The post Pearl Jam Announce Rescheduled Shows appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The band was scheduled to perform in some of Europe’s most prestigious venues in June 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the shows were all canceled and ticket holders have been waiting for news on the rescheduled dates.
Pearl Jam has confirmed that every show has been rescheduled for 2021 and that tickets for the June 2020 shows will be valid.
The band said about the new dates: “We look forward to returning to Europe, pending these events can safely take place in Summer 2021. The safety and well-being of the band’s fans, crew and event staff continue to be priority.”
You can view the full list of Peal Jam European tour dates below.
JUNE 2021
16 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome
17 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome
20 – Landgraaf, Holland – Pinkpop Festival
23 – Berlin, Germany – Waldbuhne
26 – Imola, Italy – Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
29 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
JULY 2021
1 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter Festival
4 – Stockholm, Sweden – Lollapalooza Stockholm
6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
14 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
16 – Frankfurt, Germany – Festhalle
18 – Paris, France – Lollapalooza Paris
21 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle
23 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena
25 – Prague, Czech Republic
The post Pearl Jam Announce Rescheduled Shows appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Mick Jagger Shares Update on New Rolling Stones Music appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Earlier this year, The Rolling Stones shared the brand new track “Living in a Ghost Town.” The song was a standalone single but gave fans hope that new material would soon be on its way.
During the coronavirus lockdown, Mick Jagger has been working on new material by the band, and by the sounds of it, The Rolling Stones is cooking up a new batch of songs.
During his appearance on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Jagger was asked about how the band’s new material was coming along.
“I don’t know… don’t hold you breath!” he replied. “We recorded a bunch of tracks at the same time we did ‘…Ghost Town’, so actually I’ve been finishing off the vocals and some other instruments on them, and doing some mixes. So I’m working on it.
“We’ve got to get together and do a couple more sessions on them. But we’re not really gonna get together right now. But it sounds good, what we’ve already done—[it] sounds pretty good to me.”
You can listen to Living in a Ghost Town below.
The post Mick Jagger Shares Update on New Rolling Stones Music appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Billie Eilish Shares The Songs That Defined Her Childhood appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Over the last year, Eilish has risen to superstardom. She has taken home more than a dozen prestigious music awards and has received high praise from the likes of Elton John and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.
Now, Eilish has shared the songs that defined her childhood. In an interview with me & dad radio on Apple Music, she shared that Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears were major influences. She is particularly a big fan of “Losing Grip”, a track from Lavigne’s debut album, Let Go.
“But this one came back into my life in 2018, and we used to just get down to this song,” she said of the track. “God…we used to just scream this song in the car. God, this song. This chorus is just like …Oh my God, it’s so good, and the beat…Oh my God.
“I’ve never heard a sound like that in my life. There is no other song like this. There’s no other song. I’m telling you, this song does not get old. I was with all my homies two years ago and we would just scream this song wherever we went. God. Every time I hear that beginning, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s get ready. Okay.’”
Eilish also named Britney Spears and The Beatles among the artists she listened to growing up.
The post Billie Eilish Shares The Songs That Defined Her Childhood appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Every Radiohead Album, Ranked appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Back when Radiohead sounded like a wannabe Pixies, they made this extremely average rock album which they have collectively neglected to play or talk about since.
Hail to the Thief doesn’t have many memorable tracks and sounds a little lost in what it’s trying to be. It’s essentially a weird political album that is musically impressive but missed the mark in places.
“Pyramid Song” raises this album above The Bends but otherwise, it just doesn’t quite live up to Kid A.
King of Limbs is the band’s shortest album but contains some of their most creative and beautiful sounds.
The band’s second album has some fantastic tracks (i.e. “High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees”) but it has some weaker tracks in the middle that let the album down as a whole.
The most recent album is daringly heartfelt and contains an eclectic range of Radiohead’s previous musical achievements.
Kid A marks the start of Radiohead’s experimental phase. Thom Yorke decided that he was ‘bored of playing guitar’ and started playing with strange keyboard sounds instead. The result is amazing though.
