David Bowie - "Young Americans" (1975)

I promised you I would get back to going through David Bowie's discography! Way back during the pandemic I was listening through David Bowie's records and reviewing them on here. I managed to get up to Diamond Dogs before the opening up of the real world again got on top of me. I have listened all the way up to Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) but never found the time to write about them. Diamond Dogs didn't really land with me and truth be told I don't think I've listened to it since that review. It was a bit of a mess of a record that had way too many half formed and thinly sketched ideas. One of those ideas was the incorporation of soul and funk music into his sound. These genres were nothing more than set dressing on Diamond Dogs, but this time around Bowie has dived fully into them; basically making a pastiche of the genre that he himself dubbed as 'plastic soul'.

I feel like Bowie's slightly dismissive terminology when referring to the record and the complete genre switch-up has led to the album getting a bit of a bad wrap from fans, often getting dismissed as neither a 'proper soul record' or an authentic Bowie piece of work. I think this sentiment is rather misguided, as while it isn't the very best of Bowie's discography, it is actually pretty good and personally I think it's a way more coherent and impressive record than Diamond Dogs.

The record is bookended by its two biggest songs, the title track and Fame. Young Americans is a loose and groovy soul jam and a great showcase of what the album is about. Bowie's earnest croon builds into an anthemic refrain over a steady drum beat and expressive saxophone with excellent backing vocals that give a real sense of gravitas to the song. Fame on the other hand is a swaggering funk tune that oozes confidence and coolness. The song is about the consequences of fame (a topic Bowie explored a bit in Aladdin Sane), and has a sinister undercurrent to it that in retrospect feels like a taste of what to come on Station to Station and the Thin White Duke persona.

The six songs that sit inbetween these tracks continue the very sensual and relaxed vibe of the two singles, making a bright and summery experience. The whole album just feels very loved-up and warm. Win slows it down with woozy guitar licks and smooth crooning from Bowie. It is a very gentle and tasteful moment on the record. Fascination is another meaty funk tune and has a real swagger to the call and response pattern between Bowie and the backing vocals. The Sax once again has a field day on this song. Right rounds out the first half with a wild mashup of the two genres, starting out very slow and emotive, before being overtaking by the funk groovy and vocals more powerful. Bowie sort of takes a backseat on the song, handing over the reigns to the backing vocalists

The back end isn't quite as engaging as the first half, and similarly to his Rolling Stones cover on Aladdin Sane, Bowie's rendition of The Beatle's Across the Universe is a bit of a clunker. He kind of butchers it if I'm being honest. All of the whimsy and wonder of the original is just stripped out, and replaced with Bowie just completely over egging the vocals. Somebody up There Likes Me is the longest song on the record and the one that feels the most like a pastiche and by the time Can You Hear Me rolls around as the penultimate song it does feel like the album has shown all its cards and run out of ideas. I'm glad that Fame kicks the album into gear again so that it ends on a strong and memorable footing.

Young Americans is a good album and a pretty successful foray into the worlds of soul and funk for Bowie. I think it is also really important in his development as an artist, with what would immediately follow with Station to Station and also down the line in the genres' incorporation into his biggest commercial hit, Let's Dance. It really doesn't deserve the reputation it gets from fans.

Top Tracks: Young Americans, Win, Fascination, Right, Fame

7/10

Black Country, New Road - "Forever Howlong" (2025)

Forever Howlong is the third studio LP from the now critical darlings Black Country, New Road. And it has been hotly anticipated following the release of their truly sublime second record, 2022's Ants From Up There, which has grown into mine and many other's favourite record of the 2020s so far. It is such an unashamedly raw and heart-breaking look into the psyche of frontman Isaac Wood. The man was clearly heavily struggling during the creation of the record: and as has become part of the albums 'mythos' at this point, left the band just days before the albums release due to protect his mental health.

This left the band in a difficult spot, having lost their vocalist and one of the biggest driving forces behind the bands direction - and a tour booked that they did not want to cancel. They quickly wrote a bunch of songs to fill the set with, resulting in the release of the Live at Bush Hall live record. While honestly still a really great record, it certainly felt like a transitional moment for the group. While it retained some of the moodier post-rock and experimental rock stylings, it was nowhere near has dark and harrowing as the band's output with Isaac. Instead the band further delved into the chamber pop instrumentation that AFUT toyed with, and included more influence from 60's prog rock and folk music. Similarly, to ease the pressure of any one member being the primary vocalist, three members came forward to share vocal duties: bassist Tyler Hyde, keyboardist May Kershaw, and saxophonist Lewis Evans. And now with the release of Forever Howlong, the live album very much feels like a mid-point between the old and the new.

