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Archives for January 2008

All Time Low – So Wrong, It’s Right

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All Time Low - So Wrong, It's RightAll Time Low are an American Pop Punk band hailing from Maryland. Consisting of four members, the band have been going since 2003 and in this time have released two albums and two EP’s. Their first album and EP were released through Emerald Moon Records, however their last two releases have been through Hopeless Records; the former home of Avenged Sevenfold and Thrice. The band were listed in the popular American magazine ‘Alternative Press’ as one of their chosen ‘Bands You Need to Know in ’07’. This was obviously a great achievement for the band and having also been listed in this weeks Kerrang! magazine as a band with ‘New Music Coming Your Way’, it is clear that All Time Low are a band who are all set to cause a stir in UK shores also.

Although the album from All Time Low has been available here since September 2007, the real test of whether or not All Time Low can make it big in the UK will come in May when they head over for the Give It A Name Festival in London and Sheffield. With the London date set to be held at Earls Court and the other at Sheffield Arena, the band will have a great chance to prove themselves in front of a large crowd and it could be the making of the breaking of them. If they put on a good show then they could potentially explode in popularity from there, however should they fail to impress then any chance of making it big in the UK could be all but over.

The ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ album contains twelve tracks of Pop Punk goodness, making for an excellent listening experience spanning forty minutes. The band never take themselves too seriously and always sound like they are having terrific fun in doing what they do. Their energy and exuberance reminds me of Blink 182 in their heyday, a band who are seemingly completely carefree, yet producing music which is fantastic fun to listen to. The album erupts with ‘This Is How We Do’, a relatively short track which kicks the album off with a bang. The drumming is quick, and the guitar riffs intricately woven with the vocals very much at the forefront of the bands sound. It is not always that bands choose to place so much emphasis on vocals in a release, however the instruments definitely seem to take a back seat to the vocals here. The first track is everything you could possibly wish for in an opening track, it leaves you wanting more and eager to listen on.

Vocally the band remind me a little of New Found Glory, something which to me is nothing to be ashamed of. I love the voice of New Found Glory’s Jordan Pundik, however I actually feel that the vocal tone of All Time Low’s Alexander Gaskarth is far greater than the New Found Glory man’s has ever been. The vocals are clearly spoken, always easy to make out and ever a joy to listen to. The vocals are something which stand out to me about this band as crucial, it is through the bands clearly spoken and finely executed vocal style that the music is made exceptional and the band are all the more enjoyable. I love vocal style of this sort, and when I hear bands with this kind of sound I always instantly fall in love with them. All Time Low are no exception to this rule, and since hearing their ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ album for the first time I have not been able to stop playing it.

Whilst there are many tracks from this release that stand out for me, there are a couple that do so a little more than the others. Highlights are in an abundance, and the bands clear musical talent and distinctive vocal tone is an elemental factor of this. ‘The Beach’ provides the album with the perfect summer anthem, not only does the lyrical content make this so but the general sound of the track also. Although not yet the summer, when listening to this track it is easy to forget that this is the case and to get lost in the summery vibe and upbeat aura of the music. This is a feel good song for the summer, a perfect track to crack out if you happen to be down at the beach.

‘Remembering Sunday’ is another fantastic track which stands out to me when listening to this album. Featuring vocals from Juliet Simms of the band Automatic Loveletter, this is the token ballad from the album and works remarkably well. It is great to hear the band trying out a variety of different styles in this release and definitely mixes things up a little, making the album all the more interesting to listen to. The acoustic guitars in this one fit perfectly, the vocal harmonies close to perfect and the aforementioned female vocal which comes in close to the end of the track is absolutely amazing. The vocals of Juliet Simms are extremely powerful and emerge out of nowhere in the track, starting off as dual vocals with those of Alexander Gaskarth, the vocals come into their own and are hugely passionate and incredibly heartfelt. The track is great to listen to and is one that I find myself going back to time after time.

Although I said before that the vocals do seem to be forefronted and the guitars and drums are more in the background; there is no denying that in many of the tracks here present, the guitars often explode into life and many a soaring riff emerge. The guitarists in the band are clearly in possession of great talent, something which comes across throughout the album and is greatly pleasing to hear. Bad guitarists can really spoil the sound of a band sometimes, so procuring talented guitarists is always vital I feel.

‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ is a great album from All Time Low. Although the lyrical content is not always the best of quality, the music always more than makes up for this fact and the band are always thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. Never do they show any signs of disappointing, and in each track here I feel that positives can be drawn. I feel that 2008 will be a big year for All Time Low in the UK, their fan base here will no doubt grow and they should find themselves on the receiving end of a great deal of praise from many as they bring their brilliant Pop Punk sound to these shores. It is not everyday that you discover a gem of a Pop Punk band, however the day that I discovered All Time Low I was grinning from ear to ear and couldn’t get their instantly infectious music dislodged from my mind. The music of All Time Low is hugely upbeat and ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ is an album which will always have you smiling as the band embark on a forty minute musical journey of absolute aural gold.

Label: Hopeless Records
Release Date: 24th September 2007

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Farewell – Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?

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Hailing from North Carolina, Farewell are a Pop-Punk sextet currently making waves in their scene. Having had close to a million profile views on their MySpace page, the popularity of Farewell is clear for all to see and I feel that it is thoroughly deserved. The band first formed in 2004, releasing an EP in the form of ‘Poisoning the Lark’ in 2005 through Forsaken Recordings, and are now set to release their début album ‘Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?’ on February 4th through Epitaph. Citing bands such as Green Day, Get Up Kids, and The Anniversary as influences; it seems that this is only the beginning for Farewell and they look dead set to have a huge career ahead of them.

Although their début album is as yet unreleased in the UK, the music press are already talking extremely fondly of Farewell, a band whom many believe to be the next big thing for 2008. If you’d consider yourself to be a fan of the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco et al. – there is no doubt in my mind that you’ll be in for a treat with this album from Farewell. The album grips you right from the offset with the hooky ‘Start It Up’, a track that is instantly infectious and sets the mood for the album ahead perfectly. The band are young, full of zest for life, and are clearly not short of an idea or two; factors which should allow for their fan base to blossom over the coming months.

Farewell have been touring constantly since signing to Epitaph in early 2007, something which has obviously benefited them greatly through allowing the word to spread and enabling them to grow and mature as a unit. Farewell sound like a band who have been performing together for years, a quality which belies the fact that they have only been together since 2004 and to date have only recorded and officially released one EP and one album. All thirteen of the tracks from ‘Isn’t This Supposed to be Fun!?’ are incredibly catchy and well worth your while listening to, the band will no doubt impress you greatly with each and every one of their Pop Punk packages.

Tracks such as ‘Hey Heather’, ‘First One On The Blog’, and ‘Stay Pretty’ stand out massively so when listening to this release. There is such an addictive quality about the music of Farewell that stopping listening to them once you have started becomes an exceptionally difficult activity. Once they have drawn you in with their incredible sound, there is no turning back and you are compelled to listen to the album from start to finish. This can be a little difficult if you don’t really have a spare forty minutes, however I never have any regrets when finished listening to this magical music. In fact, most times when I come to the end of the album I go straight back and listen to it all over again.

‘Stay Pretty’ is a track that stands out to me as a result of its magnificent use of synthesisers in the sound. The opening utilises the synthesiser supremely and has me gripped every time. The track is impeccably well crafted and every element of the sound here fits together fantastically. The vocals are spot on, the guitars never fail to impress, and the underlying synthesiser sound always goes down a treat. The vocals of Farewell are consistently excellent throughout this release and never do they become tiresome. With each listen the vocals seem to sound better every time, the harmonies always sounding sensational and the instrumental element of the music never sounding short of scintillating.

Farewell are an all in all excellent band, one who never fail to impress and always provide great entertainment and aural satisfaction. Whilst I am sure that the band have a better album in them yet, ‘Isn’t This Supposed to be Fun!?’ is not at all a bad starting point and is definitely one of the best début albums that I have heard in a long time. It is not often that bands can provide such creativity and catchiness in a first release, however Farewell have done so magnificently and recorded an album which I feel should be listened to by all. The music of Farewell is just so upbeat and captures your attention entirely, not letting you go until the music has come to a final close.

