The Cat Empire- Two Shoes

This is The Cat Empire's second album. It was released in 2005, two years after their highly successful self-titled album.

There are two aspects to this album- the chinscratching experience of listening to the CD in an armchair, and bouncing around like a possessed loon when the songs are played live. Sly, Lullabye and The Car Song somehow don't really work for me in the former setting. But at a live gig, it's a completely different story and the songs work a treat.

Recording quality is satisfactory... once you give the "treble" dial a big twist clockwise. Prior to this, it's an inexplicably muffled sound.

Settling into a gentle groove, In My Pocket has a wonderfully peaceful and uplifting vibe. Also, the chorus lyrics are perfect... ok, maybe just for semi-drunken chorus singalongs! Finally, The Cat Empire's pre-chorus reggae breakdowns are always a highlight for me.

Two Shoes takes a similar approach and again it works very well. It feels like during each verse, the crowd quietens to hear the wise poet's heartfelt and truism filled lyrics. Then each chorus comes along to re-inject some energy with an upbeat crowd singalong. Brilliant.

Miserere should be more of the same, but it doesn't work for me. Somehow, neither the lyrics nor the music have any hook for me. Although, a trivial detail has great appeal for me- I really like the gentle heartbeat-esque thud of the kick-drum. Yes, quite a strange element to find enjoyment in! More meaningfully, the ending is wonderfully uplifting ending, in a similar way to the final scene of Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 26.

Sol y Sombra has very immature appeal for me- my nickname for the song is "Soggy Salada"! More seriously, I dig each of the varied sections, but as a song they don't gel that well together. 1001 takes a similar concept and makes it work brilliantly.

Speaking of irreverence, Protons Neutrons Electrons is brilliantly whimsical, with the tale being perfectly complemented by the tongue-in-cheek music. Great, silly fun.

One would expect that Saltwater, a ska song, would be right up my alley. Yet somehow it just feels to me like every ska cliche haphazardly thrown together into a song.

That leaves The Night That Never End. A beautiful lullabye. And then, slowly, through the song it builds up... like The Wine Song ... into a crazy party of gypsies on speed. Flailing around in careless ecstacy. This song covers the full spectrum of energy levels and is brilliant everywhere in between.

Favourite songs

In My Pocket, Two Shoes, Protons Neutrons Electrons, The Night That Never End, 1001 

Worthwhile?

For many years, I considered this to be a boringly conventional follow-up to their debut album. But rediscovering it has made me realise that it would have just looked silly if they'd released another album of eclectic songs which wildly jump all over the place. The emotions on this album are just as intense and varied, merely more measured in their execution. So, I think I actually prefer this album in many ways.

The Living End- White Noise

This album is controversially The Living End's first album that didn't have a red, white and black cover. Shock, horror! It turns out this change was a statement of intent, as the album debuted a slower, heavier style.

It was the bands their fifth album and was released in 2008. Although this is only two years after State of Emergency, between these two albums the band were on hiatus and very nearly called it quits. 

How Do We Know wastes no time establishing that there is a new style in town. It's massive riff rates up there with Audioslave's finest. And towards the end, the backing strings are a nice touch. However, the recording quality is terrible! Ok, I get that they were going for a rougher "garage" sound, but the clipped bass drum and random feedback rings are taking it too far in my opinion. While this raw style continues through the album, thankfully they made their point in the opening track and the rest of the album is much less jarring.

Raise the Alarm is a great blend of old and new. Highlights are the lyrics and the perfect singalong chorus. A minor quibble is that the first two songs expose the lead vocals as lacking the required power for this hard-rock stuff.

Now, the title track, White Noise. I'm not trying to be controversial, but I don't rate it at all. Despite having won various awards, I regard it as a throwaway pop hit which has a few decent hooks that are rehashed over and over as the song drags out. While I'm slagging off songs, Make the Call feels like a cliched and contrived Wolfmother ripoff, Kid is middle-of-the-road blandness with awful lyrics, and the verses of the reggae song Sum of Us feel lumbering and disjointed (although it comes together nicely for the chorus).

