Wednesday 22 June 2011

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my review of Gold Cobra by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

With a gap of eight years since Limp Bizkit's last album, some critics appeared apprehensive about Gold Cobra. Nu-metal may have dominated rock music in the early noughties, but now the era is a fading memory. Somehow though, this new record does not sound old. Whilst there are a few let downs, the majority of songs are absolute gems which make you want to throw your red baseball cap back on, turn it back-to-front and start dancing on car rooftops again.

However, there were substantial worries after hearing the first full length song, the awkward "Bring It Back". It just does not make sense, the song is scattered all over the place, but thankfully the title track "Gold Cobra" restores high hopes and it seems that it is here that the band begin to hit form.

The next five songs are immense. "Shark Attack" and "Shotgun" are typically feisty Limp Bizkit efforts, but "Get A Life" and "Walking Away" are absurdly good for completely different reasons. "Get A Life" is just sheer rage and it sounds incredible. Fred Durst's voice breaks to a point similar to Eminem's in his The Marshall Mathers LP where he chucks his tied up wife into a river. The power and velocity is compelling listening. On the other hand, "Walking Away" is the audio version of Limp Bizkit stroking a cat, with the said cat eventually clawing back with venom. The intro features a reverberating Wes Borland guitar, a pulsating bass and a haunting synthesiser, yes, you read that right, a synthesiser. The finale of the song is epic and we witness an emotional Fred Durst as he confronts the issue of walking away from people he adores.

Sadly the quality of Gold Cobra decreases rapidly after "Walking Away". "Loser" really is a loser. It is horrible, but fortunately followed up by a quite hilarious interlude. The next tracks "Autotunage" and "90.2.10" are very weak before our spirits are lifted by "Why Try" which certainly woke me back up.

The final track "Killer In You" is very one-paced and a poor way to bow out, but you find yourself quickly going back to track three and starting again for twenty-five minutes of nu-metal rage. Despite what some may say, Gold Cobra does not sound dated and is in fact a very fun listen. Overall, it is a surprising and more than welcome comeback from Limp Bizkit.


written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. Introbra
02. Bring It Back
03. Gold Cobra
04. Shark attack
05. Get A Life/Interlude 1
06. Shotgun
07. Douche Bag
08. Walking Away
09. Loser/Interlude 2
10. Autotunage
11. 90.2.10/Interlude 3
12. Why Try
13. Killer In You

Run Time: 49:44
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Check out the song: "Gold Cobra"

Saturday 18 June 2011

My Team & I - Raith Rovers


Click here or read below for my article on why I support Raith Rovers and take you over the trials and tribulations of doing so. It was published on The Footy Blog.

Rovers

Why Raith?
I have my dad to “thank” for being a Raith fan. He was brought up in a village half way between Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, but he chose to support the less successful team (*sigh*). I actually grew up in Jersey, but I was made aware of Raith Rovers when bought the away strip shortly after the club beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final. Through the years my dad and I would often take in a pre season friendly on our summer holidays and when I moved to Edinburgh University in 2007 I was finally able to watch Raith every week. I'm not sure if it was the 2-1 defeat to Berwick Rangers in front of 570 fans or attending a Scottish Cup Third Round fixture against Threave Rovers and being so cold that my whole body became numb, but I was hooked very quickly.

Favourite Player?
The dependable, Laurie Ellis

Rovers haven't possessed a real quality player since I've watched them, but I would go for left sided defender, Laurie Ellis. He is now in his third spell at Starks Park and although he isn't the best defender the club has ever had, he reads the game better than most. Laurie comes across as someone who loves playing for the club and goes out of his way to interact with the fans. Also, featuring at left back, his light hearted berating of the nearby linesman, or “lino”, is generally quite amusing.

Favourite Game?

A 2-2 draw with local rivals Dunfermline last year at East End Park was probably the best game I have ever watched. It was a top of the table clash with Raith sitting in first place on 26 points and the Pars just one point behind. The tension rose to another level with kickoff being delayed by ten minutes due to an unexpectedly big crowd.

The Pars absolutely battered Raith in the first half and the 2-0 half time scoreline did not accurately convey the utter dominance they had. To add insult to injury, it also meant that as things stood, Dunfermline would go top of the league. However, the second half was a different story.

Just six minutes into the second period Dunfermline's Andy Kirk sliced a shot wide of an open goal. If Kirk's shot had found the back of the net, most agree that would have been no way back for Raith. However, Rovers took confidence from the miss and started to gain a foothold in the match, but were struggling to find a way through the Pars defence. This changed on the 73rd minute when Dunfermline's Neil McGregor was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders by referee Eddie Smith. The atmosphere was now becoming more volatile.

