Bruno Mars

Band: Bruno Mars

Album: Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Release Date: 4th October 2010

Band Members: Bruno Mars (Also featuring: B.o.B, Damien Marley, Cee Lo Green)  

For the first of our currently charting album reviews, we have a work by everyone’s favourite trilby hat wearing, whiny-voiced, wide-eyed song-smith Bruno Mars.

Will the result of his strumming have the guys toe-tapping or will they just want to stamp the CD into tiny pieces on the floor?

                                                                                                             Enjoy x

Rob 

There's a fine line between subtle thematic variation and inconsistency. This album frequently falls on the wrong side of that line. 

Bruno, or as he's otherwise known Peter Hernandez - whose identity change pretty much sums up the commerciality of the album - tries his hand at a sea of styles. Michael Jackson-esque pop, acoustic reggae and old school R&B are all there on Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The big problem is that he's just not explored any of these genres in enough depth.

As the co-writer of Cee Lo Green's Fuck You!, he's clearly got the magic touch when it comes to catchy melodies. He could have done so much better than this.

The singles are predictable and the lyrics are simply bizarre at points. What's up with the penis-carrot metaphor in Runaway Baby?! And then Our First Time? I think we've all heard enough songs about convincing girls to have sex. "The candles are burnin', our bodies are yearnin'". He couldn't be less ground-breaking if he tried.

I had hoped that Bruno Mars' talent would show us a new side to mainstream music but this album suggests otherwise. Doo-Wop music is meant to be simple, so the album title does warn you.

Favourite track: The Other Side

If this album were a fish, what would it be: Tinned tuna.

Steve 

Pop music - or no thrills music, as this genre should be named - lacks the gritty commercial edge of an artist like Lady Gaga or the catchy kicks of Katy Perry.

I would define this album as a safe piece of work. There are few songs that really stand out and Doo-Wops & Hooligans reveals that Bruno Mars has all the edge of a jam doughnut, with the center replaced with disappointment and lost potential.

The album begins with the singles Grenade and Just The Way You Are, which have been widely acclaimed. However, save for a few moments in the latter, these tracks sound rather bland, as if they had been written for the over sixties.

My major gripe with this album is with Bruno's vocals. They sound generic, while some have compared his style with Michael Jackson, a better comparison would be with the X-Factor. His voice becomes so monotonous that by the end of the album you really begin to suffer. Perhaps the powers-that-be sensed this as well, as the songs featuring Cee Lo Green and Damian Marley provide welcome distractions. The Other Side - which the former appears on - is easily my favourite track; it's a song I'll probably keep listening to for quite some time.

All of this safe sounding, incredibly average music came from the co-writer of Fuck You!, which beggar's belief. This album needs a similar song, something funny, something edgy or overly catchy; just give us something with more passion than what we’re presented with.

Favourite track? The Other Side.

If this album were a fish what fish would it be? This album would be a perch. Something that passes as a catch, but you’re not going to take home and show off on your mantelpiece.

Nick 

There are some albums that are difficult to listen to all the way through. This is usually because they are dark and harrowing; scathing about the human condition and pull you by the hair into a long dark night of a soul.

This album is difficult to listen to all the way through, for the complete opposite reason; it’s too saccharine, a little sickly sweet, a bit too slick. It’s a bit like spending a whole day eating nothing but Haribo, by the end of it you’re longing for bit of fibre, some brown rice or lentils.

Don’t get me wrong, individually almost all the songs are great pieces of pop. I wouldn’t have expected any less, this being the man who co-wrote the glorious Fuck You! with Cee Lo Green.

The middle of the album especially has a fantastic run of songs with the power pop of Runaway Baby segueing into the funk-lite of The Lazy Song, the lyrics perfectly encapsulating the glory of staying in bed and having a wank, followed by the yearning ardour of Marry You. The collaboration with previous colleagues Cee Lo Green and B.o.B, The Other Side, is another high point, which propels you onto the dance floor with an insistent beat and ultra-catchy chorus replete with soaring harmonies.

