Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

When we have Sharon Jones singing old school funk and soul anthems, there is really no competition in the genre. But what Brittany Howard and the boys are doing, is something very different, even though it's at times confusing. It's pure rock. Vintage - Janis - rock (listen to the "Dunes" and "Gimme all your love", so that you can feel the Joplin effect), which does not play immition games during its creation. And if you think that "Sound & Color" is a copy-paste of their 2012 debut, well, think twice.

This time, three years after their critically acclaimed "Boys & Girls", they are trying to be more raw, vocally at least, and more 70's psychedelic with their sound ("Gemini" will nearly blow your mind). Don't get me wrong, it's still a 2015 thing going on here. But there is a sense of retro freedom and creative euphoria in the songs, even in the darkest ones, that make you listen to the band and Brittany's voice like it's their first attempt in the studio ever.

The desperation part is turned off. No lyrics like "I didn’t think I’d make it to 22 years old", no country echoes, no best new artist burden going around. "The greatest" and "Shoegaze" make them big time rock stars. "Don't wanna fight" is the connection between their two albums, spiritually speaking. "This feeling", one of their best records, could be an India.Arie/Mumford & Sons collaboration and their outro, "Over my head", could be a new Nikka Costa or even a new Prince song.

The constant use of triplets is on. Her powerhouse lungs are also on. Their 70's experimentation is more than welcome, while the vibraphone/strings intro in "Sound & Color" is beautifully weird. Everything is on, fighting, in order to make them better as musicians. And that's the truth about Alabama Shakes' sophomore album - they have become better as musicians. And if you watched their mini gig in SNL, you can admit they have become even better as performers.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Marilyn Manson - The Pale Emperor

Well, I'm a big fan of Marilyn Manson and I have been waiting for this new project a long time now. Marilyn Manson (the person, not the band) and Twiggy Ramirez are the absolute production duo. So this time also, the production is flawless. You can hear their distinctive staccato guitars and electronics, but also their obvious try to be more radio-friendly and less provocative. Well, that's not bad at all. Their effort to record a pure rock album with Tyler Bates' help is, at the end of the day, honest.

On the other hand, Marilyn Manson (the band, not the person) have a little trouble this time in the songwriting process. I don't mean that the songs are bad in general. But I should say that: They should have released an EP with 6-7 songs in it. It might have a better potential, because there are some killer tracks in "The Pale Emperor" and some boring ones, too.

"Deep six" serves as the first single and it works fine, I guess. Apart from the boring video of course. Manson looks tired and bored to death. But if you try to focus on this, you will realize that he is just older. And no heavy make-up can deal with aging, even if people call you "Madonna". Anyhow, to the point again...

It was smart enough to release "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge" as the promotional single before the album release. This track is probably the best in here, indicating the band's turn to simple rock productions without all the glam stuff of the past. "Birds Of Hell Awaiting", "Cupid Carries A Gun" and "Fated, Faithful, Fatal" are also about that genre turn.

Even though "Killing strangers" and "Odds of even" are kind of predictable at some point (pop power ballads with distorted guitars), you can just skip them and focus on the good stuff. "The Mephistopheles Of Los Angeles" and "The Devil Beneath My Feet" are among those worth listening songs and obviously closer to their own industrial rock profile. With a mainstream twist, needless to say.

The sound similarities with The Smashing Pumpkins' early work (or the 90's alternative rock blossom in general) is more than obvious for some reason in here. If the songwriting was better, then "The Pale Emperor" could have been brilliant, even though retro. So I will insist on my earlier statement: They should have released an EP with 6-7 songs in it. It might have a better potential, because there are some killer tracks in here and some boring ones, too.

AnArtCalled... 6,5/10

The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy

You may not be a fan of Billy Corgan's eccentric ways through the last 20 years. You may not be a fan of the band. You may not be a fan of their heavy guitar riffs, their No 1 albums and their Grammy nominated career. You may also throw up a bit in the back of your mouth every time he sings, spitting on the mic and performing like a freak. But come on, you have to admit it - he is a fucking genius even in projects like this, where he has written simple rock songs with up-to-date attitude and 90's alternative wit.

"Monuments to an Elegy", their tenth album, is a part of the project "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" and it's actually, as Corgan stated himself, "Guitars, guitars and some more guitars". It's the first time in years they are releasing a pure rock project (just skip "Run2me", it's an electronic pop mistake in the recording sessions) and it's the first time ever they are releasing a half an hour album, which is peculiar and maybe a reason to question the songs' potential. Don't let that piece of information mislead you though, we are talking about good music here.