Forever Howlong pretty much does away with any of the remaining edge that was retained in Live at Bush Hall, basically being a full on baroque pop and progressive folk record. There is barely any electric guitar on the record. Evans has also has stepped away from vocal duties, having decided that its just not something he enjoys. In his place, Georgia Ellery (the group's violinist) has filled the third slot. This makes the most sense to be honest, as Georgia also fronts the art pop duo Jockstrap and is probably the most suited to the limelight in the band. The opening cut and lead single, Besties, exemplifies the records ethos compared to the band's past output. It is a lush, twee, somewhat Beatles-y baroque pop ode to friendship. It is very straight up and earnest, with none of the deflective references or tortured lyrism of before. All in all, it is a very cute tune and sets out the albums vibe and atmosphere very well.

Ellery takes the lead on two other tracks; Two Horses at the mid-point of the record, and the closer Goodbye (Don't Tell Me). These are two of my favourites on the record as Georgia has very confident vocal presence and the tracks as a whole are two of the least understated songs on the album. They feel like tentpole moments with their placement at the middle and end of the record. Two Horses is a galloping, multi-phased prog-folk tune that is initially quite stripped back and moody. The instrumentation slowly builds up, through the woodwind, mandolin and strings. Half way through, the percussion kicks in and the pace picks up. The plucked guitar style gives off a very Nick Drake feel to me. The track then gallops over itself into a sinister sounding climax as the protagonist of the song is betrayed and her titular horses are killed by her former love interest. It is a fantastical and theatrical song that really doesn't get old for me. Goodbye (Don't Tell Me) is probably the closest to an indie rock song, with its gentle acoustic strumming, whooshes of reverby electric guitar and quite a catchy hook. It nicely rounds off the themes of friendship that run through Georgia's tracks; and to bring back The Beatles comparison, it has that kind of full-circle feeling that Stg. Peppers has.

Kershaw also takes three songs, and much like Live From Bush Hall, they are most whimsical on the record. The Big Spin makes reference to fruit and vegetables and baking in a very retro, 'cottage-core' way; however has this subtext of letting go and cutting someone off in a way that seems like quite a traumatic experience. The title track also has this very whimsical presentation of mundanity of daily life, with lyrics about the waves of tiktok wellbeing videos and daylight lamps used for seasonal depression. Both tracks are understatedly really quite sad, but in a hazy, malaise-like way. This is is further enhanced by the very stripped back and spacious instrumentation on Forever Howlong, which is mainly focused around the woodwind section, with a handful of flourishes from the other instruments. For the Cold Country is certainly the most dramatic sounding of May's songs, and follows on from the fantastical story telling on Two Horses. It reads as a tragic lovestory between a knight and a maiden where he goes off to fight for glory and ultimately meets his downfall. The song develops from something very stark and simple into an elaborate, crashing crescendo that is one of the few moments on the record that sounds akin to AFUT.

As I expected from Live From Bush Hall, Hyde takes the most leads on the record; with those songs being the more moody and sombre tracks on the album. Socks initially meanders around spacious instrumentation, but at the 2 minute mark the percussion kicks in and all the other instruments slot into groove for the chorus. It all drops out again for the second verse before settling into a very 60's vintage pop sounding bridge and outro. Salem Sisters is also quite dynamic, but at just over 3 minutes it does feel like the track is doing a bit too much in not enough time. It features some great backing vocals from May and Georgia. Mary similarly acts as a bit of a reset in the middle of the album after the drama of Two Horses, and is a fine enough song but not a massive highlight of the album for me.

Tyler's two most significant songs on the record are her two on the back end, Happy Birthday and Nancy Tries to Take the Night. Happy Birthday is easily the rockiest song on the record, with some crunchy electric guitars popping into the mix. The themes around inherent sadness in people who, on the surface, appear to have everything they need is also quite poignant and well written. It has one of the punchiest hooks and radio-friendly climaxes of the record - probably why it was chosen as the second single. Nancy Tries to Take the Night is a multi-versed opus telling the tale of the fallout and stigma of an unexpected pregnancy. It is the kind of melodramatic showpiece that the band has steered away from since Isaac left; and while it doesn't have the wailing screams and cacophonies of sound of tracks like Sunglasses or Basketball Shoes, it certainly feels like one of the weightiest and commanding tracks on the record.

