Here's a list/memo of what I want to hear in 2009. Dissect/digest.
> Muse - TBA (Q3)
> We Are Scientists - TBA (Q4)
> Crystal Castles - TBA (Q4)
> Foals - TBA (Q3)
> Arctic Monkeys - TBA (Q3)
> My Chemical Romance - TBA (Q2)
> Vampire Weekend - TBA (Q4)
> Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing (Q1)
> Brand New - TBA (Q2)
> Maximo Park - Quicken the Heart (Q2)
> Bright Eyes - TBA (Q4)
Monday, 2 March 2009
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Three Tiers for 2008! Hip hip...
'08 has been GRATE! But I can't pick a favourite album. So, instead, I'm going to be novel and place them in a tier system; tier one is the best, tier two is the swell, tier three is the good. Here they are, along with a random but charming lyrics from the said album to keep you amused. (ranked within the tiers in no particular order)
Tier One
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
[Oh your collegiate grief has left you dowdy in sweatshirts/Absolute horror!
Folie à Deux - Fall Out Boy
[I'm coming apart at the seams/Pitching myself for leads in other people's dreams]
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
[Robotic love/I'm programmed to rust/AIDS robot is clad in iron bolts]
Skeletal Lamping - of Montreal
[I remember riding bikes/On Koster Island/Plotting midnight raids on the Swedish plum trees]
Intimacy - Bloc Party
[Reebok/Nike/Adidas/Puma/RARARA/This shit is long]
Tier Two
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie
[I'm like a book elegantly bound/But in a language that you can't read]
808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West
[Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul/To a woman so heartless]
Weezer (The Red Album) - Weezer
[I am the greatest man that ever lived/Ra-di-o-act-ive]
Fast Times at Barrington High - The Academy Is...
[With your automatic eyes/Five years disappeared that night]
Brain Thrust Mastery - We Are Scientists
[Tonight/I promise to remember that making promises is always a mistake]
Antidotes - Foals
[We fly balloons on this fuel called love]
Pretty. Odd. - Panic at the Disco
[She took the days for pageants/And became as mad as rabbits/With bushels of bad habits]
Angles - Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
[There's more than one given angle to any one given scene]
...And the Mystery of the Golden Medallion - Fight Like Apes
[And did you fuck her?/And did you stick things up her?]
Nights Out - Metronomy
[She's gonna leave at 3/That's what her friend told me/Now i can't bear to check the time]
Alas, I Cannot Swim - Laura Marling
[But if I wake up on a bench on Shepherd's Bush Green]
Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon - Get Well Soon
[We own half of China/We'll use our money/To change the world]
Tier Three
Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
[The time we shared/It was precious to me/But all the while I was dreaming of revelry]
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay
[I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge/I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends]
Made in the Dark - Hot Chip
[I'm only going to heaven/If it tastes like caramel]
The Slip - Nine Inch Nails
[My voice just echoes off these walls]
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
[With someone waiting in the wings/to pedal with you upon the ocean waves]
Lightbulbs - Fujiya & Miyagi
[You change the lightbulbs/I'll flick the switches]
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
[One day/We're gonna live/In Paris/I promise]
Raise the Dead - Phantom Planet
[Wave your hands and summon the spirits up/Tonight/We raise the dead]
And, worth a mention:
Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses [I don't believe memories]
Day & Age - The Killers [The spaceman said everybody look down/It's all in your mind]
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - Sigur Rós [...]
Tier One
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
[Oh your collegiate grief has left you dowdy in sweatshirts/Absolute horror!
Folie à Deux - Fall Out Boy
[I'm coming apart at the seams/Pitching myself for leads in other people's dreams]
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
[Robotic love/I'm programmed to rust/AIDS robot is clad in iron bolts]
Skeletal Lamping - of Montreal
[I remember riding bikes/On Koster Island/Plotting midnight raids on the Swedish plum trees]
Intimacy - Bloc Party
[Reebok/Nike/Adidas/Puma/RARARA/This shit is long]
Tier Two
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie
[I'm like a book elegantly bound/But in a language that you can't read]
808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West
[Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul/To a woman so heartless]
Weezer (The Red Album) - Weezer
[I am the greatest man that ever lived/Ra-di-o-act-ive]
Fast Times at Barrington High - The Academy Is...
[With your automatic eyes/Five years disappeared that night]
Brain Thrust Mastery - We Are Scientists
[Tonight/I promise to remember that making promises is always a mistake]
Antidotes - Foals
[We fly balloons on this fuel called love]
Pretty. Odd. - Panic at the Disco
[She took the days for pageants/And became as mad as rabbits/With bushels of bad habits]
Angles - Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
[There's more than one given angle to any one given scene]
...And the Mystery of the Golden Medallion - Fight Like Apes
[And did you fuck her?/And did you stick things up her?]
