Billie Eilish - Happier than Ever

 

"Happier than Ever" is the second studio album by singer/songwriter Billie Eilish.  Billie made the big time with her debut album "When we all fall asleep, where do we go".  Personally, I thought it was an ok an album with the huge draw being hit single "Bad Guy".  Such a good song and when it came out it really did feel like Billie had a vibe going on with her music and her style that was unique and original.  I think this made her stand out and get that worldwide recognition.

Early in 2000 she released the single which is to appear on the much-delayed James Bond movie called "No time to Die".  This track I was really into, and Billie's vocals were spot on and so suited to a Bond track.  This song was not to feature on "Happier ever after" though which was left to singles "My future", "Therefore I am", "Your power", "Lost Cause" and "NDA".  "Your power" was the only single that grabbed my attention but even then, it was short lived.  I felt the other singles lacked something and was not really looking forward to the album.

The hype around this album though was ridiculous and to be honest I didn't think I would review this album based on the singles, so I broke my own rule and watched and read reviews of this album.  The main feeling of this album was to stick with it, multiple listens required.  "This is the album which could transcend her to greatness" etc.  I even saw one video where a guy was comparing Billie to Kurt Cobain.  This is the kind of recognition she is getting, basically a generational icon.

The first time I listened to this album I gave up after 2 tracks which is rare for me.  Usually, I can at least give an album a full listen.  But this was painful listening.  Billie delivers her lyrics so tenderly and quietly. It sounds like she is in pain.  I found it difficult to listen to and needed to listen to something else that I liked to cleanse my ears.  But I kept reading online to stick with the album, so I did and tried to delve further in.  But as I listened further in it did not get better and had to bail halfway through.  Those feel-good vibes that were dotted about her first album completely gone. And the album title "Happier than ever" feels ironic. 

Overall, this is easily the worst album I have heard this year.  There has been so much good music released this year and this for some reason is the one that seems to be the critics’ choice.  But certainly not mine.  I can't even imagine going to see the songs from this in concert.  These aren't singalong or even head nodding songs.  You would need a seat and probably a pillow as you are inevitably going to fall asleep at some point.  

The Killers - Pressure Machine

 "Pressure Machine" is the 7th album by Las Vegas indie rockers The Killers.  The Killers are arguably one of the biggest bands to come out of the 2000s.  Their 3-album streak which came in the form of their debut "Hot Fuss", 2nd album "Sam's town" and third album, "Day and Age" propelled them into super stardom and meant they have been headlining festivals and doing their own stadium shows ever since.  I was a big fan of theirs during this era and saw them 3 times.  But to be honest since then their 4th-6th albums haven't really grabbed me.  They have had some alright singles on each. But none near the standard of their early material.  

But I still have to listen to their albums because you don't get this big without having the talent and the songs to back it up.  "Pressure Machine" really came out of nowhere and was a bit unexpected.  Their last album "Imploding the Mirage" only came out last year so instead of waiting about as the covid storm blew over The Killers went into the studio and got back to work.  It's interesting to note that all the shows they had booked have been moved out to later this year and next are still known as the "Imploding the Mirage" tour rather than mentioning "Pressure Machine" too. But there may be a reason for that. 

I've listened to this album quite a few times now and it is a disappointing.  Opening the album with folk just speaking randomly is not a good start at all. There is not even any sort of backing track to it. Sometimes spoken word works really well for example the first track on Notes on a conditional form by The 1975 where Greta Thunberg does a speech. That was epic.  But this quite frankly is a load of rubbish. And there is more of this conversational type of stuff at random times throughout the album.

No singles were released in the run up to the album. It was just a case of there you go, all at once.  I can only think the reason for this is because it's not really a singles album.  There are no standout tracks on here or ones that will fit in to their live sets.  The songs are downbeat and often slow and in the case of "Desperate Things", painfully slow.  I think The Killers did go for a different approach to this album which to be fair they should get kudos for going out with their comfort zones and trying something different. But the result here is a very bland album which for me goes down as one of their worst.