Although this album is yet to be released in the UK, you can listen to the album for free by simply going to http://www.last.fm/music/Farewell/Isn’t This Supposed to be Fun? and streaming the tracks from here. I would strongly suggest you do so, who knows; you may even find your new favourite band. Farewell are an excellent young Pop Punk band, and if they continue to churn out music such as is displayed on this release then they will no doubt go far in this industry. In recent years many bands of this sort have made a name for themselves who have been nowhere near as good as Farewell, so it is only right then that this band make it massive.

Label: Epitaph
Release Date: 4th February 2008

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Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob

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When Kaiser Chiefs released their début album ‘Employment’, I found their music greatly enjoyable. When their second album ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ was released on the other hand, I was actually dreading listening to it having heard and hated first single ‘Ruby’. I wanted to like the album, I truly did, but I just didn’t see it happening as you usually find it to be the case that the first single released from an album is more or less the strongest track. When ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ was released I made sure I listened to it, forced myself to listen to it even; it came as no surprise to me however that I was not liking what I was hearing. The album actually begins with ‘Ruby’, the one track I was least looking forward to hearing having already established that it was not of any appeal to me. When first listening to the album I quickly skipped past ‘Ruby’ as listening to it again was really not something that I wanted to endure.

After first track ‘Ruby’ is out of the way, up next is ‘The Angry Mob’. As the track begins, it reminds me of ‘Bright Idea’ by Orson. The build up is almost identical in fact, and given that Orson’s ‘Bright Idea’ probably appeals to me even less than ‘Ruby’, a track that resembled it so heavily to begin with was never going to go down too well with me. Thankfully, the opening and the occasional guitar riff here and there is the only thing that resembles the Orson track however and for the most part the track is very much their own. Sadly however, the track is hideously tiresome and listening to Kaiser Chiefs front man Ricky Wilson’s droning voice here is not exactly what I would class as entertainment. Whilst in ‘Employment’, the vocals were always injected with a great deal of enthusiasm, there is no such energy at all here and this lacklustre offering is therefore not really worth listening to at all.

Third track ‘Heat Dies Down’ is the first moment where the album begins to show any real signs of being any good. Kaiser Chiefs are here far from their best, however nonetheless the track is interesting and most of all entertaining. I really like listening to this one, and with it’s bouncy edge and Pop appeal is definitely a track which is well worth listening to. Next track ‘Highroyds’ starts off promisingly also with a fun introduction which suggests it will be another energetic piece of music. The energy is sadly short lived and once more the band return to mid-paced mediocrity. ‘Mediocre’ and ‘Average’ are the words that spring to mind first and foremost when I think of this album as a whole in fact, something which makes me wonder if the band themselves are even well aware of given that they have named one of the tracks here ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’.

Although not a lot stands out about this album, one thing I will say is that the single ‘Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning)’ shows some great unfulfilled potential. The music is sadly devoid of any real sense of life, however the chorus is undeniably catchy and will no doubt have you singing along in no time. It is an interesting one how a band can have such an infectious chorus yet still be so deadly dull but there you go. One of the things I find most amusing about ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ is the fact that the aforementioned track with the title ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ is probably one of the best from the album. Whilst ‘Average’ nicely sums up the album as a whole, the track itself is probably one of the only really slightly appealing songs present other than ‘Heat Dies Down’. Whilst the track I feel is still somewhat lacking in energy, this does not stop it from being amongst the best; it’s still average, just a little less so than the vast majority here.

Would I recommend this album to anyone? Not unless you have difficulties sleeping at night. The album has little use other than boring the listener and potentially sending them to sleep if they’re lucky. There are a few signs of promise during the albums thirteen track duration, but not nearly enough to keep a listener interested and intrigued as to what track will potentially come next. There is simply not enough variety here; the lyrics are poor, the vocals tiresome, and the instruments uninspired. Whilst I was a big fan of the first album from the Kaiser Chiefs, if they are ever to release another album the chances are that I shan’t be giving it a listen. ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ is an album to avoid.

