Album Review: Drones – Muse

Allegedly the origins of Muse’s latest studio offering came from a spontaneous one off gig at the tail end of their 2^nd Law tour cycle in Tokyo, which saw the three piece opt for a more heavier setlist pulling out deeper cuts that would prove more rewarding to their audience that night. This stripped back but ultimately more memorable part of the tour supposedly got front man Matt Bellamy considering the possibility of returning to the band’s heavier roots and trading their arena aesthetic and stadium tailored singles for a more back to basics three piece sound, an idea that any Muse fan from the most devout to the recently dissatisfied would relish. And thus the hype machine for the band’s seventh album Drones fired up.

However within the first few bars of album opener Dead Inside Muse are quick to assure fans that their promise of rawer and more vicious sound is total bullshit. The Depeche Modesque clunker perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album; its going to be crass, overproduced, ridden with cringe worthy lyrics and absolutely nothing like what you hoped for.

However before focusing too much on the music there’s a more obvious flaw with Drones that’s impossible to ignore and that’s the core concept. A tale of drone pilot’s psychological state might seem like the ideal springboard for asking the big questions regarding modern warfare. Indeed Hollywood has already dramatized it in last year’s Ethan Hawk starring feature film, Good Kill and while the debate over the use of drones is not a novelty it remains ever present. What Muse have brought to the table with this album is precisely fuck all. It is clear that Mr Bellamy and Co have done absolutely no research into the topic nor spoken to anyone with any experience of living in regions of the world where death from above is an weekly occurrence. Instead Bellamy’s personal opinions and theories seem to be the basis for fact on this album and while years ago his conspiracies and general madness would often have its place and charm on this occasion he comes across as embarrassingly childish and stupidly naïve. This may not have been such an issue if the theme wasn’t forced upon the listener at every single moment with no subtly to buffer it. Not to say that musical activism should hold anything back, but where acts like Rage Against The Machine and Public Enemy gave their audience something to shout about, Drones is like watching a 5 year old throwing a tantrum before knocking themselves out on the kitchen table.

Since 2009’s The Resistance Muse have been guilty of parodying other pop genres, with The 2nd Law’s foray into dubstep being a particular low point. On Drones they appear to have turned their guns inwards and caricatured themselves, there are several moments of déjà vu throughout the albums 52 minute runtime, Mercy feels like an even more middle of the road version of Starlight, their recent spat of Queen like vocal arrangements are evident on Defector and Revolt. Whereas The Globalist introduces itself with a Spaghetti western instrumental reminiscent of Knights of Cydonia however call me a wanker for not researching it but I highly doubt the deadly nature of drone warfare was present in Sergio Leone’s West.

Moments of originality are sparse, however the occasional glimpse of something better shines through. The Handler with its token Wolsthenholme bass line provides a little bit of the edginess the most listeners will be craving while The Globalist’s 2^nd act riffage echoes the band’s admiration for their original Nirvana/Deftones influences. However for all of these glimmers of hope there’s a clichéd cheesy melody round the corner ready to snuff them out.

No doubt this album will have you rushing to listen to the band’s earlier records not to get a nostalgia rush but just to double check that they are really are as good as you remember them. Matthew Bellamy along time ago said he wanted Muse to be the UK’s answer to RATM, however based on their last three album (nearly half their discography) it seems they’ve ended up being Britain’s very own Nickelback.

3/10

Album Review: Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World

Most of the build up to the release of The Physical World has been focused on the worn-out fact that it’s been 10 years since Death From Above 1979 released their last (and first) record You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine. An album which at the time didn’t find a mass audience however with it’s fusion of metal, dance and punk went on to influence a ton of bands and amassed a small but strong following incubated by the two pieces fierce live reputation, one of the band’s greatest strengths but ultimately caused the band to implode and go into indefinite hibernation. Yet after a reunion tour in 2011 it appears bass player Jesse F. Keeler and drummer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger have put their differences aside and returned to the studio to come up with their sophomore effort. A release that’s had many critics questioning whether or not another DFA1979 album is really needed or relevant. Thankfully The Physical World is a beast of an album and one that is likely going to be played on repeat for months to come.

Right from the opening riffs of Cheap Talk its clear that the band have produced an album that ‘s going to be everything you want from a DFA1979 record. There’s no experimenting to be found here just a continuation of that manic and haywire sound that made the first album so off the wall thus in this respect The Physical World feels more like a sequel than it’s own entity, however this is by no means a bad thing.

The frantic and often exhausting pace is maintained throughout the first half of the album with the awesomely named Right On, Frankenstein! casting away any doubts that the band have lost their edge. It also becomes clear very early on that on a production level this album simply sounds fantastic. Producer Dave Sardy really has captured DFA1979’s sound with such razor sharp clarity often elevating songs to truly euphoric heights, album highlight Crystal Ball being a prime example.

The only curveball in the album emerges half way through in the form of White Is Red, a ballad that sees Keller swap his typically crushing riffs for a more melodic tone to end up with a fairly refreshing new sound and welcomed change of pace. 

The previously released single Trainwrek 1979 ushers in the second half that takes the album into more frenzied territory. Whenever you think you’ve heard the heaviest or fastest moment of the record, another one comes round a few seconds later to smack you in the face. Government Trash assaults with a blistering intensity whereas Gemini sounds like a troubled relative of debut album opener Turn It Out. The title track is saved for the finale and succeeds in closing the album in triumphant fashion, not the fastest or heaviest track during the album’s crammed 35 minutes but definitely one of the several high points of the experience.

It’s hard to imagine The Physical World breaking into the charts and will likely fare as well as its predecessor, however as seen with the recent success of Royal Blood there is still a demand for stripped backed and raw sounding rock music so maybe it will end up being one of the gems of 2014. Regardless DFA1979 have delivered on their follow up to You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine and it’s not often that you get an album that puts a listener through the wringer with such ferocity. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another decade before hearing more from them again.

9/10

JF

Album Review: Blood – Pulled Apart By Horses

When Pulled Apart By Horses first announced they were going back to studio to hammer out album number three it was a slightly bittersweet update as it also came with the news that their previous album’s tour cycle was to be cut short to do so, thus for ticket holders such as myself there was the disappointment of missing out on the chance to them live, which let it be know is one of the most brutally fun ways you can spend an evening, but still at least their was a new record to get stoked about. Two years later we have Blood. 

The singles released so far, Hot Squash and Lizard Baby, have hinted at a change in pace for PABH with band’s hardcore edge being subbed for a more grungier stoner rock sound, less Queens of the Stone Age more Kyuss if you will. Several fans have already made up their minds declaring Blood a misfire and demanding the band to return to their token onslaught of riffs and distortion that made the first two albums so much fun. So while this album will likely prove to be a decisive one for fans it does mark an important tipping point regarding the band’s sound and possible future. Similar to when Arctic Monkeys released Humbug, the band have opted to further their sound and produce something more layered with a bit of depth to get lost in rather than play it safe and repeat the same trick twice or in this case thrice. However despite having the balls to experiment and offer something that may ultimately end up being more rewarding than past efforts, it feels unlikely that Blood will bring in a new wave of PABH fans nor convert the cynics thus it may leave the band in a sort of limbo once the dust is settled or maybe it will find its recognition once the anticipated tour kicks off.

Still there is plenty of fun to be had with this album and PABH continue to have a knack for ridiculous lyrics and song names and the album’s mid section is likely to have listeners headbanging with its Nirvana laced with Sabbath vibe. Tracks such as Skull Noir, Grim Deal and Outahead are a probably the best numbers to hook old fans who are yet to be convinced by the new noise whereas Medium Rare sees PABH follow their mates Blood Red Shoes in delivering a pop song disguised as a hard rock tune.

It will be interesting to see where Pulled Apart By Horses go from here. The album artwork, lifted straight from Foo Fighters last album Wasting Light, would indicate that they might be focused on shifting their sound to more accessible ground. However for the moment Blood is something different and fresh from the boys and put next to the first two albums makes up quite a unique trio of albums from one of the most underrated bands in Britain. Now about that tour…

8/10

JF

Album Review: Royal Blood LP – Royal Blood

Before getting down to whether or not this record is worth your time or money we have to address the white elephant in the room that inevitably accompanies a band like Royal Blood and that’s the age-old problem of hype. Ever since being unveiled as part of the BBC Sound of 2014 list, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher AKA Royal Blood have enjoyed a stratospheric rise through the ranks of the UK music scene that has seen them play a string of notable festival gigs, including a killer set at Glastonbury, as well as gathering a rock star fan club with the likes of Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Muse’s Matt Bellamy and number one band of the moment Arctic Monkeys.

The music press seems to have jumped on the bandwagon as well, with publications such as NME hailing the band as the UK’s answer to Queens Of The Stone Age (they’re not) and the saviours of the supposedly dying rock scene that us poor rock fans face today. With only releasing a handful of singles and the occasional live session recording it’s been hard to ignore the Brighton two-piece’s ascension, however it also begs the question is all this attention justified or is their debut album going to be the biggest victim of the hype machine since Ridley Scott’s Prometheus?