Nights Out - Metronomy
[She's gonna leave at 3/That's what her friend told me/Now i can't bear to check the time]
Alas, I Cannot Swim - Laura Marling
[But if I wake up on a bench on Shepherd's Bush Green]
Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon - Get Well Soon
[We own half of China/We'll use our money/To change the world]
Tier Three
Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
[The time we shared/It was precious to me/But all the while I was dreaming of revelry]
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay
[I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge/I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends]
Made in the Dark - Hot Chip
[I'm only going to heaven/If it tastes like caramel]
The Slip - Nine Inch Nails
[My voice just echoes off these walls]
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
[With someone waiting in the wings/to pedal with you upon the ocean waves]
Lightbulbs - Fujiya & Miyagi
[You change the lightbulbs/I'll flick the switches]
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
[One day/We're gonna live/In Paris/I promise]
Raise the Dead - Phantom Planet
[Wave your hands and summon the spirits up/Tonight/We raise the dead]
And, worth a mention:
Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses [I don't believe memories]
Day & Age - The Killers [The spaceman said everybody look down/It's all in your mind]
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - Sigur Rós [...]
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Let's Get Intimate, Again
First off, i realise this is an extrememly long post, but stick with it.
I listened to Bloc Party's Intimacy walking home from college the other day, and fully realised how strong every song is lyrically. Well, maybe they're not lyrically strong in the conventional sense, but they're perfect in their context. The album's about intimacy, surprisingly, and each song tells a love story. It may sound deep, but the LP sweeps through turbulent relationships (or the plural) between friends and family, but most of the time, lovers, and more than touched on the imtimcy surrounding death and the loss of a loved one.
As you can probably see, I like this album a lot (Ion Square, the album's closer, is a contender for song of the year). So much so that I'm going to attempt to re-tell the stories it gives tongue to in the form of a diary/conversation, but using only its lyrics. It's sketchy at some points, but read into them deeply and read into them what you will. Most importantly, look beyond the words.
Lovers; hate turning to second thoughts
War, war, war, war. I want to declare a war. My fist can break your porcelain nose and there are other things that my hands can do. Get out the way, or get fucked up.
Because this isn't the time to start a new love. I try not to worry about what's been forgotten and what's been missed. I could go into any bar in the world if i wanted to, pick another stranger, and fall in love. I'm sleeping with people I don't even like. But, when i saw you last night for the first time in months I wanted to say, 'Run away with me, away from these cynics'. I hope that this could be the start of something truly real.
I can remember when we first met. It was your hair that lit the fuse. A golden brown halo, like sunlight peeling through the trees. When I asked for the time I was really asking you for so much more. I dreampt of you paralysing me with your kiss, wiping your dirty hands over me. You could still be the one that completes me.
Your beauty burnt my lips, eyes, and fingertips. Stars lay behind your eyes. But now you're gone. Sometimes I think I'd float away if this sadness didn't weigh me down.The waves have taken you away.
Death; helping a loved one fight cancer
As I lay my head on your chest, I can hear it in your veins. Wake me up when you come to bed.
Was it my love that was strong enough to bring you back from the the brink of death? If I could eat your cancer now I would, but I can’t. I keep writing these songs for you to steal you from your grave, so we can dance in our front room again. Don’t you know that when you stand, you stand up for the both of us? Make sure you remember that when the darkness looms. Every tear you shed is cleansing. I can see every tear take the pain away from you.
By the way, I left you blueberries in the fridge. It's the little things that I can do.
Remember, you're not doing this alone.
Lovers; sadness and regret
You used to take your watch off before we made love. You said that you didn't want to share our time with anyone. You used to close your eyes as we kissed goodbye. You said that you didn't want to see me draped in sadness. But now, there's nothing here at all. Nothing.
You know I still adore you, but in a different kind of way.
You know I still adore you, but things have gotten vague.
But now, I reflect. Just take me back to the start when our earthquakes were just cracks. I never thought I would catch fire when i held my hand over the flame.
Death; loss of a loved one
I could sleep forever these days because in my dreams I see you again. Yesterday I drempt of the last time we slept together. There was something that was not there. But now i find bluebells in late December. I'm beginning to see signs now all of the time that you're not dead, you're just sleeping.
At your funeral I was so upset, so upset.
In your life you were so much larger than this.
Statuesque, statuesque.
Lovers; hate and jealousy
Well there was 7 years between us and it seems that all my friends were right. We couldn't ever survive on your bedroom eyes and a Spanish guitar. But why are you like this now?
Trust me, I can be as cruel as you, fighting lies with lies.
And it’s just not like me to lash out, but enough is enough. Tell me what the others can do that I cant. You're stuck on a dreamland. You think that going elsewhere would be better. But you'll be the one missing out.
Lovers; proving other wrong, running away
I recall standing in the city with the clocks counting down. Your face was still wet from the fight before. I followed your tears as they hit the ground. Blue flowers sprouted from the cracks in the pavement where they splashed.
