To curb my relentless book shopping spree’s, which end up sitting idle for close to a year before I pick them up, I use my local library service. The library is quaint, situated in the middle of my small town, and although it has a range of different types of genres, I’ve found it caters to the areas; older adults or infant children. Neither categories I quite fit into. I can get put off by this and find the relentless hunt for something that would interest me a little tedious (though I’m very much aware that I would spend hours adding to my Amazon wish list.)
However, recently my library has offered a service where you select your favourite genres and blindly choose some books. To cut a long story short, I received ‘Anxious People’ in last month’s selection.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, perhaps more than I thought. The synopsis was intriguing; a bank robbery went wrong, and a dozen strangers become intertwined, and I wasn’t sure what would happen during this story. I certainly didn’t expect a split narrative and an in-depth dissecting of these supposed strangers.
If you aren’t a fan of split narratives where the focus jumps from character to character, you may struggle with this. However, I wouldn’t say it’s tough to follow, nor is it boring or oversaturated. Author Fredrik Backman truly understands human trauma and the many ways it can show itself. The novel was a treat from start to finish and perfectly wrapped up all loose ends.
Miley Cyrus has made herself quite the musical enigma. She’s seemed to tackle every genre under the sun by the age of twenty-seven, but I think she may have found something that sticks. Plastic Hearts promised a new era of classic rock and ’80s punk with the teases Cyrus released in the form of traditional covers and leading single ‘Midnight Sky.’
I was excited about this release, I’ve been a long time believe Miley Cyrus was meant for rock and her stubborn grasp to keep a pop star was testing my patience. However, as soon as I heard the first track ‘WTF Do I Know’ I knew there was something special here. Miley is very personal and upfront with her subject matter in the album. She’s a self-proclaimed ‘shitty person’ who takes rather than gives and leaves rather than stays.
It’s refreshing; she owns a narrative which few women our proud to show. She’s strikingly independent and feisty and songs like ‘Gimme What I Want’ and ‘Night Crawling’ really show this. However, I think it’s safe to say that her albums in the past haven’t been so coherent and there are definite duds that take a little while to warm into. Most of the slower songs of the album just don’t do it for me, putting ‘Angels Like You’ as the third track when it feels a little more like an ending track.
The choice of collabs on this album are good, Dua Lipa’s already having a great year in the retro pop scene and is another feisty female in pop. Of course, Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks are phenomenal choices and the fact that they are even on the album bodes well for Miley’s reputation. However, I would say that Joan Jett and Billy Idol are quite challenging to recognise their features.
Overall, I do like this album and direction that Miley is going in. Everything she does never fails to excite and attract an audience. I can only imagine how electric the album will eventually be.
One Direction is one of, if not, the biggest boy band in the world. A testimony to their greatness is through their loyal fan-base who’s kept the band relevant years after their departure into solo efforts. Considering 2020 signals their 10th birthday, I want to explore their fourth, and arguably strongest, album for the first time.
I like to think I’ve grown up with this band due to hitting their age demographic perfectly. Ten years ago I was turning thirteen and navigating a love of emo and indie rock music from the likes of Paramore and Two Door Cinema Club. Yes, I was a little snobby towards the boys when ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ came out. It was my feeble attempt to not be like everyone else. That was until 2012 and 1D released Take Me Home. I became a bit of a secret fan who was not quite ready to expose my iPod playlist which sported the likes of ‘Kiss You’ and ‘C’mon, C’mon.’ Now we’re in the climate of nostalgia which 2020 has forced us into, I can proudly say that Take Me Home is a top-class album of my childhood. However, that’s where my infatuation began and ended until this year.
We can forgive a young teen confessing their love of a commercially created boy band, but can we forgive an adult woman? I argue that we can, as I don’t believe One Direction fit the traditional mould of boy band.
