Hearthrob Warner Bros/Vapor
If Tegan and Sara had got as far as ‘Back in Your Head’ on their 2007 album, ‘Te Con’, stopped and then used it as a starting part for this new record, it’d kinda make sense. Te anomaly is their interim record, ‘Sainthood’, from 2009, a rock-sympathetic power-pop number that really put the Canadian twins on the map, a scale-up from their previous cult status. Tis new LP, ‘Hearthrob’, picks up the pop baton from ‘Back in Your Head’ and expands it to a full album. It’s not straight up and down chart- fodder though; this is a pop record in the way that you could probably call Ladytron’s catalogue pop records. Synths power slide up and down most of the tracks, used in the way the twins usually employ their guitars. What’s noticeable is that the songs aren’t as personal as previous efforts; the girls apparently wrote this album together, a change from their usual gambit of holing themselves up separately, pouring out their deepest experiences that create songs like old tracks ‘Nineteen’, ‘Alligator’ and a plethora more. Tese are still honest, but a group message; anthems for the masses, not dirges for one. Tere are tender moments of exposure though, as instruments are paired down mostly to piano and drum on ‘I Was a Fool’ and lyrics are at their most honest on ‘How Come You Don’t Want Me’. As a fan, I resent the departure from the norm a little, (I blame Te Killers, their recent tour partners… bleurgh) but for many, get ready to welcome the now-arena ready duo into your collection. Emma Garwood
Tegan & Sara
Holyfire Warner Bros/Transgressive
From what they’d released pre-album, at least momentarily, Foals sounded like they’d grown into stallions. ‘Inhaler’ showed us a new side to the band, with ‘shouty Yannis’ being a welcome addition to the diminutive frontman’s ever growing list of talents. But, rather than being the catalyst for a new tougher direction, the first five tracks run past in a Foals-by-numbers fashion. It’s clear a new precedent has been set, with heavier instrumentals, big hooks and breathy choruses seeming to be Foals’ ‘new’ sound, but it just feels like they’ve done it all before. Similarities with previous release Total Life Forever continue throughout, especially Holy Fire’s first moody track ‘Late Night’, which fulfils the exact role that ‘Spanish Sahara’ did on TLF. Tankfully everything gets racked up on ‘Providence’, and Foals’ claim that they’re “an animal just like you” finally brings a more fierce approach; replete with a beefier riff, rasping screams, thrashy bits and a bloody lovely, balls- to-the-wall heavy breakdown at the end. Closing couplet ‘Stepson’ and ‘Moon’ lapse a little, but by this point the slide back into melancholy is a welcome one, and the album is rounded off in a pleasantly contemplative manner. Overall, despite seeming a little lacklustre at times, Holy Fire has enough impressive tracks on it to prevent it from being the disappointment first feared. It will probably be a bit of a slow burner for those expecting an album of ‘Inhaler’s, but it certainly has enough hidden charm to warrant the multiple listens it might need. Alex Trossell
Foals
Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse
Pedestrian Verse is the 4th studio album from Scottish quintet Frightened Rabbit, and let me tell you from the start, it's a belter. Opening track, Acts of Man, is a truly triumphant piece of music that sets the tone well for the rest of the record. Tis album is, musically, a very definite progression from previous work, but contains some of those hallmark elements that fans of the band will recognise, such as singer Scott Hutchison's penchant for a big chorus and the stark honesty of the lyrics. Pedestrian Verse is in some respects a more honed version of the 3 previous albums, but not in a way that would make you think you'd heard it all before and not in a way that detracts from those previous efforts. Rather, the songs feel as though they have been allowed a bit more space and time to develop and the band sounds more confident as a result of this. Te dynamic range of this record is fantastic, too, veering from extremely delicate sections to loud, impassioned choruses that will have you wanting to belt out the lyrics from the highest vantage point you can find. And they still sing in their Scottish accents, which is always going to make me happy. Bill Vine
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48