Cheryl Cole - Promise This - 25.10.10

In the second installment of this pop-filled week, I looked at Cheryl Cole's new single 'Promise This' and here's what I thought.

I think Cheryl Cole is better than her music. Since shooting into the public eyeline with Girls Aloud in 2002, she has become one of the nation’s biggest celebrities as a judge on X Factor and is now Britain’s leading style icon. But whereas she has rocketed to fame, it has been due to her celebrity marriage to Ashley Cole and their subsequent divorce, and not her music. ‘Promise This’ won’t change that pattern.

Heralded by strange but interesting calls of ‘alouette’ (French for skylark), it is a fast-moving pop tune with a Gameboy-esque backing, it’s a recognisable Cole vocal with a more dance-fuelled approach. In the modern chart, it’s a pretty formulaic dance track; the club-ready beat, a semi-big chorus and odd moments we might link to Lady Gaga.

It will sell loads and will almost inevitably be a number one track, as will up-coming album ‘Messy Little Raindrops’. And whereas it’s catchy enough and will fit in easily with any club DJ’s playlist, it is very similar to a lot of other dance songs out there. Whereas ‘Fight For This Love’ was a bit different to what was out at the time, ‘Promise This’ just falls into line with other songs in the charts, only mildly more interesting than the last number one.

But it won’t really matter. ‘Messy Little Raindrops’ is almost guaranteed to hit the top spot; the continuing story of the ‘Geordie Lass’ becoming the nation’s sweetheart assures that. And she will continue to be an integral part of making the X Factor one of the country’s biggest programmes. But ‘Promise This’ promises only one thing; Cole has become the X Factor judge who sings, not the singer who judges on X Factor.

As always with Cheryl Cole, the video is well worth a watch and here is the video for 'Promise This'.

NWR

Taylor Swift - Speak Now - 25.10.10

Another slow week in terms of albums I would be interested in, so instead of fighting against the 'pop' tide, I've decided to join it. Here's what I thought of pop princess Taylor Swift's new release 'Speak Now'.

There are a lot of things that come to mind when you first think of a Taylor Swift album. It’s the country-fied image of the ‘Love Story’ teen idol, crying over an acoustic guitar waiting for the love of her life to come and rescue her. And if you’re anything like me, that picture doesn’t make me go out and buy the album. Fortunately, ‘Speak Now’ sees a more mature Swift come through.

All the fans of Swift out there needn’t worry. It is the same style of country-influenced ballad pop that is unmistakeably Swift, with the similar romantic feel and big choruses of previous efforts ‘Taylor Swift’ and ‘Fearless’. But she shows lyrical talent past her twenty-years, even if it is all about the same thing.

‘Mine’ sets the tone for the next hour and a bit; upbeat pop with a well-built chorus and the same themes of love, regret and sentimentality that run throughout. ‘Sparks Fly’ and the sorrowful ‘Back to December’ follow the ‘schmultzy’ feel, while the delicately delivered and regretful ‘Never Grow Up’ is a touching moment. ‘Speak Now’ is another song that could well have been sung by Miley Cyrus.

The bluegrass-tinted ‘Mean’ and dance-beat fuelled ‘The Story Of Us’ offer a welcome break from the lovey-duvey ‘Love Story’ tracks, and some of Swift’s best moments come as she moves away from the idealistic tales of love. ‘Haunted’ is a dramatic orchestral tale of infatuation and obsession, while ‘Better Than Revenge’ sees a rocky side of Swift that almost touches on Avril Lavigne or Paramore. Almost.

But ‘Speak Now’ is a tiring album. Swift’s necessity for a big, all-encompassing chorus means every song feel like a long journey within itself, and the Disney-fied pop style wares thin as it goes on. The lumbering ‘Dear John’ and sombre ‘Last Kiss’ both go over six minutes and that feels too long. ‘Innocent’, the olive branch she gave to Kanye West after their MTV VMA incident, doesn’t go anywhere and big finale ‘Long Live’ comes at a point where you’re tired of hearing ‘will you take a moment, promise me this/that you’ll stand by me forever’.

I have a lot of respect for Swift after this album. She wrote every song on ‘Speak Now’, a rare thing for pop stars these days, and she shows herself to be very talented at writing and building her songs. The atmospheric story of love at first sight ‘Enchanted’ is a guilty pleasure: ridiculously romantic but momentarily captivating.

