What I’m listening to lately.
When it comes to music I would love to say that I have a
wide range of genres that I love listening to. I’d be lying if I did. I’ve
always tended to go for bands and singer/songwriters types. If I did pigeon hole
it then I would say I’m into Indie/alternative/rock but then again that is too
expansive still, as I on the whole don’t care for American bands barring Green
Day and Blink 182 and my interest for them has been on the wane for a long
while. My favourite band ever since
hearing their demo’s years ago has been the Arctic Monkey’s and this remains
true today. Running a close second are Bastille who have a strange kind of
magnetism to them. Ever since hearing an acoustic performance they gave at
Reading festival last year I’ve been hooked, and since discovering their two mix
tapes they released before the ‘proper’ album Bad Blood I haven’t looked back
since. I managed to see them last week in Leeds and they were superb
throughout. Any band that can mix Home Alone quotes into one of their songs
(Holy Night) will always be a winner by me! In terms of singer songwriters the
main ones that I have enjoyed recently are Ben Howard, Ed Sheeran, Matt Cardle,
and last but not least Tom Odell.
In terms of buying music I tend not to download and much
prefer buying something physical, so that you actually feel that you are
getting something for your money!
Recently I have bought the new albums from the Arctic
Monkeys –AM, Tom Odell’s – Long way down and Matt Cardle’s – Porcelain. Here is
a brief synopsis and my verdict on each.
AM
Whilst I am not quite one of those people that will grunt to
whoever will listen that the “Arctic Monkey’s older stuff is WAY better than the
new stuff” Deep down I probably have to admit that the first album will always
be my favourite and the buzz and energy present on that record is just incredible,
every song felt without trying to sound like Louis Walsh a number one record. Alex Turner and co are a very different
proposition these days to the days of tales of inner city Sheffield. Barring Favourite
Worst Nightmare, Suck it and See was my favourite album since the first and
that style and feel is enhanced and improved here. It’s a fantastic collection
of songs from the festival anthems of ‘Do I wanna know’ and ‘R U Mine?’ to the album
standout of ‘I Wanna be Yours’ which features Alex borrowing lyrics from John
Cooper Clarke and turning somewhat cheesy sentiments into something beautiful.
One of the best albums of the last few years, without doubt.
A must buy. 10/10
Long Way Down
A Brit award nominee with this album none the less, Tom
Odell triumphs over a scathing damning from N.M.E which famously gave this
0/10. How they justified that I still don’t quite understand as it is one of
the best albums of the year in my opinion with a good mixture of acoustic piano
and the rockier vibes dispersed throughout songs like the brilliant ‘Another
Love’.
A truly talented, young musician. Recommended. 9/10
Porcelain
As this is the most recent, currently this is the album that’s
sound tracking my journeys to and from work at the moment, it’s a little more
detailed, and for good reason!
Now I’ve got to say that Matt gets a rough ride from a large
section of the public for coming from a TV talent show such as the X Factor but
without it he wouldn’t be free to make the music he’s always wanted to. I can
see why people ‘hate’ on manufactured groups such as Union J etc but surely
someone who writes all their own music, plays all the instruments on their
album deserves respect, regardless of the platform that made them famous? Matt
Cardle won the only complete series of the X Factor I’ve ever managed to sit
through and watch and also produce various others who’ve gone on to achieve success.
It was the best series without doubt
from the viewing figures amassed alone. From this I discovered ‘Seven Summer’s
Matt’s old band who were a fantastic indie rock group who deserved much more attention
and success than they seemingly got. Post X Factor Matt in the ‘Letters’ era
was always a tiny bit disappointing for me as I’d seen the music he was capable
of from the Youtube Vid’s of Seven Summers (Check out ‘Way to be’ and ‘Growing
up high’) and the Letters Album suffered from being overproduced and a bit for
a want of a better word ‘samey.’
After Matt left
Columbia records and Cowell’s clutches after falling out over having the quite
frankly awful Gary Barlow (Borelow?) penned ‘Run For Your Life’ thrust upon him
over the natural single choice of Starlight. Matt has gone from strength to
strength, 2012’s The Fire was a vast improvement in all areas without quite
hitting the heights that you felt he was capable of. The final song ‘Lately’
was the stand out from the album.
Porcelain is a more diverse collection of songs than was
seen on the previous two albums. There is a good mixture of pop, soul and rock present
from the opening song entitled ‘In Chains’ which builds and builds before
entering a fantastic, frantic ending which really sets the album up as a whole.
Next comes the poppier parts of the album with the hit single with Mel C ‘Loving
you’ followed by ‘When You Were My Girl’ and ‘Hit my Heart’. The section that
follows is my favourite and switches to a rockier style complete with swooping
choruses showing both an impressive falsetto and the previously criminally underutilised
lower register that was missing on the previous albums. ‘A Little Too Late’ ‘Your
Kind of Love’ and ‘This Trouble Is Ours’ are up there with the best things Matt
has ever done.
An excellent album that deserves recognition. 9/10
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