Lady Gaga - Born This Way

The highly anticipated new album was set out to be rougher than its predecessor, rawer and with a rock edge to it. That is definately the case, but au fond not much has changed. Lady Gaga herself is still about as subtle as a freight train, Haus of Gaga remains little more than a desperately sustained mirage and she finally confirms - implicitly - that the message is in fact more important than the music. 

One question many were interested in finding the answer to was if Lady Gaga would finally be able to walk the walk with this follow-up to The Fame, her commercial break-through from 2008. What about those heckling Gaga for making artistic claims she can hardly live up to? Well, there’s still no argument there. Of course in part Gaga did this to herself, in raising the bar to such high levels she was unable to attain them – for that her music always lacked true originality and at least one extra dimension. What is worse is that it seems that she’s not even trying to live up to any musical expectations. The problem with Born this Way musically is twofold. First of all there is no denying that Gaga’s musical vision consists in ravaging the pop archives, while at the same time copying and pasting the best bits from anything she can lay her hands on under the guise of divine inspiration. That in itself isn’t even the real issue though (although a little acknowledgement wouldn’t hurt either). The underlying tragedy, however, is the questionable frame of reference from which Born This Way was compiled, an occasionally clever, but rarely original mix of Madonna’s best years, nineties eurodance and some of the most generic dance beats available today. And granted, the US was largely spared from the horrors of eurotrash, but making up for that now can hardly be considered avant-garde.

One artist is never far away on Born This Way and that’s Madonna, the queen herself whose throne Gaga so eagerly preys. Pushing boundaries since the early eighties – and pretty much coasting since the late nineties, Madonna has defined mainstream pop music and left few taboos left to break. That creates substantial difficulties for Gaga, who has experienced similar issues with previous releases, showcasing an inability to create music that is as groundbreaking as her personality – or at least carry the same shock value. Either way, Born This Way is quite heavily indebted to that wretched woman who did it all first. Not always quite as in the face as ‘Born This Way’, which essentially borrows an entire melody line. But more often than not a picture springs to mind including enigmatic black and white imagery, androgynous dancers, vogueing and – referencing the post-2000 Madonna – soft-core porn with a club-dance soundtrack. One the one hand it’s fairly disappointing to see her copy Madge – the proverbial grandmother monster – so gratuitously, as if innovation in the pop scene reached its end point with the release of Like a Prayer back in 1989. On the other hand it’s sad to see her add so little of her own interpretation to musical ideas many of which are older than her.

Not that Born This Way is a bad record. Part of its strength stems from the fact that like no other Lady Gaga knows how to create pop anthems. She did so with ‘Poker Face’, repeated the trick with ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Born This Way’ completed the hat trick – not a particularly good song, but a resilient son-of-a-bitch. Lyrically it almost sounded as if she had gone a little bit soft, but the song’s forceful, almost aggressive club beat, made almost everyone forget that in essence ‘Born This Way’ was a fairly mediocre B-version of its predecessor. Same goes for ‘Judas’, which is about as literal as you can go in emulating your own work, without ameliorating. Songs like ‘Government Hooker’ – a pretty decent piece of electro pop - and ‘Bad Kids’ prove though, that in the end Lady Gaga knows how to make a pop record, perhaps better than anyone. It’s when she exaggerates the least, that she creates truly enjoyable tracks. The other half of the album contains tracks like ‘Black Jesus – Amen Fashion’ – a pretty straight-up Madonna-reference complete with the very retro line ‘Jesus is the new black’ (Hello, 1988? You want your provocative-for-the-time reference to Catholicism back?). Or ‘Scheisse’, with its delightfully distasteful eurodance sound and German lyrics, a track that is both vulgar and irresistible, which is pretty amazing to pull off. And in the end it does prove that Born This Way ís a pretty okay record, despite what criticisms I may have. What it is not, however, is an interesting record. Club anthems – no matter how strong – have a limited scope in the long run and some of the more eccentric choices on the album risk going out of style soon – to the extent they haven’t already. ‘Americano’ is a prime example, leaving you somewhat in doubt as to whether you’re listening to a pop singer or a drag queen on a theme night.

So to sum up, Born This Way is a far cry from the milestone it was set out to be. After two years of the benefit of the doubt Lady Gaga finally followed suit in the way that she removed all doubt as to what she is about as an artist. And that is not Gaga, reinventer of pop, bringer of a new kind of pop music. Anno 2011 producing easily digestible dance tracks with a hint of eccentricity seems about as far as Gaga wishes to diverge from the norm. Maximum inclusion is the goal, a goal for which anything that could even remotely put of anyone is cleverly avoided, resulting in disappointingly ordinary songs. And then it dawned on me: What Gaga is really about transcends the musical level. She represents a concept, a lifestyle, a vision of a better society in which racial, sexual and ideological differences no longer exist. Just a shame she so blatantly neglected the musical side of her story.

