Lopez Blogs

It's turning out to be another stellar autumn, full of new music from old favourites. Before the onslaught of the X Factor appearance driven winter charts, it's nice to sit back, relax and chill (as I thrill) with two quite charming, though very different albums, from two frontmen going solo, naked if you will, without their bands. A lot of attention has been lavished on the latter review, though it's the former who has quietly delivered a delightful album equally worthy of your time...

Fran Healy (Travis) ~ Wreckorder:


Travis were and essentially have been a very good group to follow. You may be familiar with some of their bigger hits such as the glorious Why Does It Always Rain On Me and Sing. In recent years their popularity has settled down somewhat to a smaller, dedicated fan following but in ways their output has been no less delightful. Fran has taken some time to go solo, play the majority of instruments himself and draft in a few friends to help him out along the way. An older, more sombre Fran adorns the album cover (above), looking older, wiser and a facial expression that mirrors the albums themes of reminsicing, recrimination, regrets and a careful optimism about the future. It's heavy on pretty melodies and engaging lyrics that draw the listener into a rewarding aural experience. Fran's vocal is still effortlessly emotive and delicately fragile; sunshine tinged with sadness. For example, the first single "Buttercups" - a tale of rejection and woe is tempered with a strong melody and enjoyable chorus. It's an obvious first single and 10 years ago, would have set the charts alight. Now, it eschews trend for timeless, classic songwriting and structure which may get overlooked but bodes well for the longevity of the work.

Elsewhere, the collaborations are quite quite lovely. His duet with Neko Case on Sing Me To Sleep is the kind of pseudo country duet that will sound amazing performed in a dusky, late night bar. Their voices play off each other perfectly and it's another classic tune that would make a lovely single, if not a huge chart hit (though fingers crossed)!! Paul McCartney joins in on As It Comes (a collaboration that apparently sent Fran vegetarian!) and it is more McCartney than Healy but works very well - interestingly, Fly In The Ointment is more music that transports you back to subtle beatle-esque music and has absolutely gorgeous use of cello amidst it's score. Moonshine (jazzy!) and Shadowboxing (almost electro!) mix things up a little bit and provide a nice change of pace to the introspection contained within the lyrics.

Ultimately, it feels like a well deserved project for Fran - a return to form and a culmination of his work within Travis. A lovely set of tunes that remain with you long after the album is over.

Brandon Flowers (The Killers) ~ Flamingo:


I adore the B-Flo. The Killers have presented a variety of styles on each of their three proper studio albums and each has yielded at least 2-3 moments of stadium roof raising genius. This was originally intended to be Killers album number four, but when a year long hiatus was announced it became a Brandon solo project. And thank (mormon) heavens it did. It's a lovely, intimate, personal and confessional piece of work that sounds potentially better coming from a solo artist than as part of a collaborative band effort. Lead off single Crossfire seemed too tame and subdued to be a Killers or Brandon single, but it has blossomed over the summer becoming a true insiduous tune that just got more erudite and huggable with each listen. There's a glorious opening moment in Welcome To Las Vegas where the melancholy opening piano teases the listener into believing that it's a Sam's Town era tune, before crashing into a huge choral cry of "hosanna" leading into a brilliantly epic chorus that belongs out there with Human and Mr Brightside. It's seemingly a celebration but listen hard and it's a warning cry to all seduced by the city of sin and vice. It sets up the album nicely and there are plenty more nuggets to follow.

Highlights definitely include the duet with Jenny Lewis on Hard Enough. Their voices melt together like honey, an alt-country duet that works well and is another flirtation from Jenny with a mainstream sound. It manages to be bittersweet, mixing in some tempo changes and a lovely guitar line at the end. Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts is a full on aggressive rocker that manages to balance noisy with appealing - more sterling guitar work, crashing cymbals and an impassioned vocal delivery. Hot Fuss influences abound on potential singles like the synth driven Something I Said (all about an Elvis wedding gone wrong) - it's both retro and modern all at once with Brandon assuming the role of the female in this little ditty; and the more southern California sounding Magdelena - a song about the cleansing of the soul, of unmentionable sins and the path to redemption. All to a latino beat! There is a lovely subdued middle 8 with some truly spiritual lyrics leading into a joyously uplifting final chorus. It's music that moves you inwardly as well as making you want to raise your hands and cry "hallelujah"! Good stuff.

The album closes with an impressive twofer. On The Floor is a gospel tinged tune that knits together the themes of the album into a musical masterpiece. Brandon absolutely shines here and it's not just relevant for vegas - it works everywhere a heart is hurting. Swallow It works well and is a tune that Brandon says he is most proud of. It's initially jarring as the album closer and works better on repeated listens as track ten with On The Floor ending the album. Ultimately it's a fine track that closes an album that reads like a greatest hits of a solo Killer...

Well it's not exactly all brit-pop but cut me some slack. I just got back from holiday, I have 247 unread work emails that aren't junk to plow through and i'm a bit testy :) On the plus side Poppostergirl is back so all is well in the world...

McFly - Lies: Wisely, their second (though Radioactive includes Heart Never Lies, so is this the third) single from their fourth album isn't on the free version ergo they are almost guaranteed a week in the top five with it. Bonza. Let's just address the video - it's a little bit epic. The fingersome foursome have always had a flair for the dramatic, so paying homage to Waterworld, Mad Max and The Fifth Element is only to be expected on such a dark yet funky track. The song has everything AND the kitchen sink included in it - a driving beat, horns, some honkytonk piano, the sing your socks off chorus and the fuck you lyrics. It's the horns that give it a real down and dirty sleazy feel that make this one of their more ominous entries but still keep the pop sensibilities driving. I know not everyone is feeling radioactive as much as, say, Motion In The Ocean (and that's ok!), but i think it works well as a cohesive set and this is a sound addition to that. Last Song is still the highlight though :P

• Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat: Ah the Kaisers. They were much maligned when they came out with all their "whooooo" songs (such as Oh My God and I Predict A Riot) then were maligned when they didn't have those types of songs on their second album (even though Ruby and Everything is Average were total bonza). So they have teamed up with (weary sigh) Mark Ronson for much of their third album including this schizophrenic first single about the apathy of youth. It starts off as a call and response song that is blurred by a fuzzy guitar and a punky keyboard led chorus that is as singalong as anything that have aspired to in the past. Yet, it's not one of their more immediate tunes and some of the lyrics are darn annoying "what do you want for tea/I want crisps"? Please. Still, i do have a huge soft spot for the artists formerly known as Parka so this everything is slightly above average effort will probably grow on me over the next few weeks.


• Travis - Something, Anything: After the gloriously eclectic and challenging return of J.Smith, Fran and co continue with their beefed up zipping-up-my-boots-going-back-to-my-roots sound on this pulsating powerful melodic entry into their canon. It's all in your face guitar solos and a more aggressive musical sound after the gentle, drifting Boy With No Name. It's hard to say it's a return to form, because they haven't been this beefy since the debut album, but it's certainly a corking rock tune that makes me want the album in my hands now now now!


• Keane - Lovers are Losing: There is something ace about Travis and Keane both releasing "low key" first singles before an all out assault. It's like they are knocking on the door of pop tentatively with renewed confidence and brilliance, and then kicking it right in. There is a definite air of Stuart Price on this tune - it's the bastard child of David Bowie Heroes and The Killers Smile Like You Mean It, with some U2 spunk rubbed on the gums for good measure. Tom has his groove back and it sounds like he is loving it. This. Is. Going. To. Be. Huge. And rightly so...

RETRO REMIND: Does anyone remember OMD and Walking On The Milky Way? I haven't heard that song for years and years before it popped on the radio in Austria (did i mention i had been to austria?!) I remember being obsessed with it when it first came out and wondering what I would feel like listening to it when I was in a position to reflect on being 17 and 21. Heartbreaking! I nearly cried into my schnitzel...

Back late tomorrow with a "here comes the girls" post featuring the new Annie album, Isabel Guzman and Lady BlahBlah...

Keane are back. I loved Keane. 2004 Keane. When it was gorgeously constructed piano melodies, soaring choruses and truly beautiful songs like Somewhere Only We Know and Everybody's Changing (still - play those in a piano bar and all the gays are fawning over your dexterous fingers). I thought, much like my other 2004 faves (Maroon 5, Scissters, Killers, BWO), that I would love them forever. Then came the clanking carcophony of creative overkill hit in the form of the far too trippy Under The Iron Sea which i bloody detested. Hated. Reviled. I've warmed to it marginally since then but it's not a patch on their debut and inner struggles seemed to defeat the band before they barely started. They were pretty disappointing a couple of summers ago when they spunked all their decent songs (Last Time, Everybody's Changing, Somewhere Only We Know and Crystal Ball) as the first few songs and then everybody pissed off because they had heard what they wanted. Luckily, there were still glimmers of goodness in charity single The Night Sky, and some well chosen cover versions such as Enjoy The Silence, Dirrtylicious, Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore and their frankly perfect cover of Under Pressure (mp3). And now they are back...

Offering up a free single as a way to win back my affection is a good start to getting back on my good side. Offering up a free single which is surprisingly synthy and dancey and actually very good, is a large step forward. Am i "keen" again? (See what I did there?!) I think I might very well be. Spiralling is a delicious summer song that bodes well for their "taste free" new album entitled Perfect Symmetry. Of course, the website crashed but XO hooked me up (and talks about the track here and here) and i've been humming away all day. It has elements of Bowie, a little bit of Bono but ultimately lots of lovely piano and drums, an emminently singable chorus (with a nice "woooo" bit), a middle eight that reminds me of Robbie Williams (Xo of Bono) and a return to jolly decent pop songs by a decent band with a hot pianist and drummer. What more could one want? An album that is equally as good please. Ta everso... Here is some more Keane to remind you of their once and possibly returning aceness...

MP3: Everybody's Changing (gorgeous radio acoustic version)

MP3: Heart To Hold You (A lovely outtake from Jo Wiley's show)

OTHER V QUICK BITS:

Travis are back with their 10" vinyl only EP "J Smith" (mp3) and very raw and rootsy it is too. Harking back to their early days, it's got more of a "live feel" than some of their more recent polished stuff. There is a lovely almost choral bit punctuating some aggressive guitar playing and a more experimental approach to their usual sound. Part of it makes me feel like I'm in the Omen, but i like their gutsy new sound and am looking forward to more of this ode...

And William of Young announced more about his album today! He's written most of the songs himself with his usual team and you should be absolutely sure to keep an ear open for the amazing Disconnected. Uh-May-Zing.