Zayn – Mind of Mine Album Review

March 26, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

The past year has been something of a roller-coaster for Zayn Malik. A year ago, he broke millions of fans’ hearts when he announced he would be leaving One Direction to pursue the life of a ‘normal 22 year old’. It later emerged that he had been secretly recording solo material and his animosity towards his boyband days was soon made crystal clear in numerous interviews in which he took multiple swipes at the band and their music. A shock split with fiancée Perrie Edwards soon followed in addition to multiple venomous and highly publicised Twitter spats. Still, these potential career suicide-moments have been long forgotten since lead single ‘PILLOWTALK‘ rocketed in to the top of the charts of over a dozen countries.

As expected, ‘Mind of Mine’ is a world away from Malik’s One Direction days. Gone is the pop-punk and stadium-pop and in is alternative R&B, catchy dance-pop and elements of Soul. It’s slick, polished, consistent and mature with reverberating vocal samples, hip-hop beats and effect-drenched vocals scattered throughout. It’s a natural transition into R&B music similarly to Justin Timberlake’s début ‘Justified’ fourteen years ago.

‘Mind of Mine’ excels from start to finish with barely a blip. Overall, it possesses a moody and brooding tone with sexualized lyrics and a deeply-textured sound, resulting in a cohesive catalogue of material on which Malik revels in his newly-found freedom. Lead single ‘PILLOWTALK’ remains a stand-out track with its its thunderous percussion, reverberating synths, wailing guitars and Zayn’s sweeping vocals. The rest of the album follows suit with the sullen yet dreamy ‘dRuNk‘ featuring Malik’s multi-layered harmonies boasting ‘I’ve been drunk all summer’ over unsettled R&B percussion, summery synthesisers and weeping electric guitars. ‘rEaR vIeW‘ is similarly a sulky progressive R&B track with sparse production and a Timbaland-like chorus. Then there’s the beautifully haunting ‘iT’s YoU‘ – a gentle downtempo ballad on which Zayn’s stunning falsetto soars over jittering synths, a droning organ, hip-hop beats and crunching piano chords.

Just when things need shaking up a bit, the Beatle-esque piano chords of ‘fOoL fOr YoU‘ arrive. It’s a pleasant piano ballad on which Malik’s vocals really glisten and are relatively free of the over-production the rest of the album is laden with. The track mirrors The Beatles in both song-writing and production and it punctuates the album nicely.

Malik also refreshingly incorporates his cultural heritage into the album in the form of haunting interludes. The opening title-track features soaring Qawwali-influenced melodies over piano chords and clonking synthesiser arpeggios. Similarly, one of the album’s unexpected highlights is ‘fLoWer‘, a gorgeous acoustic interlude influenced by Malik’s upbringing as a British Pakistani Muslim. He executes his voice in Urdu, his father’s native language and warbles over eerie synthesisers and gentle acoustic guitars. It’s an innovative and utterly unique inclusion on an R&B album which works perfectly.

The dance-pop moments also work well, implemented best on ‘sHe‘ with its brilliantly catchy hook, slick production and buoyant production. It is miles away from the stadium pop-rock One Direction produced and is a steer in the right direction (pun not intended), reminiscent of some of Justin Bieber’s best moments on ‘Purpose’. Then there’s the soulful ‘tRuTh’, a track reminiscent of 70’s Soul with giggling synthesisers, a retro-guitar sound and distorted production. Featuring a brilliantly sunny chorus with sugary falsettos, it’s one of the album’s understated highlights.

Malik always had the advantage of having the strongest voice in One Direction and he exhibits his syrupy vocals perfectly on the album. His vocals are sturdy and powerful throughout, whilst his falsetto is his real gift, fluttering delicately over meticulously programmed instrumentals.

A bold and compelling album which validates Zayn’s transition into a credible recording artist.

Rating: 5/5.
Highlights: ‘PILLOWTALK’, ‘dRuNk’, ‘iT’s YoU’, ‘sHe’, ‘fLoWer’, ‘tRuTh’

‘Mind of Mine’ is available now on RCA Records.

The 1975 Live – Review [O2 Brixton Academy, 09/03/2016].

March 11, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

The last month or so has been a dizzy concoction of success and excitement for The 1975. They performed on American TV, on both Saturday Night Live and The Jimmy Fallon Show, released their new highly-anticipated album ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘* to critical acclaim and have seen the album rocket to the top of the charts in five countries, including the UK and the US. The atmosphere in Brixton’s O2 Academy mirrored these successes on Wednesday evening as the buzz of almost five thousand fans filled the venue.