But then again, that was probably never her real intent. Make no mistake, Gaga and everything surrounding her has little to do with art, not even loosely. And in these times of cross-media culture that is just as much a part of the total concept. Not the most essential component tough, and it’s a shame that Gaga seems satisfied with uniting as many people as possible under the flag of tolerance, when she could be doing that while also rethinking the sound of pop music. But who knows, maybe she’ll surprise us someday in coming up with something genuinely innovative –Madonna managed pulled Ray of Light out of her sleeve in 1998, before finally succumbing to complete and utter irrelevance. So who knows? Meanwhile Born This Way is a let-down, establishing Gaga once and for all as a pop singer – and a crafty one at that – but far from a pop visionary. And while there is no shame in that, if your plan is to overtake the world then ‘no worse than the others with an occasional stroke of above-average’ just doesn’t cut it.

Tracklist

1. Marry The Night

2. Born This Way

3. Government Hooker

4. Judas

5. Americano

6. Hair

7. Scheisse

8. Bloody Mary

9. Black Jesus - Amen Fashion

10. Bad Kids

11. Fashion of His Love

12. Highway Unicorn

13. Heavy Metal Lover

14. Electric Chapel

15. The Queen

16. Yoü and I

17. The Edge Of Glory

Katy B live @ Botanique (Orangerie)

Summary: ‘This right here I swear will end too soon’

Katy B is one of the few female pop singers that manage to create a distinct sound and produce smart, above-average lyrics, putting her in good company (La Roux, Robyn). Her performance last week at the Orangerie (Botanique) was not sensational, but her intelligent mix of dubstep, house, garage and pop sounds in combination with a range of strong songs and a colorful personality proved quite entertaining.

There was no support act opening for Katy B during her Belgian gig last Thursday, and I personally didn’t really mind, as it saved me about 30 minutes of pretending. Don’t get me wrong, support acts sometimes prove to be something of a revelation (Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month), and on rare occasions hey can even outplay the main act (that same Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month). But an unusually early exam preceded by getting up at an untimely hour and undercompensated by staying up too late (granted, the latter should always be avoided) can wear a guy down, let me tell you. But make no mistake, after her fantastic debut ‘On A Mission’ I was still pretty excited to find out to what extent Katy B could live up my expectations during a live performance. Extra reason to be excited, it was her first gig outside the UK, making it a pretty special event.

Katy B managed to engage the crowd right from the start, not least thanks to her surprisingly diverse band (smart move choosing to include a trumpet and saxophone player). Despite her young age, B showed herself quite the entertainer. As disconnected as Patrick Wolf had seemed, that’s how much fun B was having, something she wanted to share with the audience. Songs like ‘Disappear’, ‘Go Away’, ‘Witches Brew’ and ‘Movement’ were all it took to start a party. In between songs, B took some time to get to connect with the people, which was much appreciated. ‘Easy Please Me’ went out to all the guys – along with the advice to put in some effort – and ‘Perfect Stranger’ was accompanied with an encouragement to find your inner dance (‘everyone has their little dance’) and get acquainted with the person next to you. ‘On A Mission’ was saved for last, after which the band returned for ‘Lights Off’ and album bonus track ‘Water’.

In many ways Katy B is everything Jessie J (eerie, isn’t it?) aspires to be. She’s got attitude, without feeling an urge to show off. Her clever and subtle sampling makes for a sound that is still broad enough for large audiences, without leaning to the middle of the road. And vocally she’s staying true to her own style, without sounding overly pedantic. Altogether Katy B left a solid first impression on the European continent and there’s no doubt that there is room for improvement (she’s only 21!). Not quite perfect yet, but close. Which leaves me with just one lame pun to sign out with: B+ (*)!

(*) told you it was lame

CocknBullKid - Adulthood

Two heavily anticipated pop albums were released this Monday, both by female artists claiming some sort of guiding role in today’s pop world. Overlooking the fact that I am likely the only person in the world who would put this one on the same level as the Mother Monster herself, this review could at least show that is more than one possible guiding star in the heavenly firmament.

Two long years it’s been since I first discovered the musical stylings of London-based artist Anita Blay, aka CocknBullKid. Back then she went by the pen name of thecocknbullkid (that’s no apostrophes and all lower case). She released two singles (‘On My Own’ in 2008 and ‘I’m Not Sorry’ the next year) and one EP – Querelle. Self-proclaimed UK pop hope, Blay proved to be one of few artists that can actually walk the walk they talk about. Her songs didn’t only set, but raised the standards of what pop songs ought to sound like: poppy and light as a feather – carried wonderfully by Blay’s distinctive voice – but counterbalanced with the perfect amount of emotional baggage, smart lyrics and exciting musical arrangements to surpass the 12-minute lifespan of the average pop music contraption. After her debut EP she went off the radar again – to the extent that she had ever actually been on the radar –exploring a vast array of musical influences trying to establish a sound of her own and working on her debut album. And that nearly two-year long process has now resulted in Adulthood, already one of the top pop albums of the year.

