|
|
|---|
Friday, June 13, 2008
Check out the girls singles right here...
THE TOUSLED TROUBADOUR:
THE SURPRISING RETURN:
Vacuum are back! I don't even know who they are other than they had a couple of albums out, are somehow connected to that dude who is in every band like Alcazar, BWO and Army of Lovers, and that they wrote Negotiate with Love. Which if you think about it was a very good song indeed. So i sort of expected the return of Vacuum (who really should update their name to Dyson, unless they mean the vacuum of time and space in which case they are probably solid) to be this ice cool electro pop tune. I was wrong but definitely not disappointed. Two gorgeous, perfectly produced and heartbreaking ballads adorn their first single release in 5 years. Know By Now is a particularly haunting gem of a track, with mournful lyrics, a beautiful piano melody and just a hint of strings in the chorus. The next track, My Friend Misery doesn't differentiate wildly though it does have an angelic vocal from Marcella Detroit wafting through it. Sometimes, just sometimes, songs that are naturally lyrical downers and melancholy are often uplifting because of the beauty of the execution of the melody and simply stunning vocals. Both these tracks are works of art. I'm hooked.
Brilliant boy singer news : Go to XO for some William of Young news. Woo hoo!
Post a comment...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
At the moment: listening to bits of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends". This getting-Coldplay-albums-on-their-release-date thing is becoming a bit of a habit for me as I remember getting "X and Y" the day it came out, and playing "White Shadows" and "Talk" almost until the CD wore out.
It's not that I am a big Coldplay fan, not really, but there's something that draws me in and I can't really explain it.
However, I still don't understand what Chris Martin is about though. I was listening to him being interviewed on Radio 4's "Front Row" and he walked out when it all got too much for him. Maybe he prefers to let the music speak for itself, but in that case why do interviews at all?
Anyway this album sounds rather wonderful, the bits I've heard so far. I'm loving "42" and the title track already. Is it just me or is "Violet Hill" one of the weakest songs on the album though?
On first listen, this sounds like a great, epic album and even if you're not a fan then you might still find something on it to love.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 4: 22.05.08
Our holiday is almost over. Have decided that even if Riga hasn’t ripped out my heart and left a million-pound ransom note, the way that, say, Nice or Paris have, it’s still a cracking little city well worth a visit. I still feel that if you want to see the ‘real’ Riga, go during the week and avoid the stag-hell which I would imagine weekends to be.
When i was shimmying like a window cleaners shammy t'other week in Gay Canaria to the fantabulous sounds of the camp as a picnic hamper (well, ours is wicker with lovely pink tartan inside) London Boys, I was strangely reminded of another act whose flame burned bright and fast in the 90s. Halo James were pretty much Take That before Take That were a flick of Nigel St Martin's wrist. Forgoing the naked jelly wrestling homoerotic bondage gear video (surely just something Nigel wanted Take That to do?!), Halo and the James went straight for the pop perfection sound of Take That's second album (the lovely Everything Changes) a full 3 years before Gary did. And sadly, the saxophone infused ballads, and polished dance pop sounds that proliferated (ooo good word!) their debut (and only) album "The Witness" were criminally ignored by the public. Ahead of their time, or just right music wrong look? Their first single "Wanted" was a dreamy ballad with shades of Spandau Ballet seared into the chorus, lead singer (the semi luscious Christian James) pours his heart and soul into a powerful and soulful vocal that sets the template for the album and future singles. Peaking just outside the top 40, these days that would mean the band would fade into oblivion (unless they salvaged it by saying "ooo it was a limited release" :P ) but the late 80s were a different time. And thank goodness because if they had been dropped I would never have heard their second single.
Could've Told You So was an uptempo pop tune along the lines of Pray (or was Pray along the lines of Could've Told You So? I'm confuzzled) that quite rightly embedded itself in the top ten. Layered vocals and gloriously sweeping strings and piano power the song to it's sing a long chorus. It really was one of the first great pop tunes of the 90s (along with Better The Devil You Know) and the melody remains jammed in my brain nearly 20 years later. Similar to this was fourth single, the perky and delightful Magic Hour which bought elements of jazz into the tune - and had it been a take that song in 1994 would have been top 5 for about a millenia. Or at least 2 weeks. Baby, the next ballad was really destined to be a chart topper. Sax, dreamy lyrics, sweet as treacle chorus and soaring vocal - this is boy band gold. Yes, it is a little dated now, but the melody shines through and it was perfect for it's time.
So were La James way ahead of their time? Possibly. The album sold about 100,000 copies around Europe and they had chosen singles wisely - catchy accessible polished pop that would appeal to teens and moms alike. The rest of the album was a much darker affair - more Tears for Fears than Take That, and revealing layers of sophistication that obviously come from Ray St John (band member who co-wrote Smooth Operator by Sade) with jazz, soul and george michael-esque funk all taking pride of place. For a multi layered mature boyband affair that lacks the early evening joy of dancing of The London Boys, but has that later reflective mode that hits around 2am, you could a lot lot worse. And like the London Boys, the album is incredibly difficult to find, so for a limited time only you can download it here...
LinkWithin
