Review: Florence and The Machine - Lungs

Tori, Regina, Fiona, Kate and all the rest beware! Florence Welch, best known as Florence and The Machine, is on the roost and she happens to be amazing! "Lungs" is virtually one of the best indie-pop albums I have ever heard, as well as one of the best to come out in recent years.

"Lungs" is the balanced mixture of folkatronica, pop, alternative and experimental with the fine pinch of Welch's witty and highly original lyrics. This debut is so breathtaking, that it's almost disturbingly unreal and only after a few thorough listens assures me that music can still have a meaning over the obvious. Don't get me wrong, Florence is not heavenly talented and unreachable, she just manages to offer something that has been missing on the whole UK/American singer-songwriter scene for quite a long time. While Tori Amos bores me to death with her recent endless piano whining or Fiona Apple's stylistic uncertainties and struggles, Florence hops up in the right moment with a fresh breath straight from her lungs.

Smoothness, freely flowing tracks from one to another, stylistic diversity and originality make "Lungs" one of 2009's must-haves. Apart from the whole technicality Florence and The Machine go further deeper in developing the concept of an odd world where things that seem regular are irregular and notions tend to take particularly unusual forms and ways of expression. Received by both critics and fans with a critical acclaim after the release of the band's first single releases "Lungs" lives up to their expectations with flying colours. Such a strong debut for a 22-year old singer-songwriter, who was once labeled as dyslexic and dyspraxic, could only give us high hopes for an outstanding follow up to cause further competition in the rather stale indie genre.

Songs to hear: "Dog Days Are Over", "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", "Drumming", "Between Two Lungs" and "Kiss With A Fist"

Rating: 9/10

Review: Passion Pit - Manners

If you've long missed a quality indie pop album on the prowl "Manners" by Passion Pit is out here to fill in a few cavities. Debuting just a couple of years ago the American band Passion Pit brought a fresh breeze in the lately rather stagnant electropop scene with some clever ideas and stylistic manners.

"Manners" has everything that should be expected from an indietronica album: brave experimenting, intriguing vocal-instrumental combinations, pushing a few boundaries further and sticking to their own kind of originality. This record may not be a groundbreaking detour from the straight electropop line, but definitely draws direct inspiration from other areas such as new wave, electro-rock and chamber pop, which add up to the diversity and saturation of the whole product. Lyrically Passion Pit show that words are a fine instrument to express emotions and they sound even better when accompanied by memorable tunes.

Nevertheless, I should warn you about the heavy falsetto that vocalist Michael Angelakos has, cause it may sound a bit too annoying at the very first listen (as happened with me). But after giving the album a second chance impressed by the sound quality I did start to enjoy his voice, which after the startle turns out to be a pleasant accompaniment to the instrumental arrangements. There is a track for almost every indie taste, from good old electronica to shaky dance-punk and soft alt-rock. The best thing is that despite the great variety "Manners" manages to stand its own ground with a stable structure and rhythmic change of pace and emotion.

Songs to hear: "The Reeling", "Make Light", "Moth's Wings" and "Folds in Your Hands"

Rating: 8/10

Review: Regina Spektor - Far

The Queen of anti-folk is back with a classy piano-driven elaborate album named just "Far", which is her fifth studio album and the along awaited continuation of her critically acclaimed record "Begin to Hope". With the soft touch of piano music and the distinctive sharpness of her voice Spektor demonstrates a talent, which is yet to reach its highest.

"Far" is a manifestation of Regina's desire to concentrate more on the validity of social values and on the impact of worldwide issues on the individual themselves and the changing prospects of success and failure. Despite not being as edgy or emotionally diverse as her previous album Spektor goes up the spiral with less commercial material, which may be seen as a step aside from her work up to now. I personally, cannot categorize "Far" as anti-folk due to the lack of the style's typical elements and it has more to do with the newest wave of the indie alt music movement that has taken the States overnight.

Regina Spektor has always been devoted to acoustic music and "Far" is no exception to the rule. Even more, it is an acoustic galore with plenty of tracks freed by any other instrument interference or technical tampering. The talented singer further explores the abilities of her vocal abilities, although if you are not very used to her singing style you might find it kind of annoying. This, of course, should be no obstacle to embracing "Far" to its fullest and spending some quality piano time.