Three minutes after McGregor's dismissal, Kirk was taken onto the sidelines to receive treatment for an injury and while this was happening, manager Jim McIntyre made two substitutions, one replacing Kirk himself. However, after a rub of the magic sponge Kirk trotted back onto the pitch, apparently oblivious to the fact he had been subbed. Play raged on with Dunfermline back to eleven men but soon a Raith fan nearby chirped “they've got eleven men again”. His neighbour screamed “whit?!” followed by a loud “BOOOOO!”. As word spread, the chants of “cheats, cheats, cheats” boomed out of the travelling support. Referee Smith brought his finger out and started counting the number of Dunfermline players. After consulting his nearby linesman he swiftly booked Kirk and ordered him off the pitch.

The match restarted again and seven minutes from time Raith clawed a goal back. Dunfermline 'keeper Chris Smith inexplicably dropped a ball at the feet of Iain Williamson and the Raith winger duly passed it into the back of the net. Just minutes later Williamson unbelievably hit the bar from just yards out, but the away support continued to urge their side on. Then, two minutes into injury time Willie Dyer clipped a speculative cross into the box which Allan Walker nodded on and the ball looped – almost in slow motion - into the top corner of the goal. The noise was incredible and the hugs were intense. Walker's equalising goal had kept Raith top of the league and the fans were sure to let the quickly escaping home support know this.
Allan Walker celebrates after his equalising goal against the Pars
Favourite Strip?

The 125th anniversary “Blackburn style” strip was the most aesthetically pleasing one, made all the better by the fact Raith won the Second Division wearing it.
Iain Davidson shows off the 125th anniversary strip with the Second Division trophy
Worst Thing About Being A Raith Fan?

When Raith beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final a commentator apparently claimed that the fans would be “dancing in the streets of Raith tonight”. This was a glaring error as Rovers home town is Kirkcaldy, not Raith. However, the phrase is repeated far too often for my liking and has become a little tiresome now. 

Funniest Moment?

For the last two seasons Raith had a striker called Gregory Tade. In his first campaign he was well known for tripping over his own feet and blazing shots over the bar from two yards out, but the funniest moment came during a match against Airdrie United in October 2009. Tade – who was already on a yellow card - received a through ball, turned his marker and blasted the ball not only over the bar, but out of the ground. The referee ran up to Tade, threw up a yellow card, followed by a red. A large number of Raith fans began to start laughing hysterically, for it appeared Tade had been given a second yellow card and sent off for simply being rubbish. To this day the sending off is a mystery. There was no foul in the build up to the shot and with Raith winning 2-0 at the time, one can only assume the referee mistook Tade's wild shot as an act of time wasting. 
Walker protests, but Tade is ordered off
Favourite Moment?

The full time whistle after beating Dundee at Dens Park in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final last season is by far and away my favourite moment. The sheer euphoria of the fact that Raith were going to Hampden Park, not to play Queens Park, but to play in a Scottish Cup Semi Final was just incredible. It was also the first Scottish Cup Semi Final Raith had made in forty-seven years which made me feel like I was part of the club making history.
Laurie Ellis celebrates the winning goal over Dundee
written by Will Lyon

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Foo Fighters - Walk [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the song "Walk" by Foo Fighters. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

Foo Fighters latest album Wasting Light has received mass critical acclaim since it was released in April. Lead single "Rope" was a fantastic return to form and now the follow up "Walk" has been released to keep the album sales ticking over.

"Walk" does not reach the dizzy heights of "Rope", but then the Foos have not managed to release a single so captivating since "All My Life" in 2002. However, "Walk" is a decent effort. The song takes a while to launch into action with a few procrastinating verses, although the chorus is worth the wait. It's a melodic and enjoyable creation, despite being led into battle with a surprisingly ordinary Taylor Hawkins drum riff.

Sadly however, "Walk" sometimes has the damning ability of being able to flow through one ear and out the other without the listener noticing. It is just a little middle-of-the-road, which is ironic considering the band take the mickey out of middle-of-the-road specialists, Coldplay, in the accompanying video. Do not be fooled by "Walk", it may be a little uninspiring, but Wasting Light as a whole, is far better.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 4:16
Release Date: June 13, 2011

Check out the song: "Walk"

Monday 13 June 2011

The View - Bread And Circuses [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Bread And Circuses by The View. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

The View were heralded as the "next big thing" back in 2007 when the Scots released their debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers. The record shot to number one in the British album chart and the singles faired well too. Twenty-five months later their sophomore effort Which Bitch? was unveiled and it was invariably a flop. Alcohol and booze had began to rule the band and consequently the music suffered.