However, there’s only so long that I can listen to super slick production and keening, slightly whiny vocals that reeeaaallly mean it (I’m sure you get what I mean) before I get a bit of a headache and the urge to listen to something that either has a harder edge or doesn’t give its secrets up so easily.

Hearing any of these songs on the radio, I will smile and happily nod my head for three minutes, but I’m in no hurry to hear the whole album again for a while, there’s only so much candyfloss you can eat before feeling sick.

Favourite track: Runaway Baby

If this album were a fish what fish would it be? A gummy fish 

Jamie

I’m not really a fan of modern pop/R&B music, but Bruno Mars brings something fairly fresh to the table with Doo-Wops & Hooligans. While the vocals on the first track Grenade are very reminiscent of Michael Jackson, the catchy piano hook, lyrics and powerful, almost industrial beat over the top, make it fun and interesting to listen to.

I also like how the tracks build up. The Way You Are is the typical piano driven love song you would expect on this album, but the funky drum beat helps make it stand out and combine this typical love song with floor filler potential.

A lot of the songs follow the romantic theme, and allow Mars to make use of his smooth vocals and piano playing. However, we do get other influences such as punk in the lively and fun Runaway Baby, Reggae and Hip Hop in Liquor Store Blues - which shows a slightly darker side of Bruno, drinking away the pain. The team-up with Damien Marley also makes this track stand out.

The Reggae tinted Lazy Song is an upbeat, chilled out track but is also aimed more at the lads, as he talks about doing nothing all day, putting his hands down his pants and having sex, not exactly something the ladies will lap up.

Talking To The Moon also shows a sadder reflective side of the singer, sounding like he is grieving and missing someone dear.

The collaboration with Cee Lo Green and rapper B.O.B additionally works well on the powerful and funky Other Side.

It’s the variety of content that make this album more interesting than other R&B acts. Mars provides music to swoon the ladies - a typical theme of the genre - but also experiments with different styles of music, so that not all of the songs focus on the girls, but so that the majority of the album would easily get plenty of radio play.

Favourite track: Liquor Store Blues 

If this album were a fish, what would it be: A clown fish – colourful and fun.


Liam

Seeing as Bruno Mars was responsible for the majority of last year’s summer time #1 singles (as others will no doubt tell you) I had high expectations for this album.

This album has its lows and highs as it progresses. Different styles are used in an attempt to keep things fresh. Unfortunately, the absolutely dire R&B songs upset my ears terribly. I blame the lyrical content for this, which is self-indulgent at the best of times, considering that when Bruno is not proclaiming his own awesomeness he's begging for forgiveness.

Lyrical content aside, this album is saved by the opening singles and the songs outside the generic pop formula. Lazy Day springs to mind in this context.

The best songs however, are those with featured artists, namely Liquor Store Blues and The Other Side.

This does mean that Bruno's vocal style - a nod to past masters - is more suited to push a good song along (like those featuring Travie McCoy and B.o.B) rather than complete a full album. It’s not that it’s bad; it’s just not that great though.

As a side note, I can't see which song is worthy of the next single but no doubt it'll be another #1.

Favourite track: The Other Side

If this album were a fish, what would it be: A basking shark – as it’s obviously there, but it lacks bite.

Massive Attack

Band: Massive Attack

Album: Heligoland

Release Date: February 8th 2010

Band Members: Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall

Special guest substitution this week. Taking the place for the presumably injured Rob is David Rangel joining us from The Oxiigen Club

This week Electric Trip Hop from Massive Attack as chosen by Steve. The last of our individual 'best of 2010' picks. From next week its new releases all the way baby!

Enjoy x

Steve

I'm never usually impressed by compilation albums, they always seem like an attempt to resuscitate a fading franchise, however, this sweeping statement is definitely not applicable here. Heligoland is a thoroughly good album which keeps Massive Attack as a continued subtle success story on the British music scene.

