The Wanted // Show Me Love (America)

Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

So….The Wanted’s last single, We Own The Night really didn’t impress us. So will the next single from the album, Word of Mouth impress us?

Well….we’re on the fence with it. In one hand, it sounds more them than some of the previous material we’ve heard (we mean single wise rather than album wise) but on the other, we can’t help think that it’s trying to fill a gap left by the likes of Westlife. But hopefully we can see it as a sign that the boys are coming back to a sound where they belong.

Rating: 3/5

One Direction // Story Of My Life

Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ Amazon.co.uk
Download @ iTunes | Buy @ Official Store

We admit that we’re not great fans of the One Direction boys, but on occasion, we hear something from them that makes us see them in a new light (okay, the last track we really liked was Little Things).

Story Of My Life (taken from new album, Midnight Memories) has nice little folksy feel to it and once again shows that there is this other side to them rather than all this young upbeat upbeat happy stuff that they seem to be constantly releasing. Maybe this is a natural progression for them and maybe a step in a new direction for them musical….but so long as they still have a little fun along the way

Rating: 4/5

Lawson // Juliet

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Buy Signed Single @ Official Store

Believe it’s been nearly a year since the boys released their debut album, Chapman Square and now they’ve just re-released their album (aptly named, Chapman Square Chapter 2)

Juliet is one of the added tracks to this re-release and to be honest, when we first heard it, our first thought that it was Sting/The Police. It’s got that sort of rhythm of Walking On The Moon but with a sort of rockier edge and the additional Ohhhh also have a familiar feel to them. But yet, this sound does sound and works great for them.

It’s been quite the year for the boys and this current track has a great feel to it. We’re ready for Hopefully the boys will take the same care and attention to the next album as they did with their first.

Rating 5/5

Union J // Beautiful Life

Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes
Buy CD @ Official Store

They may have finished 4th in last year’s X Factor but that hasn’t stopped Josh, JJ, Jaymi and George (or should it be Jeorge?) otherwise known as Union J from steaming ahead. After the #6 placement with the debut single, Carry You, the boys are back with the follow up, Beautiful Life.

We actually first heard this on the radio and just the chorus at that, which caught our ear almost instantly. A song about living your life to full, it’s got a chorus that will easily be picked up and have the fans singing along and waving the arms. But for us, there’s something just a little too familiar with it. And that in relation to the last single. It’s sound too much like it albeit at a slower tempo

Maybe they’re just rolling with the sound and hoping to ride the coat tails of the last song but would have been nice to hear something a little different. Still, the self titled debut is out next week, so maybe we’ll be proved wrong.

Rating: 4/5

The Saturdays // Disco Love

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Signed CD @ Official Store

Ah The Saturdays…we never quite know what to make of them to be honest, but we’re always willing to give them another try and so, onto their latest release, Disco Love.

Sadly no, this doesn’t strike a chord with us. It’s just a bit sickly sweet for our liking and more last season rather than this season. In fact, we’d say a few years too late given that the sound of this has us think of Danish popstars Alphabeat back in 2009, then there’s baby baby baby that sounds very Kylie…now that we think about it, it’s beginning to sound like a cut and paste job from what’s been good in the past decade or so.

Sadly, it seems this is struggling to stay upright on it’s wheels for us nevermind trying to move. Certainly no love to be found in this disco.

Rating: 1/5

Lucy Spraggan // Join The Club

Standard
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Download @ iTunes

Deluxe
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Download @ iTunes | Buy @ Official Store

Vinyl
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So it’s finally here, the ‘debut’ album from Lucy Spraggan on a major label, titled Join The Club. But do we really? Let’s have a listen.

The album opens with Someone just as her previous release (Top Room At The Zoo) and we have to say that this track is benefitting from the make over as it always felt a little bare. Sadly the same can’t be same about the next track, Tea & Toast which was better off just as an acoustic number (see our original review here) but just feels awkward with the extra instruments and vocals. First single from the album, Lighthouse is next up (see here).

‘91 is another of the original tracks we’ve heard and again, this benefits from a new version, fill in the missing links. Next we have a new track The Tourist which in some instances feels a little confused. Is it a gentle flow or a fast paced track? But yet it does work. Another oldie in In A State and yes this does like all the additions to it. Feel a bit more complete. Another new number in Wait For Me but it feels a little too much like previous track Lighthouse. And the lyrics Wait For Me, Wait For Me/It’s Not Too Late For Me sounds a little like I’m not a soldier/But I’ve got Soul.