Despite all the praise I should say that this album got just a little bit on my nerves with over the top yelling at certain points, repetitive piano parts and rather disappointing of the lyrical content of some of the songs. The emotional charge is quite chaotic and reaches extremes, which just don't fit in the same album tracklist. Regina knows piano music best, but maybe she should break the ice a little and give experimenting more field in her records. Her top competition Tori Amos may have released quite a disappointing album, but at least she did try a lot of things. As for Spektor, obviously she plays safe, keeping in a tight grasp her piano music. But for how long?

Songs to hear: "Man of a Thousand Faces", "Genius Next Door", "Laughing With", "Human of the Year" and "Dance Anthem of the 80s"

Personal rating: 7/10

Review: IAMX - Kingdom of Welcome Addiction

Chris Corner made my day! Actually he made my whole next week with his new amazing album called "Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction", which is among the must-listens of this year. An elaborate work projecting the inadequacy in a pretentious life where emotions are plastic and we are all fake and empty. If you thought that "The Alternative" was a good album, that you still haven't heard Corner's new release, which to me is his best up to this very moment.

"Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction" is Corner's answer to the growing simplification of the music business, the complexity of the problems we surround ourselves with and the gloomy future we are supposedly going to dive into. The great variety of lyric topics range from the philosophical perception of life, the obscurity of feelings, the sexual ambiguity, the relations between friends and the modern frustration. As Corner's says for the album it could be seen "like Disney world but with lipstick, cynicism and wit" and after a few listens you get to understand what he means and it's kind of disturbing when you give it a decent thought.

Once again Chris Corner is upfront to his maximum, bringing out his hypersensitivity and painful sincerity, which may be too harsh to those used to lovey-dovey tracks set in a galaxy far far away, where love is the universal painkiller. IAMX has no medicine for your broken heart or teary eye, but "Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction" is his foray into the soul-healing, which has so many wounds and none of them seem to heal, despite all the promises in this Disney-alike world. Of course, the album is no easy listen and is not suitable for commercial use, which distinguish it from the majority of electro-indie material coming out lately. This shouldn't discourage you from spending some quality time with IAMX and explore the fascinating world of his newest work.

Songs to hear: "Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction", "My Secret Friend", "An I For An I", "Think Of England" and "You Can Be Happy"

Personal rating: 9 out of 10

Review: A Camp - Colonia

The Cardigans may be on hiatus, but Nina Persson knows on breaks and if you want to hear her distinctive voice and spend some quality time with alternative pop then A Camp's new album "Colonia" is just for you. A Camp started as the solo project of Persson during the 1998-2003 break-up of The Cardigans and in 2001 Persson released the album "A Camp", which received positive reviews and was praised by many music critics. I believe "Colonia" is going to be accepted by the critic with flying colors as it is a dreamy soulful and delicate interpretation of the emotional landscapes in a lifetime, which despite all the lows cherishes every single high.

These days I've been spending unusually too much time with the singer-songwriter genre and "Colonia" is another wonderful addition to my library. Persson proves once again that she is a talented singer, who knows the parameters of quality and for her it definitely has nothing to do with commercialized crap. It took her eight years to release her new solo album, but talent needs no rush nor push. Obviously A Camp is not just a fun side-project as it makes an offer for a decent place in the Swedish alternative scene and definitely "Colonia" is sign for a high-profile musician.

The stylistic intertwines, the variety of topics in the lyrics and the spectrum of feelings throughout the track-list make "Colonia" an outstanding example of the quality of the Scandinavian alternative scene. In the album you have folk, indie, alt, pop-rock and downtempo, which makes it accessible and close to more tastes. Persson has outdone herself and definitely deserves your attention and your support.

Songs to hear: "Stronger than Jesus", "The Crowining", "Golden Teeth and Silver Medals" and "Love Has Left the Room"

Personal rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor

I have never had faith in the whole singer-songwriter thing, but these days I get to hear some excellent representatives of this genre and slowly, but surely my appreciation grows. A few days ago I posted a list of albums to be released in May and June. Patrick Wolf was among those listed, but honestly I had no plans to check out his new album. Not until today when I was browsing for some probable leaks and I stumbled upon "The Bachelor". Wolf is no new name to my music library, although I have never been fond of his music and I had almost no interest in him. "The Bachelor" made me realize I have ignored such a talent way too long.

Although the album is officially going to be out on 1st June you can already hear the leak version and decide for yourself whether to buy the album. If I had the money to put aside I would have immediately bought it in advance. Anyway, getting back to the album itself it is a very balanced combination between folk, electronica, alternative and indie songwriting. There is a fine structure supporting every single track and placing it in the exact spot, creating a next to perfect lyrical-instrumental combination.

