Sigrid - Sucker Punch

To be honest I am not really aware of the Norwegian music scene in any shape or form.  But one artist who have discovered very recently is new pop sensation Sigrid who hails from Norway.  "Sucker Punch" is the 22 year old's debut album.  I actually started listening to Sigrid just last week due to a tweet to a review raving about this album so while I didn't actually watch the review it did make me spin the record.

And what a good choice that was!  "Sucker Punch" is a delightful piece of modern pop and shows an artist who already writes quality material.  I would say the songs can be divided into 2 categories; Predominatley all out, upbeat pop songs and some gentler songs which show another side to her.  Firsly lets talk about the all out, upbeat pop songs.  The likes of album opener "Sucker Punch", "Mine Right New", "Strangers", "Don't feel like crying", "Sight of you" and "Don't kill my vibe" I would say all fit into this category and that is like half of the album.  There are more like this on the album but I think you get the jist! These songs will put a smile on your face.  There is so much energy running through these songs and you really feel peformance wise she is giving it 100%.

These songs to me have the potential to become summer anthems this summer. I know she is already down to play Glastonbury and TRNSMT at least this summer.  And these songs are just so catchy and easy to sing along to I can imagine there were will be more than just a few moments during her set were people just go "Wow, this is amazing".  She even brings these songs to life through her videos where they also show off her personality.  The way she comes across is a care free, young and happy person just enjoying singing her music and dancing about without a care in the world. A very engaging character.

Then we have the other side of the album. The slower songs which do the job of mixing things up and making the album balance out a bit in terms of tempo.  None more so than album closer "Dynamite". This song is a piano ballad and Sigrid's vocals really come to the fore in such a tender and poignant way.  "In Vain" is another slower song, well for the first half of the song anyway. Then this really cool drum beat kicks in and the song bursts into life. The build up then the change in beat really works well here.

Overall if you like upbeat pop music which is slightly different to what is out there at the moment by an exciting and emerging talent, this album is definitley for you.  I think by the end of the year there may be a sitution where Sigrid could quite easily become a household name and festival organisers maybe bumping her up bills if they get a hold of this.

Bring me the Horizon - amo

"amo" is the 6th studio album by rock/metal lords Bring me the Horizon.  Released in early 2019, this review has been a month in the waiting as I try to put into words how I feel about this album which is unusual for me.  To be honest Bring me the horizon are a band which have passed me by since their formation in 2004.  A couple of years back I did discover the video for "Follow me" which I thought was excellent but I only really skimmed over their back catalogue as none of the other tracks really grabbed my attention in the same way.

Well that was until "Mantra" hit the airwaves late last year which was the first single to be taken from "Amo".  This track is so good its actually my favourite track which was released by any artist in the whole of 2018.  Its an all out rock song with such a catchy chorus.  For me it is a total anthem and a track which really drew me into the band and I had such a high level of anticipation for "Amo" due to hearing this song.  The Grammy awards commitee even agreed with me to an extent as the song although it didn't win it was nominated for best rock song.

But how did I feel when I first listened to the album?  To be honest apart from "Mantra" and "Medicine" I felt a bit let down.  I think I was expecting an album full of similar all out rock songs like the two singles and the rest of the album just passed me by and I didn't get into it all.  I did persist with this album though and gradually I have warmed to it more and more. I can see why I didn't like it for starter but now I can see why I do like it.  

This is a very adventourous move for the band as they move their music in different directions on this album. So much so some of the songs don't even sound like Bring me the horizon songs. For example "Nihilist blues" featuring Grimes has this dance beat running through the track. A dance beat! For a band that it is known for its heavy rock metal roots. I imagine some fans would be terrified by this. But the track works. Instead of big riffs it feels like this could be played in a club in Ibiza. "i don't know what to say" is another track which takes a different direction - a softer songs with violins and acoustic guitars.  Now I know Bring me the horizon have done a concert with an orchestra but I don't think they have fitted a song like this onto an album before.  But again it works.

"fresh bruises" is another track which is so refreshing.  This time they have gone for a bit of chilled out electronica.  This is another track where by if it came on the radio for the first time and you hadn't heard "amo" previously. I wonder how many people would guess that it was Bring me the horizon? Not many I don't think.  My favourite track off the album at the moment is "Mother tongue".  I just think on this track lead singer Oliver Sykes shows off his vocal range to its full potential. The delivery is excellent and its just a really good pop song.

Overall I think Bring me the Horizon were very brave with this album as its one of those ones when you go into other genres you risk losing fans but at the same time I think they will gain some new fans through this.  I have grown to really like this album and I know its only the start of March as I write this review but this is my favourite album of this year so far.