Bipolar Sunshine Live Review – EVAC Liverpool 2/11/2013

Bipolar Sunshine – EVAC Liverpool 2/11/2013

After rushing down to the EVAC from witnessing a disappointing loss for Liverpool at the hands of Arsenal, I was certainly in the mood to be cheered up. The beer prices weren’t going to do that so it was down to the man himself, Adio Marchant and he did not disappoint. Bipolar Sunshine, the solo project from Adio Marchant (previously of Kid British), have almost risen out of nowhere with near to no hype. This could be to do with many reasons, one of them being that Kid British, after promising so much, were forgotten about and placed on the music industry’s “nearly” shelf. This being the case, Adio Marchant has got back on his musical horse with something that no one expected.

Due to the football, I missed the majority of the support bands but I wasn’t too concerned as I had a feeling the headline act would blow the crowd away. Walking into the EVAC, it immediately felt very surreal. I felt out of place, under dressed, and definitely under prepared for what was to come. Looking around, at first it was quite hard to find anyone who looked my age. Everyone was well dressed, all the men had beards, and all the women had handbags. I immediately got lost, walking past the restaurant and after briefly glancing at the menu, this was definitely not a place you’d find many students. However, this was all forgotten about once Bipolar Sunshine took to the stage.

 Being cool, calm and collected and playing tracks from his EPs ‘Aesthetics’ and ‘Drowning Butterflies’, Adio’s presence reeked of a musician who should already be well established within the industry. His slow-burning, soulful vocals were played over captivating R n’ B influenced beats. Not only this, at times it was hard to remember that Bipolar Sunshine is essentially a solo project. The band that accompanied Marchant were as much a part of the band as the Manchurian himself. They almost channeled the vibe of a sunset evening somewhere a thousand miles away with some amazingly beautiful harmonies that are very apparent in the acapela sections of “Rivers”. Some songs, such as “Fire” almost take these harmonies to such a level that it sounds like a chant that has come straight out of an African tribe. It is then that I realise why Bipolar Sunshine have chosen to play the EVAC. It just fits. I couldn’t help but feel that this sort of sound would just get lost in a bigger venue which has it’s benefits but obviously also has it’s major drawbacks. It seems a shame to already be writing someone off who obviously has immense talent, so I turn my attention back to the performance and forget about the future of Bipolar Sunshine.

In tandem with the vocally led tracks that were predominately on show, new track “Blossom” nicely broke up the set with an abrasive, almost dubby guitar track, providing a thundering soundscape for Adio’s gorgeous falsetto to float heartbreakingly above it. The droned and abrasive textures of the instrumental sent me into a trance, where I felt relaxed and comfortable in my surroundings. Bipolar Sunshine kept the crowd’s attention throughout the set purely due to the talent that was on show. There was very little talking in between tracks, and it was almost over before it began but from start to finish it was thoroughly enjoyable. They were the perfect band to go and see after a stressful day. If anyone deserves a second go at becoming a successful musician it’s Adio, and with Bipolar Sunshine this looks extremely promising. Only time will tell, let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Miles Kane - "Don't Forget Who You Are" Album Review 2013

Miles Kane's second album ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ is a fast, hard-hitting, feel- good record with the longest of the 11 songs, ‘Darkness In Our Hearts’, being only three-and-a-half minutes long. The album almost mirrors the pace and intensity of Kane’s live shows. The fuzzed up, glam-packed opener ‘Taking Over’ is a song that seems instantly familiar as if it's already a chart topping hit. The title track also does this, just as hard. Continuing Miles' simple yet in-your-face rock n' roll song structures and guitar riffs, the track delivers a key message to any who might doubt his abilities: “Don’t build me up/Make up your mind/And keep the faith/I’ll keep the faith”. The third track ‘Better Than That’, concludes the album’s outrageously strong opening. By the time these songs finish (which, by the way, is less than 10 minutes in) there is a quite obvious sense that ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ is a real step forward. The energy is out of this world. No human being should be able to provide that amount of energy. But Miles does, and most importantly, the quality of the songs doesn't dwindle. Not once. Miles Kane is back, and even better than before.

