RVG - Brain Worms Review

I'm still in a kind of nostalgic hangover musical mood from 2023.

I feel that I listen to a lot of new music back on that year, but was hard to memorise new bands and to listen to full album. So, I feel I listened to a lot of new music, but not in very good way, I prefer to discover a band by listening to an entire album besides listening to isolated songs.

However, that didn't happen regarding RVG's new album, Brain Worms.

I discovered it by listening to those "isolated" songs. Can't remember how but "Nothing Really Changes" and "Squid" appeared on my Spotify playlists and I loved both songs.

Then, I went to listen to their entire new album and, it was my favourite album from 2023!

The sound of the album is a kind of dramatic but intense melancholic indie rock music (exactly my style).  

"Squid" must be one of the best rock songs I heard for ages! The song is so powerful, the chorus is extremely aggressive and Romy Vager's voice is full of despair and pain. The lyrics are super interesting, like something that came out of a Kavka book. The transformation into a symbolic squid, the agony of it, just perfect. Best song of 2023!

"Nothing Really Changes" has a natural and fantastic danceable tone, the keyboards are a climax on the song. Although I might receive some hate from saying this, if a friend asks me to describe this song I would say to him "Imagine if Michael Jackson wrote an alternative rock song. Now imagine it 10 times better and there you have it".

"Tropic Of Cancer", the closing anthem, could be something wrote by Patti Smith and "Common Ground" the opener, is a beautiful ballad, sad and hopeful at the same time. "Midnight Sun" is another powerful and fast rock hymn, and, as the rest of the album very poetic "Looking at my future through a past I'll never have" must be one of the best lines I heard last times.

The rest of the album is very consistent, the high quality standard goes through all songs, without exception. 

McCartney III - Review

The legendary Paul McCartney has just released a new album, called McCartney III.

The album title is a continuation of his 1980 album McCartney which who had already a sequel titled McCartney I (1970). Some critics compared these 3 albums but I thinks it is a silly thing to do (the #2 was released 40 years ago, completely different times). 

Paul did a very good and efficient job here. Thankfully, he didn't go far from his typical rock n roll sound. This is the kind of album that you would expect that an aged Beatle would record. Drums, guitars, bass, nice melodies, keeping it simple and raw. Paul played all instruments and all vocals, so there wasn't space for strange collaboration like he did in the past (Thank God). 

What can you find thought these 11 songs? Well, you have some "Paul's granny music" which is always nice and beautiful, there's a nice sensibility on tracks like "The Kiss Of Venus", "Pretty Boys" and then there's some catchy pop tunes like "Find My Way" or "Seize The Day". Paul's old formula is there and still works! "Woman And Wives" shows a darker side of the album, more dramatic. There are two excelent, pure rock moments on the album. "Slidin'" seems like an old brother of Helter Skelter. Raw, Agressive, Loud guitars. The best song on the album, without any doubt. It's hard to imagine a 78 years old man writing this song. The speed, the lyrics, the transitions in the song, it's perfect. "Lavatory Lil" is a more classic rock song, funny. Then there an atmospheric song, almost 9 minutes long, called "Deep Deep Feeling" that is also one of the high points of the album. It's the most complex song on the album, with a lot of variations. Beautiful and fits very well in the middle of the album. Then, you can find the sequel of Blackbird during the last song, "When Winter Comes". 

The album is excellent. I would like to see him exploring more his harder side but it's great as it is. I think it is more similar to Paul's first solo albums, like Ram, simple, direct and raw. I can put it as one of my favourite McCartney's solo albums. Its the proof that the ex-Beatle can't make bad music. 

A victory. Let's hope that Paul continues to write music like this for many many years. 

8/10

     

Pale Honey - Some Time, Alone Review

During this week, the album that was playing on my car was Devotion, the second album by Pale Honey. I love that album, it is still my favourite from them. It's very rock, brutal and raw. Direct. Brilliant.

Some Time, Alone, their new album, is  not exactly like the previous one. That's good of course, it's good to be different, it's good to evolve. Although, it's clear for me, and I want to be honest, I do prefer Devotion.

The new album is softer, calmer, a bit more electronic and has hard beating drums and killer guitar riffs. Of course, that we can find some exceptions. "Killer Scene" is a rock and heavy song, the one that could fit better to Pale Honey's previous works, it's a great song. "Treat You Good" and "Bad Things" also has that feeling during the chorus. 

