The Casket Letters - Monkey Swallows The Universe

Despite what the Daily Mail might tell you, the Internet is a good thing. A case in point are Monkey Swallows The Universe. I simply don't listen to the cool music programmes in "real life" that might introduce you to them, and the likes of Jo Wiley are never going to find them until someone has told her to. So the Internet is a great thing for discovering bands you wouldn't otherwise have heard of.

Ok, so it means that you have to sit through a hell of a lot of dross but when you come across something as good as Monkey Swallows The Universe you can forgive any number of dreadful artists with a Myspace page.

Oh yes, The Casket Letters is good. In fact it's very good. It's certainly one of the best "unknown" albums I've come across this year...hell it's one of THE best albums full stop.

First of all it clocks in at 35 minutes, well within the 45 minute maximum that should be made a law. Secondly it has some of the catchiest, and loveliest, folk pop songs you're likely to hear all year. Little Polveir is one of my favourite tracks of the year although it's got a lot of competition from the likes of Science or Elizabeth and Mary.

Lead singer's Nat Johnson's vocals are to die for, bringing a dreamy quality to the proceedings. But the tunes back it up superbly.

Frankly, if you're reading this, the very next thing you should do is go and order this album. It really is that good. I wish I had more time to wax lyrical about it, I really do, but trust me on this one. You need to hear this.

Pictures - Katie Melua

I tolerate Katie Melua. Mainly because young Dave is quite keen on her and whilst she's hardly at the cutting edge of musical invention, she's a pleasant enough girl with a decent voice. If that seems like I'm damning her with faint praise, you might be right.

But it's not her fault. I can attest to that 100%. It's all Mike "Fucking" Batt's fault. The guy is a grade A knob-head. I went to a Katie Melua concert once, but half of it was taken up with his unfunny anecdotes and stories. Yes Mike, we know you wrote the bloody Wombles song.

And he writes all her lyrics.

So we get gems like "Douglas Fairbanks wore a moustache, must have had "much cash" too". And thus, less than 30 seconds in to this album we have already reached a low point from which there is no hope of return.

Simply put, the melodies are lilting enough to woo the Radio 2 crowd but anyone who takes more than a cursory glance at the lyrics is going to be in pain for days. There is quite literally nothing on this album that I'll be listening to ever again.

Duets - Reba McEntire

Country LEGEND Reba duets with the Country likes of Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts and Vince Gill. And just in case it's all a little too Nashville for you, the youthful likes of Kelly Clarkson and Justin Timberlake pop up as well. Strangely there's no Tito Santana though.

Anyway, there's nothing out of the ordinary here. It's exactly like you'd expect Reba to sound with the addition of a few special guests.

If Reba's your kind of thing then you're in for a treat. If not, aside for the curiosity value of a few tracks you really needn't bother yourself with this.

Normal Service Will Resume

I've either

A) Been arrested.

Or

B) Got a new job and haven't much time at the moment.

Take your pick.

Somewhere High - Stalingrad Cowgirls

If only for the headline on their myspace page ("SAVE A HORSE - RIDE A COWGIRL!") I'd love the Stalingrad Cowgirls. Even the fact that they make me feel old, with the three Finish girls all being under 20, doesn't change my opinion.

Somewhere High might not be the most original album you'll hear all year, with its guitar, bass and drum punk-pop set up, but it's another one that is pure fun from start to finish.

Catchy tunes such as Rainmaker and Love To Make You Cry successfully merge some heavy metal chops with a pop sensibility to great effect.

The only criticism would be the one-paced nature of the album; indeed there is a relentless pace that has it's charms but does leave the album starting to sound very familiar once you get into the second half. Still, as a debut album this is great stuff and could lead to them gaining a good fan-base, with the promise of more to follow.

Echoes Silence Patience And Grace - Foo Fighters

It must be nice being Dave Grohl. He's pretty much the lauded gentry of modern rock, feted everywhere he goes as a great musician and a great bloke. Indeed he's in such good grace that most people have ignored the fact that the Foo's last studio album, 2005's In Your Honor, was, frankly, rubbish. The rock disc was turgid, the acoustic disc was limp and whilst Grohl called it a "fitting" tribute to the Foo's 10th anniversary, I thought it was pretty much an admission that the Foo's had done all they could.

Still, rapturously received live dates and the reappearance of Gil "The Color & The Shape" Norton at the production helm meant that there were reasons for me to look forward to the album. And whilst it never comes close to matching the majesty of The Color... (which is their finest album by far) it happily never threatens to sink to the depths that Honor did.

Lead single The Pretender is exactly what you'd expect from the Foo's - hard hitting, punchy rock - and as such effectively highlights where this whole experience is heading. In many ways it reminds me of One By One, in that it's definitely a top-heavy disk.

Let It Die shows that the idea of an "acoustic" Foo Fighters need not always be a desperate thing, the use of strings on Erase/Rewind adds a wonderful edge to the Foo's traditional sound and Long Road To Ruin highlights Grohl and his band at their very best.

Once you get over halfway through though, it begins to disappoint and the realisation hits me that despite their best efforts, the Foo Fighters seem unlikely to ever better The Color And The Shape. Sure, occasionally they can reach the same kind of heights for a couple of songs, but never for a whole album.

So this is solid, rather than spectacular, but that in itself is a reason for elation after the disaster that was In Your Honor. And no doubt, there's enough here to ensure that it sells by the bucket load.

New Young Pony Club LIVE

Back at the Manchester Ritz. And this time I could see the stage! Woo, and indeed, hoo.

A nice Chinese banquet to kick off the proceedings (although really it was far too much for a pre-concert shindig - I was stuffed after the starters!) and it was indeed onto the Ritz. Which may or may not be famous for something to do with The Smiths.

The support act was playing as we went in. Tings Tings or something. They seemed relatively good. Plus there was a good chance that the singer was fit. The two songs I heard where almost enough to make me regret not getting there earlier.

Scanning the venue two things became clear. I am not trendy enough to be a fan of the NYPC. Nor am I gay enough. I didn't feel out of place because I just don't care about these things, but if I were the kind of guy to feel out of place at concerts I doubt I would ever have felt as out of place as I would have done at this. And that includes that coach trip to Sheffield to see the Spice Girls.

At least fellow attendee Mike Pickering has the gravitas to back up his out of place vibe.

Anyway onto the concert itself. It was a good one, although not a particularly great one. My immediate thought whilst listening was that live, at least, NYPC are little more than the credible version of Rogue Traders. Sadly the vitality that comes across on record wasn't quite there.

Lead singer Tahita Bulmer was certainly exuberant enough, but the rest of the band added little to the visual flow of the show. I have to admit mind you to being entranced by keyboard player Lou Hayter's hips. She can wiggle that's for sure.

It's perhaps telling that the biggest crowd reaction of the night came for a cover version, Technotronic's Pump Up The Jam. Indeed the bloke in front of me, who had been fairly still all evening, whirred into action for that one and became somewhat of a blur.

So all in all it was a decent night out, but failed to live up to the album, which is fantastic. And to top if off, the only song they didn't do was Jerk Me. Which just happens to be my favourite. What a bunch of bastards ;-D

Necessary Evil - Deborah Harry

She's 62, it's fourteen years since her last solo album and Blondie are doing great business on the revival circuit. So the question is, is there any real need for a new Deborah Harry solo record in 2007?

Maybe not, but if she uses the opportunity to come up with something as willfully odd and undeniably brilliant as You're Too Hot then I'll forgive her anything. I swear to god, if Beyonce did this song it would be at number one for weeks. It sparkles with a wit and invention that is increasingly missing from the pop charts these days.

Of course it goes without saying that a whole album of this is too much to ask for but there are enough sparks to make this a worthwhile purchase for any existing fan. Dirty & Deep is the best song Madonna has never done, Paradise slows things down a touch to great effect and the title track is another winner.

To be fair there is a fair share of stuff I won't really listen to again, but you can't have everything can you? Patchy it may be, but at it's best it reminds you just how vital Deborah Harry has been...and still is.

Family - Leann Rimes

Well at least she's jettisoned the attempt to become a "pop" star. (I don't care what you say Mercy, Don't Fight The Moonlight was awful).

Well, no, she hasn't actually done that, but has at least realised that commercial Country might be her best bet of crossover success.

Lead single Nothing Better To Do is one of her strongest songs yet (ah, not difficult I hear you say) and is really rather good. You could even say it's far better than anything Leann Rimes does has any right to be.

Sadly it is by far the best song on Family, apparently her TWELFTH studio album, with only a couple of others, Upper Hand and Something I Feel (with it's Pretty Woman esque drum intro) coming close.

It's not awful - Rimes can sing and there are a number of ballads which are just screaming out for Radio 2 airplay - but it's just not memorable enough in the final analysis. Still, it's better than Whatever We Wanna, which surely is a step in the right direction.

Single Releases 24/09/07

I can't find my usual list of singles, so this might be a short one.

That new Katie Melua one, If I Were A Sailboat, is a bit saucy for her isn't it? It's crap of course, but you have to give a modicum of respect where it's due.

It's miles better than Shayne Ward's new one mind you. But then he is useless, so really you don't expect anything from him do you?

