ALBUM REVIEW: Miike Snow - 'Happy To You'

Miike Snow are back in our peripheral view with their greatly anticipated second album. Andrew, Christian and Pontus are the part American, part Swedish makeup that creates the trio. This album has been treated as more of a concept than its predecessor, their debut was just a bunch of songs that weren’t planned out as a package.  

‘Happy To You’ was recorded in Sweden, they jumped from three different studios, one of which Abba once used to record. The album opens with ‘Enter the Joker’s Lair’ which is an ambient, heaven like dream of arrangements and layers, it’s seamlessly produced. They used all sorts of weird and wonderful instruments including ‘The Blob’ (which looks like a mini Dalek) to create a unique sound that is carried across the record.

‘The Devils Work’ uses a marching brass band; their in-depth producing knowledge exuberates on this track, taking risks and really experimenting, but not for a second did they lose my attention.

 ‘Vase’ has trickles of House running through it, which taps into the Zeitgeist with acute precision, the genre is currently having a second wind with acts like Azari and III and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. This track will make for some great remix parts for DJ’s to get their hands on, but the original is beautiful in its current entirety. That classic Miike Snow thwacking piano keys takes over on this track.

‘Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)’ is a complete mash up, the song twists and turns like a musical maze, but is delivered with such care and focus.  ‘Black Tin Box’ has distorted lyrics and is like a trip, its quavering synths make it sound like it could be the soundtrack to some insane off- the- wall indie film. The main elements of ‘Archipelago’ are its sprightly piano keys and twinkling synths, turn this one up loud. Paddling Out’ is a monster of a track, with hook after hook; it’s the obvious choice to release as a single.

‘This album is an enchanting and delightful musical journey; they are pioneers of experimental electro synth pop and ‘Happy To You’ was well worth the wait. The clear differences from their debut are the sheer amount of layers. The use of acoustic instruments keeps things interesting whilst they are careful to gloss over each song with expertise in the studio. 

ALBUM REVIEW: Speech Debelle - 'Freedom of Speech'

Published at:  http://sonarmagazine.co.uk/2012/03/review-speech-debelle-freedom-of-speech-big-dada/

It’s been three years since her debut, Speech Therapy, won the 29-year-old rapper the highly acclaimed Mercury Prize, beating off strong contenders like Florence + the Machine and Kasabian. Her new album is inspired by Tupac and has been produced by the same producer as Ghostpoet, Kwes. The happy go lucky tracks have gone and made way for political statements and earnest tales of lost love.

The record opens with ‘Studio Backpack Rap’ in which she samples Biggy, “it was all a dream, she used to read Smash Hits magazine”.  Backpack Rap by definition means a person that dislikes mainstream rap, “a person who raps about real life shit that matters and has experienced, rarely about pimping hoes/having millions/selling immense amounts of drugs/murdering random people for no apparent reason or motive.” This is exactly what this album personifies, and what a great note to start with.

‘Blaze up a Fire’ was written just before the London riots, and serves as prediction of anarchy. It was released just after, Debelle could obviously feel the unrest bubbling underneath the surface of society and that is something, I think, is quite extraordinary. It has appearances from fellow rappers Roots Manuva and Realism.

‘Elephant in the Living Room’ makes way for strings, and talks about a relationship that needs to end, because she doesn't feel the same about him anymore. There is a secret between them, and the elephant signifies that. She then flips the script on ‘X Marks the Spot’ where she angrily raps about a guy always talking about his ex. It’s angsty and hip hoppy.

‘Angel Wings’ is a little too sentimental for me. “I know these writers and bloggers want to hate on me.” It is very obviously an autobiographical song about her struggle to make it in the music business. It doesn’t really match up with the strong sentiments that are conveyed by the other tracks, it doesn’t resonate. ‘I’m With It’ gives us a taste of soul disco, its a nice blast of happiness onto the record.

So, Nicky Minaj has been given all this praise for being such a good female rapper? Minaj doesn’t have a patch on Speech Debelle. There is no need for gimmicks and fancy videos and a dressing up box; her music speaks enough power not to need them, It’s just stripped back talent. Thinking back to ‘Better Days’ and ‘Spinnin’ , which were two great tracks from her debut, Debelle has changed it up but kept her power, this album is surprisingly good.

LIVE REVIEW: The Big Pink - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

Published at: http://sonarmagazine.co.uk/2012/03/live-review-the-big-pink-wedgewood-rooms-portsmouth/

I have very mixed feelings on the Big Pink as I struggle to work out what their meant to be about. The fact that they have added elements of dubstep to their new album, if I’m honest is rather comical. It’s as if their chasing after a band wagon that left town two years ago.

 The sound was bad at their Portsmouth show, at times unbearable. I actually covered my ears at one point. I felt genuinely bad for them, as they had no idea. The sound trouble wasn’t strictly their fault, so someone really needs to have a chat with their technician, a serious one.  As singer, Robbie Furze ran up to enthusiastically turn the sound up, the crowd winced.

‘Stay Gold’ was a nice moment and they got the audiences interest back. ‘Hit the Ground’ was another moment where the crowd sang the lyrics back to them, along with ‘Dominoes’ and ‘Velvet’. Other than that it was just white noise and it was hard to differentiate between tracks as the sound was so terrible.

All in all I would hardly describe their gig as mind-blowing. I think the fact that they left it two years before releasing a new album lost their fans momentum. People like them, but I didn’t see anyone who looked like they loved them. That’s what a band need, passion and audience interaction. They didn’t seem to embody either qualities, and it was all just a little too stale.

It’s such a shame after such a great debut album, songs like ‘Velvet’ and ‘Dominoes’ which were moody dark and powerful, why did they not stick with their signature sound? It all just seemed a little wishy washy, and was very disappointing for an old fan like myself. I feel bad for them, but at the same time, there is footage of Robbie Furze smacking a kid in the face whilst at a show in Atlanta a few years back, so I think I can live with myself. 

ALBUM REVIEW: Gotye - 'Making Mirrors'

Published at: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/albums/gotye-making-mirrors-eleven-records

Gotye – pronounced Go-ti-ay is a Belgian born, Melbourne dwelling, one man band who’s already made a couple of albums. He has finally grabbed the world’s attention with his single ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ which peaked in the U.K charts at number one.

There is something magical about his voice and his musical arrangements which he creates with vintage instruments. He sounds like Sting mixed with Peter Gabriel. His cut and paste electronica is minimalistic and experimental but less ‘out there’ than his previous work, which has subsequently broadened his appeal. 

Gotye has really honed in on his sound and filled a void within the music industry; there are no current male soloists to speak of at the moment, none of this calibre anyway.

The title track ‘Making Mirrors’ is a beautiful intro which left me excited for the rest of the album. ‘Easy Way Out’ is feel- good poppy/electro track. ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ is beautiful in its simplicity, with vocals from Kimbra.

‘Eyes wide open’ is my favourite track, with its 80’s sounding, galloping drum beat and commanding chorus.  Each track sounds different from the last, and so the album never gets boring. ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ is moody and atmospheric.  ‘State Of the Art’ is a weird one but I admire his versatility.  ‘I Feel Better’ is a blast of Motown.

Gotye offers up a smorgasbord of sounds and genres and is what I would call a musical maverick, his love for music translates beautifully on this record and I believe there’s a track for everyone’s taste, what will yours be?