First David Bowie, now The Strokes have made a surprise return with new single 'One Way Trigger'. Here's what I thought of it.
Rumours have been abounding for weeks and months, and finally we have the proof. The Strokes are back. The weekend brought a new song from the New York five-piece, 'One Way Trigger', and news that we are to expect their fifth album sometime this year. And if the first song is anything to go by, it could be their most varied effort yet.
'One Way Trigger' sounds like no Strokes song we've heard before; bursting into life like a Gameboy soundtrack, it's only a minute into the track that you can really tell that it's Julian Casablancas singing, so high is his vocal. Then, things start to fall into place; jangling guitars, a fast-paced and tight drumbeat and the recognisably drawn-out Casablancas voice. 'One Way Trigger' sees Casablancas fighting to break free with the lyrical highlights of 'You ask me to stay/But there's a million reasons to leave', and 'Settle down, out of town/Find a dream, shut it down', featuring some of the more touching of Casablanca's lyrics in later-day Strokes work. All things considered, a highly enjoyable track.
Sitting alongside their more recent and experimental 'Angles' style, 'One Way Trigger' is a bright and vibrant pop song that sounds almost cartoony at times, but hints that The Strokes may continue experimenting on their as-yet unnamed fifth album. But hey, it's just great to have the five lads back, complete with the lack of any B-side, the abstract single cover and the anticipation that this could be another fantastic album. They may not be the indie saviours of the year 2001 anymore, but they are now a great modern guitar band.
A very good track, but you can make up your own mind because here it is, The Strokes' 'One Way Trigger'. Enjoy.
One of my favourite new bands, The Joy Formidable, are back with their second album, 'Wolf's Law', and here's what I think of it.
Formidable by name, formidable by nature; it seems that Ritzy Bryan
& Co. don't do things half-hearted. The Joy Formidable enjoy a loyal and
sizeable underground presence but have yet to fully break into the musical
mainstream; a queer fact considering their distinctive alternative rock sound.
Enter second album ‘Wolf’s Law’ – and brace yourself.
Bursting in with ‘This Ladder Is Ours’, the tone is set with a
thumping beat, whining guitars and a melodic touch behind the wall of sound
that is fast becoming this band’s trademark. The feedback-laden rocker ‘Cholla’
and the theatrically heavy ‘Bats’ continue the formula; heaps of loud guitars
on top of catchy choruses, while ‘Little Blimp’ strays into more indie territory
with tighter riffs and a brighter solo. ‘Tendons’ and ‘Forest Serenade’ see the
band developing more; the former a booming Arcade Fire-style odyssey with a
harder edge, the latter adding atmosphere to climbing guitars and a rattling
beat to excellent effect.
The feedback-heavy scuzz is maintained throughout, but there are
brief glimpses between the wall of noise where ‘Wolf’s Law’ is quite varied. ‘The
Leopard And The Lung’ almosts hints of dubstep before evolving into a string-laden
epic, while the trio go near to folk with the bass-drum beat on ‘The Hurdle’,
before the chorus kicks in the familiar grungy chorus. The real curveball comes
in ending song ‘The Turnaround’, a sprawling violin-driven marathon that is
more classical than anything else, and piano-led hidden track ‘Wolf’s Law’ that
caps off the record with an old-style rock-out.
It is a small irony then that the standout moment is the touchingly
tender ‘Silent Treatment’. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, it acts as a
welcome change of pace and shows off the undoubted talent of the band, coupled
with the most moving lyrics of ‘I’ll take
the silent treatment … it’s all you get from me’. It also exhibits the band’s
biggest asset; Ritzy Bryan’s distinctive vocals, which can go between vibrant
and edgey, towering and angelic in a heartbeat. The less said about the
ridiculous ‘Maw Maw Song’ (which actually sees band members meowing along to a
stormy riff) the better, but apart from this ‘Wolf’s Law’ doesn’t carry a bad
song.