First things first, the songs are bloody catchy. You’ll be singing along by the time the second chorus comes along. FOUR has a weird mix of traditional pop tracks like ‘Steal My Girl’ but also an indie folk style found in tracks like ‘Ready to Run,’ ‘Fireproof,’ and ‘Fools Gold.’ Yet, there’s also an 80’s ballad track ‘Where the Broken Hearts Go’ and a pop-rock tracks like ‘No Control’ and ‘Change Your Ticket’ (props to The 1975’s Matty Healy for his involvement). In conclusion, there’s an insane variety on this album, and if you like cohesiveness, then I’m sorry you won’t find it here. The songs all exist separately, probably due to being written by a cluster of different people and added to the listing at different stages. However, this is stupid to focus on with One Direction.
The track variation tells me that the boys were able to have a little more input for this one and could add more of their own style. This is seen through their writing credits on the tracks. I would recommend this album if you’ve always been dismissive of the band, it’s an easy listen with romantically cheesy lyrics and feather-light harmonies. My only regret was not seeing them live when I was an emo 17-year-old.
In a brief moment of madness, I decided I wanted to tackle my ever-growing pile of classical TBR. I’m guilty of purchasing a lot of credible classic novels without actually sitting down to read them. By all means, I have the intention, but the time never comes. This is where Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’ubervilles comes into play.
The novel was written in 1891 and first appeared as weekly instalments in the magazine The Graphic. When I found this out, it gave explanation for why so much occurred in each chapter. Hardy was writing to maintain the interest of the magazine readers and therefore keeping his work in publication.
I will be spoiling some significant incidents that occur in the novel, but if you are intrigued to read, all I’ll say is this: Hardy presents a chaotic and tragic story where you’re left unsure what direction it’s going in. It’s exciting and modern in its plot and actively points out some of the ridiculous double-standards held towards women of this time. It’s a gripping read and encouraged me to continue reading Hardy’s work.
Firstly, I was surprised at how serious the distressing sexual assault episode was handled. Hardy didn’t brush past it, he candidly presented Tess’s struggle and trauma as a valid and shocking event. He didn’t stop there either, the result of this assault was a pregnancy, losing the baby to an illness, and then having to bury her child alone. In the short span that these events occur, you fully empathize with Tess’s grief and rightly criticize the villagers, her family, and the rapist for the way they treated her. Hardy didn’t victim blame nor portray Tess as unfavourable or impure; he instead highlighted the unlawful treatment she received.
Speaking of her treatment throughout the novel, let’s discuss Tess’ parents. Firstly, they send her off to a strange house to virtually sell her off for inheritance; then they shun her for falling pregnant through rape alongside trying to encourage her to marry the rapist. Overall, I am not a big fan. Now let’s talk about the other disappointments in the book, the men. Of course, Alec D’Urberville is the literal worse, and I feel his character is the carbon copy of ‘Jock Douche-bag Guy’ in every high school narrative. He is an aggressor and actively pursues Tess even after she says ‘no’ and avoids him as much as possible. But to Alec, ‘no’ means ‘yes,’ and after the sexual assault, he disappears for most of the middle part. However, he doesn’t go away that easily; instead, he pops up again as a born again Christian. Of course he does! I feel like I can name several other characters like him who do something so awful and then change their ways. Alec truly is the blueprint for this.
Now Angel comes into the picture as the antithesis of Alec, he’s intelligent and sensitive and seems to love Tess not only for her looks. Hardy encourages you to feel like he’s perfect for Tess. Don’t get your hopes up. He also refuses to listen to Tess when she tries to discourage him from marriage due to her past; but he simply doesn’t want to hear it. Instead of plays it off like whatever it is can’t be that bad. Lo and behold, when he finds out,he decides the best punishment is to leave his new wife to fend for herself and go to South America alone. Yes, he just up and left her with no money and no date of his return. Husband of the year award goes to him. Hardy does redeem him slightly by the end, Angel comes to his senses and in a bizarre turn of events is very supportive when Tess confesses she has murdered Alec in a moment of anger. Angel again feels like a predecessor for the character trope of the lovable, naive man who makes mistakes but at least owns up to them.
All these elements lead result in a really sad ending where Tess ultimately pays the price for her crime and is executed. An ending I would have never expected in a million years. Hardy really took this novel on a journey, and now that I know it was published in chapters, I doubt if he had a vision on how he wanted the story to end. Yet, this is what makes this novel such a joy to read.
