Common Dreads Artwork & Tracklist

The album will be released on the 15th June, preceded by the single Juggernauts two weeks before.

Here is the tracklist:

01. Common Dreads
02. Solidarity
03. Step Up
04. Juggernauts
05. Wall
06. Zzzonked
07. Havoc A
08. No Sleep Tonight
09. Gap In The Fence
10. Havoc B
11. Antwerpen
12. The Jester
13. Halcyon
14. Hectic
15. Fanfare For The Conscious Man

Album Review: The Enemy - Music For The People

Album: Music For The People
Artist: The Enemy
Singles: No Time For Tears

The Enemy have decided to move up a lot since their debut album, We'll Live And Die In These Towns, a personal favourite of 2007. On this new album, they recapture the spirit of the first, while changing the songs into massive stadium anthems. So, let us begin with the most powerful song on the album:

Elephant Song
After one and a half minutes of symphonic noises, the song gives way to a brilliant, storming riff, before allowing Tom Clarke his first vocal of the album. This song is insanely good.

No Time For Tears
The end of Elephant Song segues into the piano intro to this song, the first single. Building up to powerful drums and an equally powerful guitar part, the song then allows Tom Clarke to scream out "The morning after, the revolution..." The longest track on the album (not counting the silence & hidden track after Silver Spoon) at five minutes, and it is also keeping up the brilliant sound of the album.

51st State
After a guitar intro, a piano part makes this song instantly catchy, before we go into the vocals and then hit one of the best choruses from The Enemy. And I don't even understand half the words he's saying. This, lengthwise, is in complete contrast to the previous track. This one barely hits two and a half minutes.

Sing When You're In Love
A slow yet anthemic song, the "We'll Live And Die In These Towns" of this album, I think. The chorus, consisting only of "sing when you're in love, sing when you're out of love" will have all the fans singing along. Should be the second single.

Last Goodbye
A five-minute song about suicide, with strings rounding off a new-sounding Enemy, as Tom Clarke croons "as I wave my last goodbye..." which genuinely proves they can capture emotions as well as talking about people losing their jobs and the state of England in general. In fact, they seem to have got rid of some of those songs so far...

Nation Of Checkout Girls
Maybe I spoke too soon. This sounds like a much heavier and faster version of their old B-side "Fear Killed The Youth Of Our Nation," and Tom Clarke is angrily spitting out the lyrics. While it is powerful, particularly the beat this song has, it is not up to the top standards of this album. Still a good song though.

Be Somebody
Oh, never mind, the album's brilliance has come back up again. This song has some interesting lyrics; "no one ever gives you anything for free, unless you start sleeping with the BBC," and talks about someone called Nigel, and how he gets a job in the city and how "tonight, he's gonna be somebody." Lyrics aside, this song should be a single, because the chorus sounds fantastic.

Don't Break The Red Tape
Although some think this sounds exactly like "London Calling," (which I can see why), I still think they have been fairly original here. Tom Clarke welcomes us to England, where "there is no fun," and "the dreams of children vanish in the dust." Ah, some more telling it like it is. Nevertheless, fans will undoubtably be singing along with the "try and stop us, try and stop us!" bit.

Keep Losing
Another slow song, with strings and all. It builds up to a good chorus, but unfortunately, I think this is the weakest of the ten tracks on here.

Silver Spoon
This epic song closes the album in a wonderful blend of piano and psychedelia, as the lyrics sound out, "I never had a silver spoon... to help me orchestrate this tune," a blatant stab at some parts of the music industry. But the closer rounds the album off fantastically.

Hidden Track
Sounds exactly like Let It Be. Still, it's important to say "goodnight, ladies and gentlemen" as Tom Clarke sings whilst playing a piano, while describing the happiness at the end of a gig.

In general, fantastic. This will be a favourite of 2009. Good thing they haven't blown their second album. One point off for some occasional dips. But still, wow.

For the record, their previous albums: We'll Live And Die In These Towns (9/10)

Album Artwork For West Ryder...

Album Review: The Hours - See The Light

Album: See The Light
Artist: The Hours
Singles: Big Black Hole

The Hours' debut, Narcissus Road, was one of the better albums of 2007 for me. Unfortunately commercial success has not been great for the band. In this album, the band waltzes straight through the "difficult second album" without too much of a problem.

Big Black Hole
A slow piano build up to what we heard as the first single makes it sound that little bit better, and suitably starts off the album well.

These Days
This sounds anthemic, and keeps up the good direction this album is seeming to take, and it sounds like a good Hours song.

Come On
Another personal favourite, with a great piano part. Shame it's the shortest song on the album. The chorus with the "come on, come on, come on!" sounds like it will sound great live.

