Tag: amateur

Shura – Nothing’s Real Album Review

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

ShuraNothing

It’s been over two years since Shura’s ‘Touch‘ became an internet sensation for its gentle, airy tones and simple, yet endearing video which featured her and her friends kissing, regardless of gender. Follow up tracks ‘Indecision‘ and ‘2Shy‘ simply amplified the buzz  which resulted in Shura (real name Alexandra Denton) being longlisted in the BBC’s Sound of 2015 poll and extensive airplay on Radio 1. It’s probably fair to say that demand for further material escalated quicker than Shura’s musical output which resulted in sporadic single releases and an eagerly awaited debut album. Finally, ‘Nothing’s Real’ has catapulted onto the music scene, however and brilliant it is too.

Musically, it’s fun and uplifting, mimicking 80’s synthpop yet its lyrics are more introspective and darker than the sugary melodies and uptempo tracks let on. Reviews consistently compare her work to ’80’s Madonna but it is unfair to box her into the confinements of this comparison. There are also moments of Janet Jackson, Blood Orange, Prince, Haim & Phil Collins scattered throughout but the album provides enough scope for her own distinct sound to shine through.

It’s undoubtedly Pop music, yet it’s not Pop music as that defined by global superstars such as Taylor Swift & Katy Perry. It’s more an off-centre, awkward Pop tinged with electro elements and far greater sincerity in its lyrical content than any Pop superstar could ever achieve.

For the most part, the album utilises gated percussion, shimmering synths and funk-influenced bass lines to mirror some of the best, catchiest Pop music of the ’80’s. This is the case on tracks such as ‘Indecision‘ (Shura’s ‘Holiday‘) and absolutely brilliant ‘Tongue Tied‘ (one of two tracks worked on by Pop mastermind Greg Kurstin and a track on which Patrice Rushen’s influence is clear) and rather space-y, sci-fi-influenced closing track ‘White Light‘. It’s deceptively catchy, however. Opening track ‘Nothing’s Real‘ could almost be placed in disco territory with its clinking percussion, strong riffs and catchy melodies, yet on closer inspection, the lyrics detail the more intimate matter of a panic attack. Much of the album follows suit – its uptempo music at odds with its awkward, realistic and relatable lyrical content detailing matters such as the end of a relationship, high school crushes and coming of age.

The uptempo fun continues on one of the 2016’s best Pop releases ‘What’s It Gonna Be‘? the other collaboration with Kurstin which still sounds as fresh and uplifting as on its first listen. Whilst mention of it fitting perfectly on a John Hughes movie soundtrack is becoming something of a cliche, this is certainly the case.

Elsewhere, the album is given time to breathe on gentler tracks. The analogue synthesizer sound present on ‘Touch‘ still forms part of its appeal with its breathy vocals and simple chord transition whilst the moody ‘Make It Up‘ feels as though it belongs on a Cyndi Lauper album. Then there’s the shimmering, summery ‘2Shy‘ which remains one of Shura’s best tracks. The awkwardness and shyness of the track (“Maybe I’m just 2Shy to say it, we could be more than friends…”) is somehow perfectly captured in its fizzy production and sweet vocals.

The album’s best track, however, is the gorgeous synthpop ballad ‘Kidz ‘N’ Stuff‘ which is reminiscent of Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’s best work circa ‘Rhythm Nation’. ‘How can I not be everything you need?’ her syrupy, whispered vocals pine over twinkling synths, moody guitars and crashing percussion. It’s tender, it’s relatable and it’s a golden moment on the album which surprisingly escalates into an incredible, spine-tingling electro interlude into the Pop perfection of ‘Indecision‘.

The album employs the use of spaced-out-synths in other areas too. Eerie, psychedelic interludes, blanketed with audio clips lifted from private home movies [(I) and (II)] punctuate the album perfectly. Indeed, the album finishes in this manner on the gorgeous, de-tuned ‘311215‘. It’s an additional reminder of how personal the album is whilst also touching on one of its key themes – time.

Another of the album’s highlights is the new-wave influenced ‘What Happened To Us?’ which somehow straddles Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Gypsy‘ and Don Henley’s ‘Boys of Summer‘ simultaneously. It is perhaps the one song on the album which breaks from the programmed instrumentation and instead utilises a full band with wailing guitars, fierce percussion and a triumphant chorus. “I’m no child but I don’t feel grown up” Shura almost growls over its fierce instrumentation.

It’s an album unconfined by fillers or impersonal production by superstar producers where Shura herself is responsible for the album’s concept, creation and curation, often assisted by Athlete’s Joel Pott. Every track is killer and its production is tight yet captivating.

One of the the must-have albums of 2016.

Highlights: What’s It Gonna Be?, Touch, Kidz ‘N’ Stuff, Indecision, What Happened To Us?, 2Shy
Rating: 5/5

‘Nothing’s Real’ is available now on Polydor Records.

Music Monday – Volume Seventy Five

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

1) James Taylor – Walking Man

Gorgeous folk/easy listening track with gentle guitar strums.