I feel like I say this before every ‘First Exposure’ post, but I genuinely am late to the party with this one. Sam Fender came through with his debut album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ in September 2019 after a steady growth of popularity since 2017.
I first heard of Sam Fender after the drop of his single ‘Dead Boys’ in 2018. The quite ground-breaking track dealt with a mostly unspoken issue. Speaking on the track, Fender explains “It’s [the song] raised an conversation and I realised how much of a present issue it is.” Moving from this,Fender has only gotten more accessible and even during a global pandemic, he trial-blazes as one of the first artists to play a “socially distant” gig.
I thought it was about time that I give his debut work a worthy listen to see what the hype is about. What is clear is Fender’s love for Bruce Springsteen, you only have to google both musicians to see the covers he’s done of The Boss. Listening to this album, Fender has channelled the working-class narrative that Springsteen does so well but making it modern. The whole of ‘White Privilege’ is a dig at the state of 21st Century Great Britain, and I’ve got to love the line “Don’t wanna hear about Brexit, them old c***ts fucked up our exit.”
I would describe this ability as being channelled with angry hope. There’s a real roller coaster of tempo flowing throughout, we begin the quick ascent through tracks like ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ and ‘Borders’ to then mellow out for ‘Dead Boys’ and ‘You’re Not The Only One’ to once again start picking up again for The Cure inspired ‘That Sound.’
It’s certainly not a boring album; Fender has compiled an impressive tracklist that provides so much variety and odes to musicians that came before him. When Fender refers to this album as “mirroring a lot of the stuff that I was listening to when I was a teenager…” and these references are apparent.
What’s impressive is how powerful Fender’s voice comes across, especially on the chorus of ‘Call Me Lover’ where he gives me Hozier vibes with his belting baritone. I would recommend this album 100%, the songs are straightforward and impactful, and I’ve found myself adding tracks like ‘Will We Talk?’ and ‘Saturday’ to my playlists.
Dominic Fike is somewhat of an anti-fame advocate, one of those up-and-coming artists that make you feel like you’re intruding in on a personal moment. He focuses on the music rather than the image, and the music is hard to pin-point. Fike’s exterior of face tattoos and dyed buzz cut gives a specific opinion of him being some of two-dimensional ‘Soundcloud rapper’ but when you are listening to it is the complete opposite. There’s no facade, on overly produced pop beats, instead this project delivers something raw under the guise of catchy melodies.
The album starts with a sonically aggressive ‘Come Here’ that hits you straight away with Fike’s screechy vocals over screaming guitar. But this momentum quickly shifts to more surfer chill vibes like from ‘Good Game’ and slow R’n’B beats in ‘Florida.’ Yet as you dive in a little deeper, Fike’s lyrics detail how fed up he already is with the music industry. A bold stance to take for the first album, as Rolling Stone magazine states: “Most artists wait until their sophomore album to gripe about fame, but Fike has skipped those steps and is ready to sing about celebrity as if it’s the worst day job imaginable.” But with songs like ‘Cancel Me’ that exposes the L.A. life which he sees once the rose-tinted glasses are off.
There’s a pessimistic attitude that comes through on this L.P.; Fike doesn’t want to sell a false image, and his genuine attitude towards fame and relationship is appreciated. Even when analysing the lyrics of ‘Chicken Tenders’ Fike’s clear to point out that he doesn’t not a Christine, and he prefers chicken strips, it’s not hard to understand why he’s lumped in with another anti-genre artist Post Malone. Being a millennial/ Gen-Z cusp, he inherently embodies the anxieties and strengths of both, greatest of all is the mapping of mental health in this confusing age of social media and conflicting emotions.
One of the outstanding tracks for me has to be the funky ‘what’s for dinner?,’ with Childish Gambino ‘redbone’-esque backing vocals and finishing with some gorgeous acoustic guitar. You can’t say that this album isn’t vividly experimental, with the addition of violins on track ’10x Stronger’ which feels like a profoundly personal anomaly on the L.P. Overall, this album is an easy listen without being dull or repetitive. Well worth a listen.