Overall, this is a disappointing and forgettable album. I can see why they are still calling it the "Imploding the Mirage" tour and I hope this is just a hiccup for The Killers.  They need to get back to what they do best and that is to make feel good anthems that unite people and that they can sing in unison with thousands of other people.  People cannot do that with any of the songs off "Pressure Machine".

 

The Helicopter of the Holy Ghost - Afters

 "Afters" is the debut album by alternative act The Helicopter of the Holy Ghost.  The songs on this album were actually written way back in 2001 before Billy Reeves (formally of The Audience) had his accident.  On this album he teamed up with Mark Morris on vocals as well as Crayola Lectern and Mark Peters as well as a whole host of other folk who appear on the 9-track album.  But the names I mentioned above seem to be the main people.  

My draw towards this band were that Mark Morris was on vocals.  I have always been a big fan of The Bluetones who were huge in the 1990s and early 2000s.  I did wonder if this record would end up sounding like a Bluetones record as his vocals are so distinguishable that I thought he was almost type casted, thus anything else he would do would just sound like The Bluetones.  But no, I was wrong.  While The Bluetones are full of jangling guitars with soaring/singalong choruses.  This is a lot more subtle a record and in terms of instruments the focus is on the piano and synths.  Which these days does seem like a rarity in bands.  Sure, you get the likes of Coldplay who will do a few tracks per album where Chris Martin plays the piano.  But I can't think of many modern-day acts bar Keane who use the piano as the driving force of their music.

So, what this does mean for this album is that it brings about a refreshing change to what's about in the industry now.  But is it what the people want?  They released a few singles in the run up to this including "I will never hurt" which has a lovely cornet section.  These songs did grab the attention of BBC 6 music which gave them some airplay.  The album was also picked up by loads of the music mags who reviewed the album which I suppose is no surprise given who the band is made up of and the fact they got signed to the much-loved Kscope label. A label I am a big fan of.  But it is to my surprise that on Spotify the album hasn't really taken off yet as none of the tracks have surpassed 1,500 streams yet. I'm not sure if it is because people are buying it rather than streaming as they did get to number 14 in the independent charts. But I was surprised by the lack of streams, nevertheless.

The main reason for being surprised though is because this is a really good album and for me it is refreshingly different from what’s out there.  There is even a nine-minute track on their called "Tony Got a Car".  First to get the negative out the way from this track, there is 20 seconds of silence at the end of this track which doesn't need to be there.  But the tracks itself I love as although it's 9 minutes, it doesn't try to be "Stairway to heaven” but does have its peak in the middle of the track.  It's like a bit of a pyramid in terms of the structure to the song as I say the peak is in the middle and has a nice long outro.  I do like when bands give themselves the freedom to flesh ideas out a bit and let the songs expand. Especially when the result is as good as this.  

Like I said, this is a piano driven album but that doesn't mean there aren't other instruments on here stealing the limelight every now and then. For example, in "You too" there is an absolutely sublime guitar solo which is so crisp and pure.  I think the fact it's really the only true solo on here is what makes it even more special and makes me appreciate it even more.  The strings come in to finish the album on "I didn't" which is another wonderful track, which gently builds. Again, not into an epic but more of a fitting climax to end this encapsulating album.

Overall, this is a great album which gets better and better with every listen. I love how the piano is so dominant.  Growing up, piano is an instrument which so many kids learn yet it seems folk who start bands are keener on the guitar.  Or maybe I have just missed the boat and there are other bands out there who use piano more. Even so I do think there are not enough bands like this in the mainstream.

Jade Bird - Different Kinds of Light

 "Different Kinds of Light" is the second album by 23-year-old English singer songwriter Jade Bird. This is the follow up to 2019's self-titled album where Jade Bird burst on to the scene.  In fact, I liked the album so much it was well inside my top 10 albums of 2019.  It was a diverse album and thing I particularly loved about it was that edgy/punky type songs which I thought made her stand out with the likes of "Uh huh" and "Love has all been done before".

