Five a Day: Week Six

*DISCLAIMER. This review is late, not because I needed to catch up on albums but because of a panic of design work, Friday and sheer laziness, Saturday.*

Day One

This time it's personal - John Cooper Clarke and Hugh Cornwell. I think this is fabulous. JCC hasn't sung on record before and to me he sounds like a Roy Orbison character. Rock n roller and a singing for the lonely. These are cover versions of tracks I have never really heard but these renditions are beautifully arranged. The problem lies, as my dad addressed, who is this for? JCC fans are used to the poet, not the singer and Hugh Cornwell has been on... My point is these are mostly obscure oldies arranged and done by two punks in 2016. It's great but no audience is probably why it's in the sale bin in hmv. It's great but no one's listening. 

Hold on now youngster - Los Campesinos. This album was splashed all over the NME 10 years ago when I was an avid reader. 10 years later; I hate what the NME has become and I love this album. This is a gloriously chaotic, essentially a duets, humorous album. It's Css without the synths but with fuzz guitars. Great level of humour. Kinda like that Art Brut album from week one/two of this project. 

Everything that happens will happen today - David Byrne and Brian Eno. I love David Byrne, I think he is great and going into this I thought it was gonna be like his last album with Brian but 30 seconds you can tell it's not. These songs are Byrne on an acoustic guitar and then build up from there. The songs are really pleasant and are complimented greatly with the use of drum machine and ambient pad synth sounds. There are touches of African influence with the call and response between byrne and the backing vocals which is delightful. 

Mothership Connection - Parliament. P funk is something I have never understood but have always been caught under its spell of the groove. This album sounds bare bones but always seems to have a lot going on. The groove (bass and drums) are centered in stereo and the rest of the instrumentation is either right or left...that might be why? Wasn't as enthralled by it as One Nation Under a Groove but on this album there are so many things hip hop has sampled/used, this band is tight and I love George Clinton. 

The Angry Buddhists - The Angry Buddhists.

  

Day Two - 

Don't stand me down - Dexys midnight runners. The lost classic as the music press now sees it. It sounds like a musical, to me there are segments where the members are talking toward thread of tracks like as a hand off to the next track. It's soulful, there are some great organ sounds but there are too many extended sections without anything interesting happening. 8 tracks long but 8mins is the average run time of the tracks. 

Talking to the Taxman about poetry -Billy Bragg. Inspiration to my good self's third album has a much more augmented sound to it than his first two. Guest musicans compliment Bragg's tales of love and romance. Never listened to this album all the way through, now I have and I can safely recommend it. 

Process - Sampha. One half is a piano ballad and the other is piano lead hip hop album. Some really interesting textures, great piano skill and a very unique voice. Short and sweet album, wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. 

 Year of the Horse - The Mighty Stef. Saw these guys supporting The Strypes when they played Carlisle. Listened to this album because the band was recommended to my work colleague Dom. It's an ambitious Irish garage rock album with a little bit of fat (it's an hour long) but it is a very enjoyable listen regardless of the longer running time. It's a shame the band split up just after I discovered them. Ps they were better than The Strypes live. 

Broken Ear Record - Black Dice. This album is a sound collage. It's not always on time, it's messy and noisy. It's repetitive, it does groove but it's not enjoyable. It's just a challenge

Day Three

Dirty Fan Male - Trunk and Wisbey. Funny readings of genuine letters of fan mail sent to Daily Sport Models/ porn stars. Some are set to music, some are followed by 'how is this real?' and some aren't funny. Heard about this on numerous podcasts so glad I tried it. 

Dub Roots - Prince Douglas. Obscure Recently reissued dub LP and it's amazing. It came out originally in 1980 but feels a lot more recent cos of some of the echos and production technique sound like an Aphex Twin. The cutting up of vocals and synths/organs seem way ahead of their time. Top album cover too.

Lifeblood - Manic Street Preachers. Welsh Rockers, turn on their pop sensibilities and make a shiny pop album. Although its not bad, there are few memorable moments personally and it removes the attitude from the Manic which is a lot of why I like them. 

Overgrown - James Blake. I never understood James Blake's appeal. It's very quiet and based on subtly. Most of this album I couldn't tell you what it sounded like because it just blended into the background. I never saw his music exclusively designed to be like Music for Airports album but I think it is. However the best track is with the guest RZA who adds some spoken word. 

Yezzus - Kanye West. Starts super strong with the first four tracks but Hold my Liquour spoils the good run. It struggles to pick up the form it had from there. Songs about doing ladies, or annoying samples or generic production of drums etc.all the reviews of this album say this is the album Kanye learnt to over use autotune and they aren't wrong. It some times work but otherwise it just sounds messy

Day Four

Try to Be Hopeful - The Spook School. Martha associated power pop Rocker's who write great pop songs in the key of punk/C86/riotgrrl. It's a bit DIY sounding but that doesn't detract from these very enjoyable songs. 

 You can make it if you boogie - James Kirk. Have you ever heard Loaded? ' we wanna be free to do what we wanna do'.no not that one you twit. Loaded by the Velvet Underground cos this sounds like with a little bit of a soul vibe. James Kirk famously of Star Trek. Not that James Kirk you fool. James Kirk was a member of Orange Juice the fore father's of of indie music as we know it. He even covers Felicity like a Lou Reed.

Word gets around - Stereophonics. Some serious Britpop vibes from this album. Heard a lot of this with my boss singing over the top of it. Anthemic tunes before it became a standard feature on every bands press release. Smart songs and a really solid debut album. 

All We Are - All We Are. Equal parts dreamy indie pop and danceable synth pop. Catchy songs, grooving rhymes and all round enjoyable listen.unlike the circumstances I listened to it in. On a late crowded metro train with fake 12 year old girls declaring it smells while taking snap chats, a bloke explaining how he fixed a sofa with a leather repair kit and someones elbow in my back

The Boys - The Boys. Old school punk rock and roll album. Short simple songs that sound like if the Ramones and Chuck berry had a baby... Like The Heartbreakers in that sense 

Day Five - 

19 (Nineteen) - Adele. This album has it's heart in the right place. The songs are good, the arrangements are all very nice but it is nothing special. I used to like a Chasing Pavements but hearing it on this album it doesn't sound like I remember. There are two songs that stood out to me "Right as Rain" and "Make You Feel My Love". It is the only two song streak in the album that is good.

Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft - DAF. Noisy industrial snippets of what seemed to be an improvisation session. It's a shame they cut it up cos I would of love extended pieces rather than one minute section of rhythm just to stop.

Dalek, I Love you - Dalek, I Love You. David Balfe and Alan Gill of Teardrop Explodes fame's experimental synth pop outfit which sounds like a clash of Heaven 17 and The The.

Apocalipstick - Cherry Glazzerr - Classic Riot Grrl sound, great songs and was not let down. I have seen this album advertised everywhere so I am really happen that it deserved the press.

Blue and Lonesome - The Rolling Stones. These guys still love the blues after all these years. Doing these old blues gems justice. I never new the orignals but this makes me wanna listen to them. Jagger's harmonica playing stands proud, the band bring their A game and this is a really enjoyable listen.