Where did this come from? it's not Blondie is it? no, not at all. But Metric's return to the world of music has not been on top of all the major magazines lists of hot anticipations of the year or merely been spoke about. Metric's first album since 2005's 'Live It Out' has a fresh sound to it, it's more new wave, but rock & roll at the same time, it's more catchy than 'Live It Out' or 'Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?' and completely dominates 'Grow Up and Blow Away'.
As we enter 'Fantasies', we are drowned in electonica as Emily Haines, the frontwoman of Metric, beats out, her heart is "Beating Like A Hammer" in 'Help, I'm Alive'. The heavy use of keyboards are heard prominently throughout the song, but hey... it's Metric, that's what you would expect huh? what else is surprising in this song, is that Josh's bass lines, they are probably the most important part in the song, apart from Emily's sneering keyboard beats, as they keep the rhythm flowing properly and giving time for Emily to take control as the song beats out it's chorus. Straight after 'Help, I'm Alive' we have no time to rest, as we're hit by 'Sick Muse', which is new wave at it's peak. Poppy and catchy, is what sticks in our heads but without the pretentiousness cheesiness degenerate pop star-esque from 1982. It's straight forward, even almost rock & roll to an extent and it's something Debbie Harry of Blondie should take note of for the next Blondie album if such a thing happened. Again, we have no time to rest, suddenly, out of no where, comes in 'Satellite Mind' with real flow and structure, which is probably the strongest track of the album, it's flow and rhythm through out the song is exquisite. The song is like a roller-coaster, you're up and down before you know it and guitarist James Shaw is the one to point the finger at, his displays of guitar craft is beautifully done as he steadily keeps the pace of the song in every part, and making everyone else, including Emily to catch up with him.
We eventually get time to rest in this album, as 'Twilight Galaxy' settles us down with it's slow and almost ambient style tempo. 'Twilight Galaxy' is like the story of a dramatic come down, as Emily groans 'I'm Higher Than High, Lower Than Deep' to the sound of an electronic frenzy as the song closes out with a shallow low tempo dying out and fading as Emily continues till the point the song gorgeously finishes.
To the commercial success of Metric, well, 'Gimme Sympathy' has been a popular song on alternative radio stations in America and Canada and can you see why? Simply, it's radio friendly, which is usually a bad thing, for example look at Kings of Leon, but with Metric, on a smaller scale obviously, 'Gimme Sympathy' doesn't bore you, like 'Sex On Fire' would and it's not over done and over played, reasons why? well, there's hundreds, to many to discuss, but Metric have the cunning line here "Who would you rather be, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?" well, probably the best response to that I've heard is from the likes of NME, who said "Can we be Metric instead" and yeah, who wouldn't.
The album doesn't stop here with the classic tracks. More hot spots from the album would consist of the tracks 'Front Row' and 'Stadium Love'. Which again, are quite poppy, but far from radio friendly but both excellent in their own way. 'Front Row' has even been used for the series 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Stadium Love' is your typical party song when you're so wasted to stand up you just want to dance along anyway as the electronic fantasy continues with the heavy drumming from Joules Scott-Key blasts the song into a new dimension.
Metric's 'Fantasies' has surely came as a surprise. It appears Emily and co, have managed to show the world what their made of and 'Fantasies' is surely, not an album to be overlooked as a potential top ten entry in 2009's top ten albums.
5/5
Linus Broadbent.
Tuesday 28 July 2009
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Another Sonic Youth album and the follow up to 2006's 'Rather Ripped' comes in a groovy pop rock feel. Okay, that sounds pretty bad, but what I mean is, 'The Eternal' is far from sounding like 'Daydream Nation' and far from sounding like 'Confusion Is Sex'.
The album kicks of in fast motion, as 'Sacred Trickster' whirls round you like a tornado does but in double quick time, before you know it this song is finished the moment you start enjoying it and at the end of it you're feeling like 'Ohh' but in that 'Ohh' you can certainly think to yourself "good song". Then, we enter a dominating power chord riff in 'Anti-Orgasm' this song is simply beautiful in many ways. First of all the title is humorous, and again back to the opening riff mention, it feels like a heavy metal song at times and as Kim screams "Anti-War - Is Anti-Orgasm" it drones back to the feel of heavy metal as the vocals connects so well with the dominating riff. As the song takes a winding close, it calms right down in to Sonic Youth normality, with the dreamy instrumental closing, you almost forget the past that was three minutes ago when you were pounded with probably the most heaviest riff they've came up with since 'Daydream Nation's' 'Silver Rocket'.
