Alex Hardcastle

Alex Hardcastle: Professional Musician

Arcade Fire - Reflektor Review

Arcade Fire – Reflektor

‘It’s just a reflection of a reflection of a reflection of a reflection. But I see you on the other side…’

When Arcade Fire’s third Album ‘The Suburbs’ graced us with its presence I was a big fan of the direction Arcade Fire were taking, this commercially viable playlist of anthemic Rock/Pop tunes were a pathway to the spotlight and this gave Win Butler and his miss-matched crew a platform for which to make Reflektor the most anticipated album of theirs yet. But I had a feeling deep down that their OK Computer or Achtung Baby! moments were behind them, Neon Bible was a masterpiece, a benchmark to which all songwriters should look to if they wanted to push the boundaries of modern contemporary music and The Suburbs was a compelling album but didn’t give us as much of a journey for the listener as Neon Bible did.

And the early signs for Reflektor weren’t promising... The viral marketing campaign was facing legal issues, their debut performance on Saturday Night Live was sub-standard at best and the ‘special’ half an hour bonanza in which celebrities would turn up to say something witty while Arcade Fire are performing from the album was not what I had come to expect from a musically virtuosic group. But their first single and title track ‘Reflektor’ was released along with the video, an eight minute work of art that gave me that hive of anticipation that I wanted to grasp – It was finally here. The title track was filled with a plethora of influences, from LCD Soundsystem to Ziggy Stardust and wrapped neatly together to make you appreciate what they had given us. The vocal repetition suited the song and the crescendo/diminuendo style added a certain edge to it. It was the strongest hint to Arcade Fire’s progression into the musical unknown since ‘Une Annee sans Lumiere’ and ‘Keep the Car Running’.

James Murphy’s reputation had grown to a near unreachable height when he was given task to makes sense of Arcade Fire’s latest project. A perfect pairing between band and producer. James’ background and LCD’s exploits would make a mouth-watering choice for band who wanted to enter the world of Dance and Electronic Pop but still make sure they were not deserting their roots.

The end product was, to put it modestly, their Magnum Opus. I was wrong to assume it was going to be a near impossible job to reach the heights of ‘Neon Bible’ but they have managed not only to surpass the benchmark set, but veer off into the stratosphere with this masterstroke of an album. This 85 minute eclectic mix of Genre-shifting, forward thinking music is the most complex and ambitious piece of work since Talking Heads’ ‘Remain in Light’ and has the complete bombastic notion of having every musical influence under the sun stuffed inside it; ‘Supersymmetry’ has notes of Pink Floyd and Mgmt, ‘We Exist’ has Michael Jackson and Prince placed within its fabric, ‘Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)’has hints of The Beatles and Talk Talk and if you have a keen ear the album also consist of The Sex Pistols and Eric Clapton. This confusing, complex web of ideas and algorithms are deeply frustrating because it makes it extremely difficult to find a pattern, a message or... perhaps... symmetry, but it makes you take a step back and listen in awe as they challenge you to try and piece together this myriad of social and philosophical notions and  plethora of disjointed structures.

Only time will tell how important this album will be compared to albums such as Nirvana’s Nevermind or Dylan’s ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ but with Reflektor, Arcade Fire have written  themselves into the history books with a permanent marker and tied themselves to the touchstone of post 2000 classics and aren’t going let go.

Placebo - Loud Like Love Review

Placebo – Loud Like Love

Time is a cruel mistress. Placebo’s teenage angst-driven sadomasochism and androgyny served them well in the back end of the nineties and beginning of the naughties, it brought about one of the most loyal fan bases in the Alternative genre who will no doubt stand by them until the bitter end, but recently time has caught up on them like a cultural reaper and now landed them in a situation where new fans are going to be harder and harder to entice. One of the reasons why fans have always stuck to a band now turning twenty is the never changing aesthetics, musically and philosophically. They stick to what they know; they are scholars of cultural commentary and perfectly reflect that within their music, yet this comes as their downfall because they also ostracize new modern-thinking young adult minds, whose own social and cultural views no longer match as they once did.