In the run up to this release Jade released 5 singles which to be fair were decent, but they did lack that punchiness and attitude of the songs which shot her to fame.  Perhaps it could be seen as more mature approach while also trying to hone in on her sound she wants to be known for.  The second album is always a challenge for artists. Particularly when you're like Jade and had such a successful debut. Do you follow the same formulas which made you successful or do you try to create something new and different?  Well as I say the attitude seems to have gone but I don't feel she has made a complete depart of the other songs from her self-titled album.

I would say most of the album is full of warm hearted upbeat chirpy numbers which suit Jade's delightful vocals.  Not only that but the album cover and title of the album are also appropriate in continuing the warm theme showing Jade with a near eclipse of the sun. But also, the title "Different Kinds of light" giving off the variations of warmness reflected through the various tracks on the album. I like how the first track "DKOL" acts as an intro to the album.  It is short at 1 minute but it's a proper introduction before getting into the meatier songs.

But although this album does have many highlights, I do find it a hard album to really get to grips with and keep my attention for the duration.  It is 15 tracks long sitting at 42 minutes run time.  I think it could have been trimmed a bit down to say 30 minutes.  As I do think there is some excess tracks on here which don't quite meet the cut.  Also, the track order can be a bit all over the place at times for example probably the most edgy song on the album "Candidate" followed by the gentlest song on the album "Red White and Blue".  It just feels too big a drop in pace which is not good for the flow of the album.  Then finishing with one of the standout singles on the album "Head start" also feels an odd choice.  These types of tracks should, in my opinion, be front loaded on to the album to give the album momentum and engage the listener to keep listening.  Then the last track should either be a quieter outro to the album or go out with a climax.  "Head start" does nothing but give you an end you really don't expect.

Overall, I would say this is a decent album which is not quite up to Jade's debut effort.  But it is still clear she is very talented.  Some of the decisions around track order and album length are questionable but I have a feeling the record company and producers may have more of a say in that, than Jade.  There is still a lot of good stuff on here though worth investigating.  It will be interesting to hear what’s next for Jade in terms of what direction she takes in her music. I am hoping for a return to that attitude esque side of her that shot her to fame, but who knows. 

Trash boat - Don't you feel amazing?

 

"Don't you feel amazing?" is the 3rd album by UK punk rockers Trash Boat.  I discovered Trash Boat into the build up to their 2nd album "Crown Shyness" as I was taken in by their heavy infectious grooves.  However, although I thought "Crown Shyness" was a solid album I didn't review it as felt I didn't have enough to write about it. To me it was a very one-dimensional album which there is nothing wrong with, but it does make it more of a challenge to write about.

"Don't you feel amazing?" came out in August 2021 at a time when the quiet spell for albums during the summer was over and suddenly you have loads of albums out at the same time.  On the day this was released I was excited for albums by The Killers, Jade Bird and Helicopter and the holy ghost.  To be honest I had high expectations for those albums and lower for Trash Boat.  As I was thinking they would produce the same album as "Crown Shyness" just rehashed.  All I can say is I was totally wrong.  The other 3 albums are different levels of goodness. But for me Trash Boat blew them all out the water with this album.  It is just a complete joy from start to finish.

I must zoom in on one particular song on the album first and that is "Cannibal".  This is my favourite song on the album.  There is not many lyrics in the song but a lot of repetition meaning most of the song is singing.  But the song does show off lead singer Tobi Duncan's full range.  Not only that but some of the passages of lyrics flow into each other so perfectly. To be honest I don't know if they even make sense together.  But in terms of Tobi's vocals, they are delivered so perfectly.  I think the band really like the lyric "Live like a King die, die like an animal" as this is a prominent lyric in "Cannibal".  Not only that but there is a track immediatley after "Cannibal" called "Live Like a King die like an animal" which acts as an outro to "Cannibal".  The only criticism I have of "Cannibal" is that it would have been good if it had a purely instrumental section in it. For the bridge for example as Tobi Duncan is basically singing for the full time. Just to rock out for a bit.  But still, as it is, an absolute beast of a song and the vocals are delivered so well.

