Katie Melua – Album No.8

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Album No.8, Katie Melua, Music

I promised I’d do some music content on here and now it’s arrived. Below is my review of the new Katie Melua album.

With a voice that just envelopes you in it’s mellifluous delivery and unaffectedly strong nuance, Katie Melua is one of those artists who you feel puts her soul into her work. Her music has always had a different ambience to it, probably stemming from her mixture of pop, smidgeons of jazz and influences of her homeland Georgia. This is most definitely the case with her first album in four years Album No.8; an excellent compendium of songs charting rising and falling love, daydreams and heart on sleeve confessions. She’s recently separated from her husband of many years, but the wise Melua is not making a record that’s purely a pity party. Far from it in fact when one really listens to the lyrical content of Album No.8. Yes I’m sure some of her personal life covered recording of this record, but it is never bombastic or even in your face about it. Instead, her voice is so inviting and tells stories, which completely sells her music beautifully. It never bellows, belts or grows incredibly loud, instead delivering words in an evocative hush that’s bewitching to the ears. If you’ve been ambivalent on Katie’s music in the past, be prepared to reevaluate that assessment with this record.

We open with the string laden ‘A Love Like That’ that bristles with a 60’s ambience and something of a Bond movie sound to it. One can imagine the dark haired Miss Melua performing this in a swish casino or nightclub as intrigue unfolds around her. It’s a lush and cinematic opener that acts as the first indicator of the themes explored here; love, loss, memories and reflection. It’s one of many standout tracks on a record that brims with them. ‘English Manner’ presents a suitably intriguing narrative, pertaining to a love triangle in a refined space . Once more there is something cinematic and haunting about this track that sounds jaunty at first before evolving into an instrumental that’s both arresting to the ears and slightly dangerous too.

Dream like imagery is evoked in the sensationally ethereal ’Leaving the Mountain’ . Taking us on a personal, magical and beautiful journey through a memory of “a forest buried in ice” and “crisp Edelweiss”, Melua’s voice once more entices you in with its gentle observation in phrasing and eloquent ability to reach into the soul on what is one of my favourite on the album. It’s the kind of song you can close your eyes to while listening and be swept up in it’s description. Coupled with the choral strains of ‘Heading Home’, Melua revisits her Georgian heritage and memories of childhood splendidly with an adult understanding of teenage years. The song features a choir in the background, whose voices blend and back up Melua’s already serene voice to otherworldly levels. A country jangle is present in ‘Joy’ that swifts you along on its travels of personal growth, while the gently healing ‘Maybe I Dreamt It’ acts as a great follow up to the aforementioned track.

The jazz infused ‘Voices In The Night’ conjures up a smoky club with slow dancing and red wine. It’s probably the track on here that’s something a little change of pace and I like it for it’s faster tempo and somewhat seductive tone in comparison from the rest of the songs. And that’s meant in the best way possible and is in no way a slight on the part of the slower numbers, those are something special to and form the exemplary backbone of the record.

We find the chanteuse her on reflective form on ‘ Your Longing Is Gone’, that becomes a bittersweet ode to love and loss is a gorgeously performed song that works it’s quiet yet powerful brand of emotion on you. Like the best on the album, the tone here is struck between breezy and melancholy. The slow and slinky ‘Airtime’ ponders how much time is spent on love and its immense pressures for all involved. It’s a resounding success of a song that’s enticing as it is ruminating; burrowing itself into your mind with its lyrical content and languid sound. Rounding out the record is  ‘Remind Me to Forget’ that closes things with a pensive and growing ever closer hope of what lies ahead for her . A pleasing end to the album that feels exactly like the soul lifting following hardship with nuanced strengths. My last point of note is that credit in Album No. 8 must also be extended to the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra who provide the beautiful flourishes to this record that compliment Melua’s already substantial talent and tapestry.

So in a nutshell, Album No.8 is a personal and professional triumph for the talented Katie Melua. She’s baring her soul on this record but not in a trite or hackneyed way. Her main focus is to make this album one that opens her up to the listener with imagination and grace. Some could say that the music is just more of the same from Melua, but I think this album has more of a honest touch to it that marks it out as her most mature and detailed work to date. Just sit back, soak up the gorgeous atmosphere of reflection and enjoy its sublime aura from Katie Melua.

Yesterday

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2010's, Comedy, Danny Boyle, Drama, Ed Sheeran, Himesh Patel, Joel Fry, Kate McKinnon, Lily James, Music, Richard Curtis, Romance, Yesterday

Danny Boyle directs this warmly engaging tribute to the Beatles and the journey of love in a film that’s inviting without being cloying. Yesterday is the definition of a feel good movie.

