The more I listen the more I love.

Posted : 2 weeks, 5 days ago on 8 August 2008 09:47 (A review of Broken Boy Soldiers)

This album is one of those Cd's where you can't help but listen to it over and over and still find it just as interesting as the first time you listened to it.

Each song has its own unique style and mark within it, the lyrics are clever and random, Witty and also quite artistic in my opinion of course. When I heard Jack Whites other band, "The White Stripes" I felt he was a talentless reject who shouldn't be allowed to entertain people. It turns out that was all Megs fault, and he is in fact a brilliant and exceptional individual who turns all music into Gold (as long as Megs not around)

He is responsible for a lot of the talent within this gathering of musicians and he truly shines whilst working with them. The best songs on the album are by far Steady as she goes, Broken Boy Soldier and Intimate Secretary, which all highlight their magnificence. Of course all the songs are superb, but I felt I needed to pick 3 best, and it took a lot for me to pick those 3.

SASG is great because it is catchy, has a good beat. The lyrics are general to pretty much everybody. A person who reaches that age where they are no longer content with the single life, drinking and partying etc, and decides they want to settle down. Its kind of a song about acceptance of life, (I think) and that you need to take it steady and get what you can from it.

Hands, the second track is the perfect song for just lounging around with music on whilst your doing something trivial or simply relaxing. It is a simple song about how being with someone you love makes life better. Its about how each part of his girlfriend contributes to his life overall, and everything she does makes a difference to him.

Broken Boy Soldier - Numero 3. This song is completely different from the rest of the album, in style, vocals, speed, theme, everything. At face value I always take this song to be about young soldiers being sent to war who are essentially still children. When they fight they are men, when they aren't fighting they are boys. However it could also be about the leads wish to never grow older, remain the same person throughout his life and never change or sell out.

Intimate Secretary - one of my favorites on the album. This song goes back to the style of the other songs on the album, however it has the most obscure lyrics! "I have a rabbit that likes to hop" "I've got a girl and she likes to shop" "I had an uncle but he got shot" "I have a red Japanese tea pot" It seems to me the song is not meant to be understood exactly, although I have read it makes reference to the Freemason's in some way? The beat and the way the lyrics follow the same rhythm make this song memorable and a favorable track.

Together - This track is a typical love song, but with a message of compromise. I like the chorus to this song as it is a good message to anyone starting an adult relationship who is not ready to meld their way of life with another. There is some solid advice in this song, wether its intentional or not! There are also some nice lines and a bit of a mini story.

Level - Another break from the rest of the albums mode, only slightly this time, not in the scale of Broken Boy Soldier. This song makes me think of how Men and Women never understand each other. I dont think that is what it is about at all, but its always what springs to mind for me, I will never be able to truly understand my partner, and her me. It is more likely that this song is about something entirely different, but the lyrics are hardly in depth and intricate. The thing that makes this song special is the way it is delivered. The music is impeccable and more than one vocalist is used, creating an echo which I enjoy.

Store Bought Bones - This song starts with what reminds me of "Sonic the Hedgehog" when he is stuck under water for too long. The words to this song seem to be about longing to be one with a drug, needing a fix but being unable to find what he needs. "You cant buy what you, can't find" etc. It has some decent guitar work in it, but it is mainly a filler song really.

Yellow Sun - More of an upbeat tune here, a bit of a hippy song really. It seems like a song about somebody wanting to reveal his love for someone, but being too shy to do it. When they finally come around to do it, they find that they get laughed at and crushed, ruining their sunny disposition. I once read a different view, that this song was about someone trying to reveal they were a werewolf but being laughed at. Which would fit the rather odd background lines of "Your making me huuungrrrryyyy" and the mention of "Actions being dictated by the phase of the moon" Either way, great song.

Call it a Day - Seems to be a bit of a "I'm fed up and just want this to end" scenario between lovers having a fight. The rhythm has completely slowed during this song, the entire mood is a sad and drowsy one. Like a Goomba in the super Mario movie, I cant help but sway from side to side in my chair whilst listening to this.

