Sunday 27 March 2016

Zayn - Mind of Mine

Zayn - Mind of Mine

You could certainly argue that 'Mind of Mine' is merely pastiche. Almost since the dawn of 1D Zayn Malik had claimed their music wasn't his music. And so, with the release of his debut solo album, we can finally see what his music is really about.

His influences are loud and clear: about 20% The Weeknd and 80% Frank Ocean. It's lucky, then, that Ocean's producer Malay has worked on a large proportion of the material here. After all, Zayn is a one name artist now - he's clearly of a high enough calibre to draw in the big guns.

It results in tracks like iT's YoU that's heavily influenced by Ocean's tracks Crack Rock and Pink Matter but without the soul, or the laidback funk of tRuTh that reeks of Ocean's West Coast ennui. And that's before you consider the vocal delivery, from a monotone lower register to that sweet falsetto. Halfway through there's even a John Lennon pastiche in fOoL fOr YoU. Malik may have co-written the album, but it makes you question exactly how much of this "mind of mine" is really his. Lyrically at least, the album borders on generic.

Yet where Malik was always known as the cool and mysterious one in 1D, that shines through in the music. It's far sexier and mature than anything the band have done - undoubtedly the split has allowed Malik to flourish. Lead single PILLOWTALK establishes a sense of woozy sensuality that filters throughout the album, its modern R&B more current than anything the band ever created.

Perhaps too frequently the album slows eagerly to a pensive, atmospheric crawl, but the heady mood is punctuated by some brilliant dance-pop. sHe is all sparkling nocturnal lights, lUcOzAdE is a suitably fizzy shot of energy, and the deluxe edition includes the pulsing, euphoric LIKE I WOULD. More of the album is at a middle tempo: the simmering dRuNk, the melancholic rEaR vIeW, the predatory wRoNg - all leading towards album closer TiO that positively drips with sex.

And Malik has another trick up his sleeve - his Pakistani heritage (on his Dad's side). It's there in the melismatic vocal runs, it's there in the tabla drums at the start of dRuNk, but mostly it's there on INTERMISSION: fLoWer where he sings in Urdu. It adds a sense of authenticity that takes the album beyond the obvious pastiche. Just as Ocean draws on West Coast culture, Malik fuses Asian and urban sounds to become a pop voice for mixed-heritage Brits.

Ocean's mythical next album may still be a ways off, but in the meantime Malik's efforts will do very nicely indeed - pastiche or no.

4/5

Gizzle's Choice:
* PILLOWTALK
* sHe
* lUcOzAdE

Listen: 'Mind of Mine' is out now.

 

Friday 25 March 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - Zack Snyder

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

[spoilers ahead]

They met in the rain. The Batman had been waiting patiently in his hardened, oversized armour, pointed ears pricked for any sign of the man in red and blue. Down he came, Christ-like from the sky, his red cape flapping as the storm beat down against his pectorals that bulged impossibly through the lycra. They locked eyes. Their moment had come.

But why had they come to fight? Nobody really seemed to know anymore. There was that annoying little man of course, Lex something-or-other. Yet that so-called genius spoke so fast nobody actually understood his pop-philosophy or whatever he was spouting. Something about a mother? Was that really what brought them together? Or was it something deeper, more carnal, more impassioned?

They had met before, of course, under different circumstances. One of those upper-class parties full of socialites, Batman dressed to impress in his finest suit, Superman masquerading as a reporter. Their eyes met across the crowded room, the younger man entranced by the suave confidence of his elder. They spoke using pseudonyms to maintain their pretence, outdoing each other with brazenly flirtatious put-downs. Yet both men knew, deep down, the secret of the other.

And so, in the rain, Batman had a plan of action. He readied that phallic kryptonian staff, the only thing that could pierce Superman's steely resolve. But before he had a chance to thrust, Superman flew at him with all his body weight. They fought in an eruption of physicality, two bears rutting, rubble, debris and fire ejaculating around them.