Never See You Again
A great song with a larger range of vocals, with another catchy background piano sound.

Car Crash
Quite a comparatively weak song. I kept on expecting it to really turn into something epic, and although it does step up halfway through, it just doesn't sound like the band at their best.

Think Again
OK, so Car Crash was a blip. This, however, is a fantastic 6 minute epic. Slow, deep buildup gives way to a nice, simple little guitar sound.

Love Is An Action
The beat sounds incredibly different for an Hours song, but it works on so many levels. It's quite catchy, and the drums build up, and the song has one of the greatest Hours choruses. And towards the end, it reveals an even better side to it, before it dives into an epic noise. Great song.
The Girl Who Had The World At Her Feet
In my opinion, the weakest song on the album. Following the pattern of Car Crash, in that it hangs about for two minutes for going anywhere, and even then it's not the band doing what they usually do best.

Wall Of Sound
But never mind the blips, this is a slow song that slowly builds up and up until the end, and sounds great.

See The Light
I didn't like this track when it was released in 2008, and although I've listened a bit more carefully, I still don't particularly think it's a great song. And I don't think it works as a closer. But I still think parts of it are good, but over the course of the seven minutes, it just sounds too boring and plain.

On the whole, this album has ups and downs. Since I consider that there are seven ups and three downs (the downs being Car Crash, The Girl Who Had The World... and See The Light, and the ups being the rest), it is easy to rate this album:

For the record, their previous albums: Narcissus Road (7/10)

Head To NME...

... for an exclusive listen of Music For The People.

NB: It doesn't seem to work for some people - for me it was fine the first time, but hasn't worked since. The one listen I did have was great.

You can e-mail Music Madness here.

Music For The People, lyrics

As far as I can make them out, from iTunes and MySpace previews.

Elephant Song - not enough to go on

No Time For Tears - listen here

51st State
This is the 51st state
Where democracy has failed
We've a war on our conscience
And blood under our nails
(Can't make out the chorus, apart from the line "It's a mystery")

Sing When You're In Love
On dancefloors from London to Liverpool
In the dark of the night, when the air is cool
Out in the street, in the pouring rain
In a concrete jungle that echoes your name
In a hundred hotel rooms where a few hundred sleep
And a thousand cheap boozes where young lovers meet
In a million miles of traffic jams, we waste away time
In a single sad moment when we say our goodbyes
Sing when you're in love
Sing when you're out of love (x2)

Last Goodbye
I know it's your...
The cracks are growing, it's not long
Ooh, and if you want me
Then come and get me
I'm leaving this world behind
If you hit me then
Try and take me away
It won't even break my stride
As I wave my last goodbye
I won't feel shame,
I won't ask why
There's no bliss to (?)
There's no heaven for those who pray

Nation of Checkout Girls
We're the generation that do
What we're told by the corporations

Be Somebody
You know there's no such thing as a free meal
And there ain't no future in British Steel
Now the only thing that really makes us smile
Is a joke and a laugh and a night on the tiles
No one ever gives you anything for free
Unless you start sleeping with the BBC
Nigel got a job in the city
Works in a department store
But tonight, he's gonna be somebody
(?) with a local girl
She doesn't care that he's got no money
There's more to life than what they teach you at school
But tonight, he's gonna be somebody
Fallen in love with a local girl
She doesn't care that he's got no money
She knows he's got a heart of solid gold, solid gold, solid gold...

Don't Break The Red Tape
Try and stop us, try and stop us, try and stop us (x4)
Welcome to England
There is no love
Where the dreams of children
Vanish in the dust
When the only old
Die living in their street
And the only excitement...

Keep Losing
You might meet someone worthwhile
Tired of the same old lies
The calls that never quite sit right
Another line on the road
Another straight to the bone
And there's twenty-odd regrets
Another night to forget
You've made mistakes along the way

Silver Spoon
Never had a silver spoon
To help me orchestrate this tune
Making us the same as you
There's nothing anyone can do
Don't sing it from the back of the room...


That's all I can make out, but then I'm awful at hearing lyrics. Hence the several (?)s in this post.

NME Preview of Music For The People??

Will we hear the long-awaited Enemy album on NME.com from Monday 20th?
Because that's what I heard...
Fingers crossed...

Sunshine Underground Album

In light of the new songs on the band's MySpace (see earlier post), this is what we know about the album so far.

Potential June release, 10 tracks, maybe called Give Me A Warning?
Possible Songs: What Are You Waiting For, Fall In Line, An Introduction, Coming Home
Definite Songs: Coming To Save You, In Your Arms (track 4), Spell It Out, Any Minute Now, Your Friends, Change Your Mind (track 6)

The demos Epic, Darktime, Animals and Malibu will NOT be on the album.