So suffice to say she took her sweet time. And on that note, opening track Adulthood feels more like an intro stretched to the length off a full song than anything else. The next track – CocknBullKid – really sets the tone of Blay’s (slightly changed) style. And kids, you better hold on to your stockings, because this is going to be a rollercoaster of happy thought – or at least happy approach to bad thoughts. Adulthood has an almost therapeutic feel to it and in itself there is not much novelty value to that – fighting adversity is one of the open doors in the pop scene. Still, Blay manages to put something extra on the table in the way she executes that concept.  ‘Hold on to Your Misery’ is one of more incredibly upbeat tracks, and tackles bad feelings in such a childlike naïveté is can’t help but charm. ‘Hold on to what makes you cold; wear it like a badge of pride wherever you go’.   By now it should be clear that in its essence, Blay’s music centers around an overwhelming sensation of optimism.

Equally irresistible is Blay’s take on a love song – ‘One Eye Closed’ – in which she takes on the challenge of convincing her target of the predestination of their love. And she does it in undiluted Cocknbullkid-style: sweet, decisive and with a huge amount of optimism. ‘Every day is torture, but every day I come a little closer; you can run but I’ll run faster’. But just when you feel you’re about to overdose on all that sweet stuff, Blay manages to either strike an emotional chord or lace her songs with a side of humor or sarcasm. ‘Dumb’ for instance, which shows Blay contemplating over a failed love (‘I know it’s over, but still; I know, it’s dumb’) is simple, but it will crawl under your skin. On ‘I Deserve It’ Blay plays the role of a friend that screwed up, but doesn’t run away from her responsibility. It’s just that mature, approachable and joyful attitude that epitomizes CocknBullkid as an artist. And that even makes the silly bad-ass rant at the end of the song bearable. ‘Happy Birthday’ – quite possibly one of the funniest and saddest birthday songs – makes for a delightfully sardonic epilogue.

From time to time CocknBullKid could sound a little more ballsy (I had to have it!), and that is mostly because her earlier music suggested that her name was an actual statement, rather than just a name. At first glance, one could assert that Blay lost some of her edge, compared to her 2008-’09 releases. And there is definitely some validity to that assertion. It’s hard to look past the incredibly in your face, optimistic, streamlined-to-perfection nature of the album, a veritable pinnacle of poppiness.  So yes, it would appear as if CocknBullKid shifted slightly towards the center. And one could wonder why someone who lists M.I.A and Little Richard as musical influences would need two years to come up with the less-than-revolutionary final sound she did. Especially given that that sounds feels like a polished version of a more snappy original draft.

But on the other hand, it might be good to refrain for once from the kind of musical snobbery that applauds artists who turn their back on mainstream music as explicitly as M.I.A. (to name one) does, while condemning anyone who decides to go with a strategy opposite to that. There is, after all, nothing wrong with pop music, and there is no use regretting what could have been. And on the whole Adulthood sets itself apart from the crowd more than sufficiently to remain the shimmer of light in the ever more one-dimensional mainstream pop scene I hoped it would be. The album is about love, without falling in the pitfalls of corniness, it’s about facing life head-on, without sounding like a self-help pamphlet. It’s basically a 46-minute optimism-high that should at least form a tiny part in everybody’s path to adulthood. And in that CocknBullKid lives up to her claims of being one of the UK’s pop hopes.

Tracklist

1. Adulthood

2. CocknBullKid

3. Hold On To Your Misery

4. Yellow

5. One Eye Closed

6. Distractions

7. Bellyache

8. Mexico

9. Asthma Attack

10. Hoarder

11. Dumb

12. I Deserve It

13. Happy Birthday

Architecture in Helsinki - Moment Bends

Tagline: 'Alphabeat on valium'

On their fourth long player, Australian indie pop band  Architecture in Helsinki does what it does best: making a record composed entirely out of enthusiasm, happy thoughts and streamlined, bubblegum pop songs. Moreover, it might just be their most accessible album thus far. Moment Bends is one of those albums you could probably describe as a little mellow - although some might argue that it is rather very mellow. Whether or not that is a good thing, will depend on whose listening, but either way it is very irresistible music. 

