Rated Redemption.

My hand was made strong,

By the hand of the almighty,

We forward in this generation, 

Triumphantly,

Won't you help me sing,

These songs of freedom,

Are all I ever have,

Redemption Songs.

'Redemption Song' - Bob Marley

Rated Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?

God?

This is a very delayed review of Paloma Faith's debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? The reason being, well I don't have one, but here it is now. With a soulful, classic vocal and authentic production, Paloma's debut is one of the triumphs of the last year. Amidst a sea of synthesised electro-pop sheep, she stands out like an uber-talented ginger thumb! 

From the epic opener 'Stone Cold Sober', Paloma is explicitly branding her style into our mind. Full of trumpets and not a synth in earshot, this album commences on a top note and is a gale force breath of fresh air. Her voice, not conventionally 'huge', but full of energy and passion, brings the intelligent lyricism of her debut single to life. The pace is kept high with 'Smoke and Mirrors', which is just as epic as her debut. "Now we're through, the show is over, the audience is walking out the room", she belts out as she compliments the end of a failing relationship. Things slow down a bit with 'Broken Doll'. A charming ballad about post-breakup repair, the song doesn't quite keep up to the standard of its predecessors. The title track is a beautiful, lyrical masterpiece, "The Prophet took my hand on all souls day, he preached the value of deception, changing shadows by a shapeshifter's rules, tales are never just for fools...". With a memorable melody and stunning vocals, this song should be an enormous success if sales reflect talent. 'Upside Down' continues the 50s dance-hall vibe of the album with its bouncing beat and Paloma's soulful crooning. 'Romance is Dead' is yet more fantastically original, intelligent lyricism, "a rose is blue and violet's red, say it isn't true don't tell me romance is dead". The biggest moment on this album is the megaton ballad 'New York'. Containing a wonderfully catchy chorus and gorgeous melodies, this song is the highlight of the entire collection. The final three songs of the album, 'Stargazer', 'My Legs Are Weak' and 'Play On' bolster the 50s sound further, establishing Paloma's soulful, vintage identity.

This is a brilliant debut from a British female artist, something we've been needing for some time. Some intensely stunning lyrics and vocal performances, DYWTTOSB? is a stellar first outing for this rather odd woman. She may seem like a bit of a weirdo in interviews, but once you absorb this album you'll merge the two experiences and come out with something almost perfect. Paloma Faith is the nicotine patch to the synth obessed music scene that's swallowing the charts whole at the moment. I just hope that she really takes off, because one more album like this could never be a bad thing.


4/5

Rated SG - One to Watch.

Cheer up love.

I've been enjoying this new artist for a couple of months now (Rated Sunday Girl) and for good reason. Sunday Girl a.k.a Jade Broxbourne, is a twenty-something singer/songwriter from England (I don't know the specifics) and is set to have pretty shiny year ahead of her. On tour right now and supporting Ellie Goulding on her UK dates, Sunday Girl is yet another female music force to add to the, now, burgeoning roster Britain holds.

Not only smokin' hot, Sunday Girl has some pretty pleasant tunes under her belt. I haven't heard her upcoming album Stop Hey! yet, but I am eagerly awaiting its release on itunes. The three songs I have heard, 'Four Floors', 'Stop Hey!' and a haunting cover of Laura Brannigan's 'Self Control', are great example of what's to come from this siren's debut. 'Four Floors' was the first song I'd heard from SG and I loved it immediately. It's got an intoxicating chorus and her vocals are inviting and soft. In the same style as Goulding and other females of this musical movement, SG's got a voice that's identifiable, memorable and quite unique.

I am already hooked on just one song and I know that she's got plenty more to offer, it's just a matter of time.

Rated Flashback - Fighter.

I remember when 'Dirrty' was unleashed on the world and all the conservative parents were flabbergasted by the gyrating hips and bear crotch of the now very sweaty Christina Aguilera. In a Madonna style transformation, something mirrored by a 'growing' Britney Spears, Christina morphed from (almost) innocent teen into a man eating, neo-feminist, mud slinging, danger to the youths of the planet. Xtina had arrived and we liked it. 

Once Stripped had commenced its onslaught on the charts, the brilliant single material began to fall into our audio channels. 'Dirrty', 'Beautiful' and 'The Voice Within' were all examples of this filthy icon's status as a fantastic artiste, but for me it was 'Fighter' that cemented her talent in our collective consciousness. With a magnificently original video, the song is her best to date. Packed with attitude, the song highlights Xtina's unique vocals and her skills as a song writer. The melodiously stunning bridge is a perfect build up to the epic final chorus. 'Fighter's' the kind of song that kicks you in the stomach and knees you in the face, but leaves you begging for more.

Glorious rock infused popestry.

Rated Robyn: Body Talk Part 2.

Body Talk Part 1 was good, but it didn't have the bite I was hoping for. Body Talk Part 2 however, swallows you whole and it's a joyous ride down into a musical cyclone. This is what we've been waiting for, Robyn whipping out an album full of 'Dancing On My Own' (s). 

