Shared a Beacon of hope for new indie music

Firstly I must apologise, to those who genuinely read/enjoy this, for how long it has been since I last blogged. I've had a pretty busy summer what with weddings/civil partnerships, the Olympics, holidays, hockey tours, physiotherapy, osteopathy (as if I ever wouldn't be writing this without some sort of physical malady) and work all distracting me from the joy that is pumping my thoughts and opinions onto the internet. However, I have managed to wake up early on a Saturday morning - first Saturday of the National League Hockey season (at home vs Beeston); time to write - but what to write about?!

There are probably lots of things that I should be writing about based on the above list of distractions but it would seem that each one seems too broad to cover in the time I have available to get this post up and out before I toddle off to Cannock.

I recently decided that I needed some new music. I enjoyed an almost nostalgic summer music experience, listening back to pretty much every album I had on CD in my journeys across the world or to and from work but I found myself looking for something new. One of the albums I bought was Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club.

For those of you who don't know who they are, visit their website here. Their catchy music has been dotted over TV adverts for the last year, so you probably know them when you hear the right tracks. I was lucky enough to be treated to seeing them live as part of last year's NME tour with my bestest Kassie Fleet. Whilst I had their first album Tourist History in my car for pretty much 3 months solid after that gig I had let them slip from my mind and ears for the whole summer. Then I got an email from Amazon telling me that Two Door were releasing their second album, Beacon. 

I took the gamble and pre-ordered it. Which actually makes me wonder why on earth I did that: Why pay for something you want in advance, especially CDs? Economically, you incur a cost to yourself with no immediate benefit, logically the transaction should give you a benefit at the point you incur the cost e.g. you are thirsty, you buy a drink, you drink the drink, benefit realised. Never mind - anyway it arrived... 

The album is brilliant - all killer with no filler, which is a massive contrast to other albums I have bought recently. I imagine it was difficult to follow the success of Tourist History - the only other artists who I can think of at this precise moment who smashed a brilliant first album with their second would be The Arctic Monkeys or The Maccabees (who I gather have just been nominated for the Mercury Music Awards; probably nothing to do with me blogging about them though).

There is just something about them which sets them apart from other indie artists. In reality their music isn't that much different from others of the same genre, but the way they bring it all together just seems more like a finished article, almost commercial. I suppose it is this attribute which makes it seem as if it is a guilty pleasure to like them. If you didn't know what they looked like, you could imagine them all in matching suits with slick hair and beaming smiles. In reality they are a are a skinny-jean clad three-piece indie rock band from Bangor and Donaghadee signed to a French label - about as edgy as it gets!



Why I think the album is such a success it is that they have put just the right amount of diversity within the album but stuck to the winning formula from the singles that brought them success off the first album. I imagine they are already, but they should be very proud of Beacon. The lyrics are great and their trademark riff/chorus line combinations work a treat. It genuinely sounds like they have enjoyed bringing this together and sharing it with the world. Lucky us!

My favourite track so far is Sun, which I think is next single release - having given away Sleep Alone as part of a twitter campaign push for the album. Check it out on Soundcloud.

They were great live and will be touring the UK in early 2013, so get your tickets you'll be in for a treat should you go see them. 

In short, a Beacon of hope for new music. Original, happy music. Enjoy it x

Listened to Given to the Wild, and liked it.

How I got here and why Given to the Wild will change your life, potentially.

So often you hear of the 'difficult third album' where surely, as an artist, you must break from tradition - not stick to what has previously brought you success.  Often I imagine it being a force external to the artist who utters the suggestion to 'try something new'. I may well be mistaken, I have made mistakes, for more mistakes please continue reading. 


I am no music critic but I know what I like (and what I don't) and I wanted to explain how this record went from zero to hero for me but I just can't seem to get the right words in the right order, so I'll start from the beginning and who knows where we'll end up.


