Red Face's Albums of '08

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Across musical genres – from hip-hop to nu-folk, from rock to soul – this year was never short of tuneful delights. From the innovative soul of Gnarls Barkley to the mature lyrics of Beck, 2008 was the year that some of today’s greatest musicians reinvented their genres – and themselves.

The Albums I talk about are:

- Low Culture by Jim Moray
- Modern Guilt by Beck
- Dig Out Your Soul by Oasis
- The Odd Couple by Gnarls Barkley
- The Renaissance by Q-Tip
- Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

Gig Review: Billy Bragg

Ever since a pentagram of fire called Maggie back to daddy (forgive me for being obvious), and Major bowed out to a then youthful Tony Blair, the insights of Essex Troubadour Billy Bragg have seemed less and less relevant. As an outspoken Socialist, and all round lefty icon, he represented the excluded liberal youth, but as soon as his fans grew up and voted Labour, Bragg’s political protests became nothing more than songs. Yet now, with another financial crisis looming and a conservative buffoon waiting in the wings to fuck it all up, it would seem 2008 is a year ripe for Bragg’s return. His 22-song set at Shepherds Bush last Monday, saw the 51 year old perform with a youthful tenacity, as these trying times return meaning to his words.

No longer backed by The Blokes, Billy took the stage with nothing but a silver Telecaster and a mug of tea. Whilst Bragg naturally felt the need to promote his latest album Mr Love and Justice, the nostalgic joys of ‘To Have and To Have Not’ and ‘The Milkman of Human Kindness’, saw the most grey-haired heads nodding to the voice of their youth. As is expected with any act past 40, the show was in effect a greatest hits, though thankfully room was left for some more unexpected additions to the set list. Whilst Woody Guthrie cover ‘I Ain’t Got No Home’ was fairly predictable, the inclusion of The Shangri-Las’ ‘Give Him A Great Big Kiss’, with help from Kate Nash, was a delight.

Indeed Bragg is ever capable of keeping it light, and in between songs documenting heartbreak and injustice, he remains able to be genuinely hilarious. His infectious humour even crept into the songs themselves, as one altered lyric on ‘Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards’– “John Sergeant proved the public will vote for a clumsy fuck/Old Gordon Brown can’t believe his luck”, was met with riotous laughs from the audience.

Whilst a second encore teased the audience with the prospect of leaving out fan favourite ‘A New England’, Bragg’s performance remained near flawless. It would be easy to see his highly political material as pretentious and boorish, yet his saving grace is that despite this, he remains completely relatable and genuine. He won’t change the world, he knows it, but who cares? He’s Billy Bragg, and he’s back!

Image Courtesy of Bryan Kremkau - www.skapunkphotos.com

Day and Age by The Killers

I will admit that when The Killers rose to stardom with 2004’s Hot Fuss, I was one of the few unconvinced by the Vegas foursome. With a talent for pop balladry, a smack of eyeliner and a conventionally handsome lead singer, they were everything I despised in a band. Yet even I, as irrationally judgemental as I am, couldn’t help but be impressed by The Killers’ talent for the three-minute pop song.

With the unbridled success that was 2006’s Sam’s Town, the boys silenced any talk of a difficult second album. Now, following the pattern of so many before them comes Day and Age, a third instalment that aims to take an established sound in a new direction. However, this album sees The Killers dragging their synth drenched style kicking and screaming into new areas, resulting in dizzying highs of pop perfection and painful lows of forced pastiche.

From the opener ‘Losing Touch’, it feels like business as usual, as subtle synth mixed with Flowers’ quivering vocal, eases the listener into another Killers outing. However, as the track builds to an impressive middle eight, it would seem that The Killers have incorporated a pure 80’s sound into their material, with greater success than any of their contemporaries.

As the album progresses, it would be easy to see the flurry of saxophones, harps and elaborate orchestration, as painfully over-thought for the indie quartet. However, the sheer audacity of say, the steel pan motif on ‘I Can’t Stay’, is a delightful novelty. Instead, the album’s downfall appears to be in its half-baked attempts at genre fusion, as opposed to its outlandish instrumentation. The jaunty ‘Joy Ride’ comes to mind, as this attempt at funk/indie fusion feels wholly unnatural. The only solace to be taken in such songs comes with a bridge or chorus, where The Killers stumble back into their old style.

Clearly, Day and Age is not without its disappointments, and whilst there is many a heartfelt track, the likes of ‘The World We Live In’ or ‘This is Your Life’ are the definition of filler. After splashes of monotony, such tracks as ‘Neon Tiger’ or ‘A Dustland Fairytale’ do standout, but painful sentimentality or Flowers’ nonsensical lyricism soon disappoints.

Nonetheless, it would seem that The Killers are ever full of surprises, as just when it would appear they’d fallen into mediocrity, they snatch victory from the mouth of defeat. On even the most painful track, the attentive listener can find something to enjoy. A simple riff or a joyous chord progression provides relief for a failing song, reminding us of their gift for pop melody. The epic closer “Goodnight, Travel Well” is indeed a redeeming finale, as this delightfully bleak song, provides ample relief for an otherwise upbeat affair.

The public and critics alike expected Day and Age to be one of two things: a glorious passage into pop perfection, or a disappointment of epic proportions. However, the ever unpredictable Killers, provide neither one nor the other. With the likes of ‘Losing Touch’ or ‘Spaceman’, we see a developed sound they haven’t approached before, whilst the album’s equal measure of mediocre material takes the shine off the proverbial apple. Day and Age remains a good, if at times over ambitious album, and if its high points are anything to go by, the fans shouldn’t have to wait long for the seminal Killers work.