The Last Shadow Puppets Everything You've Come To Expect Album Review

Today's post is going to be a review of Everything You've Come To Expect, the 2016 album by The Last Shadow Puppets.

Like many people, I came across The Last Shadow Puppets through the Arctic Monkeys. Having never been disappointed by anything Alex Turner has ever produced, I was hopeful when I ordered their 2008 album, The Age Of The Understatement.

As I bought the album from Amazon, I got the MP3 version as well, which has the track The Bourne Identity on it, which the CD (and I presume vinyl) version doesn't. For that reason, I would strongly recommend buying the album of amazon, as I absolutely love The Bourne Identity, which I think really rounds off the album, and (I'm sure I'm not alone on this!) I get an enormous amount of satisfaction from having physical albums.

The first thing that struck me about this album was that compared to the earlier album and to Arctic Monkeys albums was how much more mature (and lovestruck) the album sounded.

Without a doubt, I would describe the album as polished. With The Age Of The Understatement, I sort of get the sense that Alex and Miles were slightly mocking themselves and not taking it completely seriously, whereas with this album. it seems like they were very clear on what they wanted to achieve and what kind of sound they wanted.

Lyrically, the album is reminscent of the love struck tone of Arctic Monkey's Suck It and See album, with words like " All of our exchanges are by candlelight" (Miracle Aligner), "Lipstick on my pillow via my cheek" (Dracula Teeth), "It feels like your entrance just caused the temperature to rise" (The Element of Surprise) and "Ain't  I fallen in love" (Sweet Dreams, TN) giving the album a sense of being dedicated to someone in particular (Presumably Alex Turner's girlfriend, Taylor Bagley).

Despite the maturity, the album's song The Dream Synopsis talks about "...a wicked gale came howling up through Sheffield City Centre..." and says "Both well aware that there'd be trouble if the manager should find us/You'd got a leaning tower of pint pots in your hand, you can carry much more than I can". To me, this sounds like a reference to Alex's work as a Barman in Sheffield as a teenager. Talking about "Some kid I went to school with" also appears to be a sign that he is thinking more about his hometown of Sheffield.

The album as whole (with the exception of Bad Habits) has a very relaxed, lazy Sunday morning feel to it, with elaborate, layered music and nothing abrasive in the slightest. Bad Habits stands out due to its faster base, and louder, harsher vocal style. Personally, it's my favourite song, after Sweet Dreams, TN.

Although I do really enjoy listening to this album, it is not really the type of thing I would usually listen to, and I can also see why it gets played on Radio 2 a lot. It definitely appeals to the older audience, perhaps more than to teenagers. Having said that, Alex and Miles are both 30, and as their previous album was released in 2008, many people who bought the album at the time will be of a similar age.

Personally, I listen to whatever music I want to, and I don't really care about what people think, so it doesn't bother me that my mum likes it as much as I do (if anything, that's a good thing, as it means I can get away with playing it loudly in a way I never get away with playing Bullet For My Valentine!). 

My main criticism of the album is that it's so polished some of the meaning of the lyrics are lost to me. Watching live performances on YouTube (I couldn't get tickets to see it live myself), the passion of the words,  particularly in Sweet Dreams, TN, comes through more than the highly produced album version does, but on the other hand, it means that the album is perfect background music. 

On the whole, I would definitely recommend this album, although I would recommend listening to Aviation on YouTube first, as that opening song really sets the tone for the whole album, so allows you to get a taste of what the album is really like.

Thank you.

Liverpool Sound City/Catfish and the Bottlemen Concert Review

A few months ago, I decided I wanted (NEEDED) to see Catfish and The Bottlemen, a band I am IN LOVE with. As this was before The Ride Tour was announced (which I have got tickets to), I looked into the dates they were doing and (surprise!) there weren't any local to me, except for some festivals. One of the festivals they were doing was Liverpool Sound City, and since there were day tickets available, I coerced a friend into coming with me (He wasn't too reluctant!) and we bought tickets for the Saturday.

We paid about £44.00 each for non VIP tickets, which although it is about double what we would have paid to just see Catifsh, I felt was worth it due to the number of bands we saw.