The only Radiohead album that could almost pass for happy. The album revives the band’s rock roots with their experimental phase to create musical divinity.
Unanimously one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Radiohead has produced many masterpieces since, but few would argue that OK Computer is utter perfection and to many fans, this will always be Radiohead at its peak.
The post Every Radiohead Album, Ranked appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” is an Excellent DIY Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Charli XCX first announced the album at the start of April and promised fans that it would arrive by the 15th of May. She said: “It’ll be very DIY — I’ll make it from scratch, very indicative of the times we’re in.” And so, in less than six weeks, the pop innovator sat down to write, record, and produce an album entirely in isolation.
Charli XCX’s deadline may have been ambitious, but How I’m Feeling Now is a futurist-pop album that follows up nicely from 2019’s Charli. It is experimental, innovative and without the typical star-studded collaboration list we’ve come to expect from Charli XCX, the album seems to offer a more authentic insight into the life of the creative pop star.
“Pink Diamond” is a mishmash of futuristic rave sounds and disjointed beats. Charli roars: “I just wanna go real hard!” channeling the clubber’s lockdown frustration. She follows the track up with “forever”, which is accompanied by a music video made up of a compilation of fan video clips. It’s a subterranean-sounding pop song with bubblegum vocals and a relatable sentiment.
As the album unfolds, it meanders through an unusual jumble of sounds. The lack of consistency in the album sounds unpolished, and yet it is the “DIY album” that she promised. The creative freedom that pulses through the album is something to cling onto in these strange isolation anxiety-inducing times. It sounds like an album that Charli XCX made in five-and-a-half weeks of self-isolation, and that is not a bad thing.
Does the album stand up outside the context of self-isolation? In short, yes, it does. Even though its brilliance comes down to Charli’s success in expressing something we are all feeling, these songs will still hold up when we finally do go clubbing. “Pink Diamond” is going to eventually become a pre-drinks banger and “party 4 u” is a song to dance to with your friends as well as on your own.
4/5
The post Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” is an Excellent DIY Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Hayley Williams Tasks New Direction in First Solo Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>“Rage is a quiet thing”, Hayley utters in the opening track “Simmer”. The track snarls and then whispers, powering through a range of emotions with her vocals alone. Musically, “Simmer” takes inspiration from a range of influences. It nods to Christine & The Queens or even Bjork’s debut album. At the heart of the music, however, is Hayley’s own voice — raw and distinct from the band she has been performing with for almost half her life.
“Creepin'” is rooted in emo but moves more towards the fresher sound of Grimes and Poppy. Hayley’s roots are so established that she doesn’t need to honor them. She has earned the right to play with genre and trade distorted guitars for the double bass if it suits her mood.
The second part of the album takes on a more personal tone. Hayley apologizes for the delay on the track “Dead Horse”, claiming she has been “in a depression.” The lyrics are profound but the track plays as a light-hearted pop-rock single. And it really works.
“Why We Ever” concludes the second part of the album. It moves away from pop-rock and instead has R&B influences. It certainly sounds like Hayley has taken inspiration from Solange here. Williams layers her raspy vocals, creating a tune with cool underground tones. The muddy piano adds another layer of instrumentation to the record.
The third and final part of the album opens with the track “Pure Love”. This is a track that would not sound out of place on Paramore’s After Laughter. It has synth-pop tropes and nods back to the 80s. It shifts away from the R&B feel of “Taken” and “Sugar On The Rim”. Funnily enough, it is in these songs that Hayley sounds most comfortable.
Overall, Petals For Armor is a well-rounded album that shows off Hayley’s potential as an artist. For Paramore fans, she will always be the queen of emo but if Hayley continues in this new direction, she will likely gain a host of her own distinct fans too.
4/5
The post Hayley Williams Tasks New Direction in First Solo Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Drake’s “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The opening track, “Deep Pockets”, is comfortable terrain for Drake. The sound feels recycled from 2016’s Views and lyrically, he doesn’t seem to say much. “Not You Too ft. Chris Brown” sounds similarly recycled, this time nodding to 2018’s Scorpion. It’s easy, breezy, but nothing particularly original.
