Jessie Ware // Say You Love Me

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We last featured this artist back in 2012 but we recently stumbled upon her latest release, Say You Love Me.

Ware’s soulful voice rings clear in this heartfelt love song. Love song yes, but what we’d call double sided: it’s a more modern song but at the same time, it has almost a lullaby quality to it. All the elements here are in balance and work harmoniously, working in a gradual build to it’s climax before ending as it started.

A beautiful offering from the Brixton lass and worth a listen

Rating: 5/5

The Queen Extravaganza @ O2 ABC Glasgow, 18th September 2014

Just short of a year ago, the Queen Extravaganza came to Scotland on their first tour of the UK. Now, they were back in the same venue to rock Glasgow again.

Once again, the stage was covered by the large curtain baring the Queen coat of arms. In the build up (and while the audience was still filing into the venue) the instrumentals of Made In Heaven and The Prophet's Song played in the background. It wasn't long until the curtain dropped and it was straight into Tie Your Mother Down and Don't Stop Me Now, the audience joining in with the singing.

Lead singer Marc Martel welcomes the audience on what is a historic night for Scotland...with the Queen Extravaganza returning to Glasgow. Without missing a beat, the band head into a medley of tracks of Save Me, The Seven Seas of Rye, Killer Queen and Hammer to Fall. Marc leaves the stage allowing the remaining members Francois-Olivier Doyon (Bass), Nick Radcliffe (guitar), Tyler Warren (drums) & Brandon Ethridge (keyboards) to perform Dragon Attack with Warren on vocals.

Marc returns to the stage with guitar in hand for a performance of Crazy Little Thing Called Love before heading into a tale of starting this current UK tour on Freddie Mercury's birthday and how this next track was being dedicated to him. Cue a beautiful rendition of Love of My Life, again with the audience joining in and Martel encouraging it. How do you follow that? With the great A Kind of Magic of course.

Next is tracks from the album A Night At The Opera starting with the beauvaugard track Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon before once again giving the stage to drummer Tyler for the song I'm in Love With My Car. Before the next track, Marc admits that he first heard the next track back in the 90s thanks to a film. That film was Wayne's World and the song of course is Bohemian Rhapsody. After this fan favourite follows another in the guise of Under Pressure which see musical director and keyboardist Brandon Ethridge joining in vocal duties taking on David Bowie's sections of the track and it works well.

I Want It All & Another One Bites the Dust come up next before Tyler Warren gives one of his drums solo merging seamlessly into Ogre Battle & Stone Cold Crazy. I Want to Break Free is next up after this followed by Radio Ga Ga which involves a little bit of participation from the audience in a vocal challenge. Glasgow's so used to these that they probably have a gold medal in it. Before the next track, Marc pay tribute to Brian May and how he was the deep thinker of the group and that reflected in his song writing...And from there it's into Fat Bottomed Girls. And finally, it's Somebody to Love with more audience participation in the harmonies (and sounding beautiful too!)

Of course that's not the end of the show. No and appropriately, the next track for the show is The Show Must Go On. And to round it off with We Will Rock You & We Are the Champions.

This time around was different from their last outing in Glasgow. Gone is Jennifer Espinoza and Nick Radcliffe was in place of Brian Gresh so there was a bit of a difference in sound but to no detriment of the show that was offered. It's always a great night out and great tribute to the music that is Queen. And despite what else was happening elsewhere in Scotland, the only mandate being agreed on in the O2 ABC that night was the the Queen Extravaganza rocked.

Photos (c) Vhari Lannigan

Sharon Corr // Full Circle

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We heard this is a well known coffee shop and our first thought was the Corrs. Well we weren’t too wrong given that Sharon was one of them but has continued on a solo artist.

Full Circle is actually the second single from her latest release The Same Sun but probably what attracted us to it was how much that this sounded like an acoustic Corrs track. It’s wrong to compare it but it’s going to happen, but we loved how the track just kept at a regular pace with Sharon’s light celtic toned voice coming through beautifully like a shining sun.

Rating 4/5

Sheppard // Geronimo

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This is the first time we’ve came across the Brisbane group, but we’ve got a feeling that we might expect things from them if this track Geronimo.

Don’t let the folksy beginning put you off as it’s soon into a driving beat and just vibrates happiness. With the power more or less being left to the chorus sections, the verses balance this song with a bit more laid back feeling to it. It’s one of these songs that is going to have to smiling and probably singing and dancing along with before you’ve even finished the first listen through.

A perfect pick me up with the dark nights closing in.

