The Thrills – Teenager
This collection of ten harmonious songs,the nicest and most singable being “The Midnight Choir”,made me listen. The tunes are a little samey,some might say quite tedious,however this is a harmless album for those who are yearning for an uncomplicated piece of musical entertainment.
“Should’ve Known Better”,with its Hawaiian style slide guitar,has a charming tune,rather Monkees/Beach Boys-influenced,with some lovely organ slotting in comfortably in the background. “Teenager”,the title track,is rather maudlin, a somewhat stodgy lament for lost teenage hood, a bit of a depressing listen. I rather liked “No More Empty Words,”with its pleading vocals for rejuvenation in life and love,with a 60s guitar break in the middle of the song. The album is pleasing,but it doesn’t go down on the list of albums I would currently buy. The teenagers will love it,but it’s a bit too unadventurous for my taste.
By Juliet Robertson
Biffy Clyro – Folding Stars
Biffy Clyro deliver a very pleasant tune with lyrics to ponder on…”In a bedroom with no windows or doors-all the happy people are crying.”Sounds like quite a story behind this song. A heartfelt delivery on this;I liked it very much. I was disappointed to see that this band were not appearing at Glastonbury this year. This single will hopefully sit comfortably in the UK charts for a while, on its release on 16th July.
By Juliet Robertson
The Coral – Who’s Gonna Find Me?
Quite a strong 60s sound here somewhere,on this catchy track which is simplistic to listen to. I almost thought I heard a bit of Gerry and the Pacemakers in this song,just a smidgeon. The Coral are a very talented band and their lyrics are very forward-looking. AND they are talented,which is more than can be said for alot of bands at the moment,as the current New Wave of music offers many “conveyor belt”bands this year.
By Juliet Robertson
Manic Street Preachers – Autumn Song
I love this band. They always do it for me. This is a lovely song, a grand rock sound with a Brian May style guitar break and James Dean Bradfield’s emotional voice above a rousing guitar riff,more Scottish than Welsh,bringing a tear to my eye. This is taken from the Manics’ latest successful album “Send Away The Tigers.”
By Juliet Robertson