I really like The Maccabees - who for those who don't know - they are an indie rock band who have released three albums so far; Colour It In, Wall of Arms, and their most recent album Given to the Wild.


I first saw them as part of an NME tour of 2006 in my first year of university. I went with my then girlfriend, Alice, on what I assume I (not we) can class as a date! I'd only really heard of The Fratelli's (where the hell did they go?) within the line-up but was pleasantly surprised to encounter not only The Maccabees but also The Dykeenies (Nothing Means Everything, well worth a listen) & Larrakin Love who brought you the infamous (quite literally not) 'Happy as Annie' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSm_xmWbOeI  - sadly for those who have now discovered this track, I have to inform you that they have now split up.


The Horrors were also there, but they were terrible so I won't post any links for them.


So I was smitten, stood close enough to enjoy the gig without fear of Alice complaining about people barging into her, Orlando Weeks had stolen my ears with his melancholy and hushed tones of lost-love regret backed by catchy chords. Suitably impressed by both their on-stage energy and lyrical qualities I went off to buy Colour It In and I have never looked back. But alas this post is not so nostalgic going forward.

I like miserable music. 

Live, Love and Lose - then you can make music.

So without trying to give an album review, here is my review of the album: It's mind blowing, a lyrical gem, but I still think synths are best left to those who use they wisely.


Given to the Wild was snapped up by eager fans earlier this year having (if you are anything like me) exhausted Bombay Bicycle Club's A Different Kind of Fix. Prior to the getting the album I listened to Pelican, the first single release from the album.

Everyone must have heard Pelican and thought 'wow'.

It was full of harmony, sweetly reminding us of time's winged chariot drawing ever nearer (thanks to Andrew Marvell for that GCSE English reference) - Live life, it's here and now and this is exciting! Surely the rest of the album will follow suit?! 


Alas, Pelican seemed at first listen to be the only track worth listening to again. I discussed my initial reviews with friends that I thought they could have been 'braver' that they venture too far from the catchy riffs I fell in love with and someone had brought a synth to a guitar party - Something was different, and I didn't like it. 


Regardless, I agreed to go with friends to see them in March as they are currently touring on the back of the new album release - secretly (well, not so much now) hoping that they'd suddenly drop all new material and play every song on the last 2 albums, in order.


I don't know what happened but here I am, 6 weeks after my first listen, and I am ready to tell you to return to every third album you have, listen to it all the way through and enjoy it. You may only live once but music can live forever, and the third time's the charm. I'm struggling to source the catalyst for this sudden wave of realisation but the most important thing is that it happened. I am now enlightened and all previous misgivings are forgiven.


The format of any story is to convince you that it's worth reading further than Chapter 1. The album starts brightly and glows throughout with a warmth scarcely felt in the winter. I am not going to go track-by-track, but here are some snippets so you can go and explore further should taste-buds be tempted:

Feel to Follow:

How was I to ever believe it 
It's never too late 
Until it's too late and I'll be stranded 
And I'll need something

Ayla:

It's a weight off my mind I could trust you 

You could tell me it's fine 
I could sew you a stitch and save nine, Ayla 
None more admired and out of soft focused desire 
From honeyed milk to funeral pyre, Ayla 

Glimmer:

In each and every tide things are lost 

Things we must not lose sight of 
No matter if you're tired 
Why suppose oracles can let you know?

To those who haven't listened to The Maccabees I hope that you do now, those words are powerful without melody but are truly brought to life in performance.

The album begins to race away from you and before you know it the CD has stopped and you cant believe you've reached the end, which is the beauty of most great works - no one wants Voldemort to die, but he has to, I suppose.

I'll leave you with this, and a kiss.

Orlando Weeks told the NME: "'Given to the wild' is the first line on the album and was a title idea we had pretty early on. But it wasn't until we'd finished recording that we could come back to it and know that it suited, it just felt right."


So do what he says for all albums you never really bonded with - come back to it and know that it suited, it'll just feel right - potentially it'll change your life x