TAPE LOOP - Reviews, Loopers speak their brains Options

[Sostie]

Here it is. Your own, brand new, Loop review thread

[Kick in the Head]

SO FRESH OFF THE PRESS, IT'S STILL GREEN - ADE

Although it's 17 tracks total, it didn't feel overly long, thanks to a good mix of track running times and some subtle mixing. But after a strong start, it tries to cover too many bases, few of which I was actually partial to. Nothing truly terrible, sure, but a lot I was indifferent too. Sorry, man, it just ain't fresh enough.

01: Glittery rock excess with as much wailing and screaming from its singer as the guitars themselves. About as predictable on an Ade loop offering as Japanese weirdness on one of my own compilations, but its an opener that certainly grabbed my attention.

02: A nice short instrumental interlude that sounds like its going to dip into rather ordinary indie fare but refuses to do so and is all the better for it. Uplifting.

03: An offering from a duo that is a firm forum favourite and from their strongest album since their compelling debut. Almost stuck a track from said album on my own compilation and though it wasn't this one, this is still a dreamy corner of pleasantville.

04: It's got a Kraftwerkian flavour though with a more optimistic sound a la YMO, but with poppier sensibilities. Doesn't really do as much for me as the aforementioned groups, but it's not too bad.

05: Certainly a piece of its time, but it's a bit too all over the place for my likings. There's too much going on all at once - a more minimalistic approach would clearly never have crossed this artist's mind, but I feel it would have resulted in a more effective and better tune.

06: Now that's a familiar funky bassline. Okay, so it's not the Hollywood blockbusterised rap-a-long version, but it's nice to go back to the original source, especially if it still stands the test of time as is the case here. Dayamn.

07: I'm sure this is the kind of music it's okay to like because some music journalist might have said so, but I really don't see the difference between this and James Blunt and Daniel Powter and them lot. Poor.

08: Hmmm...okay, I guess music does need to document the times in which it exists, but I find it all a little embarassing when the music is this and the time is now. Besides, I always prefer it if it talks about general themes, trends and observations, rather than clumsy namechecking of popular websites. Too silly to achieve what it wants to achieve.

09: Something more up my street - I'll always give it my attention if there's some kind of electronic wibbly-wobbliness at the start. The acoustic guitar sampling is interesting, the semi-vocoder vocals and lyrics less so. Much less so. A shame as I thought it was on to something. Still, some nice noises here and there.

10: What starts as a Bond theme remix navigates swiftly into a 70s action TV show opening title tune. I enjoyed it all, but I don't know quite what and why it is all meant to be. Perplexing, but undeniably entertaining.

11: The space theme and melody were promising but once the beat kicks in and there's that echoy metal-banging sound that appears in almost every dance track between 1993 and 1999, it's same old same old.

12: A good tune in theory, but one that doesn't have a lot to offer beyond the central riff as played in the TV commercial. Not quite Spaceman by Babylon Zoo then, but I felt a little short-changed. However, there's still a tip-top minute of tuneage within.

13: Jingle-jangle indie-windie so-so sorta stuff which is pretty much just a load of meaningless name-checking with backing vocals care of The Clangers. Again, not terrible, but hard to get excited about.

14: After some pretty hum-drum fare comes this stirring number, which despite my criticisms of Track 8, is proof that I'm a fickle pickle when it comes to sticking one's musical oar into the politics swamp. I guess it just feels a bit more universal. And also has a decent tune and lead singer. So there!

15: A rollickin' brassy funkathon instrumental that would play perfectly over a crash zoom montage of 70s New Yoik. Niiiiiiice.

16: See Track 7.

17: Not much of an improvement on the previous track at first, but once the vocals are out of the way, it's a passable closer.

Overall...

5/10

Tracklist would still be nice and all though...

And that's my lot for this loop! If I were to pick a favourite CD, it would be Rua, followed by Wife of Rolex and Baz in joint second. Get them reviews in, people.

[Wife Of Rolex]

If I were to pick a favourite CD, it would be Rua, followed by Wife of Rolex and Baz in joint second. Get them reviews in, people.

Ooh, well I'll take second place happily.