Then, the rest of the songs switch between some pop/rock classic tunes, and some electronic dreamy moments.  "Beat Me" and "Heaven Knows How Far I've Gone" (quite forgettable song) are good examples of that melancholic moments. "Trouble Is The Only Thing I Know" is also introspective and it is the most heavier moments of the album, a great depressive rock song, cheers to that. The album-title song and "Set Me Free" show an attempt of the band to be more danceable and maybe, more, "modern", which is something that the band really doesn't need to; I do believe that the band is good in doing aggressive and direct rock music.

Funny enough, my favourite song of the album is "Friends" which is maybe the most commercial one. Its lunatic feeling is very sweet and enjoyable. I love it. I know it's stupid that I kinda criticised the softer songs, and my favourite one ends up being the most commercial one. But that's how music works, each tune hits you in a different way. 

So, as an overall, the album is great, a bit more relaxed then previous ones, less loud, but it has great great moments. As I said, the other albums are very direct, very plain, this one grows in you. As I am re-listening to it, I found it more and more enjoyable, specially now, in a cold Winter night.

Please, buy the album here and support Pale Honey.

https://palehoneyband.bandcamp.com/album/some-time-alone

Best Coast - Always Tomorrow Review

I discovered Best Coast 2 or 3 years ago, something like that.
Coincidentally, during this time the singer Bethany Cosentino was in a creative block while trying to get sober. The band was almost going to end but, however, they got back together to the studio and worked on what would be "Always Tomorrow" (between this they released a kids album).

Crazy For You is one of the best Californian chill albums of the last years. A perfect album to listen while going to the beach or having some beers. The band evolved, and went, in my opinion to a more pop sound.

However, in Always Tomorrow, they took a louder a rockier direction.
The songs have energy and they have speed. The first single, "For The First Time" doesn't really reflex the sound of the album and, actually is, for me, one of worst songs of the album.
"Different Light" is a cracker, a great opening. The same goes for "Everything Has Changed", which is probable my favourite song of the album. The opening riff is great, Bobb Bruno is, undoubtedly a very skilled guitarist and a riff master.

The main topic of the songs is the road to sobriety, how to deal with it, and how to get your life together after years of abuse, depressions, fears and hardcore life and how good it is the have all of that behind you.
Probably because of this, some songs have a very "charming" dark tone, like "Rollercoaster" or "Gracelles Kids".
"True" is also of the highest moments of the album. The latin, californian, lullaby sound of it is great. Bethany is, obviously a great singer, with a very beautiful voice, but, one thing I really appreciate or her vocals, and ou can listen well on this track, its her non-lyrical backing voice. It's beautiful, relaxing and chilling and I always loved them and really think it makes a difference and puts a great personality on their songs.
The rest of the songs flow in the same style. Fast pop/rock songs accompanied by a loud electric rhythm guitar. "Seeing Red" is catchy, "Master Of My Own Mind" is composed by 2 very different sections, "Make It Last" is also one of the best songs, with a strong message about relationship possessions (and a fantastic guitar) and "Used To Be" is the melancholic closing redeemer track.

Bascially, Best Coast are not anymore the "kids" from Crazy For You, they are much more mature now, and that is reflected in their music. Most of their songs are now heavier, darker and more complex.
And that's what life is about, changing, ageing, trying to feel better and be a better person.

Postcards - The Good Soldier

The first thing to say, and the most important is that music really is universal, specially today.
Postcards are a Lebanese band, from their capital, Beirut. A couple of weeks ago I was listening to Portuguese radio and they passed their song "Lights Out". I enjoyed it, used Shazam to know more about them and soon I discovered that, in this edge of Europe, in a small country, a radio was playing music from Lebanon. Isn't it wonderful? Doesn't it open a lot of possibilities and a lot of fantastic cultural exchange? I think it is beautiful.

Anyway, I went home and noticed that Postcards had just released their second album, "The Good Soldier". I discovered also that they had been touring with the band Beirut, among other things.
They had released their debut album 2 years ago, which I listened to it after the new one.