The evening commenced with a half hour set by The Japanese House, the project of shy but endearing Londoner Amber Bain. She shares a record label with The 1975 (the doing of The 1975’s Matt Healy and George Daniel who introduced the label to her in addition to producing some of her work) and musically draws upon similar influences. Her melancholic electronica is soaked in vocal effects and scatty sound samples which makes it a compelling listen, although it cries out for slightly more variation. Nevertheless, she was met with a warm reaction from the audience, particularly for the up-tempo ‘Cool Blue‘, one of her strongest tracks. She is certainly in possession of something special and is one to watch.**

Over the next half an hour, Brixton academy filled to the brim, the house lights dimmed gradually and an eerie, repetitive synthesiser sound became progressively louder. Finally, at nine o’clock, the venue was plunged into darkness, the synthesiser halted and multicoloured static filled the on-stage screens before the quirky riffs of ‘Love Me‘ began. It was the perfect opener, its buoyant tone perfect for generating energy from the audience. The band proceeded to rocket through a comprehensive set-list which catered for all, ranging from material from their early EPs to their current album. Hidden treasures from old EPs such as the 90’s R&B jam-inspired ‘So Far (It’s Alright)‘, slushy ‘fallingforyou‘ and the never-before-performed ‘Anobrain‘ served as a reminder of the band’s unfaltering ability to create enthralling music whilst tracks from the band’s début album such as ‘Heart Out‘, ‘Girls‘ and ‘Menswear‘ which were met with rapturous response from fans who chanted the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Their new material worked just as well; it was impossible not to dance to the INXS-influenced ‘She’s American‘ and the Prince-esque ‘UGH!‘ whilst the vulnerable ‘Somebody Else‘ and jittery ‘Change of Heart‘ captivated the audience.

“Brixton, I think I’m going mad”, Healy declared before the choral ‘ooh’s’ intro to ‘The Ballad of me and my Brain‘ began. The song appeared to baffle many of those unfamiliar with the new album but was brilliantly executed by the band and Healy who raised his performance game in this song, stumbling around the stage and falling to his knees in reference to the breakdown the song documents. Likewise, the cleverly worded, half-rapped ‘Loving Someone‘ and syrupy sweet ‘Paris‘ translated well into a live setting as Healy strutted across the stage and encouraged the crowd to sing.

Throughout the show, Healy – renowned for being a charismatic front-man – bounded around the stage, often with a glass of wine in his hand, buzzing with energy and enthusiasm and feeding off the crowd. He flexed, pouted, pranced and glided across the stage, interacting brilliantly with the crowd and often resulting in ear-piercing squeals reminiscent of Beatle-mania. He held the audience in the palm of his hand and was unafraid of being completely at ease on-stage, frequently wandering off to light a cigarette or to change into a shirt before declaring he’d made a mistake and changing back into his black t-shirt. During the poignant ‘Me‘, he instructed a fan to put their phone away after telling the audience to experience the song in the moment without technology present.

The show was also visually spectacular; the stage was permanently illuminated in various lighting combinations, providing a cinematic experience which was a perfect reflection of the band’s eclectic range of material. At times, this was utterly breathtaking and emphasised that sometimes simplicity achieves the best results.

The evening culminated in an intoxicating finale; an encore of four of the band’s best works. The first, ‘If I Believe You‘, an accomplished track which questions religion over D’Angelo slow-jam instrumentation was hauntingly beautiful. A choir of six accompanied the band and their gospel harmonies were spine-tingling. The choir remained on-stage for the ever-brilliant ‘Chocolate‘ and new classic ‘The Sound‘ which engendered an electric euphoria. During the latter, Healy instructed the crowd to jump, informing them their aim was ‘to break Brixton academy’. Grand finale ‘Sex‘, another of the band’s best-known songs closed the evening perfectly and remains one of the band’s best songs.

In all three times of seeing the band in the past two years, their performance at Brixton on Wednesday evening emphasised that they are the band of the moment. Healy’s vocals had never been better whilst fellow bandmates Adam Hann, Ross Macdonald and George Daniel were perfectly tight and synchronised musically. The only thing missing was two of the band’s best songs – ‘Settle Down‘ and ‘This Must Be My Dream‘ but one can hardly complain when the band delivered such a captivating show with an extensive range of material.

The 1975 were on top of their game at Brixton and long may it continue.

* Read our review of The 1975’s new album, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘
** Read our review of The Japanese House live at The Haunt, Brighton

Setlist:

1. Love Me
2. UGH!
3. Heart Out
4. So Far (It’s Alright)
5. A Change of Heart
6. She’s American
7. Anobrain
8. Menswear
9. The Ballad of Me and My Brain
10. Me
11. fallingforyou
12. Somebody Else
13. Robbers
14. You
15. Loving Someone
16. Paris
17. Girls
ENCORE
18. If I Believe You
19. Chocolate
20. The Sound
21. Sex

Catch The 1975 on tour now:

The 1975 – I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it Album Review

March 5, 2016 MarcyB0y2 Comments

Almost three long years have passed since The 1975 sprung onto the music scene with their bold and well-received eponymous début album. Packaged with an aesthetic monochrome image, an abundance of 80’s influenced alt-rock, asymmetrical R&B and an ostentatious yet simultaneously endearing frontman – Matt Healy – The 1975 polarised critics and music lovers alike. Still, the band’s début album catapulted straight into number one in the UK album chart, their eclectic sound and unequivocal lyrics winning them a legion of fans all over the world.

The follow up to a platinum selling album was always going to arrive with weighted expectations but Healy’s recurrent boasting in interviews (‘The world needs this album’, he informed NME, prior to its release in self-praise Kanye West would be proud of) and a wealth of preceding publicity made ‘I like it when you sleep…’ one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. From its ambitiously wordy title and hefty seventy five minute duration to its frequent genre-hopping, it’s an audacious album but one which ultimately pays off.