Waiting for the Silence is quite similar to the much-maligned stuff off Modern Artillery (ie the song Jimmy), however the rousing chorus rescues it somewhat. On the other hand, Loaded Gun and 21st Century- both of which feature terrible choruses but very nice verses. The headbanging riff of Loaded Gun and the frenetic guitar and vocal energy in the verses of 21st Century both work very well.

It all comes together for Moment in the Sun, which features a traditionally brilliant Living End chorus. It's simple, fun rock'n'roll and the piano is a nice touch.

Hey Hey Disbeliever uses the cheese-cutter riff in the verses to brilliant effect. The chorus is pretty good in its own right, although the transition into it is a bit abrupt and upsets the groove. Interestingly, I find it actually works better towards the end when they drop all the way to an acoustic sound at the start of the chorus. But enough of this over-intellectualising, the song is perfect for epic headbanging!

Favourite songs

How Do We Know, Raise the Alarm, Moment in the Sun, Hey Hey Disbeliever

Worthwhile?

Hmm... tricky question... Well, I know that one must embrace change, but this album is a mixed bag. It's a case of a few solid songs scattered amongst the mess. Trying to put my biases about The Living End aside, I will say that the handful of good songs do make it worthwhile.

Rocket to Memphis- Swampwater Shuffle

This EP was released in 2007, two years after the band formed.

Although I'm a big fan of the genre of this EP, the execution leaves a bit to be desired. Catwoman and Devil's Ride both have their moments, but also often sound disjointed or clunky. The Jazz Butcher also has some great moments (especially the pre-chorus) but is let down by the contrived, pun-fest lyrics.

Unfortunately, the recording quality is also a mixed bag. And the bad stuff is pretty damn bad- muddy sound and poor balance of instruments. The worst affected by this is Devil's Ride.

The "stroller" style of rock'n'roll always appeals to me, so I quite dig Voodoo Twist. The harsh reality is probably that it's a mediocre execution of the style, and that I'm easily pleased by songs of this style...

What Kind of Man, though, stands on its own as a solid song. The lumpy style is nicely maintained through the song, and perfectly matches the bittersweet lyrics.

Favourite songs

What Kind of Man, Voodoo Twist

Worthwhile?

No. Clearly, the band were still finding their feet at the time of this EP.

The Cure- Staring at the Sea

This mid-career Best Of album was released in 1986, ten years after the band formed.

I really dig the musical style of Killing an Arab and Jumping Someone Else's Train, however I find the philosophical lyrics quite depressive and heavy going. It's not that the lyrics aren't a worthy artistic statement or well executed, it's just that I find them hard work. This situation also applies to many of the other songs on this album, so to spare the whingeing I will focus on the stuff that I do like.

Boys Don't Cry has some great pop hooks, and these are lyrics that I actually really enjoy. (Although I must admit that I prefer Area 7's version)

The Love Cats and Close to Me are both upbeat bouncy tunes that I enjoy. Although they verge on being twee at times, they're still great fun.

So it turns out that the only Cure that I really enjoy are the superficial pop hits. D'oh! I guess I fail at serious "intellectual" music then...

Given my rant in the previous post about vinyl recording quality, I did chuckle when I read the liner nots on this album lecturing the listener how CDs are actually better, even if they don't like the different sound. It seems some people were quite touchy about the subject! And speaking of recording quality, it is surprisingly good. The "art rock" style means a thin sound for the bass guitar (and you can't fatten it up too much with EQ because it is quite messy), but everything is nicely crisp and characterful.

Favourite songs

The Love Cats, Close to Me

Worthwhile?

In a direct sense, I don't get much out of this CD - just  a couple of catchy little pop songs. Taking a wider view, however, The Cure have influenced many of my favourite bands, so I have to thank this CD for many other great albums (for example, Bloc Party's Silent Alarm)

The Doors- L.A. Woman

Founded in 1965, The Doors worked at a furious rate, releasing one album per year. L.A. Woman is their sixth album, released in 1971, a few months before Jim Morrison's death. This review is of the 1999 remastered version.

