Four Albums to Start Your Week
By Cormac McCarthy
“Hold the Girl” – Rina Sawayama
Fresh off the acclaim for her hit single, “This Hell”, a country-pop song with elements of Gospel and pop-punk, Rina Sawayama released her long-awaited second studio album, Hold the Girl, last week.
Musically, every song makes up a fine tapestry that shows off all of Sawayama’s endless talents. Having six separate singles off the album proves this fine mix. When asked during promotion what theme the album would centre around, she declared that it was about “holding your inner child. It’s about speaking to the girl that’s gone through a lot”
This certainly comes through in fine form. Songs such as “Catch me in the Air” and “Holy (Til you let me Go)” are Gaga-level power ballads that are destined to be arena anthems. The album is far more honest than her previous work. At the age 32, the artist is not shy of revealing her most inner desires and fears. This is exemplified in the electro-pop track “Imagining”, where she explains “Right now my sanity is gone, I do this to myself, it’s vanishing”.
Sawayama brings pack the omnipotence of early Katy Perry-power-pop while combining it with her usual more modern stripped back sound, knowing exactly when to put the foot on the accelerator. A highlight on this album is “Frankenstein”. It’s a fast-paced, almost punky, tune that exemplifies everything about this album in one song.
“Music For Animals” – Nils Frahm
When it comes to ambient music, no one does it quite like Nils Frahm. The German pianist has always been experimenting with a range of sounds and production techniques to allow the music to fully wash over you.
This behemoth of an album, at just over three hours long, is no different. He has carved out a style that is very unique to himself. This being his 25th album, he is not afraid to push the boundary on what could be considered music in itself.
Almost experimental in its design, the first song (The dog with 1000 faces) alone is over 25 minutes long and even then it doesn’t really stray from its single chord structure. The album does quicken in pace and rhythm over its course but never once does it feel as if it has rushed for a second. In its pure meditative state, the album is practically one long song that floats in and out.
If there are any students knee-deep in study or if there are any owners of aquariums out there that would like an album to put your patrons at ease while looking at unusual fish, look no further.
“At the Royal Albert Hall April 14, 1970” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
For younger audiences, they might be aware of this band who have “that” song that plays every time the Vietnam war is depicted on screen. However, thankfully, Creedence Clearwater Revival are far from a one hit wonder.
This live album, recorded at the height of their powers on April 14th 1970 in London’s Royal Albert Hall, has been re-released this week with remastered tracks. The production work to polish up the sound has been fantastic. There is a much fuller sound without detracting from the live feel.
Creedence Clearwater Revival have always been quite legendary in the blues world. Their time in the limelight was intense but brief as they released 6 albums over a five year period while under a heavy touring schedule. John Fogarty’s vocals and songwriting talent have been commended by modern artists for their virtuosity and ability to be commercial while still retaining critical acclaim.
For any lover of pure blues rock, or for anyone looking to get into the genre, there is no better album to listen to.
“Keep on Smiling” – Two Door Cinema Club
From the Northern Irish trio comes their fifth studio album. Ever since their first album Tourist History in 2010, spawning hits such as “What you Know” and “Undercover Martyn”, the band have never truly reached the heights that they once did. Nevertheless their quality has always been of a very consistent level. Never a dull moment, the band manage to combine a frenetic energy with catchy hooks galore across all of their discography.
This is certainly true for Keep on Smiling, an album produced with the assistance of JackKnife Lee, with experience with bands such as Snow Patrol, The Killers and U2. While the band stick to their usual mix of synth and heavy dance rock, they lean very heavily into 80s aesthetics with syncopated 808 drum beats and strong influences from bands such as Tears for Fears and The Style Council.
They manage to combine these sounds with modern hooks. Particular highlights include their recent single “Lucky” which is a sucker for some heavy radio play. “Millionaire” is a fantastically sarcastic song that uses spoken word excerpts from interviews with young people as the backdrop for the darker tune. The band are fully aware that their strengths lie in their quirky, fun songs that carry the album through.