For their follow-up, the monochrome façade is replaced with a vivid pink, a sign of the band’s reinvention and their musical evolution. Lyrically, ‘I like it when you sleep…’ possesses a darker tone than its predecessor. Whilst the drug and sex references are still frequent, the rock and roll is less so. Understandably, the band have matured significantly since their previous work was written and this shows through its exploration of darker themes such as mental health, depression, death and loneliness. The album’s tone is far from melancholic, however as it is comprised of various genres, making it a compelling listen.

The 80’s-influenced indie rock present on their début extends onto ‘I like it when you sleep…’, channelling the flamboyance of the likes of INXS and Duran Duran but with far greater polished production. From the buoyant Bowie-esque ‘Love Me‘ with its squeaky synthesisers and quirky guitar riffs to the gentle ‘Change of Heart‘ with its synthetic vocal fragments and synthesisers fluttering over soft 808 percussion, The 1975 once again capture the brashness of 80’s music but with a 21st century spin. There’s also the brilliantly effervescent ‘She’s American‘ which wittily documents cultural differences with lyrics such as ‘And if she likes it ’cause we just don’t eat and we’re socially relevant, she’s American’ over twinkling synthesisers and funky guitar riffs provided by guitarist Adam Hann. The band’s musicianship and synchronicity are accentuated through the new-jack swing of ‘This Must Be My Dream‘ with its gospel melodies, silky vocals, slamming percussion, driving bass lines and snarling guitar riffs. The moody ‘Somebody Else‘ is aching with vulnerability and finds Healy pining for an ex-lover over swirling synths, a brilliant twitchy bassline provided by bassist Ross Macdonald and gated percussion. It also has the best bridge on the album on which Healy growls “Got someone you love? Get someone you need? F**k that get money, I can’t give you my soul ’cause we’re never alone” over juddering production. This is about as far as the John Hughes soundtrack alternatives go on this album however.

The rest of the album is a testament to the band’s love of genre hopping, generating an album which isn’t musically cohesive but its content is of a quality that compensates for this, enabling fans to dip in and out as they please. They explore Prince-influenced R&B on the slick ‘UGH!‘, shoegazing through the angst of ‘Lostmyhead‘ and pop-disco on the fantastically catchy ‘The Sound‘. ‘The Ballad of Me and My Brain‘ flirts with grunge stadium rock featuring fantastically erratic drums from George Daniel and broken vocal fragments. Its playful lyrics tell of Healy’s quest to find his brain (likely in reference to a meltdown whilst on tour in 2014) searching in bars, on the train and in Sainsbury’s whilst sneakily making a reference to 2007 meltdown-Britney at the end.

Then there’s ‘Loving Someone‘ in which Healy does his best impersonation of Mike Skinner – half-rapping his social observations of how the media and celebrity culture shapes teenagers over hip-hop beats and clinking piano riffs. Lyrically, it’s one of Healy’s best, with lines such as ‘It’s better if we make them want the opposite sex’ and ‘I’m the Greek economy of cashing intellectual cheques’ emphasising his pensive nature and ability to give his music meaning – a rare occurrence in contemporary music.

The band throw a curve-ball on the biblical ‘If I Believe You‘ on which Healy searches for and beseeches a higher power to curb his loneliness. Perhaps the album’s best moment, it’s a sincere and dignified track which mirrors the likes of Prince and D’Angelo through layering eerie electronic elements, an understated horn solo and spine-tingling utilisation of a gospel choir over organic percussion. Its lyrical content is a paradox of its jazz-influenced gospel instrumentation but it works absolutely beautifully with a stunning climax where Healy’s effect-drenched vocals languish ‘If I’m lost, then how can I find myself?’

Elsewhere, the glossy, polished Pop records are punctuated by less commercial ambient music through glitchy instrumentals comprised of fragmented sounds, broken vocal samples and heavily processed electro elements in a similar fashion the band’s first EPs. ‘Please Be Naked‘ is a stunning piano-led instrumental evidently influenced by sigur rós and is a sign of what’s to follow on ‘Lostmyhead‘. The band excel at this most on the title track, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘, however. Pretty and melodic piano particles flutter over driving electronica whilst Healy’s lusciously layered vocals beg his lover not to leave. The track is lengthy at six minutes but is split into two parts, evolving into an uplifting and exquisitely beautiful house track. It’s likely to be the most overlooked track on the album but is a perfect reminder of Healy and Daniel’s impeccable ability to create and produce music.

The album begins to decelerate towards the end beginning with the mellow electropop of ‘Paris‘, a drug-fuelled interpretation of Yazoo’s ‘Only You‘ featuring sparse guitars and dizzy synthesisers. It’s another of the album’s highlights with a catchy, honeyed ‘again and again’ refrain. The final two tracks are stripped to the bare minimum and driven by an acoustic guitar, ‘Nana‘ being a heartbreaking ode to Healy’s late grandparent and ‘She Lays Down‘ documenting his mother’s (TV personality and actress Denise Welch) battle with post-natal depression. It may not be the most uplifting finale to the album but its de-acceleration brings it to a perfect, gentle close.

One of the album’s fortes and its main source of cohesion is its lyrical content. Healy possesses a genuine talent as a lyricist, addressing heavy topics and destructive individuals in a playful, frank and witty manner and accurately addresses contemporary culture in candid fashion. He’s also a master of self-deprecation, whether its through labelling himself as ‘a sycophantic, prophetic, Socratic junkie wannabe’ on ‘The Sound‘ or as ‘a pain in woman’s clothes’ on ‘Paris‘. Even more impressive is his use of intertextuality through referencing and recycling the band’s previous lyrics and melodies.

It’s easy for ‘genuine music lovers’ to brand the band as a generic, derivative boyband who only appeal to teenage girls but one listen to ‘I like it when you sleep…’ is enough to dispel these criticisms. The musicality, the polysemic threads and comprehensive nature of the album proves The 1975 are the band of the moment. As Healy lashed out against uninspired Pop music last Autumn, he ranted “No one’s asking you to inspire a revolution, but inspire something.” And that’s exactly what ‘I like it when you sleep…’ does from beginning to end.

An extraordinary album which pushes the boundaries through experimentation, sharp lyrics and unashamedly brilliant Pop music.

Rating: 5/5.
Highlights: ‘She’s American‘, ‘If I Believe You‘, ‘Somebody Else‘, ‘Loving Someone‘, ‘The Sound‘, ‘This Must Be My Dream‘, ‘Paris‘.

‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it’ is available now on Dirty Hit/Polydor records.

The Japanese House Live Review [The Haunt, Brighton, 27/02/2016]

February 28, 2016 MarcyB0y1 Comment

When The Japanese House emerged in early 2015 with the hauntingly ethereal ‘Still’, she was the cause of mystification. Whilst many fell in love with the track, her lack of online profile and distorted, effect-coated vocals led many to question whether a male or female was behind the project. It soon surfaced that The Japanese House is the project name of 20 year old Londoner Amber Bain. She shares a record label (Dirty Hit records) with the likes of The 1975 and Wolf Alice, a promising omen, considering their success. In fact, she was introduced to the label by the former’s Matt Healy and George Daniel who have also handled the production of some of her material. Her cinematic, multi-layered and often haunting sound makes her work a compelling listen and has won her a legion of fans. Just a proportion of those were crammed into The Haunt in Brighton on Saturday evening.

She walks onstage timidly after her bandmates – a drummer and guitarist/keyboard player begin the oriental cascades of ‘Clean’. Her multi-layered sound translates well live and is cleverly achieved through frolicking between various guitars, synthesisers and various effect pedals, including a harmoniser pedal to achieve Bain’s dreamy vocoder-reminiscent vocals. Between songs, she keeps talk to a minimum and is fantastically shy but impossibly endearing.

The Japanese House steadily ventures through her complete eight song discography from both of her EP’s – ‘Pools to Bathe In’ and ‘Clean’ before treating fans to a bonus track, a new song called ‘Leon’ at the end of the show. A brilliant performance of downtempo, sullen ‘Still’ reminds the audience of what a mesmeric listen the track is. It was her debut record and it’s still one of her best with its thunderous percussion and R&B-influenced fragments.

Her melancholic electronica is quite an intense listen and at times it’s perhaps a little too over-bearing, her set crying out for one or two up-tempo tracks. This request is eventually met by the brilliantly catchy and ‘80’s-influenced ‘Cool Blue’ which arguably prompts the best response from the crowd. It’s understandable since it’s perhaps the most up-tempo track The Japanese House has released to date. It echoes Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants to Rule The World’ in terms of rhythm and slamming percussion but replaces the piano arpeggios with those of a guitar. It’s one of her best songs and it provides the audience with an opportunity to dance.

Despite the small-scale nature of the show, it is still atmospheric. Dim lighting and hazy smoke create the perfect accompaniment to The Japanese House’s introspective sound. Pulsating lights swing into action during the electronic drop in ‘Pools to Bathe In’ but aside from this, the music does the talking.

As the evening comes to an end, it’s clear that The Japanese House is certainly in possession of something special. Whilst collectively, her work overall feels it could do with the addition of one or two more substantial, up-tempo tracks, Amber Bain is certainly one to watch.

Rihanna – Anti Album Review

February 8, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

Artists are often wary of the potential ‘difficult second album’, being unsure of which musical direction to take and fearing not meeting the public’s expectations. In Rihanna’s case, it was to become the difficult eighth album. Throughout its construction, ‘Anti’ was plagued with issues regarding creative control, during which a great wealth of material was recorded and subsequently scrapped. Three successful singles were released in 2015; none of which are present on the album. Kanye West was once executive producer; Rihanna herself ended up assuming the role. What began as a short hiatus extended into a lengthy break for Rihanna as the release of ‘Anti’ became increasingly delayed and arguably, one of the most highly anticipated albums in years.

The finished product is a significant departure from the club bangers and massive Pop smashes Rihanna has become known for. It’s a moody and sullen affair, (not too dissimilar from 2009’s ‘Rated R‘) more a soundtrack for the aftermath of the party or the early-morning come-down than the party itself. This isn’t a criticism, however, it’s a powerful and compelling listen from start to finish.

Opener ‘Consideration’ is a dub-styled track with lo-fi elements, sparse production and Rihanna’s almost yodel-like vocals. The minimalistic production is a thread which is present throughout the remainder of the album, its simmering, dark tones resulting in a dark but enthralling album. ‘Needed Me’ is much in the same vein, comprised of unstable beats, tremulous synthesisers and eerie vocal samples. Lead single ‘Work’, a collaboration with Drake is a jittery reggae-influenced affair with mumbled, almost incomprehensible vocals whilst ‘Woo’ is abundant with furious distorted electric guitars and auto-tune soaked vocals.

