Cobra Starship... yeaaaaaaah [Hot Mess]

Woahhhhh it's been almost a month since I wrote on this blog! Whoopsy. I realised I hadn't written any reviews for a while, so frantically wrote a couple to make sure my editor had some to put up from me. So here's my first one. It's a review of 'Hot Mess,' their single. It's quite an awful single, not gonna lie...


Hailing from New York, Cobra Starship have already established themselves as a teen favourite, both in America and the UK. Signed to Fall Out Boy’s label “Fueled by Ramen,” they have unintentionally stereotyped themselves as emo hit-makers. But no, they want people to know that their genre is disco.

Starting with a mismatch of claps and some faint, distorted vocals, lead vocalist Gabe Saporta quickly nips in with some truly inspiring lyrics- “You were a problem child.” Lovely. Unfortunately, writing skills don’t make any dramatic improvement, with Gabe pretty much describing his last night out. The track is in no way lifted by the rest of the band either, with a basic melody being repeated throughout. On a good note, Ryland Blackinton has a way with a synthesizer, which makes it easy to see why teens all over the world would dance along to this nugget of what is essentially pop music. However, the backing vocals provided all round just echo the trash coming out of Gabe’s mouth. They may just as well have gotten studio effects on the job. “Hot Mess” comes to an unwillingly abrupt ending, as everything appears to cut off at once. At least it’s over.


It seems Cobra Starship haven’t managed to emulate the success of “Good Girls Go Bad,” with this latest offering. Still, Fall-Out-Boy-lovers everywhere will love it.


2/5

Heights is published!

My Heights review got published :) Majorly cut down, but it's fine. Thankfully, only one or two words changed/added/cut out so yeah. Here's the link:


http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/singles/article/heights-the-land-the-ocean-the-distance%22

Popjustice : Lady Gaga- Bad Romance

This is the single review I wrote to the Editor of Popjustice, in hopes of writing for them. So far it's been unsuccessful [although I have just corrected a load of mistakes which could be why], but I'll keep trying.


Gaga’s back and she’s bigger than ever. The 23-year-old from New York is ready to show-off exactly why she deserves all the hype. With public favourites “Just Dance” and “Pokerface” having already topped charts across the world, she has already certified herself as an international superstar.
Re-releasing her 2008 album “The Fame” as “The Fame Monster,” RedOne produced “Bad Romance” has been chosen as the lead single. The track begins with a recognisable Gaga hook- “ra ra ah-ah-ah, roma romama, gaga ooh la la,” as it instantly sets itself up to be a hit. As the single continues, we are hit with the usual array of quirky lyrics, darting between being completely insane, increasingly creepy but incredibly catchy. And catchy is the one element that seems to emulate from Lady Gaga without effort. Add the synth-heavy background- and the usual crazy video- and you have successfully created a delightful pop nugget that is guaranteed to liven up even the dullest of parties.
“Bad Romance” has already begun to dominate the charts internationally, not only giving her the first UK number one of 2010, but also her third number one in 2009. This gave her the record of being the first female in British chart history to have three number one singles in one year. Stand back and be warned. You never know where she’ll go next.

Heights Review- "The Land, The Ocean, The Distance" EP

After a long Christmas break, I'm back writing reviews :) Hopefully I might be putting up an interview I did as well, just need to talk to the girl I did it with.
So this is my latest review. It's from a band called Heights, they're alright really. I've got outta the habit of writing them so it took me a bit longer! Enjoy...


Emerging from Hertfordshire only last year, Heights have already proved themselves to be hard-workers. Playing gig after sweaty gig, it’s fair to say that their passion for raw performance has shone through. Between all the travelling, they’ve managed to produce this fine three-track offering. It is, however, unfortunate that the first track from “The Land, The Ocean, The Distance” gets off to a shaky start. Whilst the beginning of “Empire” is strong, with a heavily melodic mix of guitars, bass and drums, once the vocals kick in, things seem to take a downward turn. Overkill rules over, as Thomas Debeare’s low-pitch inaudible vocals drown out the rest of the band’s talents. Thankfully, as we near the end of the track, more vocals from other band members are added, and balance is restored. As the track ends, we are treated to some superb guitar playing, thanks to Dean Richardson and Tom Green.
As we edge into track two, “Paint the Sky,” things look to be going in the same direction as “Empire.” Luckily, rapid improvement is made, as more audible, excitable vocals are chosen. Again, the combination of Tom Hutton’s drums with various guitars and bass is tight, making a perfect nugget to mosh along too. With chanting refrains such as “we were fallen” guaranteed to not only unite the band, but the audience too, this is a sure fire anthem. The surprise is given as the track makes a punching end after a quick breather. Moving into final track, “World’s Apart,” the guitar-heavy base is crunching, with the drums taking an unusual backseat. This finale is enjoyably slow-paced, adding a slightly calmer offering to their efforts. Another prominent hook is introduced, this time “this is what you wanted, now we’re world’s apart,” being the anthemic chant. Add that to the mesmerising beats combo and we’re onto a winner. The guitar-echo lingers long after the track has ended, as we are reminded of what Heights have achieved.
Overall, the EP gives us a snippet into what is to come from Heights. Perhaps their strength lies in their live performance, but there’s no doubt as to what recorded achievements this band will make


3/5