 In his vocals you can hear his arrogant, snarling delivery on the title track and 'Give Up' where the influence of Liam Gallagher's mode of delivery can be heard. Miles' influences emerge throughout the record as in the song ‘Tonight’ where he sounds almost John Lennon-esque. On ‘Out Of Control’, a song backed by a string arrangement, Miles couldn’t sound more like the former Beatle if he tried. Paul Weller co-wrote and performs on ‘Fire In My Heart’, a moment in the record that displays a much slower and more collected feeling. However by placing the song between the lively ‘What Condition Am I In?’ and Weller’s other contribution, ‘You’re Gonna Get It’, the pace and aggression of the album is maintained. The latter ('You're Gonna Get It') is a simplistic pre-night-out song, something that Miles deliberately set out to achieve with this record. He has certainly done this. 

 

Despite Paul Weller's contributions and the clear influence of bands gone by, ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ is well and truly a Miles Kane album. Through it's entirety, it only ever sounds like Miles Kane. To all those people who thought he was riding on the back of his famous friend, he simply sticks his middle finger up to them and says: "this is my record. If you like it, great. If you don't, I don't care". Much like his fashion sense, it’s measured, sharp and extremely well put together. Rock n' roll needs this album. Rock n' roll needs Miles Kane.


10/10

Have the Vaccines Come of Age?

The Vaccines' second album 'Come Of Age’ can hardly be called 'one of the greats' or an album that will be remembered as a true work of art. However for a group of young musicians who are still essentially new and have been born into a rock revival, the album does venture into new, unexpected ground. It is arguably an album that has been made more for the band's own personal growth and to showcase to the world that they weren't just a group of lads who could 'bash out a few good pop songs'. It is certainly not mind blowing, but what the album does do is prove that The Vaccines are back with a slightly more mature sound and are ready to face the world once more. 

 


The song ‘Bad Mood’ is a tightly played crowd pleaser that takes around four seconds to lock into your brain and take root there. It is everything you’d expect from The Vaccines but adds something harsher to the song. It’s clear evidence of what the band are capable of.

Despite exploring many more unknown areas and original avenues than their first album, there is still a simplicity to the band’s second record. Where ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines’ got hold of and rattled the bare bones of indie rock, by writing songs consisting of three-chords, ‘Come Of Age’ is a more melodic record but still maintains 'a kind of throwaway appeal'. 

‘Ghost Town’, which rides along on threatening basslines that push the guitars to the back of the mix, has a completely different atmosphere and impact to anything the band have done before. However, the lyrics essentially mean nothing. “No-one’s about and it’s kind of creepy It’s a big mistake when they say it’s sleepy”. It has almost become quite a characteristic of the lyrical content of The Vaccines' songs with lines such as "If you wanna come back it's alright, it's alright, it's alright if you wanna come back to me" carrying no great meaning and would certainly not win any awards for originality or craftsmanship. They seem easy to criticise, but I don't see the point. The Vaccines have never staked any claims to being deep.

However, there are moments, as rare as they are, in ‘I Wish I Was A Girl’ (“Life is easy when you’re easy on the eye”) or beneath the deceptively perky but very catchy riffs of ‘Teenage Icon’ (“I’m not magnetic or mythical/ I’m suburban and typical”) where Justin seems to be addressing topics closer to the heart than stating that having sex with someone else just after a break up won't end well. But this is not where the record’s high point lie in. The band’s increasingly skilful way around a melody start to become apparent in songs like ‘Aftershave Ocean’ and ‘All In Vain’. They prove that The Vaccines can still write a killer hook without necessarily firing on all cylinders. Not only can The Vaccines write very increasingly 'catchy tunes' in  the song ‘Weirdo’ they evidence another tangent of their abilities as it is an almost grunge slow-burner, dramatically dictating a change in pace to the record. 

The Vaccines are no doubt, still evolving and finding out who they really are but ‘Come Of Age’ is clear evidence that they are only going to get better. Watch this space.

6/10