Another accomplished album, that maybe just needs to turn it down every
once in a while, as the brilliant ‘Silent Treatment’ shows. But there is no
doubt of the talents of The Joy Formidable; heavy yet melodic songs,
fantastically bombastic production and a soaring voice in Ritzy Bryan’s
shimmering vocals. Expect The Joy Formidable to break into the mainstream very
soon.
A very good album, and here's my favourite song, 'Silent Treatment'. Enjoy.
One band I hadn't heard an awful lot about until a short time ago, and here's what I think of Dutch Uncles and their latest album.
It really is a shame that Dutch Uncles aren’t
more famous. Hailing from the music rich city of Manchester and already onto
their third album, it would be fair to say that most people are yet to hear of
Duncan Wallis & Co., but that would hopefully be something that is about to
change with new album ‘Out Of Touch In The Wild’. Because Dutch Uncles may be
one of the better bands you haven’t heard of.
Imagine the bright and chirpy art-pop of Two
Door Cinema Club with the invention of Alt-J, not a single note misplaced and a
ton of xylophones, with vocals that lay somewhere in between Two Door’s Alex
Trimble and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, and you arrive at Dutch Uncles. And you
also arrive at the cheery, breezy and thoroughly enjoyable indie-pop of ‘Out Of
Touch In The Wild’.
The inate sunshine of the string-driven
‘Godboy’ and the upbeat and instantly loveable ‘Fester’ set the template for
the whole record; and Dutch Uncles stray from this very rarely. It means that
these two tracks are a delight and the pick of the bunch; the sparkly
xylophones on ‘Threads’ take it near Vampire Weekend territory and the luscious
harps and string arrangements meet a skittering beat to complete the agreeable ‘Flexxin’,
while the finishing duo of ‘Nometo’ and ‘Brio’ delight with a mixture of
fulfilling rhythms and melodies, a vivid energy and vibrant notes that
intertwine to make a very pleasing outcome.
The problem with ‘Out Of Touch In The Wild’ is
that they stick religiously to their template, and the album then tends to feel
like one fourty-minute song. This is not necessarily an awful thing; the
violin-led opener ‘Pondage’ sets the tone very well and ‘Phaedra’ is an
excellent xylophone-led two-minute indie-pop song. But the long, drawn-out
string introduction to ‘Zug Zwang’ suggests a change of pace and tone, only to
slip back into the norm. It feels like a change in direction or a touch of
variety is needed somewhere, and without it, it runs the risk of lacking impact
and being lost.
This should take away from a highly enjoyable
and superbly constructed listen. Dutch Uncles should be better known; their
brand of math-pop is just as likeable as the more popular Two Door Cinema Club
and would be welcome on a grander stage, if their act became a bit more varied.
The strengths of ‘Out Of Touch In The Wild’ are also its weaknesses; they maybe
need to freshen up the formula every few songs. Oh, and did I mention there’s a
lot of xylophones?
A very good album and worth checking out, here's my favourite song, 'Fester'. Enjoy.
It promises to be another stellar twelve months in the world of music. Is this the year that rock 'n' roll and guitars make their comeback? Or are the underground waves of dubstep and R'n'B going to fully break into the mainstream? And who's going to win this year's everywhere-you-look prize (A.KA. The 'Oh My God, I quite liked this Emeli Sande song until they played it three thousand times on every TV channel' prize). Well, we won't know just yet, but here's just a sneak preview for what to look out for in 2013.
BEADY EYE
Liam Gallagher returned to the fore with his post-Oasis band Beady Eye with huge fluster, declaring that this new guise were going to become 'the biggest band in the world' and overtake the legacy of his previous one. Debut album 'Different Gear, Still Speeding' had its moments, but after a brief honeymoon period, the glaze seemed to fade somewhat and it's now considered (even by Liam himself) to be a bit of a flop. So, Round Two, and one of the biggest egos in music faces the slightly awkward situation of having something to prove yet again. Noises are good though from Camp BDI, with Liam declaring it as the most 'experimental' thing he has done, and the band selecting a wild-card choice of producer in Dave Sitek (of TV On The Radio). So far, precise details are vague, but we know to expect it sometime in Spring and that live track 'World Not Set In Stone' will probably be a part of it. Love or hate Liam, you will find yourself listening out for this.
