What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE EZRA "staying at Tamara's"

release date: 23rd March

chart highs: UK #1, AU #7, US #68, CAN #22

second album from "the baritone"....
loved his debut, Wanted On Voyage, had cautious reservations and expectations
about this, the follow up...
was supposedly recording the follow up to the debut in 2016, then it was cancelled,
then he said he was going to retire because he could live off expected royalties from 
that debut, then he releases a stand along single just over a year ago, and then out of
the blue this one gets released, was it a calculated industry hype????…
sticking to his tested style, here, mainly poppy, catchy, almost alt folk based tunes here...
but alas, they lack something, not sure what it is, but this one, even though I like it, isn't in the
same ballpark as the debut album with four tracks that appear to be just filler...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: hold my girl
best track: shotgun





tracks:

1....pretty shining people **
2....don't matter now ***
3....get away **
4....shotgun ***
5....paradise **
6....all my love *
7....sugar coat *
8....hold my girl *
9....saviour *
10..only a human **
11..the beautiful dream **

3s - 2
2s - 5
1s - 4
 
rating: 1,8

[CRAZY-HORSE]

RAY LaMONTAGNE "part of the light"

release date: 18th May 2018:

chart placings:  US #40,  CAN  #44,  UK  #28

Ray's seventh...
Alt rock kinda guy...
tracks are more radio friendly than his previous album...
and whereas the previous album "ouroboros" felt like a concept album, 
this one has a more loose feel to it....
hints of alt folk and psychedelia in places but mostly alt rock/rock...
some tracks with a vocal style similar to the dreamy style in PF's "us and them"
type tracks...
a very good album indeed

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: no answer arrives
favourite track: paper man 





tracks:

1....to the sea ***
2....paper man ***
3....part of the light **
4....its always been you ***
5....lets make it last **
6....as black as blood is blue ***
7....such a simple thing **
8....no answer arrives **
9....goodbye blue sky **

3s - 4
2s - 5
1s - 0

rating: 2.5

[CRAZY-HORSE]

DAVID BYRNE "America utopia"

release date: March 9th;

chart highs: US #3, UK #16

first Byrne solo set ive listened to, huge fan of Talking Heads...
album co-written/produced by Eno...
hearing Eno all over it, Bowie at times too, and obviously Talking Heads...
strange lyrics that paint abstract images, typical of his style...
quite "arty" and "out there" in places, which is what I expected...
I wrote in my original post back in March that, and I quote: 
"F'ing brilliant album, my favourite album of the year so far", and to be perfectly
honest, my opinion hasn't changed at all...

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: bullet
favourite track: gasoline and dirty sheets





tracks:

1....I dance like this ***
2....gasoline and dirty sheets ***
3....everyday is a miracle ***
4....dogs mind ***
5....this is that ***
6....its not dark up here ***
7....bullet **
8....doing the right thing **
9....everybody's coming to my house ***
10..here ***

3s - 8
2s - 2
1s - 0

rating: 2.8

[CRAZY-HORSE]

MUMFORD & SONS "delta"

release date: November 16th

chart highs: UK #2, AU #5, CAN #1, US #1

band's fourth, I own three....
debut, superb alt folk...
second, barely made the pass grade...
the third, I didn't buy, they sounded too much like Coldplay LOL!...
this one is an eclectic mix containing alternative, folk, jazz, spoken word,
even a track or two that could be called electronic-pop...
probably my favourite album of theirs now...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: beloved
best track:  42







tracks:

1....42 ***
2....guiding light ***
3....woman **
4....beloved *
5....the wild **
6....October skies **
7....slip away **
8....rose of Sharon **
9....picture you **
10..darkness visible ***
11..if I say **
12..wild heart *
13..forever **
14..delta **

3s - 3
2s - 9
1s - 2

rating: 2.1

[CRAZY-HORSE]

JACK WHITE  "boarding house reach"

release date:  25th May 2018

chart highs:  US  #1,  AU #11, CAN  #1,  UK #5

Jacks third album under his own name...
haters still gonna hate White, lovers still gonna love his music...
ive always thought of Jack's works as like "the white album" and this one is no
different, a chaotic collection of songs that seemingly don't fit together, and if they do
fit together then they are hit or miss...
this album however, appears to be more cohesive than the majority of his previous material...
the overall running sound here is a jazzy,funky backdrop with hints of rock, country, alternative
and psychedelic sounds...
theres even  a spoken word track, an instrumental and a rap tune...
this is one album from his catalogue that I don't have mixed, confusing feelings about after I listen..