The View made a conscious decision to start putting the music first again and started working on album number three, Bread And Circuses. The result is a superior effort to Which Bitch?, but the band still appear to be lacking a bit of real class. "Tragic Magic", "Friend", "Blondie" and "Sunday" all contain infectious melodies and typical surf-rock harmonies, but fighting through the surrounding nine worthless songs is irritating.

With Bread And Circuses chart success even further down on Which Bitch? it becomes apparent that The View have failed to claw back the fans they lost after their second record. At this rate it will not be long before they disappear into indie obscurity alongside The Automatic and The Enemy.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 50:10
Release Date: March 22, 2011

Track Listing:

01. Grace
02. Underneath The Lights
03. Tragic Magic
04. Girl
05. Life
06. Friend
07. Beautiful
08. Blondie
09. Sunday
10. Walls
11. Happy
12. Best Lasts Forever
13. Witches

Check out the song: "Grace"

Sunday 12 June 2011

The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Passive Me, Aggressive You by The Naked And Famous. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

Whatever your opinions of synth-pop are, one thing for certain is that there is still plenty of life left in the genre. There are a lot of bands on the musical landscape still mucking about with synthesisers and generally the quality has been surprisingly good. The Naked And Famous are continuing this trend. Although Passive Me, Aggressive You has been available in their native land of New Zealand for a while, it has finally been shipped around the world and the feedback has been very positive.

“Punching In A Dream” and "Young Blood" have some incredibly infectious electronic riffs which would bring chaos to dancefloors in clubs. The beats are loud and the tremendous Cyndi Lauper-esq voice of Alisa Xayalith shrills through the listener. However, the album is not all get-up-and-go. There are slower efforts, some of which are a bit weird and sadly a sharp drop in quality from the singles.

In truth, the album is a long, winding journey. From the dancefloor, to the chill out-tastic "The Ends" and then the hard rock of "A Wolf In Geek's Clothing", The Naked And Famous have nailed a really interesting and captivating record.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 49:13
Release Date: March 15, 2011

Track Listing:

01. All Of This
02. Punching In A Dream
03. Frayed
04. The Source
05. The Sun
06. Eyes
07. Young Blood
08. No Way
09. Spank
10. Jilted Lovers
11. A Wolf In A Geek's Clothing
12. The Ends
13. Girls Like You

Check out the song: "Young Blood"

Saturday 11 June 2011

Simple Plan ft. Rivers Cuomo - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" by Simple Plan featuring Weezer front man, Rivers Cuomo. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 1 / 10

No, no, no. Just no. When Rivers Cuomo and his geek-rock band Weezer emerged in the early 90s the last thing we expected from him, was to team up with power-pop trash like Simple Plan almost twenty years later at the age of forty. As musicians age, their music is supposed to develop into a more mature or technically advanced sound - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" is anything but. Cuomo only features for one verse, but the lyrics are so, so terrible. "My clothes are six months old but I don’t care, no no no I don’t notice." Come on Rivers, what were you thinking?

Sadly, "Can't Keep My Hands Off You' - the first single from new album Get Your Heart On! is just as awful as previous Simple Plan efforts. There was enough of throw away power-pop in the noughties and it needs to stop. Simple Plan's music is just as one dimensional as it always has been and the lyrics are dreadful: "Cuz on the street, or under the covers, we are stuck like two pieces of velcro." The song and indeed the band are one to avoid, at all costs.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:42
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "Can't Keep My Hands Off You"

Friday 10 June 2011

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Gold Cobra" by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9/10

It has been almost eight years since we had a new Limp Bizkit album in our hands, but in just under three weeks the clock will be reset. Gold Cobra will hit the shops on June 28, but to keep the fans on their toes, the title track has been unleashed onto the internet.

Pushing nostalgic Fred Durst crotch-grabbing aside, it appears that “Gold Cobra” is a real quality effort from Florida's finest. It is everything you want a Limp Bizkit song to sound like – fat, rough and utterly infectious. It honestly feels like it is the year 2000 all over again.

The short bridge is a little lacklustre, but nitpicking aside, "Gold Cobra" is a fantastic song. As is the norm with Limp Bizkit tracks, it is best listened at full volume and after this has been achieved, I imagine for many June 28 cannot come quick enough.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:54
Release Date: 06.07.2011

Thursday 9 June 2011

The Music - Ghost Hands [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my song review of "Ghost Hands" by The Music. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9 / 10
 
With farewell gigs announced, The Music also decided to release one final single before departing the musical landscape. "Ghost Hands" was a song written for the band's fourth studio album, which was never completed. However, lead singer Robert Harvey announced that the band "love the track and it just seemed a shame to leave it gathering dust for ever. It's good to go out with something positive and new and we think it deserves to see the light of day."