Blue Veins - Great ending to the album, another slower track. It uses some backwards lyrics, which I once tried to listen to, but its mainly gibberish as far as I can recall. It sounds good forwards, and played backwards it sounds like a new song (not just a mish mash of noise like it should) so there is definitely something being run backwards on there, just no message for the fan who can.

Overall this album is a fantastic piece of work. Granted I don't truly know the meaning of half of the lyrics but that is a good thing surely? The fact it causes you to think about what is being said, and makes you want to know what he is singing about is a huge plus to me. In this review I may have presumed to much about songs being based on relationships, but at face value that is how they seem. I imagine that the depth to the songs reveal an entirely more sinister subplot that I have missed!

I recommend this band to, well, everyone! I can't really see what reasons people wouldn't like these for. They are different, and they have great style.







0 comments, Reply to this entry

Suprisingly, I like this album.

Posted : 2 weeks, 5 days ago on 8 August 2008 08:43 (A review of Change)

When my partner asked me to download the latest Sugababes album I laughed at her, and didn't do it. She eventually did it herself, and living in the same house, I found myself forced into listening to it.

At first I did the default moan and groan, a mans place in the grand scheme is to frown upon the womans tastes and belittle their music choices until they refrain from displaying them with you around.

Unfortunately this did not go exactly to plan. The first song I was "subjected" to was "About You Now" (funnily enough, Track 1) The beat to it is fast and it is a song you can tap your foot too. I liked having it on whilst in the car, it felt like perfect driving music. Although I do not drive, so I shouldn't really be speculating on that!

The lyrics are catchy, I can enjoy singing along to it in my head, and have found myself singing out loud once or twice to it. These women don't seem to be your regular girl band, Spice girls they aint! It does make me laugh though that one of the singers is completely off key with the others, it seems intentional, and if I am singing along, I like aiming for her notes because she sounds so out of place in the whole song.

The next 3 songs in the album, I think I slipped into a coma or something, it is such a let down to start the album on something good, and then drop into obscurity for the next tracks. The album regains consciousness with its SUPERB song "Change"

I first heard this song when my nan died, im sad to say it made me cry! Mainly because of the line "Aint it funny when you think you've got your whole life planned, then you realize things will never be the same again" it felt so apt for the situation as my nan was the pillar of our entire family, the matriarch for 32 different people who would not be alive without her reproducing!
This song will always be important to me, purely because of the time when I heard it, and how it made me think about life in such a basic and two dimensional way. It helped me realize life is full of changes and that all you can do is roll with it, and cherish the moments that matter.

The next song is another good one which I definitely sing to in the car, "Back when" is a song about two people, friends or lovers, I dunno to be honest. Who no longer share the same bond they used to. It has lovely lyrics, and the harmonizing done by the sugababes is spot on. Their voices sound beautiful, and the lyrics are catchy throughout. The chorus is where they sound their best, and feeling them impress me has opened my mind to a whole different view on music which I had refused to accept out of a belief that "pop music must be a crime" These women have shown me that is simply not true, and obviously they would not be making millions of pounds if they were not talented women!!

The other 5 songs on the album are a mixture of filler and mediocre work. Creating 3 classics is pretty impressive in one album, considering artists like Oasis have managed less than 10 in an entire career! Couple the 3 on here with songs like Overload, Freak Like Me, Round Round, Too lost in you, Push the Button, to name but a few of their "known work" (Or at least songs I have heard of or recognize from British radio) these girls are extremely talented!

As usual, I recommend this group to anyone who is looking for something better than your regular cliche tripe like Britney or Christina. These girls are clever, and their songs are put together brilliantly.