Moment Bends takes of with the dreamy 'Dessert Island', a soft-voiced love song, floating on a smooth synth vibe. And what else but a pan flute  is throw into the mix to pimp up the whole thing. The song is followed by even more excitement with 'Escapee', a virtually weightless air bubble of a song, breating
More bouncy-bouncy electropop in 'Yr Go To', a song so obnoxiously happy, it almost hurts (the wedding bells!). But by then, you'll probably already be sucked into the vortex, so there's a chance you won't mind. On 'Sleep Talkin' it will be hard no to imagine lying on a bed of fluffy white clouds, while wearing a night gown and night cap. And on 'I Know Deep Down' we reach the blissful pinnacle of the album's sugar sweet happy vibe. Perceptive listeners will notice how the first note strikingly ressembles the opening tone of Justin Bieber's 'Baby'. If you're not hearing that, it's because you don't want to (an understandable case of selective deafness), but it's a great song either way. Another enjoyable track it 'That Beep', which was released as the lead single of their That Beep EP back in 2008. Like so much on the record, any efforts to find some tangible depth will be fruitless on this track once again, but the playfulness and sincere excitement with which the band brings the song make up for a lot. In fact, for those who secretly don't mind the extreme optimism Architecture in Helsinki shares with the Danes of Alphabeat, Moment Bends will most likely contain few flaws.

And now for the bad news: at times the band's sweetness can start to annoy a little. After a while the album can start to feel like one long valium-induced trip. Joyful, but also a bit numb and over-the-top in a bit of an artificial way and believe me, after half an album that can start to tire. In a way Moment Bends sometimes evoked the sensation I experienced as a kid playing Tombi, after he had defeated the Forest Evil Pig (aka the light blue one), thus bringing the dwarf village back to its original state of joy. Sure, I'd happy for the dwarves, but the unbareable lightness of their existence and even more so the excrutiatingly empathic, mellifluent tunes that went with the new world, would strongly dissuade me from spending much more time there. Much like that obscure 1990's gaming reference, Architecture in Helsinki will probably not speak to everyone, nor will its lightness appeal to everyone. But in small doses there should be a time and place in everybody's life for bouncy pop tunes, soft, dreamy vocals and the whole fanfare thing. And sure, on the wrong timing it may also lead to a murderous rage. But it's still worth giving a try. You never know. 


Value seekers may want to check out their second album In Case We Die, which offers just a little more avant-garde and just a little less indie pop. And if it can all sound a little more grown up, their fellow Australians from Cut Copy might be your thing.

Tracklist
1. Desert Island
2. Escapee
3. Contact High
4. W.O.W.
5. Yr Go To
6. Sleep Talkin
7. I Know Deep Down
8. That Beep
9. Denial Style
10. Everything's Blue
11. B4 3D

Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

Mississippi-born popstar Britney Spears first rose to prominence when she featured as a child laborer in the New Mickey Mouse Club, one of Disney's many ways to construct and distribute prefabricated pseudo-happiness. In 1998 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' propelled her to stardom and from then on, her path has not always been a steady one. With In The Zone, she proved that with the right entourage she was capable of remaining a somewhat relevant artist in the pop scene once the initial fad had worn of - albeit clearly in the lighter regions of the genre. Songs like 'Toxic' were nothing less than perfect pop music, and Spears even took some creative control (although it's probably best not to overstate that fact). Unfortunately though, subsequent to her newfound glory, Spears crashed and burned the way only professionally made artists can lose grip. Years of intense marketing and industrial quantities of producers had failed to provide her with anything even remotely close to a personal identity and like so many former child stars, Spears had never had to care of think about anything involved with her stage persona. One thing neither Disney, nor mainstream record companies seem to consider as being very important is inserting some form resilience and personality into the their human money factories. And when that framework then all of a sudden disappears, they all succumb to disaster and tragedy at some point. It will happen to the Biebster as well.

The media jumped on the former sweetheart's demise and as things go, she found herself falling from grace faster than a speeding bullet. Until she was picked up again in 2007. By the time she had gone about as white trash as one can get, but nontheless her new album Blackout did put her back on the map and although it would still take a while for the singer to get things back on track, by the time she released Circus in 2008 it seemed as if the old Britney Spears had been resurrected. At risk of overstating things, one could even argue that Spears had established herself as one of the truly relevant pop artists of the decade, not just in terms of record sales, but also critically. And that is why I, in good conscience, can't ignore the release of her seventh studio album. Because at this time there cannot be anyone left who doesn't have some sort of affinity with her music. After all, there is not much that lights up a party like a Britney song. Whether it's an oldie everyone knows the lyrics to, without ever admitting to liking it, or one of her more recent songs, which have never displayed much depth, but nontheless have a undeniable irresistibility. 