The down-tempo softer moments also work well. ‘James Joint’ is a minute-long melodic soul interlude whilst ‘Yeah I Said It’ is a sulky soul ballad with mesmeric production. The inclusion of “Same Ol’ Mistakes”, an unexpected cover of Australian rock band Tame Impala’s ‘New Person, Same Old Mistakes’ is an unconventional move but one which pays off. It’s a more or less carbon copy of the original both in its delivery and production but is in-fitting with the moody, psychedelic nature of the album.

The second half of the album is reserved for ballads. From the pretty and acoustic-driven ‘Never Ending’ to the Soul infused, waltz-like ‘Love on the Brain’, it’s a peculiar turn in direction but largely works nicely until ‘Higher’, on which Rihanna wails like a banshee in a style not too dissimilar to Sia. Thankfully the track is only two minutes and avoids putting too much strain on the listeners’ ears (and Rihanna’s vocals…)

Whilst ‘Anti’ is certainly a change in direction, elements of Rihanna’s signature sound are still littered throughout. ‘Desperado’ is a classic Rihanna track, dark and broody on which, stuttering beats, moody piano chords and Rihanna’s purred vocals result in an intoxicating R&B hit. Likewise, ‘Kiss it Better’, heavily influenced by progressive R&B and rock elements is one of the album’s highlights.

Closing track ‘Close to You’ is a stunning ballad and a fitting reminder of Rihanna’s impeccable ability to deliver heartfelt R&B ballads. Built of nothing more than gentle piano chords and Rihanna’s syrupy vocals, it’s perhaps her best and most emotive ballad of her career.

Its mixed response from critics and fans alike is justified. It’s a somewhat confused and indecisive album, mirroring its conception. Despite this however, its dark and disturbing tone and eclectic approach makes it a captivating album and one of Rihanna’s best.

Rating: 4/5.
Highlights: ‘Kiss it Better’, ‘Work’, ‘Desperado’, ‘Same Ol’ Mistakes’ and ‘Close to You’.

‘Anti’ is available now on Roc Nation records.

FEATURE: Zayn – PILLOWTALK

January 30, 2016 MarcyB0y4 Comments

Ex One Direction member Zayn Malik has set the world alight with excitement with the première of début solo single ‘PILLOWTALK’.

‘PILLOWTALK’ is a sexy and sultry alternative R&B track comprised of thunderous beats, eerie electro elements, broken vocal samples, wailing guitars and soaring melodies. It’s a far-cry from Zayn’s One Direction days and conveys a far greater depth of maturity, mostly through its sexual themes.

The fizzy downtempo track is co-written by Zayn with Anthony Hannides and Michael Hannides of MYKL [who’s track ‘Red’, Zayn tweeted support of back in March 2015] in addition to Levi Lennox. The latter three also produced the track.

Zayn always exhibited one of the more powerful voices within One Direction and his buttery vocals suit this progressive R&B far more than the anthemic Pop of his boyband days. It’s a carefree transition into R&B in a similar fashion to Justin Timberlake following his NSYNC days.

A bold and triumphant launch as a solo artist.

Check the track and its racy video out below:

Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams Album Review

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

In an astonishing twenty year career, Coldplay have exceeded all expectations to become one of the UK’s most successful exports. They’ve won eight Brit Awards, five MTV Video Awards, seven Grammy’s and sold over eighty million records worldwide, cementing their place as one of the world’s most successful acts. Once a quirky alternative-rock outfit unafraid of existing outside of the commercial market, Coldplay’s sound has grown with their popularity, becoming increasingly commercialised over the past five years. Fans first feared for the worst back in 2011 upon the release of ‘Mylo Xyloto‘, a concept album which was drenched in electro-elements and met with a mixed reception. Still, fans needn’t have worried for another four years.

‘A Head Full of Dreams‘ is the epitome of Pop music; a lively affair, full of catchy up-tempo tracks mawkishly coated in over-production. Whilst long-term collaborator Rik Sampson is still present, he has been demoted from production duties on this album, passing the baton to Norwegian Pop/R&B production duo Stargate, known for their work with Rihanna and Ne-Yo. Understandably, the result is an exuberant yet somewhat confused album on which Coldplay seemingly attempt to ditch their Rock-roots and transition into a Pop band. It’s the exact antithesis to previous album, the melancholic and ambient-influenced ‘Ghost Stories‘ and arguably, the entire foundation on which Coldplay built their career on.

Diversity is a likely focus on ‘A Head Full of Dreams‘, on which Coldplay attempt to branch out into various genres and sounds. Camp disco-stomper ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ with its broken vocal samples and squeaky guitar riffs remains one of Coldplay’s best whilst the substantial, Hip-Hop heavy ‘Hymn for The Weekend’ – a duet with Beyonce – is comprised of tinkling piano riffs, hip hop beats and shiny brass instruments. These clever production elements all work nicely until ‘Army of One’, a ballad so bland, even clever production cannot reinvigorate it. Likewise, the track’s hidden feature ‘X Marks The Spot’ is an abortive Hip-Hop jam, best left to Martin’s close friends Jay-Z & Beyonce.