On a personal note, as a child it was one of my favourite albums. Every so often, I would retreat to the front room and carefully put this album onto the turntable. And while I don't normally buy into the "superiour" sound of vinyl compared with digital music, I'll happily admit that the woofly tones and crackling of the vinyl album were a great part of its character.

It has been a while since I last listened to this album. Yet as soon as it started playing, it felt like putting on a favourite old sneaker that's been lost at the back of the wardrobe for a while: after all this time it still feels familiar and "just right". Ahhh!

The Changeling is a great mini rock-opera. Full of  variety and twists and turns, it still manages to sound cohesive and is nicely stitched together.

On the surface, Love Her Madly is usually remembered as a nice catchy little pop song. But it too is quite an intricate arrangement of twists and turns. For me, though, the highlight is the twist in the lyrics at the end of the first verse:
Don't you love her...
As she's walking out the door.

Been Down So Long is a simple yet brilliantly passionate blues. Cars Hiss By My Window is a simple yet brilliantly relaxing blues. Indeed, The Doors had nailed the blues style in all its forms. Crawling King Snake and The WASP are also solid efforts, again each with a different take on the genre.

L.A. Woman is the most energetic song of the album, thanks to the driving boogie beat. This beat and the lyrics perfectly compliment each other, to create the vivid imagery of speeding interstate through the night in the name of love. Since my childhood, this has been a favourite for closing the curtains, cranking the volume, and being transported to another universe!

Perhaps some ahem "chemical stimulation" is required to properly appreciate L'America. Because un-stoned listening reveals it to be quite incoherent as a whole. On the other hand, even sober Hyacinth House is enjoyable as a nice light pyschodelic ballad.

To quickly touch on recording quality, it is excellent, especially for a 1970s recording. In particular, the vocals are stunning.

As soon as that brilliant walking bassline starts, Riders on the Storm begins to wash all your troubles away. Another highlight is the organ- which is basically free to solo throughout the whole song. While it serves as background fill here, if you listen out for it, the playing is intricate, captivating and refreshingly understated. Then the ghostly lyrics over the top are the icing on the cake. Riders on the Storm is the perfect lullabye.

Favourite songs

The Changeling, Love Her Madly, Been Down So Long, Cars Hiss By My Window, LA Woman, Hyacinth House, The WASP, Riders on the Storm

Worthwhile?

What an incredible album- 30% it is comprised of timeless classics (Love Her Madly, L.A. Woman and Riders on the Storm). And the most of the remaining tracks are "merely" great songs!

Millencolin- Machine 15

Released in 2008, approximately 15 years after the band formed (hence the album title). It follows the album Kingwood and, as of 2014, the band have not released an album since.

Having read a couple of other reviews for this album, I am setting myself the challenge of being the first person to review this album without comparing it to Pennybridge Pioneers. Let's see how that goes...

For some reason, it always takes a few listens for me to get into the groove of this album. Once I'm "in the zone" and the stereo is cranked, this CD becomes a brilliantly enveloping and powerful experience. However, it takes a while for the subtleties to shine, and first impressions are that it barely differs from generic commercial rock offerings of Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Good Charlotte, etc.

There is no such confusion with the opening though, which is kick-arse. Machine 15 is a simple yet effective headbanger to get you in the mood. The perfect start.

At the other end of the spectrum is Detox. The stadium rock sound does not mix at all well with the homely ditty style. Add in too many repetitions of the twee chorus, and the result is a train-wreck. Maybe it could be considered just a throwaway pop song, but Millencolin are better than this.

Other offenders seem to sound like a Good Charlotte, Kings of Leon or Foo Fighters B-side, by this I mean uninspired 2000s pop-rock. To name and shame, these songs are Broken World, Come On, Brand New Game (with particularly cliched lyrics) and Turnkey Paradise.

Danger For Stranger is how it should be done. Sure, it's pretty formulaic, but they've executed it perfectly. And its bouncy energy is infectious. Great fun. (Ok, I'll admit, maybe part of the appeal for me is that I don't understand its lyrics...)