And thank goodness the band decided to give away this final song, for it is an utter masterpiece. It begins with a very eighties drum beat and a very New Order-esq bass riff. The electric guitar trickles in, with a reverbing effect that U2's 'Edge' would be very fond of. Harvey's echoing verse follows and builds up to a mesmerising chorus passionately preaching "we get up, we get up, we make history."

The one criticism, would be that the "remix", or "extended version" is actually slightly better. Nevertheless, "Ghost Hands" is a truly epic way for a band to bow out with and the best thing about it, is that it is available for free off their website.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 5:43
Release Date: 04.21.2011

Check out the song: "Ghost Hands"

Wednesday 8 June 2011

The Naked And Famous - Girls Like You [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest single by The Naked And Famous. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7 / 10

“Girls Like You” is the third single from The Naked And Famous début album, Passive Me, Aggressive You. The single is actually about two minutes shorter than the album version, but that does not particularly matter. The 126 extra seconds on the album is basically some unnecessary weird noises and slowly descending feedback.

The song, musically, is quite enjoyable. It is a mixture of shoegaze and electropop with a very infectious chorus. The track builds up to a nice climax, followed by a much improved twenty seconds of feedback and noise, compared to the album format. However, the main downside is that after a few spins, the listener realises that the originally infectious chorus of “don’t you know people write songs about girls like you?” becomes a little repetitive.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:59
Release Date: 06.06.2011




Tuesday 7 June 2011

The Vaccines - All In White [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest single by The Vaccines. It was published on Pure Grain Audio

Rating: 9.5 / 10

Sometimes us British can become a little excitable over homegrown bands and The Vaccines can probably be placed in this category. Their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? was a slight let down, but nevertheless a decent effort.

Amongst the typical bouncy British indie pop, is "All In White", undoubtedly the gem of the album. A thumping, but measured bass riff intertwined with a haunting keyboard builds up into a quite exhilarating climax, alongside a piercing electric guitar and Justin Young's booming voice. The lyrics, unlike the surrounding songs, are emotional and mature, delivered in Young's fantastically deep tone.

"All In White" proves that the hype surrounding The Vaccines is not as ridiculous as it first appears, but the band must be more consistent with material of similar quality if they are to hit the real big time.
written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 4:34
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "All In White"

Monday 6 June 2011

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest album by Arctic Monkeys. It was published on Pure Grain Audio

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Arctic Monkeys have come a long way since their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Lead singer Alex Turner no longer chats into the microphone, as he recently put it, about "fucking taxi ranks" and actually sings now. Jamie Cook's guitar playing and the stick work of Matt Helders is now less frantic and far superior in quality. Nick O'Malley's bass has changed to a thicker tone than before, supporting a rougher and slightly psychedelic sound that the band now possess. Although Arctic Monkeys have long lost their mainstream lad-rock status, it is obvious they are now a far more developed band.

Suck It And See is rather aptly named as it is a grows on you with every spin. Sometimes Turner does overdo his lyrics and indeed, a few songs are filler, but there are some real top quality moments which remind us that Arctic Monkeys are still the best British band around, both musically and lyrically. Many music critics have claimed that Turner and co. still have their best to come and there are prolonged periods on Suck It And See which suggest that they may just be right.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. She's Thunderstorms
02. Black Treacle
03. Brick By Brick
04. The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
05. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
06. Library Pictures
07. All My Own Stunts
08. Reckless Serenade
09. Piledriver Waltz
10. Love Is A Laserquest
11. Suck It And See
12. That's Where You're Wrong

Run Time: 40:06
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"


Sunday 5 June 2011

Season Review 2010/11: Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my season review of Raith Rovers. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

Raith Rovers: So Near, Yet So Far
Starks Park - the home of Raith Rovers
Watching your team miss out on promotion to your fierce local rivals after sitting at the top of the league for months on end is tough to take. Some may say that Raith Rovers possessed a squad that were never good enough to challenge for the title anyway, but having come so close it does not make it any easier to accept.

After winning promotion to the First Division in 2009, Raith finished seventh in their comeback season. It was a good achievement, especially after reaching their first Scottish Cup semi final in forty-seven years during the same campaign. However, even the most enthusiastic Rovers fan would not have predicted a title challenge in the 2010/11 season.

Despite comfortable wins over Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic at the start of the season, followed by an SPL scalp in the League Cup, the expectation was that Raith would eventually lose their form and tip-toe down to their more natural position in the middle of the league. As it turned out, Raith never slipped down further than second place - a quite remarkable feat.

The key to Rovers success was their solid defence. Only eight league goals were conceded in the opening fifteen games. Craig Wilson, Grant Murray, Laurie Ellis and new signing Willie Dyer quickly gelled together and opposing teams struggled to break down their resistance. At the other end, striker John Baird would pull opposition defences all over the place with his neat technique and pace. His comrade Gregory Tade acted as the physical and acrobatic target man, causing absolute chaos amongst enemy lines. Although Baird and Tade were not the most clinical of finishers, the team possessed endless amounts of desire. Raith would time and time again force their tiring opponents into mistakes and find injury time goals to grind out an extra point or two.

A November fixture against Dunfermline would be a prime example. After a woeful eighty minutes, falling behind by two goals, Iain Williamson pounced on an error by goalkeeper Chris Smith to bring the deficit back to just one. Williamson hit the bar just minutes later, but Rovers were not done yet. Deep into injury time a speculative cross by Dyer was flicked on by Allan Walker and the ball just happened to loop into the top corner. This was not just an example of a comeback though. Walker's goal was one which kept Raith at the top of the league. Rovers fans made the short journey back to Kirkcaldy delirious with their team's spirit and it was this time that most started believing something special could be on the cards.

However, in typical Raith fashion the club crashed out of the Scottish Cup the following week at the hands of Second Division Alloa Athletic and went on to produce two mind-numbingly dull 0-0 draws against Partick and Falkirk.

The players regrouped however, and turned over the Pars in the New Year derby. Rovers then went up to Dingwall, claiming a narrow 1-0 victory, but it was here that the promotion train appeared to de-rail. Raith only managed to keep three clean sheets in the remaining nineteen league games. All of a sudden Rovers could no longer rely on just scoring one goal to win a match. This was a problem. Baird appeared to have lost some confidence, Tade was and always will be a poor goalscorer, Graham Weir had yet to score since May 2009 and Gary Wales was rarely fit. Now, Raith had to find even more desire and commitment to grind out results.

The Starks Park side managed to keep up with fellow title challengers Dunfermline for most of 2011, but ultimately the deciding game for the top position took place at East End Park on Saturday 23rd April. Raith looked jaded and one dimensional falling to a 2-1 defeat. The end result was Dunfermline gaining a four point advantage over the Kirkcaldy side with two games remaining. The Pars sealed the title seven days later cruising past Greenock Morton 2-0, while Raith lost 1-0 to Queen of the South, ironically falling to an injury time goal.

As the silent Starks Park troops walked home dejected, they tried to evaluate just how their side had missed out on a place in the SPL. Some blamed manager John McGlynn after he tinkered with a steady defence just before the New Year, bringing Mark Campbell into the centre of defence and shifting Ellis out to the left. However, to blame McGlynn for the sudden leaking of goals would be unfair as the outgoing Dyer lost his place due to injury and in the following months Ellis too, would struggle with his fitness.

More likely to be the significant two reasons for Raith's eventual downfall would be first: pressure and second: Dunfermline strengthening their squad.

The Rovers players were never expected to be challenging for promotion and after defeating Dunfermline at New Year, suddenly found the media turning up the heat, labelling them as real contenders for the title. Raith simply could not cope with the pressure. A second half capitulation to Morton at Starks Park in late January appeared to cause serious mental scarring amongst the Raith defence. In fact, it was at Starks Park that Rovers faltered most. Six defeats at home is simply not good enough for a team seeking the league title and the impact of the statistic looks all the more overwhelming when comparing it to Dunfermline's single loss at East End Park.

However, it was more than good form that emerged from East End Park. Dunfermline strengthened their squad quite considerably in January. Although talented winger Willie Gibson left to join Crawley Town, gaffer Jim McIntyre used the funds gained to bring in Liam Buchanan, Martin Hardie and Kevin Rutkiewicz. Buchanan went on to make seventeen appearances, Hardie fourteen and Rutkiewicz twelve. Contrast this to Raith's only January signing, Gary Wales, who featured just seven times from the bench.

Ultimately, Dunfermline were better equipped for promotion. McIntyre had his side playing neat, attractive football, while possessing the required desire and commitment in the latter stages of the season to grind out results when necessary. Raith melted as the levels of expectation rose, especially when playing at home and simply did not possess the required quality to see out the latter stages of the season.

Mid-table is once again the benchmark for Rovers next season, but with significant budget cuts this summer and fifteen departing players, there will be no miracle title challenge this time around. In fact, there is a possibility that the team could struggle to cope with the lengthy list of departures and come 2012, be flirting with relegation back to the Second Division.

written by Will Lyon