Track one, 'In My Eyes', is a luminescent number, escalating to a gorgeous chorus with perfectly executed harmonies and amazing production. It's more melodious than anything on Part 1 (bar the obvious) and sets the bar high for the remainder of this second mini collection. 'Include Me Out' revisits the attitude of 'Don't Fucking Tell Me What to do', this time merging big beats with the sweetness of 'In My Eyes' to create a pretty damn good pop song. 'Hang With Me' kicks in and we have this album's very own DOMO, which in places is almost better. It's got a shining chorus with some great vocals and a cute ensemble of melodies. 'Love Kills' forces the album onto a U-turn, as Robyn moves from being all loved up to singing about how shit love can be. It's a strong club song, but doesn't really go anywhere. I keep waiting for a climax and nothing happens. 'We Dance to the Beat' is so original, pretentious, arrogant and oozes so much cool that it's impossible not to praise Robyn's bravery for putting something so odd onto one of her albums. Next up we hit one of my favourite songs from the Body Talk series, 'Criminal Intent'. It's bloody superb. Set up like a court hearing, Robyn's justifying her antics on the dance floor to a suspiciously young, rapper-like judge. "Somebody alert the authorities, I got criminal intent, conspiracy to engage in lewd and indecent acts and events...", she semi raps over a club ready beat. Thankfully this album doesn't lose strength at the end, with Snoop Dogg jumping on board for the dance floor sound of 'U Should Know', followed by a stunning acoustic ballad called 'Indestructible'. 

Body Talk Part 2 is a colossal success, especially compared to its predecessor. It's bursting with high quality artistry and cements Robyn's status as the coolest, most talented Swede out there. 


4.5/5

Rated Robyn: Body Talk Part 1.

How many parts are there going to be exactly?

The Swedish goddess of electro-dance pop is back and she's proving on her latest album that she's here to stay. So this is a bit outdated, as we're now almost on Body Talk part 3, but I felt that it was appropriate to draw your attention to the wonderful talent that is Robyn.

Her first mainstream success Robyn, was brimming with charm. Hit single 'With Every Heartbeat' is intensely infectious, as are follow up singles 'Who's That Girl?' and 'Be Mine'. However, Robyn is doing things a bit darker this time round. From the almost rap opener 'Don't fucking tell me what to do', it's made clear that her latest offering is doing things a little differently. Everything still sounds 'Robyn', but it has an intoxicating twist to it that I can't quite put my finger on. 'Fembot' is ridiculously funky feminist pop (pump it up loud to gain full benefit). Next up is the glorious 'Dancing On My Own', which is now one of my favourite songs of all time. It's instantly memorable and has a fantastic hook and some lovely 'Ooohh Ooohh'-ing. "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her... I'm right over here, why can't you see me...?" sings Robyn on this ode to unrequited, one sided love. Nothing else on the album quite matches the epic quality of this track, but all its brothers and sisters are good in their own special way. 'Cry When You Get Older' continues the electro-dance vibe, only for it to be interrupted by the reggae dance hall brilliance of 'Dance Hall Queen'. Furthering this change in sound, 'None of Dem (featuring Royksopp)' is a grower, but lacks the impact of the artists past collaboration on 'Girl and the Robot' which unfortunately slipped by the mainstream radar. Closing the mini album off is a beautiful acoustic version of future single, 'Hang With Me' and the rather random Swedish lullaby sound of 'Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa', which seems a bit pointless and ostentatiously Bjork.

Overall, this is a brilliant little collection of songs. It's got no fillers, although there are a few shaky, random moments. It houses one of the best songs of 2010, if not the best and some classic Robyn material for future fans. The very good news is that Part 2 gets better, a lot better.

3/5

Rated Xfactor disgrace.

Love you bbz.

Ok, so people aren't happy with the decisions a certain Mrs. Cole made on tonight's Xfactor. I personally think there are better singers in the competition who didn't get picked and that this is an error, for now. I could be proven wrong though, and the girls who are causing (already) so much outrage (Katie and Cher) could turn out to be amazing on the live shows and not the standard, boresville contestants that end up being chewed up by the bigger competitors. Katie has a pleasant voice. She's annoying, yes, but she sounds pretty decent. With some work she could be a strong contender. I'm going to be really controversial and say that I actually kind of like her and think with a kick up the ass she'd drop the  try-hardness and blossom. As for Cher, she shouldn't be through on the basis of her not actually managing to sing her final audition. Simple as that. Sore throat or not, she shouldn't be through on that alone.

The problem I have right now, the thing that's really pissing me off is that people are ripping a 16 year old girl's character to pieces on Facebook and Twitter. She's 16, SIXTEEN. I think it shows just how disgusting the British public can be, when a young girl sets out to follow her dreams (which we're all encouraged to do) and gets mauled because of someone else's decision. Cheryl should have picked someone else, someone who managed to finish their performance, but she didn't. So let's wait till we see the live show next week before we even consider 'hating' on some insecure little girl. As for Gamu, she can sing but she cried so much I was actually numb when I thought of her. So please, just get over it and wait.

I think the groups are the ones to watch this year. It'd be nice to have a group win for a change, although I do love Aiden and Rebecca. We'll see what happens next week. In the mean time I'm going to exhale the disgust I feel for my fellow facebookers by singing 'Russian Roulette' really loudly. 

Rated LOUD cover.

STUPIDLY EXCITED.