Top Tunes: September

Lights - Lucky Ones

"Cause after all this time still don't know where we're going but look how far we've come and as long as you're just as lost as I am"

Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat

"I dream all year but they're not the sweet kind and the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time"

We Are The In Crowd - Manners

"What do you see when you close your eyes? Do you sleep? I know you do and I'm not surprised while your ego keeps you warm"

You Me At Six - Forgive and Forget

"See, all of your demons became my demons, on your front line I fought. But we're oceans away, our glory days went up, went up in flames"

New Found Glory - Selfless

"Anxiety is a crippler, nothing meaner than loaded eyes followed by a smirk and a whisper"

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Album Review: Lights - Little Machines

Oh Lights, where do I begin with your latest masterpiece? When the first single 'Up We Go' was released it was just before my trip around Europe which i'd spent the entire year slaving away at work for. The lyrics struck me and I wondered whether you'd picked up the art of mind-reading and chosen to devour mine. I held a dance party in my mind to the delicious tune and screamed along as loud as my inner voice could possibly manage... I probably looked like i'd lost my marbles.
Fast forward to a tiny hostel room tucked away in a corner of Ljubljana where I was almost at the end of my trip. It was an incredible journey I went on but not the easiest. On a tough day I holed up under the sheets and discovered you'd put out 'Portal.' The simple yet stunning tune circled my mind and made my excitement for the full album tenfold. Again, it was like you'd strung together a series of beautiful words and made sense of this mess in my mind. Just a couple of weeks later I was home and listening to the two very different but equally fantastic songs on repeat when I stumbled across a live version of 'Running With The Boys.' The audio wasn't great but I could hear the general sound of the song well enough to know it was another perfect example of your synthy brilliance. I felt sick with nostalgia for all the summers past that disappeared as fast as the leaves fell off the trees, 'we were half this heavy and twice this loud,' lodged itself in my brain.

When Little Machines streamed all the way through I don't think I moved for days, only to hit the play button over and over when the album came to end. 'Same Sea' made me want to straight up dance with the funky vocal pattern and infectious chorus all 'ooohs' and stomping drums. Picturing myself driving in my beat up little car, windows down as 'Speeding' crooned through my speakers all laid back, carefree vibes. I was already 100% sure this was going to be one of my favourite albums this year, perhaps even ever, when 'Muscle Memory' got its turn to dazzle me. The groove on that song is unbe-bloody-lievable! My brain yelled 'I quit!' and my heart burst with pride and excitement for you. Your vocals are utter perfection even the harmonies have a special place in my heart. And don't even get me started on the lyrics... 'I grew used to being back here.' You've definitely been reading my mind.

The heaviness of the music matches the somber subject of 'Oil and Water' where your contrasting delicate to strong vocals risk outshining the sun. I don't know whether it was on purpose either but I love how there is contrast in your vocals like oil and water and, I'm guessing, the people the song is about. One minute we're speeding then we 'Slow Down' but by no means does my eagerness to blast this album at full volume all day, every day. The moody, steady pace initially reminded me of Siberia but then the lively chorus hit and I was thinking how tired my feet are going to get dancing away to this album. The bleeping synths and layered 'ooohs' on the bridge, whilst simple, emphasises the spirited chorus and makes it hit that bit harder on the final round. Twinkling, spiky synths and a thumping beat introduce 'Meteorites' that will no doubt be winding its way around everyone's heads long after listening with its groove almost as epic as on 'Muscle Memory.' 

Your vocals lead 'How We Do It' with such charm I found myself grinning at my computer screen and wishing I had this song to blast on the endless train journey's through Europe when we had 'nowhere to be.' In a lot of places Little Machines felt like the perfect soundtrack to my brief adventure - from the moment I decided to go right until now where I'm at home suffocating under my wanderlust - but 'How We Do It' tracks the time I was actually abroad. 'Don't Go Home Without Me' is effortlessly gorgeous, the emotion in your vocals could have hardened men choking on their tears.

The bonus tracks are just as bewitching as the main album starting with the fragility of 'Child' and the darker, restrained sound of 'Lucky Ones' both sharing lyrics that are once more so on point it's spooky. For a moment, when I first heard 'From All Sides,' I thought I was in a western film with the twanging guitars that soon led into a song unlike any other on this album. The synths beep, bop and jump; the vocals soar and it ends with all the electronics cutting off into acoustic loveliness that I didn't want to end.

From start to finish Little Machines is breathtaking. Technically, it's a fantastic electro-pop effort that should make it's mark in the world of synths and capture the attention of a whole new wave of fans drawn in by the undeniable spark of it. Personally this album - which fittingly was officially released on my birthday - has carved out a special place in my own 'petrified heart' that's rebelling against leaving my teen years behind and trying to find a way to be okay with being stuck back in a valley and not running free. With every listen it gets a little easier so Lights, thank you.