For an album that I consider to be one of the better attempts by old musicians in 2010 to prove their worthiness, it starts unremarkably. Pray for Rain is an odd introduction, a very sombre, almost painfully slow track that would have resonated better if placed somewhere in the middle or even the end. Luckily the integrity of the album is saved by Babel, Splitting the Atom and Girl I Love You. These songs are good, bass heavy and easily make up for a slow start.

The best tracks come towards the end in the form of Paradise Circus and Atlas Air. Paradise Circus in particular is the strongest song on the album. Hope Sandoval is just as good here as Sarah McLachlan was in Delirium’s Silence and the lyrical content is impeccable and haunting. Atlas Air has an excellent air of menace but the breakdown is it's best asset, finishing the album on a high.

Massive Attack has produced another solid album, enhanced most of the reputation's involved in its songs and has offered some good remixes in Heligoland's deluxe version. This album is unashamedly bass heavy, melodic in places and has a sleek feel. I can imagine this album atop a golden throne, lording it up over the other more mediocre offerings 2010 had to give and drinking ambrosia with its sunglasses on.

Favourite Song: Paradise Circus

If you could take this album out on a date, where would you take it? As a compilation album, I'm sure it would take me somewhere interesting with its multiple personality disorder, but, I would probably force it to put its finest smock on and take it to a fancy restaurant.

David

After being asked to do a guest review here on 5-a-Side, I was pleased to hear that it would be for the latest Massive Attack effort. Like a lot of people I’m sure, Mezzanine is still being played regularly on my stereo and with their album 100th Window five years apart from that, Heligoland really did give us a wait – seven years in fact!

The one thing that the producers do well, always, is create music that can relate to a wide audience. The album opener, Pray For Rain, presents bass guitar and drum ostinatos reminiscent of The Beatles’ Come Together. The track Babel has wonderful glitch, breaks and drum and bass influences with its upbeat tempo and careful synthesiser automation. Girl I Love You features the darker timbres we are used to with Massive Attack; soft synths, low rumbling bass and gently weeping vocals, sung fittingly by reggae singer-songwriter Horace Andy.

Half way through the album, you’ll be hypnotised, and the rest of the album becomes a psychedelic collage of sounds. Flat Of The Blade features more glitch effects and disjointed rhythms and snappy snare drum effects. The last three songs have a groovier feel to them, which seems to be quite the trend for electronic acts a lot as of late, for example, Broken Bells. Another perk is that Damon Albarn appears on the track Saturday Come Slow. The man never disappoints.

The album appears effortless, by which I mean the duo make this all seem so easy. Creating such atmospheric, cool and groovy music seems to come so naturally to the Massive Attack and this album is certainly worth a listen, providing it’s during your wind-down period in the evening.

Favourite Songs: Girl I Love You, Atlas Air

If you could take this album out on a date, where would you take it? A dimly lit, tapas restaurant...a table in the corner where we wouldn’t be disturbed ;)

Jamie

Well I don’t know a lot about Massive Attack but I have listened to their greatest hits and really like “Unfinished Sympathy” with its combination of hip hop style beats, violins and cellos and the incredible soulful vocal.

Heligoland begins with a fairly relaxed track “Pray for Rain”, the music is soft but fairly experimental and relies on soft electronic sounds as well as the poetic verses of Tunde Adebimpe. Track 2 “Babel” is probably my favourite track on the album, it begins with fast paced electronic drumming and a driving bass line, reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails, then is mixed with mellow keys and vocals, providing the listener with something relaxing and exciting at the same time.

Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t follow this trend, but it is still a good album and each track is different. We have different tempos and drum beats that are completely electronic as well as regular drumming. The wide range of different sounds used also make the album interesting, especially the disjointed organ on splitting the atom. The album cover of the sad clown with the colourful back drop fits the album perfectly as it feels like this album is about disillusioned clowns, sticking with the circus but at the same time planning their escape.

