Sweetbox // #Z21

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It’s been a couple of years since the last release of a Sweetbox album (2011’s Diamond Veil) but the group is back with a new line up, and for the first time in the group’s history, there are two members and one of them is Japanese. #Z21 is the 9th studio album overall, but is the first outing for Japanese singer Miho Fukuhara & Antiguan LogiQ Pryce.

#Z21 (#Zeitgeist21) opens the album in style. Sampling Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (now probably infamously associated with the film 2001: A Space Odyssey) it’s a dancey little number yet feels an appropriate introduction to our two new members. Nothing Can Keep Me From You (Ain't No Mountain) might seem familiar but the verses have been given a unique twist from LogiQ in that the only section that remains is the chorus. All 4 Love (Skyfall) opens with a great little guitar piece and give us almost a feeling of Italian & mafia.

Every Rose opens with a beautiful a capella of the chorus before we brought into what sounds like a dark track but there is ultimately a message of hope lying behind it. With an opening of Debussy’s Clare De Lune, Beautiful is another little dance number. Life Is Good (featuring Iriebox; Irie means good or cool)is a bright and upbeat track and could be seen as a sequel to the Adagio track Life is Cool with a great Caribbean feel. Alone is a haunting beautiful track featuring vocals from Justin D. Nation (or as some might recognise him, Justin ‘Jus Bus’ Nation) and is a song we think that everyone can relate to at some point in their life.

Aase's Death is an interesting track sampling the Grieg track of the same name and features Miho reading a Japanese poem over the track but again, is a dancy little number, even if it does remind us of the Cirque Du Soleil. Carol Of The Bells is yet another well known track but again has a modern day twist to it brought by LogiQ whilst My Understatement has a bit of Destiny’s Child sort of vibe to it. The final track, Justified, comes across as a nice little acoustic number featuring Miho on vocals and some guitars & a little percussion and is a brilliant way to round off the album but is a great little sunshine track on it’s own. 

Whilst maybe not as obvious as with previous releases, the classical sampling is still here and whilst we’ve seen people claiming this new album isn’t Sweetbox, it’s worth remembering that back when the group first came into existence, there was more of a dance vibe going on. But as with any group, there will be those who have their preferred front person, and that’s fine. Back to this album and overall, we feel the album as a whole has something from the past 8 but at the same time there is something new here. We’ve come to expect the unexpected from this group and learn not to take titles that we think we recognise at face value. All we ask is that fans give the new line up a listen and look forward to what’s to come next.

Rating: 5/5

James Blunt // Bonfire Heart

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It’s been 3 years since we heard anything from Mr Blunt, and of course at one point there was rumours about retiring…well, obviously that’s not happening just yet seeing as his new album, Moon Landing is due soon but is preceded by the single Bonfire Heart

Opening with some lovely finger picking on a guitar, we’re finding it hard to match it to anything he’s done before…maybe somewhere between Stay The Night and Carry You Home. It does feel a bit subdued and probably won’t have any effect on the charts, but we think that there is a loveable quality about the track.

Will be interesting to hear what Moon Landing has to offer.

Rating: 4/5

Emmelie de Forest // Only Teardrops

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Before anyone starts to worry, we’re not doing a double review. We are in fact reviewing the Danish Eurovision winner’s debut album, which just happens to have the same name as the winning entry.

Opening with the Only Teardrops Overture (yes, it’s orchestrated) but it’s quickly into the next track of Hunter & Prey which is just a nice true entry into the album before heading into the more uptempo area with Change (we wonder what a remix would sound like….)

Taking it down is the title track, Only Teardrops (see that review here) before heading into another little pop track of What Are You Waiting For. With military sounding drums and de Forest ensuring that each syllable is dictated , we have Haunted Heart.

Force of Nature has a bit of a My Immortal (Evanscence) feel to it before we’re raising the tempo once again for Beat The Speed of Sound, a song that probably wouldn’t sound out of place if sung by someone like Ellie Goulding. Soldier of Love is another track with a military beat to it but it does suit it given the title of the track.

Running in my Sleep feels a little out of place in the running order as it has more of a last track feeling whereas Let it Fall feels as if it should have been before and has a bit of an ethereal feeling to it. Closing the album is the symphonic version of Only Teardrops, a sample of which we heard at the start of this journey though this version has a delicate and fragile air about it.

The celtic feel that was heard from the title track all those months ago echoes through a number of the tracks on the album. Thankfully, she hasn’t tried to fit herself into too many styles here, and on the whole, the tracks so compliment each other. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here

Rating: 4/5

New Music Friday // Nina Nesbitt

Photo © Vhari Lannigan

 

Scottish singer/songwriter Nina Nesbitt is the latest talent to lend her vocals to a well known UK retailer advert (we're sure you know who we're talking about ;)) with a cover of the classic Fleetwood Mac song, Don't Stop.

She's already released several digital EP's but her release back in April this year, Stay Out managed to make it to #21 on the UK chart.  If you like her, check her out on her UK tour in October (details on her official site) & check out the advert featuring Nina's cover of Don't Stop.

 

Official Site | YouTube | Facebook | SoundCloud

Lady Gaga // Applause

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Buy @ Official Store

So having declared a pop emergency on twitter last week when the first song from her new album, ARTPOP began leaking, Mother Monster saw her song rush released to the masses just hours later.

On first listen to Applause our first thought was that it sounded very much like a Madonna track. If we recall, wasn’t this new album announced not long after the release of her last album but yet, this doesn’t have the bite that maybe the last first singles had (Let’s Dance & Born This Way). In fact for us, it’s just a little bit bland.

Maybe it has something to do with that the inspiration for the track comes from the applause that her fans gave her in the shows leading up to her cancelling the remainder of her Born The Way Ball that we just don’t see anything here. Expect this to be remixed a fair few times (and there’s already some up on Soundcloud!)

Rating: 2/5

The Wanted // We Own The Night

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Good evening this is London calling, here are results of the British vote…..oh wait, wasn’t Eurovision a few months ago? That’s what spring’s to mind when we hear The Wanted’s latest offering of We Own The Night.

Somewhere along the line we can’t help think that the boys have gotten slightly lost. This is something that we would have expected from someone like…One Direction. Apart from mayble lyrics, there’s nothing new here. It sounds very like fun.’s Some Nights but we can’t help singing the Mike & The Mechanics song Word Of Mouth…oh wait, coincidence that they’re new album is titled Word Of Mouth….hmmm…..

All is forgiven boys if we could get back to a sound of the last two albums. There was some good stuff there. But this…this definitely in our book does not own the night…

Rating: 1/5

Justin Timberlake // Take Back The Night

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We find that it’s hit or miss for us with Justin Timberlake. But his current offering from the 2 half (can we call it that?) of the 20/20 Experience, Take Back The Night, is more of a hit for us.

We were hooked from the moment that we originally heard this. It’s feels very reminiscent of days of Michael Jackson but JT seems to sing it so effortlessly and it just flows like an uninterrupted river of melodies.

Great little tune that will have you busting a groove to it.

Rating: 5/5

New Music Friday // Lindsey Stirling & Peter Hollens

Yes, we’re fully aware that we’ve featured these two previously on their own on here, but this time we’re showcasing them together! Last week saw YouTube talking all things geek and in celebration, Lindsey & Peter released their latest collaboration, a Star Wars Medley! Be impressed! There’s 135 tracks to this track and all it is is one violin and one voice! Check the video out below:



Official Links:

Lindsey Stirling: Official Site | Facebook | YouTube

Peter Hollens: Official Site | Facebook | YouTube

Shane Filan // Everything To Me

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Shane Filan is probably best known as a member of Irish band Westlife up until last year when they parted company, but now he’s back on his own with his debut single Everything To Me.

To be honest, we were a bit skeptical about this solo release reckoning that it would follow something from his past…but it’s actually okay. It’s a nice little track with quite a summery feel to it…And we confess, we couldn’t help sing along with the chorus.

Will be interesting to see where the track enters on the officials charts though it may be difficult for people not to compare to the success of the Westlife days but we’re hoping that it does well.

Rating: 4/5

Katy Perry // Roar

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So after the teasers of the new track via three little videos, Katy Perry has now revealed her new single, Roar in full.

To be honest, we’re not entirely sure what to make of it. It’s a little…subdued in our opinion. We were expecting something with a little more bite….a bit more powerful to go with a title of Roar. But it just seems to float along the road.

Not to sure what to make of it. It’s just so bland. It doesn’t stand out. Hopefully this isn’t an indication as to what her whole new album (Prism) sounds like.

Rating: 2/5

Union J // Carry You

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Having came 4th in the X Factor, the boys seemed to vanish into the shadows, but now they’re back with their debut single, Carry You.

We’re on the fence with the release to be honest. There are at times we can’t help think that this has been done before and there’s nothing new here. But then it does have one of those rhythms that you will probably find yourself tapping along and singing the chorus.

Maybe we’re too used to them singing covers. Maybe this will be grower…but considering that the boys have just recently made ANOTHER video for the song for Kick-Ass 2…we’ll reserve judgement on them until we hear a little more from them.

Rating: 3/5

Scarlette Fever // Sunday Best

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Scarlette Fever but now she’s back with her latest single, Sunday Best taken from her forthcoming EP, Single White Female.

It may be a little different from what people might have come to expect from the singer/songwriter but those familiar with her last album, Medication Time will probably hear a familiar tone in the song. It’s a beautiful little number that suits Scarlette’s voice and is a track that we could see appearing at the end of a US series.

We look forward to seeing what else is in store on the Single White Female EP and the follow up album, Attack of the 6ft Woman

Rating: 4/5