New Reviews - March 25th

Chairlift - Something

After the first listen 'Something' really sounds like a bit of a collection of random noises wrapped around strong vocals and keyboards, but after listening more you find it actually all hangs together pretty impressively. There are some excellent low-key electro chill out tunes on here, combined with more upbeat 70s / 80s sounding stuff. Chairlift have a somewhat unique electronic sound, and overall this is a very solid album with good flow and particularly easy on the ear vocals.

Sounds like: Bat for lashes crossed with Goldfrapp / Ladyhawke

Top tracks: Wrong opinion, Amanaemonesia, Met Before

7.5/10

Guided By Voices – Lets Go Eat The Factory

This album contains 21 songs, yet is only 42 minutes long. You do the math(s). Despite most of the songs being under 2 minutes long, some of the riffs produced here are excellent. Guided By Voices are a proper old school low-fi rock outfit, it’s almost frustrating when some of the songs cut out before they really get going. Some tracks on here are just noise, though its fair to say that there are no tracks here that are long enough to be dull.. This is generally an entertaining album, and I imagine they would put on a good show.

Sounds Like: 60s/70s rock, The Kinks but shorter and stranger.

Top Tracks: Doughnut For A Snowman, God Loves Us, Cyclone Utilities, We Wont Apologise For The Human Race

6/10

Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

You can almost tell how this is going to sound just by the picture on the album cover. Lana Del Rey has an old soulful voice and to me this is very much like a modern indie interpretation of Nancy Sinatra. The music is predominantly dark, rarely upbeat, distinctly trip-hop ish at times, and most of all superbly produced. There is a combination of sounds and a mix of slower songs (Video Games, Blue Jeans) with one or two upbeat tracks (Off To The Races, Diet Mountain Dew).  Born To Die is filled with great tunes, there really are no fillers here. This is a superb album, and an excellent sound overall. It could be a modern classic.

Sounds like: Nancy Sinatra, Jefferson airplane vs zero 7 / tricky

Top tracks: Off To The Races, Born To Die, National Anthem, Radio

9/10