If you like electronica/trip hop, whatever the genre that Massive Attack fit into then check this album out, but I definitely recommend “Babel”, “Paradise Circus” and “Rush Minute”.

Favourite Song: Babel

If you could take this album out on a date, where would you take it? To see a romantic comedy at the cinema, in an attempt to cheer it up.

Liam

This really isn’t the type of album I usually listen to. Heligoland just affirmed the reasons why. My first listen resulted in the albums tracks getting lost in the background which is quite an accomplishment seeing as I was on the train to Gillingham and I’ve pretty much memorised the route.

As this boils down to a compilation album rather than an attempt I can definitively attribute to a single band I found it hard to tune into the ebbs and flows that come with traditional record. The music seems to blend seamlessly from track to track. Occasionally a song tickles my interest by starting with an interesting drum beat but the resultant melodies never back it up with some faced passed dance off action. It annoys at times especially when the majority of the tracks clock in at around five minutes. Too long for something that won’t hold my interest.

From song to song the guest vocalists are the only major difference. However, they all have the same monotone style of singing which, again, gets real old real quick. The inclusion of Damon Albarn as one of the guest vocalists if baffling as it comes across as a really half arsed Gorillaz track rather than a carefully selected song by Massive Attack after a seven year interval between this and their previous album.

It’s all peripheral to the music though which fails to impress or inspire and is far too tedious to be an album to relax to. Unfortunately this album misses the mark for me on so many levels. It never hits the crescendo of noise that Nine Inch Nails can reach and is never cool or edgy enough to emulate the Gorillaz. Parallels I’m sure others will recognise.

Favourite Song: Girl I Love You

If you could take this album out on a date, where would you take it? This album isn’t getting my digits in the first place. This album is staying alone at the corner of the bar looking too cool for school.

Nick

I like this, honestly, no I do, honest to god, it’s absolutely fine…buuuuut there’s not really much more I can say about it. It’s stylish, well produced, and a whole lot of other adjectives that one would expect to associate with Massive Attack. It’s groovy in some parts, hypnotic in others. When I concentrate on it, the variations in sound and texture are obviously painstakingly crafted. However, despite this, I found myself at the end of my first listen thinking a small unworthy thought, ‘hmm a bit bland’.

There’s just nothing that really jumps out here, and as I am many other things besides an occasional music reviewer, I’ve not had the time to sit and really absorb this album properly. So yeah I’m sure this lukewarm reaction is entirely my fault, that if I stick with it I will suddenly find new wondrous aural vistas open up before my ears etc. Music reviewing is naturally an extremely artificial process as those who do it usually only record their impressions after the first couple of listens and many great albums take a lot longer than that to sink in.

However, these are the guys who created the immediately unforgettable Unfinished Sympathy. The fact that most of this album does not differ wildly from the formula set by that song but without its earworm qualities suggests that Massive Attack are on autopilot here. Girl I Love You has a cool bass (bass synth?) line, Rush Minute is coolly hypnotic and Atlas Air has a cool hook: the rest is jolly good stuff but leaves me a bit cold. Besides that, I don’t really have anything else to say.

Favourite Song: Rush Minute

If you could take this album on a date, where would you take it? Cinema or theatre, I feel I might get a bit bored if I had to pay attention to it all night

The Indelicates

Band: The Indelicates

Album: Songs For Swinging Lovers

Release Date: April 12^th 2010

Band Members: Simon Indelicate, Julia Indelicate, Al Clayton, Ed Van Beinum

5 a Side are back from the holiday hiatus and kicking off 2011 by looking at The Indelicates as chosen by Nick. Hope you didn’t miss us too much.

