It's been awhile. Let's talk Katy Perry.
Those of you familiar with Katy Perry's last album 'One of the Boys', will no doubt be aware of the differences between her latest offering, 'California Gurls' and, well, just about anything from her debut. While many have been eager to criticise her for the shift, it does beg the question that if 'One of the Boys' had a point to make, that Katy was here to do pop music a little differently, then what's left to do when that point has been made and there's nothing left to prove? The answer, apparently, is to do something a little more obvious.
'Teenage Dream', the new albums title track, is a solid start to proceedings. From the word go we can tell things have changed since the last hour we spent in Katy's company. Gone is the angst and determination to prove herself worthy of the worlds attention, in it's place a feeling of wide-eyed wonderment and the sense that now that she finally has the worlds attention, she's not quite sure how to use it and would rather simply relish it while its there. It's on par with 'California Gurls' in terms of it's arrangement and production (which is of a reasonably high standard throughout) but where 'California Gurls' lacks the sincerity of her last album, 'Teenage Dream' is drowning in it, just in a very different way. We've all had that someone who excites us like we never knew we could be excited. 'I'll get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans, I'll be your teenage dream tonight' Katy promises over a track so candy-floss sweet it could give you cavities were it not so true to life. This feeling of youthful exuberance and excitement is something that Katy obviously knows very well, writes very well and should have used as a running theme throughout her entire second album.
Unfortunately, she didn't.
After the title track, things get a little less interesting. 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)' is (almost) literally a second-rate 'Waking Up in Vegas', 'Firework', 'Circle the Drain', 'E.T' and 'Pearl' see Katy try on so many different generic pop-song pre-sets it becomes impossible to find sincerity in any of them, and 'Peacock' is so shockingly bad I'm willing to write it off as nothing more than a failed experiment. Meanwhile, 'The One that got Away' and 'Not Like The Movies' work surprisingly well as ballads and along with 'Hummingbird Heartbeat', bring back the childlike naivety and enthusiasm the album promised at the start.
It's hard to tell if it was deliberate or not, but miss Perry and her team of songwriters have quite spectacularly disregarded the aforementioned point her first album tried so hard to make. The majority of the tracks here are generic pop tunes that would be completely indistinguishable from the sound-a-likes churned out by Alexandra Burke or Vanessa Hudgens, were it not for Perrys unique vocal and lyrical traits.
'Teenage Dream' could have been great. It could have been a 21st century pop gem. Katy Perry is a bloody good songwriter with a tremendous pop sensibility, and while there are certainly flashes of that on 'Teenage Dream', it has been eclipsed almost entirely by a half-hearted attempt to secure her place in pop superstardom.
TL;DR: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts...well, Katy Perry would, presumably be a very happy lady.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Let's get this out of the way, I am a fanboy. I am shameless in my love for Final Fantasy and have been for years. There are certain non-canon spin off things that I've generally avoided, but with the exception of III, X-2 and XI, there hasn't been one I didn't enjoy on some level. The characters are always interesting and developed well, the stories are epic and the worlds are beautifully realized whether based in the medieval or the futuristic or both. I could go on and on about the merits of the series, but I won't. Instead, I'll try keep things as subjective as possible. Besides, FFXIII is just a segway for my point in this post: Linearity and it's place in video games.
Reports on Final Fantasy XIII, while generally favourable, all point fingers at one aspect of the games first half. In several reviews I've read things like, 'the game is shockingly linear' or 'the linearity is ridiculous'. Statements which, especially in the context of a final fantasy game, continue to baffle me.
Since when is linearity the enemy? I love a good story, and I genuinely believe that games have the ability to provide unique, innovative narrative experiences, but only if there's something interesting there to work with in the first place. Without gushing like the miserable fanboy I am, FFXIIIs 'shocking linearity' works 'shockingly well' in my opinion. It's a different experience to the usual formula, and the lack of exploratory freedom isn't going to go down well with everyone, but it's this linearity that provides the much needed momentum to the story. These people are cursed and have no idea how to fix it. They don't have time to go trouncing around forests or fields chasing mutated squirrels and giant lizards, they're too busy continuously pushing forward in a collective effort to not die.
I realize a full post on FFXIII (and how I love it) would be too predictable for me. But as an example of my point it's quite useful. Linearity, coupled with good storytelling (most of the time anyway), has ALWAYS been a huge part of the FF experience, one that has enthralled as many as it has repulsed. Why are critics suddenly so eager to point this out?
I hear the arguments coming already. 'Every path is just a tunnel or a narrow corridor', 'the level design is unimaginative', 'TOWNS TOWNS WAH WAH WAH'. Yeah every path is a narrow corridor, as I said the current storyline doesn't lend itself well to time-wasting, we're in a life and death situation here. Unimaginative? Are you for real? I don't think there's been even one locale in the game this far that didn't make me grin like an idiot, the game, including its levels are nothing short of beautiful. As for the towns, get over it. Yeah I liked them too but things have to change.
'Change? But aren't you, here, on this blog, decrying this change? you hypocrite!' I hear you cry. Not quite, I'm afraid. I'm not against change, in fact XIII has done away with a lot of the shit that bugged me about previous entries, and even the new additions I'm not too keen on deserve their part in the experiment.
No More Heroes, my favourite game of 2008, suffered the opposite of this. With an open-world idea (very obviously) tacked in as an afterthought, one that never really felt very open at all, NMH came under heavy criticism. Now FFXIII has decided to toss any and all pretense of an open world, with a story that justifies, no, demands it's 'shocking linearity' as a sense of urgency. It seems as if people genuinely are just impossible to please.
Open world gaming is a great idea. But admit it, when faced with an open world sandbox to explore or terrorize (Just Cause 2, GTAIV, Saints Row etc.) how much attention do you usually pay to the story? Very little, I'd wager. Not that I'd blame you, those games usually have stories as impressive as those found in Stephanie Meyer books or the type of fanfiction you'd find on DeviantArt blogs. That, or they end up shockingly pretentious in their efforts to avoid it. Either way the open world idea lends itself much better to gameplay than it does to narrative.
Which basically brings us to what you personally want from a game or what you believe games can do if you believe they can do anything. Personally, I think there is untapped potential in the idea of games providing truly unique narrative experiences and that's what I want to see. Sandbox games are incredibly fun to play, but their novelty ultimately wares off and I often find I need a little more to sink my teeth into. A good story, well told, is a nice way of providing that extra depth.
I mentioned in my Heavy Rain post that there seems to be a growing divide between what developers want to make and what consumers want to play. Realism has proven to be a false-prophet for the industry, and I think this disdain for linearity will end up the same.
I'll probably be posting more on Final Fantasy XIII in the not too distant future, there's bigger plans afoot than what I've talked about here.
TL;DR: A mediocre post on the merits of Linearity. Expect a better one when I have time to string a metaphor together.
Reports on Final Fantasy XIII, while generally favourable, all point fingers at one aspect of the games first half. In several reviews I've read things like, 'the game is shockingly linear' or 'the linearity is ridiculous'. Statements which, especially in the context of a final fantasy game, continue to baffle me.
Since when is linearity the enemy? I love a good story, and I genuinely believe that games have the ability to provide unique, innovative narrative experiences, but only if there's something interesting there to work with in the first place. Without gushing like the miserable fanboy I am, FFXIIIs 'shocking linearity' works 'shockingly well' in my opinion. It's a different experience to the usual formula, and the lack of exploratory freedom isn't going to go down well with everyone, but it's this linearity that provides the much needed momentum to the story. These people are cursed and have no idea how to fix it. They don't have time to go trouncing around forests or fields chasing mutated squirrels and giant lizards, they're too busy continuously pushing forward in a collective effort to not die.
I realize a full post on FFXIII (and how I love it) would be too predictable for me. But as an example of my point it's quite useful. Linearity, coupled with good storytelling (most of the time anyway), has ALWAYS been a huge part of the FF experience, one that has enthralled as many as it has repulsed. Why are critics suddenly so eager to point this out?
I hear the arguments coming already. 'Every path is just a tunnel or a narrow corridor', 'the level design is unimaginative', 'TOWNS TOWNS WAH WAH WAH'. Yeah every path is a narrow corridor, as I said the current storyline doesn't lend itself well to time-wasting, we're in a life and death situation here. Unimaginative? Are you for real? I don't think there's been even one locale in the game this far that didn't make me grin like an idiot, the game, including its levels are nothing short of beautiful. As for the towns, get over it. Yeah I liked them too but things have to change.
'Change? But aren't you, here, on this blog, decrying this change? you hypocrite!' I hear you cry. Not quite, I'm afraid. I'm not against change, in fact XIII has done away with a lot of the shit that bugged me about previous entries, and even the new additions I'm not too keen on deserve their part in the experiment.
No More Heroes, my favourite game of 2008, suffered the opposite of this. With an open-world idea (very obviously) tacked in as an afterthought, one that never really felt very open at all, NMH came under heavy criticism. Now FFXIII has decided to toss any and all pretense of an open world, with a story that justifies, no, demands it's 'shocking linearity' as a sense of urgency. It seems as if people genuinely are just impossible to please.
Open world gaming is a great idea. But admit it, when faced with an open world sandbox to explore or terrorize (Just Cause 2, GTAIV, Saints Row etc.) how much attention do you usually pay to the story? Very little, I'd wager. Not that I'd blame you, those games usually have stories as impressive as those found in Stephanie Meyer books or the type of fanfiction you'd find on DeviantArt blogs. That, or they end up shockingly pretentious in their efforts to avoid it. Either way the open world idea lends itself much better to gameplay than it does to narrative.
Which basically brings us to what you personally want from a game or what you believe games can do if you believe they can do anything. Personally, I think there is untapped potential in the idea of games providing truly unique narrative experiences and that's what I want to see. Sandbox games are incredibly fun to play, but their novelty ultimately wares off and I often find I need a little more to sink my teeth into. A good story, well told, is a nice way of providing that extra depth.
