The Weeknd, Manchester Apollo [23.11.13]

Saturday night saw Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd's return to Manchester since his small headline show at the Ritz back in March. Only this time, he was endeavouring in two sell out back-to-back shows at much larger venue, the Apollo. The Weeknd has always had what seemed to be a massive fan base right from when he released his first album, Trilogy, drawing together his string of 2011 mix tapes, but this was something else. The venue was full to the brim with a surprisingly eclectic mix of people, everyone from the expected snap back wearers and scantily clad teenage girls to the unanimous amounts of couples, some middle aged. It is clear that since the release of his album, Kiss Land, This online sensation has established himself as an exceedingly capable and brilliant artist who just keeps going from strength to strength with his uniquely atmospheric yet soulful sound embellished with haunting vocals.

At the bottom of the bill was rising Los Angeles star, Banks. Despite her first single only being released in March this year, she still managed to get the crowd going in an extremely short space of time. Her dark, moody, intimate sound is slightly resonant of The Weeknd's and so it was blatantly obvious why she was on tour with the guy. Opening with the amazing 'This Is What It Feels Like,' it was only a matter of minutes until the crowd were singing along to the chorus of this otherwise unfamiliar record. She continued to keep the crowd moving with tracks like 'Before I Ever Met You' and 'Warm Water' before making way for a second helping of support slot action.

It then came the turn of Zane Lowe to grace us with his presence and he definitely raked in the crowd pleasers. With an astonishing 30 minute set of hits from the likes of Drake and 50 Cent, it almost felt like we had already witnessed the main event when he left the stage. Drake's 'Started From The Bottom' was an obvious highlight but 'Higher Ground' from Hudson Mohawke and Lunice's  2012 TNGHT EP was an instant hit with the crowd. Funnily enough, I was a lot more worn out following Zane's set than the Weeknd's.

Now for the man himself. Opening with a string of singles from his brand new album Kiss Land, The Weeknd immediately affirmed his excellent live reputation with that distinctive, spine tingling voice. 'Belong To The World' stunned the crowd with its heavy electronic instrumental, similar to that of Portishead's 'Machine Gun,' not to mention his voice and fantastic stage presence. He continued to entice us with tracks from Kiss Land, like 'Pretty' and 'Professional' before explaining to the crowd "While I was in Toronto for a really long time, I made this little journal. It was called House of Balloons, and I was wondering if I could play a couple'a songs from it for y'all tonight." As you can imagine, this sent the crowd of devoted, long term fans wild as they eagerly anticipated and conferred with their pals what tracks they thought would be played. Surprisingly, The Weeknd opened his host of House of Balloons singles with a darker rendition of second track on the mix tape 'What You Need.' This really was a beautifully done performance both vocally and instrumentally, with haunting guitars and a continuous crescendo of spine chilling symbols. The crowd stood in awe as they witnessed the man who has been dubbed as the 'new age Michael Jackson' and he definitely did not let this reputation down. The crowd swooned as he continued to play hit after hit such as 'Loft Music,' 'High For This,' 'The Morning' and 'The Party and The After Party.' He even threw in a couple of his famous Drake Collaborations, 'Crew Love' and 'The Zone.'

Then came a bizarre performance of his new album's title track with a backdrop of hardcore lesbian porn which certainly startled the audience sending them into a wave of hushed silence as they tried to concentrate on the voice whilst the teenage boys dug out their phones and began recording.

As the set began to draw to a close, the Weeknd asked the crowd if he could dedicate the next song to us, 'Wanderlust.' A beautifully sung track with its distinctively dynamic instrumental compared to other tracks on Kiss Land. Following this performance he vacated the stage before returning and telling the crowd how much our presence meant to him. "Whenever I finish writing a song I think, what would the UK think of this?" he proceeded. Then, the low, haunting guitars of 'Wicked Games' filled the room, sending the crowd into an ecstasy of excitement. His most well known track made for the perfect culmination to fantastically mellow set of flawless vocals and the ambient, atmospheric sound we all know and love.

I have loved the Weeknd right from the release of House of Balloons but I was completely unsure of what to expect from his live show. It is safe to say that he proved himself and I can't wait for everyone to notice what all the fuss is about.

