RED LIGHT COMPANY - WITH LIGHTS OUT





















Currently second place in terms of the race to be the big, new stadium rockers, behind White Lies (more on their album later), Red Light Company are a rather different beast to that band. Whereas the band formerly known as the indie-poppers Fear Of Flying dress head to toe in black and have a worrying pre-occupation with death and darkness, RLC seem more content with making widescreen driving rock 'n' roll with a dollop of angst here and there. Their last few singles ("Scheme Eugene" and "Arts & Crafts") have been rather good too, although not exactly reinventing the musical wheel. "With Lights Out" is typical "epic indie" fare with its chugging guitars, impassioned vocals etc. You're more likely to hear it on Hollyoaks or in Topman than in any holier-than-thou indie snob blog (obviously not what this is). It's still a good song from a good band, but in comparison to White Lies, there's no way they can win.
7/10

PREDICTIONS OF THE NEAR FUTURE

Forgive me for the awful pun on Klaxons debut album title. This year is shaping up to be an extremely good one for music (not so much for the economy). With so many new artists readying debut albums for release and a lot of established artists returning with new material, music fans are in for a treat.

The most-hyped new star has to be Florence And The Machine. Already awarded the Critic's Choice award at the Brits, she looks set to be a name on everyone's lips and in everyone's music library, seeing as that award was previously given to Adele, who was undoubtedly successful last year (if overshadowed by Duffy). Her previous two singles "Kiss With A Fist" and "Dog Days Are Over" are two totally different creatures; the former being the kind of punky track to throw yourself around like a madman to at a gig and the latter is something of a Kate Bush-channeling, folky piece of pop. If the rest of her debut follows on from this, then it's future classic time. Another solo star showing promise through a run of early singles is Esser, the ex-drummer of Ladyfuzz (who? exactly). He's gone from a universal indie shoulder shrug with his old band, to a genre-challenging, pop mastermind with the likes of "Headlock" and "I Love You" (sample lyric: "You bring me up then you tear me apart/Still, love is no excuse for bad art"). Look out for him support Kaiser Chiefs on their arena tour this year, the guy is a superstar in the making.

Continuing on the theme of solo stars, Scandinavians Lykke Li and Jens Lekman should be huge in the next 12 months. Okay, Lykke Li is already pretty big in the "alternative community" but her album "Youth Novels" is perfect pop mixed with a healthy dollop of electro and is beautiful in places, a definite 8/10 at the very, very least. Lekman is pretty similar. "Night Falls Over Kortedala" is kind of like Morrissey at his dreamy, melancholic best, an album that's sweet, sour cheerful, miserable and pretty perfect. And on the subject of perfect misery, there's two bands who will be slugging it out this year for the most comparisons to Joy Division, Editors et al. White Lies and Red Light Company are the kind of bands with a knack for writing sky-scraping gloom-laden, radio-friendly anthems to fill stadiums across the country, although it has to be said the latter don't appear to be the kind of band to be too down about being famous rockstars. White Lies' debut "To Lose My Life" has already received the same amount of hype as an Alex Turner yawn, which is quite a fair amount. Tracks leaked from the album sound quite promising as do a reviews floating around the blogosphere. RLC, on the other hand, haven't had too much hyperbole foisted onto them but singles "Scheme Eugene" and "Arts & Crafts" hint at a very good album and some festival anthems for the summer.

A lot of big hitters are set to return this year with new albums, which are already highly anticipated by their core fanbase. The obvious one being Arctic Monkeys. A third classic album will definitely cement their place as the most important band of the decade (not that my poll didn't already do that). There are positive signs already, with band hero Josh Homme possibly producing the album and songs being played "loud and fast". Fingers crossed for that one. On to a totally different band now with Foals, and their follow-up to acclaimed debut "Antidotes", which Yannis claims will be "eager" and "optimistic", as well as sounding "like the dream of an eagle dying" (now that's a song title for all you emo bands out there). Make of that what you will. Klaxons! Yes, those "new rave" gurners are back and apparently their sound has changed slightly but with no real evidence apart from blurry Youtube videos, it's hard to tell exactly what they'll come out with. As long as it's got more tunes, I'll be pleased. U2 have a new album out this year too. "No Line On The Horizon" or something. I'm saying it now, it'll be mind-numbingly average, maybe 2 or 3 okay singles but that's it. Oh, and so do the Manic Street Preachers and Franz Ferdinand. You'll get more about them sometime soon, as I'm already just too excited about that to put it into words.

