The UK music scene in the 90’s was an interesting place to be it has to be said…less of an exotic cocktail and more of a dirty pint if anything. At one end of the spectrum we had a rising popularity in girl/boy bands, spearheaded by the likes of SPICE GIRLS and TAKE THAT…at the other end we had the dawn of a new era of darkness by means of the freshly malformed CRADLE OF FILTH and MY DYING BRIDE, and somewhere in the middle of it all, MR. BLOBBY managed a Christmas number 1, I shit you not. The main talking point however was always Britpop, which was of course famously established by the war between BLUR and OASIS, but at the turn of the century when tastes all changed, bands either sank or swam…Blur front-man Damon Albarn however didn’t just swim, he evolved, grew legs, left the pond and changed the concept of performance art as we knew it…he created GORILLAZ.

Consisting of fictional members 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel, the “group” existed entirely in animated cartoon form and was spawned from Albarn’s growing appreciation for electronic and world hip-hop music, and they made their breakthrough in 2001 via their self-titled debut album and the mega hit “Clint Eastwood”, never looking back, only growing in success with further singles along the road like “Dare” and “Feel Good Inc.” until their eventual hiatus. 2017 saw them return with 26-track behemoth “Humanz” but 2018 sees them back already with the follow up album “The Now Now”…the question is, is it the good good?

We open up with the album’s lead single “Humility” which features famed jazz-guitarist George Benson and what we’ve got is a quirky little, low-fi synth pop piece…laid back in approach combining ambient funk and subtle reggae influences for a very fresh, Summery vibe. This is backed up by the music video, inspired by the Santa Monica lifestyle; carefree and easy-going, and it speaks of the inner struggles of failed romance and yearning, though not entirely serious with Jack Black doing, well, Jack Black things. It’s an OK start…follow up track “Tranz” however is a completely different kettle of fish. Whilst simple in structure and approach it’s got a definite, retro electronic tone musically combining the simplicity of KRAFTWERK and the edgier, darker tones of DEPECHE MODE, all the while utilising some really catchy pop hooks and it works wonderfully, this is easily an album highlight.

Sadly however, highlights over these 11 tracks exist in much the same way Harambe does; i.e. he doesn’t, not anymore anyway (RIP you majestic beast). “One Percent” harbours soft synth melodies that wouldn’t feel out of place in a scene from “Stranger Things”, while “Lake Zurich” is another up-beat, primarily disco / funk-driven instrumental for the most part and it has to be said, on the track “Hollywood”, it’s always good to hear a bit of SNOOP DOGG (Even though the guy will work with almost anyone, refer to my old COREY FELDMAN review for that)…the rest of the album however sadly lacks any real sort of momentum. “Idaho” is structured very much like a dreamscape which would not only put you to sleep, but the sheep you were counting too. “Fire Flies” strikes me as purely ironic and cruel as I’ve literally just reviewed an OWL CITY album and this track actually makes me miss that, before closing track “Souk Eye” rounds things up with some more dreary pop. Damon Albarn is a talented song writer and creator, that’s not in question, but there were days he used to write with a sense of positivity and fun, with more LIFE…lately this project sounds like he’s either half asleep or stoned, or both…honestly, take the W’s off of the album title and it’ll be more appropriate. [3]

I want you to cast your minds back just for a moment, to the year 2009…what a weird year in pop music that was. LADY GAGA exploded onto the world’s music scene with her debut album / virtual hit-factory “The Fame”…inspiring young women everywhere to dress like absolute twats…weeks before his massive come-back tour, MICHAEL JACKSON passes away from accidental overdose, making sure you double-checked your own prescription or else you too would be moonwalking to the morgue (On a serious note that was a bit unexpected)…SUSAN BOYLE became a thing, no really, that actually happened…and a little known artist by the name of OWL CITY would dominate the airwaves with THAT song “Fireflies”…seriously it was everywhere, like a synth-pop plague, going 19x platinum worldwide…you must remember, surely? I digress…following the immediate success of Owl City’s (Real name Adam Young) debut, he seemingly faded away…but he didn’t disappear. In addition to having worked on numerous film soundtracks including “The Croods” and “Wreck-It Ralph”, he now returns with his SIXTH studio album; “Cinematic”…shall we see what owl the fuss is about?

