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Stereophonics

Stereophonics

Oochya!

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STEREOPHONICS – OOCHYA! – ALBUM REVIEW

Longevity and relevancy in the music industry don’t always go hand in hand. There aren’t many acts that can realistically claim the relevancy of Stereophonics who are now in their 30th year as a band!

While many contemporaries have either split up or faded into the nostalgia scene, Stereophonics are still going strong, still putting out hit albums, still selling out arenas and still headlining major festivals. The staying power of a band written off many times over the years is indeed incredibly impressive.

Their creative output is equally as impressive, both in terms of quality and quantity. New album ‘Oochya!’ is their 12th album and continues their streak of realising an album roughly every two years since their 1997 debut.

So, we’ve established that nobody can really argue their work ethic, but let’s look at that quality point now as we hit play on ‘Oochya!’.

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Stereophonics – ‘Hanging On Your Hinges’

Kicking off with lead single, ‘Hanging on Your Hinges’, and latest single, ‘Forever’, there is a familiar start to the album, with another single, ‘Do Ya Feel My Love?’,  sitting at track 4. This is obviously a very good start but the album clocks in at over an hour long, so can the rest keep up the pace?

I do find these days that bands with good levels of longevity and relevancy sometimes become over reliant on a couple of good singles to sell albums which in reality lack any real substance. With their release schedule, I’m always half expecting Stereophonics to fall into this category, and in all honesty you’d argue they’ve earned that right.

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They never have appeared to be willing to settle on their laurels however, and once again as ‘Oochya’ progresses there is plenty to enjoy. Be it rockier numbers like ‘Running Round My Brain’ and ‘Don’t Know What Ya Got’ or slower tracks such as ‘You’re My Soul’ and ‘All I Have Is You’, that proven Stereophonics quality is here in spades.

You’re never going to get much in the way of experimentation, this is Stereophonics doing what Stereophonics do, but it sounds modern enough to maintain that aspect of relevancy.

To answer the overriding question here, ‘Oochya’ is good, it does exactly what it needs to do for the band and will continue their place in the musical eco-system.

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Daytime TV

Daytime TV

Nothing’s On But Everyone’s Watching

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Daytime TV’s existence is an interesting evolution from past musical lives, but with their debut album, ‘Nothing’s On But Everyone’s Watching’ they shed that past like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

There is little left of their previous caterpillar life as they unfurl their wings and fly into the wide world with a stunning debut album that enthrals from the very opening notes of ‘side effects’.  

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Daytime TV – ‘side effects’

‘Nothing’s On But Everyone’s Watching’ is lyrically thought provoking and sonically diverse with a range of influences evidenced as the album progresses through the likes of ‘little victories’ and ‘hush’, which set a high standard early on.

At their heart, Daytime TV are a rock band but they encompass a much further reaching sound then any standard rock act. As the album progresses you are treated to huge guitar hooks, tender moments, euphoric synth-laden tunes and everything in between.

The singles put out in advance teased the quality of this album, and the record in its entirety manages to maintain those standards. Stand out moments include ‘zombie’, ‘ugly’ and ‘side by side’ which we recently featuring on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist.

We set up that Playlist because we love new music. Is there any better feeling than discovering your new favourite act? Perhaps the bragging in the future when they are superstars, and you can claim you championed them early on? Well, it certainly feels like Daytime TV fit that bill!

With ‘Nothing’s On But Everyone’s Watching’ the band has put the world on notice with what will no doubt go down as one of the year’s best debut albums, if not one of the best overall albums.

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Salvation Jayne

Salvation Jayne

A Mouthful Of Magnificent Spite

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SALVATION JAYNE – A MOUTHFUL OF MAGNIFICENT SPITE – ALBUM REVIEW

We are passionate about new music at Full Pelt Music, and that’s why we launched our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist and Podcast last year. One act to feature on the Playlist has been Kent alt-rockers Salvation Jayne. Is there anything better than discovering a new act? Perhaps when they release their debut album?

Listen to ‘Diadem’ from Salvation Jayne on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Well, that point in time has arrived for Salvation Jayne with the release of ‘A Mouthful Of Magnificent Spite’, so we just had to check it out.