Spooky by the Puppini Sisters is ok. Maybe the joke is wearing thin now though. Enjoy it whilst it lasts Sisters.

Annie Lennox really does annoy me. But then I have a thing against rock/pop stars telling me how I should lead my life, so it's nothing that personal love.

I was surprised to see the Stereophonics are still plugging away...ok I kid. I know they're successful, I just don't see why they are! It Means Nothing is another in that long of line of Stereophonics songs that are alright but don't exactly rock my world.

The problem with Duke Special and Ed Harcourt is that I don't think they're as quite as good as a lot of people tell me. Thus it is the same with their new singles. Good, but not great.

Colbie Caillat's Bubbly hits the singles market this week. It's nice and pleasant but nothing that will be staying with you for that long.

Under The Influence - Terra Naomi

I know. You're sat there thinking not another female singer-songwriter to digest...and another one who has taken the "overnight" route to success via the Internet, this time with Say It's possible causing quite a stir late last year. Of course that would be unkind, given that she's been releasing unheralded albums independently for quite some time and that's before we've even got to question what exactly is wrong with using all the tools available to make a name for yourself.

Under The Influence may well strike some as an ironic title; one presumes that it's a reference to strong substances (Naomi not having been shy about previous dependencies) but one might also see that title and immediately come up with a list of influences the length of your arm. And indeed whilst it may not be anything we've not heard before (I'm thinking Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morrisette) that's not to say that it isn't without merit.

Naomi has a strong and inviting voice and has a knack for creating very catchy choruses the problem seems to be one of record company pressure. Like a lot of artists these days, Naomi seems a little too intent on chasing the pop single (and I'm not blaming her for that by the way) when if somebody somewhere had the gumption to let her strike out completely then we could have ended up with something very special indeed.

So in the end we've an album that is half suited to sound tracking the next American teen drama and earning airplay from Terry Wogan on Radio 2 (evident on the likes of Million Ways) and one that hints at something a little more expressive and special (such as on New Song or Flesh For Bones). Here's hoping that someone lets her concentrate on the latter next time out.

Bitchin - The Donnas

Have I woken up in a Life On Mars style world or did someone take me out in a Delorean, because it's as if the 1990's never happened on Bitchin, the new album from the Donnas. It's certainly as if their last album Gold Medal never happened. Indeed this new album is released on their own label largely because Atlantic wanted to take their sound in a different direction again.

This is, for all intents and purposes, 80's hair metal spiked with a Noughties attitude...and it ROCKS!

It's not their best album (I'm partial to Turn 21 and Skintight myself) but it is the crispest and makes the best use of the big studio production that was, presumably, beyond their budget earlier in their career.

I've long ago given up on the girls making a real breakthrough, but if there was any justice the likes of Girl Talk, What Do I Have To Do and Here For The Party would make at least a small dent in the charts.

The real star of the show seems to be guitarist Alison Robertson, who's licks and riffs transform this from a decent album to a good one. It's one that Donna's fans should love, as should anyone with more than a little liking for 80's rock (and for once that's not to disparage it). It's not subtle, but it is a hell of a lot of fun.

Updated Concert List

27th January - Ben Folds - Manchester Apollo
29th January - Nerina Pallot - Manchester Academy 2
30th January - The Hedrons - Night & Day, Manchester
11th February - Sandi Thom - The Lowry, Salford
18th February - The Long Blondes, Manchester Academy
222nd February - Bat For Lashes - RNCM, Manchester
10th March - Lily Allen, Manchester Apollo
28th March - Kate Nash - Night & Day, Manchester
17th April - The Pipettes - Ritz, Manchester
20th April - Lucy Porter (comedy gig) - The Lowry, Salford
20th May - Girls Aloud - MEN Arena, Manchester
3rd June - Kate Nash - Late Room, Manchester
30th June - Suzanne Vega - Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
12th July - Bat For Lashes - Manchester Academy 3
19th July - Feist - Manchester Academy 3
16th August - Sophie Ellis Bextor - Parr Hall, Warrington
21st August - Rilo Kiley - Manchester Academy 3
9th September - Natasha Bedingfield - Manchester Apollo - POSTPONED
27th September - New Young Pony Club - Ritz, Manchester
7th October - Frank Skinner (Comedy) - Lowry, Manchester
14th October - Editors - Manchester Apollo
19th October - KT Tunstall - Manchester Apollo
23rd October - Amy Macdonald - Barfly, Liverpool
1st November - The Donnas - Club Academy, Manchester
5th November - Kate Nash - Manchester Academy 3
18th November - Rilo Kiley - Stanley Theatre, Liverpool
25th November - Scouting For Girls - Liverpool Academy

Graduation - Kanye West

I can't believes I's only got seven minutes to write this review.

Anyway, my take on Kanye West is pretty well known. He can usually be relied upon to give us a handful of genuinely brilliant moments on an album, but will also back it up with a lot of filler. He's also not a very good rapper. Competent he may be, but purely on rapping he's not going to be top of the list.

Does Graduation change any of this in my eyes? Hell, no.

Lead single Stronger was/is fantastic and the Daft Punk nod was a welcome one for sure. The Glory sneaks in a bit of Laura Nyro to great effect whilst Flashing Lights is another winner, pitching it's self as something between a Bond theme and Bernard Herrmann produced soundtrack. Having said that though, I really could have done without the proclamation on that track the paparazzi are worse than the Nazi's. Nice one Kanye.

And that really points to another weakness on the album; West's self-importance came across as surprisingly tongue in cheek on his recent Friday Night Project presenter stint (hell he came across as extremely likable) but on Can't Tell Me Nothing, where the "impact" of his blast at George W. Bush's supposed ineptitude in respect of Hurricane Katrina is deemed more important than the aftermath of the disaster itself.

So lyrically there are many moments to cringe to, in one way or another, and there is a fair share of interesting, but misfiring, attempts to do something different (really, Chris Martin's appearance on Homecoming does neither man any favours whatsoever - although that won't matter to those who will see Martin's singing slot here as some kind of rallying call for real musicians).

Still the moments of genuine class just about drag this into thumbs up territory. But much like his previous two albums, in the months to come I'll be very selective over which tunes make it onto my playlist.

Pop Life - David Guetta

Everyone will be aware of Love Don't Let Me Go after it was in some car advert (forgive me, but cars in general interest me so little that I've no idea what particular car it was) but the question remains, does anyone particularly need a whole album of David Guetta? If you're immediately thinking no, then you might be surprised to hear that this is his 3rd album.

Of course as with, what seems like, every dance album these days you're pretty much going to like it or not. There is precious little ground. If it's your kind of thing you'll be jumping in the air, if it's not then you might as well switch off now.

Looking at it with a critics eye, it's not bad but not brilliant. When it hits the spot, such as Delirious its poptastic. When it's bad, chief criminal being the Public Image Limited cover This Is Not A Love Song, it's pretty dispiriting.

Unfortunately for Guetta, there's more tracks like the latter than there is the former.

Donna Marie

A bit of a change of pace from my usual rantings and ravings, although this is actually the first in an, occasional, series where I hope to spread the word about some artists you may not have heard of.

First in line for this is Donna Marie, a Warrington based singer-songwriter who is already a favorite with radio/internet DJs from as far as Guatemala to the USA with her self produced debut EP Paint The Sky.

One quote alone from her website is enough for me to reccommend Donna Marie;

"I think lots of people see the word POP MUSIC as a dirty word, but not me....I love to write pop. I don't see the point in writing 10 minute long songs that don't really have a hook to it."

and therein is her appeal. She has a soaring voice and specialises in catchy pop songs which immediately lodge in your brain.

It was seeing the likes of KT Tunstall and Nerina Pallot live that gave her back her passion for music and it's not too much of a stretch to compare her to those two. Top quality, pop songs that achieve their melodic aims without any compromise on quality.

With an album scheduled for later in the year and artists like Amy MacDonald asking her to support at concerts, Donna Marie is not going to remain off the radar for long. Now's your chance to impress your friends by getting in there first.

http://www.myspace.com/donnamariemusicsite
http://www.donnamariemusic.co.uk/

Single Releases - 17/09/07

Jack "The Gay Lumberjack" Penate comes back this week with Second Minute Or Hour. It's dreadful, but then everything this fella does is dreadful. So what else can you expect?

As a rule, Leann Rimes is also dreadful. So it IS a surprise that Nothing Else To Do is quite good. Thankfully she's also jettisoned the attempt to be a pop star and stuck to something a little bit Country.

Oh Kate Nash, what are we to do with you? Mouthwash is undeniably catchy but I'm still reeling with the relatively disappointing album. The video is absolute tosh too.

Ashely Tisdale attempts another breakthrough in the UK market. He Said She Said is certainly a decent enough slice of pop, but nowhere near the big hit that would give her a name over here.

WigWam died a death didn't it, but it hasn't put Betty Boo off trying to re-make a name for herself and Jack Rocka enlists her help for Take Off. What can I say, because it's Betty Boo and is therefore automatically awesome.

Mutya Beuna has got past the two, sorry ONE, decent song on her album so really there is no need for you to listen to Just A Little Bit.