The album kicks off with “Fiji Water” and such is the innocent charm of the simplistic electronica I honestly thought this was inspired by the ‘Human Music’ from "Rick And Morty"…I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Jerry wasn’t singing this himself! Jokes aside, it combines the unsullied tinkling’s of a baby’s cot mobile stylistically with the sickly sweet vocals…the chorus is catchy enough and this is harmless pop music with some pleasant little hooks; a pretty safe start. Speaking of choruses, “Montana” delivers well with what could musically find itself at home on LINKIN PARKS’s “One More Light” album, naturally he’s no Chester but aesthetically it wouldn’t feel out of place, you can easily imagine Shinoda accompanying this.

Despite being known for the easy-listening electronica, there are a couple of tracks that utilise a more guitar driven approach…”Be Brave” being the first offering. Initially a delicate piano led piece, it takes advantage of the slow-build and gradually becomes this emotive, emo-rock track and it’s genuinely enjoyable as it kicks into gear. “Firebird” then swaps the piano for the acoustic strings and again, the hooks on this chorus are pretty infectious, allowing for a clear album highlight. This too can be said for “Lucid Dream” which when it gets going embraces a total European dance-pop characteristic…in the right hands a potential floor-filler this. By contrast then, the cutely titled “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” is a wonderful little tribute to his father via an acoustic ballad; equal parts nostalgic admiration and present-day appreciation.

While the tracks I’ve highlighted have their own charms and attributes…we can’t ignore the fact that, at eighteen tracks long…this is a lot of synth-pop to get through and given the very often butter-wouldn’t-melt level of innocence within the vocals and poppier-than-thou electronica, it can become overwhelming to the point of nausea. “House Wren” for example is just so incredibly corny, lyrically it makes my ears cringe…”Winners Never Quit” ironically made me want to abandon this review but I’m in too deep now…this might even make Charlie Sheen quit and he INVENTED winning! Aside from some alternate versions of tracks, the album officially closes on the title track and essentially it’s like an excuse to use a lot of movie-themed metaphors and analogies…no more. Essentially here, Owl City haven’t really changed one iota…their sweet electro-pop is still on the verge of troubling diabetics…while they can clearly still produce infectious, radio-conquering tunes, this album in its entirety is for want of a better word; excessive. [5]

With the odd couple of exceptions, generally you’ll find that bands who have been together for a lengthy period of time usually start to mellow out at some stage in their career. Only recently I was saying this about the MANIC STREET PREACHERS who have lost some of their original punk-rock attitude in middle age…and this can be said too for artists such as ANATHEMA for example; originally a Gothic / doom metal outfit, over the years they evolved into the ambient, progressive band they are today (Check out “The Optimist” if you haven’t already). Well this can also be said about today’s band; let me introduce you to MANES. Formed in Trondheim, Norway back in 1992, they were originally part of the 90’s black metal scene alongside the likes of SATYRICON and IMMORTAL but over the years they’ve toned down into what’s been described as a bastardisation of rock, electronica and progressive jazz. The last time we heard from them was back in 2011 with what WAS to be their final album; “Be All End All”…but 2018 sees them return with the brand new album “Slow Motion Death Sequence”. Available through Debemur Morti Productions from August 24th…lets check it out…

We open up with “Endetidstegn” which more or less translates as ‘end-time signs’ and thematically kicks off the start of this death sequence on a dark, apocalyptic note. It’s slow and dramatic with minimal electronica and percussion, with vocals soaked in melancholy, though it picks up with some intense, dramatic, looming power chords and double kick drums, and the track develops a serious sense of foreboding…this album isn’t going to be a walk in the park let me tell you…and if it were, it would be at night in the middle of The Purge whilst you’re stalked by sociopaths. “Scion” follows up and it’s more of the slow, cold synths, with vocalist Asgeir Hatlen here giving it an 80’s alternative indie vibe; however its slow tempo makes the track feel like it lasts an eternity, with the repetition not helping one iota.

The album overall is fairly consistent in tone and approach, rarely veering from its path but it does have its few interesting points; “Therapism” utilises a moody, almost darkwave inspired tone…the creeping electronica occasionally pierced by assertive guitars, the use of single chords is simple yet effective and though while it does have a feeling of gradual build it never really puts it’s foot down, while “Building The Ship Of Theseus” returns to that almost post-punk, alternative 80’s vibe, aesthetically in ways slotting in between the likes of  BAUHAUS and NICK CAVE…but sadly the rest of the record struggles to capture much attention. At seven and a half minutes, “Last Resort” sums itself up nicely, as a long-winded dreary acoustic-led piece and I really would only consider listening to this as a last resort…oh how I wished this was a PAPA ROACH cover...wouldn't that be fun...“Ater” then closes the album on what is essentially an avant-garde instrumental bar some minimal lyricism, and it’s a despairingly slow one at that, the last breath of this album escaping into the ether. Conceptually, as a listener I have to agree with the album’s title here because this truly is a slow motion death sequence…for generally it’s such a dull, miserable album…imagine yourself or, someone, anyone, in a time-lapse montage, just sat there, motionless, going from young adult, to being frail and elderly, before just succumbing to time and death itself; that’s what this album sounds like and it would perfectly accompany that montage in tone, for both conceptually are as equally sad and boring as the other. [3]