The album bursts into life with the towering opener ‘Apathetic Apologies’ and the pace rarely drops throughout the rest of the album; and it’s a meaty album at over 50 minutes long.

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Salvation Jayne – ‘Apathetic Apologies’

There aren’t really any standout songs on the album, and that’s purely down to the high overall quality. Every song deserves recognition but we will pinpoint ‘Drink You Down’ as a particular favourite.

‘A Mouthful Of Magnificent Spite’ is very well crafted with the soaring vocals and crisp guitars elevating the music above your standard alt-rock stock. There is a beautiful cocktail of genres and influences present on here, all neatly wrapped up and presented with an almost pop bow on top.

By the time the album closes on ‘Poveglia’, the efforts of Salvation Jayne have certainly paid off with spectacular results. This is truly a glorious triumph of a debut album from a band with a very bright future. Really, isn’t it just great finding fantastic new music?

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Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

4

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SLASH FEAT. MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS – 4 – ALBUM REVIEW

Nobody could’ve predicted the match made in heaven between Slash and Myles Kennedy back in 2010 when Kennedy featured on the guitarists’ debut solo album. Soon enough however it was evident to those that mattered and Kennedy was chosen to front the live band and contribute an additional song.

Now, here we are some 10+ years later and that solo project has morphed into the mouthful that is Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, and the group are releasing their fourth album together, simply titled ‘4’.

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Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – ‘Call Off The Dogs’

Yes a lot can change in 10 years of course, and despite Slash now finding himself back in Guns N Roses, this collective is just too good to leave in the past. The band has grown in cohesiveness and credibility and with the addition of ‘4’ they now have a solid back catalogue themselves. So much so, that they no longer need to rely so heavily on GNR tracks live.

‘4’ continues the momentum created by its predecessors and kicks straight in with single ‘The River Is Rising’ setting the foundations for another 45 minutes of good old reliable rock and roll.

Listen to ‘The River Is Rising’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

For ‘4’ the band has worked with renowned country producer Dave Cobb and mixed up their recording practices with the album captured as live, but the result remains very much a SMKC record. Do you want old school rock and roll? Well, you got it! You want blistering guitar solos? Naturally! You want Kennedy’s sublime soaring vocals? It’s all here on ‘4’.

With new Guns N Roses songs not instantly hitting it off, we should be glad that this group remains a viable vessel for this legendary guitarist and his band of mercenaries to deliver the effortlessly groovy and dirty rock n rock that we want.

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Frank Turner

Frank Turner

FTHC

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FRANK TURNER – FTHC – ALBUM REVIEW

The evolution of Frank Turner’s solo career has always felt very organic and unforced. Ahead of the release of new album, ‘FTHC’, however you sensed that this may be his biggest sonic leap yet.

If you were to compare ‘FTHC’ to debut album ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ you’d probably conclude that you’d listened to different artists. Well, to an extent you have! The difference is 15 years, 9 albums and literally thousands of shows.

The fact is Turner is a different artist now then he was following the dissolution of his hardcore band Million Dead. Saying that, his road seems to have taken him from his folk beginnings back towards his punk past, and isn’t that just the circle of life.

Turner has often been labelled as Folk Punk and whilst the worlds craving to place a label on everything is tiresome, sometimes these things just fit. It’s perhaps symbolic then that Turner returns to his old school ‘FTHC’ moniker for the album title.

What we are getting at is that this album feels like a rebirth of sorts for Turner. It feels like Turner has stood over a cauldron and mixed a potion using ingredients gathered from each of his previous creations.

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Frank Turner – ‘The Gathering’

The resulting concoction is a raucously rebellious yet sublimely poppy record which will get you singing and bouncing along. The early run of ‘Non Serviam’, ‘The Gathering’ and ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’ is gloriously manic and sets the tone for the album as a whole.

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Standout moments include ‘Fatherless’, ‘Punches’, ‘The Resurrectionists’ and Scott Hutchison tribute ‘A Wave Across a Bay’. There is plenty here for fans old and new to sink their teeth into and despite being album number 9, ‘FTHC’ is proof that Turner has plenty more in the tank as his evolution continues.

