Circa Waves - "What's It Like Over There?" (2019)

Circa Waves' 2017 sophomore album, Different Creatures, was a great development from their debut. It added darker and heavier elements to their youthful indie rock sound, creating a more sonically diverse album that still retained its blistering energy. So when frontman Keiran Shudall started talking about how the next album would be even more visceral and cinematic, I was exited. Unfortunately, it's not very cinematic, just underwritten, overproduced and sonically all over the place.

The album is short, 30 minutes long, with only 10 tracks. One of which, the title track, is only a intro track to the album. This track is literally the sound of some gulls and a van door closing, which I find frankly bizarre as it doesn't feel like it connects to the actual first track at all. So there's actually 9 proper tracks, in a 30 minute timespan which cover completely different styles. There's no flow or running thread throughout the album, just a bunch of vastly disparate songs.

And the songs, they aren't great. The actual first track, Sorry I'm Yours, sets the album off on a bad foot with typical Imagine Dragons style overblown bass and percussion during the chorus. It is such a turn off for me. Then follows Times Wont Change Me, a stomping piano rock tune that does initially have some bite. That is until about 50 seconds in when Keiran has sung the line 'these times wont change me now' about 4 times already and you realise hes going to sing it about 400 more times before the song finishes. That's a big problem that runs through much of the album, most of the songs feel really underwritten. The verses don't seem to have much detail or depth, and the choruses are just the song titles repeated 4 times over. Me Myself And Hollywood has this problem as well. The track has these really chilled verses with this lackadaisical Arctic Monkeys Humbug style guitar. But the title is legitimately the title repeated 4 times. What does 'me myself and Hollywood' even mean? Be Somebody Good is perhaps strangest mess on the whole album. It opens with a really nice angst ridden opening verse that's set to programmed drums and it builds in intensity until the chorus hits, which consists of Keiran singing 'I wanna be somebody good' over and over against the returning overblown pop-rock drums and bass. There is a really nice sounding guitar solo at the end of the track, but it really comes out of nowhere and is over in 6 seconds, so feels really out of place. The Way We Say Goodbye and Motorcade are more consistent sounding songs, but are rather underwhelming attempts at their respective genres (the former being mid-2000s soft rock akin to Coldplay and Snow Patrol, and the latter being a more electronic rock leaning sound). The best the album has to offer is lead single Movies and the closer Saviour. Movies is a pretty standard Circa Waves song, with their trademark youthful energy. Savour is the bands attempt at blues rock and definitely feels like the loosest song on the album, and also seems the most poignant, with lyrics about class divisions.

It's strange after the political songwriting on Different Creatures that this album is so devoid of it. Apparently Keiran was fighting writers block when creating this album, and you can definitely tell with all the repeated phrases and the fact these songs don't really appear to be about much beyond their vague pontificating. The frustrating thing is that there is something I like about every song on this record; I like Keiran's performance of chorus on Sorry I'm Yours, I like the backing vocals and production on Passport, I like the general aesthetic of Me Myself and Hollywood. But they're all assembled into these hodgepodge, clunky songs. If they were struggling to write something meaningful, maybe the band should've taken a break for a bit instead of heading right into the studio.

Top Track: Movies, Saviour

4/10

Nothing But Thieves - "What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way?" (2018)

UK rock group Nothing But Thieves were quick to follow up their 2017 sophomore album, Broken Machine, with this 4 track EP written on the road touring that album; released just over a year later. While I enjoyed the promo single, Forever And Ever More, I pretty much forgot about the EP until it's release a few months later. I expected a bunch of pretty good tracks, just to hold fans over until the next full LP. What I got was a couple of the best tracks the band has ever recorded, with the other two being pretty great as well.