After a fourteen year hiatus, The Chicks -formerly The Dixie Chicks – are back with a deeply personal LP that addresses vicious heartbreak in a feisty but delicate way.
This album appeared to have dropped at a random time, after fourteen years of nearly radio silence from the trio they come back with a new name and an elevated sound to fit the new decade. Though I would argue it’s not so random, within the grasps of an activist era led by fed up gen-Z and millennials, The Chicks fit in perfectly. After all, the band are known for not taking things lying down, and after Natalie Maines comments on the then President Bush, they risked alienating some of their audience in a time where outspoken comments were shunned. The Chicks only prove that they can bounce back from criticism in a creative and critically-acclaimed way.
Surprisingly, The Chicks’ return isn’t centered around politics, or their relentless fight against misogyny in country music. It’s a record driven by a collision of emotions, heavily expressed in an unapologetic manner. A muse for many albums and bands, but The Chicks’ approach to heartbreak comes at a universal time of betrayal and uncertainty.
Essentially, this is a divorce record. A journey through hate and heartbreak towards an unfaithful partner. Maines exposes quite a lot in these lyrics, revealing many personal experiences between her and her ex-husband which made me feel like I’ve peeked a look into her diary. Take songs such as ‘Sleep At Night’ and ‘Tights On My Boat,’ where infidelity is being directly exposed so that the listener feels the raw pain of the situation.
I appreciate the journey of the album, each song feels like it has been carefully placed to best suit a narrative. We start with the title track ‘Gaslighter’ with a razor-sharp accusatory tone, shining a light on the antagonist that we’ll come to loathe. The production is pop infused but still holds on to a bit of country thanks to Emily Robison’s and Martie Maguire fiddle and bango contributions.
The striking anomaly ‘March’ which appears as The Chicks enthusiastic encouragement to current movements such as BLM and Climate change.
I believe that everyone can like The Chicks, they’re not restricted to the often controversial country genre. In regards to the removal of ‘Dixie’ from their name, they state: “we want to meet this moment,” implying that the change reflects the current U.S.A. political climate. Even writer Jeremy Helligar comments on the racist undertones of the name, saying: “‘Dixie,’ for the record, is the epitome of white America.” The Chicks want to evolve with the current climate, showing their strength and worth in a time where not many would even be aware of them outside of their known genre.
The songs are beautifully written, such as ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ and ‘Julianna Calm Down,’ where you can see producer Jack Antonoff’s influence (see Taylor Swift’s 1989 and Lorde’s Melodrama for comparison).
Since it’s release last week, I find myself going back to it naturally. The hooks get stuck in my head and you end up staying for the story they tell through the album. I would recommend this album and I’m excited to see what they have coming up.
FKA Twigs is a name that I’ve heard floating around for a while and the cover of her first album LP1, released 2014, dominated indie instagram and tumblr. Now after noticing the buzzing excitement for her latest album MAGDALENE, released late 2019, I wanted to begin to understand what makes Tahliah Barnett so enchanting.
After seeing the music video for ‘cellophane’ where Barnett provides an emotional award-nominated performance, I became interested in learning more about her latest project. I would argue that knowing only ‘cellophane’ sets you up for a false impression for the LP. I was expecting the rest of the songs to have that same melancholy enchantment but what comes before this closing track is a whirlwind of strong vocals and impressive production that comes before.
MAGDALENE arrives at a time where FKA Twigs has publicly dealt with a break up from actor Robert Pattinson and undergoing surgery to remove fibriod growths from her uterus. Knowing this backdrop and the mindset that Twigs must have been in, MAGDALENE comes fueled by pain and recovery. The LP begins with ‘thousand eyes,’ an anxious ballad surrounding the price of being in the public eye. The image of waking ‘a thousand eyes’ is daunting, and Twigs heightens this through the growing thump of bass and lyrical repetition that works as an evoking chant to drift us off into the next track. Next is ‘home with you,’ exploring the fragile balance between looking after yourself and being there for your loved ones. Barnett morphs her voice into short breaths of raspy tones that echo over. The first track to mention Mary Magdalene who would “never have let her loved ones down”, Magdalene being quite a polarising figure in religious history; sometimes known as being a prostitute and then a celebrate nun or passive helpmeet. Barnett explains that Magdalene represents just one of the many women in history expected to provide so much ’emotional labour’ to everyone. Through the whispers of the verses, we come to a Kate Bush-esque vocal pitch that makes the track feel like we are experiencing two different points of view. The track even seems to reference Bush with, “I’d be running down the hill.” closing on that modern struggle of constantly questioning how people are feeling around you.