2) Nothing But Thieves – Graveyard Whistling

Haunting and gorgeous track from one of the best bands currently around. Conor Mason’s vocals are incredible, particularly during the falsetto chorus and the track builds up to a dramatic climax.

3) Nothing But Thieves – Last Orders

Love the unique chords on this haunting track from the band’s ‘Graveyard Whistling’ EP.

4) Nothing But Thieves – Emergency

Another heartfelt and dark track from Nothing But Thieves. The falsetto chorus drowned in reverb in this is stunning.

5) Snow Patrol – How To Be Dead

6) Snow Patrol – Grazed Knees

7) Coldplay – Adventure of a Lifetime

Epic and eclectic disco track with amazing guitar riffs and a mesh of vocal clips. As has been the case on much of Coldplay’s material over the past four years, it’s another change in direction but one which works beautifully. Catchy and upbeat.

8) One Direction – History

Pleasant acoustic-based track from the band’s forthcoming ‘Made in the A.M’ album. A power-house middle eight breaks up the song nicely and it’s a great feel-good pop track.

9) Seal – Love

Stunning piano ballad which closes Seal’s latest album ‘Seal 7’ beautifully. Seal’s trademark raspy vocals soar gorgeously over gentle synths and lovely piano chords.

10) Ellie Goulding – Codes

Catchy track from Ellie’s latest album ‘Delirium’. It’s far more pop based than Goulding’s previous efforts but a track which works brilliantly.

The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness Album Review

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

“Go tell your friends about it”, Canadian artist Abel Tesfaye croons on track three of latest album ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’. Indeed, it’s an album which boasts amorality, self-absorption and an insensate panorama of life. It is not the first of Tesfaye’s works; this is his second album and fifth collection of songs following three mix tapes and début album ‘Kiss Land’. But whilst ‘Kiss Land’ was a moderate success, it is latest offering ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ that has captured the public’s attention. Largely propelled by huge single ‘Earned It’, certified platinum in the United Kingdom and best known for being featured in this years Fifty Shades of Grey movie, The Weeknd is fastly becoming the latest R&B sensation to hit the commercial music scene.

‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ adopts a nothing-to-hide approach, presenting themes such as no-strings-attached sex, drug usage, self destruction, the pursuit of fame and disloyal women amongst an eclectic amalgamation of thumping hip-hop beats, shiny brass instruments, syrupy-rich layered harmonies, funky bass lines and weeping guitars. It is a descent into melancholic psychedelia but one which thankfully avoids over-saturation through clever production and an assortment of genres.

Much of the album is an 80’s impelled anthology. ‘Real Life’ opens with irate synthesisers and crashing beats whilst ‘Losers’, a duet with Labrinth, utilises the piano in a similar fashion to Kanye West’s ‘Heartless’. Much of the album continues in the same way; eerie reverberations, clever production and Tesfaye’s angelic vocals smother symphonic scores. ‘As You Are’ borrows ’80’s gated pummelled percussion and clinking synthesisers with more reverberation than the dark side itself. It’s one of the album’s triumphant successes, however; a theatrical sound-scape in which Tesfaye vows to take his lover as they are, scars and all. ‘In The Night’ utilises a shuffle rhythm, growling bass and an irresistibly catchy melody.

Other moments slant heavily into hip-hop territory; ‘Often’ is comprised of a mesh of shrill sound-effects and Tesfaye’s salacious admission of doing it ‘often’. Lead single ‘The Hills’ is a song with instrumentation so precarious, it is a direct reflection of its lyrical content; a narrative about a plummeting sexual relationship. One of the more successful hip-hop tracks is ‘Tell Your Friends’ – a song so rife with hubris, Kanye West would be envious. It comes as no surprise, then, that Mr West himself is responsible for the production of this gentle R&B jam. Fluttering synthesisers and jazzy staccato piano chords make this track reminiscent of West’s ‘808’s and Heartbreak’ album. Whilst the album’s abundance of remarks such as ‘these b*****s’, these ‘n*****s’ and comments upon genitalia don’t come as a surprise, they are not the most fitting complement to Tesfaye’s innocent falsetto whispers. At times the contrast between the two becomes a little unnerving.

Thankfully, the sullen nature of the album is broken up by the odd injection of pop; the primary method Tesfaye has captured the public’s attention is through the selection of radio-friendly singles. Bleak waltz-ballad ‘Earned It’ known for its inclusion in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie is still captivating with its dramatic orchestration and sacharine sweet vocals. It is still as fierce as it was upon release. Still, even the pop moments disguise darker undertones; latest single ‘I Can’t Feel My Face’ is an ode to Tesfaye’s love of sex and cocaine, cleverly obscured by its radio-friendly pop sound. Co-written by songwriting genius Max Martin (the mastermind behind hits by Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry amongst countless others), Tesfaye does his best imitation of the King of Pop, drizzling his falsetto-ridden vocals over a funky bass line and tight percussion. It’s catchy, slick and pop music at its best. ‘Who’s gonna f*** you like me?” Tesfaye pines on saturnine acoustic guitar ballad ‘Shameless’. It’s another of the more pop-py moments on the album but one which works beautifully, complete with a warped guitar solo.