There’s nothing wrong with going back to old sounds but for an artist as innovative as Drake, the majority of the tracks on Dark Lane Demo Tapes feel lazy and disappointing. Rather than pumping out album after album, fans would hardly mind waiting for an album on par with 2013’s Nothing Was The Same. That year, this was the record that set the bar for everyone else. In comparison, Dark Lane Demo Tapes is filled with album fillers and is largely uninspired.
There is the odd stand-out track on the new record. “Tootsie Slide” is catchy and will likely be popular at the clubs when they eventually reopen. Still, it sounds a little eager to jump on the TikTok catchy-snippet trend. “Not You Too”, on the other hand, sounds more out of Drake’s comfort zone. This pays off as unlike many of the other tracks on the album, it doesn’t sound like a reimagining of previous songs.
Later on the year, Drake has promised fans that he will be dropping a “more concise” record. Hopefully, this means that a shorter, more polished record will be heading our way in summer. This would enable us to overlook the complacent mashup that is Dark Lane Demo Tapes.
2/5
The post Drake’s “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post In Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ New Release, the Parts are Greater than the Whole appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The opening and titular track “What Kinda Music” is a strong enough start. There’s an ambient, hip hop mood trickling through the track with some interesting melodies. The track lets itself down with the lyrics, which are lacking. The same can be said about the rest of the album, which is lyrically nostalgic in a translucent way. There’s no poignancy or guttural feeling.
“Nightrider ft. Freddie Gibbs” is a chilled atmospheric track that sounds like music that might be played at a fancy late-night hotel bar. Gibbs raps about late-night drug deals and in the chorus, Misch sings: “High beam, on the dash / I be shaking you down, it’s a wrap / So easily, so easily.”
“Tidal Wave” features some more interesting drumming from Dayes. Things pick up here and carry on throughout the rest of the album. The rhythm is playful and Dayes’ percussive solos find their own space. This is true for the tracks that follow, particularly “Kyiv” which has a somewhat funkier feel.
“Lift Off” with its funky vibes and experimental instrumentation is an album highlight. Dayes and Misch flirt with genre and make a case for contemporary jazz. While the track is musically great, it perhaps plays as more of a jam session than a track for the listener. There’s a sultry indulgence to it which makes for good background music, but leaves little room for the listener to engage.
Although What Kinda Music is impressive musically, it does seem to be lacking something. Lyrically, it makes no impassioned statements and while this is not a requirement of music, the lack of passion throughout makes it feel like the listener has been left out of the production of the record. The result is an album that is enjoyable enough to listen to, but never really commands our attention.
3/5
The post In Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ New Release, the Parts are Greater than the Whole appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Fiona Apple’s “‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The record opens with “I Want You To Love Me”. Jazzy beats are followed by classical piano and Fiona’s indie Kate Moss revival vocals. It’s a kind of jazzy pop that is rare to stumble across. Fiona’s experimentation is playful while her voice is more powerful than ever. She growls and whines with an alluring raspiness that pulls us in. The opening track sets the tone for an album that will continue to entice and surprise.
The album’s titular track “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” was one of the last song’s Fiona wrote for the album. The track is prime for a Tiny Desk Concert. The double bass is what pulls the track along and Fiona uses her voice in the most minimal way possible. She flirts lyrics somewhere between singing and talking, creating a sound that is both soothing and gritty.
“Under The Table” is a wickedly confident song with flirtatious jazz piano. Fiona sings: “Kick me under the table all you want / I won’t shut up, I won’t shut up.” Fiona is fierce and will not be hushed when she has an opinion. “I would beg to disagree,” she quips, championing defiance.
“Ladies” is an anthem of female solidarity. The sentiment is a beautiful one – never feel inferior as a result of comparing yourself to another woman. Each love is unique and your partner’s previous feelings should not be set up as competing with his feelings for you. Fiona sings: “And no love is like any other love / So it would be insane to make a comparison with you.” She charmingly adds: “There’s a dress in the closet / Don’t get rid of it, you’d look good in it.”