Postcards are described as a indie/rock, dream/pop band. In my opinion, it's true, but they are definitely a typical dream/pop band. If we had to label their music, specially their second album, I would say it lays somewhere in a dark/dream/post/indie. For example, imagine more complex, darker and lyrical version of Beach House.
It's funny. Most of the songs really have their dark and depressing tone like "Dead End", "Lights Out" or the title track "The Good Soldier" but, in the same album you can listen to another ones that really have a joyful and lightning sound like "Fossilized" or "Spiderwebs". Actually, when I first listened to "Fossilized" I though it was super great, the best track on the album, beautiful and it should be the single (and later i discovered that it is).
Julia Sabra sings in a lyrical way, specially in the ballads, that favours to get the nostalgic feelings.
Also, there's 2 instrumental pieces, some speed up songs like "Hunting Season", some typical modern pop/rock songs like "Freediving" and a lot of introspective moments.

In a resume, although we are still in January, I think that "Fossilized" will be one of my top song of this year and "The Good Soldier" is an excellent album by an exotic and fantastic band. Their interior sound makes you feel part of them, makes you wonder about life, about the beautiful things.
That's way I always preferred the dramatic and darker music moments on the albums, they connect some much more with you, in a special way.
Hoping to see them soon in Portugal. Primavera Sound in Porto would fit them as a glove.

The Divine Comedy - Office Politics Review

The Divine Comedy are, today, the biggest example of "chamber pop". I could describe chamber pop as a kind of indie which uses a lot of horns, vocal harmonies and a balanced dose of comedy.

Their songs are usual funny, a bit silly in some kind of synth-indie-pop. 

Neil Hannon, the main force of this musical project sounds like a snob Irish Man. If someone asked me how I would describe him, I would say that he looks like a comic mix of Jarvis Cocker with Leonard Cohen.

First of all, Office Politics is a very well centered album.

These days, there a lot of albums with vague titles which contains songs about a big variety of subjects that really don't connect with each other. 

Here, the lyrics are about the normal working days, that we, the common people, have to suffer every day. Is not that normal for a rock star to sing about the monotony, the gossips or the Christmas dinner of a company, and that's actually refreshing. Also, the music is, sometimes a bit hard and industrial (although it never loses its funny satirical tone) which fits with the tittle.

"Queuejumper", "Office Politics" and "Infernal Machines" are, I would say, the key songs that represent most the subject of the album, both in lyrics as in melodies. 

"Absolutely Obsolete" and "The Life And Soul Of The Party" have a great disco rhythm, the kind of songs that you can really imagine dancing with your work colleges. 

Office Politics have also some sweet sad ballads with "Norman And Norma" and "A Feather in Your Cap" (this one really reminds Take My Breath Away by Berlin), and some others on the end of the album.

I'm sorry to say that some songs are a bit forgettable, specially "Psychological Evaluation", "The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale" and "Phillip And Steve's Furniture Removal Company". Lyrically, they fit with the subject of the album, but musically, they don't add nothing, actually, they even make the album too long.

Best (and really good) moments on the album are, for me, "Dark Days Are Here Again", a sophisticated and elaborated charming song and, the best one "You'll Never Work In This Town Again". This song make you dance, makes you sing along, as the perfect dose of charm and suspense. A legendary track, that should be the main theme of a Sherlock Holmes' movie. Super song.

As an all, I enjoyed a lot the album. A charming, modern, focused and very well written and recorded album. Neil Hannon is one of the most charismatic singers of the UK and should have more credit for his work. The only "complain", if I may so, it's that I think that Office Politics is a bit too long, specially with the experimental tracks and I would cut off one of the ballads. It would make an easier to listen album.

7/10

Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? - Review

2019 is bringing a lot of great albums for Indie fans.
Sharon Van Etten already released a fantastic album, Desperate Journalist just released their new LP and Deerhunter wrote also a great track.

Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? is the name of the album.
As a general review, it s an experimental indie pop record. With some enjoyable tunes and some others that are a bit (sometimes too much) ambiguous. It's not the new "best thing ever" but it shows why Deerhunter are, today, one of the best names in independent american music. It is a must listen record, even if it's not great for me, it has some songs that are career favourites. 