Recording quality is disappointing in several areas: a harsh and messy sound for the cymbals, a distracting overuse of stereo panning and the dreaded Loudness Wars resulting in the choruses feeling squashed. On the bright side, there's much less distortion compared with Millencolin's previous album and it does have a nice "meaty" rock sound.

Vicious Circle starts off sounding a bit uninspired, like the offenders above. But then all is forgiven with the chorus! This is vintage Millencolin brilliance- desperately empassioned with lyrics that feature slightly awkward phrasing and are bittersweet yet uplifting. Brilliant.

Who's Laughing Now and Route One are both solid new-age "grunty" Millencolin songs. The chorus of Route One is a particular highlight.

As for Ducks and Drakes, well any songs with a title similar to Duckpond is off to a great start in my book! And this delivers. The classic Millencolin qualities of mysterious and slightly awkward lyrics are still there to be enjoyed, now complemented by the maturity of more sophisticated arrangements and a big sound. And, as the icing on the cake, a nice use of strings. Something old, something new- perfectly blended.

Similarly, Saved By Hell is a wonderful new direction. Highlights include the brilliant contrast between sections, choruses of headbanging goodness, touchingly gentle verses, great lyrics and a grand sense of scale. Again, the strings are used very nicely, which is rare for a rock band. Rather than cheesy cameos, their countermelodies sit perfectly as an integrated part of the song. Kudos. It is a new string in Millencolin's bow (terrible pun- sorry!).

Favourite songs

Machine 15, Vicious Circle, Ducks and Drakes, Route One, Danger For Stranger, Saved By Hell

Worthwhile?

This album shows a continuing progression from the pop-punk ditties of Pennybr... ummm I mean their early albums..., to the stadium riff-rock debuted in Home From Home, to now being capable of some epic rock operas. Each step of the journey has been thoroughly enjoyable, including this one.

Vaudevillains- Vaudevillain Nights

Has it really been 7 years since 2007 already?! It seems like only yesterday that these kids were emerging on the local scene with a fresh take on rockabilly. And this is their debut EP.

Across the CD, the highlight is definitely the storytelling of the lyrics. It's wonderfully illustrative and moody, also nicely intriguing (I'm a big fan of lyrics I don't understand!). Unfortunately, another common theme is terrible endings. Often they are drawn out and fit awkwardly with the rest of the song.

The title track, is case in point. Focussing on the good stuff, the lyrics brilliantly paint a picture of a wild, hedonistic carnival scene. And the music itself is toe-tappingly catchy, with a great riff.

It's interesting to compare this CD to my previous review of Joe Cocker. The style of Joe Cocker isn't something I'd normally dig, so for the song The Letter to appeal to me is an incredible achievement. On the other hand, rockabilly is right up my alley, so perhaps even the most mediocre rockabilly song would score a rave review from me? Hmm, I wonder...

Which brings me to Ill Motivation and Werecar. To damn them with humble praise, both are just solid songs without any real highlights (except, perhaps, the catchy chorus of Werecar). But, probably due to the genre, I still really enjoy them.

To quickly mention the poor recording quality... well... on the bright side the vocals have a haunting quality that works a treat. But otherwise it sounds like some guys where hanging out in a garage drinking beers, and then spontaneously decide to record some times (possibly after the sound engineer had enjoyed a few too many beers...). But this is the first-up effort for an indie band, so I shouldn't get too precious about it.

Trip to the Moon is a fantastic story, and has great music. I really dig the unusual use of the snare drum throughout the verses, which contrasts nicely with the more conventional drum pattern for the chorus. Add the hillbilly bassline and the spacious guitar, and it makes for great music. As for the lyrics, they recount one's battle with his inner demons in a wonderfully poetic style:
This time alone inside my head,
This time alone is all I dread.
And maybe it's the only thing to do.

This evil isn't make-believe
It steals my thoughts, it haunts my dreams
And maybe it's the only thing to do:
Take a trip to the moon.