This moment had been inevitable. The two men had seemed so different. One an exemplary, godlike figure of masculinity whose chiselled jaw and exceptional abilities meant only one thing: confusing Christian metaphors. The other, a man of mystery who lingers awkwardly in the shadows of post-9/11 America, shrouded in seductive darkness and acting solely with his chin. This would be a clash of the titans.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

And yet it was their similarities that brought these heightened pillars of masculinity together. Both had lost their parents. Both conveniently had mothers called Martha. Both had a penchant for rubber. And both were hiding a secret homosexual agenda. Superman covered his with a girlfriend - some journo-type called Lois who always stuck her nose where it wasn't wanted - but even she recognised that he was unable to truly be himself around her. Batman, a loner, spent his time tinkering with technology in a cave with only his butler for company, a butler who noted he was never likely to have children - at least, not with a woman.

Suddenly a new beastly foe had arisen - something to do with that Lex guy and the rubbish villain from the last film that somehow miraculously came back to life. It fed off the power of the two men, their combined force life-giving.

They were not alone in their plight, however, for another figure appeared on the battlefield, a heroine whose identity we'd all figured out hours earlier. Wonder Woman took on the beast alone with her magic bracelets - she don't need no man to save her, and of course every gay man needs a sassy independent woman to be his muse.

Love, however, conquers all, and Superman soon realised that to save his faux-girlfriend, the Earth, and the life of his beloved, he must offer the ultimate sacrifice. And so, just in time for Easter, the Jesus-wannabe gave his life.

Or did he? Because of course there's a sequel coming, a sequel that will combine these homoerotic heroes in some sort of league of justice; a sequel that will probably still attempt to humanise these ridiculous characters; a sequel that (fingers crossed) will actually attempt some sort of plot. It can't get any worse...can it?

1/5

Watch: Batman V Superman is out now.


Monday 21 March 2016

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) - Dan Trachtenberg

10 Cloverfield Lane

If M. Night Shymalan made Kimmy Schmidt, it would be something like 10 Cloverfield Lane. That is, it’s about a girl trapped in a bunker with a really terrible twist.

The film opens with intensity. With very little dialogue and a heavy score, we watch protagonist Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) leaving her partner – running away “like she always does”. The sudden impact of a car crash quickly throws that plot out the window as she wakes up in what appears to be a cell.

In fact, it’s an underground fallout shelter built by Howard (John Goodman), your typically crazy middle American who’s paranoid about alien invasions and is keeping Michelle locked up for her own safety alongside Howard’s neighbour Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Apparently there’s been some sort of chemical attack on Earth. Leaving the shelter would be suicide.

The remains of director Dan Trachtenberg’s film is essentially one long guessing game. Who is telling the truth? Are there really aliens roaming the planet? Is Howard really a monster? Who bloody cares?

Trachtenberg asks too much of his audience to buy into such a ludicrous premise. Goodman plays Howard like a pantomime villain, staring into the middle distance as if he’s been studying ‘Psychotic Bad Guy 101’. The idea that he could actually be right about the aliens is laughable. Instead, we get what’s meant to be a tight thriller about a woman stuck in confinement with a potential killer, who forms some weird dysfunctional family before eventually coming to her senses (i.e. what the audience have already been internally screaming for what seems like hours).

That Howard *spoiler warning* is actually right about the aliens is just plain ridiculous, but then aliens are the only thing tying this film to its spiritual predecessor Cloverfield (a far superior film). Michelle eventually escapes the shelter to be chased by an alien creature that looks like somebody spliced a leech and a penis together, before then destroying a giant UFO with a lighter and bottle of booze that just happened to be in her vicinity. Oh, and that’s after she creates a whole chemical protection suit and gas mask out of a shower curtain and a soda bottle because she just happens to be a clothes designer. Thrifty.

“Females are strong as hell”, goes the Kimmy Schmidt theme song. And that might be the case here, but Michelle is offered very little depth of character. Neither are her supporting characters. The film’s tagline notes “Monsters come in many forms” and asks us to question who is the real monster: Howard or the aliens. In practice it’s probably Trachtenberg himself for creating such a laughably bad thriller. Now pass me the Pinot Noir.

1/5

Watch: 10 Cloverfield Lane is out now.

Friday 18 March 2016

New Music Roundup

AlunaGeorge (feat. Popcaan) - I'm In Control

AlunaGeorge (feat. Popcaan) - I'm In Control

You'd be forgiven for thinking this was actually a new Major Lazer single, but that's likely due to the feature from Popcaan - a Jamaican dancehall artist. I'm In Control pairs the cool R&B and cooing vocals of AlunaGeorge with bouncing dancehall rhythms for a more transatlantic sound than we're used to from the duo. It deserves to be a smash.