Forever And Ever More opens the EP with a crunchy guitar line and Conor Mason's characteristic falsetto vocals. The track deals with the bands usual themes of feeling emotionally trapped, embracing the worst impulses, but now with an added fun, vampiric twist. Gods starts off sounding straight out of Bends-era Radiohead, with the muddy acoustic guitar and Conor's dry, hoarse vocals. That is until the chorus hits and utterly explodes into one of the bands loudest cuts. The breakdown towards the end of this track is absolutely ferocious. After that You Know Me Too Well slows things down, sounding more akin to some of the slower moments from their debut. The rich production and Conor's gentle vocals create a sensual atmosphere which really draws you in. The final track, Take This Lonely Heart, is up there with the very best the band has created in my opinion. The loud, anthemic tune just builds and builds in intensity as Conor's souring vocals seethe so much raw emotion.

This EP is really great and has me even more exited for where the band goes next than Broken Machine did (I think that album is also pretty great). Its definitely their best produced and most consistent release yet.

Top Tracks: Forever And Ever More, Gods, You Know Me Too Well, Take This Lonely Heart

8/10

Joy Division - "Closer" (1980)

I love Joy Division's era defining debut, Unknown Pleasures, but it is only recently that I have been properly listening to their follow up, Closer, and some of their other one off singles and compilation tracks. I have listened to Closer before recently, but only really straight after Unknown Pleasures, and never really paying much attention to it, as I was always doing something while it was on. So I have been listening to it a lot over the past few weeks, giving it more attention, and for a long while it just wasn't clicking and I didn't know why. It doesn't sound all that different from Unknown Pleasures (a few lighter, more new-wavey moments scatter the tracklist but its not a drastic shift); and it still has Ian Curtis' twisted and tortured lyrics on top. I just always ended up drifting during the middle of the record, but it was never on the same track so I couldn't just assume that there was just a track that wasn't working. It was only when I once again had it on in the background while doing some housework where it really clicked and I found myself really enjoying the record.

The album opens with Atrocity Exhibition, a track very different to Unknown Pleasures' sound. It has these thunderous drums and wild, noisy guitar screeching at the top of the mix. Curtis sings about the Victorian insane asylums that were used as tourist attractions as if he is a circus ringmaster. The whole thing feels dripping with satire and subtext. The next track, Isolation, has these glittering synth lines dancing across the track, completely juxtaposed with Curtis' dark lyrics about feeling so alone in the world and the shame he feels about his epilepsy. From here on out the album just gets darker and more depressed. You can tell from Ian Curtis' haunted lyrics and vocals that he was really on the end of his tether at this point, so close to the end of his life. A Means to an End seethes of betrayal as Curtis sings "I put my trust in you", and Heart and Soul sees him completely hopeless. Twenty Four Hours builds into an intense frenzy, with the last verse in particular feeling very suicidal. The last line of this track is "Gotta find my destiny, before it gets too late.", before the gothic The Eternal begins. This long, slow track feels like Curtis has almost burned himself out, becoming this passive, spectral voice floating in the fog of the instrumentation. The closer, Decades, brings back some colour with the more saturated bass and synths sounding like accordion. leaving the album with some sembilance of hope as it finishes.

While I still prefer Unknown Pleasures for its knife-edge tension and atmosphere, I have really started to come round on this record. It contains some of the bands darkest moments and shows signs of where the group would go as New Order after Curtis' passing. It's not accessible music and it's not meant to be, but is deeply rewarding once you get invested.

Top Tracks: Atrocity Exhibition, Isolation, A Means to an End, Heart and Soul, Twenty Four Hours, The Eternal, Decades

8/10

Garbage - "Garbage" (1995)

Garbage are a band I have been casually interested in for years. I enjoy their music when it comes up on the radio and I have had this album saved on Spotify since I've had it; I may have even listened to it once or twice. However I haven't really given them enough attention to properly get into them.

Garbage are one of the most critically acclaimed groups of the post-grunge scene, crafting a unique sound incorporating elements of grunge and 90's alternative rock with electronics, dance and rave. This creates a loud and busy sound, that's also melodic and radio friendly. Some tracks lean more to the rock side of the spectrum, like Not My idea and Supervixen, while others are far more dancey, for example As Heaven Is Wide and Stupid Girl. More subtle use of synths and electronics are used in places across the album on the gentler tracks. Album closer Milk almost leans into some trip-hop sounding beats.

