Review: Holopaw - Academy Songs Volume 1

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

Holopaw isn't a name that springs into my mind when I start thinking of bands that aren't tearing up the charts. In fact, until I reviewed this album I'd never heard of the band, yet I was intrigued by them due to the description of their sound. Blending as a mixture of indie-rock, country and folk together into 40 minutes worth of songs, Holopaw have created a great alternative soundtrack for your summer, festival travels and beach day parties with their fourth album, Academy Songs Volume 1.

Sounding a little like the alternative pop group Fun. but without all the annoyance and whining that comes with them, the band recorded this album at the beach, and you get a real feel of that while listening to the record as they combine a mixture of ethereal, haunting and earthy sounding songs. One thing I like is the mix of songs, by which I mean that some concentrated on the sweet and earthy yet powerful indie vocals of John Orth, which really made you feel something, whether it was sadness or delight. Others concentrated on the music, where guitar riffs and drumbeats took centre stage over the vocals.

In terms of songs, 'Golden Sparklers' and 'Infidels' are definite standout tracks with their varying mix of upbeat and down-key guitars and drums, and haunting yet surprisingly steady vocals. But the best track on the album has to be 'We Are the Virgin Snow', which is a blend of indie-folk and is a little depressing but also quite buoyant. In other words, it's quite a bipolar song as the haunting vocals and sadness which lies underneath blend well with the build up of drums and folk dancing-inspired music.

Towards the end of the album some of the songs do begin to sound a bit samey, as if they are blending into one. But don't let that deter you as the majority will make you want to dance around in a carefree child-of-the-60s way. Overall, this album is a great blend of songs you could listen to anywhere. Some do sound similar but what artist isn't guilty of that? It's just a shame, with bands such as Mumford & Sons doing so well, that this band hasn't broken into the mainstream yet. Hopefully we will hear more from them in the future.

Review: The Kooks - Junk of the Heart

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

Indie band the Kooks return with their third album and I must say they are back on top form. Their second album Konk was released a few years back and even though it hit number one, didn't really go anywhere, and to be quite frank was nowhere near as good as their debut. Junk of the Heartappears to put hem back up where they were when their debut conquered the UK charts.

The album seems a little bit more experimental than their previous two efforts as a number of songs, such as 'Runaway' and 'Mr Nice Guy' incorporate some synths in the background. Despite this, there is still the traditional indie acoustic guitar lead, which appears to have become their trademark sound. Overall, the record comes across as a break-up album, with a lot of the songs discussing breaking up and wanting someone back, such as the slower 'Killing Me' and 'Is It Me', while other songs such as 'Rosie' still have that break-up feel to them and the longing for someone but with a more thumping opening and quite a loud catchy chorus which you can envision people chanting along to in the crowd of a festival.

The thought of it being a break-up album is cemented in the final track, 'Junk of the Heart (Happy)', where it gets the message across to the fans about the junk of the heart being the junk of head, which for anyone who has gone through a break up or heart ache can perfectly understand. Two stand-out tracks are opener 'Eskimo Kiss', which is without a doubt the most radio friendly track on the record and the most likely to gain them a chart hit (Oh, and it's a pretty catchy summer song that you will no doubt find yourself singing and dancing along to). The other stand-out has to be 'Time Above the Earth', which has quite a classical violin opening and feels very ambient and overall is quite experimental for The Kooks.

Overall, this album feels a lot more mature and incorporates the more upbeat happy songs throughout and alongside the more melancholy heart-break songs, but you won't finish listening to this album feeling depressed. The album is definitely a triumph for the band and will no doubt make their fans happy, and establishes them once again as a top UK band after the disappointment of Konk.

Review: Baron Bane - Midthing

Originally post on www.soundblab.com

'Midthing' is the latest single to be released from the LPTO album by Baron Bane. Originating from Stockholm, the band infuses a mix of electronica, pop and rock into their songs and this single really strikes out for the band. The song starts with a brilliant melancholy beat which continues throughout the track, adding to its relaxed yet eerie feel, putting me in mind a little of Massive Attack and their hit single 'Teardrop'.

The lead singer's vocals seem to fit with what you would expect from a Swedish female star in the present day, and are very reminiscent of fellow country-woman and singer Lykke Li which, let's be honest, isn't a bad thing.

The song is definitely something you would expect to here as the backdrop to an underground indie film and you can definitely imagine it being a pretty big stand-out performance at any festival. My only criticism is that at six minutes and 44 seconds, some people may become a little depressed at the melancholy sounds and beats, but overall the song is definitely a winner.