More highlights from Sonic Youth's 16th studio album comes up with 'Antenna', not much to say about this song apart from it's epic beauty, Thurston Moore's vocals are really romantic in this song, he seduces his listeners by singing calmly lines like "Radio transmitting nowhere it falls away, she's far away" which am sure Kim would enjoy having that sung to her before she goes to bed with her hubby Mr. Moore.
Straight after 'Antenna' we go back to rock & roll, 'What We Know' is simple straight forward rock, similar to the opener 'Sacred Trickster' it's over all to quickly, but again a worthy highlight as the music fits around the lyrics perfectly once more as it all just clicks so soundly. As we move on to 'Poison Arrow' I somehow and I mean, somehow got the feel of ABC's 'Poison Arrow' in this song, even though they are both two completely different songs but as Kim skips through the chorus "Who Shot The Poison Arrow?" you should get the feel of the 1980's classic by ABC, but on the song itself, it's a worthy single, it's nothing that's going to 'Wow' Sonic Youth listeners but it's solid enough to please them.
Now, probably the strongest song on the album by a mile would have to be, 'Malibu Gas Station'. Reasons why? Well, it's typical Sonic Youth, the song speeds up and slows down, creating a whirlwind tempo for it's listeners. It's all classic Sonic Youth as well, as it re-creates their sound back from the 1990's and compares to songs like 'Dirty Boots' from 1990's 'Goo' and possibly 'Sugar Kane' from 1992's 'Dirty.
Sonic Youth's 2009 release 'The Eternal' has proved that they are still capable of releasing solid music even in their later stages in life, but it's hardly blowing everything out the water. In conclusion, it's a 'safe' album. Like 2006's 'Rather Ripped' it achieved that Sonic Youth are still 'here' but unlike 'Rather Ripped, it didn't experiment much, as songs from 2006's 'Rather Ripped' like 'Turquoise Boy' and 'Pink Steam' blemished Sonic Youth's hazy and melodic jams. You might be able to criticise the point that maybe Sonic Youth deliberately tried to re-create the sound from 'Sonic Nurse', for example 'The Eternal's' 'Massage The History' sounds bitterly like 'Sonic Nurse's' 'Patter Recognition' with the slow tempo trance like manner. But really, to sum the album up, 'The Eternal' simply struts out in a rock & roll way and a few pop hooks to make you feel this was a worth listen.
3/5
Linus Broadbent.
The album kicks of in fast motion, as 'Sacred Trickster' whirls round you like a tornado does but in double quick time, before you know it this song is finished the moment you start enjoying it and at the end of it you're feeling like 'Ohh' but in that 'Ohh' you can certainly think to yourself "good song". Then, we enter a dominating power chord riff in 'Anti-Orgasm' this song is simply beautiful in many ways. First of all the title is humorous, and again back to the opening riff mention, it feels like a heavy metal song at times and as Kim screams "Anti-War - Is Anti-Orgasm" it drones back to the feel of heavy metal as the vocals connects so well with the dominating riff. As the song takes a winding close, it calms right down in to Sonic Youth normality, with the dreamy instrumental closing, you almost forget the past that was three minutes ago when you were pounded with probably the most heaviest riff they've came up with since 'Daydream Nation's' 'Silver Rocket'.
More highlights from Sonic Youth's 16th studio album comes up with 'Antenna', not much to say about this song apart from it's epic beauty, Thurston Moore's vocals are really romantic in this song, he seduces his listeners by singing calmly lines like "Radio transmitting nowhere it falls away, she's far away" which am sure Kim would enjoy having that sung to her before she goes to bed with her hubby Mr. Moore.
Straight after 'Antenna' we go back to rock & roll, 'What We Know' is simple straight forward rock, similar to the opener 'Sacred Trickster' it's over all to quickly, but again a worthy highlight as the music fits around the lyrics perfectly once more as it all just clicks so soundly. As we move on to 'Poison Arrow' I somehow and I mean, somehow got the feel of ABC's 'Poison Arrow' in this song, even though they are both two completely different songs but as Kim skips through the chorus "Who Shot The Poison Arrow?" you should get the feel of the 1980's classic by ABC, but on the song itself, it's a worthy single, it's nothing that's going to 'Wow' Sonic Youth listeners but it's solid enough to please them.
Now, probably the strongest song on the album by a mile would have to be, 'Malibu Gas Station'. Reasons why? Well, it's typical Sonic Youth, the song speeds up and slows down, creating a whirlwind tempo for it's listeners. It's all classic Sonic Youth as well, as it re-creates their sound back from the 1990's and compares to songs like 'Dirty Boots' from 1990's 'Goo' and possibly 'Sugar Kane' from 1992's 'Dirty.