I'm getting sick of hearing that bloody Peter Bjorn & John song. Young Folks is a good tune but I'm suffering from over exposure to it.

Still, they're doing better than Will.I.Am It only took one listen of his new song I Got It From My Momma to get sick of it.

Glorious: The Singles 1997-2007 - Natalie Imbruglia

Yes, she really has been going for 10 years, but no with only 10 singles in that time (including title track Glorious, which was one of the customary new tracks on such an album) and only three albums is there really a clamour for a Natalie Imbruglia singles collection?

Way back in 1998, thanks to my erstwhile flatmate of the time Duncan, Natalie Imbruglia was quite the "in" thing. Indeed rare was the night playing Doom on the Playstation that Left On The Middle didn't get a spin on the CD player. Since that time though, I've had no real interest in the former Beth Brennan. Sure there would be the occasional moment when a new single came out and I alternated between "oh is she still carrying on" and "that's alright but not something I'd want to buy."

At least Imbruglia had the sense, on a recent appearance with Graham Norton, to admit that this wasn't a "greatest hits" but rather a "singles collection". Not that success hasn't been achieved in the UK with 5 top 10 hits but with Imbruglia I've often got the feeling that success, in itself, isn't what it's about for her. She wants respect and to be seen as a real musician.

Which kind of went tits up when the hit that introduced her to the world, Torn, was revealed to not even be an original song. Imbruglia claimed that she'd never said it was, but by the same token she was quite happy to let people think that.

Even now, almost a decade on, Torn is still a fantastic single though. And in fact it's probably too good for her to ever match; it certainly is the best thing on here by a fair distance. It's not the most interesting thing mind you, that honour would go to Smoke which for a brief moment suggested that there may have been more to Imbruglia that the ex-soap pop princess hype machine would suggest.

Sadly the other tracks from Left Of The Middle haven't aged as well. Wishing I Was There is so formulaic that it could have been done by anyone from Meredith Brooks to Alisha's Attic whilst Big Mistake makes you wonder if Kurt Cobain's revolution was all for nothing.

Follow up album White Lilies Island bombed if we're being honest and That Day and Beauty On The Fire show you why. They're not terrible but not tracks that I had any real memory of and "pleasant but forgettable" must be one of the harshest things you can say about a record. Wrong Impression isn't much better, but I at least remembered it so that counts for something.

Third album Counting Down The Days quite inexplicably reached number one in the UK charts, although Shiver, it's lead single, is definitely the best thing that isn't Torn on this collection. We return to averageness with the title track from that album.

Recent single Glorious is one of 5 new tracks and again follows the nice enough, but not memorable trajectory that most of Imbruglia's career has followed. But as Be With You, another of the new tracks, shows occasionally she can create something truly special. It's just a pity she doesn't do it more often and as a result, she's never likely to get the respect as a serious artist that she so obviously desires.

Set Me Free - Marion Raven

If Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson were Norwegian and were putting together an album of potential Eurovision Song Contest entries, Set Me Free by Marion Raven would probably be the sort of thing that would result.

And now I've got rid of three quarters of the readers of this blog, we can continue.

The salient points to get out of the way are that 22 year old Raven wrote (or co-wrote) every track on the album, she can actually play the guitar and piano and rather messily extricated herself from a major Atlantic Records deal so she could released the album she wanted to. Fact fiends will also be aware that she was the woman who accompanied Meatloaf on his terrible version of the terrible Celine Dion's terrible song It's All Coming Back To Me from Bat Out Of Hell III.

She's brought along a whole host of fantastic songwriters for the ride, including Max Martin and Chantal Kreviazuk and has also co-written with Nikki Sixx, who's called her "the most talented new artist I’ve worked with since I’ve been making music." Which probably says more about him than it does her.

The sheer weight of collaborators on this album means that anyone looking for a cohesive piece of work might as well go home. It does also mean though that whilst there are definite duff moments, there are also some sparkling ones too, with the pick of the bunch probably being the piano-driven 13 Days.

Far too often though the album is a little too predictable and unoriginal. There's nothing that's particularly offensive and if this all sounds like your kind of thing then you'll not be too disappointed with the album. Those who want a bit more might find themselves hoping that next time around someone might get Marion Raven to show a bit of restraint and focus on her strengths.

Poison Kiss - The Last Goodnight

I am a mind reader. I bet when you were drifting to sleep last night you were thinking just how the musical world needs a "new Maroon 5". And lo and behold, here they are...The Last Goodnight.

It's the same upbeat 80's pop style fast songs mixed with the same mellow and boring ballads that you might expect from Adam Levine and the boys with some laborious Darren Hayes style vocals tossed in.

The fact that they make copious use of the piano is a plus point and I would have to admit that this album, if only by default is better than Maroon 5's It Won't Be Soon Before Long. But then again that is one of the most soulless albums of 2007; this isn't far behind but does at least have the advantage of not being quite so nauseous.

Ten New Messages - The Rakes

Well if KT Tunstall has gone "pop", then the 2007 version of The Rakes have followed a similar
trajectory. But, for my money, it's been a good move. Much like Maximo Park earlier this year, the Rakes have followed a critically acclaimed album that underwhelmed me with a second album that may not get the same fevered response from a lot of critics but is a record that I prefer.

The brashness and punk ethic that encapsulated the likes of 22 Grand Job has pretty much disappeared, to be replaced by reflective, but utterly melodic, tunes.

At it's best it's brilliant. The likes of Down With Moonlight are sublime and there are a few tracks, like We Danced Together, that get better every time you hear them again.

The only real places when it gets a little too misplaced is on the likes of Suspicious Eyes, a game attempt to write a song relevant for these terrorist influenced times but one that falls flat. It's neither sharp enough lyrically, or memorable enough musically to convince. Similarly When Tom Cruise Cries is a game effort, but just not a very memorable song (seemingly exactly the same all the way through it's near five minute running time) and whilst the idea of song largely concerned with mobile phone signals being crap may sound interesting, Mike Skinner has already given us much wittier examples of how to do it properly.

So it's not a perfect record, and I can well imagine fans of their first album being very suspicious when they first hear it. Still, it is a good record which does improve with repeat listens.

It's All A Bit Complicated - Art Brut

In a world where every British rock star seems at pains to paint themselves as "serious" (for one, witness the new Kaiser Chiefs record) it's a bit of a bonus to have Art Brut. Because their second album, It's All A Bit Complicated, directly follows the witty, crazy and catchy template that their debut, Bang Bang Rock 'N' Roll, brought us.

The one thing they have cranked up though this time around, are the tunes. Indeed, even at their most obtuse, Art Brut have always been about the tune and It's A Bit Complicated is one of the catchiest pop records you'll hear all year.

Direct Hit, if there was any justice, would send them into the Chart stratosphere with its catchy, and instantly singable, chorus and genuinely funny lyrics (based around tongue-tied night clubbers dancing rather than talking to their crush). There's plenty of other tracks that could provide a similar success, such as People In Love and Nag Nag Nag Nag, but there's also a couple of more reflective tracks, such as Sounds Of The Summer with it's narrative of compiling a "mix-tape", that work as well.

Art Brut have often been accused of being one trick ponies and favouring style over substance. This album should prove the doubters wrong on both counts.

LP1 - Plastiscines

Looking for something to tide me over until the new Donna's album, I found myself grabbing this, the debut album from Plastiscines, a quartet of French nubile's (all under 20, or so I believe) who specialise in catchy pop/punk tunes.

Subtle it isn't; half in French, half in broken-English it could be summed by saying it's three chords on distorted guitars, drums and bass thudding away and never outstaying its welcome. All the songs are less than three minutes (some not reaching two) and the entire album is over in less than half an hour.

If it's all sounding a bit daft then don't worry; it's actually really rather good.

It's packed with memorable and catchy tunes and half the fun is ticking off the list of influences (Blondie, The Kinks, The Ramones, Patti Smith, The B52's to name but a few) that the band's own press release homes in on.

It also has a sense of mischief and humour that is missing from a lot of records like this, and a Gaelic charm all of it's own. If you can resist the likes of Pop In Pop Out, (Zazie fait de la) Bicyclette and Loser I'd suggest finding yourself a little joie de vivre.

I can't think of a more enjoyable way of passing 28 minutes of your day.

Single Releases 10/09/07

With all apologies to anyone else releasing a single this week, in protest against The Sheilas and (I'm So) Happy Happy (You're Mine) I refuse to review properly this week.

This is one of the worst records ever, and I hate it. So there.

Drastic Fantastic - KT Tunstall

This album was second only to Rilo Kiley in terms of my most anticipated album of 2007. Yes this was more important than Kate Nash mainly because Eye To The Telescope was one of my most loved albums of the past few years. Indeed I remember with a fondness having to change my top albums list of 2004 list about 3 seconds before I was due to unveil it to the world because even though ETTT had only been out for about 2 weeks before the end of the year I had to include it.

Of course all this ignores the fact that Acoustic Extravaganza was a complete waste of my time, but as that's not a "proper" album I'll continue to treat that as an aberration that I need not bother with. But in many ways it signifies the problem that Tunstall faces. Eager to stay true to her roots she may be, but when your debut album sells 4 million copies your record company want something similar next time out.

