Popportunity

Vanessa Brown (or atleast Island label) owes me an apology. It has been almost a full year since I was transfixed by Crying Blood via youtube and the wait for the album has been excruciating. I’ve had insomnia induced nights, arduous days and my ipod has been constantly binned with disappointment. Ok, not really, but you get my drift.

VV Brown’s arrival into the pop realm causes me much enthusiasm – Akin to my sentiments when I discovered both of Amy Winehouse’s records. A little bit Winehouse, a little bit Ting Tings, VV Brown’s energetic mix of 50s diner rock, classic girl group, indie-pop and soul signal the influx of a potential pop icon.

Audaciously, most songs on Travelling Like The Light echo past hits. Crying Blood (incidentally placing 17^th in my fave songs of 2008 list) is staggeringly fun, but Bobby Pickett, of Monster Mash fame, would’ve called his lawyers if he wasn’t already six feet under. Quick Fix channels The Beatles’ It’s Your Birthday, Leave recalls the Chiffon’s One Fine Day, while Crazy Amazing’s chorus mirrors a certain famous piano harmony – Just take a listen.

So how can I possibly praise an artist for originality when she’s clearly appropriated so many famous songs? Because this is simply not a cover album. Brown has brilliantly employed these songs as inspiration for a concept album, a tribute to the 1950s soda pop era mixed with the best elements of today’s pop/rock.

For a seemingly endless array of fine points; take Shark In The Water’s summery immediacy, Quick Fix’s guitar-frenzied sassy attitude, Bottles’ Hawaiian flow or Leave’s haunting lyrical straightforwardness, “How does it feel like this to be caught in a web of a heavy grip, where your mind can’t believe or try to admit that the one you love is a fool, you don’t realise.” Then there’s L.O.V.E, a song that’s so 1950s, you’ll be gripping the seat so you don’t get up and do the twist.

Brown may have based this debut on her own failed relationship, but every note and word will resonate with anyone’s own broken hearted story. Brown articulates sentiments to perfection and has a ball doing it. It may have taken half a century, but the 1950s have never sounded so hip.

Key Tracks: Crying Blood, Leave, Shark In The Water, L.O.V.E

Read Full Post »

You shouldn’t mess with Victoria Hesketh. After all, this is the girl who won the coveted BBC Sound of 2009 Poll, beating the likes of Lady Gaga, Empire of the Sun and Florence & The Machine – without so much as a single release. This is also a girl whose stage moniker derives from one of the most sadistic and sexually perverse people in history (Little Boots in Latin translates to Caligula).

Although Little Boots’ name has been allied with the current wave of female pop/electro artists like Ladyhawke, La Roux and Florence & The Machine, Little Boots stands out with her audacity to make proper pop music. Hesketh will also never apologise for being ‘pop’, a refreshing change from debut artists shrugging off the tag to be seen more credibly. Fortunately, Hands delivers on all fronts – A credible and crafty, yet very ‘now’ and poppy anthem album for the (northern) summer.

Album opener New In Town is a disappointing choice for debut single, sounding like B-Grade Annie or a lesser effort of Goldfrapp’s Supernature. Not a painful song, but certainly not a prominent pick of the album. Better is second single Remedy, a zippy and catchy electro-disco hit that doubles as a doomsday siren to Kylie Minogue.

Hesketh has an extraordinary ability to put an innovative touch on an familiar prototype. Stuck on Repeat sounds like a cut off Madonna’s Confessions record, yet remarkably still manages to exemplify Little Boots’ fresh artistry. Hearts Collide, while both gloomy and sinister still showcases elegant balladry. Mathematics verses could’ve almost solely inspired Peaches most recent album and even the clichéd lyrics work for, rather than against itself, “Take just a little of my mind, and subtract it from my soul, add a fraction of my heart and you’ll see it makes me whole.” In cheeky fashion, Symmetry sees guest vocals from Phillip Oakley of Human League. No surprises that it sounds so organic – remnants of Human League are bejeweled throughout.

Hands is by no means flawless, but Hesketh has given us an introduction to her artistry, providing validation for her BBC Sound of 2009 Poll win as well as offering a glimpse of an enduring career.

Key Tracks: Stuck On Repeat, Remedy, Hearts Collide

Read Full Post »

Newcomers La Roux, (comprising of Elly Jackson as the face and voice with Ben Langmaid on production) have had many reasons to celebrate of late. In the last year, they’ve polled in fifth position on the BBC’s Sound of 2009 poll, supported Lily Allen on the UK leg of her tour, been picked up by the Cherrytree label in the US (Home of Lady Gaga), first single In For The Kill has received international attention and has been one of the biggest hits in the UK in 2009 and more recently, single Bulletproof hit no.1 there.

This kind of hyped trajectory can work for and against a band trying to make their mark – Fortunately La Roux (French for ‘Flame Haired One’) have an album that defies disappointment.

