Best Of 2011

#25 Gorillaz - The Fall
#24 M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
#23 Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval
#22 Mirrors - Lights And Offerings
#21 Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
#20 Chase And Status - No More Idols
#19 Toploader - Only Human
#18 Friendly Fires - Pala
#17 The Horrors -Skying
#16 Neon Trees - Habits
#15 Noah And The Whale - Last Night On Earth
#14 The Pigeon Detectives - Up, Guards And At Em!
#13 Kasabian - Velociraptor!
#12 The View - Bread And Circuses
#11 The Whip - Wired Together
#10 Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds
#9 The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
#8 Glasvegas - Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\
#7 Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
#6 The Wombats - This Modern Glitch
#5 Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
#4 Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See
#3 Ladytron - Gravity The Seducer
#2 Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
#1 White Lies - Ritual

Editors Working On Fourth Album

Editors have released an update on plans for their forthcoming fourth album - they are intending to record it early next year, and aiming for a release around or after the summer festival season. Along with songs Two Hearted Spider and The Sting, played live on previous occasions, they have announced three further working titles: Formaldehyde, Sugar and The Weight Of Your Love.

New Maccabees Single

The new single from The Maccabees, Pelican, will get its first play on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show at 19:30 GMT tomorrow evening. The single is the first from their upcoming third album, Given To The Wild, due out 9th January.

Album Review: Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires

It's amazing how long it's been since Snow Patrol released A Hundred Million Suns - over three years ago - a few months ago I would have been longing desperately to hear a new song from them, and now that their sixth (sixth?!) effort, Fallen Empires, is here, it feels like no time at all. And in this, they have delivered their greatest album yet, in my opinion.

The album starts off with a couple of songs where the electronics take the place of the standard Snow Patrol guitars / piano. I'll Never Let Go starts off with a dark, electronic pulse as Gary Lightbody's vocals sound like they're desperately trying to break free of the distortion placed over them. There's also some grunge-y guitar that turns up in the verses and a standard, epic "Whooaaa!" after the chorus. The only problem is that it sounds like it could really go somewhere, but doesn't quite explode the way I wanted it to, except for the massive drums that turn up for (literally) the last two seconds. Oh well, it's still a great opener. Called Out In The Dark, the first single, is in fact, one of the few weaker links on the album. Based more on a groove this time round, with the occasional electronic beeping here and there, it still works well, but again, the chorus feels slightly less than what it could have been. But for all the criticising, after a few listens, all is forgiven, as the opening songs really come into their own.

We also have a couple of big epics where the established sound on this album is left alone for a bit. The title track, Fallen Empires, is an intense masterpiece. Countless drums build up and up as a mandolin plays the same notes rapidly throughout the entire song, and Lightbody's vocals assert themselves over the top of all this fantastic noise. There's no chorus, just seven verses and a huge outro, as a choir of voices sing "We are the light, we are the light", taking the song to its huge conclusion, leaving you speechless. The other epic is the six-minute The Symphony, which sounds like a bit more of a bouncy pop song at first, but after a couple of minutes it gives way to an instrumental where we enter the build-up phase, as instruments are layered slowly on top of each other before the massive ending where Lightbody sings "If this is all you ever ask for, then this is all you'll get" until the song ends with a rough guitar sound ending the song relatively abruptly.

There's also some more rockier guitar-based songs for those that aren't as keen on the electronics. The Weight Of Love starts with a guitar being strummed seemingly slightly out of time (but it works nicely) until the vocals turn up, filled with power. Soon after, the drum kicks in, and then the bridge where Lightbody's voice is at its highest, and we're away. Another verse and then we get the massive chorus where vocals are layered to great effect. It all sounds very polished, and is all the better for it. The same can be said for In The End, which on first listen sounds a like a little bit of filler, but given time, it works just as well as the rest; the chorus is another sing-along and the guitars really work well on it. It may not be anywhere near the best song on the album as there is something slightly lacking, but it is still good. Speaking of the best song, we have This Isn't Everything You Are, the well-deserving second single. This one may appeal to more old-school Snow Patrol fans, as it is more of a ballad akin to Run or Chasing Cars. It really hits its stride in the huge, huge chorus where the title is repeated and really makes you feel the power of it. It's such a shame it probably will never reach the lofty heights of popularity that Run or Chasing Cars did, because it deserves a place right next to them.