I wouldn't describe Shirley Manson's vocals as anything Earth shattering, but are nonetheless incredibly expressive and build the intensity on the heavier tracks and show vulnerability when needed. She very much sounds like a 90's rock front-woman. The lyrics on the, other hand, are fascinating. The band cover themes of self-loathing, sexuality, obsession, self-destruction, abuse and power fantasies. The uptempo music and the tone of Shirely's voice mean it doesn't become too depressing though. It creates the vibe that some of what the band are saying are interesting fictions, or at least extensions of the truth.

Supervixen and Vow are relationship power fantasies, with the latter being straight up abusive, with Shirley singing "I will break your soul apart" as part of the chorus. Stupid Girl and Dog New Tricks are positioned on the other end of the situation, detailing the self-loathing and worthlessness of the victim. Only Happy When It Rains is a catchy tune about wallowing in depression and negativity and Fix Me Now is a cry for help late on in the tracklist.

This album is a blast. It's dark and curious, yet remaining very listenable. Each track provides something slightly different to the table, but remains very much within the sound of the album. Not everything from the post-grunge scene has held up all that well, but this album totally has and I'm looking forward to delving into the rest of their discography.

Top Tracks: Supervixen, Queer, Only Happy When It Rains, As Heaven is Wide, Vow, Stupid Girl, Fix Me Now, Milk

8/10

Billie Eilish - "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" (2019)

Billie Eilish has been rather hyped up over the past few months, and its clear to see why. It's obvious to hear the influence of critics pop darling, Lorde. Her minimalist, alternative pop style is mixed with elements of trap production and on the other end of the spectrum, elements of folk. In addition to this, her dynamic voice which can be smooth and gentle on some tracks, and on others can be a semi-rapped staccato flow which changes pace and rhythm abruptly. For a 17 year old to have such a well formed and unique aesthetic is impressive.

However, behind the aesthetic I feel like there isn't all that much substance, which I'm chocking up to her young age. The album opens with this really awkward intro track then jumps into bad guy, a track where Billie talks about all these typical hyper-masculine men she knows and how she is the real 'bad guy' and they all collapse in comparison to her. I just don't buy it, it feels fake and forced. you should see me in a crown follows a similar path and feels like Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do, all self-aggrandising and complete with incredibly predictable base drops as the chorus hits. wish you were gay would be a song I could get behind. It's kind of tounge-in-cheek and doesn't take its self too seriously, however its hook 'wish you were gay' is just beyond cringy. when the party's over is one of the folkier tunes on the album and it's perfectly serviceable, however with it covering very much the same topic as Lorde's Sober II (Melodrama), I can't help but compare it to that much better song.

There are some bright spots; xanny plays into her age with the lyrics about second hand smoke and only ordering a diet coke, and feels one of the most genuine moments. all the good girls go to hell and bury a friend are intriguing with their themes of death, mortality and the afterlife. ilomilo feels the least straightforward in the track-list, seemingly dealing with worries and regrets.

The other tracks on the album are mostly uninteresting, dealing with similar topics to the ones I have mentioned. Billie gets so much right with the performance and production, that it feels such a shame that the lyrics and themes seem so shallow and forced. I'm looking forward to whatever she does in the future as she is bound to grow and develop as a writer, however there isn't a lot to get me to come back to this release.

Top Tracks: xanny, all the good girls go to hell, bury a friend, ilomilo

5/10

Klaxons - "Myths of the Near Future" (2007)

2000's indie rock holds a soft spot in my heart, it was the music of my childhood after all. So discovering a new one is always a treat for me. The faint familiarity of the big single Golden Skans when it came up in a playlist, and the fact that it is a total banger, inspired me enough to check out the Klaxons' debut.

Much like another group breaking through at the time, Foals, Klaxons aren't just exploring straight up post-punk on this project. The band incorporate elements of rave and alternative dance to create a short, frantic album which dances all over the place, making for a very entertaining listen. 

