New Music Monday #4

Jack White!

Blunderbuss [Album] (2012)

by Jack White

Let’s just suspend reality for a few minutes here. Let’s pretend none of us know who The White Stripes were, the Dead Weather never existed, the Raconteurs; who are you speaking of? Now let’s look at ‘Blunderbuss’, the first solo album by a little guy named Jack White. Like a good book, a good album should take you on a journey, take you away from where you are and set you down in places and scenes you’ve never been, places that are uncomfortable and amazing and comfortable and incredible. From the opening track, this album took me far away from my iPod and I loved it. I visited filthy little blues bars just before midnight, jazz clubs filled with smoke in the early hours of the morning, an old school saloon in the middle of the desert with someone playing an aging piano in the corner, a Motown gig in the 60s, a merry go round in the middle of a fair. This strange mix of scenes make for a remarkable album, the lyrics centering around love lost, bitterness, heartbreak, some anger and a little bit violence. There is a beautiful amount of piano in this album that give it an intense sound, something that holds on to you and wraps around you. From the simple start of 'Missing Pieces' to the stunning vocals of 'Love Interruption,' the superb piano of 'Hypocritical Kiss,' the sweet mandolin and keyboard combination on 'Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy;' this album ties together a whole bunch of genres seamlessly, combining country, jazz, folk, rock, blues, the list goes on. The strangely named 'I Guess I Should Go To Sleep' is awesome; the swinging rhythm oddly suiting its lullaby title. It ends with a song a little over 4 minutes long that manages to take you back on the entire album’s journey; a swinging piano start, layered vocals, anxious lyrics, raunchy blistering guitar and then it sets you back down comfortably with the desperate lyric ending it, "…take me anywhere you go." Stunning. So, about that suspended reality. Yes, there are aspects of all of Jack White’s previous projects in this album and there should be. Without the others he wouldn’t have arrived at this magnificent album. The familiarity makes it comfortable and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s only April and already this is an album that will define 2012 for me. It’s fabulous and wonderful and everything I hoped it would be. I will listen to it over and over again as I already have. Now this time, I’m heading back to that filthy blues bar…

 Jo Michelmore gives Blunderbuss five Eddie Vedder's out of five...

Breathe

by Delilah

Album: From the Roots Up (2012)

And they say trip hop is dead. 'Breathe,' the latest single from emerging UK sensation, Delilah shows that a genre on the verge of extinction is still influencing a new generation of artists. Heavy on the strings, a haunting ambiance, powerful vocals against an industrial backdrop; 'Breathe' is a song that the likes of Massive Attack and Faithless would be proud to have in their own catalogue. This is all about Delilah though. 2012 is going to be a huge year for her in the UK (and hopefully the rest of the world not long after). She's collaborated with some big names like Sia and Emeli Sande for her debut, From the Roots Up, an album that is surely going to create a ton of buzz around the name Delilah. We can also celebrate our new go to for the name Delilah instead of that awful and kinda creepy Tom Jones song. Everyone's a winner! 

Matt Bond gives 'Breathe' four Shirley Manson's out of five... 

Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)

by Nelly Furtado

Album: The Spirit Indestructible (2012)

"That boy gonna feel my poison, I know he can't stand the rain, I wanna be down with ya baby, back and forth, back and forth." Woah, Nelly... that line was like a slap in the face. No, seriously, I literally slapped my palm on my forehead when I heard it. Really though, it was an accumulation of future additions to our hilarious lyrics posts one can find within 'Big Hoops' that had me resorting to assault of the face. "Hey hey hey, what's the scenario, that boy keeps passin' me by, I said no diggity, no doubt, I thought I told you I was fly." Stop it. Stop it right now, Furtado. The world embraced your promiscuous and Stefani-esque turn to shiny Timbaland super pop, but this is too much. How do you define this? Is it rap? Hip-hop? It's certainly not super pop, for where art thou banging beats, catchy choruses and fist pumping moments of joy? They're gone and, sadly, so is my interest in the lovely Nelly Furtado... for now. One misstep should never see you give up hope on a previously successful artist. Perhaps the daftly named The Spirit Indestructible will house some chart topping goodness. "I don't want to talk about sex, wanna express myself tonight." Go back to talking about sex and being a man eater and sprouting illogical-yet-somehow-logical lyrical wonders like 'Say It Right.' Even better? Go back to writing illogical-yet-somehow-logical lyrical wonders like 'I'm Like A Bird.' We could all use a good laugh.

Matt Bond gives 'Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)' one Dannii Minogue out of five...

NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Out of the Game

by Rufus Wainwright

Album: Out of the Game (2012)

Helena Bonham Carter. What more do you want in a music video? Nothing. That's what. And she's playing a sexually frustrated librarian. You don't see any of those in a Tim Burton or Harry Potter film. For this reason alone the video should receive a five star grading. On the other hand, there is way too much of Rufus Wainwright getting it on with himself for my liking. Still... Helena Bonham Carter! 

Matt Bond gives 'Out of the Game' three Karen O's out of five...