I mentioned in my Heavy Rain post that there seems to be a growing divide between what developers want to make and what consumers want to play. Realism has proven to be a false-prophet for the industry, and I think this disdain for linearity will end up the same.
I'll probably be posting more on Final Fantasy XIII in the not too distant future, there's bigger plans afoot than what I've talked about here.
TL;DR: A mediocre post on the merits of Linearity. Expect a better one when I have time to string a metaphor together.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Moving Units
*NOTE: This is an article for this weeks TN2 magazine, I'm assuming anyone reading this already knows what PSmove is. If you don't, enjoy my briefing. If you do, enjoy the rest of it.
Despite opinions to the contrary, I am personally of the belief that flashes of healthy skepticism are a positive force in a world riddled with manufactured hype. I don't necessarily buy into the idea that corporations are the enemy or that Starbucks harvest children for sandwich meat, but it's important to recognize the difference between actually wanting something and being told that you want something. That said, there is little in this world that bugs me quite as much as unfounded negativity and my faith in 'healthy skepticism' is often mistaken for the unreasonable belief that 'everything is shit until it can prove itself otherwise'.
So the long talked-about PlayStation motion controller has finally been unveiled as the PlayStation Move, and it seems as if the bloggers are ready to fire up their cynicism cylinders and declare it a failure before it's even hit the track.
Far be it from me to preach about the merits of keeping your hopes up, especially where Sony are concerned, they have an unfortunate reputation for not delivering on promises (or lying, as it's more commonly known), but anyone ready to dismiss the PSMove as a 'Wii-Too' is clearly unaware of the technology that's actually involved.
Let me make one thing clear; I own a Wii. I like the Wii. Sure, it's gimmicky and there's hundreds upon hundreds of terrible, unnecessary and terribly unnecessary titles out for the thing, but the (admittedly few) games I do own I enjoyed immensely. No More Heroes is still my favorite game of 2008 and its sequel could end up being my favorite game of 2010 (FFXIII not withstanding), but even I can't feign ignorance towards Nintendos marketing strategy, although I could be inclined to refer to it as evil genius. The Wii-Motion Plus, which, let's face it, many of us shelled out for, was basically a peripheral to make the Wii do what it was always meant to do in the first place. We'd been had; tricked into buying a console with a control system that was, unbeknownst to us, incomplete and then charged for its completion when sales started to dwindle. Sony's decision to imitate the technology this late in the game isn't much better, but at least they've come to the table with a finished product.
The PlayStation Move is exactly what you'd imagine a Wii-Remote to look like if it were made by Sony and had a giant plastic ball attached to it. If that sounds comical, well, it is. It looks ridiculous. However, last week at GDC the press finally got their first chance to test it out first-hand and while a trip to San Francisco was just slightly out of TN2s budget this year, the reports from more financially viable press sources have been generally favorable.
The giant ball at the top of the controller contains three LEDs that can combine to make any color you can imagine. When a game is fired up, the eyetoy camera (a peripheral required to use the PSMove) scans the room for colors and lights up the controller in a color it didn't find, thus providing a highly effective way to keep the tracking at a ratio of 1:1. For instance, if you were in a room with lots of blue, the sphere would likely turn orange or red, so the camera can track the big orange or red thing in the room full of blue. It really is that simple.
While Sony have admitted that they're planning a considerable amount of casual fare to be released for the device, their insistence that they're still a company for the 'core gamer' (a term I use with much disdain) took a sharp turn for the believable when the latest title in their much revered SOCOM franchise, SOCOM 4, was demoed using the PSMove in a way, nay a multitude of ways, that actually worked. Admittedly, it required the presence of the conspicuous 'sub-controller', an additional wand that resembles Nintendos Nunchuck peripheral, which seemingly brings us right back to the Wii argument, but the video is undeniably impressive, showcasing a tracking ratio unlike anything I've seen on the Wii, with or without it's motion-plus add-on.
The PlayStation Move is currently scheduled for an autumn release, coinciding with the release of Microsofts controllerless-controller-camera-thing, currently codenamed Project Natal. The unveiling at GDC confirmed several bundle packages, the most alluring of which being the 'starter kit', containing a controller, a game and the eyetoy camera for (apparently) under $100. Microsoft have come under some criticism for their avant-garde approach to this idea (doing away with a controller altogether) and with Nintendo consistently underwhelming everyone of late, Sony might just be on to a winner here. Only time will tell if developers will really get on board with this, after all third-party support for the Wii has been thin on the ground, but with the right software support and the inevitable marketing push towards Christmas 2010, the PSMove has the potential to truly finish what the Wii began.
TL;DR: PlayStation Move could quite possibly do what Epic Games have failed to do: Kill the Wii.
Andy x
Despite opinions to the contrary, I am personally of the belief that flashes of healthy skepticism are a positive force in a world riddled with manufactured hype. I don't necessarily buy into the idea that corporations are the enemy or that Starbucks harvest children for sandwich meat, but it's important to recognize the difference between actually wanting something and being told that you want something. That said, there is little in this world that bugs me quite as much as unfounded negativity and my faith in 'healthy skepticism' is often mistaken for the unreasonable belief that 'everything is shit until it can prove itself otherwise'.