Well the bad news is that Royal Blood’s self titled debut effort is going to leave you feeling a bit short changed and if you were expecting some sort of cathartic rock & roll experience you might as well just end your expectations where they stand. With only ten tracks and clocking in at just over thirty minutes the record consists of a lot familiar material. Most of the Out Of The Black EP plus recent single Figure It Out make up nearly half this album, meaning that rather than getting a full LP that you can really sink your teeth into, it feels more like getting an additional EP to go with the collection of songs that you already own and love. Perhaps with a couple more tracks would have given this album release more of a sense of occasion but as it stands you may feel slightly underwhelmed. That being said from an objective stand point Royal Blood is actually a pretty awesome debut record.

Fully aware of the limitations a two piece outfit can be faced with Kerr and Thatcher opted to take their time with this album only recording a couple of songs at a time before taking a months apart to come up with new ideas to avoid the album sounding like the same song played ten times. An approach seems to have paid off as tempos and textures vary enough to ensure Royal Blood is a fun and muscular effort and like the best two piece albums brings all of the noise without the riffs being buried underneath a mess of distortion and fuzz.

The fact that the album opens with the three previously released singles guarantees a punchy, if not safe, start with Out Of The Black milking its riff for all its worth before upping the pace during the more frantic Come On Over and then reigning it back in for recent single Figure It Out. Then we finally come to some new material in the shape of You Can Be So Cruel and Blood Hands and like everything the band has produced so far the tracks contain all the riff heavy pleasure you could hope for. It is also round this point that any notions of the band being a one trick pony are appropriately smothered out. The album peak comes round the half waypoint when Little Monster kicks in, though previously released it still has the impact of the first time you came across it.

The remaining few tracks are all new songs however they prove to be more of an exercise in spot the influence. Loose Change sees Kerr do his best Jack White impression while Careless sees the two-piece take a page out of the Band Of Skulls playbook. However the album gets its final burst of adrenalin during the manic Ten Tonne Skeleton before calming everything down with the closing track, Better Strangers. A song that will leave you wanting more, possibly because of the short album time or maybe just because there’s a curiosity in what the band will do next. Either way next time Royal Blood release new music let’s hope they decide to keep their cards closer to their chests.

7/10

JF

 

 

 

Album Review: So Long, See You Tomorrow – Bombay Bicycle Club

After a significant break following their flurry of albums between 2009 and 2011, Bombay Bicycle Club return with a rich and psychedelic new album that’s shows they are not afraid of resting on their laurels when it comes to complex songwriting. Continuing on from the layered compositions of A Different Kind of Fix, this slick and multiple-faceted offering feels almost otherworldly compared to the releases of the group’s contemporaries, and whilst the experimentation sometimes seems to fall flat, there is enough substance to make this a worthwhile listen.

The opening track, Overtone, is a riff-driven choral monster and solid statement of intent, unashamedly providing one of the pulsating highlights of the album.  It’s Alright Now shifts into a more ethereal direction, with Jack Steadman and Lucy Rose providing a refreshing harmonic synergy over a swirling backdrop. The sinister lead single, Carry Me, whilst not immediately accessible due to the atypical rhythms of the guitar hook, is a monster of a song once it clicks into place, quite possibly it’s strongest point in the album. The R&B drum track that opens Home By Now provides a subtle groove to the simple guitar riffs and soul-filled duet that overlays it, producing an emotive yet minimalistic song in comparison with the rest of the album.

Wherever,Whenever drifts from a contemplative piano intro into a cacophony of chants and drums, a theme similar with some of the weaker tracks of the album: Eyes Off You and So Long, See You Tomorrow are both largely missable slow numbers which descend into a wall of layered drums and arhythmic melodies at the close. Luna, the second single from the album, picks up the pace with an incredible vocal performance in terms of emotion and range from both singers, completed by the Asia-influenced instrumentation foundation. Steadman’s well-documented time travelling around India is also apparent in Feel, where an 8-bit instrument set combines with South-Asian rhythms to produce an enjoyable if eclectic track. The band then reveals their love of the 80s with Come To, a synth-heavy number driven largely by an interesting vocal track that triggers just the right feeling as the album comes to a close.

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So Long, See You Tomorrow is an enjoyable album if not a classic, and it’s hard to imagine any other contemporary band being ambitious enough to experiment in this way after commercial success. Carry Me and Overtone prove an undiminished ability to write a swaggering crowd pleaser, whilst songs such as Luna and Feel show they are not afraid to test themselves and perhaps their fans. Whilst not as immediately iconic and impactful as the debut I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, the album is a sign of the evolution and ambition of a talented band that has decided that standing still is definitely not in their nature.

6/10