Take Me Back: Reading Festival 2014 (Saturday)

La Dispute (Friday)

Saturday was the biggest write off ever. I slept in until midday whilst everyone ventured back to Tesco after we consumed all our alcohol the night before. With no one that we particularly wanted to see until Lower Than Atlantis we bimbled around and caught a little of Pulled Apart By Horses' set and Marmozets. Despite the packed out tent and their name frequenting all the alt-rock sites the angry-girl, guitar smashing set left me with the feeling that it was all a bit gimmicky as opposed to genuine which I was pretty gutted about.

Escaping to the Alternative Stage it didn't take long for us to be in fits of laughter as Daniel Sloss finished up his set. So carried away with the hilarity on offer from the likes of Matt Rees and Rob Beckett we ended up missing half of Lower Than Atlantis' set. The NME tent was at bursting point and it was clear the four piece had upped their game since the last time I saw them. Everything was that little bit more right down to the tightened production - I can still see the impressive lighting in my mind and how it really worked well enhancing their set. Catching the start of their second single - from their almost here and much anticipated self-titled album - "English Kids In America" the crowd was buzzing off the bands' fired up performance. Although they're Reading Festival veterans the band had a relatively short slot only managing to squeeze in nine songs, however, their veteran status has made them pro's at putting together a brilliant set so when "Deadliest Catch" and "Beech Like The Tree" followed on I wasn't surprised. The crowd was lapping it up, singing every word with enthusiasm that carried over into their last song "Here We Go." The funky first single from the self-titled was the cruelest set ender as the crowd was left begging for more.

Once more time alludes me as the next thing I remember is being in the dance tent during Pendulum's DJ set and Meg running off to be sick. Then we're at the Pit stage watching Architects and again Meg is chucking her guts up. A little while later with Arctic Monkey's playing in the background we decided to haul Meg off to the first aid tent. The verdict: food poisoning. Brilliant.

Take Me Back: Reading Festival 2014 (Friday)

After hurried packing a mere ten hours after returning to the UK I was in a car and on the way to Reading. Thursday went without hiccup unlike last year and the 'short walk to Tesco' fiasco. With a good camping spot, the near-by Tesco located and vodka in the system the mediocre fun fair almost seemed as exciting as Germany's Europa Park. 

Friday morning got off to a weird start with us taking spots at the main stage to watch Hacktivist followed by Crossfaith and if I was feeling sleepy two hours before then I certainly wasn't anymore.

With no time between the end of Crossfaith and the start of La Dispute, many would have witnessed my hysterical shrieking when the big screens came into my vision and frontman Jordan Dreyer was already on there shyly bouncing around. Their unique sound - and the list of people I know who like them being restricted to two - I was surprised to see the NME tent packed out. Looking around there were the kinds of people who were in attendance at the epic Cardiff headline show I caught earlier this year but also a wide array of people who I would've never have guessed were fans. Typically, the band played flawlessly with tracks mostly from their beautiful masterpiece Rooms Of The House with older tracks like the weighted 'a Letter' cropping up every now and then.
With his face bloody and voice shaking Jordan broke out of storyteller mode just long enough to timidly talk to the crowd about their best friends Touche Amore whose frontman joined the band onstage causing an excited uproar in the tent for a fantastic send off to La Dispute whose set unfortunately had to end. Whilst my heart swelled with pride at the sizeable crowd the five piece managed to capture I almost wish they'd been put in the Lock Up tent for a more intimate show like the Clwb gigs I favour over everything.

***

I've managed to lose about three hours of my life as I honestly couldn't tell you what I did after La Dispute and before Jimmy Eat World's first appearance of the day. Something about Jimmy Eat World makes me feel euphoric. These guys are verging on gods of my world. Completely adorable and with faultless music the grin that takes over my face when I see them could push Lewis Carroll's Cheshire off the charts. Opening with 'Bleed American' the crowd was wild from the start right to the kinda ironic end 'The Middle.' The crowd were with them the whole way through yelling along on those upbeat tracks 'The Authority Song' and 'Sweetness' or attempting to sing in key on the softer songs 'I Will Steal You Back.' I have a relatively short list of places I would happily stay stuck in a loop for forever and Jimmy Eat World gigs are pretty near top spot.

