Saturday, 31 December 2011

Lady Gaga // Marry The Night

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We are starting to wonder if all the tracks from Mother Monster’s latest album, Born This Way are going to be released as tracks as Marry The Night make 6 (by our calculations anyway). But still…we’re actually enjoying this latest offering from Gaga.

It’s got a bit of a 90s electronic feel to it and it’s not the first time that we’ve heard a past sound from her (Alejandro anyone?) The only complaint we’ve got about the song is that in parts of the chorus, it does start to feel as if the vocals are being drowned out by the melody. Still, fans will flock to it whilst others may just past it by

Rating:3/5

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

The Green Children // Can You Find Your Way

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The Green Children return with their brand new song Can You Find Your Way, but is it as good as what’s came before?

Well, for starter’s it’s an acoustic version of the song, so it can’t really be compared on that front. But lyrically it os par with previous releases, if not better. We wonder if this will be making an appearance on their second album in it’s acoustic form or a fully produced. If fully produced, we hope that the beauty of the track isn’t lost

Rating: 4/5

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Chris Townsend // Electric Pylons EP

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After a successful campaign on Pledge Music to raise funds for it’s release, Chris Townsend releases his latest 5 track EP, Electric Pylons.

Opening with the rousing track Painter’s Brush before heading into the mid tempo Home Tonight. Closer starts off sounding as if it could be a slow ballad, but then the drums and guitar kick in for a long instrumental section before heading into the vocals. Piano and drum driven Stone By Stone continues the familiar rock/pop feel of the previous tracks. Finally we’re treated to a slow ballad-esque, guitar driven title track Electric Pylons completed with live electricity sound effects.

Overall it’s a great little EP. Each song is delivered with power and emotion with just the right balance between instruments and vocals maintained throughout. There is no disjointed feeling between the tracks. They just seem to flow perfectly from one to another with any awkwardness, For those that know Chris’ previous work, you won’t be disappointed. For those that don’t know, then this a recommended listen to introduce to him alongside his debut album Copenhagen

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Leona Lewis // Hurt: The EP

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With her 3rd studio album, Glass Heart being pushed back until March 2012, Lewis releases Hurt: The EP, a collection of three cover tracks.

First off, we have the title track of the EP, Hurt (Done by Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash). First off, if you can make sense of quiet sections congratulations. Then there is that odd dischord. The only points at which you can make sense of her is during the bridge and chorus sections where she seems to find her voice once more. Next is the GooGoo Doll’s Iris and whilst the original hadn’t exactly the quickest tempo, this version of it is just so slow that you could fall asleep to it! Slowing it to this tempo it just doesn’t work. And finally we have The Counting Crow’s Colourblind, the only song to be identifiable.

Sadly we don’t see a point to this collection. Two of the tracks are hard to identify and whilst, yes it good to make the song yours, it does help if the listener can make out what is being said and what the song is supposed to be. Leona fans will probably enjoy but that’s probably about it.

Rating: 1/5

Jai McDowall // Believe

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Jai McDowall, Britain’s Got Talent 2011 winner releases his debut album, Believe

Opening with the U2 classic With or Without You, you’re instantly given a flavour of the album; choirs, strings, and ballad. Where You Are showcases McDowall’s powerful vocals before heading into Coldplay’s Fix You. The Prayer (probably most famously known as the duet between Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) is performed with New Zealander Hayley Westenra and is simply beautiful.

Next we have Nickleback’s How You Remind Me, in a piano driven ballad format. Following is Faith Hill’s There You’ll Be. Feels Like Home starts off just a piano, building to include guitar, strings and choir before settling back to it starting sound. Evanscence’s Bring Me To Life is another vocal showcase for McDowall. Next we have a rendition of Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams which is guitar driven but the vocals sound raw, almost as if it’s been an acoustic recording. Finally we have Elbow’s One Day Like This that buit leaves us thinking that there’s more to come.

It feels as if this album is a safe album; pick safe songs, mainly ballads because of the time of year that the release has been made. Sadly it seems as if this album could have been more, but those in the know haven’t wanted to take any risks. All the songs are well known, and yes, McDowall does sing them well. It just seems that his true talent has been hidden under a bush. If there is another album, hopefully we’ll get a chance to fully see what Jai is capable of.

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

John Barrowman @ Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow 24th November 2011

John Barrowman @ Clyde Auditorium, 24th November 2011There’s nothing better than finishing a 27 date tour off in your home town, and that is exactly what John Barrowman did on the 24th November as he brought his most recent tour to a close at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow.

The stage was ‘hidden’ behind a white curtain, which, when the show started, showed John’s silhouette before being dropped and launching into Celebrate followed by the equally upbeat Listen To The Music. After this Glasgow was privileged to have ‘Scottish’ John for the evening as he welcomed the audience to the show and warned that with it being the last night of the tour, there were a few special surprises instore. Here started the first of the many slide shows and jokes of the evening, starting with a promotional image of him ‘farting sparkles’ and commenting to a lady in the front row that she looked like she’d already been covered. An image of him meeting Barry Manilow was shown and he explained how after performing with him, he gave John permission to cover any of his back catalogue. This here led into the beautiful Mandy.

Talking about moving away from your home country, he mentioned about the things that you missed about the UK including the Eurovision. Here the audience were treated, along with the J4s (John’s dancers) to a medley of John’s favourite Eurovision songs. At the end of it, the J4s were supposed to be asking for permission to perform, and John refusing. We also had one of the male dancers threatening to kiss John but it wouldn’t be until they were about to take to the stage themselves, that he would strike an unsuspecting John with one. Of course, there was only one song that the J4s could do and that was Making Your Mind Up.