So the long talked-about PlayStation motion controller has finally been unveiled as the PlayStation Move, and it seems as if the bloggers are ready to fire up their cynicism cylinders and declare it a failure before it's even hit the track.
Far be it from me to preach about the merits of keeping your hopes up, especially where Sony are concerned, they have an unfortunate reputation for not delivering on promises (or lying, as it's more commonly known), but anyone ready to dismiss the PSMove as a 'Wii-Too' is clearly unaware of the technology that's actually involved.
Let me make one thing clear; I own a Wii. I like the Wii. Sure, it's gimmicky and there's hundreds upon hundreds of terrible, unnecessary and terribly unnecessary titles out for the thing, but the (admittedly few) games I do own I enjoyed immensely. No More Heroes is still my favorite game of 2008 and its sequel could end up being my favorite game of 2010 (FFXIII not withstanding), but even I can't feign ignorance towards Nintendos marketing strategy, although I could be inclined to refer to it as evil genius. The Wii-Motion Plus, which, let's face it, many of us shelled out for, was basically a peripheral to make the Wii do what it was always meant to do in the first place. We'd been had; tricked into buying a console with a control system that was, unbeknownst to us, incomplete and then charged for its completion when sales started to dwindle. Sony's decision to imitate the technology this late in the game isn't much better, but at least they've come to the table with a finished product.
The PlayStation Move is exactly what you'd imagine a Wii-Remote to look like if it were made by Sony and had a giant plastic ball attached to it. If that sounds comical, well, it is. It looks ridiculous. However, last week at GDC the press finally got their first chance to test it out first-hand and while a trip to San Francisco was just slightly out of TN2s budget this year, the reports from more financially viable press sources have been generally favorable.
The giant ball at the top of the controller contains three LEDs that can combine to make any color you can imagine. When a game is fired up, the eyetoy camera (a peripheral required to use the PSMove) scans the room for colors and lights up the controller in a color it didn't find, thus providing a highly effective way to keep the tracking at a ratio of 1:1. For instance, if you were in a room with lots of blue, the sphere would likely turn orange or red, so the camera can track the big orange or red thing in the room full of blue. It really is that simple.
While Sony have admitted that they're planning a considerable amount of casual fare to be released for the device, their insistence that they're still a company for the 'core gamer' (a term I use with much disdain) took a sharp turn for the believable when the latest title in their much revered SOCOM franchise, SOCOM 4, was demoed using the PSMove in a way, nay a multitude of ways, that actually worked. Admittedly, it required the presence of the conspicuous 'sub-controller', an additional wand that resembles Nintendos Nunchuck peripheral, which seemingly brings us right back to the Wii argument, but the video is undeniably impressive, showcasing a tracking ratio unlike anything I've seen on the Wii, with or without it's motion-plus add-on.
The PlayStation Move is currently scheduled for an autumn release, coinciding with the release of Microsofts controllerless-controller-camera-thing, currently codenamed Project Natal. The unveiling at GDC confirmed several bundle packages, the most alluring of which being the 'starter kit', containing a controller, a game and the eyetoy camera for (apparently) under $100. Microsoft have come under some criticism for their avant-garde approach to this idea (doing away with a controller altogether) and with Nintendo consistently underwhelming everyone of late, Sony might just be on to a winner here. Only time will tell if developers will really get on board with this, after all third-party support for the Wii has been thin on the ground, but with the right software support and the inevitable marketing push towards Christmas 2010, the PSMove has the potential to truly finish what the Wii began.
TL;DR: PlayStation Move could quite possibly do what Epic Games have failed to do: Kill the Wii.
Andy x
Monday, March 1, 2010
Heavy Rain - Rated 'R' for 'Real'
3 months in and no posts in 2010. Let's fix that.
Last night I finished Heavy Rain, a game I'd been itching to get my hands on since 'the casting' tech-demo was unveiled at E32006. The lead up to its release was tense, with Quantic Dream showcasing what was easily one of the best marketing campaigns I'd seen in a game for years. From the deliciously-vague profiling of the four characters (and the appearance of half their faces in several magazine ads) to the 'four days' viral campaign which sent myself and countless others on a hunt for what turned out to be the demo for the game, it was clear that thought had gone into this, and most-likely every other facet of the product.
Having read through several reviews of Heavy Rain (some glowing, some flickering) I think I have a reasonably good handle on both sides of the argument. Yes, the game does rely quite heavily on QTEs. Yes, there are technical issues. No, the control system isn't perfectly tuned. The game definitely has its faults and is far from perfect. But I cant help but feel that these critics are somehow missing the point. For me, the issues that occasionally cropped up during my experience with the origami killer were not enough to break my immersion (although a trip or two through the uncanny valley certainly came very close) or impede my enjoyment. Far from proving that Heavy Rain is not perfect, these imperfections simply reiterated to me the idea that perfection is impossible to achieve.