And that’s the problem with the album; a little too much about idealistic love for my taste and the constant stream of ‘anthemic’ choruses is exhausting. An overall much more mature effort from Swift, and future releases should be more interesting.

And here's what is probably my favourite song 'Better Than Revenge', and here it is backed by the now infamous image of West and Swift. In the words of Barack Obama, what a jackass.

NWR

At The Moment

Here's a new feature for the blog; just simply a list of the songs that I can't get out of my head at the present moment and recommend anyone to check out:

Muse - Hysteria : A titan of stadium-sized rock

Oasis - Gas Panic : A transition-period Noel Gallagher masterpiece

Brandon Flowers - Right Behind You : Can't stop listening to this perfect piece of soulful pop

Blink 182 - Going Away To College : Some say all Blink songs sound the same, but to me that is no bad thing; this is them at their fast-paced best

The Strokes - Ize of the World : A later classic from Casablancas and Co. that makes me want their new album to come out tomorrow

And here's Muse, with 'Hysteria'. Enjoy :)

NWR

The Beatles - Red & Blue Albums - 18.10.10

Taking into consideration their impact on popular music, here's a special entry on The Beatles, as Apple release the remastered versions of '1962-1966 (The Red Album)' and '1967-1970 (The Blue Album).

Anyone who doesn't know The Beatles well should have these albums. In fact, anyone who has an interest in music should have these albums. The Red and Blue Albums not only summarise the career of the Fab Four, but capture brilliantly the Sixties and show us why these four lads from Liverpool influenced almost every band that has been formed since.

'1962-1966 (The Red Album)' encapsulates what John Lennon called 'the fun Beatles'; the early records up until Revolver. From the sparse but romantic beginnings of 'Love Me Do', it still surprises how quickly The Beatles develop into a quality band and how the Lennon/McCartney partnership grows alongside this. 'Please Please Me' through to the brilliant 'Can't Buy Me Love', you see why this band shot to nationwide fame overnight.

The Red Album is worth buying for the songs that weren't released as singles; 'And I Love Her' was one of the highlights from the 'A Hard Day's Night' album, while not enough people have heard 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away', the hip-shaking 'Drive My Car' or Lennon's first masterpiece 'In My Life'. Of course, you've got all the early classics; the jubilant 'She Loves You', hook-heavy 'Day Tripper', sing-a-long extraordinare 'Yellow Submarine' and the most covered song of all time 'Yesterday' all make an appearance. Also, look out for what many call the greatest Lennon/McCartney piece, 'We Can Work It Out'.

There is a huge difference between the simplistically pretty 'From Me To You' to the sinisterly dark 'Eleanor Rigby', showing the vastly improving skills of The Beatles. By the time you reach '1967-1970 (The Blue Album)', you see a band truly on top of the world.

The sheer brilliance of 'A Day In The Life', the definitive Lennon/McCartney collaboration, the lyrical nonsence of 'I Am The Walrus' and the wonderful weirdness of Lennon's finest moment 'Strawberry Fields Forever' show The Beatles' highlights, save for perhaps their most far-reaching track, the triumphantly euphoric 'Hey Jude'. But again the Blue Album is a must-have for the non-singles from the four-piece's back catalogue.

'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' is brilliant which ever way you look at it, 'Come Together' is seductively enticing and 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' is one of the defining moments of modern history. As The Beatles went on, the styles of John Lennon and Paul McCartney began to differ and the Blue Album shows this. Lennon shows his lyrical and logical absurdity in 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', while also exhibiting his touching talent in 'Don't Let Me Down' and 'Across The Universe'. Paul went in the other direction, writing some of the biggest hits of the sixties with 'Lady Madonna', 'Back In The USSR' and 'Get Back'. Don't forget George Harrison either, who shows his extraordinary skills in 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'Here Comes The Sun' and 'Something'. Even Ringo gets in on the act with 'Octopus's Garden'.

The Red and Blue Albums are terrific compilations of The Beatles' skills. Comprehensive, chronological and cleverly chosen, they are a must-have for anyone interested in seeing why most of their favourite bands picked up a guitar.

So you know what I think of them, and here as another treat is The Beatles in their last ever performance, with 'Get Back'.

NWR

The Wanted - Heart Vacancy - 18.10.10

This is a bit of a slow week for singles, so I've decided to go a bit outside my usual listening and here's what I thought of The Wanted's new release, 'Heart Vacancy'.