Next we have Mountains followed by Let Go which is another awkward oldie. With an opening that sounds a bit Coldplay, it then heads into a familiar just Lucy & guitar with some distracting ohhh, before adding some drums and other instruments. The second verse sounds good with the additional piano until it’s drowned by the drums. Next it’s the infamous Last Night (Beer Fear) though now it a bit too….flowery? See our thoughts here.

Title track, Join The Club is up and yes, the version brings something that was missing the first time round. You’re Too Young is much stronger this time round and feels that this time round Spraggan can focus more on the delivery of the lines. As with her previous release, the album closes with Paper Dreams and it’s had a bit of a tweak but it does work if it sounds a like 80s computer gamish in sound now.

At least, that’s where the standard version ends. If you buy the deluxe version of the album, you get an additional 4 tracks in the form of Rockcliffe Bay, If I Had The Money, Butterflies (another oldie!) and Safe.

Overall, for us, it’s little bit of a mixed bag for us and that’s probably because we are aware of her previous release. The majority of the older tracks have benefitted from make overs for this release but there are some we believe that shouldn’t have been re-made because they lose some of their charm (the old ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’). There is no doubt that Spraggan has a talent for storytelling through her songs but we’re unfortunately sitting on the fence with this release though we’d really like to join. If you’ve not had previous exposure to her original release, then you probably won’t have an issue here.

Rating:3.5/5

Danny Elfman’s Music From The Films Of Tim Burton @ The SSE Hydro, Glasgow 9th September 2013

So in case you didn’t know, Glasgow’s got a brand new shiny venue called the SSE Hydro (or just The Hydro to the locals) and after having hosted the likes of Rod Stewart & Fleetwood Mac the previous week, another spectacle was to grace the halls, in the form of Danny Elfman’s Music From The Films of Tim Burton, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Maida Vale Singers & conducted by John Mauceri.

After a small delay due to issues earlier in the day, the show got underway opening with music from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1995) accompanied by a montage of footage and concept art from the films that would be represented during the show. 

The first half of the show would take into account mainly some of Burton’s older films. From some recent, it was into some of Burton’s earliest work, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Beetlejuice (1988) before heading over to the spooky Sleepy Hollow (1999) and an alien invasion in Mars Attacks! (1996). Next we’re taken to the colourful world of Big Fish (2003) before finishing the first half off with music from Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).

After a short interval, the second half of the evening took into consideration more recent collaborations kicking off with Planet Of The Apes (2001) and then 2005’s Corpse Bride. Two more recent collaborations in Dark Shadows (2012) and Frankenweenie (2012) before heading into a much loved, and probably well known film, Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Another well known film is probably the stop motion tale The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) where Elfman himself made an appearance on stage to a cheer that would normally be heard at a pop concert. Performing Jack’s Lament, the infamous What’s This?, Jack’s Obsession & Poor Jack. Leaving the stage, it’s time for another film, Alice In Wonderland (2010) with Harry Jackson taking on the role of soloist. So that’s that….or maybe not, as Elfman returns to the stage with another roar of appreciation and performs Oogie Boogie’s Song with a little help from Mauceri assisting as Santa.

The night as a whole was fantastic. Glasgow was the only Scottish date for this show. A celebration of the collaborations between Elfman & Burton, the show showcased the music well, accompanied in part by footage and concept art from the films, and when this disappeared, all you had to do was close your eyes and you were there in the film. The music seemed to flow from one film to another without too much difficulty (all the music had been re-arranged by Elfman himself for this event) Although only our first experience of something like this, we’d no doubt do it again in a heartbeat (Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, we looking at you to come back to Scotland!) and we’d like to see an actual film with a live orchestra (seems to be a thing common at the Royal Albert Hall in London). Overall, a great night to share with others in a new venue and opportunity to see a great score composer.

