Elbow - "Giants of All Sizes" (2019)

Elbow consistently release albums every 3 years, so I wasn't expecting to hear anything from them so soon after 2017's excellent Little Fictions. The band have sped up pace with this one, rolling out the first single and opening track, Dexter & Sinister, in August, with the album dropping last month. I'm glad I've waited to talk about it, as it feels quite different from past releases. Elbow Albums generally feel like a warm hug (except their debut), whereas this one is much colder and world-weary. If Little Fictions is about finding peace of mind in friends and family despite all of the world's troubles, Giants of All Sizes gets caught up in the ongoing chaos of Brexit, the Grenfell tragedy, and the deaths of loved ones and strangers alike.

Musically, the album also leans into Elbow's proggier side far more often than any of their preceding records. Dexter & Sinister opens the record with weird electronic glitching before moving into a chunky guitar riff for a large part of the 6 minute tune. In the middle there's a piano solo and the song finishes with an extended coda that features a very OK Computer-esque descending guitar line with angelic vocals from Jessica Hoop. Empires is built around echoy and cavernous percussion, with no real break in Guy Garvey's vocals for any sort of musical breathing room. This creates a suffocating atmosphere to the track which reflects the lyrical content, detailing Garvey's grief after his father's passing.

The Delayed 3:15 is a track about a fellow who jumped on the tracks in-front of a train Guy was on. It's a hauntingly beautiful tune, where Garvey first details how run-down and neglected this area of train and asks why he chose there as opposed to a much more beautiful portion 'just a mile down the line', then going on to discuss the 'First-class tuts' who don't seem to care about this man, only that their journey is delayed. He finishes talking about how the man didn't make the news and how he couldn't find out who he was before a slightly discordant outro of woodwind and strings, as a sort of regretful send-off to this man.

Seven Veils is equally beautiful. It has a soft and pillowy atmosphere, and features some bittersweet imagery. The song appears to be about letting go of someone, and includes such phrases as 'I let you saw me in two / because that's what illusionists do', 'There's no roses in this garden / no sun melting in the sea' and the main hook of the chorus, 'Take your seven veils and sail the seven seas'.

Doldrums provides a delirious and kind of psychedelic melody, with faded and disembodied background vocals. This really fits a song, that from what I can tell, is about Theresa May's somewhat ridiculous term as Prime Minister. 'Staring down busses protected by God' is a lyric which really amuses me, it captures the feeling of her inevitable demise. White Noise White Heat also delves into the current UK situation, specifically Guy Garvey's loss of hope and belief in himself as an actual force of good, all framed around the Grenfell Tower fire. This is also the most direct song on the record, with crunchy guitars and an anthemic chorus.

The tail end of the record does bring back some optimism, with the last two tracks having a hopeful message. On Deronda Road is an ode to Garvey's new family home in South London. The track is probably one of Elbow's most daring, built around this glitchy Radiohead-esque beat, with rough choral vocals from the band plus The Plumadores. The Closer, the aptly titled Weightless, is a light, airy tune about Garvey's newborn son. The little guitar noodles and the chiming piano riff bring the album to the real sense of optimism that Elbow are known for.

I'm glad I've let this album sink in, because I really didn't know how to feel about it when it first released. I could see the band's usual high quality, but it wasn't making me feel the way an Elbow album usually does. Now I can say that while it's not my favourite from the band, it is a distinct and memorable addition to their discography.

Top Tracks: Dexter & Sinister, Seven Veils, Empires, The Delayed 3:15, White Noise White Heat, Doldrums

8/10

Foals - "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 2" (2019)

I've been gone quite a while, blame going back to uni and a bunch of hassle around it for that. So it seems quite a good restart to posting on here to talk about the sequel to the first post I wrote, about the part 1 of Foals' Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost released earlier this year.

It was safe to say that I was pretty exited for this record, as part 1 has been one of my most enjoyed releases this year and also my personal favourite Foals album. However, as the singles rolled out I found myself a little apprehensive, and ultimately the full album has disappointed me somewhat overall. It's far from a bad album and not even Foals' worst in my opinion, but it is quite a step down from part 1.

Starting with the singles, Black Bull was the first to drop and I was initially underwhelmed. The track felt like a neutered, 3 minute version of What Went Down (the bands most ferocious, hard rock, riffs 'n' screaming track). The track has grown to be one of my favourites on the album, with Phillipakis' paranoid vocals set to these massive riffs. It doesn't hold a candle to What Went Down, and wouldn't make my list of best Foals tracks, but is an enjoyable track on its own. The second single, The Runner, hasn't grown on me in such a way. The track opens with a chunky riff, much like Holy Fire's Inhaler, but then shifts to sounding more like Mountain At My Gates as the chorus hits. The lyrical mantra of "If I fall down, I'll keep on running" feels pretty cliche and played out. It doesn't hit the anthemic optimism of Mountain At My Gates or the explosivity of Inhaler.

