Biffy Clyro – Mountains
Last year, Biffy achieved great success with their album “Puzzle.” The album spured out five hit singles and the album even hit number 2. Biffy finally got they success they deserved. “Mountains” is the first bit of new material for the band since their chart success. After, a few listens I still have rather mixed feelings about the song. The song sounds like a big departure for the band with the heavy use of the piano during the track which, is something they have never really used in a track before. It was a nice change to hear the “lighter” sound. But, the lyrics are a little to hokey for me. The hook for example while it does sound so massive is just “I am the mountain, I am the sea you can’t take that away from me.” Then the line “nothing last forever except for you and me” hits you and the song officially loses me. Biffy you get an A for effort but the results are sadly nothing more than average.
By John Siwicki
Mark Moriss – Lay Low
Harmless tinkering with an acoustic guitar in 2004, paved the road for Mr Bluetones himself, Mark Morris to step out of the evergreen outfit’s shadow. Now he is starting to harness the fruits of this approach, revealing the James Morrison inside of him. He expands upon this acoustic base with feeling felt, soulful vocals that many will sink a thoughtful pint to.
He comfortingly speaks of a life in the gutter, as ‘Lay Low’ mixes abandon, melancholy and a winding accompaniment to display another accomplished offering. That is taken from his delving solo debut album, ‘Memory Muscle’. The lyrics are from the gutter, but the delivery is reaching for the stars. Oscar Wilde would be proud of Morriss.
By Dave Adair
CSS – Donkey
Brazilian five-piece CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) first appeared on the British music scene in 2006 with the release of their self-titled album (which roughly translates as ‘I’m tired of being sexy’). The success of this debut, from which the single ‘Music is my hot hot sex’ was taken for 2007’s i-pod advert, has meant that the follow-up ‘Donkey’ has been faced with high expectations.
Jager Yoga opens the album with Lead singer Lovefoxxx’s recognisable chanting-like singing, proclaiming CSS’s purpose on earth; ‘to take you out’! Showing listeners that CSS still possess the attitude that previously caused a stir in tracks such as ‘Meeting Paris Hilton’, which repeatedly refers to said heiress as ‘the bitch’.
‘Let’s reggae all night’ delivers the electro sounds so familiar with CSS, whereas ‘Move on’ is a great disco pop song, with an 80s feel. Not all of the songs are instantly likable, so it might take a few listens before the album grows on you.
‘Give up’ and ‘Believe Achieve’ are my personal favourites. ‘Believe Achieve’ is a danceable electro number, whereas ‘Give up’ shows the groups clever ability to seamlessly combine musical styles by keeping the albums up-tempo pace, but also incorporating guitar rifts to add a more edgy feel.
‘Donkey’ fails to create the same stir that came with the release of ‘Cansei de Ser Sexy’. Although it largely maintains the disco-electro sound of CSS, what’s lost is the raw edge that previously distinguished the group, and instead is a studio-polished album. That said, ‘Donkey’ is still a good album delivering edgy pop songs, with catchy lyrics and music for dancing.
By Alice Fisher
Primal Scream – Beauitful Future
This, the ninth album from Primal Scream, Beautiful Future, opens well with the title track setting the tone for good, rocky summer album. This is most definitely a summer album, invite some friends round, dust the cobwebs off the portable BBQ that’s been sat behind the shed since last year and enjoy.
On a merely personal note, I have always thought Bobby Gillespie, Primal Scream’s lead singer to be a bit of a prancing tit who can cover his own questionable musical talent by surrounding himself with good musicians. Never more-so than Glastonbury 2005 when he spent the entire set abusing the crowd before being dragged off the stage like a spoilt child. But I digress…
Bonus points are awarded for the Josh Homme / Andrew Innes collaboration on the song Necro Hex Blues. Homme works together with Scream guitarist Innes on a track that is supposedly a twin guitar tribute to Thin Lizzy. You would imagine the tribute is purely the music and not the hair as well. Although less explicitly credited, it does sound like Gillespie and co have been listening to a few old Rolling Stones albums too.
On the whole there’s nothing here that is going to make you drop your coffee, frozen and slack jawed in awe at what you are hearing from the Scream as your coffee cup smashes into a hundred pieces. It lacks the inventiveness of Screamadelica or the raw energy of XTRMNTR. Although Track 8, I Love To Hurt (You Love To Be Hurt) does provide a welcome electro interlude in an album that otherwise doesn’t stray far from what you expect a Primal Scream album to sound like.
By Mark Williams