Total Strife Forever // East India Youth - Album Review

Sorry about the long hiatus period on the music blogging; life (namely school work, my job and revision) got in the way. This is just a review to get me back into the swing of things, with hopefully more album and EP reviews along the way in summer.



Artist: East India Youth
Album: Total Strife Forever
Released: 2014
Label: Stolen Records
Genre: Electronic
Score: 7/10

East India Youth is the solo project of multi instrumentalist and UK producer William Doyle and Total Strife Forever is his debut full length LP under the 'East India Youth' pseudonym, which has received critical acclaim: even being short-listed for a Mercury Music Prize.

Total Strife forever dabble mostly in synthesizer heavy, electronic music but there are wider influences on display here: from psychedelic rock as seen in the first interlude of 4 (Total Strife Forever I), to club-esque techno on Hinterland, classical music and even some kraut-rock as well.

The album starts incredibly strongly in my opinion. The first two tracks being very tense, atmospheric instrumental tracks that are very heavy in synthesizer, Total Strife Forever I being the most tense, with pulsating, dissonant chords being played over a very light, airy melody to it. The song gradually builds and builds into the track Dripping Down.  This is one of the more pop tinged tracks on the LP, and one of few featuring Doyle's vocals. It is a sweet song about love, with the chorus featuring the lines 'find new love, dripping down your soul' which is backed by very warm synthesisers and harmonised back-up vocals. The song also features a driving beat from programmed drums and a great bass line and is one of the better single style tracks to come off the album.This is quickly followed by a 6 minute techno influenced track Hinterland. This is one of the more left field tracks being very night club friendly, in my opinion, but a very solid track none the less. Heaven, how long follows, with beautifully relaxed synthesizer arpeggios that have such a warm tone to them they wouldn't sound out of place on a CHVRCHES record.

However, I do have my gripes with this album, For instance on the same track, Heaven, How Long. The start of this song is a fantastic, building, psychedelic tinged track with a soaring vocal melody on the lyrics 'heaven how long', a clear highlight of the album. But half way through the instrumentation changes completely to a bass and drum driven krautrock influenced track, which wouldn't sound too out of place on a Xhol Caravan or a NEU! record, It's a left hook that you certainly get used to, but it requires a lot of listens before it starts to make sense. Moreover, A Song For A Grandular Piano also really confuses me for the most part. Understandably Doyle wants to show off his range of influences with a weird fusion of a somewhat virtuosic classical sounding piano piece in the background however it has very bizarre electronic sounds over the top, with a frankly horrific vocal line to the forefront of the track, Doyle both unable and unwilling to stick to the melody he wrote himself; probably because, although a sweet ,melody if played correctly, he's not vocally talented enough. It's just not needed. This track does, however, have the best build towards the end of it, a pleasant surprise to say the least. This does, on the other hand lead to the worst outro track I've heard on a record in a while, Total Strife Forever IV. There is an awful noisy crackling sound that reminds me of a Merzbow record, which takes away any interest for me at the start of the track. The synthesiser lead has not got a very pleasant tone to it either - it's a real dampening closer on what is a solid debut record.

Overall, this is a solid debut record which never fails to throw a left hook at any opportunity - to a mixed bag of results. At it's best, this is a psychedelic influenced electronic song with really left field singles that have incredible melodies to them. At it's worst, it's somewhat bland, with a mish-mash of influences coming through that don't quite fit. The main problem with this album, I fear, is Doyle's vocals. While solid, they aren't quite as good or as consistent as some of his peers in the genre, such as CHVRCHES, while the song writing is better.

But it's just my opinion right? If you have any thoughts on this album, highlights and low-lights do tell me, I'd love to here what you guys think. Also, if you have any song or album recommendations, let me know and I'll see if I feel strongly enough to review it!

But

Jar // Superheaven - Album Review

Band: Superheaven (formerly known as Daylight)

Album: Jar
Released: 2013 (reissued after name change in 2014)
Label: Side One Dummy Records, Run For Cover Records
Genre: Grunge, Emo, Alternative Rock
Score: 10/10

Superheaven are a band from Pennsylvania, USA and are among the wave of new bands who are a throwback to the heyday of Grunge and Emo in the 90s. Jar is the full length debut album, which was reissued after they changed their name from Daylight due to legal reasons.