The guest surprise is called Tommy Lee, playing drums on all nine tracks. The first two, "Tiberius" and "Being beige", remind you of their first three albums - light, almost pop songwriting, accompanied by heavy guitar production and rough vocals. The overall production is aware of the electronic orientation in music business today, so synths and pads are almost everywhere and in between the drums and Corgan's voice. At the end of the day though, songs like "One and all" and "Monuments" prove that The Smashing Pumpkins simply cannot record bad songs. And if they do, well... they are just ok.

AnArtCalled... 9/10

Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were

- Ben Howard is a folk artist.
- Think again.
- Ben Howard is a rock artist.
- OK, think a little harder.
- Ben Howard is an indie rock artist who actually loves electronics, not only acoustic guitars and drama.
- That's my boy!

I think the intro-dialogue, which played in my mind a few hours earlier, is simply the best way to explain my surprise, after having listened for the very first time to Ben Howard's new album, "I Forget Where We Were". It feels like Radiohead having produced a new Bon Iver album and yet, it's not that at all. He doesn't play safe, so that he can win another Brit Award or the Mercury Prize. He produced the album himself along with his drummer, Chris Bond, and he literally forgot where he has been in the past.

The first track, "Small Things", reminds me of another opening song - "Closer" by Kings Of Leon and their 2008 release, "Only By The Night". And that's the feeling of the whole album - it's dark, it's sexy and it's totally unpredictable, something that makes it even more interesting. Sometimes, you can listen to his strangle to be faithful to his new sound and at the same time not to forget his folk artistry. But, somehow, Howard manages to be a sophisticated rock artist ("Rivers In Your Mouth", "I Forget Where We Were") and a folk songwriter ("End Of The Affair") as well, without destroying the songs' cohesion.

"I Forget Where We Were" is one of the biggest music surprises of 2014, not only because it showcases another part of Ben Howard's talent, but also because it confirms that when an artist is not attached to his success, he can go beyond his control and thus create beautiful things.

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10

Kasabian - Velociraptor!

Αν σε έναν δίσκο έβαζες τις φωνές των Oasis ή καλύτερα του Richard Ashcroft, classic rock μελωδίες από τη μαγική δεκαετία του 60’, ορχήστρες και πνευστά, ηλεκτρονικές παρεμβάσεις και ατμόσφαιρες, drum machines και ψυχεδελικές αναφορές σε συγκροτήματα όπως οι Radiohead και οι Pink Floyd, μάλλον θα ηχογραφούσες έναν αχταρμά. Αυτό κάνουν και οι Kasabian, μόνο που σε αυτή την περίπτωση θες να πεταχτείς μέχρι το Λονδίνο, να πας στην pub που πίνουν μπύρες, να τους αγκαλιάσεις και να τους πεις ένα μεγάλο “Ευχαριστώ”.

Οι δύο σταθερές που εκτοπίζουν τη διαφορετική προσέγγιση σε κάθε δίσκο των Kasabian είναι η φωνή του Tom Meighan και οι μελωδικές γραμμές των τραγουδιών. Βλέποντας, λοιπόν, πως αυτά τα δύο συνεχίζουν να οδηγούν όλη την ηχογράφηση, η αποθέωση του “Velociraptor!” έγκειται στην καινοτομία της παραγωγής. Κι αυτό γιατί μπορείς με άνεση να χαθείς στη ρετρό βάση στην οποία είναι γραμμένη και να ενθουσιαστείς με την εύστοχη προσπάθεια του συγκροτήματος να φέρει τη φρεσκαδούρα στη rock της νέας εποχής.

Αυτός είναι ο δίσκος που θα ήθελαν να κάνουν οι Verve μετά το “Forth”, οι Oasis μετά το “Dig out your soul”, οι Kula Shaker μετά το “Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts” και οι Blur μετά το “The Great Escape”. Αυτός είναι ο δίσκος που υπογράφει τη νέα εποχή της rock και ακολουθεί ένα είδος post-britpop αισθητικής, που φαινόταν πως είναι ο καιρός της μετά τη μόδα του post-punk revival. Κι επειδή έπηξα με τις ταμπέλες, άκου προσεκτικά το εισαγωγικό, το “I hear voices” για να νιώσεις την ανατροπή και την ηλεκτρονική πλευρά των Kasabian, το “Days are forgotten” (φυσικά), το καλύτερο όλων, "Switchblade Smiles" και το “Re-wired” για να δεις πως η rock χορεύεται.

Ευχαριστούμε αδέρφια, είστε μάγκες.