"The Bachelor" was intended to be part of a double CD album called "Battle", but Wolf decided that this would overload people too much, this separating them into two albums, which will exist independently and still preserve a strong connection. "The Bachelor" explores such topics as the atrocities of life, the inadequacies of our emotional perceptions and the eternal battle between the inner being and the outer world. The album contains 13 tracks and none plays the role of a filler and all of them have their own purpose in the whole concept, which is quite a plus having in mind the loads of crap destined to be there for the count. An addition plus is the use of the voice of Tilda Swinton who appears as The Voice of Hope on the tracks "Oblivion" and "Theseus".

Songs to hear: "Vulture", "Hard Times", "Count of Casualty", "Oblivion" and "Battle"

Personal rating: 9 out of 10

Review: Jenny Wilson - Hardships!

Jenny Wilson may not be the queen of the European indie scene, but she is an excellent singer-songwriter hailing from Sweden, who deserves your attention! Wilson's music is a fine example of how lyrics meet composing creating a world of memories, feelings and a future saturated with acoustic purity. Apart from her solo work Jenny became famous for her duet with her friends and fellow Swedes from The Knife "You Take My Breath Away". In 2005 she released her debut album "Love and Youth", which was overwhelmingly accepted by Scandinavian critics and her album became one of the best releases in Sweden for the same year. Four years later she is back with "Hardships!", which I dare say makes a strong request for one of the best albums in the indie genre.

"Hardships!" is not your typical singer-songwriter album to be lost and forgotten somewhere in between the releases of Tori Amos, Regina Spektor or the alikes. Wilson offers something more than an enriched with instruments and intelligent lyrics album. Every song has its very own special place and still perfectly fits the whole elegantly elaborate structure. Wilson surely doesn't posses the vocal abilities of Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, but her voice is soothing, inspiring and deep. So deep that you actually hear the lyrics first and afterward you realize that there is tune...like soft poetry.

I thought that "Love and Youth" is excellent in any possible way, but I guess I just had to listen to "Hardships!". Wilson didn't disappoint me even for a single song and despite being still so underrated she didn't give up! "Hardships!" is the story for all the strength, atrocities, positivism and despair in life, the unique way they intertwine and the lows and highs we fall into.

I may write about this album for hours, but the best thing is to hear it yourself. Prepare in advance at least one hour free time, a glass of your favourite drink and imagination ready to leave this body immediately and endeavor on a journey to emotions near and far.

Songs to hear: "Like A Fading Rainbow", "Clattering Hooves", "The Path", "Only Here for the Fight" and "Porcelain Castle"

Personal rating: 9 out of 10

Discoveries: Little Boots & La Roux

New music! Yay! This time I am posting three of my newest discoveries, which I hope will soon grow on me. They are both British, both female and both are promising.

Little Boots

Little Boots is the stage name of Victoria Hesketh, a British electronica musician born 1984. Her music career began at the age of 18, when she took part in Pop Idol, but never made it through round 4. After that she formed a jazz trio, toured Europe and afterward formed the electro-pop all-girl band Dead Disco. She was named Little Boots after watching "Caligula", which is little boots in English. Hesketh has worked with the British band Hot Chip. In January 2009 she won the BBC Sound of 2009 award, which had previously been granted to Adele, Mika, Keane and others.



La Roux

La Roux is not your typical synth duo as it actually isn't a duo, but the collaborative work between singer and synthesizer player Elly Jackson and the co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. La Roux is French for "red-haired one" and it is a direct reference to Jackson's typical hair style, thus the projects name. They draw inspirations from such bands as Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Eurythmics and The Human League, interpreting the music of the 80s in the electronic world of the 00s. La Roux is expected to release an album in June on Polydor, although an EP has already been made available.

Embedding has been disabled, which is why I am posting only the links:
Quicksand
In For the Kill

Discoveries: Hadouken!

There is nothing better than browsing some new music and from time to time you get to find some good stuff...similar is the case with my newest discovery and love: Hadouken! The band name is spelled with an exclamation mark, which adds more genuine essence to the whole project.

Hadouken! is an electronic grindie project which hails from Leeds, UK. Until couple of day ago I had no idea what "grindie" means, but after a full check up on the band it turned to be a contraction from grime and indie, which is a direct reference to the genre crossover they create. It all began as a self-financed project of James Smith and Daniel "Pilau" Rice, who met at Leeds University. Fortunately their efforts were not in vain and very soon they were discovered by MTV2 and gained fame after the song "That Boy That Girl" became number one at the weekly NME chart.