The QTEs didn't bother me. They've bothered me in other games, Wet being one of them, and I'm definitely of the opinion that they are overused by lazy designers. That said I can't believe this to be the case with Heavy Rain. What the team at Quantic Dream has done here is special. I actually panicked as my avatar did. When characters began freaking-out, the action and emotion was mirrored almost exactly by me, an experience which disturbed and enthralled me in equal measure, and this is where the QTEs made sense to me. Far from being tacked in without thought, these were the exact decisions that you or I would have to make in the situations presented to us, all of which, it's worth noting, are just within the realms of possibility. We're being chased, do we go left or right? Before we have time to think about the choice we just made we are asked again, left or right? Up or down? In or out? Life or death? Heavy Rain isn't just another action/adventure game full of QTEs, Heavy Rain is aware that in life, real life, quick thinking can be the difference between success and failure. Life and death.
My current benchmark for games is the consistently astonishing Assassins Creed II, and as a barometer of quality it's particularly useful here. Did I enjoy the experience of playing Heavy Rain as much as I did ACII? No, I didn't. Heavy Rain wasn't particularly heavy on fun. Is Heavy Rain more important than ACII? Absolutely. 'Fun' is a subjective term, and even to the one person can mean many different things. Heavy Rain is an experience. My heart has never pounded playing a game like it did during sequences of Heavy Rain (possible exception of Silent Hill 2), rarely have I connected so much with characters, a connection consistently strengthened by the very real possibility that any of them could die at any moment and it would be entirely my fault. From beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat, aching with anticipation at every potential plot-turn and pitfall.
Reality or 'realism' is something the game industry has been fascinated with this generation. While developers are insistent this is where we should be going, critics and fans haven't been so eager to agree (GTIV anyone?). With so many games having 'realism' thrust upon them as an idea, as alien to them as it is to their audience, it is refreshing to see a game finally nail the formula and be truly deserving of the term 'Mature'. Heavy Rain is not perfect. Heavy Rain is real.
TL;DR: Heavy Rain is a flawed masterpiece. A step-forward for games as a narrative medium that is worthy of your time and money.
Andy x
Last night I finished Heavy Rain, a game I'd been itching to get my hands on since 'the casting' tech-demo was unveiled at E32006. The lead up to its release was tense, with Quantic Dream showcasing what was easily one of the best marketing campaigns I'd seen in a game for years. From the deliciously-vague profiling of the four characters (and the appearance of half their faces in several magazine ads) to the 'four days' viral campaign which sent myself and countless others on a hunt for what turned out to be the demo for the game, it was clear that thought had gone into this, and most-likely every other facet of the product.
Having read through several reviews of Heavy Rain (some glowing, some flickering) I think I have a reasonably good handle on both sides of the argument. Yes, the game does rely quite heavily on QTEs. Yes, there are technical issues. No, the control system isn't perfectly tuned. The game definitely has its faults and is far from perfect. But I cant help but feel that these critics are somehow missing the point. For me, the issues that occasionally cropped up during my experience with the origami killer were not enough to break my immersion (although a trip or two through the uncanny valley certainly came very close) or impede my enjoyment. Far from proving that Heavy Rain is not perfect, these imperfections simply reiterated to me the idea that perfection is impossible to achieve.
The QTEs didn't bother me. They've bothered me in other games, Wet being one of them, and I'm definitely of the opinion that they are overused by lazy designers. That said I can't believe this to be the case with Heavy Rain. What the team at Quantic Dream has done here is special. I actually panicked as my avatar did. When characters began freaking-out, the action and emotion was mirrored almost exactly by me, an experience which disturbed and enthralled me in equal measure, and this is where the QTEs made sense to me. Far from being tacked in without thought, these were the exact decisions that you or I would have to make in the situations presented to us, all of which, it's worth noting, are just within the realms of possibility. We're being chased, do we go left or right? Before we have time to think about the choice we just made we are asked again, left or right? Up or down? In or out? Life or death? Heavy Rain isn't just another action/adventure game full of QTEs, Heavy Rain is aware that in life, real life, quick thinking can be the difference between success and failure. Life and death.
My current benchmark for games is the consistently astonishing Assassins Creed II, and as a barometer of quality it's particularly useful here. Did I enjoy the experience of playing Heavy Rain as much as I did ACII? No, I didn't. Heavy Rain wasn't particularly heavy on fun. Is Heavy Rain more important than ACII? Absolutely. 'Fun' is a subjective term, and even to the one person can mean many different things. Heavy Rain is an experience. My heart has never pounded playing a game like it did during sequences of Heavy Rain (possible exception of Silent Hill 2), rarely have I connected so much with characters, a connection consistently strengthened by the very real possibility that any of them could die at any moment and it would be entirely my fault. From beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat, aching with anticipation at every potential plot-turn and pitfall.
Reality or 'realism' is something the game industry has been fascinated with this generation. While developers are insistent this is where we should be going, critics and fans haven't been so eager to agree (GTIV anyone?). With so many games having 'realism' thrust upon them as an idea, as alien to them as it is to their audience, it is refreshing to see a game finally nail the formula and be truly deserving of the term 'Mature'. Heavy Rain is not perfect. Heavy Rain is real.
TL;DR: Heavy Rain is a flawed masterpiece. A step-forward for games as a narrative medium that is worthy of your time and money.
Andy x
Monday, October 5, 2009
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Okay, I'll just get this out of the way; I have a serious love hate relationship with paramore. When they first showed up on the scene back in 2005 I championed them and their astonishingly strong debut effort 'All We Know Is Falling' to anyone and everyone who'd listen.
It was a stunning mix of memorable hooks, slick rock production with the delicacy and vulnerability of emo, without being overly melancholy. At times it seemed a tad whiny, but with singles like 'Emergency' and 'Pressure' that was easily forgiven.
Imagine my delight when 'Misery Business' appeared!
It seemed as if Paramore had grown too big and exciting for the walls of their emo-pop cage to hold them any longer, and on the back of an album called 'Riot!', I was sure we were in for an edgier, more exhilarating Paramore than we'd seen before.
As superb as 'Misery Business' was however, 'Riot!' was a disappointment to anyone with a brain cell. It was by no means a bad album, it was just...boring. There wasn't a track on the record that was as interesting as 'Misery Business' and whats more, after taking huge strides forward towards a more mature, fuller and ultimately more impressive sound, they retreated back into their emo-pop cage for the remainder of the album. To this day I still haven't figured out why. And I think about it every day.
So where does that leave 'Brand New Eyes'?
Well unfortunately, it seems as if Paramore have retreated even further into themselves, losing all edge and believability in the process. There isn't a single song on this album that I could remember after listening to it. No soaring Hayley Williams vocal melodies and none of the trademark 'farro' hooks that made 'Pressure', 'Emergency' and 'Misery Business' what they were. Being perfectly honest, 'Brand New Eyes' feels like a collection of b-sides that were rejected during the recording of 'Riot!'. There's no growth to be heard here, there's no evolution and when all is said and done there's just nothing to get excited about. With 'Brand New Eyes', Paramore have basically proven that they have run out of ideas and are now seemingly intent on rehashing their initial idea over and over again until all the charm it brought with it first time round has been all but worn away.
It's unfortunate really. Paramore are capable of really shining at times and that's not something that new listeners will pick up from 'Brand New Eyes'. If you're an absolute die-hard fan there's nothing here that will turn you off them, but that's about the highest compliment I can pay them this time round.
Oh, and 'Decode' is, was and always will be the worst thing they've ever recorded.
TL;DR: If you've got to have this record, download it. A lull in sales might coax Paramore into growing their 'Misery Business' balls back.
Okay, I'll just get this out of the way; I have a serious love hate relationship with paramore. When they first showed up on the scene back in 2005 I championed them and their astonishingly strong debut effort 'All We Know Is Falling' to anyone and everyone who'd listen.
It was a stunning mix of memorable hooks, slick rock production with the delicacy and vulnerability of emo, without being overly melancholy. At times it seemed a tad whiny, but with singles like 'Emergency' and 'Pressure' that was easily forgiven.
Imagine my delight when 'Misery Business' appeared!
It seemed as if Paramore had grown too big and exciting for the walls of their emo-pop cage to hold them any longer, and on the back of an album called 'Riot!', I was sure we were in for an edgier, more exhilarating Paramore than we'd seen before.
As superb as 'Misery Business' was however, 'Riot!' was a disappointment to anyone with a brain cell. It was by no means a bad album, it was just...boring. There wasn't a track on the record that was as interesting as 'Misery Business' and whats more, after taking huge strides forward towards a more mature, fuller and ultimately more impressive sound, they retreated back into their emo-pop cage for the remainder of the album. To this day I still haven't figured out why. And I think about it every day.
So where does that leave 'Brand New Eyes'?
Well unfortunately, it seems as if Paramore have retreated even further into themselves, losing all edge and believability in the process. There isn't a single song on this album that I could remember after listening to it. No soaring Hayley Williams vocal melodies and none of the trademark 'farro' hooks that made 'Pressure', 'Emergency' and 'Misery Business' what they were. Being perfectly honest, 'Brand New Eyes' feels like a collection of b-sides that were rejected during the recording of 'Riot!'. There's no growth to be heard here, there's no evolution and when all is said and done there's just nothing to get excited about. With 'Brand New Eyes', Paramore have basically proven that they have run out of ideas and are now seemingly intent on rehashing their initial idea over and over again until all the charm it brought with it first time round has been all but worn away.
It's unfortunate really. Paramore are capable of really shining at times and that's not something that new listeners will pick up from 'Brand New Eyes'. If you're an absolute die-hard fan there's nothing here that will turn you off them, but that's about the highest compliment I can pay them this time round.
Oh, and 'Decode' is, was and always will be the worst thing they've ever recorded.
TL;DR: If you've got to have this record, download it. A lull in sales might coax Paramore into growing their 'Misery Business' balls back.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Little Boots - Hands
Review number 2. Let's do this.