And indeed we get two KT Tunstall's for the price of one here. We get the glamour pop princess on the one hand (one only needs to look at the cover picture), whilst the old folk KT still wants it's time in the spotlight. You cannot deny that on certain tracks, radio-friendly pop mega sellers were certainly in mind.

In might come as little surprise to anyone who's had more than a passing conversation with me that the pop side of things is very much to my liking. The likes of Little Favours, If Only and Hold On are instantly memorable. Indeed, despite it's lack of a decent chorus, I was singing Hold On for about three days after first hearing the album in it's entirety - a feat all the more remarkable considering it's playing in isolation never moved me all that much as a single.

I Don't Want You Now and next single Saving My Face aren't quite up to those levels but are both good songs as well.

I have to admit that it all gets a bit too pedestrian for me in parts. Paper Aeroplane and White Bird are not terrible songs, but can't really hold a candle to the slower songs from ETTT and without being too unkind, Beauty Of Uncertainty might well prove to be my cue for a toilet break at the upcoming tour. Slim it down to 3 minutes instead of 5 and it might have kept me interested for it's duration.

Still all is not lost on this side of the coin. Someday Soon just enchants me. Its simple, but wonderfully heartfelt and is the song that most grabs me like Heal Over did on its predecessor.

It's hard to say that it's better than Eye To The Telescope, and I have to admit to not really believing the "you have to be drastic to be fantastic" line that Tunstall has been spinning, but that doesn't make this a bad album.

It has enough shiny pop hits to captivate the casual fan who loves her on the basis of Black Horse & Cherry Tree or Suddenly I See and also, despite my ambivalence to some of the tracks, enough of the softer/acoustic side of KT that drew in other people as well.

The only "negative" I can really come up with is that at times it seems as if KT is trying to be all things to all people and as such it doesn't have the cohesive brilliance of Telescope and it's not the great leap that it might have been. Still, whilst it may not be convincingly "Drastic", at least it's a lot closer to being "Fantastic".

Kala - M.I.A

The one thing you can say with certainty about this record is that you can definitely tell that it was recorded in America, India, Japan, Trinidad, Australia, and Jamaica. This is not your standard "mono sound" album filled with identical tracks, this is a sonic melting pot to an insane degree. The question is, does that mean it's any good?

Well for the most part it does.

Be it the Indian drums pervading Bird Flu, the Clash sample on Paper Planes or the appearance of Afrikan Boy on Hussel there is always something bombarding your senses.

The only real problem is that those of you looking for a classic "tune" might find yourselves with a task on your hand. And when you consider that one of the few songs that does have a catchy tune, Jimmy, sounds exactly like something you'd expect from Boney M you might be put off already. (For the record, for all the "who sung what" nonsense, Boney M were awesome).

But whilst this album may in some ways be purposefully alienating you there is no doubting the power of it. It may not get it right every time, but you'll not hear anything remotely like this anywhere else this year...and that has to count for something.

Hey Venus - Super Furry Animals

I've seen them live quite a few times (including that awful year at Leeds when they attempted to alienate 95% of the audience with a largely Welsh-Language set) but I would never call myself an avid fan. It's the tendency to, well, go off on one and lose track of what constitutes a tune that has never quite meant that I get too enamoured.

Thankfully, for me at least, their eighth studio album Hey Venus sees them firmly in the effervescent pop mode.

Yes it has all the usual off-beat genius you would expect, but it consistently wraps them up in gorgeous and memorable melodies.

Be it the Wall Of Sound, erm... sounding, Run Away, the almost glam rock posturing of Neo Consumer or the straight up rock of Baby Ate My Eight Ball the album is an almost constant delight.

Sure the supposed concept story of the album (a young woman moving from a small town to a big city with tragic consequences) will probably pass you by but since when has there been anything wrong with a rag-bag series of great songs one after another.

It's unlikely to win the Furry's any new fans but anyone with any previous liking for their unique brand of pop will find an awful lot to enjoy on here.

Sweet Danger - Suzy Bogguss

Suzy Bogguss hasn't had a quantifiable Country hit this century but this might actually have been a good thing as far as this listener is concerned. No longer recording to have "hits" has freed up Bogguss to really show her musical chops. This is proved again with Sweet Danger, an album you could just as much call jazz as you could country.

The cynical amongst us could label the "change" of sound a calculated gamble given the fact that A) Bogguss wasn't selling many records as a Country artist and B) the likes of Norah Jones have made this kind of coffee table lounge sound very "of the moment". But that would be to do Bogguss a dis-service.

The clear reference point for me in many ways was Suzanne Vega; whilst never threatening to come anywhere near to the excellence that Vega has made her trademark it has the gentle but vital heart-beat that makes her records such as absorbing treat.

No Good Way To Go is a case in point, and is perhaps the closest thing to a "rap" song you'll find a 50 year old Country artist doing, but it's not the only highlight.
Her cover of Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now” is a pleasant surprise and In Heaven, the closest thing to traditional country you'll find shows that whatever Nashville may say to the contrary, there is a place for "old country" in the modern marketplace.

Of course it's difficult to see this appealing to Bogguss' long standing country fans, although for the most part it's them who are missing out. Bogguss has the voice to carry this "new direction" off very well and this is well worth a listen.

Mercury Music Award

"This album is not very good. It's three or four good songs, surrounded by fairly poor tracks."

So said your esteemed blogger about the Klaxons chances of winning the Mercury Music Award for their album. Shows what I know doesn't it?

Anyway, in my defence I'm sure it was just the prospect of what Amy Winehouse may have spent £20,000 on if she'd won that cost her the prize. (Incidentally it was nice to see her piss off all of 30 seconds after not winning - mind you with the cringeworthy acceptance speech by the Klaxons - think grown men drunk, crying and swearing - you can't blame her).

Forget for a moment that Bat For Lashses should have won (and I put my money where my mouth was with a tenner at 7/1 for them - in the days before Fur & Gold became one of the favourites) and lets examine Myths of the Near Future. Months down the line I'm only the more convinced that the album is a handful of cracking singles surounded by filler.

And as for the statement that the Klaxons have "taken music forward" with the album...a cover version of Not Over Yet really is cutting edge for 2007 isn't it?

Still my friends it could have been worse; The View could have won.

Coolest Album Cover. Ever

Ok, so it'a slow news week...

But it is a pretty cool cover isn't it?

This US version comes with two new tracks, Dance and Boogie and Baby, Just Be Yourself. Neither are particularly my favourite Pipettes songs ever but I do have a sneaky liking for Dance and Boogie especially.

Some proper reviews of other stuff will follow soon.

Single Releases 03/08/07

Ok so first an apology. Yes, I did totally forget to review KT Tunstall's comeback single Hold On.
So better late than never...

It's good. I can't quite see why she keeps insisting it's got an "R'n'B" vibe to it, but maybe that's just me. My only criticism of it would be that it could do with a catchier chorus. It's not a bad chorus by any means but it drags the song down slightly. As for the "you've got to be drastic to be fantastic" thing, I'll hold judgement on that until the album.

Onto this week's stuff.

Girls Aloud slam back on the scene with Sexy! No No No. I'd prefer a question mark instead of an exclamation mark. But anyhoo, it's a decent effort. Not as catchy as their best stuff but it does have that tinge of maniacal genius that all their best stuff has. The opening is brilliant; the rest of the song doesn't quite match it. The "duh-duh-dirty mind" bit though is perfection.

Rhianna may be boring as a pop star, but she comes up with some cracking pop singles. Ok, so she's "presented" with them, but Shut Up & Drive is very good, although it's New Order recreation isn't as good as the Soft Cell driven SOS. But as I've said before; in pop terms what else is these days?

Bring out the Roast Chicken because James Blunt is back. 1973 is pretty awful though. And I'm speaking as someone who hasn't got sick of his album. He's come back with the kind of song the record company wanted him to come back with. It just doesn't have that soaring quality that his best singles have had. Ok, that High had.

Candie Payne's record company have finally decided that my tipping her for success in 2007 needn't mean the end of her career by getting Mark Ronson in to remix One More Chance. A good job he's done too. Now all I need is people to actually start buying her records.

Isn't this a "big name" single's week?

The Editors return with that one song they always do. Fair's fair though, they do do the one song very well. I'm growing less and less enamoured with his voice though every time I hear it. Watching them live may be a painful experience...only joking Gee man.

Is there a worse single this year knocking about than Plain White T's Hey There Delilah? There may be, but this is definitely on the short list. I particularly love how this song's success somehow is supposed to signify a good thing. It's not. They're rubbish, the song is rubbish and, in effect, this is naught but a novelty record.

Speaking of awful novelty records, we come to Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston. It's a close run thing over whether this is worse than even Plain White T.

Of course both of those will sell thousands more copies than Lucky Soul's One Kiss Don't Make a Summer but then life isn't fair. Why it's been released now, instead of the height of the summer is beyond me, but then I don't run a record company do I?

Paramore's Hallelujah is a nice little track. Nothing earth shattering, but good all the same.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip are seemingly awesome. The Beat That My Heart Skipped is another winner.

