Unapologetic-Rihanna

Rihanna
Unapologetic

DefJam

It’s fair to say some artists work harder than others. While some singers take years off (still waiting for La Roux's Second album) others produce a constant stream of tracks, tunes and media attention. And arguably one of the busiest artists is Rihanna, who recently released her latest album Unapologetic, her 7th in as many years.

Phresh Off The Runway doesn’t exactly open the album, but more explodes into the listeners face. It’s loud and offensive, with its electric backing hook and the tracks title repeated relentlessly over and over again. Yet ultimately, it is Unapologetic, and if you stick with it, you’re rewarded with Diamonds, the first single to be released from this record. It’s a gleaming new side of Rihanna not seen before, and is a bold move. As is Numb, which contains the first of several album collaborations, this one being the once retired rapper Eminem. He’s not to everyone's taste and whether you like this song depends on whether you enjoy Eminen rapping phrases such as: "I'm the bum police and I’m looking at your rear rear rear". Other questionable lyrics occur in the minimalist RnB track, Pour it up, a song dedicated to strippers and Rihanna’s love of money. This offensive aggression is lost however in Loveeeeeee Song (Yes Rreeeeeally), with the Love/Lust lyrics featuring the smooth tones of Future.

However, by now the album needs a shot of adrenaline, which is handily brought on by Jump and Right Now. These dubstep infused tracks mark a turning point for the album. Very few records have a better second half compared to their opening tracks, yet this album certainly does.

What Now is a powerful melodramatic ballad that bursts with energy as Rihanna intertwines stabbing bass and piano chords to create a strange marriage of the two. The piano theme continues into Stay featuring Mikky Ekko. Strip away all that snarling anger from before and you are left with the sad, desperate lyrics in this emotional ballad. You can’t help but have concern for Rihanna and this softer, subtler side of her. However, that concern elevates to its toe-curling levels during Nobody’s Business, a track featuring a collaboration that is the definition of awkward. Featuring the Chris Brown is hard to read and comprehend, as the once time women beater sings about how his and Rihanna's relationship is Nobody’s Business. It’s awkward to listen to, with each lyric more painfully cringeworthy then the next. If you can get passed this, and the fact Rihanna struggles to say “Business” ("Busnesth") then the song itself is quite enjoyable. The Michael Jackson inspired outbursts are fun and overall the track has a merry bouncy feel about it. But, there's always that nigglying feeling that something’s not quite right, the deep undertones seen in the awkwardness, and openness, of this collaboration.

Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary is a 7 minute long ballad that is full of powerful and meaningful lyrics creating a very deep and personal track. It is surprisingly enjoyable and refreshing, as is the following track Get It Over With. One last electronic thumping track is needed to close the album, with Lost In Paradise crossing dropping beats with ballad style vocals.

As the album comes to a close, it’s clear to see that Rihanna has offered up a mixed bag with Unapologetic. Wade through the first half of murky collaborations and shouty-swag, and you’ll discover a much better (both lyrically and musically) second segment. And, if you listen to some tracks a few more times, the album does kind of come together. Take it or leave it, this is Rihanna, and she won’t say sorry to no-one.

3/5

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David Bowie-Where Are We Now?

David Bowie 

Where are we now?

Columbia

The papers stopped, the news were sent into a frenzy and Twitter was ablaze with one phrase: Bowie's Back! After suffering a heart attack in 2004, turning down singing at the Olympics in 2012, and no new releases for 10 years, it was presumed the David Bowie had slipped silently into retirement to become a reclusive living legend. 

But, to the surprise of everyone (literally everyone) Bowie released new single Where Are We Now? on his 66th birthday. No fanfares, no countdowns and no gimmicks. Just silently released onto his website and dropped onto iTunes. But then there didn't need to be any modern pop gimmicks. Every radio station, rolling news network and social media site were alight with excitement. Followed by the news that David will release a new album too, The Next Day, (due March) the rumour mill started up and fired off what Bowie’s next move would be: Would he tour again? Would he headline Glastonbury? Would Ziggy Stardust make a spectacular return? But one thing was overlooked, would he be any good?