Little Boots – Hands
So we have another new British female who's début album is named after a human body part (see below). I can't help but feel we're running out of ideas.
That's actually a theme that rears it's ugly head listening to 'Hands', now that I think about it. On the surface it appears to be the work of a young, excited newcomer, full of fresh blood and fresher sounds. But when you strip it down, there's every chance this actually represents something rather upsetting.
The shocking and yet completely justified success of Lady Gaga has obviously prompted record labels in the U.K to go on the hunt for a British equivalent, a lesson in failure that you'd think would have been learned by now. Polydor for example, in the time it took 'The Fame' to sell one million copies (read: not very long) have signed not one, but two feisty young electro-pop starlets in a rush to cash in on Gagas market. One of which, is Little Boots.
Now don't get me wrong. This type of music has been around for years, as has Little Boots. The lass has been peddling her unique, often misunderstood sound across England for the better part of ten years now and she can't be blamed for it's sudden surge in popularity. In fact, she could almost be forgiven for resenting it. Thankfully, she doesn't. And while the Gaga comparisons will no doubt come in waves, they don't really hold a lot of water when you actually listen to what Boots has to say. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, is difficult to discern.
The album kicks off beautifully. 'New in Town', is a magnificent opening track. It builds on the foundation of a steady, solid electro beat and bursts to life in a chorus you're never likely to forget. From the outset one thing is clear; if Gaga is about 'cool', Little Boots is about 'fun'. While the arrangements and production are undeniably similar, Boots takes the whole thing less seriously and comes across equal parts charming and endearing as a result. 'Every Little Earthquake' is another example of Boots using her innate charm to bring a smile to your face with her witty lyrics while making you tap your foot with her filthy, distorted synthesizers and loops. 'Remedy' is an instant pop-classic and will no doubt fill many a dance floor this summer. 'Symmetry' sounds as if it was lifted straight from a Human League greatest hits CD (partially thanks to Philip Oakeys guest appearance, it has to be said), and 'Tune Into My Heart' provides a welcome detour into sweetness that Little Boots' little voice suits perfectly.
It's not all fun and games however. 'Click', 'Ghost', 'Hearts Collide' and 'Stuck On Repeat' are bland, soulless pop songs that don't really go anywhere and are unfortunately indicative of the possibility that this album was in-fact rushed out to catch the last call of the Gaga bandwagon. 'Mathematics' presents an interesting lyrical idea which turns out to be far cheesier than I'm sure she initially expected, and while 'Meddle' sounds distinctly British, almost reminiscent of the U.K garage scene, it doesn't really do anything else. These tracks, when compared to the ones from the previous paragraph, create a rather disconcerting contrast between what Boots can do, and what perhaps she had to do. This is all baseless conjecture of course, but I can't help but feel like this album was a bit of a rush-job. And even if it wasn't, it's still disappointing to hear these tracks trudge clumsily through my headphones when the girl is clearly capable of better.
'Hands' is not going to set the world on fire. It probably won't even set the U.K on fire. But if you like your pop music you could certainly do a lot worse (La Roux for example). While 'Hands' as an album is average at best, it should be more than enough to put a smile on your face.
Little Boots – Hands
So we have another new British female who's début album is named after a human body part (see below). I can't help but feel we're running out of ideas.
That's actually a theme that rears it's ugly head listening to 'Hands', now that I think about it. On the surface it appears to be the work of a young, excited newcomer, full of fresh blood and fresher sounds. But when you strip it down, there's every chance this actually represents something rather upsetting.
The shocking and yet completely justified success of Lady Gaga has obviously prompted record labels in the U.K to go on the hunt for a British equivalent, a lesson in failure that you'd think would have been learned by now. Polydor for example, in the time it took 'The Fame' to sell one million copies (read: not very long) have signed not one, but two feisty young electro-pop starlets in a rush to cash in on Gagas market. One of which, is Little Boots.
Now don't get me wrong. This type of music has been around for years, as has Little Boots. The lass has been peddling her unique, often misunderstood sound across England for the better part of ten years now and she can't be blamed for it's sudden surge in popularity. In fact, she could almost be forgiven for resenting it. Thankfully, she doesn't. And while the Gaga comparisons will no doubt come in waves, they don't really hold a lot of water when you actually listen to what Boots has to say. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, is difficult to discern.
The album kicks off beautifully. 'New in Town', is a magnificent opening track. It builds on the foundation of a steady, solid electro beat and bursts to life in a chorus you're never likely to forget. From the outset one thing is clear; if Gaga is about 'cool', Little Boots is about 'fun'. While the arrangements and production are undeniably similar, Boots takes the whole thing less seriously and comes across equal parts charming and endearing as a result. 'Every Little Earthquake' is another example of Boots using her innate charm to bring a smile to your face with her witty lyrics while making you tap your foot with her filthy, distorted synthesizers and loops. 'Remedy' is an instant pop-classic and will no doubt fill many a dance floor this summer. 'Symmetry' sounds as if it was lifted straight from a Human League greatest hits CD (partially thanks to Philip Oakeys guest appearance, it has to be said), and 'Tune Into My Heart' provides a welcome detour into sweetness that Little Boots' little voice suits perfectly.