Just a year ago Hadouken! released their first studio album, after a successful EP and a growing fan base. The album received predominantly positive reviews, which boosted the bands image. Stylistically they are situated in the new rave/indietronica niche, although they could be considered as the godfathers of grindie (it is still a subject of discussion).

Somehow they are both similar to Klaxons for their electro-rock influences and to Lady Sovereign for the grime lyrics. Of course, Hadouken! is not an entirely grime act, they vary from alternative to indie-pop, but they stay true to the electronic sound garnered with guitars.

Enough talking, time for music! Enjoy!

Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Karen O is back to kick some ass! Three years after Yeah Yeah Yeah's last studio album "It's Blitz" comes to surface as a fresh breath of dance-punk and dream rock. Although I have never been a big fan of the band I dare say most of their stuff deserves a good load of listening and happens to be way better than the majority of wannabe rock bands hailing from the States and Canada. As I am not following their career too much and I had no idea they have had already released the album and got to hear it just a day ago, but it immediately made a good impression...not that I had a bad one before.

From a first listen you can prove yourselves that the album is better in composition, has less stylistic detours and lyrically explores more topics. With this release Karen O shows more singing and less screaming, which is a big plus at least to her vocal abilities. She definitely can sing, but spent annoyingly too much trying to make us deaf. "It's Blitz" is not a leap to a more commercial niche, but rather an example of maturity and taking music for real. For most of the time the instruments create a structural harmony, which was hard to be found with their first releases, which sounded more distorted and less professional. Definitely time has gad its impact on Yeah Yeah Yeahs and "It's Blitz!" proves that even the biggest party-crashers can come up with some genuinely original. Of course, this doesn't mean that Karen O and company have grown into a bunch of old nagging rockers, who hold up to their old rusty glory. Yeah Yeah Yeahs is still one of the most promising alternative rock bands to hail from the States and I am pretty sure that there is more and more to come.

There are a few weak points but they are rather insignificant to the concept of the album, that they could be easily omitted when listening to the whole product. The title "It's Blitz!" may be a direct references to the German word Blitz (Eng. lightning) a connotation of the album's striking content filled with electrifying energy. Karen O is polarizing the whole atmosphere with her aggressively charming attitude towards your brain-cells, which either have to shake to the rhythm or are going to bring you to a dull life.

Songs to hear: "Zero", "Head Will Roll", "Dull Life" and "Shame and Fortune"

Personal rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Bat for Lashes (real name Natasha Khan) is among the fresh names in the British indie scene, although she has already established herself as one of the most promising names of the new alternative wave. I, personally, have never been interested in the whole singer-songwriter stuff, but being influenced by the few that I have ever listened to I decided to check her out. I started from the single "Daniel", which happens to be quite a nice song. The quality of "Daniel" made me believe that "Two Suns" would be quite an experience. Let's say that my expectation were just a bit higher that the album turned out to be and still it deserves your attention.

I am not very experienced with the music of Bat for Lashes, but as soon as I heard her voice I just couldn't stop thinking of Sinead O'connor. Is it me or Khan has really got the voice of O'connor? Even after I listened to "Two Suns" several times I couldn't take this idea out of my head. Anyways, this was just a plus for me as I am an avid fan of Sinead's works.

"Two Suns" is the journey in a world of emotions of Khan's alter ego Pearl, who according to the official press-release is "a destructive, self-absorbed, blonde, femme fatale of a persona who acts as a direct foil to Khan's more mystical, desert-born spiritual self." The name of the album is a direct reference to the duality of live, which offers two sides of almost everything. The content of "Two Suns" is lyrically rich and stylistically various stretching from more downtempo to up-beat alternative tracks.

One of the major flaws of "Two Suns" is that it lacks genuine originality. Despite all the efforts put in the creation of the album it perfectly sounds like a compilation of songs made by various singer-songwriter artists, among which Tori Amos, Cat Power or Regina Spektor. It is admirable that Khan draws influence from prominent singers, but she has to try out to sound a but more distinctively or people might mistake her constantly and her music image to stay vague in their minds. Still Natasha is young and has her time to find herself in the music world...if not...well...

Songs to hear: "Daniel", "Glass", "Moon and Moon" and "Peace of Mind"

Personal rating: 7 out of 10