Next is the most sonically impressive on the album, ‘sad day’, where heavy synth beats repeat throughout to help build up emotion. There’s no denying that Barnett’s vocal manipulation really adds to the overall feel of this track. It’s quite easy to link her lyrics to her breakup where she stated to NME (about heartbreak): ” I never thought that my body could stop working to the point that I couldn’t express myself physically in the ways that I have always loved and found so much solace in.” Yet, the lyrics are never pointing the blame on someone else, Barnett openly confesses to the areas that she fails in, “You’re running, I tried to make it work before, You’re running, I made you sad before.” I enjoy the experimentation in ‘sad day’ it’s one of my favourites from this album.
‘Holy Terrain’ is a surprising entry on the LP, featuring rapper Future (the only feature on the album) the production is chaotic on this track, making you feel swept up in a storm. I’m not sure if I like the rapper feature, it doesn’t seem like something required. Next is the self-titled track ‘mary magdalene’ beginning with wind chimes and delving into that religious and historical influence of women detailing “a woman’s time to embrace, she must put herself first.”
Pitchfork, who rated this LP a 9.4, applaud the “virility and self-preservation” of ‘fallen alien’ where Barnett shows her feisty fighting side through haunting production and frictive vocals. A definite highlight on this album for its explosion into high pitched chorus making me feel like I’m heading into a battle. The tempo lessens dramatically on ‘mirrored heart’ where Barnett slurs through the words over a drunken beat. Yet, the volume is continually extending and retracting like waves crashing a shoreline; it’s really great to experience through waves.
As we approach the end of the LP, a melancholy tone sets in and the confidence that have dripped it way through a lot of the album is bled dry. ‘mirrored heart’ repeats the lyrics “and for the lovers who found a mirrored hear, they just remind me I’m without you.” Transitioning into the floaty light of ‘daybed’ where Barnett lists her surroundings and emotions to reflect the loss she feels for her partner. A bleak description of a lonely day spent watching daytime TV and desperately trying to feel something.
As we know, ‘cellophane’ closes this album, a ballad of cries and sorrowful piano. There’s a reason why everyone still discusses this track, Barnett stretches her vocals to a Björk-like symphony. We are then abruptly cut off, and the record goes silent, leaving us with emptiness and reflection on this sonic journey which I believe is purposeful. Barnett has mimicked a desperate feeling of holding onto a memory/feeling that has passed, “all wrapped in cellophane.”
I must admit there were moments of confusion when visiting this album the first time. The album confused me, and I couldn’t entirely invest all my energy into it. However, once I stopped being lazy and distracted, I could really feel how powerful FKA Twigs presence is in the music industry. There’s no denying a true appreciation for her sound and visuals. We know to be grateful that Barnett has allowed us into this open diary of vulnerability.
The Los Angeles Trio return with their third album. Fuelled by frustrations and euphoric experimentation, the established band prove they’re here to stay.
Haim has a good decade’s worth of experience within the music industry, and in that time, encountered an abundance of obstacles to pass. Heading into this album, it is clear that the sisters crash through those barriers with insouciance. Starting with the obvious reference to a tired question asked of many female musicians; “How does it feel to be a woman in music?” as if women have only started being part of the industry in the 21st-century. The album continues to address issues of misogyny in a defiant showcasing of their independence, an attitude they’ve addressed as being ‘enforced’ on them. Danielle Haim told The Independent an example of “going to a guitar shop and the man at the guitar shop asks if you’re looking for a guitar for your boyfriend.” Imagine asking the woman who toured with The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas at age 20 that question.