This is one of my problems with the record as a whole; it doesn't feel like a sequel to part 1, lyrically or sonically. Part 1 detailed a confusing and paranoid world, backed by equally panicky and frantic dance rock grooves more reminiscent of the bands early work than their big hits. This album just feels like more Foals rather than any continuation to really deem this a part 2 of a united whole. The lyrics don't provide anything to counter or compliment part 1, it's just generic "I won't give up" feel-good-ism that the band have done for years. The music is also more straight-forward indie and alternative rock than the propulsive rhythms of part 1.

The production is also a bit wobbly. Foals have always had an issue with an over-reliance on reverb, but on top of it here the tracks just seem completely blown out and impact-less. The band promised part 2 to be heavier, and I don't really think that's the case; it's just louder. To be honest, I actually think part 1 is the more explosive and impactful. The most low-key song on the record, Into The Surf, is built around the creepy keys and effects of part 1's Surf pt 1 interlude, but the track is washed out with reverb to an absurd degree. It completely takes the personality out of a track I would otherwise really like.

Not that there aren't highlights on the album, Wash Off would fit snugly on part 1 with its dance-able groove and chanted backing vocals.The chorus does kind of fall victim to the albums production, but the verses of Dreaming Of are propulsive and driven with Phillipakis' vocals mimicking the chunky and choppy groove. 10,000 Feet has this almost Coldplay-esque keyboard line matched against a loud and heavy bass line that does give the track a real sense of drama as it shifts between the quieter verses and the massive chorus. The ten minute closer, Neptune, recalls a post-rock sound the band haven't really explored since Total Life Forever and has a real weight and swell to it that much of album lacks. 

I think there enough tracks on here I enjoy (and enough that I would enjoy a whole lot more if the production wasn't as blown out) for it to be more than just mediocre, but it is a real step down compared to part 1 and leaves me feeling as if it might've been better for the band to condense down he best tracks from both albums and release a longer single 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost' album.

Top Tracks: Wash Off, Black Bull, Neptune

6/10

Kendrick Lamar - "untitled unmastered." (2016)

untitled unmastered. is a collection of unfinished tracks from the sessions of Kendrick's previous album, To Pimp A Butterfly. I must reiterate that they are unfinished, because they seriously don't sound like it. This compilation for me acts like an expansion to TPAB, because these tracks are genuinely great. Rather than having traditional song titles, each of the 8 tracks here are given a number and a date.

These songs are very much in the same vain as TPAB, being politically and socially charged jazz rap bangers. Kendrick's flow and character is just as strong, and the tracks bounce around from weird, dark psychedelic tunes (in the form of untitled 01) to fun and funky (untitled 03 and 06). untitled 02 and 07 even lean into the more trap sound of Kendrick's next album, DAMN. untitled 02 fuses this with the jazz rap he was playing with at the time, and it's really unique and kind of hypnotic. untitled 07 is probably my least favourite of the bunch, as it's rather devoid of the jazzy instrumentation and the trap beat on its own is kind of dull. untitled 05 opens as this rolling jazz beat, and stays that way for a while with some smooth vocals on top from Anna Wise. It takes two minutes for Kendrick to start rapping, and he comes in with a real punch. This is really contrasting to the smooth jazz of the instrumentation. The vocal hook by Cee Lo Green on untitled 06 is really fun and gives the track this sort of lounge vibe. Like rap for hotel lobbies. 

This album is a testament to Kendrick's talent, as it is and album of unfinished off-cuts, and it is this good. The shorter run time also makes it an easier listen; for as great as TPAB is, it's length and heaviness means I'm not always in the mood for it. Although I don't know it all that well, I have now listened to the rest of Kendrick's discography and this is definitely my second favourite after To Pimp A Butterfly.

Top Tracks: untitled 01, untitled 02, untitled 03, untitled 05, untitled 06

8/10

Circa Waves - "What's That Left Over There?" (2019)

Following the band's rather underwhelming third album earlier this year, they have dropped this EP consisting of two tracks which didn't make the record and alternate versions of two tracks which did, The Way We Say Goodbye and Times Won't Change Me.