80s influences are obvious, particularly Depeche Mode, Human League and Yazoo – La Roux have already received much criticism for sounding like an unoriginal version of the groundbreaking electro artists. Influenced? Yes. Reverenced? Yes. Unoriginal? Definitely not. Based on Jacksons’ on/off five year relationship, this is an album equally inspired by the hazards of heartbreak.

Album opener In For The Kill, if you can work past the shrill of Jackson’s vocals, is an instant classic – A synth-pop smash about a girl putting her heart on the line (and not caring about the outcome.) Quicksand is about sinking too deep while Amour Love (sounding like an updated Yazoo’s Only You), reeks of heartbreak, “You seem to believe you belong to somebody else, when you leave me alone in this world you know I’m in hell.”

There are two particular tracks that stand out however. As If By Magic won me over immediately with it’s synth heavy balladry and metaphorical lyricism, “I know I’m keeping my head in the clouds, and it’s not so tragic, if I don’t look down.” A clear strength of La Roux’s is their effortless ability to epitomise the complicated emotions of falling in and out of love. This can also be glimpsed on the brilliant Bulletpoof, a catchy-as-all-hell, self help anthem about standing your ground – Again with lyrical eloquence and simplicity, “I won’t let you turn around and tell me now I’m much too proud, all you do is fill me up with doubt. This time baby, I’ll be bulletproof.”

There was one more characteristic of La Roux’s debut which potentially could become a trademark – Overlapping final choruses. Although a relatively standard approach to modern pop music, La Roux have excelled in this regard – Particularly on As If By Magic and Bulletproof, where already prolific tunes have been given more depth and relevance. La Roux actually have a point to make, a story to tell and have done so with very exciting means.

Key Tracks: Bulletproof, As If By Magic, In For The Kill, Amour Love

Read Full Post »

The E.N.D (or the Energy Never Dies), the latest album of The Black Eyed Peas was supposedly a homage to their partying days in Australia – Conceptualised with artists like The Presets in mind. Before venturing any further I must mention this is nothing like a Presets album – Stylistically or critically.

First single Boom Boom Pow is mindless and tuneless (so ofcourse it’s been no.1 in most countries for consecutive weeks.) Salvation comes with the enormous electro beat thrown in half way through, the tune finally emerging. I Gotta Feeling, sung to David Guetta’s Love Is Gone, is better with its contagious party theme but again suffers from monotony.

The rest of the album is fun but flawed. Album stand-out Meet Me Halfway recalls the sound of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, Fergie’s vocals shine throughout. Alive is another highlight, its simplicity working for rather than against itself, accompanied by a fun piano melody. Party All The Time is obnoxious and sounds like party music as sung by Hi-5’s lyricists. Out of My Mind contains spurious funk and Ring A Ling is just plain awful – Daft Punk for 8 year olds.

The most disappointing aspect of The E.N.D. lies in the lyrics, the best example being I Gotta Feeling, “Go out and smash it, like oh my god.” Truly awful. Understandably it is a party themed album but this in on way excuses an inability to tell a decent story or articulate human emotions.

Key Tracks: Meet Me Halfway, Alive

Read Full Post »

Throughout his career, Moby has presented an eclectic flair, with mixed results. Breakthrough Play was the lush soundtrack for every café in the Western world, while last year’s Last Night was an ode to the 1990s New York dance scene – And one of the musical highlights of 2008. However 18 suffered patchy moments while Hotel employed Moby’s own vocals in gospel-infused rock – The hit/miss ratio suffering significantly. Fortunately, Wait For Me continues on from Last Night as another validation of Moby’s talent, this time with Ken Thomas of Sigur Ros fame on production.

From the opening Division’s cello engrossed serenity to finale Isolate’s tinkling piano dream-like state (again with cellos), Wait For Me incorporates the finest elements of all Moby album, along with some new – The result being an remarkable accomplishment. Moby’s minimalist direction and mastermind selection of instruments deserve accolades, this is almost another Play or Last Night.

Lead singles Pale Horses and Shot in The Back of the Head are haunting and beautiful, but by no means highlights of this gem encrusted album. Study War is politically debonair, complete with Moby’s now almost signature gospel backing vocals. Mistake utilizes similar beats to previous album Last Night, rocking guitars featured in Hotel and for the first time, Moby’s vocals are perfectly suited. A Seated Night joyously assimilates old world choir’s chanting with stringed arrangements, the result being refined minimalism and depth. Hope is Gone’s bluesy guitars and sultry vocals leave a lasting impression but it is JTLF that best summarises the mood of Wait For Me. Flawless vocals and stunning balladry don’t take anything away from heartbreaking lyricism, “All the moments wasted, all the time we spent, doesn’t mean nothing, doesn’t mean nothing…”

Wait For Me not only continues Moby’s current hot streak, it encapsulates Moby’s relevance and importance in the current realm of popular music. This is an album with more highlights than most albums have songs, where emotion and profundity have been dealt with modesty and compassion. One of the best of the year so far.

Key Tracks: JTFL, Mistake, Pale Horses

Read Full Post »