There are also some quiter guitar-based pieces, such as Those Distant Bells and Life-ning. The former is a nice stopgap between the straight-up rock of In The End and the epic poppy-ness of The Symphony - it's a sort of "calm before the storm" type of song. Strings and piano accompany the guitar melody underlining the whole song, along with a sort of metronomic drum beat that sounds a bit like an electronic clapping sound in places. A female vocal joins in at some point, as on some of the other tracks on the album, but here, it doesn't quite work. But it's not enough to ruin the song. Life-ning, on the other hand, is absolutely brilliant. It is both simple and fragile, as Lightbody lists off all he "ever wanted from life" - for all of the sadness implied in the sound of the guitar and piano, the song is just a fantastic slice of pure happiness. It's a song that just makes you want to smile. It may be simple, but it is incredibly effective in its straightforwardness.

Elsewhere, there are some more piano-led tunes. The Garden Rules and New York both seem to start with the same three notes, both on piano. But they soon both go their separate ways. The Garden Rules is a nostalgic song as we hear a story of unrequited childhood romance. It's a very beautiful song, and as with the most of this album, everything going on in the background of the song is what makes it so. The female vocal turns up, but works nicely this time round. Also here to lead the song out is a choir, singing the chorus "oh, you will never know how much I love you..." Another song to make you smile. New York is a bit darker, as Lightbody's vocals kind of float over the piano, before the drums kick in for the bridge, followed by a big chorus. This has single potential, even if it probably won't make a dent on the charts. But when the music is this beautiful, that doesn't really matter at all. The other piano-led tune is the sort-of closer The President (there is another track afterwards, but this one feels like a better way to finish) which sounds more like classic Snow Patrol and it's just basically piano and vocals. And some kind of pipe which makes the occasional pip here and there. It is a great eome-down from The Symphony, and would be a far better way to finish than the way they actually do.

The way the album closes is with Broken Bottles Form A Star (Prelude) which just takes a massive sidestep away from what you expect. The previous three songs work brilliantly in bringing this album to its end, and this one just seems to ruin it a bit for me. It's supposed to show you how the next album will begin, and honestly, I cannot wait to hear that, but this prelude is slightly unnecessary, even if it does sound quite interesting. But it is the only song on here that I really can complain about. There is also another lyric-less song in Berlin, the only remaining song to talk about. It is another great piece of happiness, though at times I have to question its placing on the album; while it is great, it again feels very slightly unnecessary. Maybe if it had been developed into more of a full song, it would have felt a bit more deserving of the place it finds itself on the album. It sounds more like intro music for live shows to be honest. But, for all that, it is still a great couple of minutes of pure, happy music.

SUMMARY
So, so close to awarding the full five stars to this. But due to the inclusion of Broken Bottles Form A Star (Prelude) which ruins the whole ending to the album, I can't say I would happily listen to every song. It has annoyed me to the point that I have had to edit the ending of The President to fade out before Broken Bottles... comes in. You may call that petty, but I just don't like it. But ignoring that, the other 13 tracks are absolutely brilliant; it's very hard to say which ones of them would be my least favourites. So if they'd released this album in the form I've changed it to in my iTunes, it would be an instant 5-star album. The electronics are never overdone and never detract from the sheer beauty and happiness that so much of this album contains. Even at almost an hour, the album never drags on, it's just big song after big song. The best thing they've ever done.



FAVOURITE TRACKS: This Isn't Everything You Are, Fallen Empires, New York
LEAST FAVOURITE TRACKS: In The End, Broken Bottles Form A Star (Prelude)

PREVIOUS ALBUMS (as I would rate them now): Songs For Polarbears (2/5), When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up (2.5/5), Final Straw (4/5), Eyes Open (4.5/5), A Hundred Million Suns (4/5)

Enter Shikari Move Back Album Release

Enter Shikari have announced that their new album, A Flash Flood Of Colour, will be released one week later than planned - on January 16th. This is apparently due to "manufacturing problems caused by Christmas getting in the way".

