Alt-UK

Music, Film, and Gaming

Reviews

Voodoo Six – Faith

by Leave a Comment

‘Faith’ is the chosen single to lead the Voodoo Six début album ‘First Hit For Free’. The album was actually released back in late 2006 originally much to the dismay of the band. They were not at all happy with the album in its then form, yet their record label of the time still saw it fit to officially release the album which led to a great falling out between the band and said label. Back now and with an album that they are greatly proud of, ‘Faith’ was a late addition to the album having been written by the band last year. Voodoo Six take rock back to its roots, taking on a classical sound and pulling it off with great style. Their sound is well rounded and they cruise their way through some epic guitar riffs, injecting the music with some meaty vocals that pack a hefty punch. Voodoo Six have a great arena rock sound, and music of this sort really should be filling arenas. As it stands however, the band can currently be found rocking joints such as Brighton’s Freebutt, and The Joiners of Southampton. Not quite Wembley yet, but surely they’ll be there someday.

Label: White Knuckle Records
Release Date: 3rd March 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Memphis May Fire – Memphis May Fire EP

by Leave a Comment

Memphis May Fire are a young Texan band with a good few tricks up their sleeve. They produce music which falls happily into the genre of Post-Hardcore, containing elements of more straight up rock in their sound also. Released in late January through Trustkill Records, their self titled EP contains five tracks that when I first listened to I couldn’t make my mind up as to whether I liked them or not.

The band begin the EP with ‘Cowbell’s Makin’ a Comeback’, a track that unsurprisingly comes complete with cowbells in the sound. As it begins the guitars come through strongly, when the vocals finally make an appearance however they are somewhat of a disappointment. They just don’t contain the same power and energy as the guitars, not a great way to begin life with their EP and certainly not something that impressed me in the slightest. I look for a good opening when I listen to a CD, something this EP certainly can’t boast of having. Whilst it is not immediately attention grabbing, as the track progresses some melodic vocals shine through in which the band sound very much like Coheed and Cambria. I am a huge fan of the vocals of Coheed and Cambria front man Claudio Sanchez and to me this was therefore not a bad thing, I’m sure however that there are plenty out there that will not be so open to listening to such high pitched vocals.

As the band progress through this EP the Claudio Sanchez style vocals continue to shine through, for the most part however they tend to scream their way through this release. Whilst their screaming is at times pretty damn good, there are other times when the screaming sounds extremely weak and doesn’t shine through in the slightest. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just a little too generic for my liking. I’m not a huge fan of the scream-sing-scream formula, it’s been done to death already and I’ve long since tired of hearing it. Memphis May Fire are pretty competent at doing what they do and their music is often quite powerful, their music just doesn’t stand out as being particularly different and they add extremely little to the genre of Post-Hardcore I feel.

‘Therapy Caravan of the Fair Room’ stands out to me quite significantly when I listen to this release. Here the band sound a lot like Every Time I Die in my opinion, a band I am greatly fond of. Again they bring in the Claudio Sanchez vocals at times, but less so than anywhere else on this release. It is a good sound that they produce here and the music is greatly effective, it’s not exactly the most original music in the world but certainly provides for an interesting and entertaining listening experience, that’s for sure.

Whilst in ‘Therapy Caravan of the Fair Room’ the band tend primarily to stick to a more hardcore approach, with final track ‘Conjunctions, Conjunctions, Everybody Loves Them’ they decide they’d much rather favour melody. During this three minute final track they spend two minutes cranking out the melodic vocals before deciding that for the final minute they shall power out the hardcore once more. They end on a light note right at the death of the track, bursting out with one last line of melody, but this final track just sounds a little confused in sound. It’s a track of two halves and does in fact sound like two tracks rather than one. Whilst with most Post-Hardcore bands you can accurately predict the precise second where the band will insert their next scream and know exactly when they will return with a melodic burst, Memphis May Fire are not at all as predictable which is obviously a greatly redeeming quality of their sound.

