Vol. 69
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Full Pelt Magazine
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Blue Violet
Faux Animaux
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BLUE VIOLET – FAUX ANIMAUX – ALBUM REVIEW
In an industry and a world where it is increasingly impossible to breakthrough, you need something special to stand out. Many strive for this by adding quirks or unusual gimmicks to their look or sound, but even those with a clear and obvious talent can get lost in the sea of new music that gets released every day.
Indeed, whilst it’s never been easier to share your music with the world, it has never been more difficult to actually be heard! All this means however that when you do begin to cut through that noise, it is usually because you have that something special.
Blue Violet are an example of a band that has something that you can’t quite put your finger on, you just sense it and know when you are listening, that you are hearing something unforgettable. And that has never been more the case then on their sophomore release, ‘Faux Animaux’!
The tone is set straight out of the blocks with the methodically groovy ‘Sweet Success’, a song so catchy that you’ll be singing it for days. Indeed, that smooth production and synth-driven 80’s aesthetic is a key component of what is a truly magnificent record.
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‘Imagine You’ and ‘Survival’ will fully engage your love of synth-pop big hitters like Depeche Mode. But across the album the genre is perfected with a modern update.
It’s easy to get lost in songs such as the hypnotically danceable ‘Boogie Shoes’, and in truth you’ll struggle to turn off what is a thoroughly engaging collection.
Circling back to our starting point, when something stands out as extraordinary then words often can’t do that thing justice. You see it in the most talented sports stars, you feel it while watching the most spectacular movies and you certainly sense it whilst listening to ‘Faux Animaux’.
All we can do is tell you to find that out for yourself and go listen to this album!
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Vol. 68
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Tremonti
The End Will Show Us How
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TREMONTI – THE END WILL SHOW US HOW – album review
As we all know by now, Mark Tremonti doesn’t do things by half. Whether he is singing Frank Sinatra songs, shredding with Alter Bridge, breathing new life into Creed or fronting his eponymous band Tremonti, the guitarist is always all in!
New album, ‘The End Will Show Us How’ is another all-out example of the passion, diligence and mastery of one of modern rocks most prolific and talented guitar maestros.
At not much shy of a full hour, the twelve-track record may appear rather daunting on the surface – particularly if you are a new fan looking to dip your toes into the catalogue of the guitarist from the apparently trendy Creed.
Indeed, given that this is the sixth Tremonti album and nineteenth overall album released by the man himself across his various projects, there are more obvious places to begin if you want to take a journey into the creative might of Mark Tremonti.
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This isn’t an easy listening record, nor is it packed full of mainstream appeal. It is however stuffed full of glorious riffs, blistering solos, grafting vocals and an intense wall of sonic mortar. In other words, if you are already a fully fledged member of the Tremonti fan club then ‘The End Will Show Us How’ is yet another stunning collection for your mantlepiece.
The more Tremonti pushes himself in different directions, the further he examines his own capabilities, the more we all get to see the continued elevation of a master of their craft.
The ridiculous thing is that with nineteen albums in his repertoire, you must admit (as hard as that might be for old school Creed naysayers) that there is no flat-out dud amongst them. That is an incredible complement to pay and means that once again we shouldn’t be surprised at the quality presented on this latest effort.
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Lambrini Girls
Who Let The Dogs Out
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LAMBRINI GIRLS – WHO LET THE DOGS OUT – ALBUM REVIEW
For music fans with their finger on the pulse, Lambrini Girls have been on the radar for a few years. Whether it was a ferocious single or a raucous live show that first hit you in the face, as soon as you became aware of the group, you wanted more!
Well, thankfully more is here as the duo finally unveil their highly anticipated debut album. Now that’s an extremely overused phrase – highly anticipated. But ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ is a collection that has truly been waited on by a growing fanbase ever since Lambrini Girls first struck a chord in anger.
The opening trio of ‘Bad Apple’, ‘Company Culture’ and ‘Big Dick Energy’ have all been front and centre within their infamous live performances. This run eases you into the record with some familiarity and zest.
From hereon in it’s an overarching sense of intrigue that takes over and listeners are rewarded with exactly what they would want – more of the same! Biting vocals from Phoebe Lunny and driving bass from Lilly Macieira-Boşgelmez, which combine with a simple punk hum akin to early IDLES.
