I have this dirty secret that i am often looked down upon for... I think the Red Hot Chilli Peppers are a bit over-rated...i'd go as far as to say i dislike them. When musicians become famous for a certain style, they usually take the opportunity to flex their musical muscles and experiment with something new. Rather dissapointingly, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers seem to have not done that, but rather stuck to their old ways. They swear by the template of jazzy bass intro, drum beat, funky focals and catchy chorus. I bought "I'm With You" last weekend, and every track is so similar it's boring. Yes, i'll admit that "The adventures of raindance maggie" is catchy, but it's only as good as their old stuff, nothing gob-smacking like "By The Way" Also, without Flea (who is, by the way, a god) RHCP would be more like slightly-limp-green-capsican peppers- nice enough, but nothing to really look forward to.
The "hey now" bit could easily slip into "Californication" or other soft whiny verses. If you're a fan of this band's previous albums, then chances are, you'll lap this album up. I on the other hand, like a bit of variation in my music, and i'm afraid that the peppers aren't that hot this time around.
A band that i feel lately have been pressured to pump out the songs is Arctic Monkeys. Previously, i thought this band could do no wrong. I loved everything they wrote, from their very first album "Whatever people say i am, that's what i'm not" they have a flare, an aching coolness that the world hadn't seen since The Libertines. The album name itself implies that this is a bunch of misunderstood, cynical, and therefore appealing individuals. "Crying lightening" hit all the right buttons to please the "Indie-Cindy" inside me. I was still getting to know "Humbug" when out of nowhere came "Suck it and see." An album that I feel was over-laiden with tracks which were, in short, somewhat alien. 'Brick by Brick' never really kicks in, despite the opening line being ''I wanna build you up.' (ironic) and 'Black Treacle' is a song that has no hook, but just hums on somewhat soporifically. It says alot when your favourite song on the new album sounds like it belongs on their first or second one. (See Library pictures, and tell me it wouldn't better fit ''Favourite Worst Nightmare.) I get the feeling they just can't bebothered anymore, even the minimalistic look on the album cover looks as though they just couldn't be bothered anymore.
My Chemical Romance. Oh how i adored you. You were the bane of my mother's life, what with the sound of music bleeding through the walls, and the blue-tack pulling the paint off because i have so many posters up. I loved how each album showed another side of MCR, Three cheers was better produced and planned than "Bullets". (Although it was the rawness of bullets that we all fell for) Then they breathed an element of maturity into "Black Parade." They weren't just talking about drugs and parties and girls anymore, this alum was about the afterlife, world wars and terminal illness... Once you have made such heart-throbbingly amazing music, do you regress a decade and act like children in your new album? Most of the songs aren't that great on "Killjoys", not to mention the tights and plastic guns, They are 5 men with wives and children for Christ's sake. This is what a mid-life crisis looks like if you have the music industry at your beck and call.
Let's end on a high. 2011 hasn't been all rushed re-inventions of bands that were perfectly good before.
The Kooks were introduced to me by my boyfriend 4 years ago. I started the transition by listening to Konk; It's slightly more rocky than "inside in inside out" and really lodged itself in my ears. There are so many songs on the album that make you think "why isn't this released as a single? It has merit enough!" So when "Junk of the heart" came out, it was a pleasant collection of songs that, although different enough to be refreshing, retained enough of the Kooks' essence to stay familiar and not altogether foreign to my ears. "I wanna make you happy!" In a world that sings of death and heartbreak, this is a nice little breath of air. Full on characteristic sing-along anthems and uplifting tracks, this album gets played everytime I'm in the car. Whilst i adore track number 10 for it's ballady beauty, the song "Is it me?" oozes vintage chic aswell as musical brilliance. Luke Pritchard's voice is second only to the amazing playing of Hugh Harris. Every member knows their instrument inside out and produce music that is time after time, intricate, and methodical and flawless.
My eyes are starting to blur and my head hurts. Might have something to do with the fact that England decides to have a bloody stupid heat wave right as i look forward to new autumn outfits. I can't take this weather anomaly and am therefore going to bed. So come back later in the week for the next installation.
-T'rrah!
No comments:
Post a Comment