Label: B-Unique
Release Date: 26th February 2007

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Hanoi Rocks – Street Poetry

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Having formed in Finland way back in 1979 and split up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Hanoi Rocks reformed in 2002 and are now very much making the most of their second wind. It is an interesting one that a band should reform nearly twenty years on, however I am very glad that they did as since returning they have released a further three albums of varying quality. ‘Street Poetry’ is the latest album from Hanoi Rocks and was given its release through Demolition Records in the UK in September 2007.

Although only two of the original band members remain in the band, those being vocalist Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy; you should not let this fact put you off as Hanoi Rocks are still making some great music. Featuring the single ‘Fashion’ which went straight to Number 1 when released in Finland, ‘Street Poetry’ is thirteen tracks strong and is definitely worth a listen.

‘Street Poetry’ is an album which will not be to everyone’s taste, however for those of you that enjoy a good bit of Rock music I am sure there will be something here to keep you entertained. Not all of the tracks are particularly pleasing, in fact there are some that left me wishing for the end to come sooner rather than later, however I would still say that it is an album which is well worth your while listening to. The aforementioned single ‘Fashion’ for instance is definitely a track which I’d advise you all listen to. With its highly memorable chorus, strong guitar riffs, and fine vocal styling it is simply unmissable. It is not hard to see why the track went straight to number 1 when it was released in Finland back in May 2007. Three minutes long and always exciting and highly appealing, ‘Fashion’ is definitely one of the highlights of ‘Street Poetry’.

Much of the album is made up of exciting Glam Rock, and when listening to it is obvious that the band had terrific fun when writing and recording this one. Hanoi Rocks are a band who seem to have a great love for what they do, and although in my opinion some of the tracks here are a little disappointing – for the most part the album is highly impressive and great to listen to. Tracks such as ‘Powertrip’ and ‘This One’s for Rock’n’roll’ stand out massively so when listening to this album as they are terrifically infectious slabs of Rock gold. Every track on ‘Street Poetry’ is extremely upbeat and this is a great thing to hear when listening to the album. The band are in a genre of music which is never going to bring them a great deal of success in this day and age, however seemingly they don’t really care about monetary gain and are making this music out of their love for it which is always refreshing to see.

Although not exactly my favourite album of 2007, ‘Street Poetry’ is still one that I have listened to a large number of times since receiving. The positive energy which exudes from much of this release is just so intense that even if this is not particularly a genre of music that you’re fond of, you’re bound to gain some sort of listening enjoyment from this album. Clocking in at around the 45 minute mark, it is easy to listen to this album in one sitting and so long as you’re in the right mood you’re bound to enjoy most if not all of the tracks that are present here. When the band reformed after so many years away I am sure there were many who were unhappy that the Hanoi Rocks name was still being used given that only two original members remain, however after listening to this album and hearing the quality which some of the tracks possess; the reforming of Hanoi Rocks must surely be viewed by most as an extremely good idea.

Label: Demolition Records
Release Date: 3rd September 2007

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Siouxsie – MantaRay

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Siouxsie & the Banshees were active as a band between the years of 1976 and 1996. They were a British rock band that released a grand total of eleven studio albums. Having split up in 1996, the band then reformed for a reunion tour during 2002 for their ‘Seven Year Itch’ tour. In July 2006 it was announced that Siouxsie Sioux had signed a recording contract with Universal Records as a solo artist, and this ‘MantaRay’ album was resultantly released in the September of 2007. The album has enjoyed glowing reports from the press and can definitely be viewed as a strong success.

With Siouxsie Sioux on vocals and a whole host of other performers credited for their contributions, ‘MantaRay’ is an album which showcases a vast array of instruments ranging from the standard set up of drums, bass and guitar, right through to the less commonly heard instruments in recorded work of the sort such as the xylophone and ukulele. The result of this instrumental experimentation is quite simply phenomenal and ‘MantaRay’ is consequently an illustriously progressive recording. Not the standard sort of release I would tend to listen to, ‘MantaRay’ is an album which captured my imagination entirely and held me utterly engaged from start to finish. Although only ten tracks long, each of the ten on display here are remarkably well written and show a masterful utilisation of the instrumentation available.