But alas. Blackout and Circus showed promise, but unfortunately Femme Fatale doesn't leave much of an imprint at all. It seems that in the end the personal issues, the psychological exhaustion over years of being used up by a greedy industry and the crazy inherent to most everyone beneath the Mason-Dixon line have irreversibly caught up with her. The joy is gone - as is a significant part of her motor skills - and there is a certain sadness surrounding the singer. Not that Femme Fatale is not a perfectly polished pop product. But the songs sound dead and a similar tired and cold vibe comes from Spears herself as her voice is excessively auto-tuned, ridding it of any human emotion. Even though songs like 'Hold It Against Me' have potential, the record as a whole feels forced and mechanical. The agressive dance beats ('Till The World Ends') might get you dancing at first, but won't hold your attention for even the 45 minute duration of the album. Songs like 'Inside Out' and 'I Wanna Go' can just maintain a weak sense of experimentering, without ever really wandering of the middle of the road (and that is taking in account that the latter all too often reminds of something David Guetta could have thrown up). But the dreadful second half of the album, consistently ignoring the existence of 90's eurodance, is what really sinks the deal, with yet another Will.i.am carbon copy as a sad pinnacle. 

So all in all Femme Fatale does not live up to the expectations that could be held, albeit that that is only in part due to the interchangeability of the songs and sounds. The other part is the lifelessness on display here and the overtly impersonal feel of the record. In that respect Femme Fatale is very much in line with the work she did in her early days (Disney and Hit Me Baby) in that is just as fake, staged and overproduced. Sadly though, in this 2011 update, the underlying tragedy shimmers through. And in that way it should be a warning to soccer parents around the globe to take it down a notch. Musically the album is catchy at best, but at its worst, it is unbareably hollow and produced to the point of sounding dead. Much like Spears herself lately: bright and cheerful on the outside, but dead behind the eyes.

Tracklist

1. Till The World Ends

2. Hold It Against Me

3. Inside Out

4. I Wanna Do

5. How I Roll

6. (Drop Dead) Beautiful (ft. Sabi)

7. Seal It With A Kiss

8. Big Fat Ass (ft. Will.i.am)

9. Trouble For Me

10. Trip To Your Heart

11. Gasoline

12. Criminal

Jessie J - Who Are You?

She is the sound of 2011 according to the BBC's annual poll. The release of her debut album Who Are You? was brought forward due to popular demand. And in addition to that she won the prestigious 'Critic's Choice Award' at this years BRIT Awards, stepping in the footsteps of Florence Welch (2009) and Ellie Goulding (2010). And yet it's easy to cherish low expectations towards Jessica Cornish - aka Jessie J. And that is not altogether justified. Because granting that it's usually the more chart-friendly artists who prevail in these hype lists over their more alternative counterparts, those 'mainstreamers' - among whom Little Boots, Adele and Duffy - have still proven themselves more interesting than your average Britney, Miley or Katy. And Jessie J is certainly not just another faceless pop starlet with a pretty face and a record deal.

Having said that, this debut didn't turn out to be the punch in the stomach first single 'Do It Like A Dude' led to believe. It is however, a pretty okay pop album, no triumph, but definately containing a few strong moments. The opening duo 'Price Tag'/'Nobody's Perfect' for starters. 'Price Tag' (ft. B.o.B.) is unpretentious, optimistic and sunny, in short the perfect pop song. 'We Just wanna make the world dance, forget about the price tag', Cornish sings in a haze of happiness. If there is a song out there at this moment that better captures the evergrowing longing for summer, I have yet to hear it. It's followed by 'Nobody's Perfect', in which the singer curses her own big mouth. It's not as if we haven't already heard a gazillion similar songs about feeling sorry about hurting a friend, but for some reason this one does the trick. And could you resist the insanely catchy, pompous-in-a-good-way warrior song 'Do It Like A Dude'? By the way, Jessie J has a better voice then you would maybe give her credit for. That is, better than you might expect, but perhaps not quite as good as she herself seems to think, judging from the somewhat all over the place vocals acrobatics on tracks like 'Big White Room'. Sometimes less is more. 

Besides a few genuinely promising track Who Are You? also contains a handful of middle-of-the-road pop/R&B songs. All too often however Cornish lapses into lyrical clichés, the reason for which may lie in background as a co-writer (she co-wrote 'Party In The USA' for Miley Cyrus among other work). Cornish garnered attention by co-writing songs for other artists and legend has it that 'Do It Like A Dude' was originally  intended for Rihanna. When that didn't work out she would have decided to use it for herself. It's a niche that works out fine for her, as she proves through tracks like 'LOVE', which take their strength from the fact that they at least feel personal as opposed to a song she's write for someone else. But it sometimes results in a fairly recognisable sound with strong references to the kind of artists she used to write for. 1990's R&B track 'Abracadabra' holds suspicious resemblance to Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dreams' in the chorus. 'Rainbow' even feels a bit weak to be a Beyoncé song while 'Mamma Knows Best' sounds like a mash-up of plan B (with whom she toured) and Gwen Stefani's 'The Sweet Escape'.