Jack Malik(Himesh Patel) is a struggling young man whose passion is singing but whose never had success. He’s beginning to see that it might be the end of the road in Lowestoft as he’s not amounted to much. His best friend and manager Ellie( Lily James) attempts to sway him into not forgoing his dreams as she believes in him. This is coupled with the fact that she is desperately in love with him, though Jack has never noticed it. He is on the verge of giving up when something unusual happens. He’s riding home on his bike one night when a global power cut ensues and coincides with him being hit by a bus. Thankfully, he lives and though injured will recover. But once he comes around, Jack notices one strange fact about the world around him: no one remembers The Beatles. At first, Jack things it’s a bit of a joke but a few searches online reveal that all knowledge of them has been wiped. This in turn has led to other things not being remembered but the big one is the iconic Beatles. Jack starts to sing their music as if it’s his own to bring it the attention it deserves. This backfires as people assume he has written these classic songs and he starts to become successful. Even Ed Sheeran is impressed and his manager Debra(Kate McKinnon), who worships at the altar of greed and business, snaps Jack up. Soon he’s famous for singing these songs, but struggling with his own feelings of guilt that started off  as him trying to be good. Yet just how much longer  can Jack live a lie? And what of his relationship with Ellie, who obviously loves him?

Though it isn’t the first film to come to mind when I think of Danny Boyle’s directing, Yesterday shows him in mellow but touching mood. His eye for detail is very much on show with canted angles to signify the world being upside down for Jack and some pretty groovy transitions. Thinking on it, of late the underdog story has featured in Boyle’s films, only this time there’s a lot more laughs that show the director having fun. It’s aided by a winning script by Richard Curtis that mixes sarcastic humour and life-affirming love. Curtis often features lovable losers in unusual circumstances or being tested and Jack is no exception. The observations of what might have been without The Beatles are both funny and reflective, particularly in the last third where things get somewhat poignant. There’s a what if angle to a lot of Yesterday that’s delightfully daffy yet retains an emotional impact. And there’s a neat little unexpected twist that is very intriguing not to mention surprising. But because I’m a good guy, I shall not spoil it. Yesterday is t perfect and some areas seem overly familiar, but from an overall viewpoint, it’s a very nice experience and one that will leave you smiling.  Hearing the music of The Beatles is always welcome to my ears and hearing them performed with zeal and resonance in Yesterday is splendid. And I can’t not mention the romance of this film, which is tentative at first but eventually blooms as Jack realises just how important and loyal Ellie is to him.

Himesh Patel, who is best known for starring in Eastenders, is superb in the lead role of sympathetic Jack. Though his actions get him in trouble, he’s a character who tries to do the best and Patel brings that out of the part with a combo of subtlety and comedy. I hope to see in more movies as he’s really got potential as an actor. And I can’t forget his singing, which is also worthy for praise. Alongside him is the luscious Lily James, who is steadily becoming a very reliable actress. Her quirky mannerisms, winning smile and downright adorable nature are on full display for a lovely performance. You can’t help but fall in love with Lily James here. Ed Sheeran shows he’s not afraid to parody himself with a tongue in cheek role as a version of himself. I must say he does elicit quite a few laughs. Speaking of laughs, Joel Fry contributes fine humour as Jack’s right hand man whose not the brightest person, but who’s goofy heart is very much in the right place. On the other scale of laughs is Kate McKinnon who is simultaneously a ruthless bitch after money and an unhinged hoot The balancing act is effectively walked by McKinnon who is obviously revelling in being devious.

Capitalising on a strange but impressive premise and directed with skill by Danny Boyle, Yesterday is a charming, thoroughly enjoyable film, enlivened by the music of the Beatles and work of Himesh Patel and Lily James.

A Great Song

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Music

I heard this song recently on an advert and I can’t get it out of my head. I’ve always liked it so it was nice to hear it again. It’s a real ear worm.

Music I’ve Been Listening To Part 3

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Music

I noticed that the musical content on my blog had been a bit lacking of late, so I decided to correct that anomaly. Here are some of the songs and music that I’ve been listening to recently. My taste is very wide in music.

 

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

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1980's, Diane Lane, Drama, Fee Waybill, Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains, Laura Dern, Lou Adler, Marin Kanter, Music, Paul Cook, Paul Simonon, Ray Winstone, Steve Jones

Film Title

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

Director

Lou Adler

Starring

• Diane Lane as Corinne Burns
• Ray Winstone as Billy
• Marin Kanter as Tracy Burns
• Laura Dern as Jessica McNeil
• Steve Jones as Steve
• Paul Cook as Danny
• Paul Simonon as Johnny
• Fee Waybill as Lou Corpse

A film that has developed into something of a cult hit, after being shelved back in the 80’s and gaining exposure later on television, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is a gritty, backstage look at the rise of a punk band and the inevitable challenges of angst a d fall that follows. It’s not the best movie ever as passages don’t hold up as well as they might have once done, but it’s worthy of attention for its music and lead performance from Diane Lane.