As the album begins with ‘Into A Swan’ it is clear that the album will be extremely experimental and that within ‘MantaRay’, Siouxsie will never confine herself to one musical genre. Sexuality seems to exude from the pores of this track and from the album in general in fact. The guitars buzz, the vocals crusade almighty, and everything just seems to come together in a track that although entirely disjointed is also staggeringly and strangely together. As ‘MantaRay’ progresses, the intricately weaved musical complexities continue to shine through and at no point does the album ever fail to impress.

Throughout the album Siouxsie showcases her love for a fine hook and the music will often here pack a powerful punch with a grinding and gruelling guitar riff. ‘Loveless’ is one track which springs to mind that does exactly that. Sporadically throughout its four minute course, a killer guitar riff will surge through and really shake things up with a dark and dangerous injection of power. Although the powerful guitar riffs are not constant, when they do hit, they cause great impact and are monumentally memorable.

When listening to the album it was my opinion that some of the tracks found here could easily be used as theme tunes for a James Bond film. On more than one occasion I had almost a deja vu feeling whilst listening to ‘MantaRay’, believing myself to have heard the track before within a Bond film. This is not the case, however may well be something for the people behind the Bond films to consider for the future. Take a good listen to ‘Here Comes That Day’, that should give you a good idea about what I’m talking about here. The songs are probably too dark for 007, however they certainly there’s definitely a touch of the espionage agent about them and the tracks sure have a license to thrill.

In an album like this it is always hard to put a finger on what tracks stand out most as the album is by all accounts a mood piece, one that needs to be listened to in its entirely, and one that is packed full of excellent tracks that work best in their rightful place as a part of ‘MantaRay’. Remove any of the tracks from their places and disturb them from their context in the album and they just don’t quite mean the same thing. Whilst each track tells a story and tells it well, it is their well placed and well ordered format in the album that makes them work the way they do, with each track an integral piece of a complex and compelling jigsaw.

The first solo release from Siouxsie Sioux is one which is without doubt worth listening to. Fans of any and all types of music can surely take something from listening to this album as it truly is a musical masterpiece, the beauty of which is almost unexplainable in its magnificence. The music is multi dimensional, with Siouxsie more than proving her worth as a solo artist. Her voice is amazing, her creative vision unbelievable, and the album is all in all alluringly exquisite. Why on earth Siouxsie Sioux has left it until now to let loose her first solo release is beyond me as this album truly does bridge upon perfection. Whilst ‘MantaRay’ may not be instant and will require at least a couple of listens before you can truly appreciate its excellence, you’ll find that there comes a point where it just seems to click and you suddenly concur that this is perhaps one of the greatest albums you have ever heard. ‘MantaRay’ was most certainly one the the stand out albums of 2007.

Label: Universal
Release Date: 10th September 2007

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The Steeples – Britney’s Tears

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With a strange and at times massively irritating vocal style, The Steeples are a young band that have the potential tag line of ‘future darlings of the NME’ written all over them. With a sound not too dissimilar to that of The Libertines, tracks ‘Britney’s Tears’, ‘Tight Tina’, and ‘Brown Eyes’ here really do very little for me. Already having been given XFM’s Single Of The Week, the lead track ‘Britney’s Tears’ has a sound that is all too familiar and has in my opinion already been done to death before, and for that matter been done a hell of a lot better than it has been done here.

To look at, the band appear to be trying to mimic The Libertines entirely, with lead singer Andy Culshaw at all times trying his utmost to do his best Pete Doherty impression, and a member of the band even featured not too subtly wearing a Libertines t-shirt on the front cover of the CD. Whilst ‘Britney’s Tears’ is all too familiar, as we progress through to second track ‘Tight Tina’, the lyrics are just so awful that it is incredibly difficult to listen to the track without cringing in embarrassment for them. Lyrics seem to be at a minimum and are merely repeated over and over as the track progresses, fast becoming tiresome and highly detestable.

With closing track ‘Brown Eyes’ the band show no signs of improvement and slowly drudge their way through a poorly written track which drags along and never really seems to get going. The vocals at times go completely out of tune, the musical accompaniment is depressingly basic, and all in all ‘Brown Eyes’ is just a song that I would never truly listen to out of choice. The band stumble their way through three tracks on this CD, and although seemingly trying their best to sound like The Libertines; their sound is instead at times more akin to that of Chas & Dave (no offence intended Chas & Dave).

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