Best Of 2012: #24

#24 - The View - Cheeky For A Reason

Unfortunately, this is not The View's high point. That award would have to go to this album's predecessor, the fantastic Bread And Circuses. However, this album - the band's fourth - has plenty of tunes to keep you satisfied. Whilst a lot of the songs sound a little more restrained and are less epic and in-your-face than the last album, you can still find time for the hands-in-the-air singalong of Hold On Now, or the sheer punch that comes with opening track How Long. Elsewhere, we have a completely pointless 11-second piano interlude titled... wait for it... Piano Interlude! There's the odd lyrical facepalm, such as "the girl with the tacky tattoo, is the one you shouldn't do" (yes, that's the chorus!) and a couple of songs that don't quite reach the band's normally high standard, but generally, worth a listen.

RECOMMEND: How Long, Hold On Now, Bunker
LOW POINTS: Hole In The Bed, Lean On My World

Preview Cheeky For A Reason

You can listen to 90-second previews of every song on The View's upcoming album "Cheeky For A Reason" on iTunes now, including two bonus tracks. Just click this link and then click 'view in iTunes'.

The album will be released on 9th July.

The View - Cheeky For A Reason

Artwork

 

Tracklist

1. How Long

2. AB (We Need Treatment)
3. Hold On Now
4. Anfield Row
5. Bullet
6. Bunker (Solid Ground)
7. The Clock
8. Piano Interlude
9. Hole In The Bed
10. Sour Little Sweetie
11. Lean On My World
12. Tacky Tattoo

The album will be released 9th July, and will be preceded by a single, entitled How Long. The band have also unveiled another track, entitled Hold On Now, which will also be included on the album - it was available for free download a week ago.

The View Unveil New Song

The View have released a new song, Hold On Now, as a free download for one week only (until the 22nd May). The track is taken from their forthcoming fourth album, Cheeky For A Reason, due out 9th July. Download the track here.

The View Push Back Album Release

The View have pushed back the release of their upcoming fourth album, Cheeky For A Reason, by a week - to 9th July. However, if you need a View fix, a free download will be made available tomorrow (15th May) for your listening pleasure!

The View Announce Free Download

The View have announced that they will be releasing a free download of a song, taken from their upcoming new album, on May 15th. The song title is unknown, but the album it is taken from is Cheeky For A Reason, which is set for release on July 2nd. Potential tracks for inclusion are AB, Anfield Row, Bunker, How Long and The Clock Has No Sympathy.

The View Announce New Album

The View have announced the initial details of their forthcoming fourth album. The album will be entitled Cheeky For A Reason and will be released on July 2nd, following a UK tour. The album follows their third effort Bread And Circuses (released only a year ago) and it is set to feature songs such as AB, How Long, Anfield Row, Bunker and The Clock Has No Sympathy. The full tracklist and the artwork will be up here when they are released.

Best Of 2011: #12

#12 - The View - Bread And Circuses

Original review here.

The first View albums always had something slightly lacking in them, but this third one is absolutely massive. There isn't really a song I dislike - all of them are more or less big feel-good anthems. First single and album opener Grace is mind-blowing, Tragic Magic is an absolute epic that never fails to excite, and you can almost hear the crowds shouting back the chorus of Best Lasts Forever. There is a bit of a new sound in the background, but the standard View guitar pop always dominates it. It's bloody brilliant.

Album Review: The View - Bread And Circuses

Album: Bread And Circuses
Artist: The View
Singles: Sunday (free download), Grace

I seem to have the opposite opinion to a lot of reviewers for this band - I think their second album, despite not being particularly coherent, was more interesting than their debut, Hats Off To The Buskers. After hearing the free download Sunday back in November 2010, it was clear they were taking a new direction, and it's paid off - the record sounds less rough around the edges (not always a bad thing, but...) and sounds generally stronger.