It’s been a couple of years since we’ve heard from THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS…not since 2013’s head-turning, art-rock concept album “Love Lust Faith + Dreams” in fact, which, while at least critically praised for its experimental qualities, was a drastic switch from their established grandiose emo-rock…so why the gap? Well aside from a Guinness World Record holding tour of over 300+ dates, front-man Jared Leto returned to acting for a string of successful supporting roles, (If you exclude his attempt at The Joker in “Suicide Squad”) most notably his appearance in “Dallas Buyers Club” for which he won ALL of the awards! Seriously, he won fucking everything! Now, after their five year absence, 30STM return with yet another concept via album number five entitled “America”.

Before we delve into the music here I have to point out the concept begins with the album cover itself and the band have seemingly opted to appeal to fans of Pokemon, honestly, collectors beware Jared wants your money! Despite being arguably the worst album art of the year, aesthetically anyway, the idea was that there would be lists comprising of what makes America “America”…and along with creative director Willo Perren, 200 were made…TWO HUNDRED! Luckily that was whittled down to six, but still, do we even want ONE copy of this album let alone six? That’s what we’re about to find out…

We get underway with lead single “Walk On Water” and we’re immediately met with anthemic gang vocal harmonies, backed by a rhythmic, sultry dose of electronica…the production here is so clean and it really sounds big, it’s like Jared has been listening to a lot of IMAGINE DRAGONS for example, and if that wasn’t enough in its own right it’s a very socially-politically charged song, with the video lost somewhere between being on the tourist board and having a random stab at propaganda…but it’s a decent start to be fair. “One Track Mind” features the first of two collaborations, with A$AP ROCKY lending his lungs to this one…an incredibly smooth, low-bap style of contemporary hip-hop, it’s layered with ambient percussion and a cold autotune-rich vocal delivery, with Rocky’s contribution itself being rather minor, though the restrained rapping does add texture before the very 80’s guitar solo ends the track on a high point. An instrumental piece “Monolith” then gradually builds up with some tribal drumming and snarling electronica, before it’s intense, dramatic, almost cinematic climax…leading into the utterly anti-climactic “Love Is Madness” featuring second collaborator HALSEY. Despite its powerful, emotive chorus, it’s quite a dull, stripped back electro-pop track, it really is a disappointment, and you’d swear they were doing this on purpose…

The rest of the album…? Well…just like several of the countries amendments, there’s plenty on this record that could do with a rethink. “Rescue Me” has elements of THE POLICE and the best thing going for it is its title because it really does need rescuing…”Dawn Will Rise”…if I’m to be frank even the Sun itself would struggle to get up for this one, it’s so lacklustre, “Remedy” while at least being a half-decent little acoustic piece is a far cry from the bombastic, passionate displays we know Jared can deliver which by now we sorely miss, before “Rider” ends the album quicker than you can find the word ‘abrupt’ in the dictionary…seriously, it’s like someone put the album out of its OWN misery. OK, yes, you can’t keep a band pigeonholed and 30STM have once again tried something a little different, but in essence they’ve gone and done a LINKIN PARK. As accessibly mainstream this record is in the modern climate, it’s as though they’re OK with losing chunks of their original fan base for another chart position. Jared is lucky he’s a handsome man and he’s got young girls getting all 30 seconds to moist queuing for their records, but musically this is just lazy. Make America great again? Start small…make “America” decent first is it lads… [3]

As you’re likely to be well aware by now if you’re a long-time reader of this blog, I have bit of a soft spot for Finnish bands; there’s just something unique about their blend of Gothic, melancholia infused music, with their penchant for all things doom and gloom…and whether it’s the dark pop hooks of HIM, the symphonic bombardment of NIGHTWISH or the riff-heavy pummeling of POISONBLACK, there’s always been something personally alluring about Suomalainen vaihtoehtoinen musiikki. Today however we’re doing the old switcheroo and sampling some of Finland’s ironically less popular pop music, and a lady by the name of SAARA AALTO. If you’ve paid attention at all to my posts over the past couple of months you’ll already have picked up on the fact that Saara was this year’s Finnish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest (And was my personal favourite) but doing a little digging through the snow, we learn she’s far from a new kid on the block of ice…

Saara was born in Oulunsalo in 1987 and prior to this year’s Eurovision she was already a recognised name in some aspects as a voice actor, having done Finnish voice-overs for Disney’s “Frozen” and “Alice In Wonderland”…however singing has always been her passion and she’s actually been releasing music since 2011, having several independent albums under her belt, as well as multiple attempts at talent shows including “Talent Suomi” and “The Voice Of Finland”…even “The X Factor” here in the UK! Her trouble though was a case of that classic saying; always the bridesmaid, never the bride…coming in at 2nd place every single time. 2018 sees her try to rectify that with her first ever major label release through Warner Music; “Wild Wild Wonderland”…let’s check it out.

The album opens up with that Eurovision entry “Monsters” and honestly it’s still as fun as ever, despite being originally released in February. There isn’t really much I can add to this one from my preview of Lisbon truth be told; with the subtle electronica and temple block inspired synths, coupled with Saara’s bold, melodic vocals, with a soaring chorus this is a wonderful dance-pop tune and it still sounds fresh, a faultless start here really. “HӒN” follows up and we’ve got a really rhythmic, funk-inspired piece with brass elements, coupled with Saara’s assertive vocal presence, its brief but it is enjoyable. “Dance Like Nobody Is Watching” on face value would logically be a big, bright, colourful piece of music, focused on letting your hair down and partying but in reality it’s a sombre piano ballad, actually making it that much more powerful; a very emotive track and rich in reflection and self-confidence, resulting in an incredibly sweet listen, absolutely lovely stuff.

“My Touch” continues to pump out the dance-inspired soft pop but does incorporate subtle R’n’B influences throughout the pre-chorus, while elsewhere Saara dabbles in other cultural samples with “Walking On Nails” having a slight Spanish guitar tone to its acoustics, and bonus track “No Fear” utilises low-key classic Indian instrumentation to add character to an already up-beat, positive track. The rest of the album is pretty much consistent really…Saara’s had a decent writing team working with her for the record and all things considered this is a pretty congenial, albeit straightforward pop album. It’s got its highlights, though it does peak far too early with THAT song getting the album underway, but there’s nothing overtly negative to be said about the record in all fairness, it’s worth the listen. [7]

At the risk of stating the obvious, I’m quite partial to a review…yes I spend a fair amount of my time writing up these blog entries and contributing to the team over at All About The Rock, but a lot of my free time is spent watching YouTube reviewers too; guys like Anthony Fantano, AVGN, Brandon Tenold and more recently I’ve stumbled upon a guy named Decker Shado; the internet personality with the best hair. He, like most internet movie reviewers has gone through the “Alien” franchise and having watched these particular videos over the last day or so, it’s only ironic that this next review has ties to the movie itself…thematically at least, let me explain…

​Allow me to introduce to you a band by the name of SICK N’ BEAUTIFUL and to utilise some professional wrestling terminology here, they’re ALL about the kayfabe. Hailing from Acheron LV-426, a moon orbiting Calpamos, 39 Light Years from Earth, from which the USCSS Nostromo picked up a distress signal, before its crew got face-hugged the fuck out of in the aforementioned movie “Alien”. Or, if you prefer…Rome, they’re from Rome, Italy. The intergalactic 5-piece (Consisting of vocalist Herma, bassist Big Daddy Ray, drummer Evey plus guitarists Lobo and Rev C2) apparently “crash landed” in the Italian capital after their spaceship; the BFS9000 suffered engine failure on their travels and they’re a bit stuck, but as luck would have it they’re a space-age musical circus freak-show and request your generosity in funding the repair costs by checking out their brand new album “Element Of Sex”. Clearly not endorsed in any way by the Weyland-Yuntani group, let’s see if they deserve our hard earned dollar…

We open up with “Fire True” and immediately we’re met with a dramatic, string-inspired synth sequence, verging on symphonic really, before we’re thrust right into the crunch of some thick, throwback nu-metal riffs. The heavy intensity and subtle electronic elements musically places this somewhere in deep space between KORN and CANE HILL, add to that then a slick guitar solo and overall we’ve got a decent opener here. Recent single “Megalomaniacal” is up next and it brings the tempo with it too, mixing raw, punk qualities via Herma’s cacophonous vocals, with a classic hard rocking rhythm…also the “Mortal Kombat” inspired arcade game video that accompanies it is a bit bonkers to boot; all in all a fun track. “All Wanna Go To Heaven” then reaches an entirely different echelon as the albums clear stand-out track…the gradual build of seductive keys and simple percussion leading into cleaner vocals, capitalising on influences such as GARBAGE and NO DOUBT resulting in a perfectly catchy piece of pop music; the hooks and overall groove here will have you hitting repeat with no doubt ironically, this is superb.