It starts with one of the strongest songs, Death In Midsummer, is not a typical song, it doesn't have a chorus and it goes around a beautiful keyboard riff. Strong,loud, great opening.  No One's Sleeping is also one of the best tunes, with a fantastic instrumental part, which in some parts sound almost like a party festival hymn. It must sound great live.
There are two songs that could have been written by Bowie and Brian Eno during the Low period. Greenpoint Gothic and Tarnung are really inspired by that classic album (maybe a little too much). Détournement is a (poor) experimental song, doesn't adds nothing to the album. 
My favourite moment for now is What Happens To People. A perfect example of a great, radio-friendly, a bit melancholic but at the same time catchy (great combination) song.
The rest of the songs are fine new indie summery songs, with great and danceable riffs, like Futurism.
The last song, Nocturne is another experimental song. It's not great but it is evasive, with a spacey vibe, which fits for the closing track.

Molly Burch - First Flower

Molly Burch is one of the most beautiful voices today. And also, one of the best composers too. She's fantastic. I heard her on the radio, with fool, and she kept my attention. Recently I'm listening her new album on repeat mode. First Flower was released on October from last year and it is super amazing. Wonderful really.

Molly has a very distinctive voice and way of singing. Her style could be a mix of blues, pop, indie, comedy and drama.
She can sing beautiful love songs without being melancholic, actually, First Flower is really uplifting and funny!
Once you start listening to the record you will notice the way she says the word "Baby" on the first two songs. That way of saying "Baby" is sensual, funny, attractive.

Candy is a anti-love song with a fresh melody. Again, the way Burch spells the words is artistic, is strong. It shows personality, a strong feminine personality.
Wild it reminds me something taken from a modern Kate Bush. The guitar is mesmerising,without being repetitive.
First Flower is the first romantic (a bit melancholic, always in a good way) song. The lyrics are great "Just like the first flower that blooms in spring To me you are, you are my everything". It is the song that today, I wish that my girlfriend would play loud when she sees me. A beautiful declaration of love from a woman to a man. I would fall in love instantly if someone had shown me this song. Too bad I discovered by myself.
One of the most beautiful songs is Good Behavior. This one yes, it is the melancholic wonderful song on the album. Molly's voice is superb. She goes from an almost falsetto to whiskey tenor almost in the same line. The outro is angelical. The poetry in it, the everyday lesson is also simple and amazing with words lie "I think I want to be better,  Better than you and all the rest, don't think that's quite possible, oh Let's all just try and be our best". One of the high points.
The rest of the album is in the same style. Very well written, very well performed and, mainly, very well sung.
Actually, there is a line in To The Boys that kinda resumes what I think about this album "I don't need to yell to know that I'm the boss, That is my choice,And this is my voice"
The finishing song is, as it has to be, the sentimental orchestral piece.

First Flower is, undoubtedly, one of the best album that I have listened for a long time and a true charming record that, I must admit, I am completely in love. And, I also must admit that Molly is also an incredible beautiful person.

Just go and buy the album!
 

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow Review

This year I'm trying hard to listen to new music and to focus on new album releases.
Earlier this month, Sharon Van Etten released a new album called Remind Me Tomorrow. The new single is featured on this week's Strange Sound Spotify Playlist.

The album is excelent. I was not very familiar with Etten's back catalogue, only the most streamed songs, but this album looks like an improvement. A more mature album and a step forward.

The album has a big variety of sounds, form melancholic ballads to electronic pop songs until indie rock hits.

Remind Me Tomorrow starts with a sad and slow ballad that serves as an introduction. Then, two kind of dark introspective songs, with "Memorial Day" sounding like a long moan with the words "YouWill Run" winding through the instrumental.

Then, you go directly to the 3 singles chosen by Sharon to present the album. "Comeback Kid" is a fast, a bit catchy and a hard song. "Jupiter 4" is a spacey, electronic and emotional trip.

"Seventeen" is one of those song that you love it or you hate it. I love it. It's the most happy song on the album, an obvious single and hit. Very catchy, very radio-friendly, kinda sound like a hymn, a perfect song to celebrate love and the process of ageing happily. It's a lesson about how to make a good modern indie pop song. Perfect.

After the 3 single we enter again a darker territory. "Malibu" is a beautiful ballad, reminding something like Beach House with a fantastic dramatic synthesizer solo. "You Shadow" is OK, doesn't really stand out from the other songs. "Hands" is a very obscure song, one of those songs to leave to the end of the album, it marks, even if the production here is a bit distorted during the chorus, that doesn't really helps.
The last song "Stay" comes like a fresh air (specially after Hands) and it is a very chilling moment.