Photos: © Vhari Lannigan

HAIM // The Wire

Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

We confess that we’d never heard of HAIM until a fateful meeting while reviewing the streaming service BlinkBox Music with their current single The Wire

To be honest, our first thought on hearing the single was had this been some obscure group that had been around in the 80s as that was initially what we thought about the sound. And then we find that that actually, they’re a more recent group of sisters. The more we’ve listened to the track though, the more we think that although it has that 80s sound, that there is something more up to date with the track and we can’t stop playing it! Oh and sing along with it.

With no complicated sounds and fantastic vocals, we look forward to more from these girls!

Rating: 5/5

Jessie J // Alive

Standard
Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ Amazon
Download @ iTunes | Buy @ Official Store

Deluxe
Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ Amazon
Download @ iTunes | Buy @ Official Store

Buy bundle @ Official Store

We’re going to be honest. When Jessie J came out with Do It Like A Dude, it really annoyed us but that probably came down to the fact it seemed to be played constantly. Then in September 2011 we got to see her live and thought, you’re not bad. Now in 2013 she’s released her second album, Alive

It’s My Party opens the album with it great beat and wanting you just to get into the mood for…well, a party mood before heading into what we can see as a crowd waving, pop tune in Thunder followed in a similar style with Square One.

We’d already heard a snippet of Sexy Lady thanks to a recent advert for Boots and it’s one of our favs and can’t help think it’s another great girl power number. From here we go into a lovely little guitar driven track Harder We Fall that has a bit of a summery feel.

From guitar driven, we head to the piano driven Breathe that to be honest, we can’t help thinking we could see someone like Leona Lewis singing. I Miss Her is one of these great little ballads that Jessie can come up with before we jump into Daydreamin' which reminds us a little of something from the 70s/80s but sounds right for her.

Excuse My Rude that featuring Becky G has feelings of Do It Like A Dude but there’s something missing here. Next it’s into another upbeat track and that the first single that was taken from the album, Wild though to be honest, we prefer it when it’s just Big Sean on it (Dizzee Rascal just breaks the flows…sorry)

Gold is another big track for Jessie which we’d actually like to hear an acoustic version of. Conquer the World is another great little number and as a duet with Brandy does work and has reminiscences of Who You Are for us. Title track Alive closes the album and has a feeling of a 90s track but near the end, lulls you into thinking it’s going into a full dance track, but doesn’t.

For us, we think this album showcases a vulnerable side of Jessie J, yet there are moments where she tries to throw the tough girl act up so it’s not all sugar & spice and all things nice. Vocal range is on show too but as an album as whole, we’re not entirely sure it knows what it is and is a little confused. But it doesn’t make it a bad album. It’s one of the few that we’ve enjoyed this year.

Rating: 4/5

Blinkbox Music (Streaming Service)

You might recognise part of the name of the service here. Blinkbox originally started off as a Video on Demand (VoD) from supermarket brand Tesco. But now it’s branching off into the music section of the world. It might be branching off, but actually, it’s just been rebranded from We7 that Tesco bought back in June of 2013. So now we’ve covered that, let’s have a look around.

Please note that we’re reviewing the online version of this and not the apps for iOS, Android or kindle!

Signing up can be done via Facebook or via creating an account the old fashioned way. Personally, we’d like the whole one Blinkbox account for all their services, but such is life, and it’s pretty easy to sign up. You just have to confirm by clicking ye old link in the email they send you if you sign up the old fashioned way.

So the service covers the UK & Ireland and offers free streaming via stations, the belief being that you’ll discover what you like as well as old and new tracks. There are the occasional adverts but this is how they get to offer the free service….a bit like Spotify in a way.

From the home screen, you’re presented with a number of options to get started. Explore Stations is just that. You can view preset stations from a selection options including charts, artists, mood, genres or events (yes, we’re listening to the X Factor 2013 station…for review purposes only you know…). Almost any preset for any occasion!

Now Playing is just that. It takes you to the page of the station that you’re currently playing, where you’ll see track name and lyrics (if available from LyricFind). You can also gain access to this page by clicking on the station name on the bar at the bottom of the screen too. Scrolling down this page shows you the last four songs that were played on the ‘station’ allowing you to mark them liked or disliked (this then give the system something to work with to figure out what you’d like to hear more or less of we suspect creating a unique experience). Also on this page you’ll be shown similar stations and artists (these change depending on the track playing)

My Music is just that. Here you will find a list of the music that you’ve liked & disliked and where you’ll access your own station based on these. You can view the stations that you’ve favourited for quick access.