I gathered that for the majority of people, Catfish were the main attraction. Despite this, they were obviously keen to see the other bands too, as they were on last, at 10:30pm, so they had the whole day to fill first.

 Once we had got past the thorough search (patted down, bags emptied and pockets checked) and ID check process (the festival was 16+), we got in. Like many festivals, you couldn't take in food or drink, or leave and be let back in.

The first band we saw were a band named Atlas Wynd, who had a very early Arctic Monkeys sound. Although I had never heard of them, and no one seemed familiar with their songs, there were a few people dancing (an impressive feat, given that no one had had chance to get drunk) and the two members of the band were clearly enjoying themselves. I enjoyed their performance so much, I have since bought their Secret EP from Bandcamp, something I would definitely recommend doing. Their half hour set really impressed me, and I would highly recommend their song "Creep".

https://atlaswynd.bandcamp.com/

The next band we saw were called Dead Buttons, and whilst I didn't particularly love their performance, I didn't hate it! In my opinion, the music they were playing wasn't the type of thrash/metal music where you would expect a lack of words, but the lyrics they used were very repetitive and unimaginative. I didn't find that they drew me in the way Atlas Wynd did, and I don't think I would buy their album.

Later in the day we saw two bands, False Advertising and Judas, both of who performed in a way which definitely made me feel as though they were enjoying themselves and encouraged me to dance. 

Another interesting performance came from a Welsh band named Fleur De Lys, who performed all their songs singing in Welsh. Whilst I am sure that is not VERY unusual, I only normally hear Welsh spoken when I am in Wales, and never sung, so it surprised me. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed their performance.

The next band we saw (as far as I can remember!) was Band Of Skulls, who I had, in fact, heard of. There performance was absolutely brilliant, energetic, well executed and above all, their set list was chosen to get people up and dancing.

By this point, there were more and more people getting drunk, which did help with the dancing aspect, I have no doubt, but got the crowd going.

After their performance, it was time for the Sleaford Mods to take the stage. Their name would suggest them to be similar to the Jam, or other Mod bands, but from research, I knew that was not the case. Sleaford Mods have a style SLIGHTLY similar to John Cooper Clarke in the talking with backing music sense, but the lyrics are very different. What Sleaford Mods songs are is hard to explain. They are raw, flowing tirades against...well, anything...including Indie favourites Arctic Monkeys and Blossoms. The number of swearwords used in every line is, in a sense, impressive. There is a definite rap theme to their performance, which made it  hard for people to dance, but there were some definite hard core fans there, "Singing" along with Jason Williamson. From the rest of the audience, there was some rhythmic head nodding and some (mostly from older or more sober people) looks of utter confusion. I can see where they were coming from with that.

Then it was time for Catfish and The Bottlemen.

The date was the 28th May 2016, meaning it was the day after they had released The Ride . Personally, I had done my best to listen to the album on loop from the second it was released until I arrived at Sound City. Judging by the number of The Ride T Shirts around me, I was not alone. 

Catfish had the longest set of the night, an hour and a half without going off or an encore, and time flew. 

By this point, there were a lot of people crammed in, so I was incredibly grateful for my position about 5 rows back from the barrier. Their set list was a brilliant blend, based mostly on The Balcony, but with a bit of The Ride as well.

For me, the set list worked perfectly. Following the Sleaford Mods on stage meant that it fell to them to get the crowd dancing, but by 30 seconds into Homesick, their opening song, the whole crowd was singing and dancing. Van McCann, who, to be completely honest, I, and the majority of the people there, was in love with before I saw them was on stage the whole time, with the Bob Hall, Benji Blakeway and Johnny Bond going off midway while Van played Hourglass on Accoustic Guitar, which was beautiful. 

On the subject of Van, his showmanship was brilliant. Dancing around, singing his heart out and giving the impression that he was having the time of his life. I lost count of the number of times he thanked us all for being at the first festival they had ever headlined. He told us about the last time they had played Sound City, and their small audience, he dedicated a song to everyone who had bought "our new album and our old one" and was generally humble and grateful.