Well there is one thing you can give The Wanted a bit of credit for. No, it’s not their incredible musical ingenuity, and no, it’s not their unbelievable musical skills either, funnily enough. But for a boy band, that isn’t JLS or a nineties’ returning ‘wonder’, it’s very difficult to stay around for more than your five minutes. But The Wanted may just do it.

It is stereotypical boy band crap. Sung with the generic whiney male pop voice, it lumbers along with a computer-generated beat, the odd piano note and starts with the same guitar that the Backstreet Boys used on ‘I Want It That Way’. The lyrics are as dumb as they sound; it’s a song about a metaphorical hotel in a girls’ heart, with my favourite line – ‘If loneliness would move out/I’d fill that vacancy’.

The video is again exactly what you would expect; five airbrushed lads walking along a rustic-style street, jovially jostling each other with plently of heartfelt close-ups. The track is actually worse than debut release ‘All Time Low’ and that’s saying something. But this song isn’t really for me to judge.

Bands like The Wanted and JLS aren’t around to impress me; a nineteen year-old lad. They are purpose-built for the young teenage girl genre, and if the comments left on the YouTube/iTunes/Facebook pages are anything to go by, I’d say it was working. It is purely boy band pop music, and I’ll leave it for the twelve-year old girls to enjoy.

And here is the song 'Heart Vacancy', but you honestly don't have to listen to it unless you are a teenage girl - or just one at heart.

NWR

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown - 18.10.10

Kings of Leon are back with one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year, 'Come Around Sundown', and here's what I thought.

I’m going to give the Kings of Leon a chance. I was never a big fan; I thought ‘Youth and Young Manhood’ was a good album, but there was something about their style that I never really bought into. ‘Only By The Night’, however, got a reaction from me. I hated it; especially the singles, and they’d obviously sold out for fans. But with new album ‘Come Around Sundown’ out, I’ve decided to give them a chance to win me over.

‘Come Around Sundown’ has some promising tracks. There is none of the triumphant but vacuous style stuff from ‘Only By The Night’ and a return to an older Kings of Leon sound – at least to a point. Lead single ‘Radioactive’ is the most arena-ready song on show and has the same echoey sound as ‘OBTN’, but with a more hooking guitar riff and a return to home values for Caleb Followill and Co.

Opener ‘The End’ has a mellow feel with rumbling drums that draw you in further, and ‘Pony Up’ has an interesting and enticing guitar riff that keeps you riveted. ‘The Immortals’ is also appealing with an almost euphoric chorus and ever-evolving bass line, while the gritty ‘Mary’ deserves a listen. The highlight however is ‘Pyro’; delightfully tormented Followill vocals, a touching performance and one of the only songs that builds well.

However after that, it begins to run a bit thin. ‘The Face’ sets the tone; lumbering pace and a lack of real direction see it not really go anywhere. Drummer Nathan Followill promised a ‘more chilled out’ and ‘beach-y’ album, perhaps mirrored in the choice of album title and artwork, and that’s what we get. But the problem is shown in ‘Mi Amigo’; which plods along without any real energy and almost a lack of willpower.

‘Back Down South’ has the feel of lo-fi bluegrass ‘hootenanny’, and ‘No Money’ has a punky start but just flounders within itself with the telling lyric – ‘give me something I can believe in/Give me something to walk me away’. ‘Beach Side’ is sparse and doesn’t evolve into anything and the bright-sounding ‘Birthday’ has a good chorus that fails to lift the song out of its malaise. And by the time you’ve hit final track ‘Pickup Truck’, the nonsense lyrics and deteriorating drive of the album wear very thin.

‘Come Around Sundown’ is an album unsure of itself. Kings are stepping back from the bold bravado of ‘Only By The Night’, having learned the lessons of commercial success it taught them, but this release is not a return to their old style. I gave it a chance and it has impressed me to a point; it’s much better than ‘OBTN’. But it has no real pace and until the Followills know what band they want to be; the bluesy Kings of old or the band that wrote ‘Sex On Fire’; their records will suffer.

A definite improvement if not a wholly enjoyable album, but here's my favourite track 'Pyro'.

NWR

The Ting Tings - Hands - 11.10.10

The Ting Tings have returned with new single 'Hands' and here's what I think of it:

The Ting Tings are back. We were all overwhelmed with monster number one hit ‘That’s Not My Name’ and similarly addictive follow-up ‘Shut Up And Let Me Go’, and anyone who had the pleasure of seeing them live would agree they put on a good show for just two people. And new single ‘Hands’ sees them return to a recognisably hooking single.

