The Review http://thereview.posterous.com A Music Review With Actual Taste In Music. posterous.com Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:44:00 -0800 Review: Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam. http://thereview.posterous.com/review-foxy-shazam-foxy-shazam http://thereview.posterous.com/review-foxy-shazam-foxy-shazam

Foxy Shazam, the supposedly experimental rock band coming from Ohio have recently done themselves enough bad to earn a place in this blog. 


You all know that feeling - you've been following this really great band for a while, their sound is unique and interesting and just leaves you begging for more. So... a new album is something to look forward to, right? Well, you can take it from me that you don't have to piss yourself over their self titled album set to be released on April 13th, 2010. Here at The Review we have it in advance, so heed our warning!

Their first album (under the name Foxy Shazam!), The Flamingo Trigger, was an extremely quirky album made of all kinds of rough sounds that when put together sounded like organised chaos, catchy even. The song 'NO. Don't Shoot' is the highlight of the album (and their all time best in my opinion); all the craziness, energy and chaos of the band is all there in that song. Three years later, Introducing was released. Being produced by the up and coming Casey Bates, it was a promising album. Their sound transitioned into something more catchy and 'easy' to listen to, but the band still delivered their chaotic energy, their more fun songs being 'The Rocketeer', 'It's Hair Smelled Like Bonfire', 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' amongst many others. 

So, after two strong albums I was more than ready for a third. The opening song entitled 'Intro' felt like the Foxy Shazam I knew. I was expecting the next song to be the musical equivalent of being punched in the face (in the most awesome way possible) since it had an introduction building up to it, and we're talking about Foxy Shazam here. I was severely, severely disappointed. From the second track onwards, they completely lost me. In fact, I couldn't listen to the album the whole way through at first - I was bored of all things. Any fan will know that being bored while listening to Foxy is almost impossible. There has always been so much going on in their songs that makes you want to get up and dance like an idiot, and this music? Nothing.

I'm just not feeling emotion. One song after the other sounds as if it wants to be the next big radio rock hit, but in a you're-trying-way-too-hard way. You know when you become really obsessed with a song, then that song is released as a single and is constantly played on the radio, but by now you want to cut your ears off from hearing it so much? It's the kind of feeling I got from listening to this album right off the bat. 

Every song is an overdone and tremendously cheesy, not to mention the extent the vocals strained my ears. While I very much enjoyed Nally's rough vocals on the past two albums that would go from singing a catchy tune to mad screaming to sounds I wasn't sure the human mouth could make, whereas while playing the new album I said aloud that it really sounds like there's a lesbian on lead vocals, to which I got several nods of genuine concern from people in the room. Let's just leave it at that.

The only song in which I'm feeling an ounce of the band's true potential is towards the end of 'With An Axe', but I have to say that I thought I was hearing "The only way to my heart is with an ass" at first. It was a short-lived moment - the song soon mellowed back down to the soulless sound that is Foxy Shazam, the album.

The only scenario I can see myself enjoying this album is playing it far too loudly whilst far too drunk at a far too late time of the night. Foxy, we know you can do better than this. Here's to hoping by the time it comes to album number four these guys are ready for some mad moments once more. Foxy Shazam will be released on April 13th, 2010.

The Review's Rating - 2/10.

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Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:58:00 -0800 Review: Brand New Eyes - Paramore. http://thereview.posterous.com/review-brand-new-eyes-paramore http://thereview.posterous.com/review-brand-new-eyes-paramore

So reviewing another band I LOVE. Also seen them live and been listening to Paramore since 2005, so I know Paramore.

Brand New Eyes? I have to admit I was kind of worried for this album just as well not that I felt Riot! Had been a disappointment just I felt it was a step down from All We Know Is Falling. I was also worried they would now feel the need to be more commercial since being in Twilight. Twilight. As In the most overrated thing since, ever. I was going to say bread but breads never been overrated.

So put on Brand New Eyes, first song Careful really drew the listener in with the buildup. Straight away I noticed a development, her vocals a lot stronger and more aggressive, which I loved. I'm a big big big fan of more powerful vocals, compared to drifty and floaty ones which make me want to cut my ears off not cause the song sounds awful just cause it would unbore me! Next track was Ignorance. I think the fact I run up to people and yell "IGNORANCE IS YOUR NEW BESTFRIEND." clearly shows this song I loveeee also. I also think that it was such a good first single choice as although it doesn't show off her vocals completely, like we hear in All I Wanted, but it keeps the similar Paramore sound so people would recognise but it also shows how the band has moved on. Next track Playing God, yeah not really crazy about this one I thought it was quite dull but I don't know how you can really sound amazing after Ignorance, but its an okay song nothing that was able to make me worry how good this album was going to be. Next Brick By Boring Brick, the catchy drum beat immediately caught back my attention after drifting a bit. I think this song is a pretty much a perfect song in my eyes, i love how it builds and ...unbuilds.... I do have one problem with this song the Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba bit reminds of Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid and often get that stuck in my head afterwards. But anyway how the song goes from really powerful to quite soft then BAM again I just think its so good. TURN IT OFF. This is probably one of my favourite songs ever. Just in general just for the same reasons really her vocals are stunning in the song and how the song just builds!

