Channel Orange review

I went to Parklife 2017, so I will review some of the acts I saw there. Please note I will let some of the acts, like Stormzy and Mura Masa build up their discography more before starting to go through their work. Frank Ocean, after A Tribe Called Quest pulled out, was basically the headlining act, which is a pretty big deal since he rarely performs live and has a habit of cancelling concerts. In fact, he showed up 40 minutes late. So, was he good? Well, having been to several festivals (Day ones as well), several small-scale gigs, several DJ gigs and open-mic nights, I can safely say that, considering all of those categories, Frank Ocean was the worst live performance I've ever seen. So, will he be better in his album or will it just be more mumbling?

Tracks:

1. Start: 7/10 an interesting beginning to the album which sets up a cool concept.

2. Thinkin' Bout You: 8/10 Frank Ocean's biggest hit is a good song actually. It's a bit too minimalist, but it's got a nice chill vibe and a sense of soulfulness. Unfortunately, my friends and I ditched the gig before he got round to performing this one (The crowd had shrunk by half by the end).

3. Fertilizer: 6/10 it has an interesting sound but the meaning isn't clear enough.

4. Sierra Leone: 7/10 a nice song with some good lyrics that sadly ends right as you're getting into it.

5. Sweet Life: 8/10 the best one yet, which explores the 'sweet life' in a moving way from a refreshingly neutral standpoint.

6. Not Just Money: 5/10 this moves the album forward and enhances its themes without really doing anything for the listener. Also, it's hard to hear the dialogue.

7. Super Rich Kids: 7/10 an interesting albeit dull exploration of fame.

8. Pilot Jones: 5/10 tedious, but this is a certain style you have to go with. It's decent enough in some ways.

9. Crack Rock: 6/10 a fairly tedious but again undeniably powerful drugs song which will work for some people more than it does for me most likely.

10. Pyramids: 8/10 the lyrics are confusing, yet what you can get from them is still powerful and the different interpretations are interesting. In the end, this epic track pays off and works as both a powerful piece of narrative and a soul-stirring, thoroughly enjoyable journey through many well-executed musical styles.

11. Lost: 6/10 the song-writing is confused and muted, but a quiet power is evident throughout.

12. White: 5/10 A superfluous instrumental.

13. Monks: 6/10 the instrumental is pretty good but the lyrics are too confusing.

14. Bad Religion: 8/10 now we're talking. This might not be the best track on the album, but it's very powerful and has possibly the album's best instrumental.

15. Pink Matter: 6/10 not very interesting, but an atmospheric instrumental and Andre 3000's guest performance elevate it.

16. Forrest Gump: 7/10 an interesting love song, especially due to its movie references and possible links to Ocean's famous Tumblr post.

17. End: 4/10 a badly confused ending to the album.

Best song: Pyramids
Worst song: End

Summary: An interesting work on the whole. In all honesty, I find it somewhat tedious and portentous, and there's a frequent lack of enjoyment throughout the album, but maybe that's just me. This isn't exactly my sort of thing. There are undeniably some very good songs here, Frank Ocean's vocals are good and overall his lyrics are pretty solid. The mix of different musical styles is interesting on this album as well. It's no masterpiece, but as modern music goes it's thought-provoking, emotional and artistic.



Final rating: 7/10

Black Holes and Revelations review

This is the 4th album by the popular English rock band Muse, who seem to be a bit of a newer Radiohead-style artist. They certainly seem to headline a lot of festivals, that's for sure. This is one of their most popular albums. But what will my opinion be?

Tracks:

1. Take a Bow: 7/10 overdone for sure, but there's a certain epic vibe to it, as well as a sense of intensity and power which is to be admired.

2. Starlight: 9/10 it may be blatantly a more commercial one, but I just really, really love this tune. It's got such a nice vibe and I can listen to it over and over.

3. Supermassive Black Hole: 7/10 high-pitched vocals and lack of depth aside, there are some cool metaphors and an interesting, unique instrumental here which make this an enjoyable listen.