2 comments, Reply to this entry

Immediately takes me back to College

Posted : 2 months, 2 weeks ago on 10 June 2008 11:13 (A review of Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace)

I am listening to this for the first time whilst i write as to give my first impression a review of its own (i may edit at a later date or do another review once i re listen a few times)

The Offspring are a band that i always feel i should be "too old" to listen to now, but being younger than the band members, i can almost justify it to myself, and im glad i try because despite their newer work not being a patch on their older, this album (after 3 songs in) is already better than a lot of crap people are listening to, and so far i am impressed that it seems better than Splinter was. (Although i personally felt Splinter was a decent album...)
The first song, "Half Truism" Sounds like classic Offspring from the outset, the second i heard Dexter's voice i digressed years back to being a teen buying Americana in my local Boilermakers for the first time. The chorus to the song is reminiscent of the precise thing i loved about the band, i always find they excel when they aren't trying to make you laugh/the song sounds more serious/sad. It is very impressive to see they have barely changed their style in decades now whilst others reinvent themselves on a daily basis.

Trust In You instantly reminds me of "Smash" (The album not the song) when it starts, i hope that is what they were aiming for because it worked if they were! Although saying that, i cant make my mind up anymore, now its got a more "Conspiracy of One" feel to it! I am going to enjoy this album i can tell. Much to my partners disdain as she can not stand my affection towards whinier singers with high pitched voices!!

"You're gonna go far, Kid" sounds like it could potentially be a pop track, i do not suspect it will be a "successful" one but in my opinion i could listen to it on the radio. It is catchy and has memorable lines i can imagine people using as their IM usernames for the next couple of months.

"Hammerhead" next, iv not heard this but im aware it has been out for a while now. I would say personally, it would not be my first choice of song to be released early, my appetite for the album would have been quelled hearing this first of all, but that does not mean it is bad, it is just the least impressive of the four songs i have heard so far. It is beginning to slow down in the middle though... i am hopeful for a revival in the song to convince me they knew what they were doing!!....Bloody hell, i was getting ready to say "Nope, failed" But i like it! Bit of a deviation from the rest of the song, and then the end. The first half of it could be better, but the second half makes for a good song.

"A Lot Like Me" - Starts like a dance track mixed with a Coldplay album! The lead changes in this song (or at least the tone if it is still Dexter, to be honest, i am just assuming its not him, and guessing it is Noodles), Dexter is reserving his usual voice for the background and chorus, it is a bit of a different style for the band, but it works brilliantly.

"Takes Me Nowhere" and "Kristy are you doing okay?" didn't really jump out at me, i sat here waiting to write, and wound up surfing the internet through them out of slight boredom. Most albums tend to lapse slightly in the middle i guess, but again it seems Kristy was released early too, i can not see why, unless they wrote it early. I may edit this bit later on after a few more listens, if i do not, then assume that they never grew on me.

"Nothingtown" - I really like the beat and the rhythm to this song, it is very upbeat and the guitar work does not sound like their normal way of playing. If this had been pre-released, or even made the radio i think it would do better/have raised more eyebrows in happiness. Its not amazing or anything, but it is better than the last two for sure!

"Stuff is messed up" - Sounds like one of their old fashioned "This is fucked" rage about the worlds stupidity song. It even includes the line "I'm telling you, shit is fucked up!!" and "The ends justify the means" they tended to deviate from their "message" songs, or I've just missed the point in their later songs... (If i have forgotten some, remind me!) I like this song though, especially the random word rant in the middle, that must of taken balls to try!

"Fix You" looks like it will be a sad song, im hopeful it will meet their usual standards of excellence. So far, with lines like "I WISH I COULD FIX YOOOU!!" im not very impressed, it sounds like it is trying to be songs like "Denial Revisited" and failing. The verses are better than the chorus, and it also seems to be trying to become more what is expected, the "oooooohs" do not sound like Offspring "Oooohs" they sound like generic "Oooohs"

"Lets Hear It For Rock Bottom" - feels suspiciously like Album filler, and not just any Album Filler, but it has a distinct Blink 182 feel to it, like they've borrowed it to fill a gap. Slightly harsh perhaps, but i thought for a while before putting which band i thought it sounded like and then Blink fit the bill perfectly.