These new versions are stripped back tracks, with The Way We Say Goodbye being piano-led and Times Won't Change Me being played on an acoustic guitar. Without all the extra instrumentation and production, The Way We Say Goodbye comes across even more bland and formulaic. The swap from piano to acoustic guitar on Times Won't Change Me does make the track feel a little more rough and raw, however the track still retains its complete lack of any lyrical substance, which is what turned me off it originally.

The two new tracks however, are pretty good. Something More is this new wave style song with emotion but understated vocals. The drum machine and early-80s sounding synths give it a real throwback vibe. Hunters is a folky acoustic tune, which also sounds very restrained. These songs don't feel forced, or lacking in any lyrical substance, like much of the album. I'm surprised that they didn't make the album to be honest, since it was so short anyway.

This EP has restored a bit of my faith in the band, showing that they can still write a decent tune. Hopefully album 4 matches their usual quality.

Top Tracks: Something More, Hunters

6/10

Tame Impala - "InnerSpeaker" (2010)

After Currents, I moved back through Tame Impala's discography to their debut album, InnerSpeaker. This record is in the same wheelhouse as Lonerism, being a semi-throwback styled psychedelic rock album, as opposed to Currents' weird mix of psychedelic pop, art pop and disco. However their are distinct differences between this and what Kevin Parker would go on to create in Lonerism.

The biggest of these is the use of synths. Here they only play a small part, where they are a dominant force on Lonerism. In their place the guitars show up in full force, with plenty of driving bluesy riffs. These accompanied by some thunderous drumming give the tracks a sense of propulsiveness to them, and are more uptempo than the majority of the tracks on the groups following releases. The vocals are also more simple than on Lonerism. There aren't to many effects placed on them and they tend to sit in one place in the mix from track to track. Kevin Parker also sounds even more like John Lennon on this one.

These contribute to these tracks feeling a lot more straightforward and less dynamic than the groups later work. The tracks don't generally have as many parts to them, and don't radically change-up mid-song. I wouldn't say this a bad thing, however. It creates a different experience which helps the album stand on its own. Where Lonerism feels like an adventure when listening, InnerSpeaker feels like a drive through the countryside, with sunlight shining through the trees.

The lyrical content is also more contempt. Where Lonerism was longing and moody, and Currents' was down right self-pitying; here Kevin Parker seems comfortable being himself. The opening track, It Is Not Meant To Be, discusses this girl Kevin seems interested in but she's not interested in the kind of lifestyle he has, so he just shrugs and says 'it's not meant to be'. Solitude Is Bliss is literally a track about how he enjoys being alone.

While the more simple approach here makes some of the tracks feel a little redundant compared to the best on the record, those best moments are just so damn fun. The aforementioned Solitude Is Bliss is light and airy, and Desire Be Desire Go opens with a energetic guitar line with the main hook of the song following it. Jeremy's Storm is an entirely instrumental cut which ebs and flows just like a real storm and The Bold Arrow Of Time is this sluggish, sludgy, Led Zeppelin-esque riff-monster for one moment then a Pink Floyd infused space rock song the next.

This record is a lot of fun. Lonerism is certainly the more ambitious, more unique release of the two, but this one is just as entertaining in a different way. It's a loud, noisy, psyched out record which never lets you take a moment to breath. It just propels you forward from one track to the next.

Top Tracks: Desire Be, Desire Go, Lucidity, Solitude Is Bliss, Jeremy's Storm, The Bold Arrow Of Time, I Don't Really Mind

8/10

Pink Floyd - "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (1967)

There are so many classic artists which I really like their greatest hits but have never explored any of their discography beyond that: David Bowie, Depeche Mode, basically every britpop band. Pink Floyd are one such act, so I've finally started with their debut album. This album is unique in the groups discography, as it is the only one to feature founding front-man Syd Barrett on vocals (he contributed some guitar to the bands follow-up), as his declining mental state due to LSD use caused him to leave the band in 1968. At this point in the band's career, they were making pretty revolutionary psychedelic and experimental rock, and it shows. This album is absolutely nuts, almost too nuts! It's exiting to no end, but rather messy and scattershot in my opinion.

The album opens with Astronomy Domine, a spacey, psychedelic track with space-age beeps and tense guitar melodies which rise and fall. This is followed by Lucifer Sam, at track from what I can gather is about a cat. This track is much faster and has this cool spy film-esque guitar. These tracks are miles apart, sonically and thematically, and the album continues like this. Exploring one sound for a single track then dropping it for something entirely new.