The previously mentioned Golden Skans is a bit of an outlier on the record, having a much more new-wave feel with its shiny synths and catchy 'wah-ohs'. Other tracks, including Atlantis To Interzone and Magick, have this almost indie rock meets The Prodigy style. They have edgy, angular sounds and elements, yet remain incredibly dance-able. Jamie Reynolds' scattershot and sometimes shouted lyrics add to this aesthetic nicely.

It's a shame that Klaxons aren't remembered in the same way some of the indie bands of the 2000's are, since this album provides a sound quite unique which not many bands were experimenting with at the time. Not every track hits the mark for me (mid-point Isle Of Her drags in particular), but this refreshing sound and short length makes it an easy listen.

Top Tracks: Two Receivers, Atlantis To Interzone, Golden Skans, Totem Of The Timeline, Magick, It's Not Over Yet

7/10

Foals - "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1" (2019)

While I plan to cover all the albums I have anticipated this year so far, I feel it's best to start on a high point with whats easily the best of the bunch. The fifth album by English indie-rockers Foals, first of the two part Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (with part 2 releasing later in 2019), is also in my opinion the best in their discography so far. Foals are a band with some excellent ideas and a knack for writing incredibly catchy indie and dance-rock anthems, however I feel they've only recently started crafting them into albums which match the quality of their best standalone tracks. The buzzing, frenetic math-rock of their debut is highly entertaining for about half the run-time, but as the album progresses, the music starts to become droning and Yannis Philippakis' cryptic lyrics start to blur together. Total Life Forever and Holy fire softened up the sound with more synths and reverb, and Philippakis' lyrics gradually became less bizarre, but both those albums feel like they run too long with a handful of filler tracks in each (well more than a handful in Holy Fire's case). It was only by the time of 2015's What Went Down that the band made an album which was front to back with solid tunes that didn't outstay their welcome. However the album lacked any great progression for the band. It was effectively Holy Fire but with better tracks.

Which brings us to Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, which sees the band exploring old and new sounds and themes. Lead single Exits characterises this well with chunky sounding percussion and piano reminiscent of earlier Foals tracks such as Miami, along with choppy, confused lyrics detailing climate change, extreme weather events and the world being upside-down creating a paranoid and apocalyptic atmosphere. This is only added to by the skittering synths and backing vocals which creep in across its six minute run-time as it slowly builds into a hypnotic groove. Much of the rest of the album follows suit, dealing with the maddening world we currently live in. It discusses Brexit, Trump, the lack of opportunities for younger generations and the general feeling of despair.

The following track, White Onions, shakes things up, having this primal, panicky atmosphere with its repeating drum pattern and synth riff, along with a fuzzy bass and simple, chant-like lyrics. This is followed up by a synth laden dance-rock number, In Degrees. Each track on the album features a unique musical core which differentiates it from the rest, leading to it feeling like the tightest and most concise record that the band has put out, especially with its much shorter run-time than a typical Foals project. Cafe D'Athens repeating percussion loops and wispy vocals evoke The King Of Limbs era Radiohead, and On The Luna is the closest the album gets to a big pop single like My Number. However it is not as straightforward as that comparison suggests. The off kilter synths and dense layers turn it into a captivating earworm. Syrups starts as a very tense, restricted tune with its plodding bass riff, but explodes into a frenetic rage as the tension is released. The last two tracks, Sunday and I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me), are perfectly contrasted. Sunday is hopeful and optimistic whereas the closing track leaves the album in a defeated, deflated state. The imagery of autumn leaves burning is intense but also isolating. The only track which I'm not really gelling with is the opener, Moonlight. It just doesn't seem to do much or go anywhere or say anything, it only seems to function as a prelude to Exits.

All in all this album is pretty great, the tracks mesh to form a cohesive statement yet also stand on their own and have their own distinct identities. Despite the obvious commercial reasons for releasing this double album in two parts, I also feel it's the best creative choice, allowing us to fully appreciate its arc. Hopefully Part 2 will be just as refreshing and creative.

Top Tracks: Exits, White Onions, Syrups, On The Luna, Cafe D'Athens, Sunday, I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me)

8/10