GemLil's Music > Music reviews by GemLil

A little shy of great.

Posted : 10 months, 3 weeks ago on 2 January 2009 12:58 (A review of Do You Know Squarepusher)

Do You Know Squarepusher is the 2002 album released by Tom Jenkinson (A.k.a Sqaurepusher). This album is usual stuff for Squarepusher himself, mostly electronically produced drum and bass. It is a good album, it does what you expect it to, but perhaps that is the reason I don't think it's a great album. With Squarepusher's skill and an infinite choice of sound available to him, I expected this album to have something unexpected in it. This album is based around the single "Do you Know Sqaurepusher", which was originally released as an untitled single, the year previous. This is a great track for those of us who love something a bit more 'acidy' for want of an appropriate adjective.

The penultimate track, Mutilation Colony is also an amazing song and an epic 11 minutes long. Squarepusher does here what he does best, a journey through varying styles of drum and bass, often dabbling in some jazzy tones that is just a pleasure to sit back and enjoy. Finally the album finishes with a nice touch, in the cover of Joy Divisions 'Love will tear us apart', which is a refreshing take on a cult classic. However I did feel a tinge of disappointment in his choice to cover and already heavily covered single.

In conclusion an interesting album that is a definite, must have for any Squarepusher fan. This is a good album that unfortunately just stops shy of greatness. Some moments can get a bit samey and now and then in the middle tracks, you do get a feeling that old Tom lost his muse along the way, fortunately he gets it all back for the 11 minute Mutilation Colony and overall makes a pleasing and enjoyable piece of drum and bass.

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Funeral review

Posted : 10 months, 3 weeks ago on 2 January 2009 11:57 (A review of Funeral)

Funeral is the critically acclaimed début album of Canadian indie band, The Arcade Fire. This album didn't initially sell well but the band soon became a firm favourite of critics and musicians, when their celebrity fan base met the dizzying heights of U2 front man Bono, the general public soon caught on.

Funeral is an amazing album and is really a landmark for indie music and the music industry as a whole, opening the world up to Canadian music outside the vomit-inducing world of Bryan Adams and the power ballad. The world was only recently introduced to the concept of the orchestra in modern music, so much of modern music is still bogged down in its lead guitar-bass guitar-organ-drums formula. Bands such as the folksy/cult Polyphonic Spree have helped reinvent the orchestra, bringing it away from Opera and The Proms, showing us there is no music more pleasurable than a fluid and complex array of instruments, panning string, wood wind, brass and organ.

There are two main reasons that Funeral is such an amazing album, firstly there is the pure musical talent that oozes from every band member. Each not only possesses an ability to play some amazingly complex instruments, including the harp, French horn and accordion, but to put them together in a series of interesting and moving ways that never fails to impress. Some tracks remain mellow and haunting throughout, some build to awesome crescendos that make them acutely memorable.

The second is the way in which the album mirrors some genuinely deep emotions experienced by the band. This album was named Funeral as several of the band members friends and relations died in its making. Due to this you can't fail to feel a sense of the macabre in some of the tracks, that appeals to the Victorian-like, death-obsession that resides in us all, however residual.

Brilliant piece of art, endlessly enjoyable, the new mark to which all indie music should be measured. If you like music for the music, you'll love this.

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Absolutely shite

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 25 April 2008 06:02 (A review of Scouting for Girls)

Just going to reiterate what is said below; I burst out laughing when I saw the TV advert for this album...every single one of the songs they bosted sounded the same.

How they can have the audacity to charge £11 for this 'album' is beyond me, it should be sold as a single, there is definately only one track on this album. The bost benign, droning and repetative album I have ever had the misfortune to hear.

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Boring and samey

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 25 April 2008 05:35 (A review of Beautiful World)

Gary Barlow: We have one alright track for our comeback album....how do we fill the rest of it? I dont have the talent to right another 10 good tracks.

Music Manager: Dont worry Gaz; you've not got any real fans anyway, you're running on the publics nostalgia and fear of growing old. Fill it with covers and a series of forgettable songs that all sound the same and sound like they were written by 'The Fray'. People will only listen to 'Patience' anyway.