And that's where Where Are We Now? comes in. The lyrics tell a tale of the time from David’s “Berlin era” of 1976-79, where he lived and breathed the German music, arts and cultural scene, whilst writing some of his best-known hits including Sound and Vision and Heroes. However, Where Are We Now? features a different side to Bowie than on these tracks. He sounds older, more restrained, but ultimately more human. His vocals are beautifully subdued, haunting almost, and suit this melancholic ballad perfectly as he intertwines himself with simple piano chords and 80s synths. The repetition of “Where Are We Now?” questions both Bowie’s life and career but also the listener’s. The track builds into a brilliant crescendo of high pitched soaring guitars and simplistic drumbeats with Bowie’s poignant last words being “as long as there’s me, as long as there’s you”.

Happy birthday Bowie, and welcome back Starman.

4/5

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

To all of my readers, or anyone who has stumbled across this blog:

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and All The Best for 2013!

Sadly, I have not been able to write many reviews or posts lately due to other commitments, but come the new year there will be new posts! Thankyou to anyone and everyone who has ever read anything on this site, it means the world to me.

See you in the New Year.

George

@RealGeorgeReed

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Marina And The Diamonds-Lonely Hearts Club Tour

Marina And The Diamonds

Lonely Hearts Club Tour

HMV Forum Kentish Town

George Reed

Marina Live On Stage At The Forum

Having spent nearly 3 months as the warm-up act for Coldplay on their recent Mylo Xyloto tour, it was about time Marina And The Diamonds got a tour of her own. With two albums under her belt and a collection of top ten singles, Marina has more than enough material to fill a stage. Titled the Lonely Hearts Club Tour, Marina has been slowly making her way around the UK since September, to her only London date at the HMV Forum in Kentish Town on 11^th October. 

But before making her grand entrance, Marina called upon Foxes to warm up the crowd as her supporting act. The solo singer, with her youthful and grand voice, was a good sign of things to come, both for their upcoming album as well as for the calibre of vocals this evening. But, as good as Foxes were, the audience were there for one female voice in particular as they stared up to the empty stage.

The blackened stage then lit up in a pink neon soaked haze, as Electra Heart, the title to Marina’s second album inscribed in neon lights, flickered into life. “Every boyfriend is the one, until otherwise proven” Marina told the crowd, as she gracefully walked on from the side of the stage to the opening lines of Heartbreaker. Wearing a white wedding veil and carrying a bouquet of flowers, Marina’s alter ego, Electra Heart had fully arrived. As the chorus beat dropped, the stage lighting exploded into an array of colours and Marina/Electra tossed the bouquet into the excitable crowd below her. The Petshop Boys style track was a great way to start the gig, instantly whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Quickly losing the veil, and with it Electra, Marina went straight into Oh No! a fun and flippant track from her first album The Family Jewels. The onstage band, consisting of a drummer, two keyboard/synth players and two guitarists, were clearly enjoying the gig already, playing with such gusto they nearly drowned out Marina’s vocals. But there was never really a chance of this happening, as Marina’s voice effortlessly filled The Forum. After getting the audience to “Cuckoo” with her during Mowgli’s Road, the pace was then slowed down for emotional love-loss ballad Lies. Its powerful lyrics struck a chord with the crowd, and this swapping from upbeat pop to soulful ballad was something Marina did several times during the night. Most notably was when she ushered away her keyboardist, taking the seat herself to play a beautiful striped down version of Obsessions. After the first costume change of the night, Marina brought out her fierce side with the biting Power & Control and Bubblegum Bitch, which she described as her personal favourite of the night.

The centre of the stage was dominated by a mini set piece inspired by 50’s Hollywood, with a red chez longue garnished with a white fluffy heart pillow, besides an elegant clothes stand and an antique black and white TV. Below all of this was Marina’s “Prop Cupboard”, which she used with delight. But things took a turn for the surreal when Marina introduced another prop, this time a walking yapping wind-up dog. She then proceeded to explain to the bemused crowd how she had rescued the dog from a life in the gutters, giving it a job in her music video for Primadonna. Being one of Marina’s biggest hits from Electra Heart, Primadonna gained one of the loudest sing-a-longs of the night, with the crowd screaming every line of the chorus. Hollywood, Marina’s first single, produced similar scenes, as the crowd jumped and cheered while Marina whipped a Pom-Pom round her head. The euro-pop style of Radioactive was the biggest dance hit of the night, a stark contrast to following track Fear and Loathing. This epic ballad brought a hush throughout The Forum and an end to the night, with Marina leaving the stage, followed by her band, much to the sadness of the crowd. “Marina! Marina!” the Diamonds (Marina’s name for her fans) chanted, louder and louder each time. On she returned, and with her another costume change. But before playing any more hits, Marina first said how special it was to be back in London and to have her dad in the stands. She then surprised him (And the crowd) by revealing it was his birthday, before singing Happy Birthday to him, along with the 2,000 or so audience members. It won’t be on any other set list for her tour, and made the gig extra special.  Marina then finished the night with her latest single How To Be A Heartbreaker. Its plucking guitars chords and electronic bass line erupts during the chorus, with bold primary coloured lights flying around Marina’s stage. It was a great way to end the night, with the Marina jumping around on stage as much as her Diamonds.

There were a few tracks missing from the set list: Living Dead; Hermit The Frog and most notably Lonely Hearts Club, which the tour was named after. But the songs chosen were still Marina’s strongest, showcasing every side of her vocals. In fact she so effortlessly filled the stage with her voice and personality that it didn’t matter which songs she chose from her back catalog.  Marina ended the night by thanking everyone for making it her best gig yet, a view which was surely shared with the every Diamond in the crowd.

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The Truth About Love - P!nk

The Truth About Love

P!nk

RCA

Motherhood often changes people. The birth of a baby usually alters a person’s perception to the beauty of life and love, changing their attitude as much as their figure. But clearly having little baby Willow has had no such effect on American Singer-Songwriter Pink, who returns for her sixth studio album, The Truth About Love.

With an album title like this, it’s easy to think that maybe an LP of love ballads would follow. But starting with Are We All We Are smashes that idea completely, with Pink kicking off the album her usual fist pumping anthem style. This continues through to the cheeky first single, Blow Me (One Last Kiss). It’s a fun and flippant break-up song, with enough uses of the ‘S’-word to make any laugh. The pop-rock style is something Pink is very good at, yet it’s not the only one that features on this album. Try could be technically classed as a ballad, with its emotive lyrics and slower tempo, especially after the furore of the first two tracks. But this is a ballad with typical Pink flair, with heavy drum beats and rocking guitars. Yet these get stripped away for Just Give Me A Reason, a true ballad that questions where a relationship is going and if it could last. It features the first of several intriguing collaborations, with Nate Ruess, lead vocalist of Fun, brilliantly singing the male half of the lyrical ‘fight’. And in a Mothers-United movement, Pink is joined by recent music retiree Lily Allen, under her new name Lily Rose Cooper, for True Love. Although Lily’s vocals only last for one verse, it’s a welcome return from the previous Queen of British Pop. Then several tracks later US rapper Eminem brings a dark edge to Here Comes The Weekend. It’s not to everyone’s taste, but it does add another level to this album.

One thing Pink doesn’t do is soft and sweet, and her frank opinions can be clearly seen in Walk Of Shame and Slut Like You, where she shows women can be sexual predators too. It’s explicit, loud and surprisingly fun, especially with Pink’s hilarious inter-verse mutterings and the choral “Woo-Hoo”s. Her honest look at modern day love continues in title track Truth About Love, which showcases the nasty, yet truthful truth about relationships. Beam Me Up reveals Pink’s vulnerability, and in doing so, her true vocal talent. If you feel that Pink is just a shouting diva, you should turn to this acoustic guitar piece or the piano-led album closer The Great Escape. 

Overall, this album is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, an eclectic mix of rock pop anthems and honest truths. Even upbeat love songs contain darker hidden lyrics that offer a blunt and human look at relationships, with all their highs and (very low) lows. Pink sings about real emotions and in doing so produces tracks that are instantly relatable.

4/5

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All The Rowboats-Regina Spektor

All The Rowboats

Regina Spektor

Sire Records

It’s been nearly three years since any new material was released from American/Russian Singer-Songwriter Regina Spektor. And although reportedly penned back in 2005, it’s taken till now for Regina to release All The Rowboats, her latest single taken from upcoming album, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. 