EXPECTED: Spring
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
It's been a very long time since we've been treated to a QOTSA album. But it's not just the return of Josh Homme and Co. for the first time since 2007's 'Era Vulgaris' that makes this one of the year's most anticipated returns. It's the fact that Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl returns to the drums, for the first time since mega-hit album 'Songs For The Death'. Listen to 'No One Knows' or 'Go With The Flow', and you'll understand the power that man gives to this band, but also the supreme songwriting talents of Homme and the innate coolness to his ever-changing group. Homme sent an extremely cryptic letter to MOJO Magazine, that only served to whet the appetite as he described the album as sounding like 'running in a dream inside a codeine cabaret'. It's going to be good.
EXPECTED: Spring
DAVID BOWIE
Don't lie, no-one saw it coming. Bowie shocked the music world (in a good way) this month when he returned with a new song and news of an album due out in March. The insatiable search for details has begun but not too much has been found out; Bowie is adamant he will not be doing interviews or live shows and, despite being in the age of Twitter and album leaks, this is genuinely the first we heard about it. Producer Tony Visconti has lifted the lid slightly on a couple of songs and promised an 'extremely strong and beautiful' album that harks back to Bowie's heydays. Just the fact one of Britain's greatest ever rock-stars is returning was enough to fire this album into one of the most anticipated albums this year.
EXPECTED: March 11th
THE STROKES
This one is hanging in the balance. We lack any definitive news but rumours are abounding that The Strokes will be returning this year with their fifth album, a release that has been talked about basically the second that last album 'Angles' was released. Their fourth record together was varied but interesting, was received well and put the New York five-piece back towards their early-2000's peak. Ever since however, various band members have talked about an even better record in the making; songwriting sessions going better, the band getting on better and the songs being produced sounding better. These rumours have multiplied a hundred-fold, as a US radio station is claiming to have the first listen of new Strokes track 'All The Time', and stating 'you won't be disappointed'. IF these rumours are true, I'm sure that we won't.
EXPECTED: Nobody knows!
BLACK KEYS
Fresh from conquering Reading and Leeds last year, Black Keys seem keen to continue their unassailable surge towards the upper echelons of rock this year with a new record. They seem to have done everything right so far; building up a fiercely loyal following for their early blues sound, crossing over to the world with their sixth and seventh albums, 'Brothers' and the superb 'El Camino' respectively. Now they have confirmed that sessions are booked for this month for album number eight, to go along with a recent UK tour that ended with dates at the O2 Arena. It can't be long before Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are headlining stadiums, and a few cracking tunes on their up-and-coming release certainly won't hurt their cause.
EXPECTED: Latter part of the year
There's my top five but don't worry, there's plenty more to sink your teeth into. Namely from Biffy Clyro, Vampire Weekend, Stereophonics, Palma Violets, Paramore, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many more to keep us entertained for the next twelve months. Who knows, we may even get to hear something from The Stone Roses or Arctic Monkeys if we're very lucky. But just to keep you going for the moment, here's the new single from Biffy Clyro, 'Black Chandelier', to whet your appetite for the year ahead. Brace yourself, 2013, it's going to be a good'un.
Well, we didn't see that one coming. After the celebration of British music at last summer's Olympics featuring everyone from Macca to The Who, and all eyes on the new artists for 2013, David Bowie kicks off the new year in a way that only one of the last true rock-stars can. The great chameleon of pop returns - on the day of his 66th birthday and ten years since his last release - with new single 'Where Are We Now?' and the news that we can expect his 26th studio album 'The Next Day' in March. And what a brilliant and genuinely shocking surprise; in the age of Twitter it has become nigh on impossible to maintain secrecy, but this is the first time Bowie has broken his silence since his last album, 2003's 'Reality', while rumours of health problems and retirement were abounding. But in true Bowie fashion, he has trumped us all with this new single. So what's it like?