One problem I have with Memphis May Fire is that in every track on this EP they seem to be trying something different. Obviously this is not necessarily a bad thing and it’s great that they are in fact trying out a variety of different styles on this EP, but to me it just sounds as though the band are yet to find their niche. They know they want to work on the genre of Post-Hardcore, but how heavily they wish to input sounds of Southern Rock and straight up Rock and Roll into their music they seem not yet to know. Their music is fast and often fun, but often they sound a little too generic and contrived for my liking. Rather than working on their own sound, they seem to mimic a number of different bands on this release in order to make up their ‘Memphis May Fire’ EP as a whole.

What I like about this EP is the fact that the band are unafraid of varying the formula and trying out something different. As I’ve already stated however, the flip side of this is that the band seem not to know what sound is ‘their sound’ yet and are yet to discover what they do best. They show that they have plenty of ideas on this EP, but the problem is that the ideas they have tend not to be their own. Whilst Memphis May Fire could turn out to become an excellent band, at the moment they do not have enough ideas of their own to be so and are instead an experimental but really quite unestablished band with much to prove but little originality to offer. The EP provides 19 minutes of decent entertainment, but there will be times on this release when you just feel as though you’ve heard it all before and have in fact heard it done a lot better than this. If you’re a fan of Post-Hardcore then Memphis May Fire should impress, if however you’re looking for something a little different from the norm then this EP probably wont be able to offer you this. Feel free to give this EP a whirl and make up your own opinion, it certainly shouldn’t disappoint but then again it wont exactly set your world alight either.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: 28th January 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

Duffy – Rockferry

by Leave a Comment

Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy is making quite a name for herself at the moment. Her début album ‘Rockferry’ has already earned her a Number 1 single in the form of ‘Mercy’ and she certainly seems to be causing quite a stir in the music press. The Evening Standard commented late last year that ‘she will be the sound of 2008’ and whilst this may not be entirely true, 2008 will definitely be a good year for her I feel. She’s certainly started the year off quite well by gaining herself a Number 1 single, that’s for sure.

Beginning with title track ‘Rockferry’, Duffy kicks off the album in tremendous style. It’s an excellent launching point for the album, a perfect presentation of her soulful music. It is such a powerful track and certainly grabs your attention right from the offset. She’s got one hell of a voice on her has Duffy, she sure belts it out in this one and never will you find yourself disappointed as she dazzles you with her terrific vocal style. She is only 23 and yet the voice she beholds belies her young age, the strength of sound she exudes when she sings possesses a power that few can boast of conveying on a début album.

The funky flavour of aforementioned hit single ‘Mercy’ certainly goes down well with me, it is this track that I feel provides the album with its finest moment. Right from the first beat you know that you’re in for something special with this one and as the track unfolds you are certainly not left disappointed. The chorus is absolutely fantastic and is really what makes this one so powerful I feel, there is also a brilliant drumbeat which is present throughout the entirety of the track. In ‘Mercy’, Duffy shows that she is a force to be reckoned with as a vocalist and more than proves what a fantastically talented singer-songwriter she truly is. Her voice is never short of sensational and always she impresses with that great tone of hers, a tone of voice that possesses a rare quality of elegance and sophistication.

With so many average singer-songwriters out there doing well for themselves at the moment, it is only right that 2008 is the year for Duffy to really make her mark. The music possesses a great maturity and unlike some of her contemporaries Duffy does not rely on incoherent sentences in order to make her mark, instead the music is greatly intelligent and the lyrics actually mean something. Album tracks such as ‘Warwick Avenue’ and ‘Serious’ are extremely well rounded and finely put together, providing perfectly for music that is absolutely excellent to listen to. The music is always thoroughly enjoyable, hugely powerful, and never does Duffy disappoint with her larger than life voice.

