Review: Halsey- BADLANDS

Halsey (real name, Nicole Frangipane) is an American singer/songwritter who was born in 1994 in New Jersey. She was discovered and signed by the Astralwerks record label in late 2014 after beginning to write songs at the age of 17. She became a singer because she couldn't imagine anyone else singing her songs, according to an interview with Fuse earlier this year.

BADLANDS is her debut album after she previously released an EP called 'Room 93'. So far she has been touted as the new kid on the block in the pop world, but she's showing far more quality than many of her peers in my opinion.

The album opens with the track 'Castle', this starts with a kind of glitchy beat then her vocals come in, these can be likened to Lana Dey Rey in many ways. The track has a good beat that kind of rumbles and crashes along. The next track, 'Hold Me Down' has a similar style beat to it. The vocals are good, the lyrics are quite cryptic but it seems to tell the story of older men trying to make her do sexual favors. 'New Americana' is the most popular track on the album. This track talks about pop culture and how the current younger generation will change the world in the future. This is a catchy track with a good chorus, however I'm finding that it gets a bit annoying after hearing it a few times.

Review: The Weeknd- Beauty Behind The Madness

The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is a singer, songwriter and producer from Scarborough, Onterio (Canada). He gained notable support from fellow Canadian, Drake, in the early stages of his career when they were both featured on the same blog. The duo have since collaborated on a number of tracks.

This album is The Weeknd's second studio album after 2013's 'Kiss Land', however he released three popular EP's before that. Although he is notoriously wary of the media, in a recent interview with Pitchfork he spoke about changing his sound for the new album, He said "I owe it to people to make music that makes me feel good and is also a little easier to understand".

The first track on this album is 'Real Life', this track has a powerful intro that gains you attention before it breaks down and the vocals come in. I like the instrumental of this track with it's warped, glitchy sounds. It then goes into the Labrinth featured 'Losers', this track is bittersweet with it's vocals and piano hooks. I really like the latter part of the track which has striking vocals with little instrumental input, before a big, bouncing beat comes in. 'Tell Your Friends' feels like quite an intimate track where he sings about stealing for drug money and other raw topics. Kanye West helped to write and produce this track which should make for good listening, however I'm not too sure about the structure and the way it kind of just keeps rumbling on.

Review: Beach House- Depression Cherry

Beach House are a duo from Baltimore, Maryland (USA) who formed in 2004. The band is made up of Victoria Legrand (vocals) and Alex Scally (guitar). They have a kind of dreamy sound to their music that's very recognisable. They use drum machines and the organ in many of their tracks.

Depression Cherry is the bands 5th studio album. In a recent interview with Here And Now, Victoria said that the new album is "full of many things. Love, pain, getting older, dealing with loss, letting go. It's really ultimately what the listener feels in response to it". This was in response to a question about the meaning of the album. One topic that is tackled though, and also included in the title, is depression.

The opening track of the album is 'Levitation', this contains a simple drum rhythm and organ sound with Legrand's airy vocals over the top. I like how melancholy the sound is and how it immerses you into a kind of imaginary world. The second track, 'Sparks' feels a bit too lackluster and open, it doesn't really have as much direction as I'd like it to. 'Space Song' is a really good track, I really like the chord progressions towards the start that set it up. I also like the synth hook that draws you in further coupled with the catchy chorus.

Review: Foals- What Went Down

Foals are a an indie rock band from Oxford, England. The band consists of Yanis Philippakis (lead vocals/lead guitar), Jack Bevan (drums), Jimmy Smith (rhythm guitar/synth/backing vocals), Walter Gervers (bass/sampler/backing vocals) and Edwin Congreave (keyboard/synth/backing vocals).

'What Went Down' is the fourth studio album that they have released. Previous releases from the band are 'Antidotes', (2008) 'Total Life Forever' (2010) and 'Holy Fire' (2013). Foals have received very positive reviews for their previous albums and singles and have built a large international fan base. They are also famed for intense live shows.

The opening track of the album is the title track, 'What Went Down'. This track is full of powerful riffs and poignant vocals. I really like how the track builds up with so many layers then slowly breaks back down again. The next track is 'Mountain At My Gates' which is the also the second single that was released from the project. This song is really catchy and has a recognisable melody to it that you can't help but nod along to.

Review: The Fratellis- Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied

The Fratellis are a Scotish indie/rock band who formed in 2005 in Glasgow. All the band members use stage names with the surname Fratelli, which was chosen because it's the criminal family's surname in The Goonies.

They achieved wide spread commercial success with their debut album, including two UK top ten hits with 'Chelsea Dagger' and 'Whistle For The Choir'. This success wasn't replicated to the same extent with their next album 'Here We Stand', and they took a three year hiatus from 2009. 'Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied' is the bands second album since returning from this break.

The first track on the album is 'Me And The Devil', this has a catchy opening piano piece and vocals. I like the chorus, with it's positive chord progressions and upbeat vocals. The second track on the album is where the folk/country sound that covers much of the album kicks in. This track is quite repetitive and annoying in parts, it also lacks the instrumental quality that can be seen on many tracks in the genre.

Review: Radkey- Dark Black Makeup

Radkey are a garage rock band from Missouri, United States. They formed in 2010 and are made up of the three brothers Dee (vocals/guitar), Isaiah (bass) and Solomon (drums) Radke. Although the band are quite heavy, they like to keep their tracks catchy lyrically and instrumentally.

The guys from the band were home-schooled together and their dad is their manager. In an interview with Noisey, the band explained how being home-schooled helped them to discover "cool muisc". This subsequently inspired them to form their own band.

The album begins with title track, 'Dark Black Makeup'. This track is lively and has a catchy chorus, I also like the multitude of layers that build up then break back down again at different points. It then transitions into the thunderous opening riff of 'Romance Dawn', before the vocals and main instrumental body of the track kick in. This track is faster than the previous track, making it feel much shorter than its 4 minute running time. The next track, 'Love Spills' is probably my favourite track on the album, it has succulent vocals and Arctic Monkeys style guitar riffs that are near perfect. The only bad thing I can say about this track is that I wish it was longer.

Review: Spector- Moth Boys

Spector are an indie/electronic band who formed in London in 2011. The band is made up of Fred Macpherson (vocals), Jed Cullen (guitar/synth) Thomas Shickle (bass) and Danny Blandy (drums). Since forming, the band have gathered quite a lot of media coverage. They were widely touted as the next big thing in British music and were nominated for BBC Radio 1's sound of 2012 poll.

'Moth Boys' is the bands second studio album after 2012's 'Enjoy It While It Lasts'. Their last album didn't gain as much commercial success as expected and they didn't really live up to the hype that some journalists were surrounding them with.

This album begins with the track 'All The Sad Young Men', this track starts off brooding and downbeat. It then builds into a glorious chorus with a catchy synth line and vocals. It then flows into 'Stay High' which is a smooth and well put together track. I like how the big sound of the chorus contrasts with the slower introduction and bridge sections of the track.

Review: FKA Twigs- M3LL155X (EP)

FKA Twigs (real name, Tahliah Barnett) is a singer, songwriter and producer from Gloucestershire, Britain.

She came onto the music scene with the releases of 'EP1' in 2012 and 'EP2' in 2013. She then released her debut album, 'LP1' in 2014, this received good reviews in general and gained her notable commercial success.

The five track EP opens with the track, 'Figure 8', it has a very striking beat that's very fragmented. Her vocals work well with this beat, adding a softer elements. Around half way through the track there's a deeper, rather illegible voice that marks a change as it descends into a kind of organised chaos.

The second track on the album is 'I'm Your Doll', the production on this track isn't as strong as the previous but the balance is very delicate and poignant. It then goes into the track 'In Time', this has a faster pace than the previous track and has a whomping instrumental that's very hip hop inspired. The vocals are also have a much faster pace, but they still feel very gentle against the heavier beat.

Review: Frankie & The Heartstrings- Decency

Frankie & the Heartstrings are an indie band that formed in Sunderland in 2008. The band slowly formed around Frankie Francis (vocals) and Michael McKnight (guitar) with multiple line-up changes occurring before reaching its current roster. Frankie started off as a bassist, but changed to vocals when the other members told him he was no good at playing the bass.

Decency is the bands third studio album after 2011's 'Hunger' and 2013's 'The Days Run Away'. The band have gained relative success in recent years, playing support slots for such bands as The Futureheads and The Vaccines. They have also had their own UK headline tours and played shows across Europe, New York and Tokyo.

The album opens with the 42 second long 'Peterborough Dogs'. The next track is the title track, 'Decency', this track is very upbeat and happy sounding. This is a good start to the album in my opinion, it sets the pace and tells listeners what they can hope to hear as the album carries on. 'Think Yourself Lucky' and 'Save It For Tonight' are both similarly uptempo tracks that are vocally and instrumentally very classy  and well executed. They are both riff heavy and the prior track incorporates brass into the chorus.

Review: Don Broco- Automatic

Don Broco are a rock band from Bedford, England. They formed in 2008 and consist of Rob Damiani (lead vocals), Simon Delaney (guitar), Tom Doyle (bass) and Matt Donnelly (drums/vocals). Their sound can be described as pop rock or post hardcore.

