El Buho - The First Heartbeat (Single)

El Buho (a musician and scriptwriter based in Athens) has listened to a lot of pop music as well as film scores in the past. So it's almost obvious that he is trying to combine his two favorite music genres into an ethereal piece of music - his single "The First Heartbeat". That could seem and sound weird as far as the continuity of the production is concerned, but on the other hand it feels like he knows what he is doing.

Many songwriters, producers and arrangers in the past have combined different styles of music in their work, from Air and Daft Punk to Craig Armstrong and Trent Reznor. Electronic pads and drums, concrete music, strings and orchestra ensembles, vocals and guitars - the tools can be countless. El Buho has wisely used here his mentors' flexibility in music creation and has produced an ambient track that showcases his ability to flirt with a good melody and his age of innocence, thus creating a landscape full of childhood memories in a shiny day. Well, that's my visual utopia listening to "The first heartbeat" and that's the actual thing here - listening to it, you can create your own images.

Minus: Too much reverb, which he actually likes and always uses. So, maybe, it is somekind of signature.

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10

Links:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elbuho
http://open.spotify.com/track/3xjK31GMrnmlTYQhmDJKkD
https://itunes.apple.com/gr/album/the-first-heartbeat-single/id926016164
https://soundcloud.com/buhomusic 

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

You+Me - rose ave.

Well, many times I have thought in the recent past that Alecia Moore (aka P!nk) is a capable blues singer. There's something special deep in her throat that reminds me of the great female rock vocalists of the past decades, like her all-time favorite Janis Joplin. Ok, she's not Janis, clearly, but she never intended to be either. She has released some of the biggest pop, pop-rock and pop-r'n'b singles of the past 15 years, she has made some kickass collaborations with A-list producers and vocalists (William Orbit, Dallas Austin, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Tim Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, Butch Walker, Linda Perry, Greg Kurstin) and she has sung blues, hard rock and even punk-pop tracks, like "Trouble" and "The one that got away". So, if someone is a fan of her music, as well as her persona, he/she can understand that it has been somehow a matter of time for her to release something like the "rose ave." album. Because she obviously needs a break from pop stardom.

The other half of You+ME is Dallas Green, a Canadian artist. Together, they sound as one and that's the best you can have, when you have created a folk music duo. Their harmonies are smooth and aggressive at the same time and Alecia gives enough space to Dallas' voice to showcase its power, although she is the powerhouse here.

The songwriting is simple and essential. Acoustic guitar chords, some pianos, lyrics about love and a great Sade cover, "Ordinary love". "You and me" serves as the first single, while tracks like "Capsized", "Unbeliever" and "Open door" sound like Mumford And Sons/Laura Marling collaborations or duets you could listen in the "Inside Llewyn Davis OST". The country/blues genre fits perfectly here, that's why "Love gone wrong" is without a second thought the best song in the album.

It's interesting that P!nk did not choose to release "rose ave." as a solo artist. She knows the games of this business and she's smart enough not to put her pop image in danger. This effort is flawless, as far as the artistry is concerned. The only thing I'm not sure of is how the folk lovers will respond to a pop diva singing folk music. Oh well, who gives a crap!

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10

Jessie Ware - Tough Love

Jessie Ware is not a pop artist. But she is not a soul artist either. Mainstream audiences have not yet embraced the "Devotion" album as they were supposed to do (except for her crossover hit "Wildest Moments" of course). But, let's face it, she is not an alternative artist either, such as other similar acts in the UK (FKA Twigs or Lianne La Havas). Actually, that's the beauty of her music. It's soulful/electronic pop music that anyone can listen to - from GaGa and Aretha fans to Blood Orange and SBTRKT lovers.

The sophomore album for the singer is her effort to be more radio-friendly and, obviously, to sell more records. That's not bad, of course, considering that the songs are actually good. The unfortunate thing with "Tough Love" is that it's like a mirror with two faces. Half the songs remind you of the reasons you have loved her voice, her melodies and her electronic soul touch and the other half showcase a new artist that collaborates with Ed Sheeran and Miguel, in order to produce hit singles. Sometimes, as she sings, you forget all that crap. But if you listen to it over and over again, you can easily guess that in two years time she will release an Adele-esque album to pursue a diva career. Well, ok, maybe not.

"Say you love me", the second single from the album and the most successful one for the singer to date, is co-written by Ed Sheeran, so that the "Wildest moments" song would be jealous of its sequel. The first track with Miguel, "You and I (forever)", is something you could expect from her as far as the production is concerned, but the second one, "Kind Of...Sometimes...Maybe", is definitely something Miguel had planned to record himself and he didn't for some reason. "Want your feeling" and "Keep on lying" are probably the best tracks here, vocally and musically, while the power ballad "Pieces" could and should be a part of a Mariah or a Celine release - too much drama.

It's unfair to believe an artist is willing to repeat something he or she has done in the past, in order to play safe. And it's also unfair not to appreciate this album, cause at the end of the day it's all about good music. So maybe I have given Jessie some tough love with what I have written so far. Actually, me likey the album, even though there are two of them in here.