As a overall, the album is great. I could define it as a very good current indie record, sang by a beautiful voice. It shows that actually, today Women are really on the vanguard of indie music.
In 10 songs, it has everything: hits, melancholic ballads, chill tunes, electronic sounds, hard dark melodies. As I said on the beginning, inside one gender of music, it is a very diversified album.

It's the best album I heard this year. Sorry James Blake and Deerhunter, but Sharon wins.

James Blake - Assume Form Review

James Blake not only release his new album this week but also confirmed his presence in the 2019 Porto Primavera Sound festival. So, probably I will see him live next summer.

I'm not very familiar with Blake's past work. So, this is going to be a very frontal review, without looking back to his back catalogue.

First, Blake is, definitely not my type of indie music.
He is somewhere in the middle of indie, r n' b, chill, pop, a mix of all of it.

The album starts with the title track, Assume Form, and it is like a sweet dream pop song. Nice way to begin the album.
Then, on the next song, which is the main single, "Mile High" Blake, with the help of Travis Scott goes a deeper too much to the world of hip-hop and r n' b. Basic song, with some nice background sound but, honestly, nothing special, a bit lame actually. Don't forget please that I'm a man who doesn't appreciate too much rap music. The next song, "Tell Them" flows in the same line as the previous one, but in a more aggressive and complex way. Should be the single, in my opinion.
Into The Red,shows Blake in a more introspective way, and his one of the best songs on the album.
Barefoot In The Park features Rosalía, who will also perform at Primavera Sounds, and it's a more exotic ambient song, it's beautiful, Rosalía gives a fresh feeling to the song and to the album.
Can't Believe The Way We Flow and Are You In Love? are my favourites so far. CBTWWF is very summerish and AYIL is a sad and beautiful love confession.
"Where's The Catch?" has some strange jazz "contratempo" beats, but is too much r n´b for me, "I'll Come Too" is a sweet love song. "Power On" and "Don't Miss It" don't bring nothing particularly new to the album. The last song "Lullaby For My Insomniac" is a ambient chill calm song, good to end the album.

As an overall, the album is good. I don't think it is a masterpiece as it is being credited by most of the reviewers but it's a great album. Good music to put on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Again, I'm not a big big fan of this kind of music, specially the more "urban" songs but, if I liked it, someone who connects with this type of music most love it, so, maybe all the good fuzz around the album is true and, an album that for me it's only OK is a great piece of art to million of people out there.

Red Rum Club - Matador Review

One of the last playlists I did featured a new song called "Honey" by the band Red Rum Club.

I enjoyed the track, it had a rock / party feeling, something like Cat Empire. They are a new band from Liverpool, United Kingdom. 

I was quite curious about their debut album, Honey is really a great track.

I heard it last night and I was very disappointed. It's funny to write this now, following my last post where I said that I almost never write negative reviews. Well, here's one.

The album is poor. The songs are similar, and they don't follow the energy of Honey. It looks like they have a permanent trumpet player so, they have in every song the trumpets riff. Which is a shame, is something unnecessary, they should really cut off most of those riffs.

They are a British band trying to sound American Western, but, in most of the songs they end up as a mix of Ricky Martin with some bad american "pop/rock" band like Nickelback or Hoobastank. 

Also weird, the singers voice is a little bit similar to James Dean Bradfield from the Manics, so try to imagine Bradfield singing "sugar rock latino" songs.

Angeline, the album first song is pretty cool, in the same line as Honey.

Then things get worse. "Would You Rather Be Lonely" makes me remember the hit "Hey Baby (If You'll Be My Girl". "Hung Up" sounds like a floppy "trying to be" western song and "TV Said So" sounds like a floppy "trying to be" Hawaiian song.
When it reaches song number 3, you start really to think why there is always a trumpet doing the singers or guitars melody. You get that feeling, something like "oh no, not again..."

Honey is great, happy, energetic, wish there were more songs like that.
The rest is a mix of romantic latino songs. Calexico, Casanova and Remedy are, again, something Ricky Martin could have sang. The album ends with a graceless ballad. 

So, I'm sorry, but Red Rum Club is something that I will let pass.