The bar at the bottom of the page is a nice little handy thing in our opinion. You get to see the important things likes the station your playing, the current track. But also here you can added the station to your favourites by clicking on the star next to it’s name (where it will turn yellow) but also offers another chance to like or dislike the track. The My Music tab in a sense does the same thing as the tab at the top but it also shows you your recently listened to stations in case you want to go back to something that you’ve listened to before.

So for a free service (that’s still in beta we might add) we probably shouldn’t have any complaints, but we do. One is that whilst we like the idea of the stations and mixing it up a little, there’s no option to listen to a specific artists music only. The possibility of even being able to create a few personal stations would be nice addition too. Previous We7 users might be disappointed that this service no longer ‘scrobbles’ to the Last.fm service (though we predict that someone somewhere will find a ‘unofficial’ way round it)

As we said, still in beta, but don’t think we’ll be ditching Spotify just yet. Will be interesting to see how and where this goes with it future

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix

Standard Edition
Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Buy @ GAME
Limited Edition
Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Buy @ GAME

Oh be still our beating hearts! It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago(!) something so beautiful would be released by Disney and Square-Enix (then Squaresoft) on the PS2. This captured our imagine from the moment that we saw the trailer all those years ago and it’s thanks to them that we were introduced to Utada Hikaru. Yes, Kingdom Hearts (KH) is back!

Well, actually, this ISN’T the version that was released in the west all those years ago. This actually the Final Mix version that was released in Japan after it’s Western release. The difference between the releases is that there was a couple of extra additionals added to the game, which in parts, led you to the future games in the franchise. But we’re now in glorious HD! Oh to be in our teenage year again. The only issue is with so long having passed is trying to remember where everything was (and remembering all the frustrating bits too!) and it’s everything we remember (even if they did have to build the game again seeing as some original files had been lost!). Oh and of course, they’ve added trophies too!

But it’s not titled 1.5 for any reason. Also included on the disc is Re: Chain of Memories (Re:CoM). It’s a remake of the DS game Chain of Memories,but it never made it to this side of the Atlantic. Basically, you’re playing through Kingdom Hearts again, visiting the worlds but the game play is based on cards. Where in most KH you could get away with button bashing, Re:CoM involves a bit more of a strategy. Building you deck, you need to take into consideration that some cards can only be used once a battle or sometimes just once. Considering that this was sort of a bridge game between the first two games, you get to view the story from both sides, that is, the side of Sora & Riku.

The final addition to the 1.5 HD Remix line up is 358/2 Days. Sadly, this isn’t the game itself, but merely the full motion videos from the DS game along with the diary & character info from it (however, it does provide you with quite possibly the 6 easier PS3 trophies ever!) But why include this here considering it came out AFTER KH2…simple; this is how Roxas fits into the KH2 story line so it makes sense to include it here.

If you still get it, the Limited Edition version of the game comes with an art book  (or should we say, the artbook IS the case in which you game is included in!) To be honest though, we were a little disappointed with the book as it is full of artwork that we’ve seen before and suppose it’s maybe more for those that haven’t seen it or just want to get their hands on the limited edition.

To be honest, we don’t care about all the fancy stuff. We just wanted to get our hands on one of our favourite PS2 games. But the great thing about this release is that it will bring the Kingdom Hearts franchise to another generation of fans….so the question is…when can we expect Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD Remix…..

There is just one more question though….what’s with the cover art being a little Game of Thrones-y?

Rating: 5/5

Little Mix // Move

 
Pre-order @ iTunes

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Little Mix were just on our screens winning the X Factor and releasing their debut album. Well, the girls have just revealed their latest single, Move, the first to be lifted from their second album (as far we know,not titled yet)

The line I’m a bit old school sort of describes this track to be honest. It has a bit of an 80s feel to it and at points we do want to sort of sing Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Something. The only issue that we have with this is that there seems to be a great build up bridge where you expect a grande finale for a chorus, but it doesn’t come but you do seem to get a lot of repetition of the lines Get your back off the wall/Don’t you get comfortable/Looking so hot/I think that I should move etc.

We’re not sure that for most that this will be an instant likable track from the girls and is probably more of a grower. Us, we’re just going to get comfortable on the fence for a while

Rating: 3/5