Well, Bowie fans think it is the best song since 'Sliced Bread', and Bowie haters think it is drivel. And thankfully, the truth lies somewhere towards the fans. 'Where Are We Now?' is a tender, reflecting and quite beautiful ballad, that on first listen seems to lack a bit of drive, but on repeated listening grows in meaning and becomes actually moving. Over a sombre beat, Bowie creates a suspended atmosphere that it brought back down to Earth by his delightfully disjointed piano and tired, aching vocal. Littered with references to Berlin (exciting all Bowie fans), the song gently evolves into a simply stunning poetic bridge of 'As long as there's sun/As long as there's rain/As long as there's me/As long as there's you'. It's extremely poignant, and another brilliantly emotional addition to one of the most fulfilling back catalogues in British music.
Bowie has reached the level of super-stardom and legendary interest now that his iconic status cannot be diminished, but 'Where Are We Now?' may in fact have the opposite effect. It shows an artist who can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, but to such a high level of quality. And the interest in him has not gone away, not by a long shot. 'Where Are We Now?' has shot directly to the top of the charts, while pre-orders of 'The Next Day' have gone through the roof, proving the still-potent allure of this supremely talented emblem of pop weirdness.
'Where Are We Now?' is a fantastic taster of what is to come. Moving, tender and beautiful, allowing a sense of reflection and age-weariness without becoming depressive or self-indulgent, coupled with a delightfully weird and artistic video, means Bowie has shown all of British music how it is done. 2013 is kicked off in fantastic style, and we might have our big story of the year just eight days in.
An enrapturing song, and for all those who haven't heard it or if you just want an excuse to listen to it again, here is 'Where Are We Now?'. Enjoy - welcome back David, and happy birthday.
Yes, it's that time of year again. The Christmas decorations are coming down and the New Years' hangovers are settling down, so it's time to think about the year ahead. But a quick look back to twelve months ago; when I named Lana Del Rey, Dry The River and Howler as my three bands to look out for in 2012. Well I'll take two out of three; Dry The River's distinctly average debut album being bettered by Howler's superb debut and Lana Del Rey's rapid rise to pop stardom. So, can I better that with three out of three from this year's hot contenders?
1. HAIM
The winners of the BBC Sound of 2013 award and front cover stars on the NME, this American sister act are certainly causing a stir amongst the new music world. And it's not hard to see why with their bright and bubbly songs that are instantly likeable, with a sound that falls somewhere inbetween Blondie and Ladyhawke. So far we have only been treated to 'Don't Save Me' and 'Forever' from a singles point of view, but these bouncy gems have been more than enough to get the music press purring over their laid-back poppy-rock. For the music purists out there, Haim are the three Haim sisters (Este, Danielle and Alana) who play their instruments on their own songs - a big feather in their youthful cap. For those passing listeners, they make bloody catchy tunes.
2. PALMA VIOLETS
Winning the NME's song of the year for 2012 was a fine way to see in 2013, and big things are expected for this year's 'Rock 'n' Roll' saviours'. It seems every year now, we find good old 'rock 'n' roll' in dire need of saving but despite the huge success of The Vaccines and the underground ripples of Howler, we still find 'R'n'R' in a supposed need of resuscitation. Step forward Palma Violets - indie rock fourpiece from Lambeth, London, who have built up their reputation from their early live shows which have already begun to pick up the same kind of momentum as The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys did in their early days. 'Best Of Friends' is the kind of calling-card raucous guitar anthem that could be the springboard to stardom, but many are awaiting the 25th of February when they will release debut album '180'. Could very well be the success stories of 2013.