‘Hands’ sees Jules De Martino and Katie White get even more poppy; a beat made for the nightclub, keyboard driven throughout and with the simple chorus asking ‘clap your hands if you’re working too hard’. But it is as addictive as its predecessors, if not more so, the heavy synths and simplicity guaranteeing it is readymade for the dance floor.

If the track is a summariser of forthcoming album ‘Kunst’, then we are in for a couple more months of being inundated by annoyingly brilliant modern pop classic from the Ting Tings. But I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I hope there’s more guitars on the album. I preferred ‘Great DJ’ and ‘Be The One’ from indie-pop debut album ‘We Started Nothing’; it was what separated the duo from other more forgettable bands of 2008.

It is a slightly selfish demand and it shouldn’t be taken as a massive criticism of ‘Hands’. It is as seductive as earlier Ting Tings hit and I challenge anyone to not dance to this if it comes on in a club. It would be brilliant to hear the pop-rock Ting Tings sound on ‘Kunst’ though, and not just the dance-pop side of their talents.

Fantastically addictive and here it is for your viewing pleasure, 'Hands'.

NWR

Belle & Sebastian - Belle & Sebastian Write About Love - 11.10.10

I hadn't heard too much of Belle and Sebastian, so decided to have a quick look through their back catalogue and listen to their new album. Here's what I thought:

Belle and Sebastian have always been one of those bands who are critically acclaimed, if not overly successful in the charts. The Glasgow band have won over plenty of writers with their brand of so-called ‘wistful pop’, but have maybe not cracked it commercially; their best-selling album reaching eighth. But as you and I know, chart sales aren’t everything, and whereas their latest release ‘Belle & Sebastian Write About Love’ probably won’t break that tradition, it is a fine piece of work.

They have carved their place in the world of music with a multi-instrumental bright style of indie pop, sort of a happier update on The Smiths, and ‘Write About Love’ is a great example of their talents. ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’, as the album opener, is brilliant at this. Atmospheric from the off, Sarah Martin’s dreamy vocals and a catchy beat build up to a euphoric end – ‘Make me dance/I want to surrender’. And the tracks follow in suit.

‘Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John’ sees singer Norah Jones and Stuart Murdoch speak of a love destined to fail, and the most relaxing moment comes in the chilled and seductive ‘Calculating Bimbo’. Lead single ‘Write About Love’, featuring vocals from actress Carey Mulligan, is the most radio-friendly track with a bold riff, followed by ‘I’m Not Living In The Real World’; with an almost irresistible modern guitar pop feel and school choir backing.

It’s quite hard to pick a favourite from a set of beautifully constructed songs. ‘I Want the World To Stop’ makes a good case; instantly catchy, full of momentum and an enticing lyric to build into an intelligent pop tune. ‘I Can See Your Future’ evolves into an optimistic epiphany with deceptively dark words, and ‘Read The Blessed Pages’ is an acoustic wonder with soothing Murdoch vocals and a medieval-esque instrumental. ‘Sunday’s Pretty Icons’ is the upbeat yet melancholy album ender that perfectly seals an endlessly interesting record.

As with most releases though, there are a few dull moments. ‘Come On Sister’ is one of the more forgettable tracks, almost saved by an appealing keyboard driven beat but it falls behind the better musical moments on show here. ‘The Ghost of Rockschool’, with all its religious imagery, lumbers along and gets lost in itself. But these don’t detract from what is a very pleasing album.

The critics will no doubt enjoy ‘Belle & Sebastian Write About Love’, with the Glasgow septuplet producing another well-built and intelligent record. Every track is lovingly produced and beautifully delivered and it makes for an extremely pleasurable listen. Some may consider it boring, falling straight back into the category of boring indie crap, but this inventive album deserves more than that.

I gave it a chance and really enjoyed it, you should give it a go too. Here's probably my favourite track 'I Want The World To Stop' for your enjoyment. (P.S. Ignore the boring Scottish guy at the start).

NWR

Badly Drawn Boy - Too Many Miracles - 04.10.2010

Badly Drawn Boy have one song on my iTunes, and I've always almost felt bad because of that. So I decided to give new single 'Too Many Miracles' a listen and here's what I thought.