Review: Findlay - Greasy Love EP

image: findlaymusic.com

I caught a snippet of Natalie Findlay's support slot as she played at the bottom of the bill for The Courteeners' annual Christmas Manchester arena gig last December. My first impressions of her weren't great. I felt as if her on stage bravado was extremely forced and her cockiness when replying to a Courteeners fan asking her to 'get her tits out' was unnecessarily rude, never mind how pervy the middle aged meat head may have been. Aside from this, I thought her 2012 single, 'Your Sister,' was a reasonably pleasant listen, so I thought I'd give her brand new EP, 'Greasy Love,' a shot. 

The title track opens the EP in a boastful, brash explosion of scuzzy guitars and tribal drums protruded by Findlay's signature shouty vocals with the odd screech here and there. Think Alison Mosshart on a particularly nowty day. Despite the repetitive nature of this track, there is no doubt that its catchy chorus will be sealed in your brain for the rest of the day after hearing it. (I can assure you)

'FakeBlackHeart' is probably the best thing about this EP. It opens in a kind of Nirvana-esque fashion with distinctive bass before being embellished by softer vocals which are soon lost in a whirlwind of guitars and a killer melody that sounds reminiscent of Findlay's earlier material.

The final track on the EP takes a drab turn from its aggressively charged predecessors in a monotonous keyboard sequence splattered with Findlay's angry vocals which seem somewhat out of place. Lyrically, she has come up trumps on this track but melodically, its definitely as weakness on the EP. To be able to make such a slow paced, instrumentally sparse record and pull it off, you have to acquire a certain amount of skill and to say that few musicians have mastered this fine art, Findlay has sure as hell got a long way to go.

***

6/10

Review: Jake Bugg - Shangri La

image: jakebugg.com

I'll be honest, I've never been a massive fan of Jake Bugg. His previous tracks that were very well recieved such as 'Two Fingers' and 'Taste It' never really gripped me as being anything special. However, there are a couple of hidden gems from his previous self titled album, like 'Broken,' with its acoustic instrumental and delicate vocals, building up into something much more spectacular a couple of minutes in. Not to mention 'Slide' with beautifully written lyrics that wouldn't sound out of place as an Oasis b-side. Then you have the more endearing tracks like 'Someone Told Me,' with that signature Jake Bugg vintage feel. 

Shangri La however, seems to have lost that quirky yet tear jerking craft that Jake Bugg once acquired in a wishy-washy blur of out of place heavy riffs and a vocal style that could be construed as a George Formby tribute act on acid.

The record begins with slightly monotonous and predictable track 'There's A Beast And We All Feed It,' which funnily enough sounds awfully resonant of his previous album's opener 'Lightning Bolt.' 'Slumville Sunrise' however, the second track on the record, is probably its best asset. It adopts an extremely catchy chorus with just enough rock 'n' roll edge which is more than what can be said for 'What Doesn't Kill You.' This was the album's first single and I have no idea why. Ok, the chorus has some potential, but it is soon protruded by predictable riffs and Bugg's ridiculously fast singing which really doesn't work for me.

The album continues, and finally a song that oozes progression from its predecessors, 'Messed Up Kids.' A pleasant, listen-able track that combines gritty lyrics with a catchy melody and gentle guitars with just enough punch. 'A Song About Love' however, can be described as just as boring as it sounds. To be fair, I was expecting a bit of an acoustic slow paced track like the few I mentioned earlier from his previous album. But no, we end up with something much more repetitive, done-before and commercialised. 

Tracks like 'All Your Reasons,' 'Simple Pleasures' and 'Kitchen Table' redeem the album with sophisticated guitars and Bugg's undeniably good lyric writing skills that I knew were yet to shine through. 'Pine Trees' is another more credible track on the album with that signature acoustic style that Jake Bugg is famed for. 

The album culminates in a track that sounds almost like it was recorded in a bedroom in the sixties, 'Storm Passes Away.' A track that I am not overly enthralled by. A similar attitude I adopted for the whole album to be completely honest. 

***

5/10

Introducing: The Family Rain

image: eventful.com

I was properly introduced to this band on a whim when I caught  their set at the Festival Republic stage at Leeds festival this year. Having heard only a minuscule amount of material of theirs, I was utterly impressed with their ability to get what seemed like a relatively unfamiliar crowd going.

The band of brothers boast a high-octane, primarily blues rock, sound comparable to the likes of Kings of Leon. However, their clear hip hop and R&B influences steer them away from being thrown into a stereotypical box.