And for once it seems we were smitten by the same track

Enjoy x

Nick

The Indelicates’ first album should have made them indie superstars. In American Demo they had a cache of excellent songs treading a line somewhere between punk and folk filled with searing guitar hooks, wistful piano melodies and the twin vocals of the two main protagonists of the band, Simon and Julia Indelicate. What made them stand apart from other talented indie songwriters were the caustic intelligence and the barbed wit of their lyrics.

Unfortunately, their record label became bust shortly after the debut’s release. Rather than seek to shackle themselves once again to what they saw as a dying industry, the Indelicates self released their second album Songs for Swinging Lovers, which is available to download on a pay what you want basis at corporaterecords.co.uk, their own digital platform. Once again the lyrics on this record are fantastic. Opener, Europe, rages against the decadence and staleness of a continent that has nothing left to prove. Mid tempo feminist anthem, Flesh, sees Julia sing ever so sweetly “hey doc, take your knife to me, scar my snatch into a smile” while Be Afraid of your Parents sees Simon crooning a warning about the tendency of some elements of the Left intelligentsia to view eastern fascism and anti Semitism as an acceptable alternative to the excesses of the West.

While openers Europe and Your Money are fast frenetic punk rockers, musically this album is slower and more varied than their previous efforts as the band clearly take advantage of being able to indulge in their taste for experimentation and lush orchestration without the constraints of a small, indie label. Savages, inspired by Brave New World, uses a slow build up of drum loops and synths; the morbidly terrifying Roses, a simple piano ballad for the most part, ends in a maelstrom of hiss and static while Jerusalem, a jibe addressed to the public school pedigree of our glorious coalition leaders, is performed with a jaunty and light touch which belies the jaded lyrical content.

I apologise for this review being so uncritical (and long in the context of this site). I fell in love with the Indelicates’ song writing, passion and intelligence nearly three years ago and have remained in thrall to them ever since. Hopefully other reviews should be able to give you a more balanced view but all I’ll say that this a fantastic album that you should download (and pay for if you can afford it) and listen to again and again.

Favourite songs: Jerusalem, Your Money

Sounds like: Dresden Dolls

If this album came round for dinner what would you serve it? Some type of Thai Curry. Spicy and demanding your attention but with a subtle blend of flavours.

Liam

Before hearing this album I had already had people come up to me and tell me I would enjoy the music of The Indelicates. They weren’t wrong.

The opener, ‘Europe’, instantly grabs your attention and the rest of the album does its best to hold it throughout. As the album’s title would suggest one of the main themes is the love shared between a man and a woman. There are dark undertones in here to, which is also suggested by the albums artwork. While listening to the record two distinct images come to mind. One of Dickensian decadence swinging from chandeliers and another of sepia toned video reels of lustful weekends in Paris.

The music is a mix of infectious pop and well orchestrated indie with the band often including just the right instrument at just the right time to add the icing to a song. There isn’t a weak track on the album at all. The varying vocals of the male and female lead hold their own on the solo songs and come together like lamb and mint sauce on their duets (perfectly for the culinary uncultured). Lyrically it's perfect. The Flesh is a prime example with truely creepy undertones while still being a full on love song. Brilliant.

It’s hard for me to review this album critically as it soon became apparent I was listening to it as a new found fan rather than an unbiased listener but that in itself should be a wonderful accolade. This album is definitely a keeper on my iPod for the foreseeable future it’s just a shame that it was never released in time to be the anthem for Bonnie and Clyde. Highly recommended if you're a fan of alternative pop, fast paced folk or modern indie.

Favourite song: Your Money

If this album came round for dinner what would you serve it? Banoffee pie. It’s delicious, sweet, sticky and can be thrown while swinging from a chandelier. Buckets of brandy for drinks

Rob

So we kick off with a funky yet sinister piano riff in the opening track Europe which is soon joined by an articulate vocal line from the female lead Julia Clark-Lowes. Throughout the album her child-like voice provides a great contrast to her male counterpart, working surprisingly well together. It's clear from listening to the insightful lyrics from the offset that they're both poets before musicians. To me this is their one unique selling point.