Some New Fallen Empires Previews

You can now preview I'll Never Let Go and The Weight Of Love (tracks 1 and 3) from Snow Patrol's new album, Fallen Empires here. More tracks are set to be added throughout the week.

I'll Never Let Go
The Weight Of Love
The Garden Rules
Berlin
Life-ning
New York
In The End
Those Distant Bells
The Symphony
The President
Broken Bottles Form A Star (Prelude)

Tracks 2 & 4 have already been released as singles (Called Out In The Dark and This Isn't Everything You Are) and track 6, Fallen Empires, has also been released on the Called Out In The Dark EP.

New Snow Patrol Song Debuted Live

Another new song from Snow Patrol's upcoming new album Fallen Empires debuted at their Q Awards gig - it's track 8, Life-ning. Have a listen here.

They certainly sound like they're going for a more restrained, slightly more minimal vibe on this album - it's fantastic!

Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

So, here we are again - a new Coldplay album. One of my favourite bands of all time; the band are back with a fifth effort, and this time they've gone for a heavy electronic influence, but keeping the experimental vibes from last record "Viva La Vida...". You'd never believe this was the same band that wrote the album "Parachutes", all the way back at the turn of the century. However, one thing that has remained constant throughout the band's career is their knack for writing massive stadium anthems; even some of their quieter and softer songs can make crowds go wild. There's at least one on every one of their albums. But this one is stuffed full of them - and it's absolutely huge.

Take opener Hurts Like Heaven (not counting the 40-second intro Mylo Xyloto as a separate track), with its incredible pace and epic guitar riffs. This is perhaps the greatest way anyone's ever opened an album. It's an adrenaline rush that never lets up; and you can clearly hear the guitars making their mark all over the track, although Chris Martin's voice is ruined ever so slightly by a kind of robotic vocal in the background, but the song is not ruined overall. Also up there for sheer euphoria is Charlie Brown - it sent chills down my spine when I first heard it at Glastonbury, and the studio version is no less epic. The guitar riff is perhaps the greatest one they have ever done; so much that it pretty much does the job of having a chorus on the song - there's no real refrain here, but that doesn't matter. As the riff slowly comes in, slowly getting louder, over the synth-y opening, you think you're in for a smoother ride... and then everything smashes its way in. Absolutely huge. And if that wasn't enough, it finishes with a piano part at the end which is beautifully done.

There are instrumental interludes on this album, mainly placed before a massive track, such as Mylo Xyloto / Hurts Like Heaven. Also, we have M.M.I.X. preceding Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, the first song to be heard in studio version from this album, all the way back in June. It was a great song back then, and it sounds slightly better still in the context of the album, even if it does have a hint of cheesiness about it. The third interlude is A Hopeful Transmission, which takes its cues from the intro track, Mylo Xyloto. It's also a brilliant way to lead into Don't Let It Break Your Heart. Now, there's an anthem if I ever heard one. Straight after A Hopeful Transmission finishes, a wall of sound just crashes around your ears... on first listen, it sounds like it's drowning out the vocals, but on repeated listens you get used to it - it's undoubtedly a bombastic, massive song built for stadiums, but it's perhaps the biggest surprise on the album, particuarly if (like me) you'd heard the majority of the songs live. A stunning penultimate track.

Elsewhere in the department of big stadium anthems, we have a couple of R&B- influenced tracks, the second single Paradise, which, like Every Teardrop..., was brilliant on its own and yet still manages to feel better yet in its placing on the album. The rather uninventive chorus of 'para-para-paradise" is overshadowed by the huge strings sound that covers the song, but it's still catchy and will get into your head. The other song is Princess Of China, which goes the whole way and brings in Rihanna to sing along. Now as soon as I heard this, I was incredibly sceptical, but actually, after two or three listens, it's actually done pretty well, despite the fact that it doesn't sound like Coldplay are actually in band mode - it seems like a Chris Martin solo song. The synths replace Jonny Buckland's guitar, but it's alright because the melodies they create are magnificent. The bass is also turned up to eleven - it may blow out your speakers. You have been warned. Anyway, Rihanna fits in fine, especially since she sounds different (at least from the two or three songs of hers that I know). After several plays, it's one of my favourites from the album, although I would have liked to hear more guitar and a bit more Chris Martin vocals - he seems to take the first verse on his own and then retreats into the background, occasionally popping up to accompany Rihanna. But by no means is it a disappointment.