As a whole, Fetch The Bolt Cutters is a sultry album that oozes raw strength and femininity. It’s a little bit jazzy, a little bit poppy, and extremely moreish. It may have been eight years since Fiona’s last album, but it has definitely been worth the wait.
5/5
The post Fiona Apple’s “‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post The Strokes “The New Abnormal” is Full of 80s Nostalgia appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The album’s opener “The Adults Are Talking” is an upbeat introduction. The guitars are as playful as ever and yet Julian Casablancas sounds slightly defeated. It’s a little difficult to pick out the lyrics and yet the song has enough hooks to warrant repeat listening. It’s the guitar melodies that you’ll be singing along to rather than the words.
“Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” is a throwback 80s pop anthem. It plays with synths in a way that Tame Impala have been leaning towards of late. Casablancas quips: “And the Eighties bands, where did they go?” It’s this playful albeit depressing nostalgia that trickles through the album. In the chorus, he claims: ” I want new friends, but they don’t want me / They’re making plans while I watch TV / Thought it was them, but maybe it’s me / I want new friends, but they don’t want me.” Is this another great indie band looking back to the good old days when everyone wanted to be their friend?
Yes, and no. Although there is a nostalgic tone to the album, it is more of a celebration of new wave through the decades. In “Bad Decisions” Casablanca looks back to a time before he was born, hinting that the nostalgia is more than a personal longing. To the tune of “Dancing With Myself”, Casablanca looks back at Moscow in the 70s and drones “Oh, making bad decisions.”
“Why Are Sunday’s So Depressing” is another strange drone about how The Strokes reckon nobody likes them. “All my friends left, and they don’t miss me,” Casablanca sings. What makes this whining palatable is the strong melodies that carry not just this song in particular, but the entire album. Whatever Casablanca is singing, it’s hard not to feel like you are having a good time while listening to it.
Although The New Abnormal is not up to the standards of their breakthrough album, Is This It, it is certainly up there with the best of The Strokes. It’s a solid indie album and during these abnormal times, The New Abnormal is exactly what are depressing Sunday afternoon needs.
3.5/5
The post The Strokes “The New Abnormal” is Full of 80s Nostalgia appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Pearl Jam Announce Rescheduled Shows appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The band was scheduled to perform in some of Europe’s most prestigious venues in June 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the shows were all canceled and ticket holders have been waiting for news on the rescheduled dates.
Pearl Jam has confirmed that every show has been rescheduled for 2021 and that tickets for the June 2020 shows will be valid.
The band said about the new dates: “We look forward to returning to Europe, pending these events can safely take place in Summer 2021. The safety and well-being of the band’s fans, crew and event staff continue to be priority.”
You can view the full list of Peal Jam European tour dates below.
JUNE 2021
16 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome
17 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome
20 – Landgraaf, Holland – Pinkpop Festival
23 – Berlin, Germany – Waldbuhne
26 – Imola, Italy – Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
29 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
JULY 2021
1 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter Festival
4 – Stockholm, Sweden – Lollapalooza Stockholm
6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
14 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
16 – Frankfurt, Germany – Festhalle
18 – Paris, France – Lollapalooza Paris
21 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle
23 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena
25 – Prague, Czech Republic
The post Pearl Jam Announce Rescheduled Shows appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Mick Jagger Shares Update on New Rolling Stones Music appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Earlier this year, The Rolling Stones shared the brand new track “Living in a Ghost Town.” The song was a standalone single but gave fans hope that new material would soon be on its way.
During the coronavirus lockdown, Mick Jagger has been working on new material by the band, and by the sounds of it, The Rolling Stones is cooking up a new batch of songs.
During his appearance on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Jagger was asked about how the band’s new material was coming along.
“I don’t know… don’t hold you breath!” he replied. “We recorded a bunch of tracks at the same time we did ‘…Ghost Town’, so actually I’ve been finishing off the vocals and some other instruments on them, and doing some mixes. So I’m working on it.
“We’ve got to get together and do a couple more sessions on them. But we’re not really gonna get together right now. But it sounds good, what we’ve already done—[it] sounds pretty good to me.”