"Rise and Fall" - Now let me see, its in the title of the album, so SHOULD be the best song right? Its about to start....and its also the very last song so i am expecting big. Perhaps thats my problem, expecting. Its not exactly epic, but it sounds okay. The chorus isn't as catchy as it is repetitive. There are one or two lines that made me think "Heh" slightly, but nothing special. Not the big finale an album should finish with!

"O.C Life" - The Secret Track! - This is more like it! Fast, the words aren't as thoughtful as their other songs, but its guitar is better and there is no repetitive lyrics. Except the chorus of course. Whilst being better than Rise and Fall, it still lacks that spark which makes it special.

Overall i would say the album, first listen through, is a 6/10 at best. Hopefully it will grow on me like other albums often do, but some of the songs hardly gave me reason to, and i am usually pretty tolerant enough to listen a few times first. I cant imagine impatient people who judge songs/albums in one listen will last more than half the songs before switching off, or if they last the course they'll unlikely return. For fans though, you'll love it no doubt, it is the Offspring, but with some new sounds!


1 comments, Reply to this entry

An Average Album

Posted : 4 months ago on 25 April 2008 04:19 (A review of Have a Nice Day)

When i heard Bon Jovi was releasing a new CD i thought it would be great, as they are a very talented band and their best of album shows the bulk combination of their worth to music, which is vast.
However, unfortunately for them, they are stuck in the past. This album was great in the sense that it has everything you want to hear from Bon Jovi, it has everything that IS Bon Jovi, but that is not enough, its the new millennium, music is evolving, and Bon Jovi just sticks to the formula they are used to.
The songs are not particularly memorable songs, mainly ones you will sing along to whilst the album is on, or when they come on the radio, but which you wont be playing in 20 years time. Most Bon Jovi fans will stick to their Cross Roads, or if a new best of comes out in the future, perhaps 1 or 2 of these songs will make it on there (Although i strongly feel none would)
Now if i was a member of the band, i would have said

"We have this retrospective album, and it has made the world think "oh yeah, they are great!!" (like Guns and Roses did....) but now we need to make an album that blows that CD out of the water and shows them we can do FAR BETTER" (Guns and Roses are bringing out a CD this year i believe, i get the feeling my review for them will be similar to this one!)

Sadly they didnt top a single song on Cross Roads, and so if that was their aim they failed. If their aim was to supply a CD which meets satisfactory requirements but does not surpass them then this is it. Im shocked to say im listening to the CD whilst i write this to get a better feel, and i have listened to it countless times in the past, but i still did not recognize some of the songs because they are just average!

Bon Jovi fans will disagree, but music fans will like this CD and likely never Love it.


0 comments, Reply to this entry

I expected more from this.

Posted : 4 months ago on 25 April 2008 03:48 (A review of My Brother's Blood Machine)

When i heard that Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria was going Solo on a new album about my favorite Coheed Character "Jessie the prize fighter inferno" i was quite excited. I expected such a great character to be given center stage away from Coheed and Cambria and to have some wild adventure in acoustic form.
Most of this belief was down to the fact since first becoming a Coheed fan i had heard the rumors of PFI coming to light, and about 3 acoustic guitar singles circulated the internet called "Run like Hell" "Im going to kill you" and another one i forget the name of.
Only "Im going to kill you" actually made it onto the Album and unfortunately it was renamed "the missing mcCloud boys" and was my least favorite of the 3.
I was also mistaken in thinking it would be about Jessie, in fact it turned out to be a story told BY Jessie

"Long-arm and Butchie Bleam brothers brought together by physical distortion and social seclusion are about to find themselves in the running for the most unusual job in the world.....DEATH! Listen to the story unfold as we follow these two misunderstood yet maniacal minstrels of macabre in a neverending race for ultimate power. Listen to the disturbing details as the songs takes you through the hell that is the Blood Machine. This is a story being told in song......this is hell being unleashed through love and sound...... I am the hitchhiker doomed to tell the tale of Margretville, I am your Guide, I am the Prizefighter Inferno."