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: why walk a dog?
best track: connected by love





tracks:

1....connected by love ***
2....why walk a dog? **
3....corporation (instrumental) **
4....Abulia and Akrasia (spoken word) ***
5....hypermisophoniac ***
6....ice station zebra **
7....over and over and over **
8....everything you ever wanted **
9....respect commander **
10..Esmeralda steals the show ***
11..get in the mind shaft **
12..whats don't is done ***
13..humoresque ***

3s - 6
2s - 7
1s - 0

rating:  2.4

[CRAZY-HORSE]

ARCTIC MONKEYS "tranquillity base hotel & casino"

release date:  11th May 2018:

chart highs: UK #1,  AU #1,  US #8,  CAN  #4

the band's sixth and my second (I own the debut also)…
a more polished, professional sound than the ragged garage sound
of that debut and what if subsequently heard by them...
hearing Bowie all over this one, Julian Lennon type vocals also...
songs blend into each other almost like one continual piece of music...
a good solid album that sounds better than when I posted it...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: the world's first ever monster truck front flip
best track: four out of five





tracks:

1....star treatment ***
2....one point perspective **
3....American sports ***
4....tranquillity base hotel & casino **
5....golden trunks **
6....four out of five ***
7....the world's first ever monster truck front flip **
8....science fiction ***
9....she looks like fun **
10..Batphone **
11..the ultra cheese **

3s - 4
2s - 7
1s - 0

rating: 2.3

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL KELLY  "nature"

release date: October 12th 2018

chart highs:  AU #1,  NZ #40

Aussie Paul's twenty-third album...
his last few albums have basically been folk albums, mainly acoustic stuff...
with this album he goes back to using a full band for the most part and most tracks
have the old classic Coloured Girls/Messengers' sounds...
his best album in years IMO...
BTW, my favourite track is one of the folky tunes, and its amazing how much he
sounds like Bob Dylan on this track, well worth a listen IMO

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst song: God's grandeur
best song: little wolf





tracks:

1....and death shall have no dominion ***
2....with the one I love ***
3....a bastard like me ***
4....little wolf ***
5....with animals **
6....bound to follow **
7....seagulls of Seattle **
8....morning storm **
9....mushrooms **
10..the river song **
11..God's grandeur **
12..the trees **

3s - 4
2s - 8
1s - 0

rating: 2.3

[CRAZY-HORSE]

VANCE JOY "nation of two"

release date: February 23rd 2018

chart highs:  AU #1,  CAN #2,  UK  #32,  US #10

Aussie Vance's second...
loved the debut with the superb "rip tide" single...
this one follows the same style of acoustic sounds with catchy tunes,
unfortunately, the catchiness isn't as instant as that previous album...
still, not a bad album but not a patch on the debut...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM 

worst track: where we start
favourite track: Saturday sun





tracks: 

1....call if you need me *
2....lay it on me *
3....we're going home **
4....Saturday sun **
5....take your time **
6....im with you **
7....like gold **
8....alone with me **
9....crashing into you **
10..one of these days **
11..little boy **
12..Bonnie & Clyde **
13..where we start *

3s - 0
2s - 10
1s - 3

rating: 1.7

[CRAZY-HORSE]

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS "look now"

release date:  12th October 2018

chart highs: #14 UK, #46 US, #62 CAN

thirtieth album, I own at least half of his back catalogue but should own them all...
typical Costello album, ballads, soft rock and everything inbetween…
one song co written with Carole King (track 3) and three written with Bachacach (2. 8. 12)….
you either like or dislike Elvis, me , im in the latter group...
one of the best lyricists of the last forty years and the quality of his songs still shines...
a very good album, and i'd expect no less from him!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: Mr & Mrs Hush
favourite track: stripping paper





tracks:

1.... under lime **
2....dont look now **
3....burnt sugar is so bitter **
4....stripping paper ***
5....unwanted number ***
6....I let the sun go down **
7....Mr & Mrs Hush **
8....photographs can lie **
9....dishonour the stars ***
10..suspect my tears ***
11..why wont heaven help me? **
12..he's given me things **

3s - 4
2s - 8
1s - 0

rating: 2.3

[CRAZY-HORSE]

IMAGINE DRAGONS "origins"

release date: November 9th

chart highs:  US #2, AU #4, CAN #1, UK #9



the band's fourth, and my fourth...
a sound that I would compare as a cross between Killers and Snow Patrol
on this one...
good solid tunes...
one of the most consistent modern band's out there right now..

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst tune:  cool out 
favourite tune: bullet in a gun





tracks:

1....natural ***
2....boomerang **
3....machine ***
4....cool out **
5....bad liar **
6....West Coast **
7....zero ***
8....bullet in a gun ***
9....digital **
10..only **
11..stuck **
12..love **

3s - 4
2s - 8
1s - 0

rating: 2.3