Review: New Eyes

New Eyes

'New Eyes' is the debut album from house-classical music fusion band from Cambridge, Clean Bandit.

It was almost a year ago today that we first heard what classical music combined with house beats sounds like when this unknown quartet released debut single 'Mozart's House'. It was accompanied from grumblings from many that this fusion just didn't work out. It was only in January of this year when people heard smash hit 'Rather Be' for the first time, that they realised that this quartet had a lot of potential. After months of nervous waiting, this is the final product.

To dispel any initial concerns that people may have, every track on the album does not sound the same. In fact, quite the opposite, Clean Bandit have used their debut album as a means of exploring all the different possibilities that their special classical music fusion formula can go. On the album, you can hear Drum and Bass, Reggae, Jazz sounds, Hip Hop, all with the comfortable energy of house beats flowing through. The album is an adventure into the unknown and the result is not what anybody would expect, though the album misses some structure that would've made the album flow better from song to song.

Within the fusion tracks there is a clear sense of hit and miss. Certain things worked and these things were different for different people. One review I have read argues that 'Mozart's House' and 'Telephone Banking' are the flaws while another puts down 'A+E'. The part of the album that goes pear shaped for me is towards the end when after ten songs which are without a doubt stellar pieces of work, the title track includes a rap verse that is in no way catchy and singing which from my ear is off key. 'Birch' attempts to rescue the situation but fails to relight the spark that the first ten songs had ignited so well that they're ultimate dancing around the house like a crazy person classics.

To conclude, 'Clean Bandit' are an act that by all accounts shouldn't work on paper, and by all means this first album is not perfect. What the album shows is is that anything is possible, and when songs on this album work perfectly (and there are many of them), there is something truly original and spectacular about them. Clean Bandit have a long and exciting career ahead of them and this album is the first of many on a journey which should lead them to worldwide stardom.

8.5/10



Click here to watch the video for the hit single off the album, 'Rather Be'

Review: The New Classic

The New Classic

'The New Classic' is the debut album by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.

In a modern rap scene full of black men, a white Australian woman has somehow found her way into the charts and she's not backing down quickly. It takes more than a smile to get by as a female rapper and Iggy Azalea's debut effort has proved herself as a name to be taken seriously.

Iggy Azalea joins a list of female rappers in the mainstream music industry that includes Nicki Minaj, Angel Haze and Azealia Banks. Not one of the above had recently released music that is at the roots of what hip-hop really is and stands for, until now. There would've been a lot of money for the taking for Iggy to powder the album with radio-friendly, boppy, Kesha-like hits. Instead Iggy is going for rapping over simple and basic hip-hop tracks such as those in 'Fancy' and 'Black Widow'.

Iggy's verses are peppered with references to how she got to the point she's at. As she reminds the listeners on 'Work', she had "No money, no family, 16 in the middle of Miami". Other verses on 'Walk the Line' and 'Don't Need Y'all" paint a similar picture. Iggy Azalea is a fighter and not an act to be messed around with. In 'The New Classic' she has created a classic rap piece of work that is a foundation to build on. An album that proves that female rappers don't have to sell themselves to the radio in order to be popular, though 'Change Your Life' does do this to a small extent.

In summary however, rap lovers will not be let down by 'The New Classic'. It is not an album that is structurally flawless nor one that will win many awards, but it is an album that provides a classic rap sound that is refreshing to hear after the electro beats of Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks. The female rapper genre is one that is not a joke nor one that is simply classified with pop, it is to be taken as seriously as acts like 2 Chainz, Drake and Schoolboy Q. Iggy, we salute you for a brave venture, a demonstration of what is really possible when "Impossible is Nothing".

8/10



Click here to watch the video for her new single, 'Fancy'

Review: Shakira

Shakira

'Shakira' is the self-titled new album from the Columbian superstar who needs no introduction.