4. Map of the Problematique: 8/10 actually a really entertaining rock song with a fast, furious and electrifying bass-line, although once again the lyrics are somewhat corny.

5. Soldier's Poem: 7/10 it isn't subtle, but it is undeniably touching and has an important message.

6. Invincible: 7/10 an enjoyable though fairly corny effort which is short on originality but is a pretty cool and rousing song.

7. Assassin: 7/10 a solid if painfully unsubtle political song.

8. Exo-Politics: 7/10 yet again it's pretty enjoyable but the lyrics are really annoying.

9. City of Delusion: 7/10 my feelings about this one are similar to the other songs on the album, but this one is pretty solid and has a nice trumpet solo.

10. Hoodoo: 7/10 quite a nice love song and an underrated track, although the quieter and louder sections are unbalanced.

11. Knights of Cydonia: 8/10 wow. This is actually a really, really good rock song. Not massively inventive, but hugely enjoyable throughout.

Best song: Starlight
Worst song: Take a Bow

Summary: Don't be fooled by all the 7/10 ratings. This is without a doubt a good album. It's an enjoyable and pleasingly intense slice of space rock with a weird and otherworldly sound and plenty of entertaining, unique and electrifying crescendos. Live, this must be absolutely insane and I can believe the hype about Muse's live performances. On the whole, this is an enjoyable rock album where the music is, while not ground-breaking, pretty epic overall. It's the corny, formulaic and unsubtle dystopian lyrics which let the album down, and there's none of the nuance, subtlety and angst mixed with hope that bands like Arcade Fire and Radiohead (With the latter, not so much the 'hope' bit) do so well. To sum up: good music, bad lyrics but even so, a pretty fun album.  




Final rating: 7/10

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not review

The first album by the Arctic Monkeys who are one of the better British bands from the 21st century. The title is taken from a quote from Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, which is a 1958 novel that was adapted into a kitchen sink film starring a young Albert Finney in 1960.

Tracks:

1. The View from the Afternoon: 8/10 not only is this a thoroughly enjoyable rock song, it's also a remarkably accurate account of how disappointing nights out can be.

2. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor: 9/10 this is as electrifying, catchy and fun to dance to as ever.

3. Fake Tales of San Francisco: 9/10 a lyrically excellent and thoroughly enjoyable song which captures the feeling of being at a lame gig remarkably well.

4. Dancing Shoes: 8/10 like The Inbetweeners: highly entertaining yet oh so truthful.

5. You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights But You Were Staring Right at Me: 8/10 the unusually long title really works. As for the song, it's another banger.

6. Still Take You Home: 8/10 an electric and thought-provoking bit of storytelling.

7. Riot Van: 8/10 a quieter one and a nice change of pace. It carries on the album's winning streak.

8. Red Lights Indicates Doors are Secured: 8/10 a tiny bit messier in its writing, but no less fun.

9. Mardy Bum: 9/10 a fan favorite for good reason. This is always a great song to dance to.

10. Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But...: 8/10 more similar to songs by other bands, but the Arctic Monkeys inject their energy, flair and emotion into a familiar song topic- the dark side of fame.

11. When the Sun Goes Down: 8/10 a melancholy bit of poetry  which still manages to be catchy despite its depressing subject matter.

12. From the Ritz to the Rubble: 8/10 not the album's best, but an absolutely solid penultimate track.

13. A Certain Romance: 9/10 a beautifully written and excellently played conclusion to the album.

Best song: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Worst song: Red Light Indicates Doors are Secured  

Summary: Wow, has this album aged well or what? The album's fiery, intense and rollicking music remains an exhilarating blast to this day, and even better it's rock music you can really dance to (I know from Monday night at The Haunt in Brighton). There's a real coolness yet vulnerability to the album, as it has plenty of psychological complexity to back up the riffs. It's a pleasingly angst-filled work but perhaps the most impressive thing is how brilliantly it captures the psychological experience of clubbing. In other words, so many will be able to relate to this. A hugely successful record, and I'll be impressed if the band ever top this.




Final rating: 9/10