key to ‘Monica Gems’

‘Oceans Burning’ is possibly the nicest and best thing The Horrors have written. It has the brit pop tint to it again and the vibraphone and distorted whirring reminds me A LOT of  blur. A ‘Sea Within A Sea’ sized track again ‘Oceans Burning’ is very unique and very powerful track. Faris’ vocals really add a beautiful touch to this song and it really is the best way to finish Skying with some of British melancholy which back in the era of Strange House would have probably been released as a screaming pile if shit rather than this musical odyssey. The second half of this track, when the drums kick in and really drive it leads us into a fully of sound and power and it really does finish Skying in a phenomenal way.

Skying may not get as much praise as Primary Colours as it won’t be so shocking this time that The Horrors have created an amazing album, whereas 3 years ago nobody would have expected the next two albums from The Horrors to be as amazing as they are. Skying is a time machine throughBritish music eras, it has hints of the 60’s, 80’s and the 90’s and Is just incredibly intriguing.

 

Death Cab For Cutie – ‘Codes And Keys’ // ALBUM REVIEW

I wasn’t too convinced on a first listen but DCFC have done it again, there are a few tracks I must say I dislike and this is definitely not one of the better Death Cab albums but it’s still good and I am a fan of it. But anyway here we go track by track…

‘Home Is A Fire’, yeah it’s okay. Nothing more. Nothing special, The beginning is the best part but when it bursts into “colour” which is the same tune just without a vocal effect, it sort of reminds me of a limp ‘We Have The Facts And We’re Voting Yes’  track. I mean it gets a little bit more exciting by the end but thats pretty much it, not a fan. ‘Codes & Keys’ is good, it is interesting different from Death Cab’s usual stuff and this makes it memorable. The strings are enchanting and it just makes you smile and this is what I was hoping for from this album unfortunately not all songs are this entertaining. ‘Some Boys’ is another ‘Home Is A Fire’ kind of song, it is the same thing over and over and it depresses me that Death Cab have lost their imagination with this track which could have been a lot better. The Vocal line changes finally its so refreshing and you are filled with joy but then you are disappointed again to find out its the end of the song, but don’t get me wrong this isn’t awful it does get stuck in your head and it does grown on you, just it unfortunately doesn’t change very much and is a little bit more boring than I anticipated. ‘Doors Unlocked And Open’ FINALLY A LONG SONG. Most of DCFC’s long songs are brilliant, ‘Transatlanticism’, ‘No Joy In Mudville’, ‘Scientist Studies’ and of course ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’. This isn’t an exception it is a lot more interesting, edgey and catchy. This is probably because they have space to develop ideas so they do, their is a guitar riff finally when before most of the songs are pretty absent of dominant guitar lines. This is definitely one of the better tracks. ‘You’re A Tourist’ is brilliant, like older Death Cab it has a strong impact from the start and being the single it has an excuse for repetition which the other tracks do not. The guitar line is memorable catchy and just ideal for the song, I have no complaints. ‘Unobstructed Views’ is the longest track on the album and is interesting, soft, beautiful and reminds me of ‘No Joy In Mudville’  an ‘Transatlanticism’, it is a good track and is slightly minimalist in places just like ‘Transatlanticism’. ‘Monday Morning’ is another decant track, catchy, interesting and IMAGINATIVE. It’s probably one of my favourite tracks from the album, it has a certain happiness to it which makes it stand out a lot from the earlier tracks. ‘Portable Television’ is again quite happy and reminds me of ‘Diamond And A Tether’ off of their ‘Open Door – EP’ which stuck in my mind immediately. That is probably why I was attracted to this, it’s good, it’s ruled by jolly piano and is a refreshing part of the album. ‘Underneath The Sycamore’ is another of my favourite tracks. Led by guitar this track really does show me the Death Cab I love, and I think this is my favourite ‘Codes and Keys’ track everything about it is what I hoped for in this album. ‘St. Peter’s Cathedral’ is pretty good as well, the humming/ acappella background tune is a strong hook to this track. Finally ‘Stay Young, Go Dancing’ which is just awesome, happy perfect end to a good album.