Devil Drives a Valiant is a musical version of a Tarantino film. There is no cooler story than a demonic femme drag racing at night on deserted country roads in a 70s muscle car. With a catchy little tune to back it up, it is rockabilly perfection.
Side by side, we run on down the track
Beaten again, she must run under 10 flat
I said "damn demon, that's quick for a six",
She said "I'm the devil, you know I've got my tricks"

Favourite songs

Vaudevillain Nights, Trip to the Moon, Devil Drives a Valiant

Worthwhile?

Yep. Garage rockabilly is a guaranteed winner in my book!

Joe Cocker- Best Of

This mid-career Best Of was released in 1983, 17 years into his solo career.

Although Joe Cocker's repertoire spans many styles, there are 3 similar songs which sum him up for me: Delta Lady, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window and Hitchcock Railway. All are superbly raw and loose, the unique combination of blues, soul and funk creating a wonderful sound. But they are also very eclectic, with many sudden changes in feel. Delta Lady goes a bit too far, with all the breaks destroying the groove created by some great passages. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window is far more settled, but it seems the madness is required for the brilliance, as it also doesn't hit the same heights as Delta Lady. As for Hitchcock Railway, the groove is fantastic and, of course, the cowbell means any of its sins are forgiven!

The rest of the CD (with one very notable exception) doesn't really appeal to me. Probably through no fault of their own, more that the styles (soul, ballads) sit a long way from my usual musical taste. And the recording quality is bad to the point of distraction, due to a very thin sound and excessive placement of instruments in the left or right ear.

The aforementioned notable exception is The Letter. As per most of Cocker's hits, it's a cover; but the arrangement and uniqueness of this version mean it's nothing like a re-hash. Highlights include the impassioned yet husky voice, the counterpoint of the piano part, the enormous horn melody for the chorus and the build-up of the chord progression leading into the chorus. The result is sheer brilliance. Even if the rest of the CD was rubbish, I'd still be happy to own it, just for this song.

Favourite songs

Delta Lady, The Letter, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Hitchcock Railway

Worthwhile?

Whilst my enjoyment of Joe Cocker is very narrow, it definitely hits the spot.

Death Proof (movie soundtrack)

The movie Death Proof was released in 2007. Therefore, like my previous post reviewing Chicago, this is a review of a soundtrack to a highly successful film which was commended for its music.

But that's where the similarities end. Whereas Chicago is a series of songs in a similar style which were specifically written as ingredients for scenes in the movie, Death Proof is a varied compilation of songs, which were years later selected for the film.

The Last Race's opening of the gratuitous engine sounds suits the film personally. The adventurous daredevil attitude is perfectly established, particularly by the soaring horns and strings. A perfect fit for the film, however somehow I don't find the song particularly engaging in isolation. Given this song was originally written for a film, it makes sense that it feels like only half of the story. (how embarrassing for me that my opening rant is undermined by the very first song!)

Recording quality? It goes all-in with the "retro sound", aka distortion as far as the eye can see and instruments randomly placed to the left or right. Normally I'd be whingeing about this stuff, but in this case it perfectly suits the mood of the album (and movie).

The best example of this is Baby It's You, which by any objective measure is terribly distorted and strained. But it perfectly fits the mood of this superbly anguished rhythm'n'blues song. And it hits the nail on the head, full of desperately intense emotion.

Similarly, The Love You Save and Good Love, Bad Love are brilliant soul music, which perfectly use the sparseness to amplify the emotion.

At the other end of the spectrum, Jeepster provides light-hearted Beatles-esque fun. There is quite a lot of interesting stuff going on in the background, making it more than a throwaway pop hit.

The way this version of Staggolee lopes along is fantastic. The nice relaxed groove it sets is perfect accompaniment to the wonderful storytelling.

Down in Mexico doesn't need the moving pictures to tell a story- this song paints the most vivid of pictures on its own! The lyrics and the music combine perfectly to create a world of charismatic wild men of music. The percussion and backing vocals are the icing on this nicely layered cake.