As mentioned before, Bonde do Rolê don't quite have the killer single that would see them doing a "CSS" but Solta o Frango is a typically good track from them all the same.

Don't Look Away - Kate Voegele

One review of this album I read said that listening to Kate Voegele's debut album Don't Look Away was a lot like reading your big sister's diary; mostly boring but every once in a while there was something juicy to grab your attention.

Listening to this album I knew exactly what they meant.

It's would be easy to dismiss Voegele as your typical young empowered female singer-songwriter and given that this is released on Myspace Records you wouldn't be far wrong if you lumped this in with the likes of Colbie Caillat. Yes we're firmly in the "pleasant but we've heard it all before territory".

Of course because she writes her own songs and has, you know, guitars and stuff on her records many will give her the benefit of the doubt and it is fair to say that there are occasional signs on this record that Voegele has potential. A particular favourite of mine was I Won't Disagree. a lovely bluesy number with a real kick to it.

In the end though it falls between two stools; it's clear that we're supposed to think that Voegele has genuine "singer-songwriter" credentials, but then a lot of the time this is presented to us in the form of tunes that Kelly Clarkson might reject as unsubtle.

As ever, or so it seems with these things, what we have in the end with this is an artist with potential, but nothing really on this debut album that really sets her apart from the chasing pack.

This Record Is About Cars - The Debut

As far as I can tell, this isn't about cars, but don't let that put you off.

What it is, is a straight up rock 'n' roll record with a distinctly pop edge. Lyrically it's your usual "love and loss" theme but there is no denying that it is certainly catchy.

Indeed tracks like Hey!, So Far Away and Last Chance would sit comfortably on your modern radio stations, and could, in the right circumstances, provide decent hits for the band.

Occasionally it all drifts apart amidst clumsy songs titles (Calm Objective Opinion anyone?) but if the idea of "Weezer meets a less shit Maroon 5" appeals to you, you'll find plenty to enjoy on this, ahem, debut album.

Because I'm Awesome - The Dollyrots

If only for the title alone, title track Because I'm Awesome would be, well, awesome. That it's also three and a half minutes of minor punk-pop genius. An instantly memorable riff coupled with an addictive chorus equals a brilliant pop tune.

So far so good. But then something strange happens. Track 2, My Best Friend's Hot transcends it's cringeworthy title to be also be a very good song as well. It's not that far removed from its immediate predecessor in terms of style and sound but it has an addictive energy and charm that is difficult to ignore.

And that pattern pretty much carries on throughout the album. It's not earth shatteringly different at any point but does what it sets out to do very well indeed. Most songs offer a catchy and thoroughly "sing-a-longable" chorus in the vein of an Avril Lavigne (when she's not being a miserable mardy bitch) or Joan Jett (which isn't too much of a surprise as it's released on her own Blackheart Record label). This is fun, jaunty pop music which delights and offers up a hell of a lot of fun despite it's glaringly obvious lack of originality.

In Our Bedroom After The War - Stars

Stars' last album, Set Yourself On Fire, was sublime (the 17th best album of 2007 if you listen to some people....) which immediately brings up, shall we say, issues with the follow up before you've even put it in the CD player. Can In Our Bedroom After The War live up to it's predecessor? Will it offer anything new to the Stars experience?

Well as ever the answer isn't clear cut. It's probably not the work of outright genius that SYOF was but it's still a very good record. And whilst it probably isn't a huge sonic leap forward from that album, if the thing's not broke why bother fixing it?

Indeed lyrically the album concerns pretty much the same themes of love, both lost and won. Having said that, there aren't many songs like Personal in the rock cannon (concerning the tale of a couple who meet through an online dating agency but never meet because when the man gets the woman's picture he decides she's too heavy).

Still if such heartbreaking moments aren't for you, there is still plenty of opportunity to "rock out" to the likes of Bitches In Tokyo.

It's the slower moments, such as the sublime My Favourite Book, that grabbed me the most and although the album will inevitably lose in comparisons to Set Yourself On Fire in some senses, we shouldn't forget that In Our Bedroom After The War is a grand album in it's own right; surely that counts for a lot.

Comnbinations - Eisley

It's clear from the onset that the band's second album sees Eisley "growing up" to a certain extent. But indeed whilst the playfulness that abounded on Room Noises is perhaps missing to a certain extent, the music is as good as ever. It also retains that somewhat "out there" vibe that permeates their best work with the feeling that you never can quite be sure what's coming next.

Thankfully, "what comes next" is usually very good indeed. From the opening, almost Muse-like, rock track Many Funerals to the gentle closer If You're Wondering this is a constantly delightful album.

The real stand out tracks include Invasion, which is another Muse-esque rocker, the pop-tastic Taking Control and Ten Cent Blues, which may well be the best of the lot.

Ok, so there is the sense that you could categorise the entire Eisley output in the terms of "this sounds like Band A" and "this sounds like Band B" and such is the wide scope of musical endeavour throughout this album that you find yourself finding that the album doesn't quite hang as a cohesive whole. But those are minor problems when the end result is so joyous and uplifting. At once commercial and distinctly uncommercial the contradictions on show during the album, to me at least, only make the album all the more impressive.

Once Upon A Time In The West - Hard-Fi

I doubt I'll be surprising any regular readers of this site when I tell you that I hate Hard-Fi. Actually that might be a bit harsh. Truth be told they have done a couple of half decent songs which don't see me wishing death on the band every time I hear them. The problem is the band themselves. Rightly or wrongly, and there is the chance that they are great blokes, every time I see them, be it performing a song or doing an interview my first thought is "what a bunch of tossers".

So there. I am going to be biased in this review because I don't like them.

But by the same token I'm not going to totally dismiss them because of that, nor just because the whole "No Cover Art" thing is the biggest load of bollocks since Vinnie Jones' spoken word intro on the last Joss Stone album.

Occasionally there is something akin to genuine emotion on the album and it's at those times that Hard-Fi are almost likable. One example is Help Me Please, written in response to the death of Richard Archer's mother; it's perhaps not a typical Hard-Fi song, which probably explains part of it's appeal.

But really for the most part it's one of those records where I sit there and find myself thinking "what's the fuss?". It's relatively catchy and will sell by the bucketload, but that doesn't make it an astounding piece of work. I'm bored with it now, Christ knows how I'll feel in 12 months time once the radio has played the singles to death.

Single Releases 27/08

If only for the absolutely preposterous video Maroon 5's Wake Up Call has to be one of the worst singles of the year. I mean come on, who does that lead singer think he is kidding?

How could a song with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on it be so absolutely awful? Yes, that's right, it also has 50 Cent on it. It's no wonder Ayo Technology has bombed in the US charts; Kanye is going to murder him in the chart "battle".

It's greatest hits time for Natalie Imbruglia. Although of course I do believe her when she say's she's only agreed to the compilation CD on her own terms. Yes dear. Glorious is the first "new" track to get an airing; like most of her stuff it's ok, but not great. Indeed, that just about sums her up. But then again what do you expect when her most famous song was, shall we say, misrepresented as her own song when all along it was a cover version....

I know no-one believes me, but the new Hilary Duff album was quite good. I know no-one belives me because it's remix time in order to shill some units. They can't even bring themselves to admit it's a Hilary Duff song as it's released under the name Wawa Vs Hillary Duff or some such nonsense. It's ok, but not as good as the proper version.

The Twang are as pointless as ever.

Mammoth by Interpol is good though.

The Young Knives come back with new track Terra Firma this week; it starts of distinctly unpromisingly, but soon becomes something a lot more agreeable. "It looks like mother nature's got a whore, with no regard for health and safety laws...". You can't argue with genius like that can you?

Nine Lives - Kat De Luna

I cannot pretend that first hearing of an artist when they provide a soundtrack song for WWE Summerslam fills one with confidence. Although lets face it, it was something of a thrill to hear a song on WWE tv that wasn't your usual pop-rock-metal nonsense.

Kat De Luna is a native of the Bronx, and offers up an eclectic blend of pop, reggae, dance hall, hip-hop, merengue, R&B and bachata in her debut album, 9 Lives. Well that's what the press blurb says anywhere.

So needless to say, if the idea of Rhianna or Beyonce totally detests you then you might as well look away now. But if, like me, you appreciate that those two have done some cracking pop tunes (in amongst, I would be the first to admit, the dross) then you might at least want to check out the best cuts on this album.

There's nothing particularly subtle anywhere on the album with the emphasis placed firmly on fun pop tunes. And there are tunes to enjoy in this vein. In The End is a funky pop tune, mixing an addictive guitar motif with a euro-disco beat to surprisingly good effect and Animal sounds like Shakira at her most mental...which is a good thing.

The real surprise is just how adept Kat De Luna is at balladry (which, lets face it, is where pop usually goes tits up nine (ahem) times out of ten. Love Me, Leave Me may well sound similar to Rhianna's Unfaithful but is both more restrained, moving and utterly adorable.

Sure most of the rest of the album passes by in an unmemorable, albeit jolly, mode, but the odd moment of brilliance ensures this isn't a complete waste of time. Not one to buy then, but one to keep an ear out for.