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Lyrically as well, it’s clear that Lambrini Girls are on par with some of their more established contemporaries. There are plenty of clever quips, thought-provoking words and more than your fair share of straight up callouts.
Cynics (predominately from groups receiving those frank callouts) will say that the duo are just playing up to their specific crowd; and they may well know their audience, but more importantly they clearly know themselves and know the harsh realities of the world.
Again, where critics will say they are alienating themselves from a large swathe of possible listeners, the duo will no doubt say that that’s on those individuals and not the band. Ideally those called out in songs will listen and learn – but we know we’re sadly kidding ourselves with that hope.
Ultimately Lambrini Girls have found themselves a home in a scene that is unashamed and unafraid to acknowledge societal injustices and importantly do something about them. The majority of the fans who have already discovered the group will fall in that category, and the thirty minutes of this record will be exactly what they will have hoped for from this album.
As is the nature of this beast, we’ve only just finished shouting about our 2024 Album of the Year list, and already our attention turns to 2025’s. A week or so into the year ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ takes a big lead in that list. Who knows if it will still be up there come December, but right now who cares? Just enjoy what is a barrage of an album!
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Franz Ferdinand
The Human Fear
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FRANZ FERDINAND – THE HUMAN FEAR – ALBUM REVIEW
Franz Ferdinand have always been a band that have done things their own way. They haven’t perhaps fulfilled their early promise in terms of mainstream success, but they’ve undoubtedly delivered on the sonic ambition of their early work.
At times it has felt that the bands creative functionality has been in spite of their own success. Not content to just rework the same album on repeat even when that would’ve been the business logic. The group have never been afraid to play with their sound and showcase what some might call a mystical knack for the exuberant.
Others though might instead term their approach as pretentious, and in all honestly there is a fair mix of all of the above on their new album, ‘The Human Fear’. Conceptually exploring the human fascination with fear, it’s ironic that again the band clearly have no fear in the recording studio.
A track like ‘Black Eyelashes’ for example isn’t ever going to be a big hit, but it’s got a quirky charm that endears it to a follower of their work. That feeling is central to the sound of the album, even though there are a handful of classic Franz Ferdinand bangers for good measure too such as opener ‘Audacious’ and the fun ‘Hooked’.
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The album itself ebbs and flows with a weird, disjointed connection. This though is just another example of how Franz Ferdinand can make things work that just shouldn’t.
Front and centre of course is frontman Alex Kapranos, who along with bassist Bob Hardy, stand firm amongst a newer cast of characters compared to their early big hitters. These line-up changes have probably contributed to the continued unpredictability of the beloved indie stalwarts but won’t help the perception that perhaps Franz Ferdinand are operating in a limp-mode of sorts.
As we all get older, we have to acknowledge that perhaps our best years are behind us, but Franz Ferdinand are able to retain a special allure like that weird friend that you never truly understand but always have a good time with.
‘The Human Fear’ is simply another memorable night out with that friend where you can’t remember what happened but you know you had a good time!
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 63
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 62
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Beans On Toast
Wild Goose Chasers
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BEANS ON TOAST – WILD GOOSE CHASERS – ALBUM REVIEW
It can’t be easy keeping things interesting when you make a pledge to release a new album every year, either for your fans or yourself. Still, Beans On Toast always manages it, helped of course by his in the moment lyrics but also of late by his increasing musical exploration.
His latest album, ‘Wild Goose Chasers’ finds Beans applying his wordsmithery over the fantastical piano wizardry of Matt Millership (aka Tensheds, aka King Killership) to beautiful effect.
Described enigmatically by the man himself as “a collection of newfangled pagan hymns to coincide with the end of truth”, these songs again find this cherished musician mixing personal experiences with his signature social commentary. Big thinking mixes with delicate thoughts and comes out as another vital set of engaging songs.
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The gentler melodies and softer vocals present on this record showcase a different side of a songwriter of cult-like status. Familiar yet different, ‘Wild Goose Chasers’ is certain to register as amongst Beans best ever work.
As much as you can follow his growth as a person across his extensive back catalogue, recent releases have really demonstrated exponential development of Beans On Toast the artist.
Naturally these are intertwined enormously but to return to our opening point, it is truly incredible that seventeen albums down the line Beans On Toast is still standing on a chair as a master of his art!
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Vol. 61
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