Is there then nothing that sets her apart from the crowd? Sure there is. The fact that she at least writes her own material and the fact that she's more than a one-dimensional cardboard cut-out of a singer makes even the weakest songs at least bearable. And at the same time no, there isn't. Who Are You rarely runs truly deep and at this point in her career, maybe that isn't her number one musical priority. Chances are that Cornish won't be remembered for this debut. Hell, chance are she won't be remembered at all. Time will tell whether or not she'll really set herself apart from the pop mainstream. The potential is definately there, but right now it seems she's still not willing to step outside of her comfort zone. But in the meantime she has nonetheless produced a fairly enjoyable album for the summer.

Tracklist

1. Price Tag (ft. B.o.B.)

2. Nobody's Perfect

3. Abracadabra

4. Big White Room (live)

5. Casualty of Love

6. Rainbow

7. Who's Laughing Now

8. Do It Like a Dude

9. Mamma Knows Best

10. L.OV.E.

11. Stand Up

12. I Need This

13. Who Are You
Bonus tracks
14. Price Tag (accoustic version)
15. Do It Like A Dude (accoustic version)
16. Who Are You (live accoustic version)
17. Price Tag (ft. B.o.B.; music video)
18. Do It Like A Dude (music video)

Hurts live @ Ancienne Belgique

Harvey Quinnt

Clare Maguire was supposed to support Hurts in Brussels, but circumstances forced her to cancell a few weeks prior to the concert. Antwerp-based band Harvey Quinnt substituted for her and quite frankly, it didn't work for me. And that's not them, it's me. Although in a way it was them. In the way that they are simply not Clare Maguire. Brave effort though.

Hurts

Fishing in the same new-wave pond many consider to have been emptied by bands like Editors, Manchester-based band Hurts received mostly mixed reviews for their 2010 debut Happiness. But while musical taste will always be debatable and taking in account that the band consistently walks the fine line between heartfelt and overly pathetic, few could deny that singer Theo Hutchcraft and synth player Adam Anderson dispose of a perfectly stylized act and an arsenal of well-crafted songs. The question that remained to be answered then, was whether their flawlessly constructed concept and enigmatic presence would resound in front of a live audience. Because even the best construction will flatline when there's no connection.

The show began with an impressive audiovisual intro, during which the band formally entered the stage, opening with 'Unspoken'. Hutchcraft's twitching hand gestures looked somewhat exagerated, but other than that his vocals were up to standards. After that Hurts pulled out the big guns with album opener 'Silver Lining' and 'Wonderful Life', their biggest hit to date. 'Evelyn' and 'Sunday' marked the loud moment in the set, expressed by Hutchcraft dramatically wielding his microphone stand around. All impressively streamlined and of course that slightly killed off the spontaneity of the show. Not a single unneeded word, every outburst feeling a bit rehearsed. Sometimes Hurts got a bit lost in their self-imposed theatrics, with the bouquet of white roses thrown into the audience one rose at a time as somewhat of a pinnacle. One of the highlights of the show was nonetheless their Kylie duet 'Devotion', followed by their own cover version of Minogue's 'Confide In Me', a more subdued pair of songs. It was at these moments that you could spot the sincerity behind the orchestration. After the swelling duo 'Stay' and 'Illuminated' the lead duo left the stage, as there band stayed on, remaining there frozen until Hutchcraft and Anderson deemed it time to return (and they took their sweet time) for one encore: 'Better Than Love'. End of a flawlessly executed set without a single weak moment. Nothing unexpected either, but quality-wise there was not much to be critisized.

The main default was maybe the interaction with the audience (or the lack of it), which throughout the concert rarely surpassed a modest 'thanks very much' from Hutchcraft. Meanwhile Anderson ceremoniously accompanied him behind his piano with the air of a classical composer. Seriously, you have enigmatic and then you have enigmatic for the sake of being enigmatic. And at times it felt as if appearance was more important than connecting with the audience. That could mean two things. One, that Hurts is a pair of pretentious snobs, whose heavily new-wave inspired, almost sacral concept doesn't allow for interaction. Or, it could be growing pains that will eventually wear off as they evolve, letting loose a little their rigid and sometimes slightly pompous gestures. Their show lead on to believe that it's most likely to be the second option.