Returning to the stage, John performed the Gary Barlow written track, What About Us. Afterwards he asked who in the audience was there with their partners, husbands, wives, people they shouldn’t have been with before explaining that the song was a ‘greetin’ song’ before realising that Glasgow hadn’t changed because we don’t forgive anyone. This led into And I Love You So.

John Barrowman @ Clyde Auditorium, 24th November 2011Taking a break, the audience were entertained by Jodie Pregner (for those who, don’t know who she is, she won the BBC show looking for a Nancy to star in the new version of Oliver!) who performed her versions of Aretha Franklin’s Respect as well as Rihanna’s Umbrella. Once again, John takes to the stage and dedicated the next song to everyone who’s supported him in anyway. From here we had Owe It All To You before leading into a Katy Perry’s Firework. Bringing the first half to the end was a performance of Take That’s Greatest Day where he invited the Royal Consertaire of Scotland (formly RSMAD) Choir on stage to join him.

Kicking off the 2nd half with the song Tonight’s The Night, he then explained about why he started the BBC1 show and how they’ve now managed to sell it to other countries around the world. The audience was then treated to a VT of Tonight’s The Night from around the world including the Ukrainian, Swedish, Chinese and Spanish versions of the show. Showing a picture of Petula Clarke led into the song Downtown. Afterwards he told the story about coming home one day to find his mother in a French Maid’s outfit waiting for his dad and what happened with that. Coming in on fancy dress, his dad was dressed as a builder whilst his mother was dressed as a policewoman. This led into party favourite, Y.M.C.A. with the audience taking part along side.

Once again, Jodie came back to the stage to give John a chance to disappear to get changed and performed Shake A Tail Feather as well as the beautiful Fields Of Gold. Another ‘greetin’ song from John in the form of You Raise Me Up before explaining about his niece Claire (who’s getting married) before inviting Jodie back on stage to perform the song So Close from the Disney film Enchanted. Another medley in the theme of holidays before ending with Hollywood.

John Barrowman @ Clyde Auditorium, 24th November 2011Of course, that wasn’t the end as there was an encore. Returning back to sing the ABBA classic The Winner Takes It All (where you could have heard a pin drop when he was singing, until the end when someone’s phone went off which ruined the moment). Once again he invited the Royal Consertaire of Scotland Choir on stage to perform a medley of Scottish songs which got the audience up, singing along and hand holding along the rows. The final track of the evening was to be the one that John calls his theme, and that was I Am What I Am.

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening with laughter and tears. It was nice to have ‘Scottish’ John for the evening too and enjoyed the little extras that we got (Scott singing Rhinestone Cowboy, the choir and the medley). Is it worth seeing him? Well, I guess it depends on what capacity you enjoy John. If you enjoy him for being an all round entertainer, then yes you’ll probably enjoy the evening but if it’s only bits and pieces, then maybe not. Jodie did well to continue the show during John’s breaks and would probably be good in her own show. Still, it was a night out for Glasgow and don’t think that they disappointed.

Photos © Vhari Lannigan

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Joe McElderry // Classic Christmas

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Not content with having one album out this year, Joe McElderry returns just in time for the Christmas period with a selection of classic Christmas songs.

Kicking the album off with Mary’s Boy Child, your given the idea of what the rest of the album is going to be like with well mixed instruments and vocals. Next up is the Bing Crosby classic White Christmas followed closely by the beautiful, if not haunting, When A Child Is Born. The opening to In The Bleak Midwinter, we treated to a celtic sound which re-appears before heading into a full orchestrated crescendo, before calming once more.

O Holy Night is a beautiful duet with tenor Rolando Villazón, if only overshadowed that when both are singing together, it is mainly Villazón that we hear. I Believe In Father Christmas follows, a great pop song well orchestrated but still maintaining a poppy edge. Slowing it down is the well known Christman hymn, Silent Night followed by the powerfully orchestrated Adeste Fideles (or for those that don’t speak Latin it’s O Come All Ye Faithful). Santo Natale is a beautiful ballad before we’re lead into a cover of the Wham! classic Last Christmas.

The Little Drummer Boy once again gives us a celtic feel to it and sang at maybe a faster tempo than expected but still a good version of it it. The final track on the album is Driving Home For Christmas that starts off as a slow orchestrated ballad before heading into a jazz/swing version and is a fantastic rounding off to the album.

On a whole, it’s a great little Christmas album. There might not be as much operatic sound to it this time, but Joe singing with an orchestra, it obvious that he’s still utilising what he learned while participating in Popstar To Operastar but also showing that he’s not completely changed and can still carry off a good pop tune when needed. A beautiful addition to anyone album, even if it does only come out once a year.

Rating: 4/5

Little Mix // Cannonball

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For those of you who don’t know who Little Mix are, they are a girl group formed from the 2011 UK X Factor show and this year’s winners. Jesy, Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie auditioned separately for the show but were then brought together by judge Tulissa to form Little Mix.

Their single is a cover of Damien Rice’s 2003 hit. And to be honest, it’s a brilliant cover. They’ve made the song their own by have very little instrumentation on it, focusing more on the vocals, which have shown to still be strong both as individuals and as a group. Hopefully, they’ll take what they’ve learned from the X Factor experience and apply it to the future which is hopefully going to be successful

Rating: 4/5