Yet this album does more than addressing their gender, it deliver their most heartfelt and honest lyrics over jazzy, surfer funk beats. The opening ‘Los Angeles’ is riveting with its saxophone introduction and cheerful disposition to distract from their complicated relationship with their home city – ‘Give me a miracle, I just want out of this.’ This introduction alone encapsulates their ferocious talent and confidence that is only heightened as we continue. ‘The Steps’ is an appreciated modern women’s single, delving into the complications of living in a time where lots of women have much better opportunities but there is still a long way to go.
What is making this album stand out against their other two – equally praised – records? There’s a clear growth, nothing is lacking in production or riffola, there is only the addition of experimentation. No track sounds the same but is all very clearly Haim songs by their prowess on their prominent instruments of choice, Este Haim – Bass, Danielle Haim – Lead Guitar, and Alana Haim – Percussion/guitar.
This album is generous in its contents, 13 tracks plus 3 bonus, that gives me the joy of re-visiting and enjoying different aspects every time. Like the banshee-style wails on ‘All That Ever Mattered’ that just feel cathartic, and the Joni Mitchell-style acoustic commentary on ‘Man From The Magazine’ (it’s quite scary how much Danielle Haim sounds like her on this track.) I would also like to mention the addictive riff on ‘FUBT’ that dominates the track and deliciously delivers on classic rock that this band can do so well.
The hardship that came before this album seems to have given the band a ‘fuck it’ attitude towards trying to fit into a predefined box. Haim cannot easily be swayed by outdated attitudes and delivers on an album that is receiving a huge amount of deserved attention. I will certainly continue to enjoy this album for a while.
On June 18th, Punisher‘s release date, Phoebe Bridgers tweeted: “I’m not pushing the record until things go back to “normal” because I don’t think they should. Here is it a little early. Abolish the Police. Hope you like it.” In these unusual and changing times, it’s awkward for artists to be able to pedal their work out to the masses without making it about them. Yet, I would argue we need music as a calming influence among all this uncertainty. Bridger’s second full LP hones in on traditional indie alternative methods of soft vocals and guitar but with the addition of some brass and string instruments to make this a fascinating ensemble of tracks.
There’s a nostalgic feel to this record in both the music and the lyrics. Bridgers, 25, writes of memories such as “Remember getting the truck fixed, when you let us drive it, twenty-five felt like flying” in ‘Kyoto’. Nostalgia is starting to hit the new wave of 18 to 30-year-olds and is very present in society at this time. Bridgers channels this a lot throughout the album alongside classic tropes of indie music from the likes of early Bon Iver, Bombay Bicycle Clue and even punk indie bands like Modern Baseball.
As I listen, I can’t help but feel like this album is lacking something. A lot of the songs feel the same and discuss very similar issues without much inventiveness. There is a very soothing quality to Phoebe Bridgers voice but after 40 minutes it becomes monotonous and a little repetitive. There seems to be a forced uniqueness to this voice but hardly any range to make it distinctive. A stand-out track is the before mentioned, Kyoto, which sparks a bit of liveliness to this album through the trumpets and drums.
The critique of monotony may seem a bit harsh, especially as there is a lot of attention surrounding Phoebe Bridgers. This week, Pitchfork listed Punisher in it’s ‘5 New Albums You Should Listen to Now.’ Yet, knowing the talent coming from the Indie scene, there is a lot needed to stand out. The LP’s opening track ‘DVD Menu’ is an attractive introduction, with it’s eerie violins setting an unsettling atmosphere that unfortunately isn’t replicated throughout the album. The standout tracks are ‘ICU’ which feels straight out of a coming of age film and ‘Moon Song’ with it’s pleasant acoustic guitar plucking and Bridger’s harmonization.
Maybe this album is just not for me as I don’t wish to bash Bridger’s but it does feel like this album is missing something. I seem to be in the minority of this as Bridgers is gaining more and more attention every day, even featuring on The 1975’s latest album. One thing I can say for sure, is the cover photo is truly beautiful and perfectly suits the album’s ‘up all night thinking about the past’ identity.
saharamelts 