AnArtCalled... 7,5/10

FKA twigs - LP1

When I first saw the cover of this album, I thought the girl in it has some kind of issues with the "Avatar" film. Anyhow, it's not important. It's just the fact, though, that, while I was listening to her music for the first time, I thought FKA twigs is a weird girl. An almost mythical creature, a person that impersonates many roles through her videos and tries to be anything but normal. It was this exact point of view that I thought it could fade away, as I was trying to understand her musical goals. Maybe I have never been more wrong in my life as far as an artist is concerned. Because, in fact, in every word she sings, her uniqueness gets more and more confident and stronger. That much, that it's getting actually weirdly weird.

The first full-length album for FKA twigs is actually an electronic r'n'b masterpiece. It's like placing Beyonce in the studio with Weeknd, James Blake and Jessie Ware and yet, it's not enough to fully create a picture of her sound. She is fragile and strong at the same time and she is singing from a place that is certainly not her throat or her diaphragm. She sings from her heart and it's not a human heart; it's a divine heart, a heart full of power, sensuality, deep breaths and reverb. You can listen to it so clearly; her voice is recorded from another time and another place, not a studio in the UK.

Even though it was pretty smart to promote the album with the best track in it, "Two weeks", you cannot underestimate the other songs. "Video girl" and "Lights on" are tracks that Kelis, Solange or any other sophisticated r'n'b diva that respects herself could kill for. The production here is flawless. It is "britishly flawless", as I often write about a James Blake record. It's fresh, it stands on its own and most of the times it's dark. Just like a personal secret you really cannot tell to anyone, because someone will die!

FKA twigs, a former dancer in Jessie J videos (what the odds), has released an album that has so much potential in it, it is on the verge of already becoming an instant classic; great songs, great voice, great production, great artwork, great timing and critical reception. Not to mention, a beautiful and stylish woman.

AnArtCalled... 9,5/10

Lara Eidi Band - "Tell it like it is " EP

When I first checked Lara Eidi a few months ago, I fell in love with her cover on Nina Simone's "Be my husband". Her soft, jazzy, yet powerhouse vocals were the reason I decided to listen to her music and the covers she had made with her guest musicians and friends. I've been waiting for this EP since then and, actually, I think that this is only a small taste of what's to come out in the near future.

Although I strongly believed that these three tracks would have a folk/blues touch, as some other songs and covers she has recorded in the past, I realised that the bluesy guitars and some urban rhythm sections have given their part to piano-based melodies, strings and acoustic guitar chords. That's a nice and tasty turn as far as the production is concerned, while the songwriting remains strong and confident.

As I play the songs on repeat, it's obvious that Lara (the songwriter, not the singer) gets more and more experienced and the chorus parts of the songs are tight. From one to three, it's also obvious that when Lara (the vocalist, not the songwriter) lets herself improvise on the vocal parts, she sounds more secure than ever ("Tiny people").

"Tell it like it is" is a promising sample of the band's music and style, even though the big asset here, her voice, is not fully showcasing its power. Maybe it's because of the songs' more adult/acoustic pop and less jazz /blues orientation, which is a risk to be taken, of course, when it comes to music creation. I like that and I respect that; artistically, you need to support the songs. But when you have a strong band and a strong musical instrument in it -like this voice is-, you have to let it play the high notes like there's no tomorrow. Cause in these moments, when she hits those high notes, that's where the magic happens!

AnArtCalled... 7/10

Links:
www.facebook.com/TheLaraCollective 
www.soundcloud.com/laraeidi 
www.reverbnation.com/laraeidi
http://open.spotify.com/album/6qyxDIsjmvvCsmfusTWhF4

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tell-it-like-it-is-single/id898834706

Lara Eidi Band - "Tell it like it is " EP:
1. Forever Young
2. Tiny People
3. Lose my Mind

Credits:
All music and lyrics by Lara Eidi 
Mixed and Mastered by Giotis Paraskevaidis and Michalis Skarakis @On a Jam Studios 
Final Mastering Iraklis Vlachakis
Arranged and Orchestrated by Lara Eidi, Giotis Paraskevaidis 
Piano, Voice, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar: Lara Eidi 
Guitars, Beatbox Loops: Giotis Paraskevaidis 
Cello, Loops: Stavros Parginos 

Róisín Murphy μας έσκασες! new EP, 28 /5

Η μόνη είδηση που μας ξύπνησε από τον λήθαργο μας. Γιατί σαν την ποπ δεν έχει!

Η Ρόζα η ναζιάρα επιστρέφει (εκτός και αν ειναι πρωταπριλιάτικο) ! Ξέρω το ακούς χίλια χρόνια αλλα τωρα μας έδωκε ημερομηνία και tracklist, οπότε...

5 διασκευές Ιταλικών κομματιών και ένα φρέσκο δικό της, πάλι ιταλόφωνο.

Για πάρε μάτι...


1. Ancora Ancora Ancora (πρώτη εκτέλεση Mina)


2. Pensiero Stupendo (π.ε. Patty Bravo)


3. Acora Tu (π.ε. Lucio Battisti)



4. In Sintesi (οριχινάλ)

5. Non Credere (π.ε. Mina)


6. La Gatta (π.ε. Gino Paoli)

Αμέ!