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: 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: 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.