This is the tagline that accompanies it on many a website/advert. I feel that it over hypes it really. But it is still a good album! There are some awesome sounds in the album and its worth a listen through once or twice as i think you'd find one song to add to your collection at least.

The songs fluctuate between electronica, folk rock and synth rock throughout the album, and upon hearing this i instantly decided i was going to love the rock but hate the electronica, AGAIN i was wrong, i actually hate the folk rock songs, LOVE the electronica songs and the synth rock is just in between really.

I would say if you like Coheed and Cambria a lot then you are going to like this too, not as much, but to a degree. If you are not a coheed fan, or dont know who Coheed and Cambria are then this probably is not for you, in my opinion it is not a fraction as good as The Amory Wars has turned out to be, but i guess that might be because that story has been going for a hell of a lot longer. I think though that with more albums and some explanation, this story may unfold quite well in the long run, but id rather Claudio stick to Coheed first!!

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Now some men like a fishin'......

Posted : 4 months, 2 weeks ago on 10 April 2008 03:11 (A review of Whiskey In The Jar Single)

...But some men like the fowlin'
Some men like to hear, to hear the cannonball a-roarin'

But me, I like this cover of Whiskey in the Jar. Its an absolutely brilliant piece of music taken from Irish History, assumed to be about the 18th century era.
Its about a man who whilst in the Cork and Kerry mountains, holds up a captain and robs him of his riches, then is betrayed by his lover, in this version her name is Molly, who dobs him in to the captain he robs from, he shoots the captain and winds up in prison as a result.
The guitars Metallica use in this song are spot on, absolutely love the solos and i think the lead vocals are perfect for this kind of song. All the Oh's, Yeah's and the way he sings WHISKEEEEY IN THE JAROOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHYEAAAAAH always makes me want to shout it out loud. There are not many truely great covers, but this one is fantastic and to boot it reminds me of my grandfather who used to constantly listen to an Irish folk version of it when he was alive. I would recommend this song to anybody really, its not a matter of disliking specific genres of music, either a songs good or a song is bad, and this one is incredible! Listen to it!

Oh and P.S, SORRY for the awful start to the review, it just had to be done!!! I feel quite dirty for it now.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Reviewed on Request.

Posted : 5 months ago on 24 March 2008 05:56 (A review of (What's the Story) Morning Glory?)

Imagine the worst accent in the world, curse it upon two people, brothers actually, give one a bit of talent, and one a huge ego, and then teach them to play some instruments on a basic level, tell them a few "ground rules" such as "All songs should be sung on the exact same note to be good" and a few simple formulas that should last a couple of albums or so. Shoot em full of drugs and alcohol, and make them British and you will have one of the most successful (for no reason i can see) bands in the UK.
Oasis are an absolute waste of time, they have about 4 good songs (mainly performed by the talented brother) in their entire discography and perhaps a few more mediocre ones (enough to fill an extremely tedious "best of" album perhaps?) the rest are just a wave of boring drug fueled nonsense.
If this band were American i wouldn't hesitate to guess they would either of a) never been signed or b) been called "the red hot chili peppers" but because they are from my neck of the woods, a baron wasteland where the Kaiser Chiefs roam the place destroying peoples souls, they are popular.
Its my opinion that most "lovers" of Oasis are usually people who tend to just listen to what they are told by the Brit Awards, an award show that is based on my vision of hell, and act upon their suggestions. Absolute idiots who believe Pete Doherty is a hero and Amy Winehouse doesn't deserve to be dead. Manchester United fans, people who generally skim across the top of the talent pool taking it at a 2 dimensional face value and accepting who ever they are told is considered "great" never delving deeper and realizing that actually, sometimes lifeless shit floats upon the top of pools while the purer, nicer stuff is a bit below, like a pint of beer with a bit of head on it.
I really really dislike this band, most of it is due to the above, a lot of it is down to the attitude problem that Liam Gallagher has, and the fact he is a massive PRICK. But none of that compares to how awful his voice sounds, how boring their instrumental abilities are, and how mundane their topic of song is.
That and of course, in the battle of Oasis vs Blur, i was with Blur.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