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Korn

Korn Requiem

Requiem

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KORN – REQUIEM – ALBUM REVIEW

Whilst others that emerged during the Nu-Metal craze have imploded, faded into obscurity or overly relied on nostalgia, Korn have remained constant. Leaders of that movement, the band has always refused to be confined by their past.

Always a force live, but it’s on record that Korn really set themselves apart both in terms of quality but importantly also consistency. ‘Requiem’ is the bands 14th studio album, yes 14th! There aren’t many bands from that era that have released albums on such a regular basis and even fewer that have maintained the quality and dare I say relevance of those from Korn.

The band has managed to maintain almost unparalleled quality across their career, with a bad Korn album not really existing. Of course there are particular albums that stand out above the rest and 2019 release ‘The Nothing’ was greeted with universal acclaim. The pressure therefore was surely on for ‘Requiem’!

Another impressive factor when considering the bands output over the years is that it’s not always been plain sailing, and this album arrives at a time where bassist Fieldy has taken hiatus from the group.

Listen to ‘Start the Healing’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

‘Requiem’ however typically emerges above any issues and any pressure to once again maintain the high standard set from the band. From the opening track ‘Forgotten’, through the likes of ‘Start the Healing’ and ‘Lost In Grandeur’ to album closer ‘Worst Is On It’s Way’, this album is exactly what it needs to be.

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Korn – ‘Forgotten’

The album may not be the greatest Korn album or receive the acclaim of its predecessor, but it’s short, punchy and direct. It does its job, in continuing the consistency both in frequency and quality of the band and their output.

This album is a must for legacy fans and certainly won’t be turning any new fans away either. It’s Korn doing what Korn do, and really that’s all we want at this point in their career.

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Billy Talent

Crisis Of Faith

Billy Talent Crisis Of Faith
Billy Talent – ‘Crisis Of Faith’

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BILLY TALENT – CRISIS OF FAITH – ALBUM REVIEW

The gap between Billy Talent’s sixth and fifth albums has been double the length of any previous inter-album gaps. Of course, the pandemic will have played a role in the delay but it’s finally time to hear the band follow up the very impressive ‘Afraid of Heights’.

‘Crisis Of Faith’ starts with ‘Forgiveness I + II’ which initially emerged back in 2019 and showed a slight stylistic change for the band. Soon thereafter though the familiar sound of the band takes over with ‘Reckless Paradise’ and ‘I Beg To Differ (This Will Get Better)’ close behind.

Over the course of their previous five albums, Billy Talent have proven themselves to be incredibly and consistently prolific in terms of quality. The pre-release singles including Rivers Cuomo collaboration ‘End Of Me’ ensured fans had no crisis of faith in the bands ability to deliver catchy and punchy punk rock, and the album as a whole repays that faith.

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Billy Talent – ‘End Of Me’ (Feat. Rivers Cuomo)

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This album certainly feels like the band are stretching their legs and trying new things, but without giving up what has won them a legion of dedicated fans. It’s always refreshing when a band is willing to test themselves and also commendable when a band tries to please their fans. ‘Crisis Of Faith’, is one of those rare albums that manages to find that middle ground and do both.

It truly is remarkable how Billy Talent are able to maintain a stream of such quality releases. ‘Crisis Of Faith’ manages to deliver on any fan expectations and reassures that despite the gap in time the band remain as relevant now as a decade ago.

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Yard Act

The Overload

Yard Act The Overload
Yard Act – ‘The Overload’

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YARD ACT – THE OVERLOAD – ALBUM REVIEW

Yard Act is a name that you would likely have seen at some point recently. After all, they have appeared on many ‘ones to watch’ lists and festival line-ups over the past year or so. There hasn’t however been a great deal of material available to check out, until now that is!

‘The Overload’ is the bands debut album and arrives with many eyes on it, so can it live up to the anticipation and expectations?

The title track sets the stall from the very start as the band pin their colours to the mast. It is pretty obvious straight away that this album is a simple statement from Yard Act. They are who they are, do what they do and don’t care about any haters.