I'm In Control is out now.



Meghan Trainor - No

Meghan Trainor - No

It still beggars belief that Meghan Trainor won an actual Grammy earlier this year. And then No comes along. It's basically a 90s Britney track with a healthy dose of modern pop-R&B that's all about the bass and the chorus hook. Trainor doesn't seem cool enough to pull it off (give it to Ariana, or actual Britney), but as a songwriter she's definitely living up to her potential.

No is out now.



All Saints - One Woman Man

All Saints - One Woman Man

All Saints were always positioned as an edgier alternative to other 90s girl bands, but that continues into this 2016 comeback. It seems One Strike wasn't a one-off. One Woman Man is a power ballad with a thumping beat and cinematic chorus that certainly stands apart from most contemporary pop music. This is one return we should all be getting behind.

One Woman Man is out now. 'Red Flag' is released on April 8th.



Miike Snow - iii

Miike Snow - iii

The Swedish-American alt-poppers return with an album of typically well-crafted tracks. Heart Is Full leads the charge - a bombastic concoction of heavy beats, chopped up soul samples and auto-tuned vocals - whilst the likes of the buoyant Genghis Khan and the fizzingly choppy For U prove their Swedish pop credentials. After all, the trio have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. As bold, playful and inventive as this album is at times though, it can't quite sustain interest across its full length. As a pop album, the hooks don't quite get under the skin like they should - not even a feature from Charli XCX can help with that.

Listen to: Heart is Full, Genghis Khan, For U

'iii' is out now.



Adam Lambert (feat. Laleh) - Welcome To The Show

Adam Lambert (feat. Laleh) - Welcome To The Show

Kelly Clarkson might steal all the headlines, but Adam Lambert is surely the best actual popstar to arise from American Idol. Last year's 'The Original High' was criminally overlooked by many, but the fittingly titled Welcome To The Show coincides with his upcoming tour which hopefully will reignite interest in his music beyond a literal Ghost Town.

Welcome To The Show is out now.



WSTRN - Come Down

WSTRN - Come Down

The follow up to In2, Come Down doesn't quite have the same infectious nature as its predecessor, but this remains slick if unoriginal R&B from the BBC Sound Of 2016 nominees.

Come Down is out now.




Mura Masa - What If I Go?

Mura Masa - What If I Go?

Another Sound Of nominee, Mura Masa is an altogether more exciting prospect. What If I Go? bustles along nicely enough, with some guest vocals from Bonzai and tropical house nodding steel drums, until the chorus kicks in and the young producer chops up his samples into a dizzying kaleidoscope. If you listen carefully, you can hear Jai Paul sobbing into the grave of his career.

What If I Go? is out now.



Alessia Cara - Know It All

Alessia Cara - Know It All

And here's one more Sound Of nominee, this time releasing her debut album. Cara belies her youth on opening track Seventeen and breakthrough track Here, on which she confesses to being a bit of a loner at a house party. Yet the latter equally proves her sense of cool and depth of knowledge as she sings over a sample of Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II (probably more famous for its use on Portishead's Glory Box). Four Pink Walls follows suit - a hip-hop beat, disc scrubbing and choppy soul production bubbling beneath wide-eyed lyrics that reveal she's "amazed by the limelight". The remains of the album flit inconsistently between the two extremes. There's the doo-wop Outlaws, the uninspiring Wild Things and soppy ballads like Stone and Stars, as well as the biting spark of I'm Yours and the stark metallic production of break-up anthem Overdose. When her maturity catches up to her talent, she'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Listen to: Four Pink Walls, I'm Yours, Overdose.

'Know It All' is out now.



Matt Corby - Telluric

Matt Corby - Telluric

'Telluric', meaning earthly, seems like an odd choice of title for the Australian singer-songwriter's debut album when his voice is so heavenly. With a raspy lower register and quiveringly fragile falsetto, his vocals haunt across the eleven songs of the album - the layered harmonies of Monday especially. Yet through the influence of blues, gospel and soul, the earthly nature of his music becomes clear. Belly Side Up provides a woozy opening, Knife Edge creeps with muted guitars, and Oh Oh Oh is hushed and sensual speckled with guitar harmonics. Later tracks like Sooth Lady Wine and Do You No Harm provide a touch of psychedelia - soothing, laidback and oh so Australian. 'Telluric', then, is an album that's both earthly and otherworldly - perfectly suited to that unique voice.