On the live circuit, there's quite a lot to look forward to. Oasis' stadium tour as well as three nights at Wembley and three gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park will please the lad-rock contingent; Blur's return with reunion shows at Hyde Park and heavily rumoured Glasto headline spot will be the events of summer and then we come to the festivals themselves. Whilst Glasto seems to have ignored any band formed before 1990 with its supposed headliners of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and, as mentioned, Blur, Reading & Leeds look to want to appeal to the young'uns this year with rumours flying about that the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Kings Of Leon, Muse and even Kaiser Chiefs topping the bill at the sites.

Hopefully some bands might call it a day this year too. Here's hoping Johnny Borrell breaks up Razorlight for a solo career then loses the ability to speak or sing, Crystal Castles get unplugged, Chris Martin stays good to his promise and finishes Coldplay before he turns 33 and Interpol stop ripping off Joy Division. But a few reported splits, such as The Maccabees, Good Shoes, Bloc Party and We Are Scientists, won't be so pleasing to hear. But that's just the way music goes.

Here's to a fine '09 after a great '08! (I'm expecting the bad joke police to be questioning me tomorrow).

THE WOMBATS - MY CIRCUITBOARD CITY
Could the ever-cheerful 'Bats finally be maturing and moving away from the bouncy, sugar coated indie pop of "A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation"? Going by this next single, it would certainly appear so but it doesn't seem like the best thing to do right now. A move like this would be best later in their career, in 4th album territory maybe, when absolutely everyone is sick of chirpy Scousers pratting about (not just miserable NME hacks). But right now, it'd be best to stick to what they do best. The song itself is a bit more "Is This Christmas?" than "Kill The Director", only without Les Dennis and bells. Few angular riffs here, chanty vocals there, and a bit of a boring chorus in "I can't wait to wallow in self pity/In my circuitboard city tonight". Who knows, the album may be superb like the debut, but the signs aren't looking so good right now.
6.5/10

COLDPLAY - LOST! (JAY-Z REMIX)
The biggest British rock group of the moment and last year's Glasto healdiner. Or alternatively, the most popular soft rock bedwetters and Beyonce's husband. Depends on how you look at it. Personally I'm kind of in the middle. Coldplay write some good yet bland anthemic songs, useful for soundtracking important parts of soaps, programme trailers and England winning/losing anything, and Jay-Z, well he could release a song with just him making various bodily noises as a single to critical acclaim, but he won't since he doesn't really need the money.

Anyway back to my point. "Lost!" in its original form is an okay song just plods along with various drums rhythm, organs and handclaps, striving for epic-ness and ending up as a bit of a dirge. So obviously Jay-Z's rap is a welcome diversion from Martin & Co. Even if it is a slightly stock rant about how success isn't always what everyone thinks it is (example lines "See Martin, see Malcolm/See Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome/See Jesus, see Judas/See Caesar, see Brutus, see success is like suicide" and "And the question is, 'Is to have had and lost/Better than not having at all?"') it still improves "Lost!" by a hell of a lot. A few more wimpy rock band/hip hop megastar crossovers in the future please.
6.5/10

FRANZ FERDINAND - TWILIGHT OMENS

















I would make a very poor joke about how they should have released this at the start of last year to warn us of the onslaught of shite vampire novels/films, but I can't really think of a way to make it work. Anywho, another month, another Franz leak. In terms of leakiness they're getting worse than the bottom three of the Premier League. This new album track starts off like the electrofest we've been promised with "Tonight:..." and immediately sounds like an old lost Bowie song (or Roxy Music as my uncle keeps saying, I wouldn't know being honest). In comparison to other album tracks like "Ulysses", "Lucid Dreams" and "What She Came For", it isn't as immediate and seems caught in the middle of their indie rock sound and their electro direction, neither one or the other. It could be a grower, so watch this space...
7.5/10