Sonic Youth's 2009 release 'The Eternal' has proved that they are still capable of releasing solid music even in their later stages in life, but it's hardly blowing everything out the water. In conclusion, it's a 'safe' album. Like 2006's 'Rather Ripped' it achieved that Sonic Youth are still 'here' but unlike 'Rather Ripped, it didn't experiment much, as songs from 2006's 'Rather Ripped' like 'Turquoise Boy' and 'Pink Steam' blemished Sonic Youth's hazy and melodic jams. You might be able to criticise the point that maybe Sonic Youth deliberately tried to re-create the sound from 'Sonic Nurse', for example 'The Eternal's' 'Massage The History' sounds bitterly like 'Sonic Nurse's' 'Patter Recognition' with the slow tempo trance like manner. But really, to sum the album up, 'The Eternal' simply struts out in a rock & roll way and a few pop hooks to make you feel this was a worth listen.
3/5
Linus Broadbent.
Sunday 26 July 2009
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Who was surprised? Indeed, we all were, or should have been. This stunning line up for a band is the best thing as a super group since Velvet Revolver or Audioslave. Which both failed to deliver what The Dead Weather did deliver, and guess what that was? Complete originality. Does this album sound like The White Stripes? No it doesn't, does it sound like the Kills, Queens of the Stone or even The Raconteurs? Again, no it doesn't.
So the album stars of in slow motion, as Alison screams she's 60 feet tall, not only does '60 Feet Tall' prove The Dead Weather are tight. It also proves that Alison isn't afraid of the great task she's undertaken, fronting a band that's not been fronted by Jack White, that's a hard duty to carry out. Still, '60 Feet Tall' teases it's listeners continuously, as it drifts in and out of racing pulsing tempo's to a slow come down. Dean Fertita (from Queens of the Stone Age) shows his art of guitar playing, as he drives in these pulsing solos in our faces and stops when the time is right, when we have to come down from the high he's given us.
As the album progresses, we reach 'Hang You From The Heavens', the leading single from 'Horehound'. Does it disappoint? Probably not, it's certainly a grower, as Alison wants to 'Drag you by the hair and hang you up from the heavens'. This song is definitely a worthy lead single, especially for an album that was just cut in three weeks. The second single however, 'Treat Me Like Your Mother', now this is the blues isn't it? This is rock n roll huh? As Jack belts out 'Who's got it figured out?' well who has got it figured out? Certainly Jack has, the drumming in this song is simply superb, as it throws itself into crescendos more than it slows down.
To the down points of the album, which there isn't many, if any at all. But songs like 'I Cut Like A Buffalo' and 'New Pony' are certainly songs they could have missed out on. Seeing how 'New Pony' was a Bob Dylan cover, they could have easily put in the b-side of the single 'Hang You From The Heavens' cover of Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric?' in place of it. 'New Pony' simply sounds messy all over, although not something good ol' Bob D' would be disgusted about, but it simply falters. 'I Cut Like A Buffalo' on the other hand, the only song on the album that has been solely wrote by Jack White, which turns out to be probably the weakest song of the album. It gives of the 'filler' feel to it, the lyrics are hardly present if noticeable at all. The instrumentation on the other hand is even worse, it basically doesn't turn up and everything sounds of key and the music doesn't fit around the lyrics, never mind fitting with itself.
As the album draws to a close, it brings out the gems in it and possibly the brilliance out of each individual member of this supreme super group. 'Bone House'? Where did that come from? The groovy electronic intro might prove otherwise, but it shoots of the blues in a flash, as soon as you might freak out about the heavy use of Synthesizers and organ's, the guitar work from Dean shows up once more along with Jack Lawrence's fitting and smooth elegant bass lines. Jack's timed perfection in his percussion skills blows the skin out of the water while Alison smokes everything out with her haunting and chilling voice that would send the devil crazy itself. The later half of the album continues to grow strong, as we approach 'No Hassle Night'. Goth blues. This is what Jack White wanted wasn't it? He wanted something different in his hectic music schedule and damn well got it in this track. This song grooves and slides along the path of grinding rock, which fits in brilliantly with Alison's vocals again, as she groans along to the music of her peers with her sneer of a 'No Hassle Night'. Now, probably the most deserting, haunting, spooky and chilling song of the album and probably the most bluesy track that Jack has ever believed in, the most raunchy vocal performance I've ever heard from Alison as she bellows 'Will There Be Enough Water?' well, I hope for their sake there isn't, because if there wasn't enough water for this group, I'd gladly let them go thirsty, if they pull out classic tracks like 'Will There Be Enough Water?' which is surely a track Bob Dylan would envy.