Trash boat have brought in some people to collaborate on this album. With Kamiyada coming in on "Alpha Omega" and "Milkie Way" coming on "Bad entertainment".  But just the two collaborations.  I think there is valid comparison in Trash Boat's sound to Bring me the Horizon.  But at the same time in terms of collaborations Bring me the Horizon have so many their albums are turning more into projects than Bring me the Horizon albums. (Should say nothing wrong with that as they are still amazing). But by Trash Boat only having 2 collaborations it still keeps Trash Boat at the core of the album.  "Alpha Omega" is a beast of an aggressive track.  Very sweary and not for the faint hearted.  But at the same time, it's got lyrics that everyone can relate too sometimes even on a day-to-day basis.

The only single that has been released of this album is "He's so good".  Another absolute banger and if you look across this album really, it's just great song after great song.  They even have that diversity with "All I can never be" slowing things down a bit towards the end of the album with a little acoustic number.  Then "Synthetic Sympathy" and "Maladaptive Daydreaming" keep the quality of the album finishing on a high note as the last 2 tracks of the album.

Overall, this is a stormer of an album. As I say I had greater expectations of other albums that were due out at the same time as this album came out. But this album well and truly came out on top.  I would compare their trajectory in terms of album releases to Boston Manor who released their third album "Glue" last year.  They both seem to be at the fore front of the punk rock scene in the UK at the moment and both their 3rd albums have been the best thing they have done and that is saying something considering the levels of their second albums.

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

"Jubilee" is the third album by indie, alternative act Japanese Breakfast which was released in June 2021.  I only discovered this band in the last few weeks through some You tube music reviewers who rated the album highly.  It seems "Jubilee" is a different kind of album to the first two albums, as main songwriter Michelle Zauner topics for the first two albums were about grief but this album is more about joy which shines through in the music.

 

I think one of the most striking things about this album is the complex arrangements which come across in such a simple way. Let's take first track "Paprika" for example.  You've got synthesisers, percussion, viola, violin, cello, saxophone, trumpet and trombone.  All instruments coming together to create such wholesome and uplifting track.  Not forgetting Michelle’s amazing vocals. This is just track one on the album and sets you up for what is such a wonderful listening experience.  "Be Sweet" is the next track on the album and for me is the obvious single which I think was the lead single.  Like a few other tracks on the album, it does have an 80s vibe and I definitely feel Madonna esque vibes from that period.  But with all the arrangements Japanese Breakfast do have that stand out factor.

 

Other songs like "Slide tackle" do have that uplifting vibe too. But there are many songs on here which have this nice chill out vibe to them for example the combo of "Posing in Bondage" and "Sit".  Also "In Hell" which I find ironic having a song on here with the title "Hell" because the music on here is much more representative of heaven but I know lyrically its the darkest moments on the album.  It's blissful music which will take you on a different journey with every track.  There is a loop on "Posing for Bondage" which exemplifies this which I think is created through programming or engineering.  If you listen to it, you'll know instantly the part I mean.

 

Another track which is worth a mention is closing track "Posing For Cars" which is probably my 3rd favourite track behind "Be Sweet" and "Paprika".  With "Posing For Cars" they have allowed the track to naturally expand into a 6 minute 38 second closer which has one of the most magical outros to an album you will hear all year.  It's a slow-moving track which doesn't try and be epic but does try to be beautiful and my, my it is.   When the electric guitar slowly comes in after the first few versus, for me the track goes up a level and is so soothing. But again, it's not just one instrument taking centre stage, there are so many combining and somehow, they have managed the perfect mix which is hard thing to accomplish.

 

Overall Japanese Breakfast wanted to create an album about joy and what they delivered is an unbelievably moving and joyous album which gets better and better with every listen.  When you first listen to this it is a good album. But as you pick apart everything that is going on here you realise just how much depth and how many instruments are intertwining to make this absolute gem of a record.  Straight out the top drawer.