Always Ascending By Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand are, in my opinion, one of the most interesting bands in the world today.
They released 3 super acclaimed albums, then, I think they lost a bit of media attention with "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action" and then did the supergroup FFS with The Sparks, which kinda divided the fans and the critics (and Alex Kapranos also formed BNQT).
With Always Ascending we can see the band, again (and again and again) trying to develop their sound and trying to make something fresh and new, and that's something we should really praise. It would be easy for them to do a new "Take Me Out" with a frontal indie-rock sound, but the band
really wants to get further and achieve new sonorities.
Always Ascending is, basically a mature indie/rock/electronic record.
If I were in a band, I would select the best song of the album (excluding long melancholic emotional or experimental songs) as the first single. I do think that big part of the artists do it, and Franz Ferdinand selected the title-song of the album as their opening and as first single and I understand why. It is the best song of the album. An electronic, dreamy song about viewing life as a Shepard Tone, always directly facing our path, and moving forward, and it is what the band is always doing, renovating their sound with amazing songs, without forgetting their own style. Always Ascending is a very complex song with lot of different parts but complex as the album is, so it's its right representation.
The second song, Lazy Boy is a danceable song, with a catchy bass riff, and a direct guitar chorus. Again, Kapranos likes to write about simple things in life, without getting too much poetic about the subjects. The songs is not about how love will change your life, or how war screws up the world, it's only about a lazy boy that doesn't like to get out of the bed, and loves his girlfriend. Simple, direct and smart. Franz Ferdinand's lyrics has always been much more practical than most of the bands. Something like a modern Jarvis Cocker poem, it describes the world has it is, without a story-line.
Then we have Paper Cages, a song that, at the beginning I didn't like that much, but now I think it is one of the best from the album. Catchy and melodic. It's something that Metronomy could have written during their most inspiring moments (far superior, but you get the point).
Finally is what I describe like a normal song of the album. Not the best, not the worst, just a nice song that fills good in the album. A song, probably about social integration.
The Academy Award is my least favourite song. It looks like an American ballad, like a modern western/Scottish song.
Track number 6 is Lois Lane. The song, with the name of the partner of Superman, sonorously, really reminds me of the 80's. I think it has a lot of inspiring from the instrumental song of Depeche Mode "Nothing To Fear" from their 1982 album "A Broken Frame". The riff of the chorus, and the middle keyboard solo really seems taken from there. Nothing against, I love Depeche Mode, and actually in a lot of moments from this album you can feel their influence.
Huck And Jim is a strange song. The intro of the song is great but then you get into dark areas. The pre-chorus is like a rap/reggae sound that, really doesn't fit well with Franz Ferdinand. I said that The Academy Awards was the lowest moment of the album, but I'm reconsidering now that this song might be worse. It's not bad, it's only not as good as the other songs.
Gimpse Of Love is another 80's renovated song. Catchy, funny, with a nice keyboard line, nice backing choruses. I very decent song.
The second single from the album was Feel The Love Go. Again, with Always Ascending it is the most electronic/industrial song. Hard, aggressive and addicted. The song is very intense and has (as Always Ascending) nice "lalala" creepy backing vocals, that really helps you to memorise the song. A hit song, without any doubt.   
The last song is, as typical, a beautiful ballad. Slow, Don't Kill Me Slow is a electronic ballad, very sweet and very (emotionally) moving. You could say it's a sad song that you can happily dance to it. Also, the outro is very dreamy and very travelling. After 9 aggressive electronic indie rock songs, this is the perfect song for you to make peace with the album. One of my favourite songs. Last week I was listen to it every single morning on the way to work.

Resuming, I cannot place Always Ascending in a rank in Franz Ferdinad's career. The album is, undoubtedly, a step forward from their work, but it goes along their career, it's nothing revolutionary. The band's line up changed from their last work to this one, but, honestly, you cannot feel that on their sound, which says that the new members adaptation was very easy and natural, and the band could keep their identity exactly as it was.
I love this band, and I think that, not only they are one of the best performs of today's music but also they are one of the most creative bands around. They should be really on the top, which they are not, and it's a pity. If you have the opportunity you should see them live. 

Skeleton Tree Review

Firstly, an album is much more than a set of songs. An album is a creative process, that take months of writing and of improvement. It's a trip to a time and an era of the writer's life. When people are commenting albums they should be aware of the environment in which it was created. What was the purpose that lead the artist to choose a darker sound, or a commercial one, or an instrumental album.