You can listen to Living in a Ghost Town below.
The post Mick Jagger Shares Update on New Rolling Stones Music appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Billie Eilish Shares The Songs That Defined Her Childhood appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Over the last year, Eilish has risen to superstardom. She has taken home more than a dozen prestigious music awards and has received high praise from the likes of Elton John and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.
Now, Eilish has shared the songs that defined her childhood. In an interview with me & dad radio on Apple Music, she shared that Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears were major influences. She is particularly a big fan of “Losing Grip”, a track from Lavigne’s debut album, Let Go.
“But this one came back into my life in 2018, and we used to just get down to this song,” she said of the track. “God…we used to just scream this song in the car. God, this song. This chorus is just like …Oh my God, it’s so good, and the beat…Oh my God.
“I’ve never heard a sound like that in my life. There is no other song like this. There’s no other song. I’m telling you, this song does not get old. I was with all my homies two years ago and we would just scream this song wherever we went. God. Every time I hear that beginning, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s get ready. Okay.’”
Eilish also named Britney Spears and The Beatles among the artists she listened to growing up.
The post Billie Eilish Shares The Songs That Defined Her Childhood appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Every Radiohead Album, Ranked appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Back when Radiohead sounded like a wannabe Pixies, they made this extremely average rock album which they have collectively neglected to play or talk about since.
Hail to the Thief doesn’t have many memorable tracks and sounds a little lost in what it’s trying to be. It’s essentially a weird political album that is musically impressive but missed the mark in places.
“Pyramid Song” raises this album above The Bends but otherwise, it just doesn’t quite live up to Kid A.
King of Limbs is the band’s shortest album but contains some of their most creative and beautiful sounds.
The band’s second album has some fantastic tracks (i.e. “High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees”) but it has some weaker tracks in the middle that let the album down as a whole.
The most recent album is daringly heartfelt and contains an eclectic range of Radiohead’s previous musical achievements.
Kid A marks the start of Radiohead’s experimental phase. Thom Yorke decided that he was ‘bored of playing guitar’ and started playing with strange keyboard sounds instead. The result is amazing though.
The only Radiohead album that could almost pass for happy. The album revives the band’s rock roots with their experimental phase to create musical divinity.
Unanimously one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Radiohead has produced many masterpieces since, but few would argue that OK Computer is utter perfection and to many fans, this will always be Radiohead at its peak.
The post Every Radiohead Album, Ranked appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” is an Excellent DIY Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>Charli XCX first announced the album at the start of April and promised fans that it would arrive by the 15th of May. She said: “It’ll be very DIY — I’ll make it from scratch, very indicative of the times we’re in.” And so, in less than six weeks, the pop innovator sat down to write, record, and produce an album entirely in isolation.
Charli XCX’s deadline may have been ambitious, but How I’m Feeling Now is a futurist-pop album that follows up nicely from 2019’s Charli. It is experimental, innovative and without the typical star-studded collaboration list we’ve come to expect from Charli XCX, the album seems to offer a more authentic insight into the life of the creative pop star.
“Pink Diamond” is a mishmash of futuristic rave sounds and disjointed beats. Charli roars: “I just wanna go real hard!” channeling the clubber’s lockdown frustration. She follows the track up with “forever”, which is accompanied by a music video made up of a compilation of fan video clips. It’s a subterranean-sounding pop song with bubblegum vocals and a relatable sentiment.
As the album unfolds, it meanders through an unusual jumble of sounds. The lack of consistency in the album sounds unpolished, and yet it is the “DIY album” that she promised. The creative freedom that pulses through the album is something to cling onto in these strange isolation anxiety-inducing times. It sounds like an album that Charli XCX made in five-and-a-half weeks of self-isolation, and that is not a bad thing.
Does the album stand up outside the context of self-isolation? In short, yes, it does. Even though its brilliance comes down to Charli’s success in expressing something we are all feeling, these songs will still hold up when we finally do go clubbing. “Pink Diamond” is going to eventually become a pre-drinks banger and “party 4 u” is a song to dance to with your friends as well as on your own.