Ending the album with ‘Distant Dreamer’ Duffy goes out on a high, leaving you wanting for more and craving to hear another of her finely crafted soulful pop anthems. It definitely ends the album on a high, I fail to see how anyone could dislike this one and I personally thoroughly enjoy the listen each and every time I hear ‘Distant Dreamer’. Once more her vocals are belted out at the top of her voice and will certainly not leave you disappointed. When listening to the music you tend to forget her age and the fact that this is only her début album, all this goes out the window and all you hear is an extremely mature and well accomplished musician who sounds to be at the top of her game. Duffy was born to perform and never in this album does she ever seem to suggest otherwise, each and every moment on this release is finely crafted and expertly carried out.

‘Rockferry’ has an extremely calming effect on you as a listener, whatever you may be thinking or feeling when you begin listening to the album will soon be forgotten and the music will overcome you. You can feel as the music runs through every inch of your being, it is a great feeling and Duffy’s début album definitely does not disappoint. There are ten tracks here, each as beautiful and well crafted as the next and never is the sound produced anything short of sensational. Wales has definitely produced a fine artist in Duffy, she is exceptionally talented and should certainly have a terrific career ahead of her. This may be her first album, but I’m sure that it wont be her last. I could easily listen to the music of Duffy all day without ever tiring of it, her voice truly is that stunningly sensational in sound. If you’re a fan of singer-songwriters then I think you’ll find that Duffy is amongst the best and her music is therefore definitely well worth a listen. Those that appreciate soulful pop music should love the sound of Duffy, she should go far and I have full faith in her that she shall.

Label: A&M
Release Date: 3rd March 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Stephen Fretwell – Man On The Roof

by Leave a Comment

Stephen Fretwell is an English singer-songwriter from sunny Scunthorpe. Well known for his mop of ginger hair, Fretwell released his début album ‘Magpie’ in 2004 and then this second in 2007 through Fiction Records. ‘Man On The Roof’ comprises of fourteen tracks and clocks in at a total of 46 minutes in length. I did not hear his début album so was not greatly aware of the man when this second album was released, but nonetheless decided to give it a go and am really quite glad that I did.

The album was recorded in New York, his music consisting of many layers and terrific depth. The music is melancholy and masterful in its approach. Fretwell shows a great deal of maturity in this release, his songs are extremely well crafted and his lyrics are always intelligently written. It sounds like this is much more than just the man’s second album, a lot of the time it does in fact sound like he was been producing this sound for years due to the eloquence and excellence with which he progresses the album and puts across his exceptional talent. Many hold Coldplay’s Chris Martin on a pedestal for his lyric writing, and yet if anything I feel that Stephen Fretwell is better than he. Much better in fact, and this goes some way in explaining why the man has been compared to the likes of Damien Rice and even Leonard Cohen.

What I love about Stephen Fretwell is that he is a young man who is clearly full of great ideas. His music shows just how much creativity he possesses and the way in which he wishes to stretch himself and make the most of his talent. He is enthusiastic and ambitious, two traits that make him greatly effective as a singer-songwriter. ‘Coney’ opens the album with a great degree of excellence and from here on in never does the album show any signs of weakness. The track ‘Dead’ is particularly impressive on this release and is perhaps my favourite of all those that are here. There is a great strength to the track and all elements of the music come together perfectly. It is music such as this that is superbly soothing to listen to, a perfect anthem for a long journey on the road.

‘William Shatner’s Dog’ ends the album satisfyingly, sadly however it was not the Captain Kirk worshipping music I had been hoping for. In truth the title has little reference to the track whatsoever and does in fact seem to be somewhat chosen at random. Nonetheless, this is an excellent way in which for Stephen Fretwell to end the album and is in fact an extremely effective way of doing so. My only complaint with ending the album with this one is that it is 5 minutes in length, the longest on the album and I have great difficulties in holding my interest for anything over three minutes with music. I have a short attention span and although I do enjoy this one, I do tend to become a little bored of it by the time it comes to its close. There are few other tracks on the album where this is the case, but sometimes the music just doesn’t hold quite enough intrigue and excitement to hold you for a stretch of four minutes plus.

