Microscope In Our Heads

Well, that'll teach me to open my big mouth and try to make a dignified and sophisticated prediction of Euro 2012. The group stages are done and dusted, and already three teams I tipped to make an impact have limped out of the competition.

Russia, who were so impressive in their opening game and boasted the likes of some of my favourite players, Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko and Pogrebnyak crashed out in a manner in which I still find hard to believe. Holland, my personal pick for the winner of the tournament itself went out without a single point to their name and some pretty disappointing performances, and of course the Republic of Ireland, who even though were drawn into an extremely tough group, I was still hoping to see some sort of performance to be proud of. Instead they got completely destroyed by all their opposition, and all the heart and gutsy performances I was expecting from them went mysteriously absent. It was like that bit in Space Jam where the monsters steal the talent from the basketball players. I've never seen Shay Given perform like that before. It was scary. It was upsetting. I had to go through at least three Cornettos before I could speak again.

With the tournament progressing and me very rapidly running out of Cornettos, I'd thought I'd dedicate this post to a rather happy part of my life at the moment. Unless you've managed to block all my social network posts which in all honesty is probably a correct and logical move, you probably know that Hot Chip are one of the few select bands that I have nothing but undying love for, and that they have released a new album a week ago. Being the ever dedicated fanboy, I gleefully picked up a copy of the album, but just before I skipped to the checkout, giggling like a Teletubby after downing a bowl of sugar, I spotted another album nearby by Riz MC, the alias of the actor Riz Ahmed. Having also followed his work quite closely and eagerly  awaiting his musical work, I picked it up as well and pondered. Do I buy Hot Chip? Do I buy Riz MC? Then I thought I might as well buy both, because you know, ROLO and all that.

Haha. ROLO. Yeah, fuck you, YOLO. YO-LOL more like.

 

Riz MC - Microscope

This might shock you to your very core, but I'm not exactly the kind of guy who listens extensively to hippity-hop. I used to, back in the days of forced conformity that was secondary school, but those days are long gone. Yet, I am incredibly happy of my purchase and hugely impressed by this début album.

There's a lot in here to sink your teeth into, such is the variety and depth of the album. There's the whole 'skit' system going on, which I personally haven't encountered since the days of Eminem, adding another layer onto to the album. The theme of these skits is based around a secret agent fighting against a futuristic threat of sorts, something again you wouldn't expect from a hip-hop album.

Much like the nature of the majority of Riz's film work, his songs manage to retain the hard-hitting nature he is so well-known for. You got songs like 'People Like People' and 'Dark Hearts' which do a devastatingly accurate and dissecting analysis of modern socialisation, 'All Of You' is a downright dirty and hedonistic affair, with suitable thumping bass and lyrics to fit; a song which I found myself having to urgently cross my legs with an embarrassed look on my face whenever I hear it in public.

Before you know it, however, you'd reach the end of the album and 'Sour Times'; an unbelievable contrast to the rest of the album. With minimal musical assistance, Riz basically spills all his emotions right there and then for the listener; no walls to defend himself and no sense of holding back. This was Riz MC laid bare, a poignant and stunning end to the album.

This isn't so much a breath of fresh air to the genre; more like an air turbine being blown directly into your face mere centimetres away. The lyrics are definitely smart and thought-provoking, and the electro presence definitely gives it a modern appeal. It's a sharp little album, a confident start to his music career, and definitely a worth a look.

Rating: 8/10

Hot Chip - In Our Heads

Hot Chip makes you dance. That's simply how it is. Dogs bark, cats meow and Hot Chip makes damn good beats. There comes a question though. For how much longer can they keep something like this relevant and fresh?

Their first album 'Coming On Strong' was anything but. Much unlike their later albums which involved a number of crazily addictive beats, it was a tentative and minimalist piece of work; a dip of the toe into the vast sea that is the music industry, and that's how I liked it. It was a subtly enjoyable and chilled record, unlike the obvious, loud albums that followed. Similar to enjoying a quiet chat with someone at a party as opposed to the drunken, boorish, 'look-at-me' type dancing in the middle of the room with a lampshade on their head.

So where does that put the other albums? That's the problem. All the other albums seem to be drunken, boorish, 'look-at-me' types dancing in the middle of the room with a lampshade on their head. Although each subsequent album comes with its mellow tunes here and there, it constantly fluctuates between that and  heavy bass drums and squealing synth. By no means a bad thing, but it does lose some of its variety and uniqueness. So where does that leave In Our Heads?

Well you can expect more of the same, but the thing is that it does feel fresh, albeit very subtly. 'Night and Day' is the first single released by the album and although another insanely dance-able tune, the lyrics themselves are very...suggestive. Not on the same scale as 'All Of You' as mentioned previously, but still a song that might require a shower or two afterwards. 'How Do You Do' and the 80's inspired 'Don't Deny Your Heart' keep up the tempo throughout the album before everything comes right with the slow, affectionate 'Look At Where We Are'. Then there's the 7 minute emotion journey 'Flutes' which is a complex number unlike much of their previous work, and as if they read my mind, 'Always Been Your Love' is almost a throwback to their early days; a simple, emotional number that gives the album just that little bit more soul than previous attempts.

If you're new to Hot Chip, then you could do a hell of a lot worse than go for 'In Our Heads', but for an old-timer like me who's been with them pretty much since the beginning, it's pleasant but I'm still waiting for another 'Coming On Strong'. It's an enjoyable album for sure with some stand out tracks much like the nature of Hot Chip, but there will always be that nagging odour of sameyness drifting around it. Not powerful enough for you to retch, but enough for you to start considering lowering the windows and busting out the Oust Air Freshener.

Rating: 7/10