It is now ten years since Badly Drawn Boy won critical acclaim and the Mercury Music Prize. The singer-songwriter from Bedfordshire beat Coldplay, Richard Ashcroft and Doves to win that award with album ‘Hour of the Wilderbeast’. But as it widely reported that prize can have mixed consequences. In recent years, it has done Dizzee Rascal, Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys no harm. But the reputations of Antony and the Johnsons and Speech Debelle have taken a hit after their respective awards. And Badly Drawn Boy has unfortunately gone that way also.

Damon Gough, the Badly Drawn Boy himself, has faded into the background of the alternative British scene, seeing himself surpassed by the likes of Jamie T in the music world. His last five studio albums have gone largely unnoticed by the masses, and this single doesn’t give the impression that is going to change much.

‘Too Many Miracles’ is a good song, don’t mistake me on that. Lusciously built up, it has a kind atmospheric feel with swirling violins and a bright guitar riff that is very pleasing. All the elements go together well to form an appealing melody and make for a good listen, but it’s not going to uproot any trees.

‘Hour of the Wilderbeast’ was a great album, and his releases since deserve more than the public indifference they have been met with. Gough shows his talent in the happily pleasant ‘Too Many Miracles’, for this the latest album ‘Its What I’m Thinking Pt. 1 – Photographing Snowflakes’ should be given a chance to impress. But I get the feeling it won’t win next year’s Mercury Prize, and maybe Gough will see that as a blessing in disguise.

Worth a listen, if only one, and here's the song with a fittingly autumnal video.

NWR

Fran Healy - Wreckorder - 04.10.2010

I'm a fan of melancholy masters Travis, and as I'm sure other fans were, I looked forward to frontman Fran Healy's debut solo release and here's what I thought of it:

Solo projects can be a chance for someone to break free from the restraints of their band. Robbie Williams succumbed to his Britpop urges in his decision to leave Take That, and Carl Barat is seeking new pastures with his post-Libertines releases. Much further back, Michael Jackson and John Lennon left their respective bands to change their respective styles. From this debut solo release, Fran Healy’s name can’t be added to that list.

Healy will always be tragically stereotyped by the image of the melancholy frontman of Travis, and ‘Wreckorder’ does nothing to break away from this. In fact, casual listeners could mistake this for Travis’ first release since 2008’s ‘Ode To J. Smith’. The only difference though is the fact Healy features almost independently, save for a couple of contributions. And it is wonderfully built and produced.

‘In The Morning’ builds the momentum as a piano-driven opener, and ‘Anything’ sees Healy combine heavy violins and acoustic guitars to create an atmospheric ballad about love. ‘Fly In The Ointment’ is a wonderfully seductive lyric-based song, enticing from the off with a thought-provoking undertone and one of the highlights.

American singer-songwriter Neko Case duets with Healy on ‘Sing Me To Sleep’, with their dreamlike vocals combining well to give an alluring feel. And in a musical coup, Paul McCartney features on bass in ‘As It Comes’, a morbidly merry tale of a failing relationship. Healy reaches his most sombre mood in ‘Rocking Chair’; a story of grandchildren and memories, summed up by the lines ‘staring at the rising tide/where did all the time go by?’.

But as any hater of Travis will say, the style doesn’t change much and as you get to ‘Shadow Boxing’, a busy piano pacesetter, the soft-rock feel of the album is beginning to wear thin even for the most ardent Healy fans. Lead single ‘Buttercups’ could be a Travis single; the most radio-friendly song on the album but with sickly lyrics and a romantic rejection story behind it. ‘Holiday’ will probably follow as the next single, but again the bright and breezy chorus make it a little too radio-friendly and some of the album’s more intelligent songs should instead be released.

‘Moonshine’ serves brilliantly as an album-ender; a Healy song with a bit of a groove, it’s the only beat-driven toe-tapper on show and the atmospheric sing-along serves as a bit of relief after some enjoyable yet involving tracks.

Fran Healy is an underrated songwriter. With each song beautifully constructed and soulfully delivered, ‘Wreckorder’ is a very enjoyable listen and Healy once again shows himself to be a talented lyricist and musician. But the similar style of each track begins to tire towards the end, and anybody who doesn’t count Travis as one of their favourite bands, this one won’t be for you.

Enjoyable album, and I'm tied between two songs for my favourite track. 'Moonshine' is well worth a listen, but here's 'Fly In My Ointment' for your enjoyment.

NWR