Don’t be fooled by the electronic opening segment, as after 20 seconds the song descends quickly into the fast paced piano led piece that it is. Chords spiral up and down the scale in an erratic and somewhat creepy manor, setting an overall dark edge to the song. More and more sounds are added on top, with swelling melodies and exploding percussions joining the mix. In fact, the song reaches a point when it’s close to becoming just noise, encompassing and covering Regina’s vocals more and more, louder and louder until she is finally drowned out by the orchestral sounds. It’s a dangerous point for a song to be, balancing between brilliance and bewilderment. Yet, Regina keeps the track beautifully held at this point with her voice acting as the centre piece, orchestrating the dark and quirky undertones around her. 

Admittedly due to its fast paced verses, it did take several listens to fully capture every lyric, word and note. But once this is done, true appreciation for Regina’s poetic style of writing can be taken. The quirky lyrics describe museums and their artefacts as “Just public mausoleums/The living dead fill every room”. Regina truly showcases her talent for song-writing, creating interesting and intelligent lyrics with dark yet enlightening edge. 

 

In the overcrowded world of the female music scene, Regina is somewhat of an anomaly. She doesn’t have the force or power of Florence And The Machine, or  smooth subtleness of Lana Del Rey. But what she does have is a certain sense of character and skill seen in only a handful of artists. Vocally she is strong, pronouncing every word perfectly, drifting from chorus to verse and back again with the slightest of ease. With everything together, this makes for a great ‘comeback’ track.

 4/5

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Magic Hour-Scissor Sisters

Magic Hour

Scissor Sisters

Polydor

 

“I'm very critical of our own stuff” says Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters. “But song for song, this is our best album.” It’s a bold statement to make, especially to criticise three albums that have turned this US band from quirky New-Yorkers to international Popstars. But at the same time, Jake may have a point, with many critics believing the Scissor Sisters are still yet to recreate the initial pizzazz seen on their self titled debut album. So, they return with their 4^th LP, Magic Hour, aiming to bring the fun back to the Top 40. 

Baby Come Home bounds in as the first track on the album, and the second single to be released from it. Piano chords bounce brilliantly along towards a chorus with one of the best hooks heard from the Scissor Sisters since I Don’t Feel Like Dancing. Best described as retro pop, it does exactly what a first track should do: open the album and entice the listener.  Keep Your Shoes On follows and is clearly inspired by Pet Shop Boys and balances between the funky and the annoyance. On first impressions it’s easy to reach for the skip button and jump past this club track, but if you give it time, you will be rewarded. Sear’s high pitched style of singing will always get comparisons to  the Bee Gees, especially on tracks such as Inevitable. This beautiful ballad builds into a melodramatic crescendo and is a much needed break before lead single Only the Horses. Featuring the Midas touch of DJ and producer Calvin Harris, Sear’s vocals soars over stabbing synths to make one of the best tracks on the album. Ana Matronic, the only female member of Scissor Sisters and one the most understated women in pop introduces Let’s Have a Kiki, explaining a “Kiki is a party, for calming all your nerves”. This peculiar track mixes catwalk style beats with spoken verses to create a song that is bizarrely highly infectious. But as odd as this is, it’s nothing compared to the pop-rap-esque combo of Shady Love. This track mixes styles and artists, namely Azelia Banks (Of 212 fame) to create a song that isn’t like any other Scissor Sisters track. But that is something that Magic Hour shows about the Scissor Sisters. They can use styles that they would be advised to steer well clear of, and yet still manage to make a hit. The Secret Life of Letters shows their vulnerable and slow side, with a backing piano spiralling up and down the scales accompanying the almost poetic lyrics. It makes for a beautiful track, that arguably should be released as a single. But not all tracks could be, with Self Control being littered with sexual undertones, while F**k Yeah is much more obvious with its message! But that is, and always has been the Scissor Sisters way: Cheeky; quirky and fun. 

Whether this is the best album made by the New-Yorkers is still undecided. But what this fab four piece band has done has brought their unique style back to UK. A much needed return from a group that clearly enjoys making musical magic. 

4/5

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