Green Day

Before I start this review let's get one thing clear: Green Day are mainstream. There is no way you can argue against this. As I speak they're newest album 21st Century Breakdwon is no.1 and no.2 in the iTunes charts (the two being the normal and deluxe versions of the album) so sorry to you punks who are still in the belief that they're your little band. That time has long passed for them and (in my opinion) rightly so.

So, the new album. Is it as good as American Idiot they're last offering? Does it live up to their live show as demonstrated in Bullet in a Bible? The answer is a resounding no unfortunately. 21st Century Breakdown (21CB) is a good album, there's no denying that, it just lacks the power of American Idiot. They've recycled the message that made their last album so famous and well, good. This recycling makes it a bit pedestrian as though Billie Joe couldn't quite bring himself to say goodbye to his popularity and wealth in exchange for artisic merits. What the result is is an album that sits very much on the fence ideologically.

It opens with the radio crackle of Song of the century which I am very saddened to report is nowhere close to the song of the century or the song of the minute for that matter. Bj shows us his 'heart'. Inverted commas for one simple reason: it's the same heart that all mainstream pop-punk bands have. A'la Simple Plan it's a waste of an album opener. The album doesn't pick up from there. The rock piano that Butch Vig has seemed to have said has to be on every track is simply a prelude to what could have been a great album opener. Any blow that Green Day wished to have been produced has been completely stripped from this album. It's a soft little thing, perfect for Radio 1 (and not in a good way). It's rock gone wrong. The same flaw purveys over the whole album, a lack of anything willing to inspire.

The lead single from the album Know Your Enemy, potentially the worst song Green Day have ever written, severely lacks anything. It just sits on the album like a limp limb, included just for the sake of it.

The album as a whole is the same. Vig has almost anti-produced it, they all sound like demos recorded nicely. It lacks depth, force or impact in every way. A shame for a band that we all know could have made so much more. If this album is a grower, I may re-review it and be made to eat my words. This doesn't look likely however as listening to it once through was torture. I don't know if I'll live through a second.

3/10

Welcome and Girls Aloud

Hey everyone!
I've been thinking about making a blog like this for a while. I've noticed the tendency for bloggers to focus very much on the 'indier' side of things and disappear up their own backside whilst in the process. I thought a little mainstream relief would be good for the blogsphere, after all it's not all bad.

So, my first blog, I'm not sure how it''ll go, if anyone will read it or care but here goes.

Girls Aloud
Potentially the best girl group ever, a very worthy subject for my first blog I think. I used to be a bit of a music snob and so always turned away and mocked groups such as Girls Aloud or Sugababes simply due to NME telling that I shouldn't like them. Well. Times have changed and in the world of recession we currently live in I think we need an alternative to the depression of Glasvegas to make us feel a bit better. Whilst most people had accepted the genius of Girls Aloud for many a year ever since they won Pop Idol all those years ago it's taken me time.

The other day whilst out cd shopping I spied their newest album Out Of Control and picked it up on a whim. The first single from it The Promise was an immediate winner in my eyes (even if at that stage it was sung by a mainstream girl group) so I decided to give the album a listen. Much to my surprise it was fantastic from start to finish it's just pure pop, very good pure pop at that.

The opener The Promise is probably my favourite song from the record still, the production on it being divine. Everything's sharp and crisp (which goes for the rest of the record too) and just fits well together. Another high point in the overall fantastic record is Turn To Stone which, whilst it isn't going to be a single, sits very happily on the album and puts some synth glory into the mix. The only reason I can't see it being a single is because there are some much more 'classic' Girls Aloud tracks on the album, for instance the second single The Loving Kind.

Overall, it's a great pop album which sits proudly at home in my cd collection for good reason mainly that it's a well produced and solid piece of work from a consistently good girl band. It's only fault being that it doesn't quite break the mould of any other Girls Aloud album. Not necessarily a bad thing, but, variety is the spice of life.
8/10

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