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Yard Act – ‘The Overload’

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Politics, for example has become somewhat of a taboo subject for bands. Nowadays protest songs have been replaced with carefully constructed and wholly inoffensive tracks targeting widespread appeal and commercial success. Thankfully, a number of bands have begun to stick their heads above the parapet in recent times, and Yard Act clearly don’t mind addressing polarising subjects.

Equally the bands sound isn’t an obvious attempt at breaking into the mainstream, it is however incredibly catchy and you’ll find it very hard not to move your body in time with their bouncy post-punk jingles.

Yes, Yard Act are very interesting. ‘The Overload’ almost purposefully avoids taking advantage of the mainstream interest, yet somewhat emerges as a pop masterpiece. When listening to some new music, you sense a decent career, rarely do you think to yourself “these could be huge”, but that is very much the feeling here.

Hype very much lived up to!

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The Lumineers

BRIGHTSIDE

The Lumineers
The Lumineers – ‘BRIGHTSIDE’

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THE LUMINEERS – BRIGHTSIDE – ALBUM REVIEW

‘BRIGHTSIDE’ represents the fourth studio effort from The Lumineers, a band that shot into the popular conscience of music fans with their huge hit ‘Ho Hey’. Since then the profile of the band may have stagnated slightly but their musical output has remained consistently credible.

Call me old fashioned but I certainly can’t help but to feel that their output of four albums in ten years has slowed their momentum somewhat. Yes, the days of yearly album releases are long, long gone but The Lumineers definitely haven’t struck whilst the iron was hot.

If however, the band needed an album to rubberstamp their credentials and to re-establish themselves in the higher echelons of music’s luminaries then ‘BRIGHTSIDE’ could well be it.

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The Lumineers – ‘BRIGHTSIDE’

Starting off with the title track and fellow recent single, ‘A.M. RADIO’, the album instantly showcases the musical talents of Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites at their best. The groups folk stylings underpin two pop songs destined to grace the radio for some time to come.

How this album will be received here in the UK is hard to tell, but if you listen to ‘BRIGHTSIDE’ and close your eyes, you can just picture a long road trip across North America. I can’t imagine this album giving The Lumineers the same level of success here as their debut album did, but it should recapture the hearts of some lapsed fans.

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The Lumineers are an interesting prospect, because back in 2012 they looked set to take over the world. That hasn’t happened, but they continue to make beautiful music and perhaps that’s all they want to do. If so, they’ve managed to do exactly that on ‘BRIGHTSIDE’.

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The Wombats

Fix Yourself, Not the World

The Wombats Fix Yourself Not The World Album Cover
The Wombats – ‘Fix Yourself, Not the World’

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THE WOMBATS – FIX YOURSELF, NOT THE WORLD – ALBUM REVIEW

The Wombats continue to defy the laws of popularity when so many of their peers have disappeared from the limelight. The fact that they find themselves somewhat as the house band at the zeitgeist barometer that is Reading & Leeds Festivals proves that the band, who hit the mainstream back in 2007, still resonate with the youth of today.

Despite, scarily, finding themselves nearly two decades into their career, The Wombats seem to have found the fountain of youth. Their fifth album, ‘Fix Yourself, Not the World’ showcases this with a youthful sound that doesn’t sound forced.

Many bands that breakthrough with a youthful sound, struggle as age takes it ugly toll (I’m looking at you Pop Punk!), but I don’t get that sense listening to this album. This is a huge credit to The Wombats for their durability and adaptability.

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The Wombats – ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming with You’

The Wombats have delivered some incredibly catchy indie pop anthems in their career, and the likes of ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming with You’, ‘Method to the Madness’ and ‘Everything I Love Is Going to Die’ are certainly in that category.

In fact, from start to finish, ‘Fix Yourself, Not the World’ feels fresh and delivers everything you want from a Wombats album. The band hasn’t been the most prolific in their career, but when they do release new music, it’s usually top quality. Think of a football player that doesn’t score very often, but when they do it’s a goal of the season contender!

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If you’d have said to me back in 2007 when listening to ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ that The Wombats would still releasing mainstream albums and taking big slots at massive festivals, I wouldn’t have believed you – but, here we are! Now where is that fountain of youth?

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