Listen to: Monday, Oh Oh Oh, Sooth Lady Wine.

'Telluric' is out now.



Lukas Graham - Drunk In The Morning

Lukas Graham - Drunk In The Morning

As if that 7 Years song wasn't boring enough, Lukas Graham seem to have morphed into a Maroon 5 covers band. Dire.

Drunk In The Morning is out now.



Iggy Azalea - Team

 Iggy Azalea - Team

HAHAHAHA

Team is out now.



ZAYN - BeFoUr

ZAYN - BeFoUr

Even if you're not sold on the odd capitalisation, you should be sold on Zayn's sound. It feels like every week a new single comes out, but the album is imminent and BeFoUr is another track exemplary of his slick R&B that'll be riding high in the charts for the rest of the year.

BeFoUr is out now. 'Mind of Mine' is released on March 25th.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Adele @ The O2 Arena

A night in pictures and gifs...


Get all excited a week beforehand when your tickets arrive in the post.

Adele

Arrive at the O2.
Adele

Prepare to lose your shit. Tissues at the ready.

Nightingale

Phones down it's about to begin (just kidding, obviously I took a million pictures).

http://mashable.com/2015/10/23/adele-hello-video-flip-phone/#RX6ZqvdO.iq7

SHE'S HERE! Rising to greet us in a lift. Screaming ensues. Hello from the second stage!

Adele Hello
https://49.media.tumblr.com/88c5b460014f83846ec695f85512983d/tumblr_nwngh48yw81rdutw3o1_400.gif

Hometown Glory. Look it's London!

Adele

And that's where we are, inside that weird UFO!

Adele

Cracking some jokes, telling some anecdotes, self-aware humour:

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-02/24/17/enhanced/webdr15/anigif_original-27815-1456352265-4.gif

Gets you like:

Adele
http://33.media.tumblr.com/c7386d6d4903000f3178af1e957bcaa9/tumblr_inline_mj0godjpia1rxheis.gif

And then she sings again and you're all:

Adele
http://www.sharegif.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Adele-2.gif

I see YOU Adele.

Adele

Simple. Classy. Elegant.

Adele

Adele

Adele

"I won an Oscar for this one".

Adele Oscar
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02491/adele-thumbs-up_2491631k.jpg

Adele

Time for the acoustic bit. Million Years Ago, When Will I See You Again, Send My Love To Your New Lover. Stunning vocals throughout.

Adele

Me:

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/56703a392340f816008b5b2d-1200-400/image.jpg




ENGAGEMENT IN THE AUDIENCE!


Back to the second stage SHE'S WALKING PAST US AGAIN (thanks for the pics sis).

Adele

Adele

Chasing Pavements, trapped in a box.

Adele

Shout outs to All Saints and Beyoncé!

Adele
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/adeles/images/d/d6/Woop_woop.gif/revision/latest?cb=20140831160132

Plenty of fan service and selfies with the crowd. It's like she's genuinely reaching out to everyone in the room.

Adele

Someone Like You. Collective weeping. AND NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Adele
https://49.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lutfgkMEyN1qigjwgo1_500.gif

But you're not listening to or noticing anyone else. She's singing just to you. That voice and those lyrics cut right to the soul. You weep some more.

Set Fire To The Rain - WITH ACTUAL RAIN.

Adele

Encore time! Push to the front for All I Ask. More crying.

Adele

Adele

When We Were Young presents all the Adeles, whilst the actual singing Adele still hits THAT note after a two hour long set. Incredible.

Adele

Adele

Adele

Adele

Adele

Adele

Adele

And then it all ends with a mass sing-along of Rolling In The Deep. 

CONFETTI! And it's all hand written with song lyrics. A suitably personal touch.

Adele

And that's that. An absolutely sublime evening of song. The Queen returns to her hometown with glory.

Adele
https://media.giphy.com/media/10cQIr6ssbpeus/giphy.gif