Jamie T – Trick Album Review (2016)

A few years ago, if you had said to anyone that Jamie T was releasing an album, bottom line is they wouldn’t have believed you, and then if you had said he was releasing two albums in two years, you would have been called a fool.

However, in 2016, we have exactly that, a second Jamie T album in two years. “Carry on the grudge” was released in 2014 and proved to be a really interesting record looking back. It wasn’t particularly the singles from the record that, for me, was what pushed it into the “really good” band of albums that year; it was the album tracks like “The Prophet” and “Mary Lee” that proved to be really impressive.

For “Trick” the big hit singles such as “Power over men”, “Tinfoil Boy” and “Tescoland” are highly commendable and all feature a new side to Jamie T we haven’t particularly heard before. A heavier, darker and more anarchic approach is seemed to have taken place here. “Tinfoil Boy” is the track for me, that is the darkest on the album and in “Drone Strike” you can hear a Kasabian type influence, especially in the chorus, which works really well.

But again, its the other album tracks from “Trick” that make this an album that I really really like. “Jone of Arc” and “Drone Strike” in particular are stand out tracks for me, their unique approach and Jamie’s lyrics set these aside from other album singles on this album.

Overall, Jamie T’s fourth studio album expands and develops on from where “Carry On The Grudge” left off, offering a new, diverse approach to songwriting I haven’t quite heard much of this year. More festival performances next year please.

Overall Rating: 8/10

The Heavy – Hurt and the Merciless Album Review (2016)

The Heavy have been one of those bands where I don’t really know why they haven’t got, as such, a massive fan base. Hits such as “How you like me now”, “Short Change Hero” and “Same Ol”have been often used for tv adverts, movie trailers and “Short Change Hero” was even used for the title sequence for the TV War Drama “Strike Back”. They have obviously got something about them, but they have just never seemed to hold themselves in the public eye for a long period.

The 2016 release, “Hurt and the Merciless” is album that, again, hasn’t really been subject to much in the way of publicity and attention from mainstream media. Possibly for good reason.
I have been a fan of The Heavy ever since I first heard “How you like me now” a few years ago, their hard hitting bluesy rock style they adopted worked really well with the impressive range of lead singers’, Kelvin Swaby’s, vocals.

The new record keeps some of the older stylistic choices the Heavy previously adopted, but it certainly comes with more funky rhythms with it, keeping with the orchestral on many of the tracks, it really helps add a new layer of depth to the Heavy’s funk blues approach.

This is clearly evident on the track “Turn Up”, without the orchestral background, this particular record would fall flat on its feet, and you could say this about the whole album to be honest.

The simple and safe choices the Heavy go for in this record, with the writing and guitar riffs, are really nothing new for this British quartet; but at the same time, the new, and very few additions they have acquired help the record become more listenable.

“The apology” is a track that sounds like it could be played by a band performing on centre stage at a 1920s London club. Which isn’t a bad thing necessarily but it does epitomise the album in a sense, its good, but its not quite going to be blowing any minds.

Overall, I was previously surprised as to how The Heavy’s following is more of a cult one but this album isn’t really going to propel the quartet into arena shows, but is an adequate addition to a discography that for me, is still impressive; however this record doesn’t really add too much to it in terms of standout singles.

Rating: 6/10