Jar sees a significant change from the band's previous back catalogue of the E.Ps 'The Difference in Good and Bad Dreams' and 'Dispirit', which has drawn many comparisons with younger, British bands Hindsights. However, Superheaven still manage to maintain their honest and emotional lyrics courtesy of vocalists Taylor Madison and Joe Clarke. However, their sound has evolved to encompass more drive and flanger pedals and making their guitar tones one of the best in the scene at the moment, in my opinion. It's fuzzy and heavy, yet clear enough to hear every note.

The band are also able to mix up the varity within each of the songs; contrasting quicker, punkier songs such as 'Knew' to slower, sadder songs such as 'Youngest Daughter' and 'Hole in the Ground'. It is the riffs in these heavier songs which I think are the bands strong suit. Take the second track on the album, for example 'Life in a Jar'. The drums introduced this track and then the guitars follow suit with an incredible riff, followed swiftly by a killer chorus. This is Superheaven at their best. The slower more 'ballad' type of songs are by no mean weak either; their honesty and emotion are really conveyed within the lyrical delivery, melody and the lyrics themselves (delivering on topics of seeing someone you love completely going of the rails and the death of a loved one, wishing you could do the same, potentially linking between the person who it's about).

The closing track to this LP is also superb, commenting on the fact that Taylor is used to being in some form of emotional pain and feeling that he gives everything to the person who this song is addressed to, yet receives nothing in return. This coupled with the powerhouse track In On It, also taking a different slant on the same theme. This song also includes the powerful lyrics ' I haven't been eating much this week, eating's for the strong, sleep's for the weak' a feeling many of us can relate to. These two tracks create an incredible close to what I think is one of the best albums to have come out in the last few years, and the best in the genre for a very, very long time. Overall, a flawless debut.

But it's just an opinion, right? if any of you have any requests for an album for me to review, let me know, I'll try and do as many as I possibly can.

Be Slowly // Jaws - Album Review

Band: Jaws
Album: Be Slowly
Released: 2014
Label: Rattlepop Records
Genre: Surf Pop, Beach Pop, Indie Rock
Score: 7.5/10

Jaws are yet another band from the new 'buzz town' of new 'indie' music that's produced bands such as Peace, Swim Deep and Superfood - Birmingham.

'Be Slowly' is their debut full length release following up from their 2013 EP Milkshake and sees a widening of the bands influences, with elements of The Cure - the title track of the album sounding like a riff from 'Just Like Heaven' and even having elements of the recent trend in 90s alt rock and grunge such as in 'Filth'. However, their core sound remains the same: reverb soaked guitar leads; driving bass lines and front-man Connor Schofield's slacker-sounding vocals.

The lead singles off of this LP have hinted at an expansion of the band's sound and stylistic influences. 'Gold' being the most upbeat of all and possibly the most frantic and one of the highlights of the album overall and presents a nice contrast to the first two opening tracks of this LP, which do take the more mellow route; much like the band's second most recent single and B side opener 'Think too much, Feel too little'.

However, Connor's vocals where the band do falter a bit. The fact is, they aren't going to be to everyone's taste as they do not have many complicated melody lines to them. However, I personally don't find them to be a problem. Not only this, but the closing track 'NYE' does not bring a closing to the album that ties off all the lose ends or brings a big crescendo ending to make the album memorable, it all seems a bit tame. Having said that, it does show a contrast in feel to both sides of the record, Side A being the more upbeat, energetic half, whereas Side B is more tame, lazy (in the best way possible) and relaxed - despite 'Filth' being the heaviest song on the album.

At it's peak this album is fantastic surf pop: Connor's apathetic sounding vocals, as well as Alex Hudson's reverb drenched guitar hooks and the back up vocals in the background conjure up images of summer on the coast - surprising for a Birmingham band. Home is also able to marry the new stylistic influences Jaws have had on the record with their tried and tested surf pop sound - which could be a possible hint to their future releases?

Overall, This is a great album, achieving a good slacker surf pop vibe to it, but also able to have good single material to be radio worthy and enough to keep a crowd interested when they play live. What issues I have with this record are minor and are overshadowed by the positives.

But it's just an opinion, right? If you have any recommendations for songs, albums or eps for me to review, let me know!

Getting Started - How This is Going to Work

Hey Guys,

I have decided just to share my views and opinions on various albums, singles, E.Ps etc, my likes and dislikes. So overall, pretty standard. I'll try and post as often as possible, so bear with me if I haven't posted in a while.

I'll try and review records of all sorts of genres and I'm open to recommendations for all sorts of albums, so if you want to know what I think of a certain record so just let me know. I'll try and outline the genre of the album, likes and dislikes, when it was released, record label and an overall score out of 10.

I'll try and start as soon as possible and remember it's just an opinion, right?