Girl Talk - Elin

I can't find anything out about Elin. I presume she's Dutch/German/Something, or at the very least that's where she attempted to make an impact on the charts.

This lack of knowledge about her might suggest that the album can't be very good. And no, it isn't. It's not awful, but if I were to suggest that Elin is a watered down Avril Lavigne, you'd pretty much be able to sum up her sound.

Not offensively awful, but neither does it have anything that I'll be listening to ever again.

Diamond In The Dark - Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles

I don't know, you go years without reviewing a rockabilly CD and then two come along in succession. Although really, "rockabilly" doesn't really cover quite the range that Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles have on this album.

The Day We Met certainly opens up the album on a rockabilly bent, but before long we're onto the pop-rock cracker Stop And Think It Over (think Avril Lavigne with a genuine ear for a tune), the retro-traditional Country sound of False Eyelashes and the blues driven Open Up Your Back Door.

The lack of a real cohesive tying together of the album does make the overall listening experience more than a little bit chaotic but if an individual track fails to capture your attention then it's a case of don't worry, something completely different will be along in a minute.

Thankfully, most of the tracks ARE crackers. Borges has the charisma to pull off the chameleon approach, and backed by a tight backing group the end results are often something very special indeed.

Black Cat Bone - Lee Rocker

If I was going to do a Sam Beckett and travel back in time (ignoring the "leap within your own lifetime nonsense") the one place I would go back to, in a musical sense, would be the mid-late 50's and Sun Records. I don't know former Stray Cats member Lee Rocker, but on the basis of this album I'd wager that he'd gladly join me for the ride.

And I can also safely say that if you're one of those people that know Jerry Lee Lewis is The Killer and that Elvis' most vital work was done in those early days at Sun then this is an album that you're going to love.

From start to finish it's a rock 'n' roll delight.

He's just as good at tackling old classics (Bob Dylan's One More Night, Hank Williams' Lost Highway) as he is at churning out great originals.

For any fan of rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, twanging guitars and straight up rocking melodies, this is an absolute must.

Rilo Kiley LIVE

Ok, so there was no restaurant meeting with Jenny Lewis this time around although we did have to put up with two South Africans in the pub who were cheering for India in the cricket. Jimmy Anderson soon put pay to that though.

Manchester Academy 3 was packed to the rafters which naturally offered us no protection from the tossers. Highlight of the evening from that point of view was probably the girl who about three or four songs into the set stood right in front of me then complaining to her fella that the person she'd stood behind was blocking her view. Don't mind me love.

Anyway, onto Rilo Kiley. Some fans have been terribly upset with the new album but all clinged to some hope that in the live arena, the songs would still kick ass. Well I like the album anyway, but it is safe to say that live, the majority of the new songs do indeed kick ass.

They started off with It's A Hit mind you, and tossed in Portions For Foxes and Paint's Peeling within the first four songs.

Of the new songs, Close Call was particularly good (but then again it is probably my favourite off the album) as was Under The Blacklight. I also thoroughly enjoyed Smoke Detector and Breakin' Up.

Blake Sennett took over for two songs; Ripchord was better than I remember the More Adventurous version ever being but Dreamworld was as dull as it's album counterpart.

The "Crazy Cover Version" of the evening was a version of Jenny Lewis' own Rise Up With Fists; it was funked up and, in all honesty, fairly perfunctory as well. Most bizarre moment of the evening had to be when Lewis preceded 15 with a "warning" to a 15 year old girl down the front which prompted some wag in the crowd to shout out "Jenny's going to piss on you." Quite.

The encore saw a sneak peak of Fergie's new single, no sorry, it was Give A Little Love, and they finished off with a spine tingling version of Does He Love You?

Anyway, it was a quality concert all around. Being quite taken with the new album I enjoyed the new stuff and the old stuff and the band were certainly on form. And as much as some long-standing fans may disagree, Jenny Lewis' attempts to "sex" things up are alright in my book.

Under The Blacklight - Rilo Kiley

Well Moneymaker certainly "divided" the fans and pre-release reviews of this album seem to have been similarly divided.

For the record, I like Rilo Kiley and the "shocking news" that they'd somehow gone "pop" on their 4th album was never going to upset me that much was it? Neither was the proclamation from some sources that RK had "sold out" by making a catchy album with one eye on actually selling a few copies.

If anything my "fear" was perhaps that Jenny Lewis' solo album Rabbit Fur Coat had somewhat raised the bar. It was a sublime record that was perhaps better than anything Rilo Kiley had ever come up with; which is high praise indeed.

The album starts on a pair of very high notes indeed. Silver Lining, which had been previewed online in the weeks leading up to the album release, is in many ways a typical Rilo Kiley song. It's message seems to concern the collapse of a close relationship, not that you'd particularly tell by the upbeat and catchy tune, and the only thing different is an added sheen (which some fans labelled an "over production"). Close Call is just as good.

Moneymaker turns out not to be typical of the album, and as such does reveal itself as a rather strange lead single, but if long term fans were apoplectic at that change of sound, Breaking Up, with its disco stylings, may well give them a heart attack.

The album's title track in some ways sums up the whole album; the beginning sets it up as something akin to a hip hop track, yet it soon dissolves into a typical guitar led track. For all the hype that this is a "new" Rilo Kiley, there is a distinct impression that it's a moving forward from what's gone before, rather than starting from scratch.

I've never seen the point of giving Blake Sennett vocals on a Rilo Kiley album (perhaps that's just me being biased mind you) so we'll somewhat skip over Dreamworld. It's better than Ripchord from More Adventurous mind you. (I'm aware I'm being a little harsh there, but I can't imagine anyone listening to Dreamworld and not thinking "this would sound better with Jenny Lewis singing it").

Dejalo sounds something like Gwen Stefani would come up and is no doubt another track that will send the rabid fans scuttling to the corner with their heads in their hands. Those with an open mind however might just find it difficult to resist.

15 shows that RK have lost none of their lyrical bite (concerning as it does an older man grooming a 15 year old girl on the internet); it's brass fuelled chorus is delightful and will have you singing along with scant recognition of what you're actually singing!

Smoke Detector is reminiscent of early Rilo Kiley, and indeed whilst catchy never really seems to go anywhere; it's saved by a criminally catchy chorus though. The Angels Hung Around is the most "Rabbit Fur Coat" esque song on the album before we close with the electro pop gem Give A Little Love which once again marries an extremely catchy tune with sentiments that are quite literally heartbreaking.

So all in all it's a triumph. Some, perhaps wishing to sentence Rilo Kiley to life-long "cult" (i.e. not selling many records) status will try and tell you that the album strips away everything that made them great in the first place but that is absolute nonsense. This is the sound of a band stepping up their game.

It's everything you loved about Rilo Kiley...and more.

Single Releases 20/08/07

Suburban Knights by Hard-Fi is not a bad tune at all. But the whole cover art debacle just seems to confirm that the band themselves are a load of tossers. So whilst the tune is ok, I can't really look past the fact that I hate them.

Similarly, Ricky Wilson and the drummer from the Kaiser Chiefs, annoy the hell out of me. SO whilst Angry Mob is a decent single, it doesn't change the fact that the video is crap and that I hate them.

I seem to be one of the few who prefer the new Maximo Park album to their first one, but even with that said I have to admit that Girls Who Play Guitars is not one of my favourites. It's ok, but that's as far as it goes.

Remi Nicole...Remi Nicole. I could do the old Gorilla Monsoon line and say don't commit her name to memory as she won't be here for long. Go Mr Sunshine is alright, but really is not something I ever want to listen to again. Which can't be a good sign can it?

I can't quite believe I once thought Linkin Park were "quite good". I can't even blame it on a woman.

I still don't see the point of hellogoodbye. It's pop, but rubbish pop.

As for The Gossip. Isn't Jealous Girls just the same as every other recent single? Oh I forgot, Beth Ditto is officially cool isn't she?

The Underdog by Spoon is great. But those of you have read my album review will know that already!

How Can We Be Silent - BarlowGirl

I don't know what it is recently with me and "Christian" rock. Following hot on the heels of Britt Nicole come BarlowGirl, three Chicago born sisters preaching the good gospel of abstinence from sex before marriage.

Musically this is out and out Evanescence territory. Indeed if you were to happen upon a song of theirs on the radio without any prior knowledge of who they were you might well assume that BarlowGirl were Evanescence.

Of course any closer inspection would serve to realise your folly. As much as Evanescence were championed as Christian rock at the beginning of their rise to fame I doubt they ever had a song like The Guy Song, which appears to be challenging us men to be the kind of people God intended us to be, or Keep Quiet, which seems to be admonishing those people who seem to find Jesus so offensive.

If you are a big fan of Evanescence then you'll probably mildly enjoy this album without ever really being able to get past the fact that its not as good as the band its aping. It's target audience will no doubt lap it up, the rest of us might struggle to come up with any genuine enthusiasm for the album as a whole.

Incidentally it's the most adventurous moment of the set that captivated me the most (or at all). One More Round hits you with a slinky Jazz back beat that elevates it from the pack and shows that with a bit of fine tuning, and an attempt to reach for their own unique sound, there could be a lot to admire about BarlowGirl.