Corinne Burns is an angry, aggressive and bored teenager, whose mother died of cancer a few months prior. She has no real direction in life and holds disdain for almost everything, which is witnessed we she is interviewed by local radio and accosts them. Yet when she sees up and coming punk band The Looters performing live as opening act for has been rockers The Metal Corpses, she is swept away by their attitude and observes them as a way out of her boring life. You see Corinne already has a band of sorts consisting of her sister Tracy and cousin Jessica(despite the fact that none of them have any real talent or practice in performing). With the two bands always at each other’s throats, The Stains are surprisingly signed to be another opening act and the girls set out on tour. On their first performance, their lack of experience shows and the audience lets them know it. But Corinne, now decked out in sheer red blouse, bikini briefs and hair resembling a skunk, lets her fury be heard to the audience. This could have been a disaster for them, yet Corinne’s tirade is picked up by many people as a rallying cry for young girls, thanks to news reporting and a shocked audience. Soon enough, The Stains are gaining major exposure, with young girls copying the look of the band, adopting a fierce rebellious streak and spouting the phrase ‘We don’t put out’. Yet times can chance very quickly in the business and audiences can become fickle, as well as the price of Corinne’s obnoxious ambition which starts to get the better of her and become very noticeable.

Lou Adler adds airs of authenticity to the film, stemming from his background as a music producer. He shoots scenes, particularly the performance segments with a good eye for the kinetic stage presence of the bands. Where The Fabulous Stains really scores is the depiction of influence on others, mainly fandom and the media’s portrayal of the band. The way it is explored is still as timely as today and shows how pernicious it can be and how you can be built up so high, that it’s a given that you will stumble. As an audience, people latch on to things and then drop them quickly, which is shown very well in this movie. On the flawed side, The Fabulous Stains can often veer from one scene to the next, without giving much thought for what came before it. However once the pace settles, things pick up and really take flight in the performance scenes as well as the media coverage parts that poses a double-edged sword for the band. It must also be noted that character development among the supporting part is a bit stilted, with no one particularly standing out. Then again, Corinne and her band are that memorable it more than makes sense and whenever they’re on screen, The Fabulous Stains is very accomplished and memorable. Those are the only real flaws to be found in this flick as the rest of it is pretty well mounted and deserving of the cult status it has attained.

Bringing ferocious bite and lashings of attitude is young Diane Lane in the lead role of front woman Corinne. Lane never softens the character to be overly sympathetic and this goes a long way to showing us how dissatisfied and angry the character is. Topped off with a memorable look, Diane Lane makes a hell of an impression as a wounded youth with one lacerating glare. A young Ray Winstone has the required mercurial tendencies for his part of the up and coming punk, whose band is overtaken by The Stains. The roles of the other members of The Stains are less well-defined, but still acted with assurance by Marin Kanter and Laura Dern. Adding another dimension to the picture is the casting of members of punk and rock staple bands The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Tubes. The parts don’t require much acting, but their presence as performers is felt and appreciated when the performances roll around.

Dated though some of it is, The Fabulous Stains is a genuinely intriguing and at times very relevant look at the fickle nature of fame and the dissatisfaction of youth. Bolstered by some killer music and good work from Diane Lane, it’s good to see a movie like this getting more attention again.

Music I’ve Been Listening To Part 2

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Music

I am always looking to expand my musical horizons, and as of late I’ve been doing just that. Here’s some songs below that have made an impression on me.

 

 

 

A Catchy Jam

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Music

So I’m back from my holidays and happy to be back. I had a great time away, it was so nice to have a chill. I got a good night’s sleep after a long day of travelling and now I’m ready for anything. So here’s a toe tapping song that always gets me motivated. Hope you all like it.

 

Music I’ve Been Listening To

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Music

I thought today I’d share a music post with everyone. My music taste extend from across genres, countries and styles. I just love my music. So I though it would be good to put some of my musical choices on here for you all to listen to.

What is your favourite Madonna ballad?

Tags

Ballads, Madonna, Music

I decided to post another article on the Queen of Pop as my last ones proved popular. Today’s question is which is your favourite ballad released by her? Although she is primarily known as a pop and dance artist, she has had her fair share of ballads that show another side to her. Whatever your choice please give it and the reason why. Soon I will be posting articles on another artist of my choice.

In case anyone is racking their brains trying to think of a ballad, here are the one’s I like;

Take a bow– A sombre tune that uses the theatre and masquerade as the way to tell the story of a painful break up.

Bad girl– One of her most underrated ballads, this one accompanied by sweeping strings and heartbroken vocals tells of a women’s self-destructive behaviour as a result of unrequited love.

This used to be my playground– A melancholy number about childhood memories and the past, this has one of her best vocal performances.

 

 

 

What are your favourite albums?

Tags

Coldplay, Florence and the machine, Garbage, Lungs, Madonna, Music, The Verve

Another music post. This one is asking what albums can you never get bored with listening to and the reasons behind it. I have a really varied taste in music but I will try to list some of my favourite albums. Off the top of my head they are;

Lungs- Florence and the machine

Parachutes- Coldplay

Ray of light- Madonna

Urban hymns- The Verve

Garbage- Garbage

So whatever your answer please give it.