Somehow, Hold Tight sits awkwardly between bad boy rock'n'roll and saccharine Beatles style. For me, the opening is full of promise and energy, but the song soon drifts into blandness. Riot in Thunder Alley is more like it! The driving energy of the surf rock never fails to create a feelgood mood. This song feels like a crazed madman banging away on the drums, with other instruments jumping in when they have something to add. Great stuff.

Initially, I though Chick Habit was a song with a great groove and lyrics that went a bit far with the cheekiness, ending up more like insults heard at a kindergarten:
You're gonna need a heap of glue
When they all catch up with you,
And they cut you up in two.
But then I heard the original French version. As I don't speak a word of French, I am blissfully unaware if the original's lyrics are just as inane! However their delivery is somehow makes the cheekiness more stylish and is thankfully much less nasally. In the end, the added mystique and quirky French style are a great improvement (which is true in almost any situation!). While I appreciate the French version wouldn't have suited the mood of the film, it remains a better song to listen to.

Favourite Songs

Baby It's You, Jeepster, Staggolee, The Love You Save, Down in Mexico, Riot in Thunder Alley

Worthwhile?

Sure is. This is a fantastic collection of songs, which just happened to all be used in a film together.

Chicago (movie soundtrack)

Normally, musicals aren't my cup of tea. But somehow 2002's Chicago made such an impression that I purchased the soundtrack.

Any soundtrack's primary purpose is to work together with the film's visuals and be a part of a multimedia experience. Whether its songs have merit as standalone works is merely a bonus. However, given that the soundtrack was released, I think it is fair to judge the music in isolation. Here we go...

I'd better admit to being a tough audience, though. The camp thrills of a musical are often lost on me, instead coming across as cheesy and hollow. Also, the exaggerated caricatures and fast-paced twists and turns are not usually suited to songs, since great music is often about the flow of a song and establishing an intense mood.

If it sounds like I'm making excuses for this album, then yes, indeed I am! Cutting to the chase, Overture and All That Jazz suffers badly from jumping all over the place with zero consistency. All of the musical ideas are nicely presented in their own right, but cramming this much glitz into a song results in its core appeal being drowned. That core appeal being a nicely catchy vocal refrain. But the song keeps going and going, so in the end even feels like it's flogging a dead horse.

Funny Honey might lack the ADHD approach needed to hold a movie audience's attention, but it works much better as a song. As a jazz ballad, it's a solid effort and quite enjoyable, especially the nice twist at the end.

When You're Good To Mama somehow appeals to me, yet I cannot rationalise any difference between it and All That Jazz. Both contain many great elements and jump around far too much. But perhaps the style, story or brilliant horn line means that I enjoy When You're Good To Mama in its own right as a song.

Let's quickly skim over some lowlights. All I Care About and Razzle Dazzle both feel very tacky, and their vocals are terrible (you can work out the common factor here...). My previous gripes about songs from musicals are cemented by We Both Reached For the Gun, Roxie, I Can't Do It Alone and Mister Cellophane. Class is a much more enjoyable listen, although it is more a case of a great monologue with passable background music than an actual song.

The chorus of Nowadays is something you just can't get out of your head, thanks to its catchiness. The rest of the song is chock full of polished hooks, but to me it aimlessly dashes from one hook to another without any cohesion or attraction. After Midnight is a much needed antidote! Its understated and consistent style is greatly appreciated amongst its rowdy neighbours.

The recording style is quite varied throughout the album (and Roxie's Suite features strangely earthquake-inducing bass!). However, it consistently strikes a good balance between all of the instruments competing for the spotlight at any given time. Other highlights are the sounds of the soaring horns and crisp cymbals.

Saving the best until last, Cell Block Tango is my favourite song on this album. The storytelling is brilliant- sticking to a similar theme, but each verse with enough variety to keep it fresh. Also, the song has wonderful patience and restraint. The sparseness of the verses allows the huge and brilliant chorus to have a greater impact.

Favourite songs

When You're Good To Mama, Cell Block Tango

Worthwhile?

Nope. Given that I don't dig the genre, perhaps the fact that I have enjoyed at least some of this is an impressive achievement.