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Those self-styled miserable blighters Radiohead, after the double-whammy of
Kid A and Amnesiac reduced the band's fanbase with their brand of
introspective, unloveable avant-garde rock, return full of promise with Hail To The Thief.
Having done much to dispell their stereotypical image with a good-natured
appearance on the terminally frivolous Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, they then
spend several pages in the current issue of Q magazine reinforcing said
stereotypical image. Hmm. A case of bloody-mindedness, or cocking a snoop at the
poor imitation of its former self that Q has become by taking the piss?
Back to the music, pre-release hype suggested an album more akin to the
Radiohead sound of old, abandoning the indulgent artiness of their last two albums.
Not so. Hail To The Thief, perhaps inevitably, falls somewhere between
Amnesiac and 1997's OK Computer. Lead single There There overcomes initial
similarities with REM's Bang And Blame to fashion an evocatively menacing mien all its
own, aided by the year's outstanding promotional video in which a twitching,
sleepy-eyed Thom Yorke happens upon an otherworldy forest only to be lured into
putting on golden clothing that painfully turns him into a tree.
Yikes.
FIGHTING SPIRIT
One of the most successful albums of 2003 has been Stripped by former
bubblegum-popstrel-turned-provocative-artiste Christina Aguilera. Its first single,
Dirrty, showcased an aggressive sexuality with its pseudo-pornographic video,
and exemplified the fashionably risque attitudes to image and base lyrical
preoccupations of today's pop. Yet, its follow-up (and another UK chart-topper)
Beautiful was a remarkably traditional, genuinely emotive ballad that recalled
The Beatles' latter-period work in its powerfully minimalistic arrangement.
Credit where it's due, then. For her next trick, Aguilera moves into the defiant
rock-diva territory beloved of Anastacia with another cut from Stripped.
Fighter (out this week) is either unlistenable, cliched nonsense or the voice of an
uncompromising talent, depending on your point of view and personal taste.
BRINGING THE CHARTS TO LIFE
The single of the decade is current UK #1 Bring Me To Life by Evanescence.
According to Dotmusic's chart analyst James Masterton, that is. In recent
months, the preminent voice on all things chartwise has made some bizarre statements
in his exclusive Top 40 commentaries, but he has surely outdone himself this
time. What used to be a straightforward trawl through that week's movers and
shakers, as Masterton the fact-fiend cast his eye over chart developments, has
regrettably become a vehicle for increasingly personal and thinly-disguised
views, with an agenda both tainted with arrogance and almost perversely
determined to buy into the current hyperbolic mindset of the media and music industry
at large.
Now, this is no fault on Evanescence's part to be unfairly lauded with the
tag of magically resurrecting the credibility and quality of the UK chart
single-handedly. Bring Me To Life is a fine record, and with the exception of Linkin
Park's In The End, quite probably the finest example of its genre to yet
materialize. Yet quite how anyone, least of all someone such as James Masterton,
could seriously deem a perfectly effective but hardly original track to be such
a momentous event in the history of contemporary music raises more questions
over the continuing validity of the already over-commercialised and
editorially suspect Dotmusic than it does about the merits of Evanescence themselves. A
photogenic female vocalist with Tori Amos tendencies backed by what for all
money may as well be Linkin Park could never be viewed as the genuine future of
anything.
Could it?
FUTURE SOUNDS
The best music on the horizon:
ROYKSOPP - SPARKS:
The seminal Melody AM has yet another single lifted from
it, in this case not a re-issue. Following the twice-released Eple and Poor
Leno, and the completely reworked Remind Me, Sparks is surely the last tracked
to be lifted from the UK Top 10 album. As usual, the single - out on June 16th
- is available on two CDs and a 12" vinyl edition.
DAVID SYLVIAN - BLEMISH:
Having seen out his contract with Virgin after more
than 20 years with the label (last summer's esoteric compilation Camphor
serving to fulfill his obligations), Sylvian embarks on a new phase of his career.
Blemish, released on June 23rd through his own imprint, boasts a distinctly
un-Sylvian sleeve and showcases a new, less perfectionist approach to
recording.
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