Matilda Mother is dark and moody, like some weird, psychedelic folk tune, but then snaps into some expressive guitar solos that come out of nowhere. Pow R. Toc. H opens with odd percussion a the band making strange noises for 30 seconds but then settles into this groovy, piano-led tune. This is before the weirdness comes back for the middle portion of the song which builds into this guitar led outro. There are no lyrics in this song and it really builds this strange, alien atmosphere. The closer, Bike, is perhaps the silliest song here, with lyrics referencing lending someone a bike and having a mouse friend called Gerald. It is just so amusing and endearing with over the top instrumentation.

The centrepiece of the record is the almost 10 minute Interstellar Overdrive; a proggy, multi-phase song which opens on this heavy, bluesy riff before moving on into a noisy, psychodelic section. The track gets more intense as instruments are added in, and then strips back to this creepy section with dissonant sounding plucked guitars. After this follows a section of ambient instrumental swells which then finally releases the tension, returning to the guitar riff which opened the track.

This album is all over the place, and none of the tracks flow together in any cohesive way; yet it is so off the wall that it remains entertaining. The lack of any overarching idea, or theme does make it less enjoyable to sit down and listen to in one go, but the best tracks in isolation are weird and wacky and captivating.

Top Tracks: Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Pow R. Toc. H, Interstellar Overdrive, Bike

7/10

Little Simz - "GREY Area" (2019)

I was first made aware of Little Simz through her performance on the Gorillaz track Garage Palace a few years ago. The energy and charisma she brought to the track made it one of the better Gorillaz tracks from the Humanz era (I'm suprised it didn't make that record if I'm being honest). So when basically every outlet under the sun praised her new album to no end (It's now bagged a Mercury Music Prize nomination) I'd thought I'd check it out. I'm so glad I did, because this record is definitely one of my favourites from this year.

Simz has an intense and exciting flow, rapping over equally powerful and snappy instrumentation. She wears her heart on her sleeve, baring many sides of her for us to see. She starts the record in a sassy, righteous state on the first two tracks, Offence and Boss. Offence is driven by this groovy bass line as Simz convincingly bigs herself up and sells that she is such a great rapper. The track provides some great quotables, "I'm Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days" and "I settle with my chest and I don't care who I offend, uh-huh!". The lavish woodwind and strings which garnish the track give it this intense sense of drama. It just sounds so cool. Boss is just as empowered and intense, but rather than selling herself to the listener, Simz is taking fire at a previous partner, and absolutely destroys it on the mic. Her performance is filled with power and anger, as she demonstrates what this person has lost by messing her around so much.

This failed relationship takes a large bulk of the lyrical content here, as Simz approaches it from different angles.On the following track, Selfish, she takes a more self-questioning stance, with some restrained and reflective vocals from Cleo Sol on the hook. The track is smooth and gentle, as opposed to the brashness of the opening two songs. The Little Dragon assisted track, Pressure, details how Simz is experiencing so much pressure in her life through other factors, and now the person she relied on to release that pressure has now become one of those contributing factors. These different approaches to this traumatic break up create this raw and real sense of confusion and hurt throughout the album. This all comes to a head in the back to back tracks of Therapy and Sherbet Sunset. Therapy details Simz's experiences with therapy and how it hasn't helped her. It's raw and poignant, as she goes on about how she's not a charity case and 'doesn't need saving'. Sherbet Sunset goes the deepest into the relationship and is blatant and honest about Simz's confusion and hurt. The placement of these two tracks gives the idea that her work is her therapy. While traditional therapy doesn't seem to work for her, she can pour her heart out into these songs and get some perspective and catharsis out of it. 

Not everything on the record revolves around this, though. 101 FM is an ode to her childhood with references to playing Playstation games and pirate radio in London's tower blocks. The track has this East-Asian styled beat and is just a lot of fun. Wounds is this reggae infused track about gun violence. Venom is exactly what the title suggests, venomous. Simz speedily and harshly raps about how she is just as dangerous as any guy and that the fact she's a women isn't a detriment, and in fact it's an asset. The closer, Flowers, is very reminiscent of To Pimp A Butterfly. It slowly winds the album down and ties the ideas together, as Simz talks about the 27 Club. It's lush and warm, and seems like a final moment of clarity as the album closes.

While writing this I realised that it isn't just one of my favourite albums of the year so far, it is my favourite. Simz has crafted this incredibly tight, cohesive album, where every track tackles something different (or something from a different angle) but it all comes together to form this fantastic whole. The instrumentation is lively and exciting, and is so lushly produced. All of the features absolutely knock it out the park, and are perfect for the tracks they appear on. A simply excellent album.

Top Tracks: Offence, Boss, Selfish, 101 FM, Pressure, Therapy, Sherbet Sunset, Flowers

9/10