Despite its Pop approach, however, ‘A Head Full of Dreams‘ is still very much a typical Coldplay album. The signature Coldplay elements are still present; the anthemic Chorus’, wailing guitars, sweeping piano arpeggios and Martin’s pining vocals. The opening title track isn’t too far removed from the material on ‘Mylo Xyloto‘ albeit with a disco-funk groove. It’s a catchy opener abundant with the band’s trademark wailing guitars and is classic Coldplay, just with an extra sprinkle of Pop. Likewise ‘Fun’, a pleasant duet with Pop princess Tove Lo is more or less loyal to the band’s sound with distant guitar riffs, acoustic strums and Martin’s vocals warbling between his lowest and highest vocal range. The album’s finale and one of its highlights, ‘Up&Up’ is the band’s ‘Champagne Supernova’, just two minutes shorter. No surprise, then, that Noel Gallagher is guest guitarist on the track.

The hazy and tranquil interlude bridges between tracks – as present on the band’s previous two albums – also remain prevalent, the most enthralling being ‘Kaleidoscope’ which samples an Obama speech and clip of the president singing ‘Amazing Grace’. Furthermore, the dainty piano ballads are ever-enduring. ‘Everglow’ is gentle ballad on which ghost of Christmas past, Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow provides vocals on. ‘Amazing Day’ is one far superior, however and is one of the album’s highlights, built from elegant piano arpeggios and soaring melodies.

Whilst it’s far from their best work, ‘A Head Full of Dreams‘ is a compelling and enjoyable album; a reminder of Coldplay’s sustained presence in the music industry.

Rating: 4/5.
Album Highlights: ‘Hymn For The Weekend’, ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’, ‘Kaleidoscope’, ‘Amazing Day’, ‘Up&Up’.

‘A Head Full of Dreams’ is available now on Parlophone records.

Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood Album Review

January 17, 2016January 17, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

Every so often, an album springs from nowhere to challenge the public’s preconceptions of Pop music. Back in 2014, Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ obliterated existing Pop music and marked the arrival of 80’s influenced electropop with Carly Rae Jepsen successfully following a similar formula a year later. Troye Sivan’s ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is the latest album to do just that.

Whilst still unfamiliar to many, to those he is known by, Troye Sivan is adored. He is certainly a man of many talents. As an actor, he played young James Howlett in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in addition to starring in the Spud film trilogy. He is also a popular YouTuber with over 3.6 million subscribers. He has now turned his attention to singing and songwriting to become the latest music sensation.

‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is a fierce album abundant with squeaky synthesisers, delicate piano chords, intoxicating drops and spectral electro samples. Lyrically, it’s an album of adolescence, heartbreak and affirmation with an emphasis on sexuality.

Lead single ‘Wild’ is a bold album opener with an irresistibly catchy hook performed by a children’s choir. It’s a dramatic dream-pop influenced track which documents infatuation perfectly. The rest of the album follows in similar fashion: eerie vocal clips reverberating infinitely, Sivan’s vulnerable vocals and jittery percussion all forming a perfect electronic sound-scape well-balanced in both heartache and fun.

It’s often an album of contradictions: the solemn lyrical content the antithesis of the fuzzy electro tracks, Sivan’s pensive lyrics at odds with his age and lyrics such as ‘I’m just a lost boy, not ready to be found’ on ‘Lost Boy’. This forms part of the album’s success, however. It’s compelling from start to finish, with the right levels of rise and fall.

Many of its tracks are deceptive in nature, opening as tender piano ballads before evolving into jittery synthpop tracks. ‘Fools’ is a prime example, on which Sivan’s bruised vocals smother gentle piano chords before an electronic hook launches in. ‘Talk Me Down’ also begins softly before transforming into a reverberating and eerie ballad on which the lyrics address homophobia.

‘DKLA’ (Don’t Keep Love Around) opens with stunning eerie strings but evolves into a dark R&B/Trap-influenced track on which Sivan pines that he no longer ‘keeps love around’. It’s far more mature than the rest of the album and one of the highlights on ‘Blue Neighbourbood’.

‘For Him.’ is a more care-free, light-hearted addition to the album featuring staccato piano chords, kicking drum machines and funky guitar riffs. It breaks up the album nicely. Likewise, ‘Cool’ is a buoyant affair with dreamy 80’s-influenced synths, and a catchy, chilled-out Chorus.

One of the album’s stand out moments is ‘Youth’, a bouncy track, which at times is reminiscent of Lorde, with an electrifying hook formed of broken pitch-increased vocal samples. “My youth is yours”, Sivan offers, once again conforming to the naivety present in the rest of the album.

‘Suburbia’ is a fitting finale to the album, a symphonic and fluttery conclusion which, similarly to the album title, addresses compact neighbourhoods and adolescence.

Never has an album captured contemporary Pop so perfectly. It’s emotive and enthralling throughout; a perfect pop album.

Rating: 5/5.
Album Highlights: Wild, Fools, Ease, DKLA, Heaven, Youth.

‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is available now on EMI/Capitol records.

2015 in Music

December 31, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

As 2015 comes to a close, we wanted to (as always) look back at the year in music. So with no further ado, here’s The Music Box’s official guide to the best music of 2015.

SONG OF THE YEAR:

Little Mix – Black Magic

Whilst eventually played to death, this song is easily one of the catchiest pop tracks of 2015. A 21st century of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, it’s fierce, fun and memorable. The perfect pop hit.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion

One of the most underrated pop albums from 2015. ‘Emotion’ draws upon 80’s synthpop in a similar way to Taylor Swift on ‘1989’ but with superior production. Every beat is meticulously placed and the focus is more on the songs rather than vocal performance. The entire album contains a naivety lacking from most pop albums and it’s a whole lot of fun from start to finish.

RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE OF THE YEAR:

Rixton – Where are U Now (Justin Bieber Cover)

Boyband Rixton transform this jittery EDM hit into a gentle 90’s R&B track with gorgeous chords, lush harmonies and an element of Soul lacking in the original.

BAND OF THE YEAR:

Circa Waves

British Indie-rock band Circa Waves launched onto the scene this year with brilliant single ‘Fossils’. Their début album ‘Young Chasers’ was released in March to positive response and the band have subsequently been touring the world.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

Carly Rae Jepsen

One of the most underrated female pop stars, Carly Rae Jepsen avoids controversy and instead keeps her track record solely focussed on music. Whilst many may be put off by undeniably catchy but somewhat irritating hits ‘Call Me Maybe’ and ‘I Really Like You’, 2015 album ‘Emotion’ demonstrated a new side to Jepsen which resulted in the album’s critical acclaim.

NEW BAND OF THE YEAR:

Nothing But Thieves

Nothing But Thieves have seemingly sprung from no-where this year with singles ‘Itch’, ‘Trip-Switch’ and ‘Wake Up Call’ all receiving extensive airplay on radio. Their self-titled début album is haunting, eerie and bold, resembling some of Jeff Buckley’s best work.

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

Shura

Shura has risen to prominence in the last year with huge hit, the Janet Jackson circa 1986 influenced ‘2Shy’ in addition to catchy dance hit ‘White Light’ and the gentle analog driven ‘Touch’. With her highly anticipated début album due in 2016, we are expecting big things from Shura.

UP & COMING ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

The Japanese House

Amber Bain, better known as The Japanese House has won the admiration of many this year with her spaced-out and hazy material. Aided by The 1975’s Matt Healy & George Daniel in production, The Japanese House’s two EPs have been cinematic, bold and impressive.

ONE TO WATCH:

Troye Sivan

YouTuber Troye Sivan already had a huge profile before entering the music industry this year. Debut album ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ has been critically acclaimed for its bold and unique sound and sincere lyrical themes.

LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR:

Take That

Take That proved they’ve still got it in a series of triumphant sold-out shoes in various arenas over the UK this year. Featuring a large ensemble of dancers, an abundance of multi-coloured confetti, walls of flame and a flying bike, 2015’s tour proved to be their best yet.

TOP 10 SINGLE RELEASES OF 2015

THE LONG LIST: RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE COVERS OF THE YEAR

Ella Henderson – Hold Back The River [James Bay Cover]

Frances – What Do You Mean [Justin Bieber Cover]

George Ezra – I Try [Macy Gray Cover]

Imagine Dragons – Blank Space [Taylor Swift Cover]

James Bay – FourFiveSeconds [Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney Cover]

James Bay – Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher & Higher [Jackie Wilson Cover]

Little Mix – Dance With Somebody [Jason Derulo & Whitney Houston Cover]

Mark Ronson – The Giver [Duke Dumont Cover]

Nothing But Thieves – Wings [Birdy Cover]

Rixton – Where are U Now [Justin Bieber, Skrillex & Diplo Cover]

Sam Smith & Disclosure – Hotline Bling [Drake Cover]

THE LONG LIST: ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:

THE LONG LIST: ALBUM TRACKS OF THE YEAR:

Adele: When We Were Young, Water Under the Bridge, Love in the Dark, Million Years Ago
Ben Haenow: Testify
Carly Rae Jepsen: All That, Emotion, Let’s Get Lost, Boy Problems
Circa Waves: Deserve This, Good For Me, Stuck in My Teeth,
Coldplay: Up & Up, Kaleidoscope
Ellie Goulding: Codes, Something in the Way You Move.
James Bay: If You Ever Want to be in Love, Scars, Need The Sun To Break
James Morrison: Stay Like This
Janet Jackson: Broken Hearts Heal, Great Forever, Take Me Away, Shoulda Known Better
Justin Bieber: I’ll Show You, Company, No Pressure
Markus Feehily: Back To Yours, Love Me Or Leave Me, Only You
Matthew Morrison & Laura Michelle Kelly: What You Mean to Me
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: The Right Stuff
Nothing But Thieves: Graveyard Whistling, Honey Whiskey, If I Get High, Lover Please Stay.
One Direction: Hey Angel, Love You Goodbye, Long Way Down, Olivia, What A Feeling, I Want to Write…
Seal: Love, Padded Cell
Tame Impala: Yes I’m Changing
Take That: Bird in Your Hand, Will You Be There For Me
The 1975: Ugh!, Somebody Else (Live)
The Weeknd: Tell Your Friends, Shameless, As You Are
Troye Sivan: Youth, Heaven, Fools, Ease
Wolf Alice: Your Loves Whore, Swallowtail
Years and Years: Memo, Eyes Shut, Ties

THE LONG LIST: SONGS OF THE YEAR:

Aqualung ft Lianna La Havas: Eggshells
Babyface: We’ve Got Love
Birdy & Rhodes: Let It All Go
Blonde ft Alex Newell: All Cried Out
Carly Rae Jepson: I really like you, Run Away With Me
Circa Waves: Fossils, My Love, T-Shirt Weather
Coldplay: Adventure of a Lifetime
Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike & NeYo: Higher Place
Drake: Hotline Bling
Ellie Goulding: Army, Love Me Like You Do
Fleur East: Sax
Flo Rida & Robin Thicke: I Don’t Like It, I Love it
Frances: Grow, When It Comes to Us (with Ritual)
Galantis: Peanut Butter Jelly
George Ezra: Barcelona
Grimes & Bleaches: Entropy
James Morrison: Demons
Jess Glynne: Hold My Hand
Justin Bieber: What Do You Mean?, Where are U Now? (ft Skrillex & Diplo)
Iggy Azalea & Jennifer Hudson: Trouble
Joe Stone & Montell Jordan: The Party (This is how we do)
Lianne La Havas: Unstoppable
Little Mix: Black Magic
Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MO: Lean on
Markus Feehily: Love is a Drug
Maroon 5: Sugar
Miguel: Coffee
Nathan Sykes: Kiss Me Quick
Nick Jonas: Jealous, Levels.
Nicki Minaj: The Night is Still Young
Nothing But Thieves: Trip Switch, Wake Up Call
Olly Murs: Beautiful to Me, Kiss Me
OMI: Cheerleader
Philip George: Wish You Were Mine
Rita Ora and Chris Brown: Body On Me
Rixton: We All Want The Same Thing
Ryan O’Shaughnessy: Fingertips
Sam Smith: Lay Me Down
Seal: Every Time I’m With You
Selena Gomez & A$AP Rocky: Good For You
Shura: 2Shy, Love for That (with Mura Masa) White Light.
Sigala: Easy Love
Snakehips, Tinashe & Chance The Rapper: All My Friends
Tame Impala: Cause I’m a Man
Take That: Higher than Higher, Let in the Sun
Taylor Swift: Style, Wildest Dreams
The 1975: Love Me
The Japanese House: Cool Blue, Still
The Weeknd: I Can’t Feel My Face
Tinie Tempah & Jess Glynne: No Letting Go
Tori Kelly: Should’ve Been Us
Tove Lo: Moments, Talking Body
Troye Sivan: Wild
Usher: I Don’t Mind
Walk The Moon: Shut up & Dance
Wretch 32 ft Anne Marie and PRGRSHN: Alright With Me
WSTRN: In2
Wolf Alice: Bros, Freazy
Years & Years: King
Zayn Malik/One Direction: I won’t Mind

Kylie Minogue – Kylie Christmas Album Review

December 15, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

Every year, the arrival of November brings an influx of Christmas albums from a range of current artists, washed up stars and television personalities. Often cynically perceived as an attempt to cash in on the Christmas season, each year they appear to grow exponentially with anybody who fancies a pop doing so. Over the past five years, Michael Buble, CeeLo Green, Rod Stewart and hell, even John Travolta and Olivia Newton John have all given it a crack to mixed response. This year, it’s the turn of the Princess of Pop – Miss Kylie Minogue.

‘Kylie Christmas’ was always going to be an album subject to taste. It was never going to be the most credible of albums, yet somehow its camp, cheesy demeanour still surpasses expectations. An amalgamation of classic standards, big pop hits and the odd original track, it is well balanced but delivers mixed results.

Unsurprisingly, pizazz is present from the outset; it fizzes through the big band instrumentation of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and continues during note for note covers of “Winter Wonderland” and “Let It Snow.” The predictable inclusion of the flirty “Santa Baby” is perfectly matched to Minogue as is “I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter”. Whilst they avoid straying far from the original tracks in term of style, they are faithful covers and work nicely.

Elsewhere, the album begins to buckle in places. Original tracks “Christmas Isn’t Christmas ‘Til You Get Here” and “White December” utilise the Motown ’60’s sound Mariah Carey captured so perfectly on “All I Want For Christmas Is You” but not quite to the same effect. They are both enjoyable, catchy tracks but are unlikely to become the next big Christmas standards. “2000 Miles” and “Only You” (a duet with James Corden) are both soaked in reverberation and sentimentality and fail to regain the original versions essence. Corden’s vocals are a revelation, however and are surprisingly sturdy. It is ‘Christmas Wrapping’, a cover of The Waitresses’ 1981 track, which is the worst offender, however and strays dangerously close to the Stock-Aitken-Waterman days. Featuring bizarre spoken contributions from Iggy Pop, what was presumably recorded as a ‘bit of fun’ has the adverse effect and is actually somewhat creepy, particularly when Iggy Pop begins growling “Merry Christmas” in the final minute. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is also a mediocre interpretation which fails to capture the magic of the original.

Whilst “Everyday’s Like Christmas”, penned by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, is more or less ‘Liva La Vida’ recycled with additional shimmering instruments and modified lyrics, it is an enchanting, jittery synthpop track and is certainly a stand-out moment on the album.

Despite it being sugar-coated in over-production and cheesy-pop, ‘Kylie Christmas’ is a fun affair which successfully captures the spirit of Christmas.

An album which is the epitome of Christmas – extravagant, intolerable in places but a whole lot of fun.

Rating: 3/5.
Check Out: Santa Claus is Coming to Town (with Frank Sinatra), Everyday’s Like Christmas, Let it Snow, Santa Baby.

Kylie Christmas is available now on Parlophone/Warner Bros records.