Usually when I hear something by Katy Perry I instinctively head to the nearest fire exit, and believe that it should be banished to the graveyard of forgettable pop music.
Although on her new album Prism, there are certainly some tolerable moments. Once you've waded through the typical dance-pop mediocrity, there are certainly the odd, catchy hooks through the veneer of blandness. At times there does seem to be some diversity, albeit in a very minor and subtle way.
'Walking On Air' has heavy acid-house influences, and that retro nod sounds welcoming amongst the predictable electro-pop, and the chorus hook certainly captures the exuberance of the track's title. There are some surprising Chiptune arrangements on 'This Is How We Do', which act as an excellent contrast to the vocals. 'By The Grace Of God' is a well-crafted ballad, and builds up to a highly-rousing chorus.
However, many of the tracks do not live up to their expectations. 'Roar' is too dull in it's arrangement and repetitive, and is in need of an intelligent hook to take it to acceptable listening. 'Birthday' is so super glossy and overproduced, resulting in an extremely clinical sound. 'Unconditionally' sounds like a Katy Perry track of the past, and again offers little innovation or development in musical ability. It appears that much of the material is over-engineered, with the vocals autotuned to death. Many of the tracks are extremely formulaic, and often use one or two unsatisfactory hooks that are made to sound better than they actually are, by applying a huge amount of backing to the chorus for greater impact. You don't fool me, Katy Perry.
So how would I sum up this album? It's essentially an album with two or three singles nestling amongst a collection of poor tracks, pumped up to the max by indulgent production trickery.
Rating - 4/10
https://myspace.com/katyperry/music/album/prism-19255384
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Dee C'rell - Elektronische Kompositionen
Dee C'rell takes you on a mellow, sedate and composed journey through his new album Elektronische Kompositionen. There are some quite crazy spoken passages, interesting and effective beats and abstract live piano. The experimentation is extremely satisfying, and it is a great endorsement of electronic jazz music.
'Looping At The Spree' is a delicately crafted piece, so fragile but very elegant in its sound composition. 'Ballad of Love' is a truly eclectic mix, complete with reverse instrumentation, world percussion, violin samples, light piano touches and the spoken voice, creating an extremely absorbing and original soundscape. 'Letters from Chicago' has an intriguing experimental appeal, brought about by improvised piano and an infectious electronica beat. 'Don't Ever Leave Myself I' features a very alluring and dark hook, yet again mixed in with short piano noodling.
Although the beats can get quite monotonous, and there is a somewhat over-reliance on little piano hooks, and that does dilute the quality somewhat. It would be nice to hear some more audacious experiments with the vocal parts and the beats, and some of the tracks do hover on the edge of self-indulgence.
This is an interestingly experimental album, with strong jazz styling but plenty of innovation. It shows a direction jazz music can go in order to attract a more youthful and esoteric audience.
Rating - 7/10
http://deecrellmusic.bandcamp.com/album/elektronische-kompositionen
'Looping At The Spree' is a delicately crafted piece, so fragile but very elegant in its sound composition. 'Ballad of Love' is a truly eclectic mix, complete with reverse instrumentation, world percussion, violin samples, light piano touches and the spoken voice, creating an extremely absorbing and original soundscape. 'Letters from Chicago' has an intriguing experimental appeal, brought about by improvised piano and an infectious electronica beat. 'Don't Ever Leave Myself I' features a very alluring and dark hook, yet again mixed in with short piano noodling.
Although the beats can get quite monotonous, and there is a somewhat over-reliance on little piano hooks, and that does dilute the quality somewhat. It would be nice to hear some more audacious experiments with the vocal parts and the beats, and some of the tracks do hover on the edge of self-indulgence.
This is an interestingly experimental album, with strong jazz styling but plenty of innovation. It shows a direction jazz music can go in order to attract a more youthful and esoteric audience.
Rating - 7/10
http://deecrellmusic.bandcamp.com/album/elektronische-kompositionen
Lorde - Pure Heroine
I first came across Lorde on TV. She's seemingly become a superstar overnight and I wanted to see why. Pure Heroine is her debut album, and it certainly matches the hype. It's an effortlessly minimalistic electro-pop record, emphasized by Lorde's confident and mature vocal style. It appears to find the right blend of balance and creativity, delivered with a spacious and atmospheric touch. There's no airbrushed pop here - just great powerful songwriting.
One standout highlight from the album is 'Royals', an unbelievably sparse track containing just vocals, the odd beat and a short bassline. There's a great rhythm shift in the vocals in the bridge, and sets up a great chorus complete with emphatically dazzling harmonies. 'Buzzcoat Season' has a great subtle backing that provides great contrast to the chorus, which itself is quite memorable. 'Glory And Gore' is beautifully arranged, with the vocals acting out a sort of call-and-response style, and the electronic backing giving lots of power but not overpowering the vocals.
One thing that's lacking with this album is that there isn't more tracks like 'Royals'. Basically what I'm getting at is that there could be a bit more invention in the arrangement. Those clever little rhythm changes and harmonies could be more prevalent in some of the other tracks, but I suppose that is nit-picking.