***

Staying at the main stage Enter Shikari were next to entertain our ears and just like back in 2012 it didn't take long for me to start questioning whether we were actually going to make it out of this crowd alive. To say that Shikari fans are enthusiastic would be the biggest understatement I could ever make. 'Solidarity' right through to 'Gandhi Mate, Gandhi' sees the craziest crowd melt under the sun until Rou just can't help but get educational on us all. Pre-'Anaesthetist' the crowd found ourselves cheering him on as he rambled about the NHS and the morons who run our country and whilst the chaos was momentarily calm it didn't take much to open the pits once more.

***

Checking all limbs were still attached we collapsed outside the Lock Up stage and heard some of Brody Dalle's set but with a crowd of people trying to get Greg James' attention we were distracted. Starting off as just two girls it wasn't long before what seemed the whole of Reading was gathered calling to him and throwing their demo's. Turning away for thirty seconds I near enough broke my neck when one of the mob screeched Paramore. Sure enough my favourite trio had taken seats in the Radio One balcony for their pre-show interview. Ecstatic and near bursting with excitement to be reunited with our Tennessee babes we unashamedly stared at the backs of their heads for half an hour until earliers reluctant goodbye to Jimmy Eat World came to an end.

It's at this point in the post I feel I should give a mention to how atrocious the sound had been so far that day. Most of the mics were no where near turned up enough and Jimmy's second appearance was almost twenty minutes late because of the sound system and when we finally got off to a start it turned out to be a false one with guitars having to be switched around as the sound was so bad. But anyway, I stood there kicking myself that I hadn't put a bet down that their headline set was to be Futures in full. The Reading Festival set time people were not in my good books as we could only catch 'Futures' 'Just Tonight...' 'Work' and 'Kill' before our final goodbye and mad dash to the main stage. It's Paramore time.

***

Joining a train of people determined to get a semi-decent position (yes, for Paramore I would be one of those people) we found ourselves stationed centre left of the stage in a mix of people that had faces of skeptics yet the moment 'Still Into You' blasted through the speakers the crowd was dancing and singing along with such force I thought we were going to jump the band right off stage.
Continuing with 'That's What You Get' I could feel everyone being absorbed by the magic of Paramore. Hayley spins and stomps her way around the stage probably throwing real-life fairy dust as she goes and Reading is falling hook, line and sinker for the blue-haired pixie and her best friends destroying the stage alongside her.

'For A Pessimist' starts off their feistier performance followed on by the ultimate angry song - 'Ignorance.' And the crowd is there with them screaming the first verse raring for the chorus when... nothing. The sound is out. Silence strikes the crowd before the murmurs and realisation that they don't even know hit us. Fingers crossed the sound will come back quickly the crowd carries on singing and sure enough before the last chorus the sound is back and impressively we're still singing in time.

Oblivious, 'Pressure' and 'Decode' go by without a hiccup when mid-speech and disaster strikes again. The 80,000 strong crowd stand there wondering just how long they're going to let Hayley talk before someone tells her we can't hear. Eventually, thanks to the front row, she's clued in and suddenly on a mission to figure this out. The crowd boos and chants mean things at the sound people unforgiving for the interruption of the best damn hooks of the last decade. Miming a mock temper tantrum Hayley plants herself on the Paramore box and tells us how they refuse to move until the sound works again - thank god, I was nearing a break down at the thought of their show being pulled. Some fifteen minutes later the trio sit together and we're told the system is down. The three may be terrified that they've lost it now but the worry need not exist as an acapella version of 'The Only Exception' takes place leaving the hairs on the back of everyone's necks standing on end. A landmark show in the bands' timeline truly became one to remember, initially for the wrong reason but the fandom united there and turned the disaster into a stunning moment in the trio's career.

Taking her spot in front of the keyboard 'Last Hope' reduced a good half of the crowd to tears with its brutally honest lyrics, I for one would be happy to watch Paramore play that song forever. Bringing it back to old school tunes 'Brick By Boring Brick' was followed by 'Misery Business' and one dinosaurs chance to be a part of Paramore history when she was handed the coveted golden mic for that killer bridge part. If by now the fandom wasn't already in pieces the trio's next move most certainly tipped us over the edge. RIOT's dark 'Let The Flames Begin' complete with the hair-raising outro continued into it's sister song 'Part II' and let me tell you I could see nothing through my tears. Any remaining doubters out there were soon silenced as their exceptional talent was blindingly obvious and undeniable as they poured their heart into those intense ten minutes.

Sadly it was nearly time to say goodbye but not before they had us all grooving once more to two self-titled tracks 'Proof' and and near everyone's new favourite Paramore song 'Ain't It Fun.' As we all sang 'don't go crying to your mama...' my brain tried desperately to make sense of this band and how it's possible to be so bloody incredible. I walked away from the main stage that night with the confirmation that being part of their fan base makes me part of something and that night that 'something' felt bigger than ever - the world truly is theirs and I don't think anyone dare complain.