3. DEAP VALLY
Imagine the White Stripes with a girl singing, and you should arrive at rock-chick duo Deap Vally. Also think of The Black Keys/QOTSA with a drunk, rasping Karen O on vocals to you. Hailing from LA, Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards have caused quite a stir with their fantastically bluesy and riff-tastic 'Gonna Make My Own Money'; setting up tours both sides of the Atlantic, appearances at numerous festivals including Reading and Leeds (ready made for their hard-rock sound) and support slots for The Vaccines and Muse. With 'End Of The World' being Zane Lowe's Record Of The Week in October, they have an outside shot of creating a storm in 2013. Baring in mind the success of The Black Keys and The White Stripes, and the recent triumphs of Alabama Shakes, maybe it isn't such an outside shot at all.
Three very good up-and-coming bands, and simply because it's the song you're least likely to have heard, here's Deap Vally's 'Gonna Make My Own Money'. Enjoy.
It's been a year of big releases and promising new bands in 2012, and here's my highlights of the last twelve months condensed into five albums;
5. MUSE - THE 2ND LAW
Muse continued their unstoppable charge to the heights of rock stardom with their sixth studio album, which was also one of their most varied efforts so far. Opening with the Bond-theme rock of 'Supremacy', flying straight into the Prince funk of 'Panic Station', to the outlandish Queen-esque Olympic theme 'Survival', The 2nd Law is the sound of a highly-talented musical trio testing the boundaries of their creativity. The highs may not be matched by the lows on a sometimes trying record, but it does see bassist Chris Wolstenholme take the lead role well in 'Save Me' and 'Liquid State'. The album is made by the stand-out moments; the anthemic 'Madness', the 90's rave in 'Follow Me' and the apocalypse dubstep of 'Unsustainable'.
4. HOWLER - AMERICA GIVE UP
One of the best new bands of the year, Howler's infectious punk gems recall The Ramones and The Strokes, but their own East Coast slant on the three-minute guitar-thrash template. The raucous 'Wailing (Making Out)', the undeniable 'This One's Different' and their anthemic calling-card 'I Told You Once' are just highlights on an immensely fun album. Already playing new songs live, this American band will be well worth watching in the very near future.
3. JAKE BUGG - JAKE BUGG
2012 has been a memorable year for this young man from Nottingham; touring the world with Noel Gallagher, taking on the the X-Factor (and winning) and scoring a Number One with your debut album - not bad ay? Drawing on the Bob Dylan/Neil Young one-man-and-his-guitar aesthetic, the first part of his eponymous record is packed with the hits - most notably the twanging opener 'Lightning Bolt', flag-waving single 'Two Fingers' and the vibrant 'Taste It'. The second half sees him master mature acoustic beyond his tender years; especially the tale-telling 'Seen It All', the uplifting 'Broken' and the sombre 'Someone Told Me'.
2. THE KILLERS - BATTLE BORN
Now officially one of the world's biggest bands, 'Battle Born' sees The Killers back bigger than ever with their brilliant 80's style Springsteen American anthems. From the bombastic 'Runaways' and rampant opener 'Flesh And Bone', to 'Mr. Brightside' Part Two in 'Miss Atomic Bomb'; from the pulsing 'The Rising Tide' to the touchingly tender 'Be Still' and sprawling ballad 'Here With Me', Flowers & Co. now boast one of the best set-lists around, set to grace a stadium near you soon.
1. LANA DEL REY - BORN TO DIE
Sticking tightly to the template of femme fatale singing of broken hearts and red dresses with classic instrumentals over lazy hip-hop beats, the year's best pop star presents an album overflowing with high-class pop gems. From the epic 'Born To Die' to the saltry 'Blue Jeans', the dreamy elation of 'Radio' to the serenely perfect 'Video Games', 'Born To Die' is wall-to-wall packed with undeniably catchy and wickedly beguiling tunes from an incredibly seductive star. Almost twelve months after release, still at the top of the playlist.
So, bad luck to Tribes, Green Day, Mumford and Sons, Plan B, Spector, Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines and The XX among others, and well done to Lana Del Rey - 'Born To Die' was easily the highlight of the year in music. And here's the title track, and here's to 2012. It's been a good one.