One of the most impressive qualities of Lorde is that she sounds nothing like any other female popstar. She's developed her own effective and distinct style at a very young age, and if she's this good at 16 think how good she'll be in a few years time.
Rating - 9/10
https://myspace.com/lordeofficialmusic/music/album/pure-heroine-19225641
One standout highlight from the album is 'Royals', an unbelievably sparse track containing just vocals, the odd beat and a short bassline. There's a great rhythm shift in the vocals in the bridge, and sets up a great chorus complete with emphatically dazzling harmonies. 'Buzzcoat Season' has a great subtle backing that provides great contrast to the chorus, which itself is quite memorable. 'Glory And Gore' is beautifully arranged, with the vocals acting out a sort of call-and-response style, and the electronic backing giving lots of power but not overpowering the vocals.
One thing that's lacking with this album is that there isn't more tracks like 'Royals'. Basically what I'm getting at is that there could be a bit more invention in the arrangement. Those clever little rhythm changes and harmonies could be more prevalent in some of the other tracks, but I suppose that is nit-picking.
One of the most impressive qualities of Lorde is that she sounds nothing like any other female popstar. She's developed her own effective and distinct style at a very young age, and if she's this good at 16 think how good she'll be in a few years time.
Rating - 9/10
https://myspace.com/lordeofficialmusic/music/album/pure-heroine-19225641
Monday, 9 December 2013
Ephemerals - Nothing Is Easy
It's not often you hear something so vibrant and invigorating, with obvious style influences but certainly a contemporary feel. Ephemerals have achieved just that on their new album Nothin Is Easy, not just a slice but a whole cake of pure neo-soul. You also get a velvety voice packed with heart and emotion, gracefully intertwined with tidy brass arrangements and some feisty backing vocals. As I sit reflecting on the music's power, I feel like I've been taken on an ecstatic tour of zesty surprise, and feel negativity and pessimism wilt away into dust.
'Call It What You Want' starts with a guitar intro that sounds lost in time with it's precise retro feel, before the buoyant punch of the vocals and brass enter at the chorus. 'Easy Ain't Nothin' is a great vocal effort, with a typically soulful melody harking back to the 1960s. 'The Oligarch' is a perfect example of an instrumental where the brass, guitar and organ are having a fantastic, romping orgy, taking jamming to the next level. 'Six Days A Week' builds and soars into another great solo performance, and 'I'm Your Man' packs total pure soul and more.
The criticism I give to this album is that there is nothing new here. There is little originality or innovation, and you could say that this is a more polished and slicker version of classic soul albums of the past. It could do with a bit more novelty, as the groove it has is hooked to the past.
This is still a great neo-soul album. It has a level of consistency that should be a template for all music, and despite not have too much originality its a very absorbing sound for what it is.
Rating - 8/10
http://ephemerals.bandcamp.com/album/nothin-is-easy
'Call It What You Want' starts with a guitar intro that sounds lost in time with it's precise retro feel, before the buoyant punch of the vocals and brass enter at the chorus. 'Easy Ain't Nothin' is a great vocal effort, with a typically soulful melody harking back to the 1960s. 'The Oligarch' is a perfect example of an instrumental where the brass, guitar and organ are having a fantastic, romping orgy, taking jamming to the next level. 'Six Days A Week' builds and soars into another great solo performance, and 'I'm Your Man' packs total pure soul and more.
The criticism I give to this album is that there is nothing new here. There is little originality or innovation, and you could say that this is a more polished and slicker version of classic soul albums of the past. It could do with a bit more novelty, as the groove it has is hooked to the past.
This is still a great neo-soul album. It has a level of consistency that should be a template for all music, and despite not have too much originality its a very absorbing sound for what it is.
Rating - 8/10
http://ephemerals.bandcamp.com/album/nothin-is-easy
Wolfie Vincent - Palm Tree Apparatus
Sweet, gentle, angelic and mellow. These are words you should never ever use when describing Wolfie Vincent. Their recent album Palm Tree Apparatus is a collage of blistering industrial carnage, gatecrashing your inner peace, and features a screen of white noise artfully arranged into beats. This is not just a middle finger to mainstream electronic, it's a full-on annihilation of the human soul - with beats.
'The Chimney is Alive' really sets the tone for album, with a psychotic siren that's only made more arresting with a distorted drill pleasantries. 'Capital Plaza to El Cajon' sounds like dubstep infused with radioactive waste. 'Hanging Out with Carnies' shows a more sensitive side, in the fact that the distorted facets are shorter chirpy sounds instead of toxic slabs of Beelzebub.
Although there's a certain appeal with this album that I can't explain easily. It's goes to the limit of nihilism and suddenly finds itself back into the realm of acceptable art. Certainly the last few tracks of the album become a lot more varied in their sound combinations, almost mellowing into infectious lo-fi electronic music.
The volatility of this album is occasionally artistic, but extremely unsettling. You may have to challenge your pain threshold when listening, but it's certainly intriguing material.