Sunshine Underground Tracks on Myspace

Four new Sunshine Underground songs have made their way onto the band's MySpace. The songs are Coming To Save You, Your Friends, In Your Arms and Any Minute Now, the last two of which were previewed on an earlier video.

A fifth track, Spell It Out, was removed by the time I got there.

First impressions are very good.

Single Review: Kasabian - Fire

Single: Fire
Artist: Kasabian
Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

When you consider how fantastic and epic this song was live, the studio version sounds so much weaker. This song is still a great song, it just sounds so toned down in respect to the live version. Oh well, maybe it was meant to be played live. Overall, if there was a way to recapture the fury and atmosphere of the live version, then that would be a good choice for lead single. Here, not a good choice. But nevertheless, Tom Meighan's dreary vocals and the sudden change in pace for the chorus still are highlights.

7/10

Single Review: Enter Shikari - Juggernauts

Single: Juggernauts
Artist: Enter Shikari
Album: Common Dreads

This song is fantastic in every aspect. It sounds like good old Enter Shikari with a new element that makes their upcoming album sound more appealing. With riotous drums and an electric background, this song is truly a great opening single.

9/10

Enter Shikari To Unveil New Single

Enter Shikari will unveil the first single from their second album tomorrow on Zane Lowe's radio show, it has been confirmed. The song is called Juggernauts - tune in between 19.00 and 21.00 to hear it!

The band released a free track, Antwerpen, from their new album, a month ago.

Underdog Leak

My most anticipated song from the new Kasabian album, Underdog, has leaked. Voila.

Albums And Stuff

Editors are in the studio, preparing their album for a July release. Two tracks are known: Bird of Prey, and In The Light And On This Evening.

The Sunshine Underground have finished their second album, and it looks to be released late May/early June. Tracks that may be on the album are the three previewed here (first one unknown, second one possibly being Any Minute Now, third one In Your Arms), along with An Introduction, Fall In Line, Coming To Save You and Change Your Mind. In Your Arms will be track 4, and Change Your Mind will be track 6. There will be 10 tracks. Potential album title is Give Me A Warning. Whew... that was a lot.

Arctic Monkeys are putting the finishing touches to their album, which includes tracks such as Pretty Visitors, Dangerous Animals, Crying Lightning and Go-Kart.

One Night Only are recording album 2, which will include tracks Intention Confidential, Daydream and Tonight.

The Twang are recording album 2, which will include tracks Put It On The Dance Floor, Got No Interest, Encouraging Sign, Back Where We Started and Live The Life You Love.

and

Klaxons finished their second album - only to be forced to go back and re-record four or five songs because of them being "too experimental." Tracks include Valley Of The Calm Trees, Moonhead, In Silver Forest and Imaginary Pleasures.

The Enemy: Songs On Myspace

Go on their Myspace and they have previews of No Time For Tears, 51st State, Sing When You're In Love, Last Goodbye and Be Somebody. They all sound fantastic.

Music For The People previews

On iTunes, there are 30-sceond previews of Music for the People.
My personal favourites are

• No Time For Tears (judging by the whole song)
• Sing When You're In Love
• Last Goodbye
• Be Somebody
• Don't Break The Red Tape
• Silver Spoon

But the Elephant Song preview isn't much to go on. (But it sounds awesome live.)

The Hours' Songs On Myspace

There are previews of the first three tracks, namely "Big Black Hole," "These Days," and "Come On." Also on there is "See The Light." Have a listen here - they're not bad at all. My favourite is Come On personally.

The (Unconfirmed) Tracklist For Kasabian's New Album

This is an unconfirmed tracklist for The West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. It comes from Wikipedia - which is why I'm unsure. I'm pretty sure tracks 1, 8 and 12 are in the right place, and that there are 12 tracks. But anyway...

01. The Underdog
02. Where Did All The Love Go?
03. Swarfiga
04. Fast Fuse
05. Take Aim
06. Thick As Thieves
07. West Rider/Silver Bullet
08. Vlad The Impaler
09. Ladies And Gentlemen (Roll The Dice)
10. Secret Alphabets
11. Fire
12. Happiness

EDIT: A review I read of the album seems to agree with the tracklist.

Single Review: The Hours - Big Black Hole

Song: Big Black Hole
Artist: The Hours
Album: See The Light

It seems The Hours haven't lost their desire for skulls to appear on every single release, then. Oh well, the song's good. It's typical piano rock, and it sounds truly like what the Hours are good at doing, and the first time the chorus kicks in; "I'm gonna tell you something you might not want to hear..." it sounds great. The album's out in 3 weeks, and after my disappointment of "See The Light," this has changed my expectations.

8/10