Carry On Rock's Xmas
Special (Uncensored), available to listen now!
In a one off special, join Max, Jed and Calum one more time
for some Christmas festivities! In this xmas special, the boys look back at
2016 from an alternative point of view and there is a return of some Carry On
Rock favourites such as What You Talkin' About Willis? And as the year draws to
an end, we also try to get Jed a date so he's not single at xmas! Get involved
and tweet us @calknightradio on twitter and search calknightradio on Facebook.
Disclosure: Sound quality poor in places due to us recording
from a front room in Rainhill and sharing 2 pics between 3 rather excited and
drunk voices!
Catfish and the Bottlemen’s rise from the seemingly never ending
pub circuit to arena sell-out tours has not only been remarkable but quite
simply unbelievable given the time frame in which they have achieved it. The
band has worked tirelessly and shows no signs of slowing down. The fans spoke
louder than the critics – something special is brewing with this band. People
are excited about them, and intently so. Catfish and the Bottlemen are back
with another confident, bullish, straight forward, self-assured record.
Debuting at number one in the UK album charts, ‘The Ride’ is
a continuation of the values and success that have gotten the band to where
they find themselves. The songs are snappy, slick and unpretentious. A perfect
example of this is opening track ‘7’ - a three-minute song with a big chorus
written about a girl. This has become the blueprint of Van McCann’s song
writing. However, some have criticised him for this and claim that his song
writing, both lyrically and musically, doesn’t have the same depth of a David
Bowie or an Alex Turner song. This is a ridiculous comparison to make.
It can’t be denied that there are similar themes on this
record as on their debut ‘The Balcony’. The
album can be described as ‘The Balcony 2.0’. The narratives are the same but
the detail is slightly more intricate. Catfish and the Bottlemen are a
self-aware band and don’t pretend that they’re something they’re not – much to
their credit. McCann’s song writing is not only relatable but realistic.
Of course Catfish and the Bottlemen are going to be compared
to their predecessors – it’s sometimes the only way certain critics can review
a band. So comparisons to critic favourites Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and The
Libertines are to be expected. It’s not a coincidence that there’s never a negative
review of a Gallagher record - and trust me, there have been some bad records.
Catfish and the Bottlemen might not have written a ‘classic’
yet that will end up on a best of British compilation album but put quite
simply, that is just not what this band are about. They are crowd pleasers and
there is nothing wrong with that.
4/5
“The purpose of the songs is to sell tickets opposed
to having a hit. It’s to get people in a room together and have a good time” –
Johnny Bond:2016
Blossoms’ self-titled debut album sounds like a well put
together Spotify playlist for a long car journey rather than a debut indie
record. As a five-piece, the lads from Stockport have an obvious knack for
tunes.
Named after a pub in their hometown, Blossoms have a
grounded understanding of what is happening around them with an enthusiasm that
is only found in new, young bands. In a recent interview, when asked about
supporting the Stone Roses, they couldn’t contain their excitement yet were
quick to refer back to where they have come from. The album follows suit. It is
a well thought-out, grounded record with good, poppy tunes.
‘Charlemagne’ is as radio friendly as it gets but it carries
a melodic line that you find yourself whistling to after just one listen. Even
though snyth-based hooks and catchy choruses seem to be the blue print of the
album, tracks like ‘Texia’ and ‘Cut Me and I’ll Bleed’ prove that there is more
to Blossoms’ musical arsenal. These two songs shift the dynamic of the record
to a more New Order style ‘murder on the dancefloor’ aesthetic. Therefore
disproving some claims that the Stockport band aren’t daring or edgy enough.
There have been some ridiculous comparisons made between
Blossoms’ debut record and other bands of similar ilk. One in particular claims
that the inclusion of the piano led ‘Onto Her Bed’ and acoustic track ‘My
Favourite Room’ are there to copy the success Catfish and the Bottlemen had
with the same kind of tracks on their record. A quick google search disproves
this theory as the Stockport band have always included an acoustic, stripped
back song on every EP they have released. It would therefore make sense to
include this on their debut record.
When asked about their style of music, lead singer Tom Ogden
has made it no secret that along with bands like Oasis and Stone Roses, the
band grew up listening to artists like Abba. There is nothing wrong with pop
music when done in the right way. If anything, Ogden embraces the label of
being part of a ‘guitar-pop’ band. It can be as daring and cutting edge as the
rest. Just look at Abba - musical legends in their own right.
Blossoms’ debut album went straight to number one, so do you
really think they care if some critics claim they’re not edgy or cutting enough
to be a credible guitar band? I think not.
Can you believe that 8 years has passed since The Last
Shadow Puppets (TLSP) released ‘The Age of The Understatement’!? Well you
better had…because it has. Not much has changed in that time has it? Alex
Turner has swapped Sheffield for LA, youthful naivety for “that rock n’ roll”
and released 3 studio albums with Arctic Monkeys, the latest of which propelled
them to global success. He’s also managed to fit in a solo project in that time
– writing the music for the film ‘Submarine’. Oh, and there was that other guy
in TLSP as well wasn’t there? Miles Kane is no longer just the mate of the guy
from Arctic Monkeys. Kane has become a credible solo artist in his own right,
releasing two solo albums and gaining a sizeable fan base of his own. Over
these years, the two friends have made it no secret of their desire to revisit
TLSP. A second Puppet album has always felt inevitable given how inseparable
the pair are (Turner co-wrote of Miles’ solo material and Miles himself even
followed Turner to California).
The two friends have spoken in interviews about how they
came about deciding it was the right time to resurrect the side project and
have citied the opening track ‘Aviation’ as a song that sounded ‘too Pupperty’
not be used under the umbrella of TLSP. ‘Aviation’ itself is probably the
closest they come to sounding like their former selves. However within
‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’, there is a new swagger, a new style, and a
confidence that is no longer bubbling under the surface but is loud and brash
and judging by Kane’s behaviour during a recent Spin interview, this isn’t just
confined to the music. This is most evident in leading single ‘Bad Habits’
where the lounge-lizard act seems to be at its most obvious. The single is
powerful, direct and aggressive yet there is still room for Owen Pallet’s
sweeping, cinematic string arrangements which were characteristic of TLSP’s
debut record.
The standout moments of ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’
will divide people more than ever. This is because there is a bit of everything
on this record and it is a celebration of both Turner and Kane’s best
attributes as collective songwriters. In songs like ‘Aviation’ and ‘Bad Habits’
you have the silky, sexy rock and roll that people have become accustomed with
through past work with Arctic Monkeys and Kane’s solo records. But there are also
softer, sweeter tracks that allow Turner to explore the depths of his vocal and
lyrical abilities without the pressure that comes with an Arctic Monkeys
record. In songs such as ‘Sweet Dreams, TN’ and the surreal ‘The Dream
Synopsis’ there can be many similarities drawn between these and the
‘Submarine’ EP.
In my opinion, Turner and Kane have outdone themselves with
this record. They are now far removed from the doe-eyed 22 year olds who made
‘The Age of the Understatement’ but as a partnership they continue to provoke
intriguing responses from each other, pushing each other to their limits. Kane
has upped his game significantly from his last solo record and away from the
pressures of being the main man, Turner is seemingly more comfortable in his
own skin and this is reflected in the music.
Contrary to the name, this album isn’t quite what we’ve come
to expect from TLSP, but who knows - maybe that is just exactly what they
intended.