As somebody who has grown up listening to Shakira and who has been very disappointed by the lack of material from her in the past four years, I was very much looking forward to seeing what was in store this time around. The results were extremely interesting

To be quite clear off the bat, the album lacks structure. This is not an album that flows perfectly from song to song or that tells a deep hidden message of a story. It is not one that will win many awards or that will seduce critics. What is true though is the one undeniable truth... Shakira never makes a bad song. In fact, Shakira with her new album has managed to push the boundaries of where her voice and music can go even though her career has spanned almost 15 years. On the new album can be heard dance-floor fillers, epic piano-filled ballads, reggae, country music, classic Shakira pop-rock. In short there is no style of music that Shakira is too cowardly to take on an experiment with.

On self-titling the album, Shakira said that she had found out a lot about herself from creating this album. As I do not know Shakira, I cannot be sure of this, but I do know that in the album she has taken many risks. There are no 'Hips Don't Lie' hits, nor any 'Whenever, Wherever's. What there is instead is the pure, honest gorgeous voice of a woman who has proved that it is possible to give yourself a musical rebirth even years into a glorious and legendary career. This alone deserves some credit.

In short, the album isn't perfect, there's a lot she could've done to make the album a critical success. However if Shakira wanted to make that album, she would've. Shakira has made a piece of work that isn't thinking about awards or sales or chart placements but instead is a reflective and diverse piece of art. 'Shakira' will satisfy all Shakira fans as they take a new look at the superstar's personality, and there may even be some tracks that the neutrals can connect to depending on their taste. In any case, given that this goddess of a woman gave birth to a child in the past 12 months, this is excellent music that should be given a chance to prove its worth to all music fans.

8.5/10



Click here to watch the video for the album's lead single 'Can't Remember To Forget You'

Review: Supermodel

Supermodel

'Supermodel' is the second album from American alternative rock band 'Foster the People'.

Having enjoyed listening to 'Torches' on countless occasions over the past couple of years, I realised that in creating a second album, Foster the People were setting the bar high for themselves. This album had to pull out all the stops to  create a top class, high-end, award-winning album and that's exactly what they managed to do.

From the opening track 'Are You What You Want To Be', it is clear that the techno, synth-based pop of 'Torches' is out the window. In it's place is a more organic, down to earth sound that still manages to capture the enthusiasm and energy that was bottled up in their debut effort. 'Supermodel' is an album that seems to use every instrument under the sun, but still manages to bring everything together into songs that flow exceedingly well into each other. The album's vocals are also stellar and are more than adequately able to demonstrate the range of Mark Foster's voice, something that was missed in the first album.

In creating this album, these three men from LA have done more than just correct that which was missing in the first album, they build upon their successes whilst trying out new stuff. The lead single 'Coming of Age' is a rock track unlike anything on the first album, and is a track that will surely close many live sets to come. The album with also have you dancing around to tracks such as 'Best Friends', but also admiring the acoustic style of tracks such as 'Goats in Trees' or chilling to the folkish sound of end track 'Fire Escape'.

To summarise, this album is a masterpiece that exceeds any expectations even the biggest fans might have set. It's an album that will surely make this band a household name across the world and I will be extremely surprised to not see it up for many awards next year. Buy this album, even in March I will make the prediction that nobody will manage to create a better album than this, it is flawless, it is perfect, it is genius.

10/10



Click here to watch the video for the album's lead single 'Coming of Age'

Review: High Hopes

Happy 2014 to any readers out there. This is my first review of the year...

High Hopes

High Hopes is the latest studio album from American rock legend Bruce Springsteen.


The album is a collection of previously unreleased material and covers and so many people may think that Bruce doesn't put much effort into the creation of this album. They couldn't be proved more wrong. Similarly to the work on 'Wrecking Ball', Springsteen has painstakingly tried to make sure that the material despite being different tracks could be brought into a structure whereby he could tell a story through his lyrics. 'High Hopes' acts almost as a sequel to 2012's hit album 'Wrecking Ball' in that it manages to collect together the feelings of many people in the world a
t the moment with songs such as 'American Skin (41 Shots)' and 'Dream Baby Dream'. It's an album of the people, although  differently to 'Wrecking Ball' the songs are largely full of excitement with uplifting rock beats that are a joy to listen to while still managing to capture a certain poignancy always needed on an album.

In the album, there is a classic Bruce Springsteen blend of rock music, strings and folk sounds that infuse the album with an Americana that you would typically find on a Bruce Springsteen album. It makes the album fun to listen to the whole way through and will have people young and old jumping up and dancing to the rhythms.

The one thing that the album lacks however which would otherwise make it perfect is something to hold all the songs together. A spine that can hold the songs together not just through the lyrics but also the various musical style which Bruce uses but struggles to bring together. Note however, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent album. Recommended to anybody ready for a twist of some good rock music.

9.5/10



Click here to listen to the title track off the album 'High Hopes'

 

Review: This Is... Icona Pop

This Is... Icona Pop

'This Is... Icona Pop' is the debut album by female Swedish electro-pop duo Icona Pop.

Ever since the release of global chart topper 'I Love It', there's been a large amount of buzz around these two Swedish women who have come out of nowhere to take over their world with their addictive beats and contagious sing along choruses. There was a bit of a worry about an album sounding like eleven different versions of the global chart hit. The amazing thing is, the haters could not be proved more wrong.

Above all, the album is a load of fun, filled with eleven tracks that will get you on your feet and some point or another. When listening to the album for the first time, you can't help but feel your age half, and all of a sudden you become lost in the youthful euphoria of the exciting and unique formula that Icona Pop have concocted. The sound of the album is that of an exciting and colorful wall with color and excitement bouncing around every corner. To quote their new single, 'All Night', they really do have "the keys to open paradise."

The lyrics are weak, but their weakness actually works to the advantage of the duo. The lyrics promote the fun loving attitude that Icona Pop are spreading through their music and so as flawed as the lyrics are, they fit the electronic beats and seductive synths to music production perfection.

In short, I recommend the album to any fun loving teenagers that want an album that they can listen to get away from the world and fall deeply entranced by the nightclub sounds that have taken the world in 2013 by absolute storm. Sit back, relax and enjoy with some energy packed fun.

9/10



 Click here to watch the video for their new single 'All Night'
   

Review: Demonstration

Demonstration

'Demonstration' is the second album by UK rap superstar Tinie Tempah.

After many delays and much buzz over the much anticipated second Tinie Tempah album, it has finally arrived and while it was very different to the first album, it managed to include the cheeky word play, top class guest appearances and endless references to "Disturbing London" that we just love to hear.

Tinie gets the ball rolling on the album from the first track 'Someday (Place in the Sun)' and it doesn't get let down all the way through the album. Highlights are the singles ('Trampoline' and 'Children of the Sun') for their extreme ability to catch on one's brain like thistles, and special shout outs are deserved to 'Don't Sell Out', 'Mosh Pit', 'Shape', 'A Heart Can Save The World' (which includes an excellent Emeli Sande guest placement) and 'Heroes' solely for the ability to successfully slot Laura Mvula into a rap song (something even I didn't think possible). In the second half of the album, we also see an emotional side of Tinie that was lacking in the first album. Tracks such as 'Tears Run Dry' and 'Lost Ones' portray a Tinie Tempah that is opening up more and more about his personal life. The album has a different, more serious attitude than the first did, however this is said in the best possible way, as the work really paid off.

The musical direction has also drastically changed. The first album, 'Disc-Overy' was full of skippy, upbeat music with light synths and comfortable electric guitar music. This time, Tinie ventures out into musical unknown where he tries out sounds that he has never used before. Tinie Tempah himself describes the album as dark and I think this is because the music takes a more macabre perspective.

All in all, 'Demonstration' is a new album with an awesome new sound, but still has all the perks of a Tinie Tempah album that make the songs infectious and enjoyable. A great album that could only be improved in Tinie had done a bit more work on structure. Otherwise, an awesome album that is perfect for all rap music lovers, hardcore and low key.

9/10


Click here to watch the video for his new single 'Children of the Sun'