it's contagious, so catch it

I've clearly busted my 'only one blog post a week' rule I set for myself for the new year. Ahhhh well. What's much worse is the amount of Tweets I've been putting out. If I'm not mistaken, I tweeted twenty times on one day. And this is me, the person who, not so long ago, dubbed Twitter 'boring' because all you talk about on there are the trivialities of your everyday life. Well, on that crazy day when I tweeted twenty times: clearly I did twenty trivial things. Gahhhhhh anyone have good tips for cutting back on tweets?


'Liquid Confidence'

I downloaded and listened to a leak of You Me At Six' new album, 'Hold Me Down', before its release date of 11 Jan (thanks to LH, who sent me the link. Guess where - over Twitter, haha, my life is so going down the drain). Because of exams and the Busted post (see post below), I'm only putting this up now. If you're a YMAS fan and haven't yet listened to it (SHAME ON YOU), I'd advise you to avert your eyes for now, because I've found that my first opinions of a new album are always overshadowed by reviews I have read (then again that could just be my easily influenced self). Come back when you've heard it, anyways.

Despite the hype (built by YMAS themselves) surrounding the release of this album, I didn't find myself excited about it at all, and didn't expect much from it at all. I listened to the sneak preview of the album a few weeks ago and wasn't fussed, though I did like some bits in there. They say that if you have low expectations, you'll never be disappointed. Well then, either YMAS are in a league of 'crap' of their own, or that saying is fundamentally untrue. I am going with the latter.

Although the album retains YMAS 'essence', it does also sound different to 'Take Off Your Colours', their debut. With more instruments, it sounds 'fuller'... or maybe that's what they call 'noise'. And a heavier feel? Yeah, I'm listening to 'The Consequence' and it has some low guitar bits. Gah I'm amazing at describing music aren't I? I just listened to their interview on XFM with Iam Camfield and he described it as 'bigger', which is exactly what I think about it. Like, arena-big. (...I'm so eloquent)

I am tempted to say that most of the songs on the album all sound the same to me. And I would not be wrong. I've found loads of ritornello patterns being repeated across different songs, and by the fourth song I knew I could expect their typical loud-then suddenly quiet-then build up to loud again- sequence. A few of the songs they've put on there are average, like 'Safer to Hate Her' and 'Fireworks'. I wanna clarify that the album is not as appalling as I make it sound, but for me the album isn't one that hangs together tightly and takes me on a journey. In their interview with XFM, they said that when getting songs together, they could put different bits written by different members of the band into one song, because, for example, it would be in the same key. That kind songwriting process seems a bit disjointed to me, because the two components might be carrying very different emotions and so make up a song that is made up of two really good but really mismatching bits.

So what is it that still makes me listen to You Me At Six, you ask, if I find so many things wrong with them? Funnily enough, this album is what's reminded me of all the things I love about the band! You can expect to find heartfelt singing from Josh (the low bits, the quiet bits, and the lungs-y bits). Some great guitar rhythms and melodies scattered across all the songs too. I'd list examples for these, but I'd just give you almost the whole album.

That's it? Nice singing and interesting guitar playing?


'Contagious Chemistry'

Sometimes it doesn't take much for music to touch someone. What You Me At Six have got is energy, some emotional charge, and proof that they know what works well together. These are the things that tell me they're not to be written off any time soon. I have faith in them. They work really hard, appreciate their fans, and isn't just another pop/punk/rock band. They're in their own league, standing apart from anything from the US that comes onto this scene. Bring on 2010 for YMAS; let's hope they experiment some more and come into their own.


'Take Your Breath Away'


'Underdog'


'There's No Such Thing As Accidental Infidelity (featuring Aled Phillips, from KIGH!)'

xxxx

p.s. zomdizzles, I hear this You Me At Six album charted straight away at no.5 in its first week! Massive well done to them, it's quite a feat for a band like them!

p.p.s.: if you're a regular on this blog, you might wanna check back tomorrow for an announcement...