When you are one of the best lyricists of the last decades, this sentence takes a whole new level. Every Nick Cave album is an experience, a story, a group of songs that make much more sense together.
Although the death of Arthur (Cave's son) happened after most of the lyrics of Skeleton Tree were completed, you simply can't separate this event to this album.
The songs are much darker, sadder and more melancholic than Cave's previous work.
Most of the songs are stripped down performances of poems (not stories) accompanied by surrounding ambient sounds. Simple, beautiful, and sad.
I do believe that the death of Arthur, made a huge impact on the sound of the album, on the structure of it. Eight ballads, as dark as they could be. The artwork follows the same lines. Everything black.

Some of the lyrics are a lot prophetic, knowing that they were written prior to Cave's son death. The opening lines of the album are "You feel from the sky, crash landed in a field". Could be Jesus, or could be Arthur.
In "Jesus Alone" you have one of the most descriptive songs of the album, talking about a figure of Jesus, that could be a million of different people, and, in a distance, Nick tries to call that person, with his voice. The drums are irregular, and the main sound in loop made in some synthesizer. "Rings Of Saturn" is a rare moment of joy and happiness, an appreciation of a feminine figure, a beautiful moment. "Girl In Amber" is, probably my favourite song so far. Probably the most dramatic part of the album, with an almost religious and holy sound mixed up with a desperate way of singing. "Magneto" is a key track. It's the one that gave the title to the documentary that was made for the album. Quoting Cave:
"In love, in love, in love you laugh
In love you move, I move
And one more time with feeling
For love, you love, I laugh, you love
Saw you in half
And the stars are splashed across the ceiling"
One of the best moments of the album.
"Anthrocene" is a more a narrative song, with angels voices in the background. Just some kind of a cello sound, piano, backing voices and poetry. Do you really need much more than that?
"I Need You" looks like the goodbye song of Cave to his son. A mix of a declaration of loss and some old memories. Cave's voice sounds fragile, almost breaking. "I'll miss you when you're gone away forever". As it is "Distant Sky". This time, Nick sounds more resigned to what happened and is carrying is life, although he will miss forever his "darling companion". The chorus is sung by Else Torp, giving it more an angelical and biblical melody.
The album ends with the title track "Skeleton Tree" that is the most bright song. A funny way of ending such a depressive album, is with a song that gives you hope and will to continue living and being strong to face our problems and depressions. A moment full of fresh air after a hard time.

In resume, Skeleton Tree is a very very hard album. That's because it expresses so well the feelings of the musicians that you almost to start feel like them. And this is the true value of music. Feeling the authors through their work. Cave really did that, exhaustively, and all of his pain and suffer are present on every song. It's like reading a 500-page book, but in a form of 8 songs.

Cave passed through a very hard time and, as a true master of the art of writing he expressed it amazingly.

It's sad, but sad is beautiful and so is the album, truly honest and beautiful.

With no surprise it got universal acclaim. It will be remembered as of the most honest albums ever recorded.

Low In High School By Morrissey

Before I listened to the album, I read the review on NME.

I, mainly, like NME, they are a good website with current news, and, they usually have some good reviews of albums. However, they got "seriously wrong" on their review of Low In High School by Morrissey. 

First, Morrissey was always very critical to the press. Actually, he was in the correct side on this war. Since his earlier days, his relationship with the press was harsh. 

Even this year, he claimed: ""I did an interview a couple of weeks ago for a German newspaper and, of course, let me just say this: That was the last print interview I will ever do. Unless you see the words form in my mouth and then you see or hear the words come out of my mouth… please, if you don’t see that, I didn’t say them."

So, we can see that Morrissey and the press don't like each other, and I really think that the press will do their "moral" job to try to get Morrissey out of the business. And that's exactly what NME tried to do with their review of the new album.

Low In High School is a masterpiece. Again! Morrissey has his correct formula of writing songs and that's effective and fine, and very much enjoyable. All of his songs are brilliant, some better than others, but they all have a degree of quality far above the general music business.

The album begins with frenetic and frontal rock song. "My Love, I'd Do Anything For You" is a good presentation for the album, a loud fast track. Then it's the second single "I Wish You Lonely". People say that Moz only writes very pressing songs but actually, I think that he has some depressive, but funny, lyrics with joyful melodies, and this one is a great example. "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage" is a sexy cabaret song, obscure melodies and lyrics, with a big hard ending about "Everbody's heading for the Exit". "Home Is A Question Mark" is one of the best songs with one of the most deep and beautiful lyrics. Again, it is among the best songs Morrissey ever write, and I can't understand how the music business can ignore such a beautiful and well done song. It is so beautiful that you can't stop singing the chorus as loud as you can. And the lyrics, almost everyone on this planet suffered a little bit about the dilemma of where is our place on earth and it is what this song is about. Where do we belong really?