When he dropped the mic stand, he laughed it off, and worked round the stage hands who had to keep coming on and sorting his mic out. He asked the people at the back if they could hear ok, and generally helped make the show as brilliant as I had hoped.

Bondy's guitar playing skill was evident, and the new songs like 7 and Sound Check showcased that well, with the guitar perfectly executed but real.

They ended with Tyrants, which was a perfect end to an incredible show.

A few days later, The Ride Tour Tickets were released, and still buzzing from their fantastic show, a different friend and I managed to get tickets in the pre sale for Manchester, all 3 nights of which sold out.

Overall, the festival itself was brilliants, with a big variety of bands, from little known gems to, well, Catfish. The event was well managed, the selection of food was good and I was easily occupied for the 13 hour period.

Catfish were also incredible, and I CANNOT WAIT until November when I get to see them again.

Thank you for reading this.

All pictures taken by myself or from the official Sound City Photographs.

150 Favourite Songs

As this is (going to be) a music blog, a good place to start seems to be my 150 favourite songs...A difficult decision!
The first 6 are equal to one another, as I really can't pick between them:

1. Scatman's World//Scatman John
2. When the Sun Goes Down//Arctic Monkeys
3. Sell Out//The Levellers
4. Rango//Catfish and the Bottlemen
5. R U Mine?//Arctic Monkeys
6. Lounge Act//Nirvana

Those 6 songs are long standing favourites, which I can guarantee will cheer anyone up! They are definitely my go to songs for any occasion, and Rango and When the Sun Goes Down are my personal recommendations for post-exam cheer ups!
The next 144 are all favourites (in no particular order). I have chosen them without looking at my albums/phone music library, so they are simply the ones which come into my head when I think about music I love. They are equal to one another; there is no way I could EVER prioritise these songs, but hopefully it will serve as a good introduction to the kind of music I obsess over. So, without further ado:

1. Gunga Din//The Libertines
2.  All My Pride//Black Honey
3. 12:51//The Strokes
4. Dance, Dance//Fall Out Boy
5. Enter Sandman//Metallica
6. Anything//Catfish and the Bottlemen
7. Sweet Dreams, TN//The Last Shadow Puppets
8. Howling for you//The Black Keys
9. Morning Glory//Oasis
10. Little Sister//Queens of The Stoneage
11. Read my mind//The Killers
12. Creep//Atlas Wynd
13. Ask//The Smiths
14. The Fallen//Franz Ferdinand
15. Jennifer//The Little Comets
16. Celebrity Skin//Hole
17. The Evil That Men Do//Iron Maiden
18. Bittersweet Symphony//The Verve
19. Crawl//Kings of Leon
20. Tortuga//Catfish and the Bottlemen
21. Hips don't lie//Shakira
22. Monster//Paramore
23. Cigarette Smoke//Arctic Monkeys
24. God is on the radio//Queens of the Stoneage
25. Weather with you//Crowded House
26. Brooklyn Baby//Lana Del Rey
27. Long Live//Taylor Swift
28. Sliver//Nirvana
29. I want it all//Arctic Monleys
30. Eton Rifles//The Jame
31. Don't threaten me with a good time//Panic! At the Disco
32. My Propeller//Arctic Monkeys
33. She's Electric//Oasis
34. You Only Live Once//The Strokes
35. Losing My Religion//REM
36. All The Small Things//blink-182
37. The Kids Aren't Alright//The Offsping
38. Laid//James
39. Arabella//Arctic Monkeys
40. How you remind me//Nickelback
41. Mad World//Tears for Fears
42. Feels Good Inc//Gorillaz
43. Seven Nation Army//The White Stripes
44. Ground for Divorce//Elbow
45. Little House of Horrors//The Walkmen
46. The Boy Looked At Johnny//The Libertines
47. Hard to Explain//The Strokes
48. Thanks for the Venom//My Chemical Romance
49. Dangerous Animals//Arctic Monkeys
50. Know your rights//The Clash
51. The Phoenix//Fall Out Boy
52. Been a son//Nirvana
53. Tears in heaven//Eric Clapton
54. She Bangs the Drum//Stone Roses
55. Someday//The Strokes
56. Mardy Bum//Arctic Monkeys
57. When you were young//The Killers
58. It's not a side effect of the cocaine, it must be love//Fall Out Boy
59. Going Underground//The Jam
60. Lonely Boy/The Black Keys
61. Evil Twin//Arctic Monkeys
62. Catching the Butterfly//The Verve
63. Waiting for the man//Velvet Underground
64. Who the Fuck are Arctic Monkeys//Arctic Monkeys
65. Headshrinker//Oasis
66. Tell the King//The Libertines
67. Gold on the Ceiling//The Black Keys
68. Teenage Kicks//The Undertones
69. Off to the races//Lana Del Rey
70. Another Love//Tom Odell
71. Poison Prince//Amy MacDonald
72. Feels like we only go backwards//Tame Impala
73. Piledriver Waltz//Arctic Monkeys
74. London Calling//The Clash
75. Saviour Breath//Foo Fighters
76. Reptilia//The Strokes
77. Red//Catfish and the Bottlemen
78. Empire//Shakira
79. Eye of the Tiger//Survivor
80. Let Her Go//Passenger
81. Paranoid//Black Sabbath
82. Everybody's on the run//Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
83. The Man who sold the world//David Bowie
84. On a Plain//Nirvana
85. The Good, the bad and the dirty//Panic! At The Disco
86. Potion Approaching//Arctic Monkeys
87. Cries in vain//Bullet for my Valentine
88. Special K//Placebo
89. Holiday//Greenday
90. Pumped up kicks//Foster the People
91. Figure it out//Royal Blood
92. Feeling This//Blink 182
93. Paint it Black//Rolling Stones
94. Dance Little Liar//Arctic Monkeys
95. Homesick//Catfish and The Bottlemen
96. Touch me, I'm Sick//Mudhoney
97. Hysteria//Muse
98. Army of Noise//Bullet for my Valentine
99. Last Post on the Bugle//The Libertines
100. Another Man's Cause//The Levellers
101. Riptide//Vance Joy
102. Fast Fuse//Kasabian
103. New York City Cops//The Strokes
104. Aneurysm//Nirvana
105. Rape Me//Nirvana
106. Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts//Arctic Monkeys
107. Headspin//Black Honey
108. Fire and the Thud//Arctic Monkeys
109. Don't Stop Me Now//Queen
110. Harlot//Catfish and the Bottlemen
111. The Pretender//Foo Fighters
112. Chelsea Dagger//The Fratellis
113. Jukebox Hero//Foreigner
114. Electricityscape//The Strokes
115. 26//Catfish and the Bottlemen
116. The Best Day//Taylor Swift
117. Brianstorm//Arctic Monkeys
118. I Don't Care//Fall Out Boy
119. Cocoon//Catfish and the Bottlemen
120. She's Electric//Oasis
121. This House Is A Circus//Arctic Monkeys
122. Hard to explain//The Strokes
123. Honeyscrew//Hootie and the Blowfish
124. 505//Arctic Monkeys
125. The Bourne Identity//The Last Shadow Puppets
126. Don't Look Back Into The Sun//The Libertines
127. The Dream Synopsis//The Last Shadow Puppets
128. Americana//The Offsping
129. Man In The Box//Alice In Chains
130. Runaways//The Killers
131. Little Black Submarines//The Black Keys
132. ASA//Catfish and the Bottlemen
133. Ignorance//Paramore
134. Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend//Arctic Monkeys
135. War Pigs//Black Sabbath
136. Taste In Men//Placebo
137. Be Quick or Be Dead//Iron Maiden
138. Smooth Criminal//Alien Ant Farm
139. Beat Surrender//The Jam
140. Be Here Now//Oasis
141. Hourglass//Catfish and the Bottlemen
142. Fame and Fortune//The Libertines
143. Fallout//Catfish and the Bottlemen
144. Dancing Shoes//Arctic Monkeys

So those are the 150 songs that occurred to me when I thought about songs that I love. I hope that this will introduce you to this blog, I intend for my future posts to be much more in depth, focused and (maybe) analytical, but their doesn't seem much point in starting without any introduction, so they we are.

Thank you very much for reading.