[Weekly Listening, Week 6 to 8 (Part 1)]
After a relatively short exam season and an increasing backlog of fantastic new songs to discuss, it’s about time I make a return to Undertone. In terms of my music tastes, a lot has changed. Week 6 saw a return of some classic indie anthems in the likes of Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out and The Klaxons’ Golden Skans. As the intensity and pressure of exams grew I found myself looking towards the stress-busting, cathartic release of heavier rock – enter Royal Blood. Their eponymous debut has provided the soundtrack to many late night cram sessions and pre-exam excitement. A notable addition during this time was Eminem’s Lose Yourself, perhaps the ultimate “game time” song. After exams, long time habits seemed to return with an electronic twist courtesy of Couros, Daktyl and cln.
With such an overwhelming amount of songs to review, I’m tackling this one in two parts. Even so, some songs won’t get a review, but a mention at the end of this post. The play counts will show the number of plays across all three weeks.
Figure It Out
by Royal Blood from Royal Blood
29 plays (1:28:56), Song of the Week (Week 7)
A two-man rock band shouldn’t work – let alone one made up of just a bassist and a drummer. Yet, with the help of an array of modulating pedals and impressive multitasking, Brighton-based Royal Blood have made it work… and some. A chugging, growling bass opens Figure It Out, and soon the listener finds themselves surrounded by a barrage of clever riffs, vicious drums and catchy melodies. With the chorus in particular, everything seems to fit together immaculately, and surprisingly you won’t find yourself missing the harmonic flavours usually added by guitar chords or keys. But what makes this song truly remarkable is its climatic end. A dirty guitar solo escalates, and soon we’ve arrived at a thrillingly complex, cymbal drenched finale, served at a furious pace. Throw in a few emphatic drum solos and a crashing halt and you have yourself an absolute belter of a rock song. As a gateway song for brand new fans of Royal Blood (like I was), it’s perfect, and the rest of the album won’t disappoint in providing similar foot-thumping classics.
Take Me Out
by Franz Ferdinand from Franz Ferdinand
20 plays (1:19:40), Song of the Week (Week 6)
Since it’s release in 2004, Take Me Out has been proven to be a well-known classic of the indie rock genre. Starting with Mr Brightside vibes, the song takes an unexpected turn after one minute, reigning back the tempo and shifting into cruise control. The resulting guitar thumps are guaranteed to get your foot tapping for the remaining three minutes, before the famous guitar riff finally arrives. Whilst undoubtedly worth its long-standing popularity, it must be said there is little contrast in the rest of the song. The groove stays more or less the same (with the occasional B section), and its easy to get a bit of riff fatigue by the time the ending arrives. That said, Take Me Out is without a doubt a song that gets in your head, and stays there for a long time after.
Loose Change
by Royal Blood from Royal Blood
18 plays (46:30)
I return to Royal Blood with a song that came very close to Song of the Week in Week 8. In terms of an exciting change of pace, Loose Change beats Take Me Out hands down. A tight groove is soon exploited by the wonderfully sharp vocals of Mike Kerr, and for a while it feels like a rest song for the usually exceptional drummer Ben Thatcher. However, in one of the many awe-inspiring moments of the album, the listener is plunged without warning into a double-time romp, packed with characteristically fast riffs and loud drums. It feels like you’ve reached the peak of the rollercoaster, before now you’re soaring around sharp turns and twisting loops. The whirlwind is short lived however, and the song soon comes to an abrupt end. The shortness is why Loose Change is impulsively re-playable, and, even after losing the surprise factor, the drop never fails to impress.
Royal Blood will return for two more outstanding songs (Come On Over and Little Monster) in Part 2.
Made For Ending
by Jukebox the Ghost from Jukebox the Ghost
16 plays (48:21)
The third eponymous album of the post comes from Washington, D.C. pop band Jukebox the Ghost. The classical piano training of Ben Thornewill is used to superb effect here, with the tinkling piano sticking the chorus together like glue and providing the band an edge over their peers. The chorus melody is skilfully constructed, with a good balance between being interesting and sing-able. The irregular flourishes of guitar has become a style I’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks in songs like Sweet Disaster (see below) and False Direction (see Part 2). Structurally, Made For Ending is also exactly what I love in pop; a contrasting middle eight, a stripped-down breakdown and dramatic fill into the final chorus all feature and greatly add to the song’s final impact. Despite it being perhaps a little formulaic, Made For Ending shows the standard pop form used to its scintillating best.
Nameless, Faceless
by Courtney Barnett from Tell Me How You Really Feel
14 plays (45:16)
Witty yet profound, Courtney Barnett’s recent album Tell Me How You Really Feel has been making waves in the indie rock world. My personal favourite is Nameless, Faceless, which takes a sympathetic stab at internet trolls in a way only Barnett could do. In comparison to the ’90s grunge of her debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, Nameless, Faceless provides a more relaxed groove, dropping into a far darker chorus: “Women are scared that men will kill them.” This song isn’t just Barnett discussing a harmless mean tweet but fear to go out at night; she describes holding her keys between her fingers as a form of self-defence. Literary meaning aside, this is a banging rock song, characteristically rough around the edges. It seems Barnett’s career is flourishing, and I’m excited to see what she’ll produce next.
Sweet Disaster
by DREAMERS from This Album Does Not Exist
13 plays (44:25)
If you’re struggling to quench your thirst for hook heavy pop-rock before the release of Weathers’ full-length debut on Friday, this is your band. The whole album is a collection of memorable tunes (including the energetic Painkiller), but it’s Sweet Disaster that feels like DREAMERS’ flagship track. It has everything you’d expect: a classic chord sequence, a borderline over-dramatic climax and an infectiously well-crafted melody. Freddie Garrity namedrops his inspirations throughout the verses, and it looks like DREAMERS have gone a long way to emulate these bands’ musical superiority on this, their debut album. With a very similar sound to Weathers’, it’s no surprise that Weathers will be the supporting act in DREAMERS’ upcoming US tour.
Better Than
by cln from Sideways – EP
10 plays (35:04)
Time for something a little different. Australian producer Callan Alexander is the man behind refreshingly original future-beats project cln, and Better Than is a gem in his fascinating 2014 EP, Sideways. Voiceless (bar a few vocal samples) and often lacking in melody, what Better Than lacks in hooks it makes up for in a beautifully imagined atmosphere. It’s one of those songs where time seems to stand still, and suddenly you’re starring in a film soundtracked by Better Than. The scope is massive, and the chorus in particular is the electronic equivalent to a cinematic orchestral film score. Samples and loops are thrown in at just the right time and when the final drop comes (courtesy of a slightly cliché exponentially accelerating snare), all the now familiar themes culminate in an awe-inspiring final beat. It’s the perfect music to play along to drone footage.
Youngblood
by 5 Seconds of Summer from Youngblood
7 plays (23:41)
I couldn’t end Part 1 without mentioning the major release that happened during Undertone’s hiatus. After the runaway success of viral tracks like Don’t Stop and She Looks So Perfect back in 2014, the Australians have taken time off to focus on growth – both as musicians and people. The result is Youngblood, an album that seems to have had a welcome reception amongst both fans and critics. The opener and title track is by far most unexpected and different of the lot. Whilst the verse sounds pop-y enough, the chorus is a cantering stomp, packed with bass and passionate vocals. 5SOS gradually develop the chorus between repeats before it returns in its full form at the third time of asking, a technique often used by mainstream pop legend Charlie Puth. Youngblood has grown on me, and expect to see some other tracks from the album featuring soon.
Honourable Mentions
Here’s some other highly played songs that I simply don’t have time to review.
- Out of the Black (11) by Royal Blood – a gritty opener to an innovative debut album
- I Love You (11) by Said the Whale – sunny rock and roll with a chorus hook delivered with style
- You Can Be So Cruel (9) by Royal Blood
- Apathy (7) by Frankie Cosmos – promising pop that deserves more attention
- Girl (5) by Jukebox the Ghost – a worthy listen for fans of Made For Ending
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