Clare Maguire - Light After Dark

Tagline: 'This big-voiced belter from Birmingham doesn't need X Factor to get her talent heard. Amy Winehouse, you have been warned...' (The Guardian, in a generally positive mood, as per usual)

Things are moving fast for Irish nightingale Clare Maguire since the BBC named her one of the most promising new artists for 2011. She has since recorded her first album, was named Q magazine's biggest new voice and toured alongside synthpop band Hurts. She has even left leadsinger Theo Hutchcraft speechless and received praise from La Roux' Elly Jackson for her honest emotions. So high expectations for the 23 year old singer born in Solihull. And listening to Clare Maguire's debut Light After Dark, it's difficult not to make comparisons with some other. Strong women like Florence Welch or Anna Calvi on the one hand, women with an astonishing voice and a personality to match. On the other end of the scale however a comparison with X Factor winner Leona Lewis springs to mind. Sure, she can sing, but who gives a damn if you have the personality of a sock puppet. Maguire seems to fall somewhere in the middle with her debut. 

Light After Dark takes off promising with Maguire's vocal acrobatics drawing you closer in the appropriatly titled opener 'Are You Ready?' followed by 'Shield and Sword', a powerful pop track in full Florence + the Machine gear. Unfortunately Light After Dark sometimes sounds too much like a crowd-pleaser. Ballad 'You're Electric' reeks of the whole Leone Lewis R&B with a hint of synth set-up and never surpasses the average. And the crowd-pleasing culminates in 'I surrender', a pretty standard, radio-friendly pop track inches away from being one of those generic dance-pop abortions x-facor marionets such as Agnes would happily sign for. Of course the record never gets close to really going haywire. Because if all else fails, Maguire still has her voice to fall back on, which instantly lift everything up a notch. Toward melodrama on the better moments reaching Florence or Anna levels. On the weaker moments though the songs border on cheesy ('Bullet') or even sound a little dull ('Freedom'). When she does hit the mark though, she shows that this album may not yet be fully representative of her full potential. The thrilling and dramatic 'Ain't Nobody' for instance, her debut single, which makes for one of the highlights of the record. The only real problem now is consistency as she combines her incredible voice, a couple of hit-and-miss ballads worthy of the greatest 1980's soulpop diva's (try to suppress a Miranda-moment during 'Break These Chains') and a few generic choises with glimps of excellence here and there ('Sweet Lie', 'Shield and Sword', 'Ain't Nobody').

The album was produced by Fraser T. Smith, who has previously produced charttoppers for radio-friendly pop diva's like Kylie Minogue, Adele  and Tayo Cruz and that's not hard to hear. Perfectly mainstreamed pop tunes for the greater audience, yes, but not the most interesting credentials in terms of taking risks. And the main issue with this record is that Smith's overpolished tracks sometimes lack the emotional tension these songs so desperately crave, something even Maguire at full range can't compensate. Clare Maguire clearly shows that she is talented, but her debut can't avoid a certain hollowness, at times sounding pompous and overcomposed rather than deep and layered. So from a critic's point of view this album - albeit decent in every way - falls a bit short from being the show-stopper it could have been - and going of on the pre-release buzz should have been. Clare Maguire may not need X Factor to get her talent heard, but for the time being she does seem to need the X Factor framework. But on a bright note, there's little doubt that it will sell well at next year's Grammy's.

Tracklist

1. Are You Ready? (Intro)

2. Shield And Sword

3. Last Dance

4. Freedom

5. I Surrender

6. Bullet

7. Happiest Pretenders

8. Sweet Lie

9. Break These Chains

10. You're Electric

11. Ain't Nobody

12. Light After Dark

13. This Is Not The End

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Tagline: 'High-Pitched Woman: The Right To Be Yourself (Lykke Li on Pitchfork)'

It's been three years since Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson - otherwise known as Lykke Li - debuted with 'Youth Novels', a critically acclaimed debut which launched the Swedish singer as one of those artists to watch for the future. Over the past three years a lot has changed and Lykke Li seems more than ready to break out of the box some media put her into three years ago. 'Because you're a woman the music industry puts you in another corner, she told Pitchforkmedia recently. 'I want to be fighting with the men'. And she was fed up with being cathegorized as the cute female pop singer. Consequently, her sophomore effort Wounded Rhymes feels a lot darker and gloomier than its predecessor and most importantly, the cuteness is gone. First single 'Get Some' released late last year showed us a snapshot preview, the full album validates the transformation into adulthood. At age 25 Lykke Li went from girl to woman, and a strong one at that.

The first thing to strike is the fact that musically Zachrisson is going for a much fiercer sound on Wounded Rhymes. Long gone is the sweet girl blushfully sharing her boy crush in 'Little Bit'. This time she's in charge and there's not a whole lot that will stop her. Opener 'Youth Knows No Pain' immediatly sets the mood.  Tribal beats dance around to the tunes of one of those baseball hymn organs, while the singer celebrates the endless possibilitues youth offers. 'Youth knows no pain, honey, so throw yourself to pieces'.  As far as breaking out goes, she's off to a good start. On 'I Follow Rivers' she continues on that note, propeled by the song's oriental rhythms, subtly referring to 'Little Bit', only without the naiveté and sweetness that sometimes marked Youth Novels. On lead single 'Get Some' - released in October last year - Zachrisson is in full charge, declaring 'I'm your prostitute'. A case of pure powerplay, as the singer creeps into the fantasy of men, tightening her grip on them while letting them think it's the other way around. The clip going with the song shows a mix of intruiging black-and-white footage and the singer dancing in tribal manner radiating both seduction and danger.

