Wednesday 10 December 2014

Review - Space Guerilla

Space Guerilla
Boundless EP

 This album is immense. That's the word that springs to mind, immense - there's just a bigness to this EP, a sense of size and weight that most rock music these days is sorely lacking. It's heavy, but not in an aggressive way - this is a joyful, uplifting kind of heaviness, closer to Jimi Hendrix than Godflesh. Space Guerilla are a jam band par excellence - the five instrumental tracks that make up this twenty-three minute EP all sound like something a band would bash out at a rehearsal, but they've been honed, perfected, as if the band have road-tested them considerably. There's something for everyone on here - stunning riffs, perfectly swinging rhythms, masterful solos. If you don;t like Space Guerilla, you don't like rock music.

8/10

Friday 5 December 2014

Review - Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks
Broke With Expensive Taste

I would struggle to tell you what most of the songs on this album are about - I was so caught up in the music I missed most of the lyrics. That very rarely happens to me. In fact, I can't think of another album this year that's had that effect on me. Then again, this was bound to be something special - anyone who heard "212" (ie. everyone) already knew Banks had serious talent. What noone could have predicted was just how good it would be.  This album is a perfect storm; it takes a rapper who would sound great over any backing track and pairs her with backing tracks that would sound great regardless of who did the vocals. The result, as you can imagine, is a hell of a record. It's full of those moments that make you pause the track and stare at the computer screen, thinking, How the fuck did she do that? Hell, there are about three of those moments on "212" alone.

The best word I can think of to describe this album is "euphoric". It's just...fun. I can honestly say that this was one of the most enjoyable albums I've heard all year. It's fast, energetic, with Banks' lyrics piled up on each other against frenetically upbeat music - basically, you should buy this.

9/10