23/8/10
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The girl with the greatest PR machine in music is back.
The rise of former gospel girl Katie Hudson has been astronomical – in less than 2 years she regularly dominates the pop agenda as well as the
showbiz pages. This record, as she puts it, will decide whether this is what
she should be doing.
The opening title-track is another Dr. Luke purring masterpiece. Lyrically it’s about finding someone who makes you feel young again in one of the rare mature
tracks. This is soon forgotten on the annoyingly addictive ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’, speaking of wild drunken antics and teenager speak. It is catchy, but I cannot
emphasize the annoyance fact.
That said, ‘Peacock’ may just be the most irritating track of the year. Even Ke$ha would cringe as
Perry asks to see your peacock and a whole range of endless innuendos. Just one
of those tracks you have to hear to appreciate its crimes to music.
Snoop Dogg-featuring first single ‘California Gurls’ is more fuzzing electro from Luke, Max Martin and Benny Blanco. It’s not quite on the level of ‘Empire State of Mind’ – just an average pop song. ‘Firework’ somewhat stretches Perry’s vocals to what certainly sounds like breaking point. The beat is simple and
progressive and doesn’t save the day in a song that does not work. ‘Circle the Drain’ is certainly more her style as razor-sharp putdowns fly around thick and fast in
a song sure to burn the ears off of ex-beau Travis McCoy.
The mature song-writing rears its head again on ‘The One That Got Away’ which shows a somewhat frailer side to the so-styled bad girl. It’s got a nice bridge from the dream team too and is a surprising success. ‘E.T.’ however somewhat drops their batting average on a bizarre sci-fi fantasy tune
that reminds of Christina Aguilera’s recent ill-advised foray into the genre. The ironically-titled ‘Who Am I Living For?’ again pits Perry in a different target-market and ends up being more
autobiographical of the record as a whole.
‘Pearl’ treads further down this path of big vocals and atmospheric echoes in a setting
that Perry isn’t just unconvincing, but incapable of achieving. ‘Hummingbird Heartbeart’ is another baffling fantasy analogy with a classic rock backing. The track
speaks of “loving the taste of your honey”, yet whoever did the track-listing I’m assuming has spent too long in the beehive as it really doesn’t help the record.
Finally the sombre ‘Not Like the Movies’ has just Katy and a piano in an obviously heart-felt ballad. It again throws the
listener off and just makes this one go out with a whimper.
Released - 24/8/10
Label - Capitol
2nd studio album
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Teenage Dream
- The One That Got Away
- Circle the Drain
- Peacock
- Pearl
- Hummingbird Heartbeat
- Who Am I Living For?
- Firework
Perry may regret that comment about the second record being defining. A bizarre
ensemble that shows
even a good PR identity can be dashed in less than an hour of a record. There
isn’t much here that would hook any music fan, let alone a serious one.
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3.5
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The Mercury Award-winning New Ravers return.
Klaxons were officially the brightest thing of 2007. Their extreme style of
reinventing the sounds and speed of traditional guitar rock spawned the
above-mentioned genre and cemented their place in music. This second record is
the result of 3 years, 4 producers and 1 rejected original.
Opening single, ‘Echoes’ is pretty much what you would expect from the progression of their debut. It’s fast-paced in sections, and features Jamie Reynolds’ trademark delivery. ‘The Same Space’ isn’t quite as frenetic and features more of a calculated build-up alongside a
progressive electro twang. Its dreamy vibes eventually break down into likeable
guitar solos, though it does plod along somewhat.
The title-track is more what Klaxons fans would have been hoping for. Insane
changes of pace mix with Reynolds’ high vocals and sudden bursts of energy. In fact it’s so like them it could easily have been featured on their debut record, which
is a little disappointing – still it’s a good effort all the same. However, ‘Valley of the Calm Trees’ honestly makes them sound a bit like Bloc Party at times, which probably wasn’t the idea. It has a prominent piano rhythm throughout like many of the previous
tracks but doesn’t hit the same heights.
Space-age musings and vibes seem to echo out of the slower ‘Venusia’. It has a Ziggy Stardust-like feel in Reynolds’ delivery and also in the unforgiving surreal rhythm. This is more promising and
at least hints at pushing the boundaries. It seems for every verging-on-good
tune here, there follows one that doesn’t so much play safe as be ridiculously formulaic, so step-forward ‘Extra Astronomical’. Bizarre ramblings and tired tricks literally have all found a home on this.
Things don’t improve much on ‘Twin Flames’ either as high vocals mix with atmospheric whirrings. There’s nothing essentially wrong with it, it just again lacks the daring and insane
moments of their past ingenuities. I’m happy to report that ‘Flashover’ does recapture some of the magic. It’s got more unpredictable changes of pace, breakdowns and just a general feel of
more life about it. Yes it’s a bit industrially heavy in places but it shows us what we loved about this
band.
‘Future Memories’ does its best to ruin that new tempo with somewhat of a reminiscent and slower
attempt. It’s got nice touches about it – particularly the teasing guitar lines and progressive drums, but it’s not one for the iPod. Final track ‘Cypherspeed’ has a purring rhythm which virtually carries it to safety.
Released - 23/8/10
Label - Polydor
2nd studio album
- Echoes
- Surfing the Void
- Venusia
- Cypherspeed
- Flashover
- Future Memories
- Twin Flames
- Extra Astronomical
- Valley of the Calm Trees
- The Same Space
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5
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