Rating: 5/5

James Blunt // When I Find Love Again

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It’s been nearly a year since we’ve heard from Mr Blunt but after being on a bit of a world tour, he’s re-releasing last years album, Moon Landing as the Apollo Edition with the first single from it When I Find Love Again.

We can’t help thinking that this is a little bit of a mash up of previous songs Bonfire Hearts & Stay The Night as it’s a bit of an upbeat happy number and is likely to be one to get the fans singing along with the chorus and clapping along. Won’t look out of place with the tracks that are already on Moon Landing as it was a bit of a mix of everything.

Rating: 4/5

Train // Angel In Blue Jeans

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from these guys but now we get to hear their latest single, Angel In Blue Jeans, taken from the forthcoming album, Bulletproof Picasso.

For us, it’s not quite there for us. The ‘ohhhhh’ at the start and found in the choruses are all to familiar in the last year and we soon found ourselves longing for the end of the song just to get away from it. The song itself minus that is not too different from previous releases, so even the casual listener will probably recognise it. But for us, it’s just lacking something of those songs Hey, Soul Sister and Drive By.

In fact, this could be seen as a country version of the latter.

Rating: 3/5

Katie Sutherland // Meddle With Hearts

 
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It's been a while since we've heard from Katie Sutherland since the release of her debut album, but now she's released her latest EP, Meddle With Hearts.

The first track we hear is a familiar track amongst fans and title track to her debut album, Canvas. The remaining tracks on this release are all new. With Her or Not starts off as a gentle guitar driven track slowly building with the inclusion of instruments
while the The Sorry Song reminds us of a little of Because I Do (previously released under her stage name Pearl & The Puppets) Another Counsellor is a pleasant number and slower than the rest of the tracks found here.

Overall, it's not too different from what those familiar with her previous works have heard as it's sort of working along the same lines as that. It is good to hear from her once again and hopefully this (along with whatever else she is planning) will tide people over until the release of her next album.

Rating: 4/5

B*Witched // The Stars Are Ours

 
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If you were growing up in the 90s then you’d probably have heard these four with his such as C’est La Vie, To You I Belong and Rollercoaster to name a few. A few years ago they reunited on ITV’s The Big Renunion and now, in 2014, they’ve released their first EP in 10 years.

The Stars Are Ours however feels as though it’s a mix of the 90s mashed with today. That is, there a moments in the song that it feels a little Madonna Ray of Light in delivery of the lyrics with a melody that feel just a tad too familiar to a certain Avicii track. Just feels a little too desperate to match the pass but stay constant too that makes this feel just slightly awkward.

Rating: 1/5

5 Seconds of Summer // Amnesia

 
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The latest release from the Aussie foursome is leaving us with Amnesia but more a feeling of deja vu.

Yes the last couple of tracks from them to be release were more rock and this one is more mellow showing another side to them, wanting to forget about a relationship that’s obviously meant something but now they’d rather forget. We can’t help thinking that musically, this could be this year Story of my Life hence the deja vu rather than amnesia.

Rating: 4/5

Various // A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy

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For over a decade, Distant Worlds has been enchanting the world as it brings the music of Final Fantasy from the screens of all sizes to the stage. And now, a new interpretation is upon us with A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy.

This is a live recording from the London premiere back in February. Bringing together 18 tracks from across the Final Fantasy series, here will be found a mix of well known themes (One Winged Angel from VII & Zanarkand from X to name but two) as well as bringing lesser known tracks. All the tracks have been given new arrangements for this event and, although not having the power and gusto that would be expected with a full orchestra, these renditions still have that something special and are suited for the intimate nature of this event.

Highly recommend a listen to this if you’ve ever heard Distant Worlds live or on CD or even just a fan of music of Final Fantasy

Rating: 5/5

Scarlette Fever // Helena EP

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Doesn’t seem that long since we had a release from Scarlette, but soon to be upon us is her latest EP, Helena.

First up we have the title track and we have to say, throughout the track, the one thought that went through our heads was, “Wonder what this would sound like sang by Kylie” as that was initially the first vibe we thought of got from this. 6ft Woman gives a bit of rock to the proceedings and, as we thought, the remix on the last release does do this track justice.

Piece Me Back Together is a beautiful slow number full of emotion. For us it’s a track we could see in the closing scenes of a drama and for closing an album off. Finally, the last track we have is P.S. I Hate You which brings back the rough side again. We previously heard this as a live acoustic from a session in L.A. and glad that it doesn’t seem that anything has changed in this studio version.

We’ve been fans for a few years now and for us, there’s a familiar feel but with that addition to sounding more mature. The last offering of the remix may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but hopefully this will appeal to more general fans.

Rating: 4/5