MORRISSEY - YEARS OF REFUSAL
Well I've calmed down from my initial dancing around the room at finding this and I'm ready to review. The Mozfather has returned with his highly anticipated (by me at least) 9th solo album. The sleeve is extremely puzzling but we'll move past that. There's been a Moz revival of late thanks to two outstanding albums in the shape of "You Are The Quarry" and "Ringleader Of The Tormentors", the former a confident, biting modern rock classic and the latter a moody, Rome-influenced ode to the wonders of love in Morrissey's inimitable style. And on "YOR" the two styles are combined for Morrissey's most interesting album since.... well "Ringleaders" to be honest

"Something Is Squeezing My Skull" is a pounding rockabilly opener that changes mood, lyrically, as much as Tottenham change their manager. And a middle eighth that lists a hell of a lot of prescription drugs. There may be a connection there.... We then move onto the wonderfully titled "Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed". Military-style drums power the track, although it's mostly typical Moz fare, apart from a brass section which may have escaped from whatever studio Foals are recording in at the minute. Track number three; "Black Cloud". Possibly one of the most apt titles of his career, it features Jeff Beck on guitar and is perfect for the oncoming world tour and any festival slots this year (fingers crossed).

Lead single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" could definitely fit right in on either of Morrissey's 21st century albums or possibly even a Smiths album, being part glam guitar stomper and part yearning, whimsical orchestral pop. On to another single now, with "All You Need Is Me" (he's a modest one, isn't he?) was previously released to coincide with last year's "Greatest Hits" compilation, along with other album track "That's How People Grow Up". Both songs are route one for Morrissey, but they're both perfect examples of his sharp tongue and way with words, as well as slotting in perfectly on the album. Separating the two former singles is the strangely-titled "When I Last Spoke To Carol" which is sees Il Mozalini transforming into Scott Walker for three and a half minutes, with Spanish guitars, even more brass and a wealth of melodrama thrown into the track. Somehow it comes off like a mix between "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "November Spawned A Monster", but it works, by gum (did I really just type by gum?...)

"One Day Goodbye Could Be Farewell" is up next with it's galloping drums and an explosion of guitar from Boz Boorer, as well as possibly the best line since the songs on "The Queen Is Dead"; "And before you know, goodbye will be farewell/And you will never see the one you love again/And the smiling children tell you that you smell". You can always rely on Morrissey for a giggle. After the rollicking throwback first two-thirds, the album gets slightly more experimental for a bit (for Morrissey anyway). "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" (you've got to love these titles) begins as a calm chilled-out ballad in the vein of "Dear God, Please Help Me" but the chorus is killer, and the music is possibly the best of Morrissey's solo career. "You Were Good In Your Time" is ever more Scott Walker-esque than before. A sombre, laid-back lament that would be perfect for, in the words of Johnny Borrell, walking home from school in the rain wondering why you don't have a girlfriend. The orchestration seems lifted straight from a 1950's romance film, but it suddenly stops and what replaces it is two minutes of creepy industrial noise, eerie horror-film strings and strange newsreel clips. It's dragged out a bit too much though.

The final two songs of "YOR" return once again to the distorted-guitars-and-sharp-tongue combo which has served so well, after the diversion to Experimental Town. "Sorry Doesn't Help" is possibly the weakest track here but it's still good enough to keep your attention until the end. Album closer "I'm OK By Myself" sounds like the quintessential anthem to describe Morrissey fans, which is a pretty good way to describe it. A perfect distillation of The Smiths and Morrissey's solo work, Boorer's guitar comes pretty close to Johnny Marr's chiming sound whilst the chorus of "I'm OK by myself!/and I don't need you/and I never have, I never have/Noooooo!" deserves to be shouted from rooftops, terraces, pubs, festivals and bedsits across the globe.

"Years Of Refusal" shows the Pope Of Mope in fine form, with an album which expands on his recent work and definitely improves on it. You can even imagine some radio airplay for the singles lifted from the album, especially if Moz grabs a few key festival spots in the summer, and if this happens then the crowd will be eating out of his hand.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris", "All You Need Is Me", "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell", "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore", "I'm OK By Myself"



9/10

IF YOU FOUND THIS, IT'S PROBABLY TOO LATE (TO VOTE IN THE POLL...)
Congrats to the frozen simians, or Arctic Monkeys as they prefer to be known. Despite a general disdain towards the band from a large section of the "indie community", they are now officially (well in the eyes of the four people who read this) the best band of the 21st Century, with 50% of the votes. Comiserations to Kings Of Leon in second place, although methinks that may be because they're flavour of the month in the mainstream press. Slightly gutted for The Killers, Kaisers, Bloc Party and Girls Aloud, all in joint third. And the rest of the bands with 1% or less? Well I'm presuming barely anyone's heard of them really.

The next two polls will be the best album of the Noughties and best name for a band (that may or may not be for help with my own band.)

THE VIEW - WHICH BITCH?
Their jeans may not have changed, but their sound definitely has. Almost two years since debut album "Hats Off To The Buskers" propelled them to rock stardom, The View are back with their second effort which, to say the least, is a brave move in terms of their sound. Some songs on "Which Bitch?" are more suited to, say, a fifth or sixth album when a band is more confident in their sound and can branch out. You'd never expect them to be on a second album from a band who aren't really a household name, apart from one song.

Beginning with "Typical Time Part 2", a follow-on from the debut's final track and a fun, throwaway piece of pop. Using just a piano, harmonica and guitar, it sets up stall for the album to be something slightly different but equally as fun as The View's previous material. "5 Rebbeccas" is a return to what the band do best; catchy indie anthems. But whereas previously their songs were reminiscent of The Libertines, their sound now owes more to that of Oasis with the wall of guitars and feedback. Looks like they've got another "built-for-the-festivals" hit then.

Yet another change of direction on "One Off Pretender". The guitars are a mix of The Stone Roses, U2 and The Coral (basically lots of reverb and delay and quite widdly) and the vocals go from virtually rapped to typical lad-rock shouting. Definitely different, but whether it's popular with fans remains to be seen. Guess what's coming next? Yes, it's another change in terms of sound and possibly the most melancholy song The View have ever released. Haunting strings dominate "Unexpected" over Kyle's down-in-the-dumps vocals and it's not something you'd think the band who wrote "Wasted Little DJs" could produce, but someow it works.

The rest of the album is populated with these kind of suprises. There's liberal use of string arrangements on quite a few tracks, an appearance from Paolo Nutini (no, come back! It's an alright song, I promise), a track going over the 6-minute mark and some Oasis-aping acoustic tracks. The middle of the album is where it gets even more interesting. "Glass Smash", heavy as "Brianstorm" and a rather creepy middle eight; "Distant Doubloon", just piano and strings with a distinct piratey feel to it; "Covers" (the Paolo Nutini track), a summery slice of acoustic pop with added trumpet. Then we arrive at "Shock Horror" the second single from the album. It's what you'd expect from the band and more, kind of like "Wasted Little DJs" older brother. It's more taut and foucsed, yet just as good as anything they've done.

The View may not be the msot popular band with some indie snobs but "Which Bitch?" is a future classic. The album has something for everyone; typical Yates's customers, mums who buy their records at Tesco, miserable hipsters, festival goers. It will be interesting to see where The View go from here. They might return to Libertines knock-offs, they could make another "Be Here Now" or another classic. We'll just have to wait and see. Though I still haven't got a clue what they're singing about half the time.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "5 Rebbeccas", "Unexpected", "Shock Horror"

9/10 (Which Bitch?)
8.5/10 (Shock Horror)