4/5
The post Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” is an Excellent DIY Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Hayley Williams Tasks New Direction in First Solo Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>“Rage is a quiet thing”, Hayley utters in the opening track “Simmer”. The track snarls and then whispers, powering through a range of emotions with her vocals alone. Musically, “Simmer” takes inspiration from a range of influences. It nods to Christine & The Queens or even Bjork’s debut album. At the heart of the music, however, is Hayley’s own voice — raw and distinct from the band she has been performing with for almost half her life.
“Creepin'” is rooted in emo but moves more towards the fresher sound of Grimes and Poppy. Hayley’s roots are so established that she doesn’t need to honor them. She has earned the right to play with genre and trade distorted guitars for the double bass if it suits her mood.
The second part of the album takes on a more personal tone. Hayley apologizes for the delay on the track “Dead Horse”, claiming she has been “in a depression.” The lyrics are profound but the track plays as a light-hearted pop-rock single. And it really works.
“Why We Ever” concludes the second part of the album. It moves away from pop-rock and instead has R&B influences. It certainly sounds like Hayley has taken inspiration from Solange here. Williams layers her raspy vocals, creating a tune with cool underground tones. The muddy piano adds another layer of instrumentation to the record.
The third and final part of the album opens with the track “Pure Love”. This is a track that would not sound out of place on Paramore’s After Laughter. It has synth-pop tropes and nods back to the 80s. It shifts away from the R&B feel of “Taken” and “Sugar On The Rim”. Funnily enough, it is in these songs that Hayley sounds most comfortable.
Overall, Petals For Armor is a well-rounded album that shows off Hayley’s potential as an artist. For Paramore fans, she will always be the queen of emo but if Hayley continues in this new direction, she will likely gain a host of her own distinct fans too.
4/5
The post Hayley Williams Tasks New Direction in First Solo Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Drake’s “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The opening track, “Deep Pockets”, is comfortable terrain for Drake. The sound feels recycled from 2016’s Views and lyrically, he doesn’t seem to say much. “Not You Too ft. Chris Brown” sounds similarly recycled, this time nodding to 2018’s Scorpion. It’s easy, breezy, but nothing particularly original.
There’s nothing wrong with going back to old sounds but for an artist as innovative as Drake, the majority of the tracks on Dark Lane Demo Tapes feel lazy and disappointing. Rather than pumping out album after album, fans would hardly mind waiting for an album on par with 2013’s Nothing Was The Same. That year, this was the record that set the bar for everyone else. In comparison, Dark Lane Demo Tapes is filled with album fillers and is largely uninspired.
There is the odd stand-out track on the new record. “Tootsie Slide” is catchy and will likely be popular at the clubs when they eventually reopen. Still, it sounds a little eager to jump on the TikTok catchy-snippet trend. “Not You Too”, on the other hand, sounds more out of Drake’s comfort zone. This pays off as unlike many of the other tracks on the album, it doesn’t sound like a reimagining of previous songs.
Later on the year, Drake has promised fans that he will be dropping a “more concise” record. Hopefully, this means that a shorter, more polished record will be heading our way in summer. This would enable us to overlook the complacent mashup that is Dark Lane Demo Tapes.
2/5
The post Drake’s “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post In Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ New Release, the Parts are Greater than the Whole appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The opening and titular track “What Kinda Music” is a strong enough start. There’s an ambient, hip hop mood trickling through the track with some interesting melodies. The track lets itself down with the lyrics, which are lacking. The same can be said about the rest of the album, which is lyrically nostalgic in a translucent way. There’s no poignancy or guttural feeling.
“Nightrider ft. Freddie Gibbs” is a chilled atmospheric track that sounds like music that might be played at a fancy late-night hotel bar. Gibbs raps about late-night drug deals and in the chorus, Misch sings: “High beam, on the dash / I be shaking you down, it’s a wrap / So easily, so easily.”
“Tidal Wave” features some more interesting drumming from Dayes. Things pick up here and carry on throughout the rest of the album. The rhythm is playful and Dayes’ percussive solos find their own space. This is true for the tracks that follow, particularly “Kyiv” which has a somewhat funkier feel.