"Spent The Day In Bed" is the main single. A catchy song, that, although it doesn't stuck on your mind on the first time that you listen to it, it really gets you singing along. It's about the manipulation of the press (he's right, and that's why the press doesn't like Morrissey) and the joyful of doing nothing. 

"I Bury The Living" it's the best track of the album, and should be among the best songs of this year. a 7-minute track that blames, in a ironic way, the men who actually, commits war, the soldiers. The lyrics are so brilliant that you can't stop thinking about it: "Call me brave, call me a peacemaking hero Call me anything, except what I am", "When I lose mine, my mother will say: 'He died doing the job he loved" But I died with a bullet to the forehead That wasn't the job I loved'". It's brilliant and truth, although the big leaders command and led the soldiers to the extermination, it's actually the soldiers that kill the other people,. They need to have responsibility also. 

"In Your Lap" is a sweet melancholic piano song. "The Girl From Tel-Aviv Who Wouldn't Kneel" is a latin dance-able song, with a huge political message of support is the Israeli innocent people. "All The Young People Must Fall In Love" it's a joyful song about freedom, it's probably my less favourite song of the album but it's quite good! "When You Open Your Legs" is a romantic song, with a nice theatrical riff. "Who Will Protect Us From The Police" is a rock/punk song, also about a topic that Moz really likes, the opposition of the Police force. 

To end the album, NME wrote that Morrissey composed a "least listenable track", but, in fact he wrote a super epic album closing anthem. "Israel" is dramatic, beautiful, hard, emotional song. About a very controversial theme. Again, I think the press will do anything they can to stop Morrissey of spreading poems like this one, because, everyone who supports Israel is against them. 

As a resume, maybe, Low In High School, is not Morrissey's best work, but, undoubtedly is among their best. I would say that, lyrically, it's his best album. 

It's sad that professional music journalists don't see the importance of it, and the beauty in it. 

We, fans, see it, and we listen to it, and we thank you, Morrissey, for a piece of work like this.

Thank you.       

Autobiography by Morrissey

Some months ago I finished reading Morrissey's Autobiography.
I admit that, for a non-native English speaker, it was a hard read, the book is full of small ironies and typical English expressions. But, in the end, it was a very interesting read.
I will not resume or tell stories from the book, I will just point two or three things and I particularly enjoyed in the reading.
- Morrissey is very honest in what concerns success in the music industry. Some bands say "I don't care if my album makes the top 10 or not, what it really matters is the message and the music". Well, we all know that this is not really true and everyone cares about the sales, it is good to see your work appreciated and reaching people all over the world. So, Morrissey was, and still is nowadays, euphoric whenever his albums reached the top of the charts in the UK and disappointed when they didn't.
- Morrissey leaves very nice and good words about his ex-Smiths and ex-musical partners musical skills. Although, talking about their personal and social behaving he leaves some critics and sometimes he even destroys them. As I said, very honest, the book is as it should be and it shows completely the world through Morrissey's eyes. As he wrote "How could anybody possibly know how I feel when they are they and only I am I?".
- Morrissey wrote really big part of his life there and this is the closest thing we will ever get to Morrissey's mind but (amazingly) he left a lot of small secrets and mysteries to himself, which is more than understandable.
- Morrissey's depression during his Smiths years was big and it is amazing how he, today, is a very happy man. I completely agree and understand when he says that a Smiths reunion makes him laugh. I don't see (musically) any point for a Smiths reunion and, if Moz is much happier and successful now, why should really be a reunion like that? I still think that "You Are The Quarry" is the singer's best work to date. Better than "Strangeways, Here We Come" and "The Queen Is Dead".
- Moz must be someone really difficult to deal with. His strong an inflexible opinions makes me think that it is really rare when something makes change his mind. I think he know that and he is actually proud of it.
- As a personal view, it was very pleasing to read the book while I am in London. When he writes things like (example) "The concert I gave in Finsbury Park" or "I was walking in South Kensington" and me thinking "Fuck, I was there in the other day" is something special.
Great reading, I recommend it.