Grace
The brilliant first single hurtles in with a nice powerful guitar riff - the crowds will be going wild when they hear the first notes of this song. The chorus, "I'm a sober boy, and you're a lonely girl" is a huge anthemic affair that works brilliantly. The song ends abruptly, but makes its mark.

Underneath The Light
This one didn't grab me as instantly as Grace did. It sounds a little bit bouncier and takes a few listens before you get used to it. The chorus, on the other hand, is once again well-crafted (something that they have pretty much perfected on this album) and again you can imagine the crowds singing along: "And now we've kissed, let's make the most of this..." The middle section takes an odd turn that I still haven't warmed to, where it slows down and the line "Get out of line, go home" gets repeated. This is probably my least favourite on the album, but it's still quite a good song.

Tragic Magic
Luckily, my least favourite song is put right next to the one that is one of my two favourites. The production on this album really brings something to this song; it sounds cleaner in a way, and sounds all the stronger for it. Once again, you cannot deny that the band know their way round a chorus - "And it's just a case of tragic magic, when you can't remember feeling fantastic". At first it sounds like they've just stuck a few words that rhyme together for the sake of it, but when you know what the song is on about, you appreciate it more.

Girl
Opening with a piano and a guitar, the song sounds like it's going to be a slower affair, but then a doorbell rings (they seem to have enjoyed sticking special noises on this song - see "The door goes crash" *CRASH*), and suddenly the song turns into a catchier, more upbeat version of itself. This song wouldn't be that out of place on their debut album. Overall, however, this one of the less interesting songs on the album, but may still provide a decent sing-along at gigs.

Life
A ballad - luckily, one that works nicely - slows down the pace set by the first four songs. Kyle Falconer's vocals are at their best on this song, and when backed by strings, the song takes a more emotional turn. Unexpected, but a good song nonetheless.

Friend
Continuing the penchant for one-word titles, Friend is a catchy song with another great chorus to match. The lyrics are slightly less interesting and not particularly diverse, but I can still picture the crowds singing along to "The girl that I've been speaking to all night has left me for my friend."

Beautiful
Halfway through, and we are treated to another catchy song, again reminiscent of their earlier work. Unfortunately, although at first it gets going, it doesn't really go anywhere interesting beyond that, but after a few listens (like a few songs on here) the song comes off better.

Blondie
"I love it when you come, I love it when you go" opens Blondie, another highlight of the album. Although the sound of this track and the two before it are all different (this one has a sort of 80s vibe), it's still catchy and should work well live.

Sunday
The free download given towards the end of 2010, despite my overplaying it in anticipation for the album, still remains one of the best on the album and should be released as a proper single at some point. The song has a slightly more electronic sound to it than their first two albums, but sounds like quite a joyful song with the piano riff that gets played over the top. Again, the song has quite an anthemic quality to it.

Walls
Sounding slightly darker as we head towards the end of the album, but builds up nicely to the chorus (which sounds big as usual) of "She's a real life girl in this fucked up world, and I suggest you call her the one." The formula is getting predictable and slightly repetitive now, but the song still stands up well on its own.

Happy
"I wasn't born to make you happy, I wasn't born to make you sad" are the first lyrics to this song. The drums come more to the foreground on this song, and sound quite powerful. The chorus comes around and a collection of voices come along to sing along. Again, the tried and tested formula is starting to wear thin a bit now, but on its own, the song is great.

Best Lasts Forever
Along with Tragic Magic, this is the best that is on offer from the album. Opening with about 45 seconds of spoken words before a piano comes in to announce the song beginning properly. Then in come the vocals: "I feel like a sun without a sky, feel like a socket without an eye" The chorus is probably the biggest one of the album, despite simply consisting of "The best lasts forever, oh-oh!" It's worth it to hear this song at the end of the album.

Witches (Hidden Track)
Five seconds separate the end of Best Lasts Forever and Witches. It's similar to Typical Time 1 & 2 from the first two albums; it's a little bit of random fun to close off the album. It feels slightly out of place after Best Lasts Forever, which is a brilliant closer, but this is a light-hearted little ending.

