These are some short reviews i did recently for a uni module. Click on the title for the torrent!
4/5
MGMT create music for 21st century electro-hippies. With notes of 60s hipster irreverence and 80s glam mysticism, they owe as much to Bowie and Bolan as they do Justice. Whimsical and dreamy, ‘Fated To Pretend’ and ‘Electric Feel’ have the ability to thrill a club or enchant small audiences. Beautiful psychedelic electronica.
Laura Marling – Alas I Cannot Swim
4/5
18-year-old Marling’s debut release is full of rich fairytale lyrics and songs telling the secrets of a colourful childhood. Some tracks fade into predictable Tori Amos style snivelling (‘Old Stone’) but singles ‘My Manic…’ and ‘Cross Your Fingers’ retain an intensity often lost in neo-folk. Unforgettably sweet and honest.
Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Common
4/5
2008 was the year Fucked Up got more press than Britney, so this album had a lot to live up to. Half apocalyptic hardcore, half dirgey pagan euphoria, ‘Chemistry…’ is a confusing, but intelligently constructed release. Aside from ‘Royal Swan’s wailing, and some painfully self-indulgent, lyrics this is a near perfect record.
4 ½ /5
Brighton based chip-core legend DJ Scotch Egg’s latest release is a beautiful explosion of spasmodic electronic bleating. Title track ‘Drumized’ is calmer than you might expect but the album holds all of the chaotic energy seen on ‘Scotchhausen’, with more use of sampling and his special breed of ‘vocals’. A circus of gameboy -gabba experimentation.
2/5
Keane go 80s in a fantastically mis-judged revamp. Although single ‘Spiralling’ seems surprisingly promising, the rest of the album is formulaic synth-driven pop. They mimic countless other current bands who have jumped on the 80s revival bus (Mystery Jets, anyone?) predictably badly and without soul. The least original concept since new-rave.
2/5
Alphabutt sounds like walking into a badly run crèche. Dawson shares a wealth of information about impending motherhood you never wanted to know, using the vocabulary of a toddler, and the musicianship of a turd. ‘Sunbeams and Some Beans’ is closer to classic Kimya and the albums highpoint. Sickly sweet.
The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed
2/5
This is a classic post-breakdown album. Skinner raps about sanctimonious drivel he clearly has little grasp of over somewhat interesting funk-tinged garage. However if you ignore the sentiment there are saving graces in the form of ‘I Love You More’ and ‘Strongest Person…’. Predictably honest but, honestly, predictable.
Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
2/5
Kings Of Leon lose their defining features with this album of dull rock songs. The raw country appeal of ‘Youth And Young Manhood’ has disappeared and the youthful romanticism of ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ has been replaced with whiney indie-by-numbers tracks like ‘Crawl’. ‘Sex On Fire’ aside, a pointless release.
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