Hand Built By Robots - Newton Faulkner

I might as well admit from the beginning that I'm predisposed to dislike Newton Faulkner. As if the comparisons to Jack Johnson weren't bad enough, young Newton replies to them by saying that he'd rather be compared to him than someone like Girls Aloud.

Well quite frankly Newton, I would suspect that Girls Aloud wouldn't want to be compared to an album as "pleasant" and insipid as yours. A two word review would be as follows; pleasantly dull.

That's not to dismiss Newton completely. Whilst the comparisons to Jack Johnson are fair musically Faulkner seems a lot more likable than his surfer inspired forerunner and, from my point of view, nowhere near as earnestly annoying. But for all the technically accomplished playing that's on show, there's an alarming black hole where the soul should be.

If you were mad about single Dream Catch Me then I dare say that you'll enjoy this album to a certain degree. Me? Well I'm not sure I'll be listening to this very often in the future, other than as background music next time I go to a Chinese restaurant.

Translated From Love - Kelly Willis

It might be a fact that the last place you'd expect to find a cover of an Iggy Pop song is on a country album, never mind one by Kelly Willis. And if, by some miracle, that's where you found it then I doubt you'd expect it to be very good...but you'd be wrong.

In fact, Success may well be the highlight of Kelly Willis' first "proper" album in five years (because no one counts Christmas albums my dears); crucially however it is far from the only song worth investigating on the album and merely it appearance on the album in the first place gives a good indication of how varied the album is in terms of sound.

Teddy Boys opening guitar riffs evoke the spirit of Chuck Berry whilst Loving You, with it's banjo and pedal steel combination is much more traditionally country. The More I'm Around You brings to mind a 60's pop vibe whereas Don't Know Why has a much more 1980's country sound to it.

Incredibly though, the album hangs together as a cohesive work, helped by Willis and a fantastic band.

"New Country" can be said to be a lot of things; rarely however, is it quite as good as it is here.

Sophie Ellis Bextor LIVE

So it was a brand new venue, indeed a brand new town, in the Warrington Parr Hall. Lovely meal in the adjoining Olive Press beforehand (to overhear the waitress saying that only 500 tickets had been sold for the concert) and then it was into the venue itself.

Support act was a group called The Sylvias. They seemed to go down quite well with the crowd but really although they were alright their songs did seem to go on quite a bit. I tell ya, they could teach the Editors a thing or two about stretching out two small verses and a chorus into as long a song as possible.

As the crowd swelled in anticipation of the main event, it was clear that if ever Sophie Ellis Bextor loses her record deal, she will be able to make a killing doing PA's at Gay Clubs and for hen nights. There also seemed to be about 6 men in total in the building who were heterosexual and not with their WAG's.

Indeed at one point in the evening Bextor acknowledged that her make-up was "drag queeny as the best of times" and whilst at times it did seem like the show had been genetically engineered to appeal to the pink pound, it would be wrong to dismiss it on that level.

I personally found myself surprised at just how many good pop singles she's had, and all were met with delight by the small, but very appreciative crowd. Even the album tracks were warmly welcomed, including the more dreary ones.

Ok, so none of this was reinventing the wheel but it was exactly what you would want in a pop concert. Catchy songs, sung with gusto and a hell of a lot of fun.

And on a final note, Bextor's version of David Bowie's Lets Dance in the encore may have been one of the greatest things ever.

Roots & Echoes - The Coral

I'm not what you could call an avid fan of The Coral. I like a few of their singles but have never really felt the need to submerge myself in their back catalogue. So when I put in the album and get faced with Who's Gonna Find Me things aren't looking good. It reminds me of the sort of song that would be used to advertise a Beefeater Pub. And no, I'm not saying that's a good thing.

Indeed, things don't immediately get any better.

It's track 4, Jacqueline, before things start to look up. But even this, with its admittedly catchy melody fails to really spark up like the best songs of The Coral can.

From this point forward there's as many good (ish) tracks as there are distinctly average ones but there is a distinct sense that The Coral have lost, or perhaps intentionally put to one side, the quirkiness that made them an intriguiung proposition.

Listening to Roots & Echoes you can only come to one conclusion; this is the sound of a band playing it safe.

One Cell In The Sea - A Fine Frenzy

A Fine Frenzy is basically singer/songwriter Alison Sudol, and I suppose you could say that it's a wise decision to at least have the pretence of a stage name. After all, female singer-songwriters are ten a penny these days.

The blurb tells us she taught herself to play piano and is a fan of classical music, Motown, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Louis Armstrong, amongst others. A disparate array of influences perhaps, but ones that are brought together to surprisingly haunting effect.

The music is beautifully pitched, with delightful piano that never descends into the pop parody of a, say, Delta Goodrem, and Sudol has a disarming voice that you'll not be able to resist falling in love with.

What marks this album out from the pack is it's lyrical excellence as well. The claimed fantasy influences of such authors as EB White and CS Lewis is clear in the "tale" songs in her repertoire (such as The Minnow & The Trout) yet the songs which are more firmly based in the heartfelt real life side of things (such as You Picked Me) are just as good.

As ever, or so it seems, the criticism would be that it's all a bit one-paced and there is nothing much that differentiates each track from the one that follows it. It's not that much of a criticism, given that there isn't a track that you'd really want to skip every time and the lush production and Sudol's beautiful voice are just as good every time.

The one exception to the similarity is album closer, Borrowed Time, which sees Sudol pick up the acoustic guitar and pluck out a delicate, fruity melody that might recall Travis' best moments to some.

There's a lot to admire on this debut, and it's faults shouldn't dissuade you from checking it out, especially if it sounds like your kind of thing in general. In essence it's a pretty good debut that simultaneously marks A Fine Frenzy as one to watch and also suggests that there's more to come next time around.

And that fact that she kind of reminds me of a red-haired Rachel Bilson has nothing to do with this review at all; that's just a bonus.

Single Releases 13/08/07

You know, I like Kanye West's songs, but you cannot change the fact that he simply isn't a Grade A rapper. In fact he's a long way down the list. He gains marks for the Daft Punk sample in Stronger, but still, he's not a good rapper. If only he'd added "I's only got's four minutes to sing this song" intro, this would have been superb.

Feelings seem mixed in the world of Rilo Kiley fans about new single Moneymaker but I'm starting to like it. Ok, so it's not what you would expect from the band, but since when has that ever been a crime?

Amy Winehouse stayed out of the crack house for long enough to release a new single, Tears Dry On Their Own. I've never been totally convinced by the Winehouse; catchy though some of her tunes may be, I always wonder just how much she had to do with the Mowtown direction herslef. Still, I think I would speak for us all when I say I just hope she can get her life sorted out.

So Do I Say Sorry First? Well, Stephanie McIntosh, I think you bloody well should. Dreadful, abysmal etc.

David Guetta proves the law of diminishing returns with Love Is Gone. No, it's not bad, but no, it's nowhere near as good as his last car advertisement, sorry, single. Close your eyes and it could very well just be a bad remix of the song you already know.

Will MIA break out with Jimmy? Probably not in the huge chart scaling sense but she deserves a wider audience and this may well give her the chance to speak out to them.

I like Calvin Harris. And I like Merrymaking At My Place. Not that that is a myspace style invitation to come around to my house and party.

And that's me done for another week. Apologies to the likes of Ross Copperman, Polyphonic Spree and Ben’s Brother but I just can't be arsed getting around to you this week.

The Else - They Might Be Giants

Ever since the girl of my dreams inadvertently paved the way for me to buy Flood, the They Might Be Giants album with the superlative Birdhouse In Your Soul on it, I've always sort of liked They Might Be Giants without ever really paying any attention to them. I suppose that is just the foibles of modern life.

So it was with a certain restrained form of anticipation that I was looking forward to this album as I put it in the CD player.

It wasn't a feeling that lasted for long.

Don't get me wrong, it's not an awful record, just not a very good one.

There are indeed moments that would almost sit up there with the aforementioned Birdhouse; I'm Impressed is understated but undeniably catchy and Climbing The Walls is something Weezer would be proud of (if it was slightly beefed up a little). But there's too much generic geek rock on display to provide anything more than a sporadically, and moderately at that, interesting album.

Super Taranta! - Gogol Bordello

My fear before putting this album in the player was one that whilst Not A Crime was a sublime slice of punk-pop-gypsy rock (or something) and previous album Gypsy Punks was entertaining, if charmingly ramshackle, there is only so far the Gogol Bordello sound can go and, dare I say it, only so much this listener can take.

It's a fear that is partially, if not totally, dissolved over the course of Super Taranta!

When it hits the spot, it's hits the spot sweetly (although at the same time nothing quite matches Not A Crime). American Wedding is a wry look at the subject title ("nothing gets these bitches going, not even the Gypsy Kings" is one of my favourite lyrics of the year) and has me tapping my foot every time I hear it. And funnily enough another standout, Alcohol, could be a Gypsy Kings outtake (albeit one recorded by them whilst on crack) and humour obviously is a Gogol strength, as the title track proves with it's "attack" on Christianity ("second time I read the bible, I thought it was alright" sets up the track perfectly).

