"Burgundy", being co-written by Pharrell the Rocky Balboa to the music industry exists almost separately to the rest of the mix-tape, I mean album. It sets the tone of the album suggesting a chill, psychedelic continuation only to be juxtaposed with more upbeat hits on the album.
At times it can sound like Earl spits nursery rhyme bars but then he brings it back, surprises the listener enough or us to forget about any weak bars he may produce. No longer a sophomore rapper, Earl Sweatshirt is ready to put his own stamp on modern day hip hop, although not the typical type you'd expect it will probably be the type that makes him stand out from the rest. Doris is a subtle farewell to the days of OFWGKTA; it has transitioned a once mostly average rapper on the hype roller coaster, in the shadow of his counterparts into an artist in his own right.
Despite this solo venture, it evident looking at the abundance of features on this album that there is still time before Earl delivers a masterpiece. Some of the tracks show his potential and suggest that the future can possibly be very great for this young man. Perhaps honing in on his personal style and lyrics and basically improving the way all the components blend together with make way for a great album. For now he is no where near the hall of fame and 3 and a half stars are going to be given for the standout tracks which in my opinion carried the album.
3.5/5
So I won tickets to see English Hearts in Hunstanton, despite the determination to get there we didn't quite make it. But it wasn't the end of the world as waiting for me in the post was the new Deaf Havana Old Souls album and the English Hearts DVD. This band is very close to my heart and breaking down of the motorway was apparently an appropriate thing to happen a midst the excitement of the day.
That was the final mission of the night and the documentary was one to bring about a display of emotions. Mainly for me it was feelings of pride. Watching the band grow from a little unknown to a current day fully functioning live band is similar to watching your moody teenager grow up and mature. The DVD showing the humble nature from six normal lads who have worked their way to where they are today shows that a little determination and persistence can go a long way; all the way to Japan even.
The most accurate way I can describe Deaf Havana is as a pokemon that keeps evolving into bigger and better things.
There's a lot more to see from this band. Real music, real talent. This is just the beginning, perhaps world domination is on the horizons.
View the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzkGCevY80
Before 1975's self-titled came out I was pretty excited for it. They were intriguing and interesting and based on the singles and previous EPs I wanted to hear more.
The album has a general sound of liquorice pop with a few slightly more upbeat standouts such as Sex, Chocolate and The City. After listening to the album it seemed that my favourite tracks were the singles and the other tracks didn't offer what I was expecting.
All in all it is a good album maybe slightly bland like a Victoria sponge cake but nevertheless it is a functioning album. A few good sounds a few songs the others simply fill up the rest of a album. Perhaps it was the overly high expectations I had for them which have left me slightly unsatisfied because when they make a good song the production, the vocals, the lyrics, everything is exceptional and they can create very good music. For a first album they have done very well and I'm sure on their next album my expectations will run parallel to the standard of music they will produce.
I feel they will grow and gain airplay if not on the success of their singles on the increasing hype they seem to have created. They remind me of Arctic Monkeys in their early days with their quirky straight-to-the-point lyrics. Perhaps success can grow exponentially for them also.
For me it looks like the 1975 are a singles band for now.
Deaf Havana have the type of music which needs to be listened to live for you to appreciate it fully. Their album although very excellent and almost flawless achieves perfection after a live performance.
I went to House of Wolf in Islington and watch a secret show from the band in a tiny pub. The intimate setting was perfect for the acoustic beauty they were about the showcase. All crammed on a tiny stage with a string quartet their musical talent was fully displayed and truly honed their acpabilities. Anthemic yet delightfully personal their music can be listened to alone through headphones on live to a crowd of a thousand people. This is a band I will never miss the opportunity of seeing live.
Go buy tickets for their October tour now
. Get the Album Here
