Rocking the Mike - September 2010 Reviews |
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| Written by Mike Cullen |
| Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:00 |
Album ReviewsKele Okereke -- The BoxerIt took me four complete listens of this album before I could sit down and properly review it. For the most part I can get a good sense of an album in one or two listens to be able to put fingers to the keyboard; reviewing the solo effort put forth by Kele Okereke of Bloc Party fame was a little more difficult than that. The Boxer is Okereke's exploration not only into a potential solo career but also into the dance/electronic genres of music. While with Bloc Party, Kele Okereke did dabble a bit in those genres, most notably with the band's third album Intimacy, but there was still that sense that the band was a new wave revival outfit. With The Boxer, Okereke pushes further into the dance/electronic genres, and listening to the album at first is a bit frustrating. It's not what you expect: there are some great tracks on this album, specifically the opening track "Walk Tall," "Unholy Thoughts" (which sounds like a Bloc Party cast-off), and the final track "Meet Me in the Middle," but overall the album leaves you saying "so what?" by the end. It's not groundbreaking, but it's certainly not the worst solo album a member of any band has put out. It does, however, in situations such as these, make you wonder why some band members bother to release solo material to begin with. The Boxer is a nice companion piece of you're a big fan of Bloc Party and/or Kele Okereke as a lyricist, but this album is by no means essential.  Scissor Sisters -- Night WorkThe Scissor Sisters seem to be channeling the best of David Bowie and Roxy Music in this, their third LP. Night Work is not only a glam-disco fest, but also the most cohesive album the band has released to date. It's difficult to pinpoint favourite songs in particular, because each one seems better than the last. When I initially heard the lead single, "Fire with Fire," I had a feeling the band was going to have a couple of great songs and the rest would sound like filler. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Early favourites from this release include the aforementioned lead single, "Any Which Way," "Night Life," and so many others. The Scissor Sisters are a band known for shock value in their music (androgyny, flamboyant gayness, hookers, trannies, and all the rest), but they should also be highly regarded for their craft as musicians and songwriters. They always put out high-quality music, but each album seems to get better than the last. New songs like the aforementioned "Any Which Way" will fit into a live set alongside earlier singles such as "Filthy/Gorgeous" in a spectacular way. Night Work, while their best album to date, will be looked back on as a foundation stone; they're just going to keep getting better. Stars -- The Five Ghosts This appears to be the summer of really cohesive albums -- Kylie Minogue (reviewed last month),  Scissor Sisters, and now Stars. Although to be fair, the idea of a Stars album having a single theme throughout is not a new thing. They explored it with great success in their last full-length album, 2007's In Our Bedroom After the War, and while that album remains my favorite, The Five Ghosts does a rather remarkable job of keeping it all together as well. But does the band really need to be this morbid? A full-length album contemplating death and the afterlife, sure -- Stars are known for their heavier material -- but I don't think I want to be listening to an album about death, dying, and breakdowns on a regular basis.How does the album stack up to their previous efforts? Rather well, actually. While thematically it may be a little repetitive, I did find myself thinking that it was nearly on par with In Our Bedroom After the War, and probably a little better than Set Yourself on Fire. The Five Ghosts starts off strong with "Dead Hearts," and continues on with such songs as "We Don't Want Your Body" and "I Died So I Could Haunt You," creating an effort that haunts (pun intended) without being overwrought (in the wrong ways). Stars have certainly honed their craft to the point where they are consistently putting out high-quality albums; I just hope the next one isn't so morbid. Song Reviews Brandon Flowers - "Crossfire"More often times than not, when a lead singer of a popular band says he's going solo it's met with mixed reviews at best. Some manage to have a good album or two (Mick Jagger, though his last couple weren't so great from what I've heard), but for the most part the singer going solo makes you scratch your head and wonder why (see above for the review of Kele Okereke's solo album on the scratching-head-wondering-why scenario). Brandon Flowers also falls into the latter category. "Crossfire," the lead single from his upcoming solo effort, Flamingo, is a good enough track. A slower, less "rock" number than what we're accustomed to from Mr. Flowers, it essentially sounds like just another song by The Killers. So why has he gone solo? If it's a case of the other members wanting to explore other options, let them; this doesn't mean you have to release an album of your own, Brandon. As the front man and principle songwriter, we kinda get that you are the band (though the other members probably wouldn't appreciate hearing that on a regular basis). So, great song, but we could have all waited for the fourth album by the full band. That said, "Crossfire" is a good enough song on its own merits that I'm actually (strangely) looking forward to the full album in September. Tags: badass, brandon flowers, crossfire, kele okereke, music, night work, review, scissor sisters, stars, the boxer, the five ghosts
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