The trouble with that is, the rest of the album can only go downhill, but it doesn’t go too far down it has to be said; “Hellawake” is another brilliant example of synth-pop combined with hard riffs and hushed ambiance for a solid, almost anthemic listen; layered incredibly well…”HeXxX (The Element Of Sex)” has a certain retro feel to it, partly channelling the likes of THE B52’S in tone giving it a fun, up-beat feel, while “Cryptid” utilises a pacey guitar driven approach, rich with gang vocals, melodies and subtle breakdowns for a well delivered ear-bashing, before closing track “C*mmunion” ends on a high note with more hooks and accessible pop-rock enjoyment. It’s not quite a perfect album over its ten tracks though sadly; “Slam!” despite being heavier and grittier musically plods along a touch too methodically, while “New Witch 666” undergoes a remix following its initial release in 2015…not the best of tracks to begin with, the revised cut gives it new life but it’s still weaker compared to what else is on offer. All in all however we have an undeniably strong album here and from start to finish these xenomorphs entertain on a number of levels. If we could just get Ash to sabotage the fuck out of their repair operation given his previous, maybe they’ll stick around a bit longer…because whilst sick they are indeed beautiful. [8]

You’re probably very well aware by now that I’ll tackle damn near anything on this blog…be it the recent return of the Eurovision Song Contest; with its multifaceted line-up, ranging everywhere between brilliantly bonkers to down-right dreadful, to even tackling things such as video-game crossover’s between IRON MAIDEN and ANGRY BIRDS…essentially I enjoy something a bit different now and again; my point being? Well today we’re looking at something incredibly bloody different as today we’ll be listening to (not looking at) DITA VON TEESE. That’s right; Dita (Real name Heather Renée Sweet) is mainly famous for tastefully wearing very little as she’s probably the world’s most recognizable burlesque dancer / model, but 2018 sees her swapping the corset’s for the recording studio.

She’s no stranger to music per se, for not only was she briefly married to none other than MARILYN MANSON of all people, appearing in a couple of his music videos in the early 2000’s, as well as for other artists, but she also appeared on the aforementioned Eurovision back in 2009 assisting with Germany’s performance on stage. Now we find her releasing her own self-titled record under the banner of “Dita Von Teese”…written by French songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Tellier, let’s see what she’s learnt along the way…

We open up with “Sparkling Rain” and what we’re given is very much akin to the ambient sounds of a dreamscape; the soft synths and gentle electronic pop allowing for a very mellow, fluid listen…coupled with Dita’s very delicate hushed vocals, the song sparkles in its own right as it’s so light and bubbly, perfectly matching the references to Champagne thematically. It’s an interesting start. We follow up with lead single “Rendez-Vous” and the overall tone hasn’t really changed whatsoever, although we’re given a slightly subtle tinny, almost Caribbean inspired feeling to proceedings, tying in with the exotic theme lyrically. Slightly sultry, she sings of erotic romance and forbidden fruit, although some of lyrics are delivered awkwardly truth be told.

“La Vie Est Un Jeu” reveals to us the albums underlying inspirations as it’s one of a few tracks that incorporates French…again, the overall tone of the song is the same but it’s got more of a shoe-gaze feel to proceedings; it’s incredibly relaxed with its whistling and soft piano, but the fake laugh is a bit cringe-worthy and sadly, the bulk of this album is on the verge of being very copy and paste. While “Fevers And Candies” does at least have a little more go to it in terms of momentum via the chorus’ simple hook, a lot of the album is teetering dangerously on lifeless. “Dangerous Guy” has some decent rhythm going for it courtesy of some funk-driven percussion, and “Porcelain” does include Tellier himself as a vocalist which adds extra character, but the album is so stripped back for the most part it fails to really motivate repeat listens. Fair play to Dita for wanting to try something new, but this is quite acquired taste…so acquired in fact that it only charted in France and Belgium…and even then only reaching 119 and 140 respectively…Dita Von Teese? Dita Von PLEASE…stick to writhing around half naked in giant Martini glasses you’re much, much better at that. [3]