Reviews

Weekly Reviews For September 3, 2006

Review Index

I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

I am also featured reviewer at spacerock.co.uk

I was Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

New Reviews

The Feeling - Never Be Lonely

Some people have branded them the 21st century Supertramp. Well, OK, I was one of them, but I'm big enough for two, so my opinion counts double. And this delicious single does nothing to change my view. Of course now they've been given the smelly touch, courtesy of an appearance with Charlotte Church, I am legally obliged to disparage them in public.

But secretly I will continue to love this. Just don't tell anyone as I luxuriate in the lush harmonies.

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger


How much do we like The Fratellis? That much, that's how much. Equipped with the catchiest melody this side of "Gimme dat ding", the bounciest single of the year is all White Stripes meets the Banana Splits. And all the better for it with added strippers! Yee and haw.

The nursery rhymes ("London Bridge" this time) continue on the B side and it does all smell a bit one hit wonder. But I'd rather be Joe Dolce than Coldplay any day of the week.

The Goo Goo Dolls - Better Days

The Goo Goo Dolls are one of those bands that have been around forever, and yet you can't work out how or why.

It's probably due to the fact that every album contains at least one huge power ballad that the latest US teen soap opera can latch on to. "Better Days" is the latest. I can almost see the car driving off down a dusty road while he / she who has been left behind watches through a tear stained window.

It hits all the right notes, sounds huge (no doubt helped by uber producer Glen Ballard), will help the album turn platinum in the US, enable another tour, then they'll do another in about 2 years time, when I can happily recycle this review for the next one.

Ray Lamontagne - How Come

Don't these people know that singer / songwriter was so 2005?

But here comes beardy bloke Ray with a nice turn in funky, Stephen Stills like stylings. And the aforementioned beard. Both of which are good things, what with Mr Stills being a genius and me being a beard wearer for several decades.

Yer man has a very listenable, husky voice and a keen ear for melodies. If only it had all happened 12 months ago...

The Zutons - Valerie

The classic 'not as good as the last one' second single from the peculiarly popular Zutons.

I say peculiar as it's very dad rock, but they seem to have tapped into a thirtysomething yearning for the music of days gone by.

Mr McCabe still has a way with a melody but the chorus is clumsy. Only an outbreak of 'woo-oohs' and handclapping saves the day.

But the B-side "Get Upa And Dance" is a cracker and if this really was ye olde days, the pre automaton / centrally programmed DJs would have flipped it sharpish.

Orson - Bright Idea


How many ways did I hate "No Tomorrow"? Too many to count by far. Fortunately, this is nowhere near as lamentable, with the band actually having some ideas and performing them with a bit more aplomb.

A stop start riff, a melodic guitar solo and a catchy chorus, pretty much all you could want from a single. It's still so eighties it hurts, but at least they should escape the horrors of the one hit wonder albatross that briefly hung over their heads. Apart from the fact that a kindly soul just told me this predates the hit, so one hit wonders it is. And I was doing so well.

We Are Scientists - The Great Escape

I've been banging on about WAS for aeons, telling you perky and pretty they are. Neither of which is true but they are a splendid band who write splendid songs and do pretty much everythign splendidly.

Of course, it's not as good as "Nobody Move..." but what is. So take it like a man, sign up to their pinky and perky alt rock stylings, and forget for a moment how po-faced everything else is. And forget about the fact that this is a reissue and that you are so uncool.

Richard Ashcroft - Words Just Get In The Way

It's just as well that Mad Richard is as mad as a very mad person just before they completely off the loop. Because it can only be his madness that allows him to carry on thinking that he is the greatest singer / songwriter in the world. Cos he's not.

"if you want it, oh yeah I've got it, words they just get in the way, if you want it, oh yeah I've got it"

I mean it's hardly Roy Harper now is it? Added on to a string drenched plaintive refrain that dirges on and on, it's only his utter madness that prevents this being one of the worst songs ever. And he can hardly keep playing the 'see me, I'm mad' card forever.

Francesca Berlin - Colours Faded

Why? Where have you been hiding Ms Berlin, you gits. Do you think you're being big and clever concealing an utterly fabulous singer / songwriter fromme. Cos it's not funny. Life is shit enough without your chicanery!

For this is a splendid single, full of passion and angst, just they way we like it, with Ms Berlin letting rip with a delightfully strong voice, over a deceptively frail song. The B-side, "Stronger" is even better, bordering on power ballad status, with some nice orchestration.

As I say, bandits.