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Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera: The Original London Cast Recording (1986 London Cast) review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 15 April 2008 05:00 (A review of Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera: The Original London Cast Recording (1986 London Cast))

I'm not a fan of the 'sound track' genre; I'm usually the first to criticise it, as music for those who aren't music fans. However; when the score is such a fundamental part of the production, its a different matter.

Phantom of the Opera has one of the most famous scores of all musicals. It is the second longest running West End production of all time; to Les Mis. Sung by the amazingly talented Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman; this is a beautiful album from beginning to end, what's more, the tracks run together seamlessly.

This is an absolute must have for any Phantom fan. I picked it up for £15 when I was 11; it was 3 weeks worth of pocket money, but I never regretted the spend.

Don't tell me you're a phantom fan if you don't own this album.

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You just dont cut yourself to ABBA!

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 18 March 2008 07:17 (A review of Abba Gold)

I've finally reached that stage in my life where I'm happy with the way I am and the cards I've been dealt....as a result I recently came out as an ABBA fan, and I have to say I feel great.

Yes they're dated, yes they're Swedish, yes they're cheesier than a deli counter..but they know how to make a catchy tune.

ABBAs songs aren't particularly moving and they're certainly not in my short list of funeral songs, but like it or not you WILL know every track on this album...they're more catching than typhus (that's the last metaphor I promise).

As proof of their timelessness and status as Pop Gods, ABBA are the most covered band of all time.

It's not cool to like ABBA, but I ask you? In modern music, with generic bands making forgettable ballads, 2-a-penny rap artists singing about gold and arses, and greasy haired pseudo Goths making millions of children carve the word 'hate' in their arms with compasses....I'm glad we have ABBA!

All their best songs are on here and its well worth the buy for anyone out there who has a last remnant of cheekiness about them.

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Rokk out.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 17 March 2008 10:09 (A review of Rokk I Reykjavik)

This is the soundtrack to a documentary into the Icelandic music scene, made in the 1980s.

In essentials it is a best of album..for an entire country. This covers music merging on rock, to ambient/electro. I can't list the tracks here, on a english keyboard...but I've pasted a comprehensive track list into the item description.

This album is hard to come by and can be specially ordered, if not downloaded. Icelandic music is an aquired taste, but those who like it will love this album.

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Bjork - Best of.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 9 March 2008 12:14 (A review of Bjork - Greatest Hits)

Obviously, if you are a true Bjork fan, a best of album is not enough.

Vespertine and Homogenic alone, include many beautiful tracks that are emitted in this album. However, this a a great place to start, the tracks cover a full range of Bjork's work..from the more mainstream tracks (Oh so Quiet), to those electro/ ambient tracks that have come to be more indicative of her work.

If you are a fan of electro and haven’t been introduced to Bjork yet, start here..you'll soon be addicted.


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Music to get lost in.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 6 March 2008 05:06 (A review of Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada)

I got very excited by the fact that this album only had 2 tracks. I like nothing more than an album, in which all tracks run together smoothly and complement each other perfectly. What can do that more than a two track album..(except maybe a one track album?!).

I had reason to be excited and wasn't dissapointed at all. It is nothing less than a masterpiece..orhestral and ambient but never boring, you will get lost in this album. In fact, its so good I make a point of not listening to it too often; I want it to always be a pleasure to listen to. There are two kinds of good music, the type that makes you want to sing along, and the (albeit rarer)type that stuns you into silence...this is the latter.

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Full of tracks that everyone should own.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 3 March 2008 11:40 (A review of Number Ones)

I personally think that this is the best, best of album of ol' Jacko's. No matter how you feel about his face or his personal life....he makes a damn good song.

If you only want to dip into the most well known MJ songs, from his prime; this album is perfect.

Beat it, Thriller, Man in the Mirror....all of the best songs from one of histories greatest performers.

This is a timeless album that will appeal to all ages and all music lovers. We may go our own ways into various genres, but there is no doubt in my mind that Michael Jackson has to be one of the most universally appreciated music artists.

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