However, the theatricality goes too far. I find The Indelicates stylistically irritating. Europe is cocktail of Tom Lehrer and The Clash – an truly unforgivable concoction. Even before I read that Simon Clayton is the author of a musical, it was blindingly obvious that this kind of role would suit him. Roses and Be Afraid of Your Parents have the atmosphere and melodic progression of an Andrew Lloyd-Webber score.

A few well written songs to go with the idyllic lyrics... maybe. No more than that though.

Favourite track: Your Money

If this album came round for dinner what would you serve it? Liquid dinner. Maybe I'd like it more after a few drinks.

Steve

In keeping with an emergent theme of reviewing strange eccentric bands, the Indelicates has now splashed into my consciousness for the first time and is surprisingly good. The Sound is reminiscent of the Dresden Dolls and Songs for Swinging Lovers has no problem being aggressive, sarcastic and mesmerising.

The album starts off strongly with Europe, a cabaret song dominated by piano and shrill vocals. To a mainstream audience, this would undoubtedly be like placing barbed wire through your ears and flossing out your brain, but this harsh sound mixed with the barbed lyrics of Julia Indelicate works really well and sets the tone of the album perfectly. Following up is Your Money which offers a hard riff and self deprecating vocals, with a definite homage to raw 70's punk. Lyrically, this song is strong and keeps the aggression fresh.

With the two singers making a separate song each, it's fitting to blend them together for a duet, Love you Tania is sweetly sung by Julia yet has the backing of a bitter sounding, almost Robert Smith inspired, Simon Indelicate. These are definitely the stronger tracks of the album, but that is not to say that the rest are write offs, and special mention goes out to Roses and Be Afraid of Your Parents for sounding unique in an already gifted album.

All in all, Songs for Swinging Lover's is not easy listening by any measure, it's definitely stuck in a niche, but for those of you that can stomach the harsh sounds, you'll be generously rewarded.


If this album came round for dinner what would you serve it? Probably sweet and sour pork, just to try and get its critique on Asia.

Jamie

The Indelicates, like many recent British bands take inspiration from bands like The Smiths, Blondie and The Boom To

wn Rats, bands that were at their height of popularity during the early 1980’s. The band even sound like they would have come out of this era and one would think they are a little late, but the album does provide the listener with something fairly up-lifting and the use of a male and a female vocalist working together, rather than just one vocalist is a nice touch and sounds good.

As well as taking inspiration from the post-punk sound of the early 80’s, the album also has a theatrical feel to it and would probably work very well as the soundtrack to something like The Phantom of The Opera. This is noticeable right from the beginning of opener “Europe” which is purely piano and vocals for the intro but then combines with a more powerful post punk sound to give it a bit more of a kick. “Your Money” is the heaviest song on the album and it blends fast punchy verses with a more reflective and hearty chorus.

The heavy guitar creeps in occasionally in the rest of the album, but most of the songs are piano driven and follow on the theatrical style. While the style is set in stone for 90% of the album, the mood differentiates throughout and we have happy uplifting songs such as “We love you Tania” and “Ill” and slow and moody songs such as “Roses” and “Anthem for the doomed youth”. Occasionally the style changes a little bit as noticed in “Savages” which has a bit more of an electronic feel to it, especially towards the end of the song and “Sympathy for the devil” which has a country and folk style driven by an acoustic guitar. “Be afraid of Your Parents” is the most theatrical and has a lot of tempo changes to keep the listener interested.

While I’m not into Indie, I do feel The Indelicates have created a pretty decent concept album that could easily back its own musical, with what feels like a story being told. While the sound is a bit samey in some places the lyrics are generally pretty clever and the album will bring a smile to your face.

Favourite Song "Your Money"

If this album came round for dinner I would serve it? Smoked Salmon and boiled potatoes, a standard British Meal which provides a nice flavour but wouldn’t be as satisfying as a juicy Sirlion Steak.