In conclusion to this devilish experience of music, The Dead Weather pull out all their weapons when it comes to experimenting with the blues. They execute and time nearly everything to perfection apart from the odd song or two. This is what music has been missing, people who are in touch with blues and people that are out of touch with themselves as they feel that music is all that matters, just as Jack White and look at his music schedule! If people thought blues rock was dead, then think again, because this super group has brought what the great Robert Johnson brought to the world and what was that?... well I repeat once more, he and they, brought the blues.
4/5
Linus Broadbent. (15/07/09)
P.S. Considering this review was wrote on the 15th of July and I created this blog, on the 26th, it would suggest that I wrote the review before this blog, just in case you got confused.
So the album stars of in slow motion, as Alison screams she's 60 feet tall, not only does '60 Feet Tall' prove The Dead Weather are tight. It also proves that Alison isn't afraid of the great task she's undertaken, fronting a band that's not been fronted by Jack White, that's a hard duty to carry out. Still, '60 Feet Tall' teases it's listeners continuously, as it drifts in and out of racing pulsing tempo's to a slow come down. Dean Fertita (from Queens of the Stone Age) shows his art of guitar playing, as he drives in these pulsing solos in our faces and stops when the time is right, when we have to come down from the high he's given us.
As the album progresses, we reach 'Hang You From The Heavens', the leading single from 'Horehound'. Does it disappoint? Probably not, it's certainly a grower, as Alison wants to 'Drag you by the hair and hang you up from the heavens'. This song is definitely a worthy lead single, especially for an album that was just cut in three weeks. The second single however, 'Treat Me Like Your Mother', now this is the blues isn't it? This is rock n roll huh? As Jack belts out 'Who's got it figured out?' well who has got it figured out? Certainly Jack has, the drumming in this song is simply superb, as it throws itself into crescendos more than it slows down.
To the down points of the album, which there isn't many, if any at all. But songs like 'I Cut Like A Buffalo' and 'New Pony' are certainly songs they could have missed out on. Seeing how 'New Pony' was a Bob Dylan cover, they could have easily put in the b-side of the single 'Hang You From The Heavens' cover of Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric?' in place of it. 'New Pony' simply sounds messy all over, although not something good ol' Bob D' would be disgusted about, but it simply falters. 'I Cut Like A Buffalo' on the other hand, the only song on the album that has been solely wrote by Jack White, which turns out to be probably the weakest song of the album. It gives of the 'filler' feel to it, the lyrics are hardly present if noticeable at all. The instrumentation on the other hand is even worse, it basically doesn't turn up and everything sounds of key and the music doesn't fit around the lyrics, never mind fitting with itself.
As the album draws to a close, it brings out the gems in it and possibly the brilliance out of each individual member of this supreme super group. 'Bone House'? Where did that come from? The groovy electronic intro might prove otherwise, but it shoots of the blues in a flash, as soon as you might freak out about the heavy use of Synthesizers and organ's, the guitar work from Dean shows up once more along with Jack Lawrence's fitting and smooth elegant bass lines. Jack's timed perfection in his percussion skills blows the skin out of the water while Alison smokes everything out with her haunting and chilling voice that would send the devil crazy itself. The later half of the album continues to grow strong, as we approach 'No Hassle Night'. Goth blues. This is what Jack White wanted wasn't it? He wanted something different in his hectic music schedule and damn well got it in this track. This song grooves and slides along the path of grinding rock, which fits in brilliantly with Alison's vocals again, as she groans along to the music of her peers with her sneer of a 'No Hassle Night'. Now, probably the most deserting, haunting, spooky and chilling song of the album and probably the most bluesy track that Jack has ever believed in, the most raunchy vocal performance I've ever heard from Alison as she bellows 'Will There Be Enough Water?' well, I hope for their sake there isn't, because if there wasn't enough water for this group, I'd gladly let them go thirsty, if they pull out classic tracks like 'Will There Be Enough Water?' which is surely a track Bob Dylan would envy.
In conclusion to this devilish experience of music, The Dead Weather pull out all their weapons when it comes to experimenting with the blues. They execute and time nearly everything to perfection apart from the odd song or two. This is what music has been missing, people who are in touch with blues and people that are out of touch with themselves as they feel that music is all that matters, just as Jack White and look at his music schedule! If people thought blues rock was dead, then think again, because this super group has brought what the great Robert Johnson brought to the world and what was that?... well I repeat once more, he and they, brought the blues.
4/5
Linus Broadbent. (15/07/09)
P.S. Considering this review was wrote on the 15th of July and I created this blog, on the 26th, it would suggest that I wrote the review before this blog, just in case you got confused.
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