My 2023 Album of the Year: Kylie, Tension

I apologise. I’ve taken quite the backseat in writing reviews for the last 6 months. I’ve no excuses to be honest. 

Although you may have noticed my absence online, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve still been listening to new music and I’ve been swamped with some absolute bangers! Now, after a lot of debate, I’m happy to share my 2023 album of the year with you. 

And this years winner is…

Kylie Minogue- Tension (Deluxe)

Let’s kick start with the single she released in May 2023, Padam Padam which is undeniably a dancefloor filler and summer anthem. It gained a lot of popularity with her LGBTQ + fans too which is always a winner. If you’re wondering what ‘Padam’ means, it’s simply the sound of a beating heart. The word made it into the Urban Dictionary and was used by an MP in the House of Commons!

In September, Kylie then released the single Tension which, yet again is an iconic dancefloor filler. An electronic synthpop sound oozing with deep bass.

In a recent interview with Numero, Kylie describes the album as being a mix of personal reflections:

‘There are a lot of songs in my repertoire that mix sadness and joy at once. Melancholy can be a happy place. As for my personal reflections, most of the songs are about my life.’

When discussing her single Hold on to Now, Kylie says:

‘I wanted to write about the fact that we spend so much time wondering where we’re going that we forget to enjoy the present moment, even though that moment isn’t going to last. This title is about that period of time when I’m looking for answers, and I can’t find them. In the meantime, I say, “Keep holding on to now.” Hold on to Now raises an existential question we’re all asking ourselves – how can we make sense of it all?’

Hold on to Now is my favourite track on the album. Even though it’s an electronic dance track that you can easily throw some shapes to on the dancefloor, it’s also euphoric and atmospheric. I find it emotional to listen to. One of those songs that gives you goosebumps and you’ve got to listen to it over and over again.

This is Kylie’s sixteenth album and has plenty of fun loving tracks to choose from, (14 in fact!) With an album full of surprises, it’s easy to see why Kylie’s doing a 3 month Las Vegas residency. Fingers crossed we see a UK tour on the cards soon. I’m eagerly awaiting for tour dates to be released. When they are, I’ll be at the front of queue for tickets, that’s for sure.

Hold on to Now- Kylie Minogue

This is the Kit announce new single, new album and new tour

It’s been two years since we’ve heard new music from This is the Kit. Not only have they graced us with a brand new single, but there’s an upcoming album on the horizon due for release on the 9th June. New album Careful of Your Keepers is produced by Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and this is what bandleader Kate Stables had to say in a recent interview:

“I’ve always loved the idea of working with him somehow, and when this album started getting planned, I realized that maybe this was my chance to reach out and see if he was up for working together, and he was! As if that wasn’t enough, he was also up for doing a bit of singing on the record, which totally blew my mind and made my year. His way with harmony and melody and the tone and quality of his voice is a totally killer combo.”

In this new single Inside Outside, we’re greeted with summery guitar tones and a gentle drum beat which This is the Kit always do so well. Later, we hear a scattering of synths and brass alongside the comforting vocals of Stables who manages to mesmerize us with catchy and rhythmic lyrics.

All the molecules /Were focused on your next move/Didn’t mean to move/Didn’t mean for it to move you/Bite off as much as you can chew/I chew, chew, choose you

Stables describes the song as being about choices and changes. What makes things happen and how much choice do we really have? Is it external or internal forces that make us behave in a particular way? Do we bury our true feelings and do electricity and chemistry take it out of our control?

Plenty of questions to think about when listening to Inside Outside and it’s definitely a track that I could happily have on repeat for hours.

This is the Kit will soon embark on their UK and Ireland 23/24 tour and I hope there will be a little Glastonbury-shaped hole in their touring schedule…

This is the Kit- Inside Outside

Christine and The Queens tell all in new single ‘To be honest’

Christine and the Queens have released their new single To be honest which forms part of the upcoming album PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE which is due to be released on 9th June this year.

The new track gives us a little taste as to what to expect from the new album, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what’s in store.