I could go on like tis for the whole album and you dont want to read that so I'm just going to sum up the best songs, The Only Exception. When listening to the album for the first time this song gives such a contrast its slow and sounds alot more well sad than the others, its got a softer sound compared to songs like Brick By Boring Brick. The song it itself is beautiful and to me another perfect song. Misguided Ghosts, another beautiful song. I just love the drifty, floaty music in contrast to her powerful, sharp vocals. When listened to in the right mood it just like leaves the listener i guessed stunned, for me I was just like Woah. Last song I'm going to look at is All I Wanted as this is the song we hear how developed Hayley's vocals are, if someone just wanted to hear how much her voice had developed since All We Know Is Falling I'd say just skip to 2:40 in All I Wanted. BAM. Actually its pretty powerful on its own but with the whole song its just again another Woah.

Overall I think this album is generally amazing, there isnt a song I don't like, some may be a bit average but not boring no wayy! This album just makes me more and moreee excited for what they come up with next cause forreals this album is impressive.

The Review's Rating - 9/10.

 

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Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:24:06 -0800 Review: Hold Me Down - You Me At Six. http://thereview.posterous.com/review-hold-me-down-you-me-at-six http://thereview.posterous.com/review-hold-me-down-you-me-at-six

So firstly I just want to say I am a biggg You Me At Six fan and have been listening to them since 2007, I've seen them live and I'm not one of those people who go off bands when they get popular, I hope they do well.

So after hearing The Consequence I was looking forward to this album, I loved the track I thought "Yeah they've moved their sound on a bit but kept it as them" (I hate bands changing their sound to be more commercial). I had loved Finders Keepers (though i thought slightly stolen part of it from Mayday Parade) and Kiss And Tell so yeah I can say I was looking forward to this. 

They released Underdog, my immediate reaction was "What is this." Underdog was just a disappointment to me, to me it was just an average song which had no impact, especially compared to songs like Save It For The Bedroom and Jealous Minds Think Alike. To be positive though I did like the video. So I just went with Underdog its just a basic, supposedly catchy song which the band thought would appeal to people so they'd buy the album, as some people are stupid enough to just buy albums cause they find a song catchy. I actually had meant to preorder the album, just money reasons stopped me, but after hearing Underdog and having little money I decided to wait till Hold Me Down was on Spotify and listen there first before going out and buying it. 

Was I happy I did. Was I happy with this album at all? No. The first track was The Consequence, which I loved so it put me in a good mood to listen to the album. This was then followed by Underdog, which to give You Me At Six a fair chance at impressing me with this album I skipped. I hated the song and didn't want that song to annoy me and then I would dislike the rest of the album. So Playing The Blame Game was a new track to me and I was not impressed. The very average, nothing different or experimental sound that Underdog has. I kept listening, this was happening in all the tracks. There was nothing different, nothing that caught my ear like in Take Off Your Colours. So I got to track 7, Liquid Confidence, this seemed different and I got hopeful. Sadly I was again let down, the song continued into the average sound, but this song came with shocking lyrics such as "And I love that attitude, When you know I can do, I'll do better than you.".

Luckily for You Me At Six from now the album actually improved, well to be honest if it had got much worse I would of been tempted to jump out my bedroom window. Hard To Swallow, was okay, not the same level as Take Off Your Colours but I liked it. Then Contagious Chemistry, and I actually do love this song. I listen to this song quite a bit, this and The Consequence are the only two songs I listen too off it. This song has such a good build up and i love how the tempo and levels in the song change throughout. To me this is the only song which is as good as anything on Take Off Your Colour, and this song should of been released not Underdog. It isn't another Save It For The Bedroom but it is a very strong song. So now I was hopeful again, the only other song really worth mentioning is Fireworks. To me this is meant to be another Always Attract. The song isn't bad but it's not as good as Always Attract, that song forever will be a really iconic song to me. 

Overall I feel Hold Me Down is a failed follow up to Take Off Your Colours. This album is just your average album for this genre, and many other bands could do an album as equally dull as this, and probably have done it in a better way. I really only like 2 tracks but from track 8 onwards the album improves a lot. So if your for some reason just listening to the album i say listen to track 1 then skip to track 8 and you wont have to disappoint your ears with this shameful album.

The Review's Rating - 3/10.

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Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:11:29 -0800 Welcome To My Blog (: http://thereview.posterous.com/welcome-to-my-blog-60 http://thereview.posterous.com/welcome-to-my-blog-60

Firstly I don't really plan on unveiling who I am, I do keep a personal blog, I vlog on YouTube, I use Dailybooth, I have Twitter, but that's a seperate internet identity. Here I am going to simply review music. I have a really blunt music opinion I generally love or hate it. I'll mainly be reviewing like rock, alternative, acoustic and that type of music. I'm not really at all a Hip Hop kind of person at all so don't expect that here. But yeah enjoy I'm going to start by reviewing Hold Me Down - You Me At Six as I have a very clear opinion on this album so enjoy :P

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