One thing I will say about record, and it is not necessarily a criticism, is that each song feels rather segmented from each other - leaving the arc and flow of the record as a whole quite flat. In some ways I quite like it, as it almost feels like the record is out of time and frozen in another place where the world doesn't move so quickly. But on the other hand, the sequencing of the record feels like it really doesn't matter, and most of these tracks could be placed anywhere else on the record (the fact that there is a collectors edition out there with different sequencing further highlights this).

I'm glad I've let Forever Howlong sit with me for a little bit, because it is a slow burner. But the longer I let it seep in, the more I like it. It's imaginative and unique, and takes me out of the grim realities of the modern world with these whimsical and fantastic stories. But they are all layered with a very real and meaningful subtext, making them very multifaceted. It doesn't feel quite as focused or cohesive as the groups first two record; but on a track by track level it is as good as the debut for sure.

Top Tracks: Besties, The Big Spin, Socks, Two Horses, Happy Birthday, For the Cold Country, Nancy Tries to Take the Night, Forever Howlong, Goodbye (Don't Tell Me)

8/10

Air - "Moon Safari" (1998)

What is this? An older record on the blog? This hasn't happened in like 4 years! I am going to see Massive Attack in a few weeks and I have been listening through the supports, one of which is Air, a French electronic act who debuted in the late 90s with this record, Moon Safari. Apparently the band is fairly acclaimed within the scene, and so I'm surprised this is my first time coming across them. Maybe it's just the Anglospheric bias of British music tastemakers and historians.

On listening to Moon Safari, I feel like it is representative of the watershed moment in the late 90s where the very localised Bristol-based trip hop scene was adopted into the more mainstream friendly, broader downtempo genre. A lot of the grimier, more dangerous soundscapes that characterised the work of Massive Attack, Portishead and UNKLE were toned back and replaced with looser, jazzier samples that fitted better to the Ibiza clubs that were playing this music in their chill-out rooms. However Moon Safari maintains a weirder edge that lost just a year later with the likes of Moby and Groove Armada releasing their very successful and very palatable downtempo tunes (Porcelain and At the River respectively).

Similarly, as you would expect from a French act, there is certainly a French pop flair to Moon Safari compared to their English contemporaries. It is a very gentle, smooth and sensual record; completely eschewing the more neurotic song topics and musical elements that the trip hop scene was known for. Not a single drug reference or scratchy drum breakbeat in sight. Instead elegant strings and smooth saxophones occupy the mix. The opening cut, Le femme d'argent, swoons in with a gentle conga rhythm, a smooth, funky bassline and and a jazzy keyboard riff. There's no vocals, no real melody, just loose noodling set against the tight rhythm section. A simple string backing and bubbling effects get introduced as the song progresses, giving a little more depth and progression to the mix. Its a very suave and sophisticated sounding tune. Sexy Boy on the other hand is much more passionate and sensual. The whining guitars and intimate female vocals give off a much more urgent and seductive vibe.

All I Need featuring Beth Hirsh definitely feels the closest to British trip hop with its very stripped back production and moody, yearning vocal performance that with a passing listen you could easily mistake for Portishead's Beth Gibbons or Elizabeth Fraser who featured on many a trip hop tune. You Make It Easy also features Hirsh on vocals, which sounds very Portishead if I say so myself. It's a good tune and a highlight of the second half. Talisman is a low key, bluesy number which again feels quite moody. The strings start to ramp up towards the end of the song which adds some tension and drama to the track. Ce matin-là on the other hand, is the most chilled out song on the planet with its strummed acoustic guitar and gentle trumpet motif. It sounds like an M&S summer food advert.

Not everything is a winner though. Kelly Watch the Stars is a bit of a departure for the record, with it's squelchy synths and robotic vocals sounding more Daft Punk than downtempo. It's not bad but it doesn't really retain the relaxed and elegant vibe of the tracks that proceed it. Similarly, the robotic vocals on Remember are more distracting than they add to the atmosphere of the song. On the whole, the back half of the album feels quite safe and unchallenging. It does start to sit in the background, which I get is the point; but when I give it my entire focus I'm left wishing the songs just went a little further and made more of an impact.

On the whole, Moon Safari is a good album and I can see the acclaim it received mostly off the back of the first three tracks. It certainly highlights the difference between the influence and 'importance' of a record, and the overall impressiveness of a record from front to back. Well worth checking out if you like chill electronic music, but don't expect it to be a profound boundary pushing experience.

Top Tracks: Le femme d'argent, Sexy Boy, All I Need, You Make it Easy, Ce matin-là

7/10