Baby, I'm ashamed of the things I put you through.
Baby, I'm ashamed of the man I was for you.
So let's take this from the start, and you can be me and I can be you. Let's try not to complain about your smoking and my distant heart.
Now you're here, with me. I remember that all you said in your quietest voice was,
"I needed you as much as they do".
Lovers; perversion, forced love
You're such a slut. What's with all this doom and gloom all of a sudden? You used to be such a laugh. And to think that i was growing so fond of you.
You get sadder the smarter you get, and to be honest, it's a bore. But now you can use your hands for something else. I’ll take you further than these scholars can. Put down your books and molest me.
Heaven is here, right where it needs to be.
Lovers; consummate love, joy, happiness, and passion (Ion Square lyrics in their entirety [perfection!])
The physical relase of Intimacy arrives on the 27th of this month, complete with bonus tracks.
I listened to Bloc Party's Intimacy walking home from college the other day, and fully realised how strong every song is lyrically. Well, maybe they're not lyrically strong in the conventional sense, but they're perfect in their context. The album's about intimacy, surprisingly, and each song tells a love story. It may sound deep, but the LP sweeps through turbulent relationships (or the plural) between friends and family, but most of the time, lovers, and more than touched on the imtimcy surrounding death and the loss of a loved one.
As you can probably see, I like this album a lot (Ion Square, the album's closer, is a contender for song of the year). So much so that I'm going to attempt to re-tell the stories it gives tongue to in the form of a diary/conversation, but using only its lyrics. It's sketchy at some points, but read into them deeply and read into them what you will. Most importantly, look beyond the words.
Lovers; hate turning to second thoughts
War, war, war, war. I want to declare a war. My fist can break your porcelain nose and there are other things that my hands can do. Get out the way, or get fucked up.
Because this isn't the time to start a new love. I try not to worry about what's been forgotten and what's been missed. I could go into any bar in the world if i wanted to, pick another stranger, and fall in love. I'm sleeping with people I don't even like. But, when i saw you last night for the first time in months I wanted to say, 'Run away with me, away from these cynics'. I hope that this could be the start of something truly real.
I can remember when we first met. It was your hair that lit the fuse. A golden brown halo, like sunlight peeling through the trees. When I asked for the time I was really asking you for so much more. I dreampt of you paralysing me with your kiss, wiping your dirty hands over me. You could still be the one that completes me.
Your beauty burnt my lips, eyes, and fingertips. Stars lay behind your eyes. But now you're gone. Sometimes I think I'd float away if this sadness didn't weigh me down.The waves have taken you away.
Death; helping a loved one fight cancer
As I lay my head on your chest, I can hear it in your veins. Wake me up when you come to bed.
Was it my love that was strong enough to bring you back from the the brink of death? If I could eat your cancer now I would, but I can’t. I keep writing these songs for you to steal you from your grave, so we can dance in our front room again. Don’t you know that when you stand, you stand up for the both of us? Make sure you remember that when the darkness looms. Every tear you shed is cleansing. I can see every tear take the pain away from you.
By the way, I left you blueberries in the fridge. It's the little things that I can do.
Remember, you're not doing this alone.
Lovers; sadness and regret
You used to take your watch off before we made love. You said that you didn't want to share our time with anyone. You used to close your eyes as we kissed goodbye. You said that you didn't want to see me draped in sadness. But now, there's nothing here at all. Nothing.
You know I still adore you, but in a different kind of way.
You know I still adore you, but things have gotten vague.
But now, I reflect. Just take me back to the start when our earthquakes were just cracks. I never thought I would catch fire when i held my hand over the flame.
Death; loss of a loved one
I could sleep forever these days because in my dreams I see you again. Yesterday I drempt of the last time we slept together. There was something that was not there. But now i find bluebells in late December. I'm beginning to see signs now all of the time that you're not dead, you're just sleeping.
At your funeral I was so upset, so upset.
In your life you were so much larger than this.
Statuesque, statuesque.
Lovers; hate and jealousy
Well there was 7 years between us and it seems that all my friends were right. We couldn't ever survive on your bedroom eyes and a Spanish guitar. But why are you like this now?
Trust me, I can be as cruel as you, fighting lies with lies.
And it’s just not like me to lash out, but enough is enough. Tell me what the others can do that I cant. You're stuck on a dreamland. You think that going elsewhere would be better. But you'll be the one missing out.
Lovers; proving other wrong, running away
I recall standing in the city with the clocks counting down. Your face was still wet from the fight before. I followed your tears as they hit the ground. Blue flowers sprouted from the cracks in the pavement where they splashed.
Baby, I'm ashamed of the things I put you through.
Baby, I'm ashamed of the man I was for you.
So let's take this from the start, and you can be me and I can be you. Let's try not to complain about your smoking and my distant heart.