The band met at school but didn't properly form until after university. They then went though a couple of name changes before going out on tour and playing some festival slots. 'Automatic' is the bands second album after 2012's 'Priorities' which did reasonably well for itself.

The album opens with 'Superlove', this track has good parts to it, such as the chord progressions and the well executed vocals. I think that the overall sound of it is quite generic though and similar to many other tracks in the genre. The second song, and title track of the album, 'Automatic' is better than the previous track as it varies more between tempos before going into the chorus. This track is also more powerful both vocally and musically.

Review: Julio Bashmore- Knockin' Boots

Julio Bashmore is a house producer/DJ from Bristol, England, however he now resides in South London. Bashmore, real name Mathew Walker, started mixing tracks when he was 14 before establishing himself as a DJ.

He released his first EP in 2009 on the Dirty Bird label. He then went on to create his own label, Broardwalk Records. On this label he has released a string of successful tracks, most notable 2012's Au Seve.

The title track of the album, 'Knockin' Boots' is a fairly standard opening track, with it's repetitive sample and fairly generic house beat. It then transitions into 'Holding On' which is the main single of the album, This track has a really groovy beat and vocals (Sam Dew) that work well together to draw you in, it then doesn't let you go until the end. I like the way that it breaks down and has a prolonged outro that carries on the chilled vibe.

'She Ain't' has a sound that's very reminiscent of Duck Sauce, and I can't decide whether this is a good or bad thing. It does kind of stray away from his house sound, but the execution is good. The album then rolls through 'Let Me Be Your Weakness' and 'Rhythm of Auld'. both have decent, catchy vocals and well thought out production.  

Review: Frank Turner: Positive Songs For Negative People

Frank Turner is a British rock/folk singer and musician from Hampshire. He started off his musical career in punk band 'Million Dead', but went solo in 2005 as the band split up. Turner has quietly become one of the most popular solo artists in the UK by playing a huge amount of shows.

Turner is now on his 6th studio album after a solo career spanning 10 years (8 years since first studio album). He has been widely praised for his ability to fuse the folk sound of a singer-songwriter with a heavier tone. This means that he's gained a wide range of fans from different music scenes.

This album starts with a track called 'The Angel Islington', this track is slow and minimalist, featuring just Frank's vocals and a guitar. This is a really sweet opening track that sets up the powerful 'Get Better' really well. This second track is an emotionally charged love song that finds the really delicate balance between heartwarming vocals and heavy guitars and drums, This track ends abruptly going into the twinkling opening riff of 'The Next Storm', then building into the full body of the song. This is what Turner does well, roaring vocals over perfectly put together instruments.

Review: KNYTE: KNYTE

KNYTE is a alternative solo artist from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). He has had seen some success in the past from scoring and writing original songs for short films, however he has more of a desire to create things for himself. He has taken lots of inspiration from alternative, electronic and pop/r&b music to shape his sound.

According to KNYTE himself, he has attempted to create a modern art piece where image, sound and writing all fit together. He has written and produced this album himself to try and realise this vision to a greater extent.

The album starts with a track called 'The Sun', it has a cool wobbly intro that's electronic based. His vocals are well executed, and there is a catchy chorus section. This then leads into 'Neon Lights'. For me this track feels a little rushed with the vocals not quite fitting with the instrumental, this is especially the case at the start of the song.

Review: Mac Demarco- Another One

Mac Demarco is a singer-songwriter from British Colombia, Canada. After being in a number of different bands growing up, he turned solo when he moved to Montreal in 2011.

He has been prolific in his relatively short solo career. 'Another One' is Demarco's fourth studio album, after 'Rock and Roll Night Club', '2' and 'Salad Days'. Mac Demarco is known for his laid back musical style, touted by some as 'slacker rock'.

The album begins with the track 'The Way You Love Her'. This track has all the elements of Mac's regular sound and is a good point to set the rest of the album up. This opening track is by no means one of his best though. The next track, 'Another One' is perhaps my favorite on the album with it's catchy guitar riffs and vocals. This sound is carried over to 'No Other Heart' which has dreamy guitars that are a joy to listen to.

Review: Dr Dre- 'Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr Dre'

Dr Dre is a American rapper and producer from Compton, California. He first came to prominence with rap group N.W.A. who are widely regarded as a seminal act in the gangsta rap genre. Dre has also been heavily involved in producing for and overseeing the careers of other rappers such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg.

A new album from Dr Dre has been 14 years in the making, with it being reported that he started work on the project back in 2001. It's been an additional two years since Dre's last release, the hugely successful and genre defining '2001' album. This has partly due to his business ventures, such as Beats headphones, and partly due to him not being happy with the music that he was producing for the project.

