For my second album review, I've been listening to some awesome music over the weekend. Here is what I've been checking out -
Editors - Violence
Moby - Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt
Tax The Heat - Change Your Position
Ginger Wildheart - Ghost In The Tanglewood
Myles Kennedy - Year of The Tiger
Nathaniel Ratecliff & The Night Sweats - Tearing At The Sea
The ones that have really stood out for me and definitely will keep on playing are the albums from Editors, Moby and Ginger Wildheart. Great song writing, tunes that hit home straight away and stick in your head, mighty fine long players, for sure! All links are to Spotify, so read the review, have a listen and if you like then please go and buy it....lets support the artists! So, without further ado....Lets go through them one by one.....
Right from the start, Cold brings a great melodic start to the album, while Hallelujah (So Low) is everything I love in a song, a quiet verse leading to a blazing chorus!
The title track, and the longest here smashes it with a pounding beat and synth powerhouse. Darkness At Your Door brings back the melodic boom and the hits keep coming with Nothingness building you up to a digital crescendo before letting you gently down again. If you're looking for beats that smack you around the head, melodies that swim around your brain and riffs that hurt your ears, then turn up Magazine!
Violence gives you piano-driven ballads and full force synth climaxes. Great album!
Go to tracks - Hallelujah (So Low), Darkness At The Door & Magazine Rating - 4/5
Labelled as "A glowing tapestry exploring spirituality, individuality and the brokenness of humanity and finds Moby returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop and gospel roots"
And you certainly get this from the first track 'Mere Anarchy' which eases you in Moby-style. Those sweet beats and cool vibes pull you in for The Waste Of Suns, while Like A Motherless Child, the first single release, is a re-working of an old slavery-era song.
This album is filled with piano-driven trip hop style tracks with sweeping orchestral moods, choir-backed 90's hip hop and cinematic string arrangements.
The Middle Is Gone is just a stunning and honest song, so sad but beautiful at the same time.
Go to tracks (actually difficult to choose!)– The Waste Of Suns, Like A Motherless Child, Falling Rain & Light Rating - 5/5
That difficult second album from these guys and two years since their debut, Fed To The Lions in 2016. So how is it?
Money In The Bank starts the album off with a bang and unfortunately for me, doesn’t really go anywhere from there but the title track brings back a little faith as an instant liker, sounding like an 80's power indie alt tune!
Playing With Fire brings you straight back to the rock with a brilliant middle of song breakdown and All That Medicine takes us straight back to the early 90’s with cool mix of guitars and synths, keeping the feet stomping and heads bobbing.
From there Tax The Heat give you stomping tunes, cool riffs and monster choruses. The Symphony Has Begun ends the album on a cool Blues-feel track with a larger than life chorus. The band will strike it up for one more song!
Go to tracks – Change Your Position, All That Medicine, Taking The Hit Rating – 3/5
Ginger honestly and openly gives his heart, soul and mind to this album which primarily focuses on Americana and folk roots styles.
Opening track The Daylight Hotel made my Song Of The Week on its release and immediately centres on Gingers mental issues. What an opener!
Foot stomping fiddlers, mysterious and dark hauntings, beautiful acoustics and emotional strings flow through this album on tracks like Minus You and Remains.
Love the folk blues of My Old Friend The Blues and pure honest country sounds of The Reaper and Don't Say Goodbye.
Go to tracks - The Daylight Hotel, Minus You, Don’t Say Goodbye Rating - 5/5
Another artist that takes away the rock, opens his heart and makes a fantastic debut solo album!
I love the vocals, soft when needed and gives power when necessary, All Americana rock and country blues and no rock powerhouse tracks to be found here..!
A truly personal and spiritual album about his upbringing and dealing with the loss of his father through their religious beliefs.
The title track gives us a powerful and emotional opener, giving way to The Great Beyond with its Bond-like cinematic sweeping strings. Skiffle country tracks give way to strong basslines, subtle honesty and a rollercoaster of emotions!
Unfortunately all got a bit 'samey' for me..
Go to tracks – The Great Beyond, Love Can Only Heal, One Fine Day Rating – 3/5
The good thing about Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats is you know exactly what you're going to get! Tearing At The Seams definitely doesn't disappoint......
Shoe Boot starts us off in style, bringing us in with a sweet horn section and those cool soul vibes we expect. We take walks on the Motown Soul side of the street, get down and dirty with A Little Honey and two track featuring guests Lucius, Babe I Know & Coolin' Out.
In the middle of the album, we get the Intro, a high octane horn-powered foot tapper a la Blues Brothers! The 60's soul and jazz feels keep on coming via Baby I Lost My Way and Tearing At The Seams itself. Still Out There Running is beautiful slow-dance track. Imagine an empty hall and two people. Gorgeous. The first single release, You Worry Me is a definite winner!
Go to tracks – Intro, You Worry Me, Still Out There Running Rating - 4/5