Produced by Jim Abbiss, you are immediately forced to make that Kasabian comparison but the Family Rain provide such a fresh sound, it is difficult to fit them into any category. Tracks like 'Trust Me... I'm a Genius' affirm they're incredible rock 'n' roll sound whereas 'Feel Better (Frank)' and 'Carnival' present their more R&B inspired drum beats.

I am extremely excited to hear their upcoming album, set for release in February of next year and it comes with great sadness to me that despite being added to the guest list of their show at Ruby Lounge last night, I still could not make it. Oh well, there's always next time, this band aren't going anywhere any time soon.

Tribes Announce Split

Earlier today, Tribes announced their split. This came with great sadness to me as I have been a huge fan of their music for such a long time, I have also had the pleasure of seeing them live twice.

I have always been absolutely bewildered as to how they have not blown up big time as I believe they are pretty much the best new band of the past couple of years. They have graced us with two absolutely brilliant albums, 'Baby' and 'Wish to Scream,' along with a couple of stellar EPs which are all full to the brim with musical gems. For these reasons, I have decided to commemorate the loss of one of my favourite bands by giving you a run down of my top 10 favourite songs of theirs... Call it the bereavement process!

image: areasonablegoodear.com

10. Nightdriving

One of the slower paced tracks from 'Baby,' this song is near perfect. With its steady drums and effortless guitars, not to mention its honest and powerful lyrics of 'what use is God if you can't see him?' Which is something I have always loved about Tribes.

9. Walking in the Street

I love the opening drums to this track, it starts off so upbeat but like most Tribes tracks, builds up to a darker, more powerful chorus. For sure one of their most credible tracks.

8. Dancehall

This track was the second release of their second album, 'Wish To Scream.' Its delicate instrumentals, primarily piano, and beautiful lyrics combine to make one of the best tracks on the album. This record really does emphasise Johnny Lloyd's undeniable genius.

7. When My Day Comes

This is probably Tribes' most upbeat and fast paced track (as well as being the centre of the horrendous pun in the title of this post). It is definitely a stand out track when played live, especially at Leeds Festival earlier this year. Again, Lloyd's lyrics are on form and the poignant riffs are just exquisite!

6. How the Other Half Live

This track is just made to be played to massive crowds clapping along to the drums. 'How the Other Half Live' could easily be the work of a bigger, more established band.

5. Whenever

Another brilliant song to see live, this track is the opener to Tribes' debut album 'Baby,' and what a brilliant opener it is! With its distinctive bass, another fantastic feat for Johnny Lloyd's ridiculously good lyric writing skills.

4. Himalaya

One of their most beautiful tracks full stop. Cannot even explain my love for this song. So simple yet so amazing, its main asset has to be its undeniably beautiful lyrics.

3. Girlfriend

This song is ridiculously good. Its gritty and honest lyrics (we're seeing a pattern here) and infectious riffs are just impossible not to sing along to.

2. Sappho

I think this is the first Tribes song I ever listened to. It is an absolute anthem like the rest of them and It will always be one of my favourite songs. I love how it builds up into such a powerful track, something that Johnny Lloyd and the boys have affirmed themselves as absolute masters of.

1. Coming of Age

Despite my 'take it or leave it' attitude towards acoustic tracks, this song is definitely an exception. Containing some of Lloyd's most credible lyrics yet, the simplicity of the good old fashioned acoustic guitar seems to do them justice. This track definitely fills me with anticipation for the solo work Johnny has promised, even if we do have to lose such a great band for it.

Introducing: The Anecdotes

image: indieminded.com

This unsigned Mancunian quartet describe their sound as "dream indie/post-punk" which is an increasingly popular musical sub-genre of the past twelve months, however, this band have pleasantly surprised me and no, it is not because they are from Manchester.

Their fruit pop sound claims influences from the likes of Peace, Tame Impala and Wavves, which is definitely a good thing in my eyes! My favourite track of theirs, 'Kaleidoscope,' showcases the band's ability to produce an amazingly groovy track with Foals-reminiscent guitars and a bit of a Strokes feel, whereas tracks like 'Origami Waves' and 'Sepia Fields' affirm a heavier feel to their sound. I sense a big future ahead for these boys, and they're only seventeen!