Two For Tunesday: 20th January 2015

The Cribs – An Ivory Hand

Yesterday marked the long awaited comeback of The Cribs. Three years since their last release, ‘An Ivory Hand’ is the first taste of the Jarman brothers’ sixth album ‘Save Your Sisters’. Now signed to major label Sony RED, perhaps what’s most notable about this teaser is the band’s shift in direction. Striking from the get go, ‘An Ivory Hand’ sees The Cribs at their most poppy. Glaring guitars throughout, reminiscent to that of early Weezer, it’s a testament to the band that they still sound as fresh and unique over a decade into their career. 2009’s ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ marked a career low for The Cribs, something truly rectified on their last release ‘In The Belly of The Brazen Bull’. Based on ‘The Ivory Hand’ alone, it looks as if that form is set to continue.

The Vaccines – Handsome

Following the release of two albums in two years, The Vaccines have taken time out before returning to the studio to work on album three. A three year wait in total between LPs, new single ‘Handsome’ is the first cut from up and coming record ‘English Graffiti’. Whereas the band’s 2013 EP ‘Melody Calling’ saw a slight shift in direction for the band, ‘Handsome’ reverts back to the style of the band’s first two albums. Short, snappy and undeniably catchy, ‘Handsome’ will no doubt provide the band with another singalong moment to their already illustrious catalogue. For how long they are able to maintain releasing the same old thing, though, remains to be seen.

I Still Believe: Re-springing Your Step

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: Re-springing Your Step

Tell us about the last experience you had that left you feeling fresh, energized, and rejuvenated. What was it that had such a positive effect on you? 

To tell the truth, I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve seen Frank Turner live. The most recent time, in Leicester last September, was a birthday surprise from my loving girlfriend. With that in mind, the evening already had a special feel to it. Following food and some drinks, we arrived at De Montfort Hall just before Frank Turner took to the stage.

Dressed in matching white shirts, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls opened with fan favourite ‘Try This At Home’ before segueing into ‘If Ever I Stray’ from 2011’s ‘England Keep My Bones’ album. Perhaps what sets Turner apart from a lot of other acts I’ve seen is his work rate and stage presence. His energy on stage is somewhat admirable, especially given the fact that he maintains the connection with his audience throughout.

Turner used the gig to showcase new material from his as yet untitled sixth studio album. Although I’m not usually a fan of hearing songs live before I’ve heard them on record, Frank Turner is the one artist I make an exception for. Based on the new songs debuted, all the signs point to Turner’s strongest album to date.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening was a proposal during ‘Photosynthesis’. It’s become somewhat of a tradition during Frank Turner’s gigs that when he reaches the middle 8, he gets the whole crowd to sit down. It was at this moment a member of the audience proposed to his girlfriend. After being informed by a member of The Sleeping Souls, Frank Turner gave the newly engaged couple a special shout out before singing the final chorus. In truth, it’s hard to describe the feeling in the room when everyone started jumping during the final chorus. It’s that indescribable moment where for an hour and a half, a group of people that have never met before come together and leave all their troubles at the door, and combine for their love of one thing; music.

My obsession with Frank Turner began in 2008, just after the release of his second album ‘Love, Ire & Song’. A friend from University bought the album for his then girlfriend and it became somewhat of a staple in our friendship group. That album still means a great deal to me and so the inclusion of a number of its songs during the Leicester gig bought back fond memories. More importantly, it also formed many new ones. This was my girlfriend’s first time seeing Frank Turner and also our first gig together. In truth, she didn’t know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised and is keen to see him again when he no doubt tours later in the year. Of all the gigs I’ve been to, this one holds a special place in my heart. Six years after I first became affiliated with Frank Turner’s music, it still sounds as exciting and fresh as it did when I first heard it.

Reasons to be excited for music in 2015

Some use the start of a new year to see how much weight they can lose. Others use it to cut out bad habits. Myself? A whole heap of new albums to look forward to over the coming 12 months…

First and foremost, my most anticipated release of the year is the sixth studio LP by folk singer Frank Turner. Currently in its mixing stage and as yet untitled, the album is the follow up to 2013’s break-up fuelled ‘Tape Deck Heart’. I, like many others who attended last year’s September tour, was lucky enough to hear Frank road test new material. Standouts include ‘Love 40 Down’ (the title is a personal favourite) and sure to be single ‘Get Better’.

Announced at the tail end of October, Noel Gallagher releases his second solo album ‘Chasing Yesterday’ on March 2nd. It’s unlikely, based on lead single ‘In The Heat of The Moment’ and respective ‘Do The Damage’, that the record will be too dissimilar to Gallagher’s self-titled debut, but that shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing. Here’s hoping for something in a similar vein to ‘If I Had A Gun’, one of Noel’s finest moments in his illustrious career.

2015 also sees the promise of a ‘heavier’ new Muse album. Frontman Matt Bellamy claimed in a Q&A on Twitter last year the band would strip away the additional things they experimented with, such as electronics and symphonies on both ‘The Resistance’ and ‘The 2nd Law’, arguably the group’s weakest two records. Although little else is known about the record, if it’s anything like Muse’s first three records, then we’re in for a treat.

Always vocal about new material, the year should also see a new Kanye album. Career highlight ‘Yeezus’ stole all headlines in 2013 for its rushed release and God-like comparisons. Whether the surprise New Year’s Day release of ‘Young One’ with Paul McCartney features on West’s up-and-coming album is currently unknown, but I’d certainly welcome a throwback to the sound of 2008’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’. No matter what the sound, there’s guaranteed to be some controversy surrounding the LP’s release and I, for one, cannot wait.

The Cribs also look set to return in 2015. The underrated ‘In The Belly of The Brazen Bull’ was a radical departure from the sound the band experimented with when Johnny Marr was with them. Personally, I was never a fan of Marr’s influence on the Jarman brothers’ sound. The band’s edge disappeared, with their unique raw indie sound, replaced instead by fancy studio production. Here’s hoping that The Cribs’ sixth record is a progression of 2012’s ‘ITBOTBB’, perhaps the band’s strongest LP to date.

With 2015 also set to deliver new releases from the likes of Fall Out Boy, Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, Foals, Bastille, Chvrches, Coldplay, The xx, The 1975 and Disclosure to name but a few, I already have high hopes that the next 12 months should be a very promising year for music.

Let’s begin at the beginning …

Hello, my name is Richard Allen and I’m 25 years of age. I am a keen football and basketball fan and enjoy watching films and TV. The biggest passion in my life, however, is music.

Music was prominent in my life from an early age, with artists such as Buddy Holly and Queen somewhat of a permanent fixture in my house. This passion only grew stronger as I got older. My teenage years were spent in sweaty venues up and down the country, attending as many gigs as possible, both big and small, fuelling my passion for live music. I count Frank Turner, Arctic Monkeys and Muse amongst my favourite artists but I am open to a whole variety of different genres.

In 2010, I earned a degree in journalism and, whilst my love for writing has never ceased, I am starting this blog in a bid to rekindle that excitement. Here, I will review music, suggest new songs to listen to, and generally record my thoughts on all things music-related.

If you share my passion for music then this is the blog for you.