Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
+ - Ed Sheeran - Album Review
The first track on the album is the debut single The A Team. This immediately sets the tone and expectation for the rest of the album. The fourth single released from the album, Drunk, is second and flows brilliantly from the previous track.
The fourth track on the album, Grade 8, strays from what we expect. The song has definite R&B influences, whilst staying in keeping with Ed Sheeran's distinctive style.
We're then taken back to classic Ed Sheeran for another 3 tracks, before being thrown another curve ball. The City isn't the strongest track in the album, but the edgy hip-hop sound is certainly a surprise. Similar to this track is You Need Me, I Don't Need You. The song again, has hip-hop influences with rap style vocals. All of Sheeran's lyrics are incredibly clever, but unlike the other deep emotional songs Sheeran writes, You Need Me, I Don't Need You is intriguing and entertaining.
The album ends with Give Me Love. This is a brilliant song to end on, as it sums up everything that Ed Sheeran's music is about. The song is reminiscent of Skinny Love by Bon Iver and is by far one of the stand out songs on the album.
Other standout songs are Lego House, The A Team, Drunk and This. These songs all, in my opinion, showcase everything that Ed Sheeran is about. I would have included Small Bump in this selection, however I feel the acoustic version of this song is far better. The composition of the version released on the album is overworked and takes away from the emotion of the song. As with most of Ed's songs, it's the simplicity of the instrumental that strips the lyrics bare and allows us listeners to really feel the emotion of the song.
Overall, the album is a brilliant debut, which is why I'm not surprised it's been such a huge success. The album showcases Sheeran's talent as most of the album isn't overproduced. His voice is easy to listen to and the overall vibe of the album is very chilled. The deep meaning in his songs doesn't feel heavy or depressing and are perfect for when you're in a reflective mood.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
The Vampire Diaries (Original Television Soundtrack) - Album Review
The songs have been excellently selected for this album, and should definitely grab your interest if you're looking for a couple of tracks you've never heard before (unless you've watched the show, of course).
The album begins and ends with a sample of the score by Michael Suby. This is brilliant for die-hard fans, but neither of these are the piece of music you would regard as the show's 'theme tune'. I was surprised not to find the music played at the end of each episode on the track list. If you've never seen the show before, these pieces bear no relevance to the rest of the album, and you'll be likely to skip them when listening.
From Stefan's Theme, we go straight into a haunting cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill by Placebo. The way the instrumental is put together is very atmospheric. The vocals, reminiscent of David Bowie, coupled with the haunting composition make this track a little 'off the wall'.
Next there is a change of pace with Currency of Love by the Silversun Pickups. It's a fast, alternative rock song, running for 5.30 minutes - the longest song on the album. The instrumental hook is incredibly addictive making the song's length more of a positive than a negative. This is one of the best, most memorable songs on the album. Unfortunately, this over-shadows the next song Hammock, which has more of a chilled vibe than the previous. In it's own right, the song is pretty good and is definitely one to stick on your iPod.
The next couple of tracks are a little 'off the wall' again. Both of which are atmospheric and slightly haunting. The sixth track on the album, Bloodstream, which has been remixed for The Vampire Diaries is a standout track. From the vocals to the oh so simple piano arrangement, the song takes you to another place. You feel the emotion in the song.
Thinking about it's relation to the show, I think they did a pretty good job selecting songs that marked special moments. Bloodstream by Stateless, Down by Jason Walker and Cut by Plumb are the three songs that fans are most likely to remember from the show. However there is one song that I feel could have replaced one of the less relevant ones (such as We Radiate by Goldfrapp). All I Need by Within Temptation marked a massive moment for fans of the show and therefore I think it would have made sense to include it.
Other than this little blip, the album is a huge success. The selection of indie/alternative artists and the variety of tempos and moods makes for an excellent album. There is something on the album to listen to, however you're feeling. I do think the album starts out better than it finishes, but regardless, you'll still be playing the entire album on replay whether you're a fan of the show or not.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
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