If you love accordions and fiddle then you'll be loving this. If not, you might want to take this in small doses. Myself, well I found it a good record but not necessarily one I'll have on repeat play forever and a day. As an album to dip into on a semi-regular basis though, this has it's undeniable charms.

The only thing left to question is Live Earth....WHY?

Coco - Colbie Caillat

America's Lily Allen? Well at least in terms of using Myspace as a springboard to success. Musically, whereas Allen offered something new, Colbie Caillat could well be any one of a hundred cookie cutter singer-songwriters currently plying their trade. Now before we start, that's not necessarily a criticism of any great depth, just an observation that Caillat offers us nothing new.

What she does offer us though are perfectly pleasant pop songs, which are both easy-going and extremely radio-friendly. Indeed, I'm not aware if she's been playlisted on Radio 2 yet, but if not it can only be a matter of time.

Indeed there is an undeniable charm surrounding tracks such as Bubbly, the reggae tinged The Little Things and the understated Oxygen that will keep you listening, but not exactly having you reach for the repeat button when the album is over.

The standout may well be Midnight Bottle. It's not the catchiest of songs on the album, but seems the most "together" and has the most absorbing lyrical content.

So whilst this album is impossible to hate, it's also extremely hard to love. Like maybe, but not love. It's the musical equivalent of that sweet girl who lives down your street. You like her, and on a hot summer's evening you may even wonder whether you could ever love her, but deep down you know you will never think of her as anything more than a friend.

But perhaps the last word should go to Caillat herself from Bubbly; “You make me smile, please stay for a while" just about sums up her appeal. I certainly wouldn't be against hearing what she comes up with next.

With Lasers - Bonde Do Rolé

Whilst constantly lumped in with Cansei De Ser Sexy, Bonde Do Rolé are going to struggle to match the worldwide success that their fellow Brazillians have acquired.

For a start, whilst the sound is similar, on the surface at least, With Lasers lacks the out and out pop genius of, say, Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above, and its this lack of a killer tune that will preclude this from making the kind of splash that CSS did.

Still, that is not to say that this is entirely without merits. Those that do listen to it will immediately find this a likeable and rowdy experience, like all good party's should be.

Whether its the kazoo (and indeed the Hollaback Girl-esque drum beat) that accompanies Geremia, the Fannypack style minimalism of Solta O Frango or the 80's Hair metal intro to Bondallica you'll be having fun, even if it's difficult to ever be fully aware of what exactly is going on. Indeed, you don't need to be fluent in Portugese to know what territory we're delving into here and, if I'm being honest, that's half the fun.

Of course you might well decide that one Synth-heavy Brazillian disco pop troupe is enough for your life, but if you did you might be missing out on something quite special indeed.

Insomniatic - Aly & Aj

Ok, I know. It doesn't sound too promising does it? Two blonde teen sisters singing Disney Teen Pop is enough to turn anyone right off isn't it? And normally I would agree, but there is something borderline genius about the recent single from Aly & AJ, Potential Break Up Song.

Now I'm not one to say such a thing lightly, but it's good enough to be a Girls Aloud single. It's three and a half minutes are packed with more invention than you'll find in the entire Hard-Fi back catalogue and shows an exuberant personality not often found in American by-the-numbers pop.

Of course the real thing to ask is whether or not this is a one-off, or indicative of the new album as a whole?

Tracks such as Bullseye, Like Whoa and Like It Or Leave It prove that the brilliant single was not simply a one-off but sadly there are a lot of tracks that also show that overall they've not moved that far from their previous style.

In many ways that makes this an ideal album for their fan base. It's got enough of what you would expect if you liked what you've heard previously, but also shows just enough invention to keep those same fans hooked.

More, ahem, mature pop lovers may not need to concern themselves with this album as a whole, but there are a smattering of pop classics that will keep even the most cynical of listeners on their toes.

Made Of Bricks - Kate Nash

Any regular readers of this site, and there must be at least three of you, might think that you know exactly what's coming up in the space of this review. Well let me just say right off the bat that you might be a little surprised.

Because although I should absolutely love this record, given the fact I like Nash, think she's great live and I'm in love with her, there is just something that stops me a little short of outright adoration.

For instance, whilst I'm fully aware that the previous versions of We Get On are not supposed to be the "official" versions, I prefer them to the version that turns up on this album. Similarly, whilst the album version of Merry Happy isn't a million miles away from the demo/Myspace versions I've heard it's new polish takes a little away from what made me fall in love with the song in the first place. And, stop me if this is getting a tad boring now, the same thing applies to The Shit Song. And whilst we're at it, lets lump Mariella in there as well.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't dislike any of those songs at all, they're just not the versions I fell in love with. And it's not as if I've some aversion to all the more polished studio versions. Dickhead is transformed by it's haunting backing, and Birds has just enough "beefiness" added to the backing to elevate it from the much sparser single version.

Then there are the songs I'd previously not heard, such as Pumpkin Song (which ironically, given Nash's recent press statements, is the song that most sounds like Lily Allen) which I enjoyed greatly.

So it all places my in a difficult position. I like the album, in fact I like it quite a lot, but at the same time I can't help but feel disappointed by it. Maybe it's my own fault for expecting so much, but then again that expectation was based on already hearing most of the tracks and seeing her live twice. Who knows, maybe in the weeks to come I'll grow to love these new versions just as much as the old ones.

Or then again, I'm disappointed with what I would call a "great album"...perhaps I'm just mental!

Single Releases 06/08/07

Is it hilarious, or just plain sad, that Kula Shaker are releasing a new single in 2007. I didn't think they were any good when they had their moment in the spotlight. I think even less of them now.



Similarly I have absolutely no love for the Magic Numbers. I just don't see the mass appeal of them. Their first album was boring, and their second one followed suit. So needless to say, I'm not exactly over the moon at their new EP either.



And Hellogoodbye. What is it with people liking them? Baby It's Fact might even be worse than the last one.



On the other hand, Richard Hawley's new single is amazingly good. Tonight The Streets Are Ours sounded great from the first time I heard it; it was one of those catchy little ditty's that sounded so familiar right from the off (and I mean that in a good way).



Why Sophie Ellis Bextor has released Tonight's The Sun's On Us when there are much better singles on the album is beyond me.



I know the Robyn single was out last week but I missed it last week. It's good. In fact it's very good. No doubt Edith Bowman is championing it as we speak as a hot new tune from a hot new artist...

Here Lies.... - Betty Curse

It's a testament to how greatly the Betty Curse experiment flopped that her album was released in October 2006 (download only, with a physical release earlier this year), and here we are, in August of the following year, before I even realised the album was out. Ok that's not strictly true; I was aware in general that the album was being released to cash in on the Halloween season but having never seen anything about it since, nor ever seen a copy of it in the shops, I forgot about it entirely until a recent chance occurrence.

The big question has to be then, was I missing anything?

Well, as ever, the answer is yes and no.

Am I any more convinced months down the line that this is nothing more than an elaborate play act from the former Megan Burns? Well no, but neither does that make some of the tracks any the less catchy. Artifice is not necessarily the tool of the devil you know.

There are catchy choruses to burn (God This Hurts, Rot In Heaven, Excuse All The Blood) and Curse can belt them out with energetic pop aplomb. Indeed, if the songs ever did get mainstream airplay, you certainly wouldn't be turning your radio off when they came on.

But in all that lies the problem with the whole project. It's "goth" approach doesn't entirely convince, which may have been the problem in appealing to the target audience and even if it did, the out and out "pop" splendour of some of the tracks would have a hard time gaining favour with the eyeliner-heavy crowd it professes to appeal to.

That said, I quite like it. But I can also see why it's lack of success was, in hindsight, all too obvious.

This Is The Life - Amy Macdonald

It's no secret that I've not been overly enamoured by the singles that Amy Macdonald had put out prior to this album, although upon reflection I may have been a little harsh. Yes, even a seasoned veteran like myself occasionally gets blasé when the latest "big thing" gets thrust in our faces.

The first thing I have to say is that I just can't get used to her voice. She can sing, don't get me wrong, but there are times when I cannot look past the fact that something weird is going on with her voice, to my ears at least. It's not an insurmountable barrier thanks to some very catchy songs, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it's a barrier that somewhat lessens my enjoyment of the album.

There are times, such as on Let's Start A Band, This Is The Life and, yes...I'll admit I was wrong, Mr Rock And Roll when Macdonald sounds on the verge of something really spectacular but sadly it's not promise that she capitalises on throughout her debut album.

Although the song titles alone suggest Macdonald has a lot to say, the overly earnest approach does begin to grate over a full album (what a difference a bit of Kate Nash esque joie de vivre on a few tracks might have made) and whilst in some ways the fact that Macdonald doesn't come across on record as the 19 year old she is may be a positive thing, it can also occasionally have the effect of making her songs sound a little too generic.

That said, like most reviewers have picked up on, if you're looking for something to tide you over until the next KT Tunstall record, this fits the bill perfectly. It also shows that Macdonald is a girl with genuine talent; she just needs to grow into it a little bit more. If she does, next time around the results could be spectacular indeed.