The only band who consistantly betters t

Posted : 5 months, 2 weeks ago on 16 March 2008 04:16 (A review of Decemberunderground)

When i heard "The Art of Drowning" i thought it was brilliant, "Sing the Sorrow" came and blew it out of the water. I figured they must have peaked there, but after much anticipation "Decemberunderground" came out and yet again surpassed all their previous work.
I once read that whilst creating this album they wrote and put into motion over 100 different songs before deciding on the final 12 they put on the album (8 more were released online, some of which were covers though) I think it shows in the album that they have put a lot of work into it, the timing, the words, the instruments are all expertly done. They seem to have been given a bit of a budget to play around with which is great too, as they haven't abused it.
The songs at the start of the album are not hugely amazing, they are good, and of that AFI sound, but the later through the album you go the better the songs are. (I tend to start it from about track 4 when i want to hear only the best) This band are not remotely Emo, nor are they trying to be cool like most bands of this era, they are extremely creative and i think you can grasp that from the lyrics. Someone new to the band may tar them with the same brush as the many other groups there are out there, but AFI are original and every album they release will be something different. If you line up all of their releases you will notice this straight off. They have certain things that are their way of doing it etc which they imprint on songs, but other than that its generally different each time around.
I recommend this album to anyone who likes proper singing, proper lyrics (not just songs about sex, drugs or whatever else) and deeper meaning to their songs. If you dont like screaming in songs, there might be 1 or 2 tracks you want to skip, but dont let them put you off the whole thing! They use screaming when appropriate, in some songs, but not in most of them. In fact i personally skip the songs that are *too screamy* and i love all their work!




0 comments, Reply to this entry

Australian Country Rock?!

Posted : 5 months, 2 weeks ago on 13 March 2008 07:53 (A review of The Captain)

A friend of mine sent me a song by Kasey Chambers during a conversation about music we both liked. My first impression was that the song was pretty funny, and the voice, whilst powerful, was a bit grating like someone scratching a chalk board. I downloaded her album though as i wanted to hear more and i really enjoyed it! The Captain is her debut album as just herself, as far as im aware, and the songs on it are a bit cliche country rock, but still good ones. I enjoyed the album thoroughly and the songs are memorable ones that i like to listen to sometimes when im in the mood to. Her next album is a bit more pop orientated and thus probably the more favorable of the two for most, but i prefer this one as it was the one i discovered first and so it is the one i have listened to most. I think down in Oz Kasey is a little more popular and known than elsewhere, but she did sing the theme tune to the rugby world cup (Remember, when it was "true colors" she sung that then.....) Before this, i never knew country music existed outside of America really, i thought it was a culture intelligence problem kind of thing, but Kasey has taught me it IS intentional, and CAN be quite good!!

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Fantastic Cover Album!

Posted : 5 months, 2 weeks ago on 13 March 2008 07:35 (A review of Radio One Established 1967)

I first listened to this because i was intruiged by the thought of "Girls Aloud" singing "Teenage Dirt bag" Could it be true? Could they pull it off?! It was and they did, i like their rendition of it, they add their sparkle to it and make the song sound better than the original, not too hard, but it was an alright song.
The best song on this entire cd though is the Foo Fighters playing "Band on the Run" by wings. I was lucky enough to have my radio alarm come on one morning JUST as this song was beginning, i lay there dazed hearing it start and thinking "Sounds familiar.....but improved some how?!" it begins Dave Grohls voice is perfect for this song, and he pulls it off perfectly.
Other songs that were covered on the album were pretty mixed and spanned 40 years of number 1 classics. Some were a little odd such as "Your Song" being covered by "the streets", i was not convinced by this one.
Id definitely recommend this cd as every song is a fantastic song from history, and it has been redone by some of todays top performers, most excel themselves and none have been picked purely to make up numbers! You wont be sorry if you listen to this, even if its because you get to hear "band on the run" being performed.

1 comments, Reply to this entry