Although only on his second album, Stephen Fretwell seems to be showing some great signs of maturity already and could well go on to become an extremely prolific and world renowned singer-songwriter. He seems to have the talent to do so certainly, but I definitely believe that some of the tracks here need winding down a little. Needlessly long in parts, I do have a tendency to drift off a little when listening to this album but then again there are many tracks here that are greatly impressive. There are times when he sounds like he has been recording albums for years, and yet there are others when he seems completely inexperienced. When Stephen Fretwell next records an album I shall be expecting great things from him, as it stands however there are certainly a few signs of weakness in his music and a few cracks that need smoothing over. Stephen Fretwell has the potential to be great, but currently his music is merely ‘good’. Shows signs of great potential, but only if he really applies himself will Stephen Fretwell ever release a truly exceptional album.

Label: Fiction Records
Release Date: 10th September 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

30 Days of Night (2007) Review

by Leave a Comment

As soon as ’30 Days Of Night’ was released I wanted to watch it immediately. I’m a huge fan of the horror genre, and from the advertising this looked as though it was going to be absolutely brilliant. When I watched the film my suspicions were confirmed as this genuinely is an absolutely excellent film, although a bit long at 113 minutes. The film is based on the comic book miniseries of the same name, is directed by David Slade and stars Josh Hartnett and Melissa George. Having read numerous reports about the film before viewing it, I did not know what to expect as some had been good and others bad; regardless of what I read however I was always going to give this one a viewing when it was released and am greatly glad that I did so.

’30 Days Of Night’ is set in Barrow, Alaska where everyone is preparing for the annual thirty days of darkness. Whilst some of the towns residents choose to fly out to avoid the darkness, Sherriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) has the job of investigating some unusual crimes that have been taking place in the town. The towns one and only helicopter has been destroyed, cell phones have been all but destroyed, and the sled dogs have been slaughtered all by the same stranger. This is just the start of the destruction for the town and the film unfolds as all the towns remaining people must fight for their lives in this gruesome thriller.

Looking into the real town of Barrow, it would seem that there are actually a total of 67 days of darkness during the winter rather than the alleged 30. As well as this, 4000 people live in the real town compared with the 563 of the film. I like my films to be factual, and whilst these inaccuracies did annoy me a little when I found out about them – you can understand why they did choose to twist the facts a little in order to make for a more interesting and enjoyable film. It is only loosely based on the Alaskan town of Barrow so it’s worth bearing this in mind when viewing the film.

This is the first film of David Slade’s that I have seen. It is worth noting however that he is also the director of the film ‘Hard Candy’. Slade is an excellent director and proves so with ’30 Days Of Night’ I feel. He captures a great energy and intensity in this film, something that few manage to do; he possesses a rare directorial quality and right from the offset in this film he thrusts upon us great darkness and horror.

Whilst I’m not exactly the biggest Josh Hartnett fan in the world, I did greatly appreciate his performance in this film. I thought he played his part as Sheriff extremely convincingly, he is believable in his role despite his young looks and shows great emotional strength in his character. Hartnett’s first role was actually in the 1998 film ‘Halloween H20’ and yet since then he has been quite far removed from the genre. It was certainly good to see him back in horror, a triumphant return for Hartnett in fact. Playing alongside Josh Hartnett in this film is the actress Melissa George. This is an actress I was not before familiar with, but apparently she did play a part in hit Australian soap ‘Home and Away’ between the years of 1993 and 1996, so maybe I did once upon a time witness her during the early days of her career. Her role within the film is fairly effective, however it is definitely Josh Hartnett that provides ’30 Days Of Night’ with its stand out performance.

I think the best thing about this film is probably the brutal nature of the vampires and the horrific way in which they are portrayed. They truly are ruthless creatures, and director David Slade certainly doesn’t hold back in his portrayal. The film truly is scary and will have you on the edge of your seat as you watch, definitely not a film that you can kick back and relax in front of. I like this about the film, there are few horror films that I find to be truly scary but this is certainly one of them. Over the years I have become quite hardened to horror films, I certainly wasn’t expecting a Hollywood horror to have any such effect on me whatsoever. Blockbuster films of this sort tend to wash over me with little of a lasting impact whatsoever, and yet ’30 Days Of Night’ is a film that I certainly shan’t be forgetting in a hurry.

’30 Days Of Night’ is most certainly a film that I would recommend to fans of the horror genre. It will shock you with its scariness, it provides a large number of jumpy moments and never do you quite know where the film is going to go next. One complaint I do have with the film however is with the passing of time. The film is meant to cover the entire period of the thirty days and yet you do not feel that this time is realistically passing by. It’s difficult to portray the passing of such time in a film, and although this is not done particularly well I would not say that this spoils the film in any way. I appreciate the difficult task that it must be and all in all find it extremely difficult to find fault with this film. ’30 Days Of Night’ would be an excellent film for watching at Halloween I feel. You will find few films scarier than this one, that’s for sure. Give this film a try at the first opportunity you find, I personally was greatly impressed with it and I’m sure that you will be too.

Rating:

My American Heart – Boys! Grab Your Guns

by Leave a Comment

In October 2007 My American Heart unleashed upon the world their second studio album to date. ‘Boys! Grab Your Guns’ is the second chosen single for release and is one of the catchiest Pop Punk tracks I have heard in a long while. As time has gone by this has developed to become my out and out favourite track from the album. With a superbly infectious chorus and a brilliant guitar riff driving through, this track cries out for attention and grabs it with ease. Pop Punk has always been a favourite genre of mine and ‘Boys! Grab Your Guns’ is without a doubt one of my favourite tracks that the genre has produced in recent years. If you too are a fan of the genre then make sure you get out there and give this a listen, you’ll surely not be disappointed with what you hear.

Label: Bodog Music
Release Date: 25th February 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree

by Leave a Comment

When I found that I could listen to Goldfrapp’s ‘Seventh Tree’ album completely free of charge on MySpace I soon jumped at the opportunity. The album has not yet been released commercially, so the ability to be able to listen to it already is absolutely brilliant. Goldfrapp have never been a favourite of mine, however I have always had a great fondness for their music. The band actually formed in London in 1999, Alison Goldfrapp is of course the key figure behind the band and Will Gregory performs alongside her on the keyboards. These two members make up the band, and what they lack in members they definitely make up for in talent.

Gone is the dance inspired pop sound of old, and what has replaced it here is an ambient and downtempo affair, a greatly calming and soothing album that is absolutely perfect for relaxing to. This album begins with ‘Clowns’, continues with ‘Little Bird’ and never in this ten track album do the band fail to impress. It took me a while to adjust to the new sound of the band when I first heard it, however after a couple of listens I soon came to enjoy the new direction that the band have taken. Bands are at their most impressive I feel when they continually adapt their sound and broaden their horizons, something that has clearly been done by Goldfrapp here. This is not a genre that I would generally find myself listening to, but when music comes at a price tag of nothing I’m always prepared to give it a go.

‘Happiness’ is perhaps the track that stands out to me most when listening to this album. All of the tracks are equally mellow and chilled out, however there is just something about this one that makes it stand out a little from the rest. The melody is well constructed, and the vocals are finely laced lovingly atop of the beauteous musical accompaniment. The track just seems to work on every level and I love the way in which the track is carried out. Goldfrapp clearly have a great passion for the music that they are producing, this is certainly something that comes across in their sound and something that makes their music all the more appealing to listen to. It is great when you can hear that a band truly do believe in what they are doing, their passion for the music drives them and encompasses the sound entirely.

‘A and E’ was the lucky track chosen to be the lead single from this album, a decision that I certainly can’t complain with. Every single one of these tracks are equally beautiful I feel, each as essential as the next in making up the ‘Seventh Tree’ album as a whole. Even still, you can fully appreciate the decision to release this single first as there is definitely something about the track, an utterly captivating and awe inspiring display of absolute ambient excellence from the band. It is little over three minutes in length and yet so much is accomplished in the tracks run time, it is such a successfully structured single and not one note is at all out of place. When music is as fine in sound as this you can’t help but feel moved by it, something that Goldfrapp are continually successful in doing on this album.

Goldfrapp never fail to impress me with this album, the instrumental element of their music is always absolutely spot on and the vocals forever sweetly spoken. There is a greatly appealing quality about the music that the band are creating in this ‘Seventh Tree’ album. Tracks such as ‘Some People’ and ‘Eat Yourself’ are absolutely mesmerising, the music will put you into a joyous trance that you will find it hard to return from. The music borders upon perfection, a truly exceptional album that pleases with every twist and turn that it makes. Goldfrapp were not afraid to try out a new sound here and their decision to do so has yielded great dividends. Their refusal to remain static in their sound has certainly pleased me greatly, that’s for sure. Whilst I appreciated their old sound, I feel this new element that the band are portraying definitely provides greater suitability.

I have read that the band became inspired to write this album having performed an acoustic radio session, and I am definitely glad that this provided such great inspiration for them. Had they not played this session then they may never have unleashed the ambient element of their band, something that has laid dormant all these years but is now out there in the world to flourish. Acoustic guitars complete the Goldfrapp sound on this release, and it is a great addition I feel. The expected outcome of the band was that through implementing acoustic guitars their music would possess a greater warmth, and this is definitely something that comes across. Goldfrapp produce an extremely full sound on this release, a sound that is downtempo and ambient, warm and delicate, and ever impressive. If you’re not afraid of change then make sure that you give Goldfrapp’s ‘Seventh Tree’ a listen, it will surely warm your heart and tantalise your aural senses.

Label: Mute Records
Release Date: 25th February 2008

Rating:
Five Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star Review

Fuckshovel – Long Time Dead

by Leave a Comment

I was first drawn to this band by the great eloquence and beauty of their name. ‘Fuckshovel’ I pondered, perhaps I should even legally change my name to this. In all seriousness though, when I first saw the name of the band I smiled to myself and quickly made sure I gave ‘Long Time Dead’ a listen. As the music erupted into my ears I was not at all disappointed. I find the sound of Fuckshovel to be greatly appealing, there is a great bite about this music with its epic guitar riffs, and frantic drum work. Great use is made of the double bass pedal here, and the drums therefore come pelting at you full throttle. A second track makes up this release, this being the equally brutal ‘Skull and Bones’. The band fire their way through this release and never do they show any signs of slowing down. The music is always full of great excitement, and Fuckshovel are clearly a band that enjoy playing the music that they do. The band believe in the sound that they are producing and this is something that really comes through in their sound, their Punk riddled Metal music is an aggressive assault of absolute aural excellence.

Release Date: 25 February 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Rivers Cuomo – Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo

by Leave a Comment

Rivers Cuomo is an extremely introverted and at times highly insolent individual. His sanity has been questioned many a time over the years, and his isolation from others is clear for all to see. Despite his questionable state of mind, Weezer as a band have continued for the most part to release excellent albums over the years and now comes this latest release from Rivers Cuomo as a solo artist. ‘Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo’ is exactly as it says on the tin, it is a collection of demo recordings that he has recorded between the years of 1992 and 2007. Being demo recordings, the quality is often quite bad, but nonetheless some excellent tracks can be made out as Rivers Cuomo progresses his way through this collection. Many mistakes are made, and at times the vocals are completely off key, but the makings of some brilliant material can often be heard and the musical expertise of Rivers Cuomo is always apparent.

Notably included here is a demo recording of ‘Buddy Holly’, a song that would later go on to become one of Weezer’s most commercially successful singles. It is not too dissimilar to the final recording of the track that was present on Weezer’s ‘Blue Album’, just a little on the grainy side what with it being a home demo recording and all. It is the original demo that was recorded and yet I hear no differences whatsoever between this and the tracks final cut, a testament to the excellence of Rivers Cuomo as a musician and the few difficulties he must encounter in progressing his material from demo to fully polished album track. ‘Buddy Holly’ is the only Weezer track included on this release, and all others present are either never heard before songs, cover tracks, or material from his unfinished rock musical.

Covers featured here include Dion’s ‘Little Diane’, Ice Cube’s ‘The Bomb’, and Gregg Alexander’s ‘The World We Love So Much’. It is certainly an eclectic array of covers, however I feel it is when Rivers Cuomo is producing his own original material here that the album is at its best. Many of the tracks featured here sound like they could easily be moulded into successful Weezer tracks, they have all the makings of Weezer tracks that never were in fact. The formula is just right, and tracks such as ‘Blast Off!’ and ‘Superfriend’ for example sound like they would fit in perfectly on any one of Weezer’s five studio albums to date. The opening line of ‘Superfriend’ made me laugh, it starts with a twenty second guitar introduction before throwing at you the line ‘What the hell am I doing, thinking with my willy’. The whole experience of listening to this album is really rather surreal, and when listening to this album there will definitely be a number of tracks that surprise you. So many different sounds are covered by Rivers Cuomo on this album and you never know quite what you will come across next as you eagerly and excitedly listen on.

‘This Is The Way’ is one of the tracks that stands out to me most when listening to this album, there is just something about it that makes it absolutely brilliant to listen to. The track is just so exceptionally well worked that it’s actually really quite difficult to regard it only as a demo and nothing more. With a bit of work I feel that this could easily become a rather successful single release, there’s definitely something about it which makes it stand out and be begged to be heard by all. It’s quite a bare track, simple in sound yet extremely effective and really quite hard hitting.

For Weezer enthusiasts I feel that this album is most certainly essential listening. Not everyone will be particularly excited about listening to the solo material of Rivers Cuomo, however those with a great love of Weezer will certainly enjoy what they hear here. There are a lot of potentially excellent tracks present on this album, ones that will amuse you, have you singing along, and generally thoroughly enjoying the music as Rivers Cuomo takes you on a trip through his home recordings spanning a period of fifteen years. If you’re after a cleanly produced, perfect album then this is not the album for you, the production is far from smooth and mistakes are made more than merely on the odd occasion. ‘Alone’ makes for compelling listening, and hearing the solo workings of the great Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo is never short of enthralling. Whilst only one track present here made it on to become a fully fledged Weezer track, you can definitely hear elements of a number of popular Weezer songs coming through on this album. Definitely do not disregard this solo release from Rivers Cuomo, particularly if you’re a fan of Weezer then you should enjoy what you hear from Rivers Cuomo with this ‘Alone’ album.

Label: Geffen Records
Release Date: 4th February 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Panic at the Disco – Nine in the Afternoon

by Leave a Comment

Panic at the Disco not only seem to have dropped the exclamation mark from their name, but the fun from their music also. Their début album ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ was one of the best I have heard in a long while, an energetic and exciting album full of brilliant tracks which were packed full of a great zest for life. When album number two was announced then, and ‘Nine in the Afternoon’ was chosen as its first commercial release I was extremely excited. After hearing it however, all I could think was ‘What on earth has happened to Panic at the Disco?!’ The fun of old is all but gone, and on the evidence of ‘Nine in the Afternoon’ it would seem that Panic at the Disco have already run out of ideas as a band. I had been expecting so much and yet the band just don’t deliver. I struggle to find anything positive to say about this new single from the band, the music is very similar to what it was before but the band just sound tired and in fact rather bored. ‘Nine in the Afternoon’ is a really rather lacklustre single from the band and is not one that I would recommend to anyone.

Label: Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen
Release Date: 17th March 2008

Rating:
Review Star