Category: Review

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Creeper – “American Noir”: EP Review

Sex death voids abound, illustrious English quarter of – – –

C R E E P E R are making their Vampire-Slayer-esque debut with American Noir.

Ditching their safe rock passages of discussing typical conversations like sex and death, they face an existential crisis of the ages with their operatic-rock filth gorging on the delights of human sacrifices. This is American Noir. A stockpile of rock ballads – eclipsed with sorrowful tales amongst mourning those already dead – is Creeper’s iconic sound that has amassed an engorged following, eager and sprightly to catch up on anything they release as a band.

Midnight plays a track with oozy synth slides chilling piano accompaniment, a worthy soundscape echoing the halls of a stoic castle, while Ghosts of Cavalry draws on the scope of Scorpion, One of Us is a bittersweet epiphany-symphony piece sharing the love amongst those misfits once lost (Born in the shadows/To die in the dust/Not like the others/You’re one of us) that really channels in Creeper‘s creativity here.

Their art always trail-blazes the elaborate theatrics of amnesty and solidarity, and this EP collection is no different. With the songs perceived as misfits in their own right from their previous anthemic Sex, Death and the Infinite Void (2020), they fit together like clock cogs and lubricates the machine once more for a seamless transition into the work of Creeper.

Imposed more as an EP – with its sombre running time of 15 minutes throughout – it is nonetheless a compelling and contexual chapter that is worthy of its place among life … and death.

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The Wombats: “Fix Yourself, Not The World” – Album Review

After finding renowned TikTok success, The Wombats find new form in their Talking Heads-esque style of modern music – without the album being “too pandemic-y.”

Reflecting modestly on the horrors of the past few years in regards to COVID-19, the trio of Matthew Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen, and Dan Haggis wanted to keep the bold and fun of Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life interloped with the fragile and fragmented of self-reflection … and the hopes of seeing those lights at the end of the dark, long tunnel.

Murph’s zany lyrics are here in their comfortable masses (“Don’t wanna be talking to myself in a supermarket/Watching myself sink into a carpet somewhere/Don’t wanna end up there”) and truly incorporate an expertly-built album that encompasses new sounds of highs and lows fitted into a Wombat wonder that we’ve all grown accustomed to over the years.

Ever since they shared their love of Joy Division and ultimately forgetting the irony over ten years ago, The Wombats have become a musical – and cultural – phenomenon to the world of indie and rock abound. In the time that an unknown remix of Greek Tragedy came one of those re-used songs used by millions on TikTok, their following and listens skyrocketed and resulted in a profound reflection on their chaotic journey to achieving international fame.

Their fifth instalment is a true telling of captivating songwriting, modest musical moments and a band that are well and truly in the element. With a pre-tour to boot with more to come in the Summer, it will be a year for the ages.

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The Weeknd: Dawn FM – Album Review

NEW TO 2022: After clutching all the headlines with his much-lauded 2020 album of “After Hours,” Abel Tesfaye stepped into something new and something of reflective prowess. Cleary, Tesfaye simply knows no bounds in terms of exploration, as his fifth album takes off with any pre-warning safety announcements. Harnessed in to a fictional radio station that goes by the name of 103.5 Dawn FM – with Tesfaye’s apt-neighbour Jim Carrey narrating along the way – the album swoons and careens into the plethora of dark and cool Depeche dark-synth pop.

Unlike the tensive, illustrative work of After Hours that somehow puts up a front throughout, Dawn FM is a mature new approach to resolving past mistakes and stepping out from the shadows as a better person.

Accepting fate rather than denying plausibility is a encouraging tact here through the telling of Dawn FM …

“God knows life is chaos but he made one thing true: you gotta unwind your mind, train your soul to align and dance til you find that divine boogaloo. In other words: you gotta be heaven to see heaven. May peace be with you.”

… after all, it is always darkest before dawn. And after dawn, comes a new day.

Familiars feature the poignant, self-reflective Out of Time, the janky guitar-flex of Sacrifice and the incessant bass jabs of Best Friends to the trap drum machine overruse of Don’t Breaky My Heart, the album suffers somewhat in depth as it does in musicality. But it is an ultimatum of sorts – it is one we must get pass through ourselves.

Reflective of his journey, has The Weeknd finally found peace within himself?

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Back to the 2000s: Avril Lavigne’s “Bite Me”

For this week’s singles review, it seems we are discussing the fashionable return of Avril Lavigne. In a bid to stay majorly relevant among the revitalised punk scene that is happening right now, Sk8er Boi punk-queen has since signed with Travis Barker’s DTA Records, and released snap-and-heel single of “Bite Me” in quick succession.

Since becoming more than acquainted with rap-punk protege Mod Sun, Lavigne has since eclipsed her days of bittersweet melodies – which comes with growing up – and entered the territory of angsty pop-punk yet again because it’s come full circle and returned in emphatic fashion.

_________

Nothing says the revitalisation of a genre than rekindling one of the old flames that was at the forefront of it all at the start of the 2000s. Certainly, the combination of Lavigne and Barker is a worthy team to bring it all back. Nostalgia for the ages.

Anyone up for sticking on MTV again?

_________

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Adele ’30’: Album Review

After an excruciating wait …

the definitive voice of heartbreak returns.

That’s right. Adele is back. With the album portraying an emotive struggle as she stands at the ultimate cross-roads, the new sounds of Adele is fresh, immersive and simply brilliant. Becoming written gospel at this point, it’s classic Adele at its best.

There is certainly some elements in this album that may come as a surprise to some, however. With angelic triumph of Easy On Me acting somewhat of a red herring, it sees Adele branching out to new sounds. With the distorted magic of Cry Your Heart Out and the funk-edge of Can I Get It many may see it as tonic Adele-brilliance, while others may seem it as fusion confusion. The classic Adele-prowess we’ve all grown to love from the Tottenham singer is rawer here though, with these broader sounds coming to the frame. Where she may have been accused in the past for playing it safe, all genre inspirations are on show here. The bold and brash is ultimately bolstered more-so with its gospel and string arrangements that make it such a pleasure to listen to.

For me, it’s a fantastically fresh and superbly simple on making music. Turns out that yet again, all you need to make compelling music is a piano arrangement – accompanied with an astounding voice.

Although the album is being received with mixed results, I think it’s a great idea to switch up the scene and flip the excepted into something new. It shouldn’t be written in her career to always make Rolling In The Deep-etiquette. She was only 21 when she wrote that after all.