As the dust settles down Lykke Li shows that she has also made a leap forward, which most shines through on the slower tracks on the second half of Wounded Rhymes. 'Love Out of Lust' for instance, on which she prefers taking risks in love - and in general life - even if it means risking bumping your head against the wall. Because life is too short to ponder away. It has almost become the mantra of the whole album. Not that being strong and emancipated means that there's no room for vulnerability and grief, au contraire. But with a positive undertone, as she surrenders herself to sadness on 'Sadness Is a Blessing'. After all, what are highs without contrasting lows? The essence here however is her newfound resilience. While her wounded rhymes express her heartache, the music forms a counterbalance, as if to emphasize that even when it hurts, there's no greater feeling than to be able to feel such emotions. And it's all part of the empowerment central on this record. As a whole the album exhales a level of maturity that she couldn't have  achieved when she was recording her first one. But by consistently seeking improvement and trying to explore new fields of emotions and musical styles Lykke Li has seemingly effortlessy met expectations.

Tracklist
1. Youth Knows No Pain
2. I Follow Rivers
3. Love Out of Lust
4. Unrequited Love
5. Get Some
6. Rich Kids Blues
7. Sadness is a Blessing
8. I Know Places
9. Jerome
10. Silent My Song

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

Tagline: 'A devil born ... without horns.'

Daughter to a father with Italian roots and an English mother Anna Calvi has been surrounded by music from an early age. She learned to play the guitar and turned out to have quite an impressing voice to go with that. Twenty-eight now, she's ready to serve up her debut album and despite still being relatively unknown, she's received a fair amount of praise for it already. She's been compared to the likes of Siouxsie, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave and Brian Eno called her 'the biggest thing since Patti Smith'. Her voice and sound are at the same time reminiscent to Florence Welch. She definately took her sweet time making this album, but it's worth it. Calvi may have failed to make it to the BBC's shortlist, but there's little doubt she'll be around for a while.

Her self-titled debut starts of with the instrumental 'Rider To The Sea', driven by Calvi's raw, atmosperic guitar chords. The song creates an intruiging mood making you curious for what the rest of the album is going to sound like. On 'No More Words' Calvi's voice enters the piece, smooth and seductive and almost whispering she draws you in like a siren. The tone is definately set after such an intro. Best song on this album is probably 'Suzanne And I', with its riverting drum beat - worthy of Florence + the Machine - and moreover the unparallelled guitar rif. The beautiful 'Morning Light' stays sober almost throughout the whole four minutes, with just one well-times escalation, which fades away as suddenly as it came. On final track 'Love Won't Be Leaving' she strikes just the right chord showing a glance of her brilliance. Her sensual, longing voice combined with her guitar chords create an overwhelming yet charged atmosphere, which leads up to the grand finale, an emotional outburst with just the slightest western feel to it. Her songs sometimes feel like they could have been taken from an Ennio Morricone score: the emotional tension, the charged atmosphere, the simpel beauty, it's all in there. And if Quentin Tarantino could cast Lady Gaga as a villain then there's little doubt that at some point in time he'll have an entire movie in store for Calvi.

Sometimes Calvi goes a little overboard with the pathos. 'The Devil' has a bit of an exaggerated, operatic feel to it at its highpoints, with even a hint of Diamanda Galás as she ranges between soprano and (almost) howling in despair. But she cán pull it off. And the festival-friendly 'Desire' could just as well been an Amy Macdonald song, albeit still so much more rafined. But let's face it, those are pretty minor criticisms. She nevertheless aimed very high on this debut. Her complexicity might make her a little more challenging than last years generation of pop newcomers but at the same time so much the more interesting. And in all honesty, last years pop princesses were all too often a little dull. In that respect Anna Calvi is a breath of fresh air. 2010 was a good year, but it didn't produce that many masterpieces. After Ellie Goulding's bubblegum voice and ditto pop songs, Calvi's unconventional, lush pop symphonies - hovering between a western-feel, bluesrock and touching ballads - come pretty close. A good start of the year and a promising preview to what 2011 still has in store.

Tracklist

1. Rider To The Sea

2. No More Words

3. Desire

4. Suzanne And I

5. First We Kiss

6. The Devil

7. Blackout

8. I'll Be Your Man

9. Morning Light

10. Love Won't Be Leaving