Their latest album Loud Like Love continues that same model Placebo set in place years ago, if you are a Placebo fan then this album is great; it contains the soaring, screeching vocals of Brian Molko, distorted minor guitar chords that only a demon could create and the turbulent percussion to perfectly reflect that ‘angst’ that you've come to know and love. ‘Purify’ has that driven pace that could easily compete with the classics such as ‘Pure Morning’ and ‘Meds’. I could imagine this song live would fill each crowd member with endless adrenaline. ‘Begin the End’ is a perfect example of Placebo effectively creating an atmosphere that gives you butterflies and shakes you until you feel something explainable yet mesmerising, the haunting synth sets the scene then the effect-drenched guitar tears into the track like someone desperate for attention. This is perfect for a Placebo fan, the same feeling you would get when you share an in-joke with your best friend, but for a neutral this is more or less the nail on the coffin. Too many songs within this album feel outdated, tiresome and repetitive, songs such as ‘A Million Little Pieces’ and ‘Bosco’ suffer at the hands of the better tracks on the album and suffer hard, there is a such a big difference in quality, in terms of songwriting, execution and sustaining interest, it’s a worrying sign from the band that gave us ‘Special Needs’ and ‘Battle for the Sun’. This album gives a slightly unsubtle hint that Placebo’s best days are behind them and they’re not willing to adapt to stay afloat, without them realising it they've managed to create a project that only holds the average music goer at arm’s length.

There is, however, a saving a grace to this rather bleak observation and that lies with the track entitled ‘Too Many Friends’. This song gives a fresh philosophical outlook on modern technology; if you haven’t guessed Placebo are a tad anxious at the rate technology is advancing, especially within a social context. This song immediately draws you in with its first line: ‘My Computer thinks I’m gay...’ At first I thought this was self-parody to which exploits there realisation of their place in the musical spectrum but I soon realise that this is the start of the greatest lyrical reflection  of modern society that this band have written. The lyrics and their fit within the music are the centre of attention during this song, the vocal melody perfectly fits the message Molko is trying express and drags you deeper and deeper into their musical psyche. Yet the Guitar is the thing that stands out on this track; when the muted riff comes crashing into the second verse it’s like Velvet Revolver or Smashing Pumpkins have turned up to add to this contemporary ballad.

However ‘Too Many Friends’ doesn't do enough to distract us from this sinking feeling that Placebo have lost their place at the top of the Alternative Rock pyramid, they seem like a band who are starting to wind down, either that or time has finally caught up on them and is now passing them by.

Additional Notes:

·         Loud Like Love was produced by Adam Noble, who also produced Meds.

·         Too Many Friends needs another mention, it arguably props the rest of the album up.

·         If you like this album, then give Radiohead’s OK Computer a listen.

Arctic Monkeys - AM Review

Arctic Monkeys – AM

When Arctic Monkeys’ fifth album ‘AM’ was nominated for a Mercury Prize they were interviewed to state their case for this album, why they thought it was nominated and why it should win, Alex Turner simply explained: ‘This is the album we always wanted to make.’

‘AM’ is their fifth album in eight years, their former bassist left because of their tiring schedule and the work load they put on themselves. Some would forgive them if they took a few years out to take a break and gather a fresh perspective but if they keep creating albums like ‘AM’ in quick successions then I hope they never tire of their constant conveyor belt of timeless classics. Their latest release has provided a defining moment in the band’s history; it has produced a mature, polished piece of work that has now propelled them into a new respect from critics and fellow musicians. It has given them a bar that they raised above all the other British indie bands of the 21^st century and this new found status has really got America talking about them for the first time.

Produced by James Ford, a man they already know much about seeing as though he worked on previous projects with them, and contributions from various famous faces (not at least Queen’s of the Stone Age’ front man Josh Homme) this record feels like they finally have reached the end of a path they have taken since their debut album, they've arrived at their destination along with their big-fat Guitar riffs, screeching vocals and fast-paced rhythms. It’s a record that just oozes the cool that Alex Turner has always tried to get through with earlier albums, if this album was to walk then it would be strutting all the way to the nearest back alley bar.

 ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ contains one of the most catchy guitar riffs of the modern rock era – Black Keys should be keeping an eye out, the drums are simple enough but just adds to the riff, when you have a melody of that magnitude all other instruments should take a backseat. It then opens up into a myriad of vocal lines and melodies, weaving in between each other to fill the sonic wall to breaking point; it’s an explosive ending to one of the tracks of the year. The song is evidence of Arctic Monkeys’ level of maturity and the way they want to be perceived – a band that makes music that you cannot deny to love. A particular track gives the best example of their progression , not only as musicians, but as artists is ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, this track isn't just playing music but it’s painting a picture of their individualism and artistic impression, the song contains the guitar work of musician’s past, influences of Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton. The vocal line when it hits its title contains traces of Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin, you have to sit back and admire how they pull it off. The bass gives the impression of talking steps, with its 1-2 rhythmic feel that drives the song along to the end when (of course as all artists would do) there is a minute gap of silence until the aptly named track ‘2013’ sets the band off in its final direction.