Rating - 6/10
http://retardedreflex.bandcamp.com/album/palm-tree-apparatus
'The Chimney is Alive' really sets the tone for album, with a psychotic siren that's only made more arresting with a distorted drill pleasantries. 'Capital Plaza to El Cajon' sounds like dubstep infused with radioactive waste. 'Hanging Out with Carnies' shows a more sensitive side, in the fact that the distorted facets are shorter chirpy sounds instead of toxic slabs of Beelzebub.
Although there's a certain appeal with this album that I can't explain easily. It's goes to the limit of nihilism and suddenly finds itself back into the realm of acceptable art. Certainly the last few tracks of the album become a lot more varied in their sound combinations, almost mellowing into infectious lo-fi electronic music.
The volatility of this album is occasionally artistic, but extremely unsettling. You may have to challenge your pain threshold when listening, but it's certainly intriguing material.
Rating - 6/10
http://retardedreflex.bandcamp.com/album/palm-tree-apparatus
The Percussion Club - Micro Runner
When I hear this I think of sound tip-toeing up a stair of electronic blocks, lightly patterned by decorative sound design. The echo synths beautifully merge with the indigenous percussion, magnifying a lucid dream of pad textures. Succinct rhythms bounce back and forth, increasing in majestic density and eventually evaporating into nothingness. The Percussion Club certainly have range with their new album Light Runner.
'Metal Eruption' encapsulates a dark mood, signaled by the presence of weeping sustained violins nestled within the ambiance. The raw, chiptune and retro attack of 'Trigger' offers a more diverse option to the listener. 'Analog Noise' is fairly self-explanatory, and showcases a range of white noise textures interwoven with an increasingly hypnotic groove. 'Marshall FX' is totally bizarre, featuring a zany collective of synth stabs composed around a fairly minimal tune.
There does seem to be a reliance on crazy sound effects, usually from the white noise variety. Whilst some are effective, they can overpower the tune and take over. I also get the impression that when I hear this I think it's an amateurish production.
Nevertheless, the album is very effective the way it is, offering a view of the electronica's past with tried and tested production elements. Unfortunately the world of electronic music production has move on too much for this to be considered a true classic.
Rating - 7/10
http://phochos.bandcamp.com/album/micro-runner
'Metal Eruption' encapsulates a dark mood, signaled by the presence of weeping sustained violins nestled within the ambiance. The raw, chiptune and retro attack of 'Trigger' offers a more diverse option to the listener. 'Analog Noise' is fairly self-explanatory, and showcases a range of white noise textures interwoven with an increasingly hypnotic groove. 'Marshall FX' is totally bizarre, featuring a zany collective of synth stabs composed around a fairly minimal tune.
There does seem to be a reliance on crazy sound effects, usually from the white noise variety. Whilst some are effective, they can overpower the tune and take over. I also get the impression that when I hear this I think it's an amateurish production.
Nevertheless, the album is very effective the way it is, offering a view of the electronica's past with tried and tested production elements. Unfortunately the world of electronic music production has move on too much for this to be considered a true classic.
Rating - 7/10
http://phochos.bandcamp.com/album/micro-runner
Friday, 6 December 2013
Feeds - Minds, Soul & Me
With so much imitated indie music around in the modern era, Feeds claim that they sound like nothing you have heard before. However, their new album Minds, Soul & Me does not testify that.
Many of the tracks sound formulaic, and whilst the album doesn't stink of mediocrity, there's certainly a more than a whiff of imitation. Shouty choruses, extensive guitar use, and predictable song arrangements are all the facets of homogenised indie music. They may appear to have an affection for rock's past by name-checking Pink Floyd, but it feels too glossy to have that classic feel. It doesn't seem write to describe it as prog either - there's no unusual key changes or time signatures, which are a classic hallmark of progressive rock.
Saying that, there are some clever vocal arrangements on 'Swallow Eyes', and for a short while the band discovers some uniqueness. 'Into Over' is the stand-out track, building and developing into a full-bodied force of sound.
Sadly, these moments are in short supply. A lot of the tracks don't quite hit the mark, and sound quite boring. In an attempt to sound original and innovative, the band seem to have compromised and rationalized their music, and therefore sound like so many others of their generation.
Rating - 5/10
http://wearefeeds.bandcamp.com/
Many of the tracks sound formulaic, and whilst the album doesn't stink of mediocrity, there's certainly a more than a whiff of imitation. Shouty choruses, extensive guitar use, and predictable song arrangements are all the facets of homogenised indie music. They may appear to have an affection for rock's past by name-checking Pink Floyd, but it feels too glossy to have that classic feel. It doesn't seem write to describe it as prog either - there's no unusual key changes or time signatures, which are a classic hallmark of progressive rock.
Saying that, there are some clever vocal arrangements on 'Swallow Eyes', and for a short while the band discovers some uniqueness. 'Into Over' is the stand-out track, building and developing into a full-bodied force of sound.
Sadly, these moments are in short supply. A lot of the tracks don't quite hit the mark, and sound quite boring. In an attempt to sound original and innovative, the band seem to have compromised and rationalized their music, and therefore sound like so many others of their generation.
Rating - 5/10
http://wearefeeds.bandcamp.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)