MMR- Mickey Mickey Rourke (Unsigned- 2010)

MMR is Miller Rodriquez’s, a.k.a Mickey Mickey Rourke, second freely downloadable 2010 release. There’s a noticeable, if slight, progression between debut Festive Bummer, and MMR. Both are sumptuously ambient and wash over you, engulfing you like an affectionate star whale if you’re willing to release your stresses and succumb. But MMR utilises more synths and (noticeable) vocal sounds than its psychedelically acoustic predecessor. Brief opener “Biggie” is actually quite abrasive- clattering percussion and screams. “Bubbles” is mellower, though it’s hard to reconcile the synth riff with the gentle guitar backing. “Change My Way” flows like a ballad, reminiscent of Cat Power. “Hildebrand Brothers” is probably the highlight, and its guitar line gives your ears something solid to hold onto amongst the ambient noise. This album is rich in texture, you could spend years trying to pick it apart. But it’s made for surrender. It suffers in that though- it won’t really stimulate unless you want to wind down after a long day. It could very well be a flash in the pan in the new psychedelic scene. There’s another album due, and it’s hard to see what Mickey Mickey Rourke can add to a sound that’s already difficult to develop.

5.8/10

Nevermind- Nirvana (DGC- 1991)

Nevermind is undoubtedly responsible for popularising alternative rock. Its release in 1991 was a turning point in musical history, and it gave voice to a new generation, adrift between two decades. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” still sounds as furious as it did nearly 20 years ago, and remains an unassailable teenage anthem. It still doesn’t matter that half the chorus is indecipherable- that’s not the point. Many songs demonstrate Cobain’s unique (and once controversial) ability to combine grunge and pop (“Bay City rollers getting molested by Black Flag” according to the man himself), such as “Drain You”. “Come As You Are” has always been a tad overrated, but the watery guitar sound set the tone for 90s guitar rock, as do Kurt’s short but sweet solos. “Breed” is the purest grunge moment, and showcases Krist Novoselic’s “fat-ass” bass sound and Dave Grohl’s drumming. Lyrically, there’s the constant battle between a feeling of worthlessness (“Polly”) and desiring to live up to one’s potential (“Territorial Pissings”), with “Lithium” reaching a perfect equilibrium, as well as being the album’s highlight for many. Nevermind was and always will be huge and, bar one or two tracks, will always be as awesome to listen to.

8.7/10

Hidden- These New Puritans (Angular/Domino- 2010)

Hidden is the coherent masterpiece that listeners sensed slightly erratic art-rockers These New Puritans were capable of on their fierce debut. Even newcomers to the band should be impressed. Hidden blends seemingly irreconcilable musical elements into an unbelievably complex and engrossing whole. Lead single “We Want War” is an epic journey of brass, scuzzy guitars, mechanical whirrs and hip-hop beats Tribal percussion, understated vocals and ominous brass comprise spookily intense “Three Thousand”. Eerily beautiful “Hologram” demonstrates that, despite the bountiful art-rock, ringleader Jack Barnett is also a talented songwriter, as does penultimate track “White Chords”. “Fire-Power” has some of the most relentless percussion you’ll hear all year, overshadowing the punches of bass and guitar. It also repeats the album’s classical motif from brief opener “Time Xone”. On “Canticle”, Jack Barnett shows of his compositional skills with a woodwind ensemble, and it’s arguable whether or not this is a necessary interlude or just evidence of kitchen sink throwing. Hidden isn’t for the faint hearted. It’s a musician’s album, one to puzzle over. Yet hooks and big choruses abound, not least of all in terrifyingly huge standout track “Attack Music”- epitomising the album with a perfect marriage of bassoon and hip-hop.

9.1/10

OK Computer- Radiohead (Parlophone/Capitol- 1997)

OK Computer is regarded as Radiohead’s magnum opus, and by many as one of the 90s’ greatest albums and one of the greatest albums of all time. As with all great bands and albums, there are plenty of detractors, but it is hard to deny OK Computer's brilliance. It was a breath of fresh air in the often brash, laddish world of Britpop. A stylistic contrast from their previous effort The Bends, OK Computer is an observational, eerily beautiful and often scary guitar based album. “Paranoid Android” lives up to its name, a fierce, sprawling track of intense guitars and shifting vocals. “Exit Music (For a Film)” is as epic and chillingly inspiring as the music of the composer who inspired it, Ennio Morricone. “No Surprises” is simply a beautifully written song, and proves Thom Yorke’s way with melody, as does “Let Down”. This track also displays Jonny Greenwood’s guitar virtuosity in its arpeggios and a solo played in a different time signature. Lyrically, the album captures alienation in the technological age perfectly, particularly on massive centrepiece “Karma Police”. This, and the album’s whole legacy within guitar music, makes OK Computer perhaps more relevant in 2010 that it was in 1997.

10.0/10

Introduction

Hi, my name's Rhys Laverty and (as I write this) I am 17 years old. I love music. So much. So much as in I love it, and I love a lot of it. My loves span from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and their contemporaries who I was introduced to by my mum and grandparents, to Bob Marley and The Clash whom my dad introduced me to, to hip-hope like Beastie Boys and Arrested Development that my brother set me onto, to Laura Marling who my friend Andy recommended to me a couple of years ago to countless bands and artists I've discovered on my own musical journey in the past few years- Jay Electronica, Elbow, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Coral, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Kraftwerk, Los Campesinos!, Male Bonding, Bob Dylan, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Fall, A Tribe Called Quest, Nick Drake and lots more. Music is really special to me and I hope it is to you.

I'm nursing the ever growing desire to be a music journalist. I write review on www.sputnikmusic.com and write about lots to do with music on my other blog. I was surfing the net for tips on music journalism and one of the better articles I found suggested trying to write reviews of albums that you like that are no longer than about 200 words. It's a real challenge and helps to refine your reviewing skills. Lots of the reviews I've written have been too long once I've looked them over so I thought I would start a new blog where I can hone my reviewing skills.

I hope you'll read and give me some feedback on anything I've said about an album, or with writing tips. Every now and then I might just go to town on a particular album and write a biggun, who knows. I'm gonna try to do alternate between reviews of classic albums (or slightly older albums) and albums that have only been released recently/that year.

God Bless!