It's not all fun and games however. 'Click', 'Ghost', 'Hearts Collide' and 'Stuck On Repeat' are bland, soulless pop songs that don't really go anywhere and are unfortunately indicative of the possibility that this album was in-fact rushed out to catch the last call of the Gaga bandwagon. 'Mathematics' presents an interesting lyrical idea which turns out to be far cheesier than I'm sure she initially expected, and while 'Meddle' sounds distinctly British, almost reminiscent of the U.K garage scene, it doesn't really do anything else. These tracks, when compared to the ones from the previous paragraph, create a rather disconcerting contrast between what Boots can do, and what perhaps she had to do. This is all baseless conjecture of course, but I can't help but feel like this album was a bit of a rush-job. And even if it wasn't, it's still disappointing to hear these tracks trudge clumsily through my headphones when the girl is clearly capable of better.
'Hands' is not going to set the world on fire. It probably won't even set the U.K on fire. But if you like your pop music you could certainly do a lot worse (La Roux for example). While 'Hands' as an album is average at best, it should be more than enough to put a smile on your face.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Florence and The Machine - Lungs
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going through a really disturbing 'Grumpy-old-man' phase where I found it increasingly difficult to be impressed by anything. Well, someone out there was listening, and someone out there has tossed me so much new and interesting music to get excited about that I had to give a considerable amount of thought to which exciting new album I wanted to review first. So let's go, before my enthusiasm dissipates again and I can't string a metaphor together.
Florence and the Machine - Lungs
Florence Welsch first raised Irish eyebrows en masse when the haunting 'Cosmic Love' was used in an o2 advert and now it seems everyone is prepared to predict big things for her, and on the back of her début album 'Lungs', it's not very hard to see why. As a package it's quirky and cool enough to make sure people stick around to see what she does next, but how does it measure up as an example of where she's at now? Does it live up to the hype? Well, unfortunately not quite. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Anyone already familiar with Florence pre-o2 would probably have also been familiar with her début E.P 'A lot of love, a lot of blood', and if that's you, you'll be happy to hear that three fourths of that record are present and accounted for on 'Lungs', with Welsch proving once again that 'Dog Days are Over' is still a tremendous track to get things going. 'Kiss With a Fist' doesn't fare so well however, sounding completely out of place and almost intimidated by its superior surroundings, and her cover of 'You've got the Love' is still as drippy and irrelevant as it was first time round.
I have to be very careful in how I word this review though. While I didn't necessarily enjoy 'Lungs' from start to finish, and the heartless cynic in me desperately wants to dislike anything that comes packaged with that amount of hype, it's by no means a bad record. Welsch has been compared to Kate Bush a lot recently and that's probably the best summary for the album I can think of. There's flashes of pure brilliance ('Rabbit Heart', 'Cosmic Love') that are broken up by unfortunate moments of Bush-esque indulgence ('I'm Not Calling You A Liar', 'Blinding'). Thankfully, the former tends to outweigh the latter, and for every step Welsch takes toward Bjork, she takes another two back, ensuring that even the quirkier of her songs never loses commercial appeal.
'Lungs' is somewhat of enigma. Generally there are two types of 'good' albums in this world. There's the albums that play like greatest hits compilations, where every track is solid, catchy, and instantly memorable, then there are the albums that need to be experienced from start to finish, taken as a package to be completely understood and fully appreciated. 'Lungs', however, appears to want to do both. Whether or not it succeeds will ultimately fall to personal opinion, but objectively speaking it certainly seems to tick all the boxes. Certain tracks hold their own magnificently well when taken out of context ('Howl'), while others seem to work together to create a permeating feeling of other-worldliness that none of them could do on their own ('Drumming', 'The Girl With One Eye').
While not every track on 'Lungs' is an instant classic, and it's occasional dips into the murky depths of self-indulgence might be too much for some, it's very existence is evidence of something positive. It's interesting, it's different and more importantly, even though I've mentioned it's overtly artistic 'up its own hole-ness' at least twice, it does it in a very commercially accessible way, which is perhaps a bold step in the right direction for the unfortunate school of Bjork and Bush. It also takes on the responsibility, perhaps inadvertently, perhaps not, of destroying what the requirements for pop music success are in the eyes of others. Welschs lyrics are probably where she shines most, but some are so deliciously dark, vivid and vicious you'd be forgiven for thinking them out of place in the ethereal sounsdscapes she creates, and more at home perhaps on the angst-ridden post-punk records of 2004.
So the question remains, should you buy 'Lungs'? Yes, yes you should. Even if it's too much for you at times, when Florence gets it right, she gets it very right and there's enough middle ground covered here to keep hundreds of different tastes satisfied, so there's a good chance you'll fall in love with something about her. Besides, for once the hype machine might be right. Florence Welsch may one day write a masterpiece, you best jump on the bandwagon now while there's still room.
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