My two least favourite tracks on this album are Major Minus and UFO, but they're still great tracks in themselves. Luckily they're some of the shortest on the album (bar the interludes). The former was debuted on the Every Teardrop... EP back in June, and I considered it to be good but thought it would stay as a B-side. In terms of the story I think this album is trying to tell, it's a necessary track, but it doesn't quite resonate with me as much as the other tracks. The latter is reminiscent of the band's earlier work, as it's very acoustic based. There are some strings accompanying it but they're very much in the background. The song only lasts two minutes and a bit, and even manages to fit in some kind of intro for Princess Of China for the last 15 seconds. It's not a particularly memorable song, but may become more of a hit for the fans that have wished for Coldplay to return back to their original sound. But, for me, it's the weakest song on the album.

The remaining three yet to be mentioned are all the slower, more delicate moments taken from the album - and oddly, they all begin with the letter U - add U.F.O. to the list and you have pretty much got all the quieter moments. My favourite of these is Us Against The World, which is for the most part acoustic, although it has a sunny introduction that's a joy to listen to. Drummer Will Champion also takes backing vocals on the song, moving away from his drums to accompany Martin. Towards the end, a massive organ/piano/I'm not really sure which... comes in and gives you goosebumps with the sheer amount of power it has, before stripping everything away to leave Martin and his acoustic to lead the song out. It's a good breather coming between Charlie Brown and M.M.I.X. / Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, two of the most anthemic songs on there. The other "U songs" are Up In Flames - which is very minimal and restrained but takes its power from that, and features Martin's highest vocal on the album ("up in flaaaaaaames") and again the chorus is based on repetition, but it's fantastic nonetheless; and closing track Up With The Birds, which is a song in two halves. The first half wouldn't be out of place in a closing scene from a romantic film, and it features some odd electronic sighing sound that's a bit out of place, but also some huge cinematic strings to lead you into the second half, which is where the guitars and drums turn up - it sounds like it's going to lead into a big Coldplay chorus, but it builds up just enough to keep you interested and then ends a bit earlier than expected - it's a bit of an anticlimax to be honest, particularly after the previous four tracks (Princess Of China onwards), but it leaves the album on a positive vibe as the final note is played on the piano.

SUMMARY
This is a massive album and undoubtedly their poppiest one yet, but the amount of goosebump-inducing moments are numerous. They retain the experimental feeling of their previous album and continue to make their new sound seem fresh and original. Every song feels different to the others, as was the case with Viva La Vida. Back then, I gave that album 5 stars but that was when I was incredibly generous to rating albums (I'd give it 4.5 stars now). On this album, there's something a bit lacking from a couple of songs, and I don't think it fully deserves the full five stars unfortunately. But it's still one of the best things to come out this year, and my favourite Coldplay album.



FAVOURITE TRACKS: Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, Don't Let It Break Your Heart
LEAST FAVOURITE TRACKS: Major Minus, U.F.O.

PREVIOUS ALBUMS (as I would rate them now): Parachutes (3.5/5) / A Rush of Blood To The Head (4/5) / X&Y (4/5) / Viva La Vida (4.5/5)

Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour

Artwork


Tracklist
01. System...
02. ...Meltdown
03. Sssnakepit
04. Search Party
05. Arguing With Thermometers
06. Stalemate
07. Ghandi Mate, Ghandi
08. Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here
09. Pack Of Thieves
10. Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide
11. Constellations

The album will be released January 9th.

The first single was Sssnakepit, released last month. You can see the video here. They have also been playing Arguing With Thermometers live.

The album will not feature previous singles Destabilise and Quelle Surprise; they were stand-alone singles.

The Maccabees - Given To The Wild

Artwork


Tracklist
01. Given To The Wild
02. Child
03. Feel To Follow
04. Ayla
05. Glimmer
06. Forever I've Known
07. Heave
08. Pelican
09. Went Away
10. Go
11. Unknow
12. Slowly One
13. Grew Up At Midnight

The album is due out 9th January 2012.

A teaser video is here.