Coldplay - Ghost Stories

 

"Ghost Stories" was released in 2014 and is the sixth album by UK rock outfit Coldplay. After releasing "Mylo Xylto" you would forgive them for using the same sort of formula of hit singles which transfer effortlessly to the stadiums and festivals which they have conquered multiple times at this stage.  But this album took a very different direction for the large part which was reportedly inspired by lead singer Chris Martin's break up with Gwyneth Paltrow.  The front cover of the album is the biggest clue behind this as it's a picture of a broken heart.  

Coldplay have had a habit of creating albums which sound tracked various stages and times in my life. "A rush blood to the head", their second album came out in 2002 when I was at university.  It was basically the music I washed dishes too for a very long time.  Fourth album "Viva la Vida or death and all his friends" came out in 2008 sound tracked an extremely difficult part of my life as I battled mental health problems.  "Ghost Stories" was one of three albums to soundtrack my time in Leeds where I worked for 6 months, and I will always associate this album with my time there.

As I say "Ghost Stories" took a different direction for Coldplay. It was bold and ambitious, and it did risk losing Coldplay fans.  To me it's Coldplay's chill out album for the most part and I really think the core of it is fantastic.  The album kicks off with "Always in my head", before winding its way into "Magic" which was song of the year for Radio 1 in 2014.  "True Love" and "Ink" follow that same vibe.  "Midnight" is probably my favourite on the album, Martin great vocally and the synth loop is mind blowing.  I say these tracks have such a chilled-out vibe to them and is such a contrast to their previous 5 albums.

There is one track off the album though that goes against the grain and that is "Sky full of stars".  This is probably still one of their biggest hits to date.  It is a huge sounding song with a singalong chorus. Really in stark contrast to the rest of the album.  Don't get me wrong I do like the song a lot.  But for me it does not fit onto this album at all.  Maybe they put it on it because they needed a hit to make people buy the album.  But for me it just doesn’t fit in with the flow of the album.  "Another's arms" and Oceans" which come before it, are very good tracks again.  But the last track which does go back to a more chill out vibe, it is called "O".  This track is a nice piano ballad to round off the album.

Overall, this was still a very brave album for Coldplay to release.  They could have gone for the tried and trusted formulas they have mastered by now. But for the most part they delivered a wonderful album which is such a nice album to relax too.  Besides "Sky full of stars" these songs were born for concert halls rather than stadiums.  Which is maybe why they only did 5 dates worldwide to support the album.  But there is no getting away from it, this is a real gem for Coldplay fans that is well worth your time.

 

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

 

"Mylo Xyloto" is the 5th album by UK indie rockers Coldplay and was released in 2011. At this point in their career, you could forgive Coldplay for making a bad album.  Maybe some may point that finger at third album "X & Y" but even the biggest haters of that album can't deny there are some real timeless gems on there.  

So how did "Mylo Xyloto" turnout?  Well, I cannot find a bad song on this.  I think they have managed to make an album where the singles sound even more massive than before.  To be honest at the time it was out I didn't really listen to it that much, but I think that was more that I was going through a period of not really listening to much music.  But going back to this it has charisma breathing out it at every turn.  When you look at bands like Oasis, many would struggle to even remember what their 5th album was called as they started to peter out and rely on their older material after "Be here now".  But even though Coldplay had those massive first two albums they seemed to keep climbing on that upward trajectory.

And when I say their songs sound more massive you just must look at songs like "Hurts like heaven", "Every teardrop is a waterfall", "Paradise" and one of my personal favourites "Charlie Brown".  These are songs which are born for the big stage, and I was lucky to see them headline T in the Park which is a huge festival which used to take place in Fife in Scotland.  And they were touring this album at the time.  They are just feel-good anthems which you want to bop up and down to and sing at the top of your lungs.  Sure, they have songs like this before, you just have to look at "Clocks", "Yellow" and "Viva la Vida".  But these songs just sound bigger.