When Alex Turner made that comment at the Mercury Prize, I was interested to hear the album and make up my own mind about whether that was just to build up the album a little or was the honest truth – I guess I have my answer.

Added Notes:

·         Tracks you have to hear – Do I Wanna Know?, R U Mine?, I Wanna Be Yours and Snap Out Of It.

·         The other famous faces were Elvis Costello’s Drummer Pete Thomas and Coral man Bill Ryder-Jones.

·         If you love this album for its big-ass bluesy guitar riffs then listen to The Black Key – Brothers.  

Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull Review

Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull

After an extended hiatus the guys in denim are back with their sixth album and, much like someone who’s just been dumped, their looking to get back onto the scene. A lot has happened since their last album ‘Come Around Sundown’: two of the Followills have gotten married... to supermodels, babies are coming into this world left, right and centre and a certain ‘Leon’ had a much publicised meltdown in 2011. It seemed as though this album was the last thing on their mind and I’m sorry to say that comes through as clear as daylight.

The problem with Kings of Leon is that they are a ‘marmite band’, and by that I mean you either love them or hate them, an argument can be made that it’s more Caleb Followill’s voice rather than the band as a collective that really divides the public opinion. Caleb’s voice is a unique, gravel-like voice that calls back to the days of Bob Dylan or Neil Young yet it tends to have a wailing characteristic that would grate on some people. But the band have always catered to Caleb’s singing and have always managed to suit the music with the voice and is best exemplified with their fourth album ‘Only By The Night’; tracks like ‘Use Somebody’ and ‘Sex on Fire’ were partly so successful because the music and vocals intertwine so perfectly to send those songs into stratospheric heights. However the band has changed, they’re trying to recapture their early days but still keep within the same aesthetics that shot them straight into the mainstream, they started heading in this particular direction during ‘Come Around Sundown’ when tracks like ‘Radioactive’ and ‘Pyro’ had hints of ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ interlaced within their very foundations and worked a treat because the music was still the centre of their lives, it was all they had yet now it seems that they haven’t given the same meticulous attention needed to make Kings of Leon break out of that ‘marmite’ label.

Mechanical Bull’s opener ‘Supersoaker’ starts off well, with a twanged and slightly distorted guitar riff given us a sense that their earlier work is in there somewhere and for the verses Caleb’s voice fits like a shoe but gradually as the song progresses it loses steam, it sounds like they were unsure where to take it and just decided to repeat some parts for the sake of making up time rather than for artistic reasons. The same could also be said for ‘Comeback Story’, the track starts off with a bright and sunny guitar and the harmonies at the end of each line manages to put a smile on my face but towards the end of the song it lacks that final part that would make this a great comeback song. And the same yet again could be said for the overall feel of the album; the first five songs are great at capturing your interest and contain traces of Kings of Leon’s brilliance but the second half of the album, and especially towards the end, are loaded with too many album fillers to even warrant a second listen.

 There are, however, moments of pure unadulterated enjoyment within Mechanical Bull and one of the better tracks comes in the form of ‘Don’t Matter’, it’s been heavily inspired by Queens of the Stone age and Foo Fighters but with that bluesy, Nashville vibe that Kings of Leon are so good at giving off and this is a perfect instance of where Caleb’s voice works a charm. ‘Family Tree’ is a fantastic piece of work, with its funky, James Brown style Bass line and rung out distorted Guitar, it’s been the most fun I’ve had listening to Kings of Leon for a good long while and has that swagger that would make Mick Jagger shake in his boots. 

Nevertheless those few gems can’t make up for the lack of real interest from the band’s behalf, the title of the album is fitting in some ways since it feels like they were on auto-pilot when making this album, they don’t look like a band that wants to get back onto the scene but more like a band who’s looking for a quick one-night stand.

·         Additional Notes:

        Mechanical Bull sold three times as many records in United Kingdom as they did in their home country of the US.

·         I wholly recommend listening to ‘Family Tree’, arguably their best song off the album.

·         If you liked Mechanical Bull then you might like Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf.