Bahamas: "Sad Hunk" album review

 Welcome music lovers, one and all. 

As I sit here to (finally) review the newest album by the musical prodigy that is Bahamas, I can feel your 2020 about to get so much better - because I'm about to introduce you to "Sad Hunk".

So - let's get into it. Firstly, Bahamas is not a band, Bahamas is none other than the Canadian singer Afie Jurvanen. I first discovered him around 2017 and haven't looked back. He creates art with his guitar and his soulful voice speaks to true music lovers. He doesn't go crazy with the vocals, not a lot of runs or melisma and I feel that's so you can focus on the lyrics and the themes. What is missing in bells and whistles is made up for with the structure of each piece. His songs are usually paired with female harmonies and an easy drum pattern. Most of the melodies consist of the guitar and acoustic sounds. He's perfect to listen to on a night in with pizza, vanilla candles alight, and a bottle... or three.

I'm typing my live reactions as is the custom with my album reviews and this is my first time hearing the album through. My room feels like a private concert as I'm curled up with my parma violets flavoured cider I can't help but feel celebrated whilst listening to this album. This project was created for everyone who acknowledges life as it comes and goes with it. It's a new sound for Bahamas, a lot of up-beat songs but with low-key dark lyrics and honestly...BIG RELATE. Hasn't that been 2020?! So much darkness going on and to consume it all would be detrimental, so if you're like me, you turn up the music and dance. 

"Own Alone" is such a fun stand-out single for the album and the hook is so relatable. It's definitely where I am this year. Bahamas sings about his heartbreak but also his freedom. It's like "Yeah here I am single... Huh! It's stupid that I thought we'd work but you know what? I'm good! I'm here, I'm chilling, I'm living and I'm my own person".

The next few tracks feel very raw, lyrically. There's so much that you can't ignore it in a way that's very reminiscent of the 1800's blues. It's rare nowadays to hear songs that translate like old country ballads, where their hearts on their sleeves. Bahamas sings about a marriage breaking down and wondering wether they want another child, he sings about feeling forgotten by the music industry and buying his own records. He sings about ageing and burnout and paying the damn mortgage. These are all real worries for everyday people and whilst I'm not sure what his inspiration was for these songs in real life, it FEELS authentic, vulnerable and real and it's so refreshing.

I'm also loving "Fair Share". It's such easy listening for a weekend, despite the fact that it's actually kinda combative. In this track he's essentially saying to someone "I'm here to get mine, don't stand in my way". But there's something so satisfying just in letting go and listening to someone who isn't trying to be perfect. The record feels like the warmth you get coming home out of the rain after a really crappy day and being embraced by someone you love at the front door. It's comforting because there's no words that needs to be exchanged, you don't need someone to motivate you or encourage you, just someone to shut up and permit your sadness. "Sad Hunk" is an album that just gets it.

This album is expressive, emotive and retrospective and I highly recommend your listening. The rest of Bahamas' discography is really worth listening to. If you want happy songs too, he's got you covered. There's more joy to be found in "Barchords" and "Bahamas is Afie" - (two other albums you should listen to btw!)

Really! I mean it- You'd be doing yourself a disservice to miss out on his music, so catch him on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud...basically everywhere. You have no excuse, and in advance...You're welcome.

M x

An open letter to Stromae: Please come back to music.

I write this heart-felt letter knowing it'll never be read by it's intended recipient because when it comes to Stromae...well it's complicated. So instead I'll address it to you.

I struggle to tie the words together to describe him as an artist. Everything I say will seem superfluous unless you understand his music and that will take time, so let's get started with the name. STROMAE has no meaning on it's own because it's an anagram, but rearrange the letters S, M, T, R, A E, O  = MAESTRO. Within his own name you find the true meaning of what is intended by his chosen form of expression. The definition of 'maestro' being : A distinguished performer or conductor of classical music, which is pretty smart when you realise this is what he is originally trained in. Classical and hip-hop can often be found as a base for many of his albums.

I'm about to make a very bold statement. I think Stromae is one of the most incredible musicians to ever walk the face of this earth. He's absolutely genius and I have never been able to recover or replace the gap left when he retired from music in 2016. I feel like during this time, we need him more than ever. 

But first let's take it back to where it all started. French class in the lead up to GCSE exams. The year is 2013 and we are tasked by our teacher to find a French song or poem to present in class which will help familiarise us with how it's colloquially spoken. So I googled 'French music' and this is what came up: 

Just like that, I was hooked. I'd always grown up listening to music from around the world because that's what Dad likes but this was my first portal into international music chosen by myself.

When I discovered his art I was first into the beat. Here is a man who experiments with house music; mixing it with classical, hip-hop, highlife, afrobeat and electronic music all into a delicious bowl of miscellaneous. He created whole worlds with each song and music video- everything placed with thought and expressed with passion. The songs are often paired with the videos, contextualising his thought and writing process.

Where I am now and what I've been through in my life gives me a deeper understanding and bond with his music and the recurring themes. Stromae picks apart everything we follow in society, often employing lyrical dissonance (when a song is upbeat but the lyrics are not). For example in his most popular song 'Alors On Danse' (So We Dance) he's actually singing about how we ignore our everyday problems. We're tired, we're stuck in a space we hate, repeating the same thing everyday and there's problems all around the world so much so that it's overwhelming. There's corruption and poverty and burnout and it's all too ugly to face and so we dance. And the smartest thing about this song is that most people who heard it when it was popular never cared to understand the lyrics because as humans we'd rather lose ourselves in an infectious, fun, distracting house beat.

In his music, Stromae dissects the human pattern. He won't shy away from the topics that we rarely discuss, but colours them brightly and cushions them in festive music... and just like that banana-flavoured medicine we'd have as babies, we'll drink it up because after all it's good for us. His art discusses the traps we set ourselves in our expectation (Ta Fête), and the slow disintegration of relationships in families and in marriage. (Te Quiero, Formidable) He speaks about his anger towards his absent father and the feeling of trying to make sense of your own identity whilst being in limbo. (Papaoutai, Je Cours) He speaks of sickness( Quand C'est)  and criticises our toxic need to show off every part of our lives on social media (Carmen). He even picks apart capitalism and consumerism and how it feeds into wars and our way of life (Peace or Violence). 

But in one of my favourite songs 'Tous Les Memes' he takes on the role of a husband and wife, dressing as both in the video and sings from the perspective of a woman exasperated with her man who wants the world and offers nothing...lol typical. The video features his unisex clothing line from his Mosaert collection which is now he and his wife's main priority.

With all his realism, pessimism and beautiful cynicism there is also celebration. He still finds the joy in life and in music and I love that he makes music about music. I turned 21 last year and was intentional to play 'Ave Cesaria' as the clock struck midnight. I wanted to always remember the celebration of a new milestone age with a song that embodies joy, family and life. This is why we need Stromae back now. He finds the perfect equilibrium between our disillusion and our delight. During this time the world feels like it's crumbling who will be our voice? Who will berate our leaders into action or motivate ourselves into improvement? Who will create the sound to distract us from everything that's going on?  Our respite through the medium of rhythm? Stromae, music's superhero- under the hugely unlikely premise that you're reading this please come back. We need you and miss you and promise to give you more privacy this time round.

Sincerely,

Music lovers/ humanity ( but mostly me x) 

Lianne La Havas : Album Review

Lianne La Havas. It's been a long time coming for me to do this blog post. She was a huge part of my 2013 when I first began to discover music outside Pop and R&B. 'Is Your Love Big Enough' was everything you'd want in a coming-of-age album. It had ballads, dance tracks and chart hits. I was completely taken with her music since then. Her later albums take on themes of identity and heritage as well as love and heartbreak and honestly I was just never ready to share an artist so personal but since she's taken the world by storm anyhow, I might as well join the party.

Similarly to her other albums the self-titled 'Lianne La Havas' takes on themes of emotion- joy, summer, love and culture; but in different ways. This album is a love-letter not only romantically but a celebration of self-love also. So as usual, this is my first time hearing the album for authenticity. Here were my thoughts:

First track: Lianne's first track is her show-stopper song, designed to be a single. It displays her big voice, showing off her skills as a vocal powerhouse with a strong build up. Lyrically it's more like poetry. For me personally, I think it's more of a grower, I see it doing well in tv series' and movie soundtracks when paired with strong flashing visuals but I struggle to place it, emotionally it doesn't invoke anything in me.

Read My Mind - I'm loving it, it starts with flowery 60's vibes and the structure of the lyrics are fluttery and happy giving the song a bouncy upbeat rhythm. This song is reminiscent of the fun, the delirious spinning colours and brightness of the beginning of a new relationship. The moods in the song are mainly excitement and anticipation expressed in the repetition of 'what you waiting for?' Ending with the keyboard taking it's own solo, scatting across the track.

The third track is one that I'd use study to or have in the background during brunch, it's non-imposing, drifting and easy whereas the next track sees similar beats to her first album. With the strong almost tribal patterns that we know and love so much, 'Can't Fight' has a rhythm that's easy to follow and makes you want to dance to. I think it's probably going to be my favourite track in the album. I'm a sucker for some sweet harmonies and cute themes and whilst that may be the case the next song in the album is the one that really invokes imagery in my mind.

'Paper Thin', admittedly I have heard before, I was drawn in by the guitar opening that is simply irresistible. I like music that makes me feel something, that causes my mind to travel. A good song will make me forget my location, situation, even my name. Just music. That's what this song does. Listening to it I imagine cruising on smooth roads on a warm day, with soft sunlight jumping and peaking in golden bursts through the trees. You can almost feel the light breeze against the hairs on your arms and around the tips of your fingers. The taste of strawberry and lime cider still lingering as you take in the afternoon. Lianne allows the fantasy of this track to slowly fade into the interlude with swirling rounds of harmonies singing words I can't quite hear but is delightful even so.

Like I mentioned before this album is a catalogue of love songs, and in this one she's on the brink of a break up- undecided, unsure, and vocally this is demonstrated in a whispery, hoarser voice. Half way through the track switches to being completely acapella, just vocals. This has such a strong impact in what it represents. Just like her the song is alone suddenly followed by a vibrant guitar solo which I even thought was a separate song I'm not gonna lie. I didn't know what to make of 'Please Don't Make Me Cry' to be honest. It was layered and mysterious in terms of it's melody and structure, still a vibe...I'm just not sure what vibe. Maybe this is a metaphor for the limbo period post-breakup on the path to redefining her identity.

The last three tracks are upbeat and joyous. Yes Lianne you're right, that is a good intro. I'm getting latin vibes in Seven times and brilliant bass. We're hearing more natural sound, more of her laughter and her chatter, more of who she is which is rare on songs nowadays which (not to sound like a boomer) but are basically manufactured for Tik Tok popularity. 'Courage' is another beautifully calming track that brings up imagery of floating rivers in the way she plays. Lianne has a way of playing with such ease and fluidity it almost feels like a safety. Finally we end with a party track. Clapping and laughter with an African beat in the clapping rhythm 1- 2 -3^4^5. In this song she's celebrating herself and her happiness and I'm all the way here for it. I love it.

Overall this album was great, She dips into to different parts of the world for inspiration for her beats and be it African or Latin there is an overall sense of core. Exploring things in its depth and its entirety, be it love at it's core, emotion at it's core, or the sense of self. The lone clapping at the end is completely appropriate, it's an applause you can dance to and with the absolute success and warmth she brings with this artwork she's totally deserving of it all.

Stream 'Lianne La Havas' on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, Deezer and Apple Music.

Prince is not dead.

Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to get through this thing called life.

Hi all,

I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe during the lockdown.

Today is a very special day. It's been 4 years since Prince left our earth, but behind him he left a trail of goldust in his music I am constantly discovering.

I wasn't a huge Prince fan when he was here and I know there are people that know far more about him than I do so I can't claim to be a superfan now either.

The truth is Prince is indefinable. As a performer he was dynamic, energetic and electric but between his music and who he was as a person I find a complex myriad of oxymorons. Prince as an individual- to me at least- is someone shrouded in enigma. I'm sure with research I could find out more about his early life and what he speaks about in his interviews; but I don't want to. I think Prince is his music and wouldn't want any less than to be appreciated and viewed from his music. 

There's all kinds of stories about who he was, his notorious large parties, his wives and his sexual preferences, all varying in how wild they can get. From his interviews he was a private person with a taste for the extravagant, a down-to-earth and soft spoken man with an otherworldly wild energy. An old soul with a modern outlook on life and music See what I mean about the oxymorons? He was before his time. Without any commitment to any one genre of music or any one gender. He explored rock, jazz, soul and disco as fluidly as the concept of masculinity and femininity. Side note: He invented guy-liner and no one can tell me any differently. No one could do it like him, his style and musicality is so unique to him it can only be described as 'Prince'.

Whereas his life was often very private, his music was often very vulnerable. The lyrics often seemed to be his musings and deepest thoughts and wildest ideas. From the guitar to the keys every part of each song is constructed and tied together like individual unique art pieces. Prince was never afraid to be outrageous or even offensive but his music is extremely pre-meditated and was in every way his soul. You can see in his performances that were televised how every section of each song moved him. At the end of 'Purple  Rain' the wolf call makes me want to cry in a way I can't put into words. It's such passion, such pain, such beauty in something that has no words. You just hear it and feel it. Prince described  Purple Rain as this:When there's blood in the sky – red and blue = purple... purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith guide you through the purple rain. In a simple call at the end of the song, you hear the despair of the world ending and the joy of relief in the knowledge it's finally over and he is here dancing and soaking in one last romantic moment.

Prince isn't dead. I've been dancing to 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' for years and still am so he can't be. His music is still alive and that was the thing he lived for. Prince's music was life, not just to him but to everyone who hears it. Prince was his music, it’s what defined him as an icon. Do I know every Prince song? No. Do I like every Prince song or every theme? Absolutely not ha. But there is no denying in his discography there is something for absolutely everyone. A little bit of life, fresh air for everyone. So breathe deep. Take it in. That's Prince. Alive.

Parma Violets Band review: Alabama Shakes

Happy quarantine day (???)

Are we still pretending to be adults who know what day it is or can we drop that now? Lol.

What a strange start we've gotten into with the new decade! I can't help but laugh when I think of  the 1st of January. All the plans I was making and 2020 really said 'Girl how about you stay your little self at home?' Ha.

Helpfully, music has always been one of my greatest forms of escapism. No matter where I am, once I have my headphones on I have my own personal time machine. California 2003 ?- no problem, Italy trip 2009 - absolutely, Year 7 drama block?- why not. The opportunities are endless, and not just for reopening nostalgic memories from the past few years but for travelling between worlds.

If you're a real music lover, you'll understand when I say this. Music is like my drug, it's transcendental. You get lost in the rhythm, in the harmonies, in the chords and the reverb. You lose your sense of location, situation and identity and nothing matters except the sounds you're hearing- the energy given by the artist, the moods, the themes and often the lyrics. Everything you see is from their perspective. You feel their love, their joy, their anguish, their fury until the song is over.

Alabama Shakes is that band for me. The lead singer Brittany Howard has an extraordinary way of conveying the emotion of the song so convincingly you feel like it's you going through it. The Alabama-born group consists of guitarist Heath Fogg, bass player Zac Cockrell, drummer Steve Johnson and of course lead guitarist and singer Brittany. I discovered this band in 2016 when I was doing my A-levels. Sadly as of last year they've decided to take a break and pursue solo projects for now so it might be a while before you get to see them live. [ Side note: is it a coincidence that's when things started going a bit left?] However their music is still available to stream on all platforms and it's definitely worth exploring their discography.

Like many, the first song that attracted me to them is called 'Sound and Color' which featured in an Apple advert. The song is futuristic, lyrically simple made of only one verse and no chorus. Instrumentally it's stripped down to something that sounds like a xylophone, piano and drums lightly featuring lead and bass guitars whilst all mostly playing on a 4-beat. This represents the isolation and unique beauty of  the concept of the song which imagines an astronaut has gone off course and wakes up 500 years later to find earth has disappeared and solely he exists on a new undiscovered planet.

Alabama Shakes' music not only transports me through time but between worlds and galaxies that otherwise can't exist. The unison and bond between all of the band is their best strength. You can hear how perfectly timed they all are to each other and the understanding they all have of every element of their instrument and how they relate to each other in tying the whole project which is the song together. Fogg on the guitar especially... incredible. I would say you could definitely hear inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Tina Turner and Aretha in their style as a band.

If you want to travel from home during this global pandemic I recommend listening to Alabama Shakes, you won't regret it!!

As always, sending my love to anyone who takes the time to read this. Stay at home, stay safe and healthy, make sure you're looking after yourself and each other- and if you liked this, please share.

Until next time,


M x

Relax, it's only 2020!!!

Woah! We've made it into 2020.

As usual the new music, old music and sweet tunes haven't stopped.

With all the excitement of new year, starting your resolutions,  new diet, new decade, new year, new you (again lol), the bustle of going back to work again and the general drag of making it through January with the bank account in it's post-Christmas state- it can all be pretty hectic.

But don't worry about all that, I've got you covered- I got you sisss!
Here's five of my top chill song to help you chill... because you deserve it!

Each of the musicians are either up-and-coming or up but underappreciated- facts.

1. Joy Crookes- Early
2.Gallant- Gentleman
3.Snoh Aalegra- I want you around
4.Brent Faiyaz- Poison
5. ROMderful- Murder ft. Jarraeu Vandal & Emmavie

And because it's New Year and I love and appreciate those of you that actually read my blog, Here's a link to your relaxation playlist. Don't forget to do a facemask every now and then and CHILL OUT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4976Fgvf5Ps&list=PL2hUoKMQIvo2u3j0EBYsGWXcJ4aerpl4B&index=2&t=0s

I'll be updating the playlist regularly and the blog so make sure to subscribe to my blog and youtube channel.

As always I wish you all the good vibes, and a very happy new year - hope it's a great one for you all!