To be honest is a synth-pop track which kicks off with Chris’ iconic sharp echoey vocals. Immediately, we’re drawn into this power ballad through such emotive lyrics

I get lost in my thoughts
And for hours of time
For it’s making me feel
Like I am not alone anymore
To be honest

In a recent statement about the upcoming album, Chris explains

“This new record is the second part of an operatic gesture that also encompassed 2022’s Redcar les adorables étoiles. Taking inspiration from the glorious dramaturgy of Tony Kushner’s iconic play, Angels in America, Redcar felt colourful and absurd like Prior sent to his insane dream-space. The follow-up PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE is a key towards heart-opening transformation, a prayer towards the self – the one that breathes through all the loves it is made of. Prior’s real agony in Angels in America is a deep, painful becoming, a shedding of all waters and memories, that then allows angels to immerse deep too, and offer back profound, narrative-altering love – a rest in true love.” 

Having studied Angels in America in great depth at university, I am certain this upcoming album is going to embody themes of escape, fantasy and identity.

Christine and the Queens will be performing at Glastonbury in June (the same month as the album release) and I have a feeling that many of these tracks will come alive on stage.

To be honest-Christine and The Queens

My 2022 Album of the Year: Wet Leg

Come and join me as I sit and reminisce about the music that 2022 had to offer.

2022 saw an assortment of rising talent in the music industry, and I think we can all agree that seeing the return of music festivals was an undeniable pleasurable gift.

Warpaint got to showcase their fourth studio album at the o2 Academy in Bristol which was an absolute ray of sunshine. We grooved to New Zealand musician Benee’s chilled beats and we rocked out to the edgy new album from The Black Keys.

But it was a band from the Isle of Wight that truly blew our minds with their refreshing and unique debut and self titled album….. Wet Leg

Not only did Wet Leg make their first appearance at Glastonbury Festival 2022, they were greeted by a giant crowd at the Park Stage with organiser Emily Eavis admitting they should have been playing a bigger stage.

Album of the Year: Wet Leg

1. Being in Love
2. Chaise Longue
3. Angelica
4. I don’t wanna Go Out
5. Wet Dream
6. Convincing
7. Loving You
8. Ur Mum
9. Oh No
10. Piece of Shit
11. Supermarket
12. Too Late Now

Wet Leg- Chaise Longue

Warpaint’s New Album Radiates Positivity

‘We’re bringing a two year old with us this time. So that will change the vibe. No more 5am Korn on the bus!‘ explain indie-alt band, Warpaint who are currently touring around the UK and Europe.

I was lucky enough to grab tickets to their recent show at the O2 Academy in Bristol. What a performance. We were given a plethora of tracks from every album, such tracks included Krimson, New Song, Love is to Die and of course a scattering of songs from their new album which I can’t wait to tell you about. So here goes.

Warpaint are renowned for their choral harmonies and psychedelic guitar licks however this album Radiate Like This provides much more than that and embraces an array of genres.

Send Nudes is a sultry track with fragments of electro jazz. It’s the final track on the album and the final track they performed on their tour. The deep bass urges you to throw some shapes on the dance floor in the form of a gentle thrust whilst the hypnotic harmonies leave you feeling chilled and relaxed.

The dreamy and grungy vibes of Proof are haunting. We hear an old-timey piano and echoey vocals which I can imagine being played on an episode of TV Drama Killing Eve.

On the track Stevie, the lyrics include:

‘Dream lover, lover / Like no other, other / you’re down and dirty / you are one freaky mother / you give me happiness/ You make me wanna / You make me wanna dance with you‘.

It’s clear to see that this is a love song about finding happiness. It’s a real sunshine track that just makes you feel good. The groovy guitar and upbeat drums compliment each other and I can guarantee it’s a track that you’re going to want to listen to again and again.

Warpaint comprises of Emily (guitar and vocals) Theresa (guitar and vocals), Stella (drums) and Jenny-Lee (bass). Radiate Like This is their first album in six years (has it really been that long?!) and if I had to describe this album in one word it was be ‘smooth’. This is a strong front-runner for my album of the year.

Stevie-Warpaint

La Luz Album Review

‘It really felt like he was part of the band when we were working on this record. He was challenging us to give our best performances in a way that was new’ explain surf-pop band, La Luz on working with producer Adrian Younge.

La Luz is made up of Shana Cleveland (guitar and vocals), Lena Simon (bass) and Alice Sandal (keyboard) and with the help of producer, Adrian Younge, this trio have managed to take us on a journey of psychedelia.

I first heard La Luz whilst listening to Amy Lamé’s show on BBC 6 Music and instantly had to find out more about this band. Their previous albums have oozed 60s surf vibes whilst this new one takes on different textures, mixing mellow vocals with synthetic sounds.

The opening track In The Country is filled with layered harmonies and atmospheric guitar reverb. A track that would coincide nicely with a Quentin Tarantino spaghetti western. Watching Cartoons takes you on a psychedelic trip by using soft jazzy drum beats and hypnotising gentle vocals. One of my favourite songs on the album is I Won’t Hesitate which is jam-packed with jazzy hi-hats, soft vocals and has a hint of bossa nova style.

La Luz and Adrian Younge have created a cinematic album that manages to mesmerise the listener whilst simultaneously making us want to get up on our feet and dance. La Luz will be touring the UK in Spring 2022, so make sure you don’t miss out on this surf-pop psychedelic experience.

La Luz- In The Country

Laura Mvula Album Review, Pink Noise

‘I came out of the womb wearing shoulder pads’ explains Laura Mvula in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.

‘In my adult years I had forgotten how important dance was to me as a vital tool of my creation expression. I bought it back, just for me, so I could find my delight in dance again. And now I can’t stop dancing. I can’t wait to play this album live‘.

Mvula’s new album Pink Noise immediately transports you back to the 1980s, with nearly every track adopting an 80s synth sound and staccato drum beats. We can hear the influence of musical legends such as Prince, Grace Jones and Michael Jackson. The opening track Safe Passage welcomes us into this 80s synth-pop world and Mvula describes it as a song about finding our safe space when we’re feeling drowned, confined and trapped. It’s the promised land that’s not a dream, but a real place.

‘No need to make it any harder than it already is/ I was awake in my dream/ When I was looking for safe passage‘

My favourite track on the album Got Me is flooded with a Michael Jackson dance-pop style similar to that of The Way You Make Me Feel. Mvula’s powerful high vocals surrounded by slick guitar riffs and brassy crescendos will make you want to get up and dance. Got me is simply an upbeat and funky song where we hear lyrics such as Do what you wanna/ Say what you wanna/ Taking control of me/ Don’t make it too easy for me’.

This catchy track is accompanied by an 80s inspired music video where we see Mvula dancing in a car wash filled with neon strip lights and wearing brightly coloured thigh-high boots.

Church Girl has a Whitney-esque synthpop sound which is refreshing to hear in 2021. This track is about shedding self doubt and freeing yourself. We hear the powerful lyrics, ‘How can you dance with the devil on your back? / How can you move? Caught up in a picture perfect / That will never last’.

Pink Noise is Mvula’s third album and will make anyone listening want to dig out their spandex and leg warmers. An outstanding album that I can’t wait to see performed live.

Laura Mvula- Got Me

Laura Mvula- Church Girl

London Grammar Album Review, Californian Soil

‘I felt like I wasn’t cut out for the music industry anymore. It really is a cowboy industry, especially if you’re a woman. It is incredibly sexist and exploitative. I was quite a feisty person in my teens, but somewhere along the line, I lost all my confidence. I kind of lost my voice. And this album has given it back to me’ explains Hannah Reid, front woman for the band London Grammar.

The much anticipated third album, Californian Soil has soared to number one in the charts within just one week of being released, making it the fastest selling album of 2021 so far by a British act.

The title track introduces us to hypnotic guitar reverb, crunching percussion and of course evocative vocals. A truly exhilerating opener with a dark underbelly behind it. Reid has said the song reflects gaining possession of her life and taking control of the obstacles that stand in your way.

One of my favourite tracks on the album is Lord It’s a Feeling and is described as a ‘fuck you song’. This stand out track hears absorbing synths surrounded by haunting vocals. There’s no doubt that this track is fuelled by rage as we hear the lyrics ‘ I saw the way you laughed behind her back / When you fucked somebody else’.

In several interviews, Reid discusses feeling like a ‘cash cow’ and not being taken seriously as a female artist. She revealed that she was close to quitting music after sexist engineers and producers would ignore her. She recalls a time when she voiced her concerns about the sound levels to the engineer and received a lecture on how the bass actually works. Later, people complanied that the bass was too loud to which she replied, ‘Yeah, I bloody told you so!’

She describes another incident at her own gig when she was trying to get backstage and the security guard wouldn’t let her. She had to argue with security and later found out that the staff member in question had told her tour manager that she was a ‘formidable young woman’.

‘Chris Martin would never be called a formidable young man. It’s code word for bitch’.

The entirety of this album is superb. Honestly, I cannot fault any song, and to find such poignant meaning behind each lyric makes it that even more incredible. London Grammar’s best album yet.

Californian Soil has got to be a strong contender for album of the year.

Listen to it right away. You won’t be disappointed.

London Grammar-Californian Soil

Foo Fighters Album Review, Medicine At Midnight

‘It’s more energetic in a lot of ways than anything we’ve ever done and it was really designed to be that Saturday night party album’ explained Dave Grohl in a recent interview with NME.

Medicine at Midnight is the tenth album from the Foo Fighters and it delivers an optimistic upbeat sound.

Making A Fire is the opening track on the album and blends 90s alt-rock with choral backing vocals with Grohl’s daughter, Violet, providing some of those vocals. The band’s determination to create an energetic party album are reflected in the lyrics, ‘I’ve waited a lifetime to live/ It’s time to ignite/ I’m making a fire’.

The inspiration behind the song Waiting On A War is a sad one. Dave Grohl explains that whilst driving his daughter, Harper, to school, she asked him if there was going to be a war. This was the same question he would ask himself when he was young. He describes feeling anxious throughout his childhood which he spent living in close proximity to the Nation’s Capitol. Grohl wrote this song to provide hope for a better future for not just his daughter, but for all children. The song starts with Grohl singing over acoustic guitar and gradually builds up to a heavy rage, in typical Foo Fighter fashion. A style that works quite well given the context of the song.

Holding Poison is one of my favourite tracks on the album, with fast drum beats and catchy guitar riffs adding to this party rock idea. An exciting album with a gentle nod to the pop rock genre, but ultimately succumbing to the Foo Fighters hard rock grungy sound.

Foo Fighters- Waiting On A War

The Staves Album Review, Good Woman

‘We were experimenting on all those recordings with new sounds that we were interested in and pushing the envelope a little bit with our normal set up. The idea was to be bold.’ explains Jess, one-third of the indie-folk trio of sisters, The Staves.

The Staves, made up of Jess, Emily and Camilla Staveley-Taylor, have created an outstanding album Good Woman which is their first new album in six years. And it’s totally worth the wait.

It’s refreshing to hear new music that was written pre-covid and inspired by friendships, women and self-growth (to name a few!) rather than the struggles of lockdown life.

Waiting On Me To Change is a track that simply uses gentle piano and flawless harmonies, and is undeniably a beauty of a song. The song divulges into the idea of knowing you need to work on yourself, but doing so when the time’s right and on your terms. The lyrics include ‘Said you’re waiting for me to change/ What you doing that for?/You keep counting down the days, days, days, days , days, days’

The track, Best Friend starts with a simple three note progression on piano and then introduces upbeat drum beats and varying cross rhythms which creates a sense of urgency. This coincides nicely with the song’s subject matter of childhood friendships and wanting to grow up too quickly.

Failure is a track that was written after regrouping from a period of hiatus and believing that you’re a failure. It’s a song about self-doubt and losing perspective. The Staves describe the track as a bratty song that’s like a child having a strop, which we can hear in the lyrics, ‘I’m a failure now/ Nobody wants to play with me/ Nothing left to say to me anymore’. At the beginning of the track, we hear their iconic three-part harmonies surrounded by soft acoustic guitar but then, we’re unexpectedly introduced to a grungy chorus with faster drum beats, heavy bass and powerful harmonies.

In a time where going to live gigs has been momentarily paused, The Staves sold tickets to a live stream gig on the day of their album launch, that I just couldn’t wait to buy!

WOW. What a show.

Having never gone to a gig in my pyjamas before, it was an exhilarating change. The show was streamed live from The Lafayette in London. Not only did you watch them perform on stage with a band, you got to see raw stripped down versions of their songs in different rooms of the venue. An intimate and unique performance that left me chanting, ‘one more song!’ in the comfort of my own living room.

The Staves- Failure