On the whole, this sounds different from the first two albums; it sounds like Youth's production has added something to the band's music, it's a bit more focused, and it's not particularly experimental - the formula works well though drags a bit towards the end. The choruses on the album are definitely the highlight and the anthemic quality they have will undoubtedly have the crowd shouting along.

SCORE


Previous albums: Hats Off To The Buskers (7/10), Which Bitch? (8/10)

Hear Bread And Circuses Now

You can hear The View's new album Bread and Circuses a week before its release now. Just go here.

The album, the band's third, is due out 14th March.

Preview Of Bread And Circuses

A preview featuring all twelve tracks from The View's third album, Bread and Circuses, can now be heard below.

The View Change Album Title

Previously called The Best Lasts Forever, the new album from The View will be called Bread And Circuses. The tracklist and release date remain the same.

The View - Bread And Circuses

Artwork


Tracklist
01. Grace
02. Underneath The Lights
03. Tragic Magic
04. Girl
05. Life
06. Friend
07. Beautiful
08. Blondie
09. Sunday
10. Walls
11. Happy
12. Best Lasts Forever
13. Witches (Hidden Track)

The View's third album will be released 14th March, preceded by a single, Grace, the week before.

Sunday was released as a free download in November, have a listen here.

Previews:

The View Announce New Album

The View's upcoming third album has been named - it will be called The Best Lasts Forever. It is set to be released on March 14th.

A free download, Sunday, has been available on their website for a while now. It will be included on the album.

The first single, Grace, will be released on March 7th, a week before the album, and should receive its first radio play sometime in the New Year.

Other songs set to appear include: Tragic Magic, Underneath The Lights, Clowns, Blondie, Witches, The Best Lasts Forever, Happy and Friend.

The View To Release New Song Free

The View have announced that they will release "Sunday", a song from their upcoming third album, due out in early 2011, on 1st November (that's Monday).

Lots Of Lovely New Albums...

Some various news for some upcoming albums:

White Lies (second album due out 17th January): The album is now set to have 10 tracks, not 11 as previously reported. There are now nine song titles; five of which we've heard from live versions (Bigger Than Us, Holy Ghost, Strangers, Street Lights and Is Love) and four unheard as of yet (Peace And Quiet, Turn The Bells, The Power And The Glory and Come Down). Peace And Quiet has been described as a massive departure from the normal White Lies sound, and The Power And The Glory as an 80s-influenced electro epic song.

Snow Patrol (sixth album expected mid-2011): The new album is set to have a massive electronic influence, according to various sources.

Elbow (fifth album expected mid-2011): Their new record has been described as bigger in some aspects and yet subtler in others. Frontman Guy Garvey believes it will not have the same commercial impact as their previous album, The Seldom Seen Kid.

Hadouken! (potential third album due out next year): A new song has been confirmed to get its first airing sometime in October/November. Rumours about a third album have not yet been confirmed or denied, but on the band's MySpace page, you can see "The next chapter coming soon," so it may be true after all!

Ladytron (fifth album expected sometime next year): Aside from a compilation featuring two new songs to be released late 2010, Ladytron have been working on their fifth album; however not much is known about it.

Hard-Fi (third album expected early 2011): Not much known about this, apart from five song titles: Sweat, Killer Sounds, Bring It On, Give It Up and Feels Good. Their Rockin' The City podcasts have samples of Sweat (here) and Feels Good (here). Also, here's a sample of Bring It On.

Pet Shop Boys: No new album, but a compilation "Ultimate" is set to be released November 2010. It will include a new song, "Together".

The View (third album expected early 2011): Not much news about this other than it has been recorded. Two songs are known: Underneath The Lights and Tragic Magic.

And last but certainly not least:
The Pigeon Detectives (third album expected early 2011): The new album has been recorded, but absolutely no other information as far as I can see.

Best Of 2009 - #15 - #11

Jack Peñate - Everything Is New
7/10

His debut was one of my least favourite albums of 2007, but this new album is a welcome change in direction. It sounds great; I like all the songs bar Give Yourself Away, but songs such as Be The One and Tonight's Today are very good indeed.

The Twang - Jewellery Quarter
7/10
Original review here.

Metric - Fantasies
7/10
I discovered this album quite recently, even though it was released in spring. From the moment I heard the opener, Help I'm Alive, I knew I was going to like this. I was very happy to prove myself right. Sick Muse and Gimme Sympathy are perhaps the best on the album, but every song is good. The closer, Stadium Love, is also another favourite, along with Gold Guns Girls.

The View - Which Bitch?
8/10
Original review here.

Enter Shikari - Common Dreads
8/10
Original review here.

Album Review: The View - Which Bitch?

Album: Which Bitch?
Artist: The View
Singles: 5 Rebbeccas, Shock Horror

The View's first album, Hats Off To The Buskers, was truly brilliant. The Scottish group have come back with a second album that is equally as brilliant, while exploring some more diverse and experimental sounds, from a classical-sounding Distant Doubloon to screaming at the end of Shock Horror, to the folk sound in Realisation.

TYPICAL TIME 2

An odd way to start the album, especially since the original Typical Time was half a minute long and placed at the end as a hidden track for their debut. This version is a whole minute longer, and has different lyrics. Wow.

5 REBBECCAS

The complete opposite to their opening song, the lead single is furious and a truly great View song. Best on the album.

ONE OFF PRETENDER

I'm not joking, this one sounds like Kyle is rapping. (Don't worry, it's good!) with a rousing chorus, "You can shout it from a rooftop!" The song then segues into...

UNEXPECTED

Just like the title says, this song is quite unexpected. It's led by violins and has no, if not very little drumming, and just basic backing guitar. Not very View-like, but still a good song.

TEMPTATION DICE

Contrary to the previous song, this is much more View-like. For example, it has a good guitar part leading the song in, making it sound like true indie. Until the chanting towards the middle. Unexpected again. Nevertheless, this should be a single.

GLASS SMASH

Starting off with some more chanting, yet another new sound from The View, but half a minute later we're back to the quick-paced guitar and drums. This song is also excellent.

DISTANT DOUBLOON

After almost a minute of classical sounds with violin and piano, this turns into quite a bouncy song. In summary: Very new. Very odd. Very good.

JIMMY'S CRAZY CONSPIRACY

And back to true View style. A song whose beat makes you want to clap along. It even has a trumpet backing it, and the guitar part is as good as ever.

COVERS (feat. Paolo Nutini)

An unexpected duet. But it works well. Again - the drummer's taken a holiday, and a trumpeter has been brought in. But as is the case for practically every song on this album, the new sounds work well every time.

DOUBLE YELLOW LINES

A great song, particularly towards the end, where the key change subtly moves in, and Kyle's high-pitched vocals here make the song sound epic. "Double yellow lines by the side of the road, take me home tonight!"

SHOCK HORROR

Featuring some untuneful screaming (which makes the song work better, for some obscure reason), this is finally a 100% "old View" song. Fast, furious and fantastic. The same cannot be said, unfortunately, for:

REALISATION

Seriously, a folk song? This is out of place on this album, and it's not that good a song. It doesn't work.

GIVE BACK THE SUN

A six-minute epic whose first 30 seconds make it sound like a true old-school guitar solo, and it gets better. Featuring female backing vocals, this song gets quite catchy as it goes on.

GEM OF A BIRD

This ends the album off in style. A great finale. It's slow but catchy, and has more female vocals, harmonising together for the chorus, it sounds great. However, the album carries on with a bit of talking and then some pointless sounds followed by random guitar at about 5:20. Seriously - they should have stopped at the end of Gem Of A Bird.

For the record, their previous albums: Hats Off To The Buskers (7/10)