Tesfaye depends greatly on mainstream pop individuals on this album, enlisting Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Ray, Labrinth and Kanye West to name a few. ‘Dark Times’, a collaboration with Sheeran is a sulky waltz-like track in the same vein as ‘Earned It’ whilst the Lana Del Ray duet never quite reaches the heights it could. Nevertheless, the collaborations have resulted in an enthralling assortment of tracks.

It’s a dark, moody, seductive and powerful album, an innovative addition to the music industry.

Rating: 5/5.

‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ is out now on XO-Rebulic Records.

Music Monday – Volume Sixty Six

MarcyB0yLeave a comment

1)Tamzin Archer – Sleeping Satellite

Moody 90’s pop track with lovely lyrics and an incredible vocal performance by Tamzin Archer.

2) Des’ree – You Gotta Be

Self empowering, sunny  pop-soul track bound to leave a smile on the listener’s face. Featuring a tinny keyboard sound and R&B percussion, it is SO 90’s but with a lovely message.

3) Kate Bush – This Woman’s Work

Stunning piano ballad by Kate Bush, written for the John Hughes movie ‘She’s Having a baby’. Featured in the film’s dramatic climax, it’s a fitting accompaniment to the emotional scenes but is just as beautiful as a stand-alone song.

4) Maxwell – This Woman’s Work

This may be the first time Music Monday has included two different versions of the same song in the same playlist but this had to be done. The original, as previously mentioned, is a beautiful piano ballad by the ever-elusive but incredibly talented Miss Kate Bush. Maxwell, known for his slick falsetto vocals gives this an R&B makeover complete with a twinkling harp, weeping guitars and R&B percussion. It’s a gorgeous interpretation of a lovely song.

5) Joe Jonas – Levels

Joe Jonas has certainly reinvented himself from the cheesy teen-rock he produced with his brothers and is fast becoming the latest pop-prince in the music world. The bar was set high by Jonas’ debut single ‘Jealous’, a huge pop hit which charted well around the world. ‘Levels’ is just as good, however; if not, better. Incredible falsetto vocals and funky production carry this catchy track.

6) The Weeknd – Shameless

Moody Ed Sheeran-esque ballad with gorgeous falsetto vocals by Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd. Obsessed with this right now.

7) The Weeknd – Tell Your Friends

Soul-infused R&B jam from The Weeknd’s latest album ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’. Produced by Kanye West, it’s much in the same vein as some of West’s early material.

8) Oh Atoms – Sugar Mouse

Pretty and gentle little folk ballad featured in cult favourite ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’. Gorgeous harmonies too.

9) Robbie Williams – The Road to Mandalay

One of Mr Williams’ most underrated works and one of his best lyrically. Genius, poetic lyrics crooned over gentle guitar strums and a gorgeous French melody leading the chorus. Simple but beautiful.

10) Michael Ball – Love Changes Everything

A very personal choice by myself as this was played at a funeral I attended last week. Beautiful song composed by theatre guru Andrew Lloyd Webber for his musical ‘Aspects of Love’ and sang flawlessly by Michael Ball.

A reflection…

MarcyB0y2 Comments

I was feeling all reflective and thinking about my friendship with somebody and so I decided to write this brief little reflection about this song.

It’s funny how times and feelings change. This song is incredibly personal and it means a lot to me. When I uploaded it, I received some of my best feedback for any of my songs which I am entirely grateful for. I wrote this at around Easter last year, a few months after me and a person I was really close with fell apart. As a sense of closure I wrote this song to deal with the gaping hole that person left.

Our relationship was an odd one. We weren’t a couple or anything but we were two people who were polar opposites and a bit lost for a while who found each other. Being opposite was a small part of what made us so ‘toxic’ and whilst we were in one sense a great comfort to each other, in another we messed each other up a lot. It was a weird time for both of us and despite the way things turned out at the time, I am eternally grateful for that closeness we shared.

When we fell apart I felt both optimistic and lost at the same time. I felt optimistic because as things had become more and more difficult towards the end, I knew now we could be free without each other. But then I felt lost because I’d lost someone I talked to every single day and someone who meant the world to me. In the end I think it was for the best. We needed time out and that was that. The song kinda reflects that – I think musically it’s pretty bright despite it being mid-tempo but the lyrics are darker.

I can’t actually remember the ins and outs of how I wrote this song but I believe it was one that wrote itself in my head if I can remember correctly. Lyrically, I think it’s probably one of my favourites and the song pretty much explains everything.

Earlier this year, in a bizarre turn of events, we both tracked each other down again, both realising we missed each other. Things move on in a year and lots had happened but slowly, we’ve rebuilt all of that friendship we once destructed. I don’t regret what I said through this song but I certainly look at things a different way now, especially after talking to each other about things. It makes me happy knowing things have moved on from this song.

It just goes to show how different everything can look in a year.