Separating the sweet, juicy flesh from the stone and skin of upcoming major label releases.
We think that we’ve picked out a nicely diverse collection of albums this week. We’re not overly fond of all of them, but, hey: we call things as we hear them and then allow you to decide (except for the new one from Communist hippies Arcade Fire, because you simply must like that. Oh yes: YOU MUST).
That aside, we have songs from Radio 2 emoto-princess Katie Melua, and some wonderfully jaunty Irish nonsense from Gaelic Storm.
Welcome please, come and see, enjoy our wares.
Firstly, The House, Katie Melua. Harmless charmless acoustic nonsense from Terry Wogan‘s favourite curly-haired cutey.
Katie Melua tears us apart. On the one hand, she quite obviously has a lovely, jazzy voice which is well-trained and capable of tackling (and mastering) a massive range of styles.
On the other hand, she was brought to fame by the bewigged Irishman as a one-trick wonder, singing gently a soppy ballad in which every sappy lady in the country could find some emotional resonance.
Oh, Katie Melua, you could have done so much good with that voice. Instead, you chose to continue with the “Music For Fluffy Kittens” thing, instead of going with a “Songs Which Can Stimulate Real Human Emotions” vibe.
Look, it’s a Katie Melua album. So obviously a quite NICE album, filled with NICE songs sung in a NICE voice and NICEly arranged. But if that is your thing, then you almost certainly are a NICE person with a NICE house and NICE beige furnishings. In which case, you aren’t even reading this hecklerspray review, so we can happily tell you to piss off back to NICEthings.com.
Here’s the thought for The House by Katie Melua:
I wonder what would be the ultimate music for relaxing my hypnotherapy clients into sleep. Something completely bland and inoffensive, which allows one to listen while making absolutely no emotional investment…
Well escuse me, Mister Reviewer. I am a rather NICE person, who has a NICE life which I live in the NICE county of Poshcestershire (town of NICE-upon-Beige). I would be most grateful if you would take me to The House by Katie Melua. With NICEst wishes, Col. William NICEington-NICE (Ret’d).
Secondly, The Suburbs, Arcade Fire. Third album from the Canadian hippy rockers, and it’s a beauty.
The band’s musical influences are clear, but developed here into something unique rather than just used as easy stylistic references to avoid the listener having to think.
From the piano-led ragtime of opener The Suburbs (John Lennon meets The Cure), through Empty Room and We Used To Wait (Heroes-era Bowie re-imagined by ABBA), to Suburban War and Deep Blue (unmistakably The Byrds), Arcade Fire have successfully incorporated other bands’ sounds into something very much their own.
Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs is a cracking album, and one you should rush out and buy right now. It has a thought and here it is:
Hmm. This is a seriously great album. Who knew The Byrds could be improved upon?
Alright, you’ve got me. This album is good, yadda yadda yadda. Take me to The Suburbs and let me decide for myself.
Thirdly, Cabbage, Gaelic Storm. Your Mango loves the occasional bit of Irish tomfoolery. There’s just something very liberating about throwing your booze-sodden body around a dancefloor to the sound of fiddles, bodhrans and mandolins.
And Gaelic Storm’s latest album is a great example of the genre. From the opening stomper Raised On Black And Tans, you know that you’re in for an album of serious daftness.
Just Ran Out Of Whiskey is a strangely jaunty lament about…well, take a guess. Cecilia is a good, gently Gaelicified version of the Simon And Garfunkel song, and The Buzzards Of Bourbon Street is a wonderful bringing together of crashing drums and jubilant bagpipes.
Our favourite track, though, has to the closer, Chucky Timm, in which we’re exhorted to “Brush off your smoking jacket. Take off your thinking cap. Put on a pair of big boy’s pants and button up your flap. Here comes Chucky Timm, so get your drinking boots on.”
Sounds like a chap we would love to get to know, that Chucky Timm. Here’s the thought for Gaelic Storm’s Cabbage:
This may be my favouritest dancing album of all the year long. Must thank the Mango for bringing it to my attention.
Oh, to be sure, ’tis a grand old album so ’tis. Now take me to Cabbage by them there Gaelic Storm boys afore I knock your bonce off wit me old Shillelagh. To be sure.
Farewell for another week, faithful Mangons. In the meantime, do send us your latest musical masterpieces. Get in touch at: thegibbo[at]gmail.com.
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