Now you're here, with me. I remember that all you said in your quietest voice was,
"I needed you as much as they do".
Lovers; perversion, forced love
You're such a slut. What's with all this doom and gloom all of a sudden? You used to be such a laugh. And to think that i was growing so fond of you.
You get sadder the smarter you get, and to be honest, it's a bore. But now you can use your hands for something else. I’ll take you further than these scholars can. Put down your books and molest me.
Heaven is here, right where it needs to be.
Lovers; consummate love, joy, happiness, and passion (Ion Square lyrics in their entirety [perfection!])
Ion square, perspex swings
I breathe out, you breathe in
Permanent midnight
Our love, our love
How we've come to depend
On each other to the end
The space between us has disappeared
You finish my... you finish my words for me
I remember how it began
So many great days in a row
Barefoot on Bishopsgate
Trying to find Blake's grave
If we could stay like this in a silver foil
Trapped in amber for a life
Permanent midnight
Our love, our love
I carry your heart here with me
I carry it in my heart
I carry your heart with me
I carry it in my heart
Who said unbroken happiness
Is a bore, is a bore?
Who said it, my love? Because I don't mind it
Anymore, anymore
And I reach out a hand over your side of the bed
Pull that blanket over your shoulders exposed to the night
And the hunger of those early years will never return
But I don't mind, I don't mind
'Cause I love my mind when I'm fucking you
Slowed down to a crawl
Years of crime and the bread line
Have not at all dimmed your shine
So let's stay in, let the sofa be our car
Let's stay in, let the TV be our stars
I found my dancing shoes but they don't fit
All the bright lights do is bore me
They bore me
I carry your heart here with me
I carry it in my heart
I carry your heart with me
I carry it in my heart.
The physical relase of Intimacy arrives on the 27th of this month, complete with bonus tracks.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Official 'Intimacy' Artwork Unveiled
Bloc Party have now officially published the cover for their new album, 'Intimacy'. Much like the first rumoured art, there's kissing, but, minus the tongues. It seems weird to say, but i really, really like both. I haven't sen anything like either of them before. When comparing both, i feel that the right decision was made - this cover sums up the album nicely. Close, but not yet kissing, and the darkness clearly separates the two faces. Near perfect art for a near perfect album.
Bloc Party - Intimacy (27/10/08)
[Courtesy of blocparty.net]
Bloc Party - Intimacy (27/10/08)[Courtesy of blocparty.net]
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
A Response
Congratulations to Elbow. Nice guys, OK album. It ain't as good as others on the list, but hey. The best part was when Lauren 'Culture/This Isn't My Real Name' Laverne interviewed two of the judges afterwards.
Laverne: 'Why did you go for Elbow in the end then guys?'
Male Judge: 'Well, when you compare this effort to Elbow's previous four albums, you can see how much they've grown'.
So you're judging this prize purely on the music that's on that album yeah, male judge? Not taking into account anything else then, male judge? Bullshit! He's a fucking Elbow fan! And most criminal of all, he didn't judge the competition the way it should be - solely on the music nominated, and nothing else. Not on popularity/units sold, not on who made the music, and not in comparison to previous efforts by the artists. 'The Seldom Seen Kid' is not the most impressive album that made the shortlist. I'm willing to give it a few more spins though.
In other news, I'm changing the font for shreddedgold. Formatting on Blogger gets harder by the day.
The new Kings of Leon album comes out on the 22nd. Listening to 'Fans' the other day made me realise that it's one of the most egotistical songs around, and how up his own arse brother Followill can be. But that's why KOL are so great. More of the same please.
'Homegrown,
Rock to the rhythm and bop to the beat of the radio
You ain't got to sing but you've got the face to play the roll
You can play with me
And your hairdo,
And all the lipstick kisses
And all you asked is for the right moves
Let me feel like I'm the one who moves you
The only one you see
All of London sing,
Because England swings and they sure love the tales i bring
Those raining days they ain't so bad when you're the king
The king they want to see.'
And, finally, Bloc Party unleashed their new single yesterday. It's called 'Talons', as in sharp claws. It seems to be about being attacked by a monster, and when it catches you, it feels like it's kissing you. That was my rather wrong reading of it on first listen anyway. It's out in late October, and streaming now on an internet near you: http://www.myspace.com/blocparty
This appeared on Play.com earlier today: (courtesy of blocparty.net)
It works, because all the singles from 'Intimacy' appear to be puzzle pieces, and this is the middle piece. Feisty to say the least, and i think it's great. Fits the album perfectly.
Laverne: 'Why did you go for Elbow in the end then guys?'
Male Judge: 'Well, when you compare this effort to Elbow's previous four albums, you can see how much they've grown'.
So you're judging this prize purely on the music that's on that album yeah, male judge? Not taking into account anything else then, male judge? Bullshit! He's a fucking Elbow fan! And most criminal of all, he didn't judge the competition the way it should be - solely on the music nominated, and nothing else. Not on popularity/units sold, not on who made the music, and not in comparison to previous efforts by the artists. 'The Seldom Seen Kid' is not the most impressive album that made the shortlist. I'm willing to give it a few more spins though.
In other news, I'm changing the font for shreddedgold. Formatting on Blogger gets harder by the day.
The new Kings of Leon album comes out on the 22nd. Listening to 'Fans' the other day made me realise that it's one of the most egotistical songs around, and how up his own arse brother Followill can be. But that's why KOL are so great. More of the same please.
'Homegrown,
Rock to the rhythm and bop to the beat of the radio
You ain't got to sing but you've got the face to play the roll
You can play with me
And your hairdo,
And all the lipstick kisses
And all you asked is for the right moves
Let me feel like I'm the one who moves you
The only one you see
All of London sing,
Because England swings and they sure love the tales i bring
Those raining days they ain't so bad when you're the king
The king they want to see.'
And, finally, Bloc Party unleashed their new single yesterday. It's called 'Talons', as in sharp claws. It seems to be about being attacked by a monster, and when it catches you, it feels like it's kissing you. That was my rather wrong reading of it on first listen anyway. It's out in late October, and streaming now on an internet near you: http://www.myspace.com/blocparty
This appeared on Play.com earlier today: (courtesy of blocparty.net)
It works, because all the singles from 'Intimacy' appear to be puzzle pieces, and this is the middle piece. Feisty to say the least, and i think it's great. Fits the album perfectly.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
The Mercury Reckoner – Round Up
Who’s gonna win eh? I’m going to be brief, and not go into any depth whatsoever. I have my reasons, and I’ll post them at a later date – possibly. Here’s a round-up of my thoughts and ideas…
Who Should Win…
Radiohead – In Rainbows
I’ll Be More than Pleased If These Win…
Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon – Stainless Style
I Wouldn’t Mind If These Win…
British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns
Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep In the North Sea
Who Might Win…
Burial – Untrue
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Adele - 19
I Won’t Be Pleased If These Win…
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Estelle – Shine
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
And, It Would Be Funny If These Win…
Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep In the North Sea
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns
Tune in to BBC2 tonight at 10pm to find out the result.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
The Mercury Reckoner, Part Two
Here's part two. I'll give my final verdict tomorrow.
7 – Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep In the North Sea
I’m no expert of instrumental albums, and this is purely an instrumental album. It has its African-style moments and the jazz elements are a sustained feature. The only way I can judge it is in relation to other instrumental albums I’ve heard, and if the music got me going, as such. ‘Knee-Deep In the North Sea’ has its highlights, but really, it’s just another instrumental album. The songs tended to drift by, with nothing in particular standing out at all. Normally with a lack of vocals the music takes on this role, creating a mood and energy in its place. But with this effort the music doesn’t spark off anything much. With the second listen however, things do begin to fall into place. Not one to miss, but not particularly one to find.
Highlights – ‘Monsoon: Top To Bottom’, ‘Knee-Deep In the North Sea’.
Three Word Summary – Relaxing, sunsets, drifting.
http://www.myspace.com/porticoquartet
8 – Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns
This is a full-out ballsy English album. The dialect that the music is sung in is the first thing you notice. The heavily accented vocals tied with the fiddles and the bass that sounds like it’s created through the recording of a tap dancer (seriously), makes it a rather appealing album. The songs are more like chants and lullabies (as some of the titles suggest) that are just good ideas that are well executed. Shut your eyes, and you’ll find yourself in a smokey Northern pub with two girls in Victorian skirts singing at you whilst the men are smiling and clapping along. However, some of the songs are lengthy, and you can find yourself getting yourself lost in some songs for all the wrong reasons. Overall though, it’s a surprisingly raw, hearty, and strong effort. Don’t write it off.
Highlights – ‘Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk’, ‘Blue's Gaen Oot O'the Fashion’, ‘Fareweel Regality’.
Three Word Summary – Hearfelt, English, old-style.
http://www.myspace.com/rachelunthank
9 – Burial – Untrue
It’s cool to like Burial. No matter how much the panel say they focus on the music, they can’t just forget the impact Burial has had on the music world. But, he’s favourite to win. Remember – the Mercurys (nearly) always snub the favourites. Hypes perfectly fine, but the music has still got to deliver. ‘Untrue’ is a dark, synth-bass-wail-filled album, and when the tracks deliver, you can see why the guy is huge (in the underground sense of the word). ‘Archangel’ hauntingly gets the ball rolling, and then it lightens up, as much as a dub-step album can, with bigger more inviting beats and vocal oohs and aahs. A xylophone in last track ‘Raver’ polishes off the album nicely. If the tracks got any more accessible, Burial would be a pop act. And that would be so totally like uncool. For what this album seems to have done, it could merit the Mercury. However, I’m not totally convinced that this is the best he can do. ‘Untrue’ seems like an introduction from Burial. There are better albums in the mix than this.
Highlights – ‘Archangel’, ‘Untrue’, ‘Homeless’
Three Word Summary – Darkness, afterlife, deep.
http://www.myspace.com/burialuk
10 – British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
When an album has an epic opening track that serves as an introduction, you know what to expect. What you get is a livelier, more complex, and warmer sound than Elbow. Before ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ received the nomination, I’d been avoiding it because I didn’t think it was worthwhile. Six and a half minute ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’ makes me wonder why. The rest of the album continues in the same light. The songs get more atmospheric, innovative, menacing, charming, and at some points, delicate. But the football chants on ‘No Lucifer’ don’t seem out of place. Some emotion is lost by screaming guitars at some moments, and lyrics can seem slightly impersonal with not enough passion in their delivery (see Canvey Island), and sometimes too much. The album also drivels out slightly towards the end. But, when Laura Marling’s too busy with Noah and the Whale, British Sea Power can teach Elbow how to make the record that they’ve tried so hard to achieve. Just a shame about the rubbish album title.
P.S. Long live Hope of the States.
Highlights – ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’, ‘No Lucifer’, ‘Atom’.
Three Word Summary – Tense, menacing, cluttered.
http://www.myspace.com/britishseapower
11 – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Kerrching. The Monkey and his lookalike have gone and made an album that sounds like it comes from the 60’s, and I don’t like it. But every other Monkeys fan will, and that includes the Mercury panel. The Age of the Understatement is made by two twenty-somethings, backed by a strings section throughout, who want to try and sounds older than they really are. Gain a little bit of respect and the like. The opener, ‘Age of the Understatement’, uses words that wouldn’t even come near to a Monkeys album, or a Rascals one. It’s all far too forced and unlike either of the two band members. The whole album seems completely out of place. The lyrics and music aren’t even good either. The violins dominate nearly every track. ‘In My Room’ starts off like a Bond theme. Every song drivels out after about two and a half minutes. The album’s strongest points by far come with the slower, quieter, and more compact tracks. ‘Standing Next to Me’ has a good vocal hook, and the concept is easy to grasp. ‘The Meeting Place’ is toned-down, and a good listen. It sounds a lot less forced. ‘My Mistakes Were Made for You’ is much the same. If only the album was less of an act and more of a condensed, lyrically strong album, it could have made a deserving impact, and not an undeserving one, which it will undoubtedly have.
Highlights – ‘Standing Next to Me’, ‘My Mistakes Were Made for You’, ‘The Meeting Place’.
Three Word Summary – Repetitive, conservative, dull.
http://www.myspace.com/thelastshadowpuppets
12 – Radiohead – In Rainbows
I’m a huge Radiohead fan, so first up, I’d like to see them win, but I don’t necessarily think they need to. ‘In Rainbows’ is by far the most complex, intimate, and haunting album on the shortlist. Every track tries to be something different, and each succeeds. The musicianship beats the rest of the shortlist also, with the exception, maybe, of ‘Videotape’. ‘In Rainbows’ should win the Mercury prize, but if it doesn’t, and an album which doesn’t match its album takes the prize, something is wrong. And that means that there’s possibly only two or three other deserving winners. The worst-case scenario will be if the judges take in to account the hype around the album and following of the band. Would it be un-cool to let an album win that’s so mainstream compared to other Radiohead albums that have been snubbed in the past? There is one flaw though. Since when has the plural of fish been fishes, Thom?
Highlights – ’15 Step’, ‘All I Need’. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’.
Three Word Summary – Imposing, tender, majestic.
http://www.myspace.com/radiohead
7 – Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep In the North Sea
I’m no expert of instrumental albums, and this is purely an instrumental album. It has its African-style moments and the jazz elements are a sustained feature. The only way I can judge it is in relation to other instrumental albums I’ve heard, and if the music got me going, as such. ‘Knee-Deep In the North Sea’ has its highlights, but really, it’s just another instrumental album. The songs tended to drift by, with nothing in particular standing out at all. Normally with a lack of vocals the music takes on this role, creating a mood and energy in its place. But with this effort the music doesn’t spark off anything much. With the second listen however, things do begin to fall into place. Not one to miss, but not particularly one to find.
Highlights – ‘Monsoon: Top To Bottom’, ‘Knee-Deep In the North Sea’.
Three Word Summary – Relaxing, sunsets, drifting.
http://www.myspace.com/porticoquartet
8 – Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns
This is a full-out ballsy English album. The dialect that the music is sung in is the first thing you notice. The heavily accented vocals tied with the fiddles and the bass that sounds like it’s created through the recording of a tap dancer (seriously), makes it a rather appealing album. The songs are more like chants and lullabies (as some of the titles suggest) that are just good ideas that are well executed. Shut your eyes, and you’ll find yourself in a smokey Northern pub with two girls in Victorian skirts singing at you whilst the men are smiling and clapping along. However, some of the songs are lengthy, and you can find yourself getting yourself lost in some songs for all the wrong reasons. Overall though, it’s a surprisingly raw, hearty, and strong effort. Don’t write it off.
Highlights – ‘Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk’, ‘Blue's Gaen Oot O'the Fashion’, ‘Fareweel Regality’.
Three Word Summary – Hearfelt, English, old-style.
http://www.myspace.com/rachelunthank
9 – Burial – Untrue
It’s cool to like Burial. No matter how much the panel say they focus on the music, they can’t just forget the impact Burial has had on the music world. But, he’s favourite to win. Remember – the Mercurys (nearly) always snub the favourites. Hypes perfectly fine, but the music has still got to deliver. ‘Untrue’ is a dark, synth-bass-wail-filled album, and when the tracks deliver, you can see why the guy is huge (in the underground sense of the word). ‘Archangel’ hauntingly gets the ball rolling, and then it lightens up, as much as a dub-step album can, with bigger more inviting beats and vocal oohs and aahs. A xylophone in last track ‘Raver’ polishes off the album nicely. If the tracks got any more accessible, Burial would be a pop act. And that would be so totally like uncool. For what this album seems to have done, it could merit the Mercury. However, I’m not totally convinced that this is the best he can do. ‘Untrue’ seems like an introduction from Burial. There are better albums in the mix than this.
Highlights – ‘Archangel’, ‘Untrue’, ‘Homeless’
Three Word Summary – Darkness, afterlife, deep.
http://www.myspace.com/burialuk
10 – British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
When an album has an epic opening track that serves as an introduction, you know what to expect. What you get is a livelier, more complex, and warmer sound than Elbow. Before ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ received the nomination, I’d been avoiding it because I didn’t think it was worthwhile. Six and a half minute ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’ makes me wonder why. The rest of the album continues in the same light. The songs get more atmospheric, innovative, menacing, charming, and at some points, delicate. But the football chants on ‘No Lucifer’ don’t seem out of place. Some emotion is lost by screaming guitars at some moments, and lyrics can seem slightly impersonal with not enough passion in their delivery (see Canvey Island), and sometimes too much. The album also drivels out slightly towards the end. But, when Laura Marling’s too busy with Noah and the Whale, British Sea Power can teach Elbow how to make the record that they’ve tried so hard to achieve. Just a shame about the rubbish album title.
P.S. Long live Hope of the States.
Highlights – ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’, ‘No Lucifer’, ‘Atom’.
Three Word Summary – Tense, menacing, cluttered.
http://www.myspace.com/britishseapower
11 – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Kerrching. The Monkey and his lookalike have gone and made an album that sounds like it comes from the 60’s, and I don’t like it. But every other Monkeys fan will, and that includes the Mercury panel. The Age of the Understatement is made by two twenty-somethings, backed by a strings section throughout, who want to try and sounds older than they really are. Gain a little bit of respect and the like. The opener, ‘Age of the Understatement’, uses words that wouldn’t even come near to a Monkeys album, or a Rascals one. It’s all far too forced and unlike either of the two band members. The whole album seems completely out of place. The lyrics and music aren’t even good either. The violins dominate nearly every track. ‘In My Room’ starts off like a Bond theme. Every song drivels out after about two and a half minutes. The album’s strongest points by far come with the slower, quieter, and more compact tracks. ‘Standing Next to Me’ has a good vocal hook, and the concept is easy to grasp. ‘The Meeting Place’ is toned-down, and a good listen. It sounds a lot less forced. ‘My Mistakes Were Made for You’ is much the same. If only the album was less of an act and more of a condensed, lyrically strong album, it could have made a deserving impact, and not an undeserving one, which it will undoubtedly have.
Highlights – ‘Standing Next to Me’, ‘My Mistakes Were Made for You’, ‘The Meeting Place’.
Three Word Summary – Repetitive, conservative, dull.
http://www.myspace.com/thelastshadowpuppets
12 – Radiohead – In Rainbows
I’m a huge Radiohead fan, so first up, I’d like to see them win, but I don’t necessarily think they need to. ‘In Rainbows’ is by far the most complex, intimate, and haunting album on the shortlist. Every track tries to be something different, and each succeeds. The musicianship beats the rest of the shortlist also, with the exception, maybe, of ‘Videotape’. ‘In Rainbows’ should win the Mercury prize, but if it doesn’t, and an album which doesn’t match its album takes the prize, something is wrong. And that means that there’s possibly only two or three other deserving winners. The worst-case scenario will be if the judges take in to account the hype around the album and following of the band. Would it be un-cool to let an album win that’s so mainstream compared to other Radiohead albums that have been snubbed in the past? There is one flaw though. Since when has the plural of fish been fishes, Thom?
Highlights – ’15 Step’, ‘All I Need’. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’.
Three Word Summary – Imposing, tender, majestic.
http://www.myspace.com/radiohead
Saturday, 6 September 2008
The Mercury Reckoner, Part One
So, here we are. I’ve listened to all twelve Mercury-stamped LPs, and come to a decision. Below are the first six reviews, with the remaining six to follow before Mercury Day (9th). So that’s Monday at the latest. If suspense was a religious icon in the world of blogging, it would be the Buddha.
Ready?
1 – Estelle – Shine
Home to some very good tracks, but it’s solely aimed at the Americans. The good tracks get overcast by the bad. The cameos by Kanye West and Cee-Lo don’t add to the songs at all. Estelle’s voice does hold its own though, even if the trumpets and attempts at beats attempt to overpower it. If the songs had more substance and weren’t the same as every other R ‘n B creation of recent years, it would have had real potential. But instead, it’s easily forgotten.
Three Word Summary – Attitude, contemporary, conventional.
Highlights – ‘Shine’, ‘American Boy’.
http://www.myspace.com/estelleonline
http://www.myspace.com/elbowmusic
Ready?
1 – Estelle – Shine
Home to some very good tracks, but it’s solely aimed at the Americans. The good tracks get overcast by the bad. The cameos by Kanye West and Cee-Lo don’t add to the songs at all. Estelle’s voice does hold its own though, even if the trumpets and attempts at beats attempt to overpower it. If the songs had more substance and weren’t the same as every other R ‘n B creation of recent years, it would have had real potential. But instead, it’s easily forgotten.
Three Word Summary – Attitude, contemporary, conventional.
Highlights – ‘Shine’, ‘American Boy’.
http://www.myspace.com/estelleonline
2 – Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
It’s atmospheric, moody, but one hell of a drawn-out album. The singles, in all honesty, deserve to be on a better album. ‘Grounds for Divorce’ doesn’t seem to fit. Moments of humour in the lyrics help to lighten the tone, but something needed to happen. It needed a moment of inspiration mid-way though to get it kick-started. I had high hopes, but, dare I say it, I soon became bored.
Three Word Summary – Lengthy, earthy, violins.
http://www.myspace.com/elbowmusic
3 – Neon Neon – Stainless Style
This wasn’t what I was expecting. New Rave instruments tied with some experienced vocals. It’s a concept album based around a figurehead in the world of cars. But at some points it seems undecided as to whether it wants to be a full-out guitar record. ‘Stainless Style’ is a ‘Myths of the Near Future’ for the older generations. It just falls short, but it certainly works. A huge grower.
Three Word Summary – Enjoyable, desperate, shady.
Highlights – ‘I Lust U’, ‘Belfast’, ‘I Told Her On Alderaan’.
4 – Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim
The first few tracks whistle through smoothly, then it clicks. As the tracks get more complex and Marling’s voice gets impossibly softer, it becomes addictive. You listen over the opening tracks again and realise what you’ve missed. A quaint, concise album which hits all the right marks. It manages to resonate emotion by keeping things to a minimum. Two minutes of birdsong in the closing track doesn’t seem out of place. This girl needs to give Elbow a lesson.
Three Word Summary – Delicate, eerie, raw.
Highlights – ‘My Manic and I’, ‘Cross Your Fingers’, ‘The Captain and the Hourglass’.
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling
5 – Adele – 19
This album is purely a showcase of Adele’s voice. If I said her voice was bad, I’d be lying. She manages to give to the album smooth melodies with a rough edge. My only problems are that some tracks are too quiet and trudge along, and it all feels a bit too overproduced. But ‘19’, to my dismay, is a solid enough album with memorable tunes. If the Mercury panel want to focus on raw vocal talent, Adele has to scoop the top prize. If they look on the album as a whole, they could see it as watered-down, a bit too much of the same, and over polished. For the first few listens it sounds good, but there’s not enough variation to merit repeat plays. Laura Marling is nevertheless very much quaking in her country wellies.
Three Word Summary – Night-time, delicate, orchestral.
Highlights – ‘Cold Shoulder’, ‘Right as Rain’, ‘Hometown Glory’.
http://www.myspace.com/adelelondon
6 – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
OK, so. Question: what would expect to hear when you give a record made by a former Led Zepper? Answer: not this. ‘Raising Sand’ is a laid-back, country/blues record, which, at points, has a haunting musical soundscape. But it’s all too easy on the ear, lacks attitude, and instrumental variety. The tracks where either Plant or Krauss sing the majority solo are actually the best. The tracks where they duet aren’t so bad that they pass unnoticed, but they lack in any flair or creativity. There’s more creative and stronger albums in the mix than this.
Three Word Summary: Radio 2, dull, brooding.
Highlights – ‘Fortune Teller’.
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