This album starts with an 1 minute 15 second introduction track that gives a brief outline of the history and problems facing Compton. This gives good context to the rest of the album. It then goes straight into 'Talk About it', very much a modern hip hop song with a trap beat to it, albeit the track isn't overspilling with originality. The next track on the album is 'Genocide', which features Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius and Candice Pillay. This has a wonky sounding beat that works very well with flow of the featured artists, especially with Kendrick's well thought out lyrics.

Review: Albert Hammond Jr.- Momentary Masters

'Momentary Masters' is Albert Hammond Jr's third solo studio after 2006's 'Yours to Keep and 2008's 'Como Te Lama?'. The keyboard/guitar player for seminal indie band 'The Strokes' has forged a solo career for himself, while not straying too far from the sound of the aforementioned band.

Details of the 35 year old's album came about in mid May, however it has been a while coming. Hammond Jr released an EP in 2013 and gave updates of the album on social media with images of recording.

The album starts really strongly with 'Born Slippy'. This, the lead single from the album, wouldn't be out of place on a Strokes album with it's wobbly guitar sounds and happy beat/lyrics. This sound is also relatively apparent on the second track, 'Power Hungry', however Hammond Jr comes across with a darker sound in the way that he delivers his lyrics.

Review: The Maccabees- Marks To Prove It

The Maccabees are a five piece band from London, made up of Orlando Weeks, Hugo and Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle. They are now on their fourth studio album, with each of their previous efforts gaining notable positive previews, thus earning them a loyal fan base.

The band have made noticeable changes to their sound with each album, and this latest offering is no different. The album was produced by the band in their Elephant and Castle studio. This allowed them to take more ownership of their sound and make their own decisions based on what was best for the album.

The album kicks off with the brilliant lead single 'Marks to Prove it'. The opening riff makes a great start to the album that just makes you want to hear more. It then goes into 'Kamakura', which has a sprawling, euphoric sound to it. This sound is similar to much of the previous album, 'Given to the Wild'

Review: The Chemical Brothers- Born In The Echoes

The Chemical Brothers are made up of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, who formed in Manchester in 1989. They are now on their 8th studio album after enjoying wide spread acclaim over the years for their contribution to dance music. Their contribution to the genre has been noted with the awarding of four Grammy award and one Brit award so far.

Their roots come from breakbeat hardcore and big beat, however their sound has evolved with each album as they've embraced new trends in music. They are well renounced for their live show theatrics including lasers and large scale graphics that fit well with the music and are designed to entrance the audience.

This new album has all the energy and production quality of previous albums, but also somehow feels up to date. The lead singles from the album are 'Sometimes I Feel so Deserted' and 'Go', which are also the first two tracks on the album. The former is a decent start track to the album that really sets up 'Go' which has a great beat and a really catchy hook.

Review: Years & Years- Communion

Years & Years are a British synthpop/electronica group from London. They formed in 2010 after Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen met online, Olly Alexander (vocals) then joined at a later date. 

The band have gained critical acclaim in recent times and won the BBC Radio 1 sound of 2015 poll. They have been championed by Radio 1 to a big extent with Zane Lowe making single 'King' the Hottest Record of the day. 

I think this album starts particularly poorly with a wishy washy intro and two substandard tracks in 'Real' and 'Shine'. It can be argued that this sets the tone for the album as a whole which seems to lack direction and focus.  

The two lead singles from this album are 'King' and 'Desire'. 'King' has enjoyed a lot more play time, however out of the two I believe that 'Desire' is the better track with it's tropical inspired beat that makes you want to dance. Having said that, 'King' isn't a bad track, it's just not as good as 125 million listens on Spotify says it is.

Review: Tame Impala- Currents

The 5 piece from Perth, Australia are now on their 3rd album. After the success of previous album 'Lonerism', all eyes were on the band to see whether they could replicate that success with the new album. The band are the certified poster boys for the trend towards a psych sound in Perth, and Australia as a whole, alongside bands such as Pond.

In a recent interview with NME, front man, Kevin Parker said he "wanted to make something that from the sound of it could be down at the club". This has been achieved to a certain extent as the there are a lot more repetitive beats and tracks with a faster pace to them. This change in sound is positive in my opinion and will likely add to their already fantastic live show.

The two lead singles from this album that have been enjoying lots of play time are 'Let it Happen' and 'Cause I'm a Man'. These tracks have a sound to them that's typical of this album, this is kind a mix between Tame Impala's classic 'psych' sound and the newer upbeat dance sound that the band have talked about. Out of the two I prefer 'Let it happen' because I really like the riff and how they've expertly switched the speed of the track at various points.