They also continue with their collaborations on this album, as Jay Z appeared on the track "Lost!" last time round. Now this time you get Rhianna coming in to appear on "Princess of China" giving that extra dimension to the album while fitting in perfectly on dual vocals with Martin.  On the other side of the album, you get those acoustic tracks which Coldplay have mastered time and time again.  "Us and against the world" in my opinion the best example, with "Up in flames" which is a slow piano track not too far behind.  Perhaps the weakest points of the album are the opener "Mylo Xyloto" title track and closer "Up with the birds".  Now they are still good tracks but compared to previous albums where this has been Coldplay's strength.  They don't quite sit at the same level as the openers and closers of past Coldplay albums.

Overall though this is another fantastic Coldplay album.  I say you could have forgiven them for having a bad album at this stage in their career, but it just shows the sheer talent and song writing ability they possess.  At this point, if it wasn't the case already, you got we hate Coldplay crowd appearing, but, in my opinion, this is the sign of a great band.  If your big enough that people must state they don't like you, it must mean your popular enough and a lot of people do like you.

Coldplay - X & Y

 

Released in 2005, "X &Y" is the third album by UK rock outfit Coldplay.  At the time of release this was Coldplay's most successful release reaching number 1 in both the US and the UK along with other countries.  It saw the transition between playing arenas during the "Rush of blood to the head tour" to large parks and stadiums during the "X and Y" tour.

Despite the acclaim though it feels like this album has not stood the test of time though and is almost a forgotten about album in Coldplay's discography.  I think now if you asked a passive Coldplay fan to name a track from the album, they would say "Fix you". But after that they may struggle to name another song.  I think one of the reasons for this is because they had 2 successful albums prior to this and to date they keep making hit after hit which means the set lists get harder and harder to write.  When a band tour their first album, they have that luxury that they can play every song from that album as at that time that's the best material they have.  When you are a successful band and reach that third album, fans want to hear the songs that got you to that point as well as songs from the album you’re touring. So, there is going to be songs that don't make the cut.

I compare this album to "Be here now" by Oasis which like "X & Y" was Oasis's third album.  I look back on as underrated albums which at the time propelled the bands further into stardom.  As previously stated, "Fix you" is the track which has been the only mainstay in their sets. I remember listening to Edith Bowman on radio 1 on the morning she spined this for the first time. Right then she called that Coldplay have created something very special here.  And in 2021 all I can say is that she called it absolutely spot on.  On Spotify it's in Coldplay's 5 most popular tracks and has been streamed over 800 million times. And the track was released when streaming services were at such an infancy that it would be probably 4 times more than that if it was released in the last 5 years.

Funnily enough I was in a lecture when my lecturer started talking about how "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay was the first track to be released on mp3.  Which was the lead single from "X and Y" and what a track it is.  In fact, there are many, many great songs on this album.  Leading off with "Square One" which seamlessly goes into "What if".  Then White shadows is another stormer.  "Talk" has this relaxed riff which sees Martin on fine form both lyrically and vocally.  "X and Y" the title track. A track which is totally underrated. Then track 7, 8 "A message" then "Low" are like the one two punches of "Green eyes" and "Warning sign" from their second album "Rush of blood to the head".

There is a moment in "Low" when the track climaxes and then you have the come down for the rest of the track.  But I also feel this is a turning point in the album. There is such great momentum and songs up until this point. But I feel after that point in "Low" there is a come down and it’s almost like the put it in cruise control for a while through "Hardest part", "Swallowed in the sea".  Don't get me wrong "Twisted Logic" is a great closer which a bit frustratingly is followed by "Till kingdom come" as a bonus track. I say a bit frustratingly as it is such a frenzied finish to "Twisted logic" that you feel it should just finish there. But at the same time, I don't think "Till Kingdom come" could fit in anywhere else.

Overall, this would probably fit in my top 5 Coldplay albums.  I do feel that although it was appreciated at the time that it is looked at unfairly now as one of Coldplay's weaker albums. Yes, it's not perfect, but there are so many great songs on here that deserve more attention and more live appearances outside of "Fix You".