“Lift Off” with its funky vibes and experimental instrumentation is an album highlight. Dayes and Misch flirt with genre and make a case for contemporary jazz. While the track is musically great, it perhaps plays as more of a jam session than a track for the listener. There’s a sultry indulgence to it which makes for good background music, but leaves little room for the listener to engage.
Although What Kinda Music is impressive musically, it does seem to be lacking something. Lyrically, it makes no impassioned statements and while this is not a requirement of music, the lack of passion throughout makes it feel like the listener has been left out of the production of the record. The result is an album that is enjoyable enough to listen to, but never really commands our attention.
3/5
The post In Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ New Release, the Parts are Greater than the Whole appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The post Fiona Apple’s “‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.
]]>The record opens with “I Want You To Love Me”. Jazzy beats are followed by classical piano and Fiona’s indie Kate Moss revival vocals. It’s a kind of jazzy pop that is rare to stumble across. Fiona’s experimentation is playful while her voice is more powerful than ever. She growls and whines with an alluring raspiness that pulls us in. The opening track sets the tone for an album that will continue to entice and surprise.
The album’s titular track “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” was one of the last song’s Fiona wrote for the album. The track is prime for a Tiny Desk Concert. The double bass is what pulls the track along and Fiona uses her voice in the most minimal way possible. She flirts lyrics somewhere between singing and talking, creating a sound that is both soothing and gritty.
“Under The Table” is a wickedly confident song with flirtatious jazz piano. Fiona sings: “Kick me under the table all you want / I won’t shut up, I won’t shut up.” Fiona is fierce and will not be hushed when she has an opinion. “I would beg to disagree,” she quips, championing defiance.
“Ladies” is an anthem of female solidarity. The sentiment is a beautiful one – never feel inferior as a result of comparing yourself to another woman. Each love is unique and your partner’s previous feelings should not be set up as competing with his feelings for you. Fiona sings: “And no love is like any other love / So it would be insane to make a comparison with you.” She charmingly adds: “There’s a dress in the closet / Don’t get rid of it, you’d look good in it.”
As a whole, Fetch The Bolt Cutters is a sultry album that oozes raw strength and femininity. It’s a little bit jazzy, a little bit poppy, and extremely moreish. It may have been eight years since Fiona’s last album, but it has definitely been worth the wait.
5/5
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]]>The album’s opener “The Adults Are Talking” is an upbeat introduction. The guitars are as playful as ever and yet Julian Casablancas sounds slightly defeated. It’s a little difficult to pick out the lyrics and yet the song has enough hooks to warrant repeat listening. It’s the guitar melodies that you’ll be singing along to rather than the words.
“Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” is a throwback 80s pop anthem. It plays with synths in a way that Tame Impala have been leaning towards of late. Casablancas quips: “And the Eighties bands, where did they go?” It’s this playful albeit depressing nostalgia that trickles through the album. In the chorus, he claims: ” I want new friends, but they don’t want me / They’re making plans while I watch TV / Thought it was them, but maybe it’s me / I want new friends, but they don’t want me.” Is this another great indie band looking back to the good old days when everyone wanted to be their friend?
Yes, and no. Although there is a nostalgic tone to the album, it is more of a celebration of new wave through the decades. In “Bad Decisions” Casablanca looks back to a time before he was born, hinting that the nostalgia is more than a personal longing. To the tune of “Dancing With Myself”, Casablanca looks back at Moscow in the 70s and drones “Oh, making bad decisions.”
“Why Are Sunday’s So Depressing” is another strange drone about how The Strokes reckon nobody likes them. “All my friends left, and they don’t miss me,” Casablanca sings. What makes this whining palatable is the strong melodies that carry not just this song in particular, but the entire album. Whatever Casablanca is singing, it’s hard not to feel like you are having a good time while listening to it.
Although The New Abnormal is not up to the standards of their breakthrough album, Is This It, it is certainly up there with the best of The Strokes. It’s a solid indie album and during these abnormal times, The New Abnormal is exactly what are depressing Sunday afternoon needs.
3.5/5
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