Catfish and the Bottlemen - 'The Ride' Album Review

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

‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ – The Last Shadow Puppets Album Review – April 2016

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.

9/10