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Album Review: Tones and I, ‘Welcome to the Madhouse’

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Of all the recent all-consuming single chart sensations, none defy belief as much as Tones and I’s ‘Dance Monkey’: a plodding and grating hit that came from Australia seemingly out of nowhere, a track filled with some of the most insufferable vocal tics and inanely catchy production this side of Crazy Frog. After dropping in 2019, it’s now one of the biggest musical commercial successes of all time, including Tones and I – real name Toni Watson – becoming the first female artist to reach over 2 billion streams on Spotify.

A funny thing happens when you top the charts in over 30 countries: you get a large amount of leeway to make whatever you want next. So it is with Welcome to the Madhouse, Tones and I’s much-anticipated, long-delayed debut album, a record that, though it fails in terms of execution, is at least fiercely independent. Most of it was written by Watson and self-produced by her, the artist relenting on hiring a backing squad of production talent when she likely could have secured the services of any of the mainstream’s big hitters. Perhaps she should have: Watson’s production is so crudely awful that there must have been some oversight, most noticeably on the wannabe party track ‘Won’t Sleep’, the ghastly tropical touch of ‘Westside Lobby’, and the gloopy experimental electronica of ‘Child’s Play’.

The title track and album cover go hand-in-hand, hinting at a self-reverential quirkiness. “I’m kooky, I’m different, welcome to my crazy world,” Watson seems to be saying invitingly. The vocals, though. While there is ever reason to be in favour of vocal integrity and innovation in pop music, to save us from the unceasing blandness of crooning and cooing interchangeable dullards, Tones and I presents a problem: it’s so whining that it becomes unlistenable at certain points; she often sounds like a particularly theatrical am-dram member. Her vocal chops are incessant and rarely come off seamlessly. It essentially sounds like Watson is trying too hard to sound distinctive. 

The lyrics far outweigh the production in terms of quality, although not by much. ‘Fly Away’ and ‘Cloudy Day’ are predictably radio-friendly, faux-inspirational pieces for mainstream play, the latter featuring a cloyingly sincere chorus (“Look up into the sky/ Find the sun on a cloudy day”). Such a sentiment is too vague, and it’s when Watson is unafraid to be pointedly personal that leads to the album’s best track. “My song went number one in over thirty fucking countries and I’m sorry if that offends you,” she scolds in ‘Westside Lobby’, an ode to her whirlwind career path that has drawn sexist detractors from the gutter; listening to the song, you don’t begrudge her the surprising success (intriguingly, Watson also tones down her idiosyncratic vocal delivery the most on this track, speaking the lyrics as if deadpan to the camera). 

Watson is famously private, so much so that her real age isn’t even on Wikipedia. It’s to be admired, certainly, but Welcome to the Madhouse was perhaps the opportunity to let her fans inside her world a little more: instead of bringing them into a haunted house of distorted mirrors, a little more realism might have been worthwhile. Though a meagre piano ballad, ‘Lonely’ offers a meaningful exploration of the mental health struggles Watson has experienced since becoming a star; ‘Fall Apart’ and ‘Just A Mess’ are the only other significant moments where she strips the chaotic funhouse atmosphere back. Not that it matters: the album went to number one in the Australian album charts anyway. There’s no stopping the Tones and I behemoth. 

Milan Ring Drops New Single ‘Hide With You’

Sydney R&B artist and producer Milan Ring has released a new song, ‘Hide With You’ (via Astral People Recordings/[PIAS]). Follwing recent single ‘BS’, the track is accompanied by a music video created in lockdown with director Caitlin McCartney. Check it out below.

“‘Hide With You’ is about the search for freedom; hoping that one day, in the vastness of space & time, we find it together,” Ring explained in a press release. “This is a song I hold very dear to my heart and has provided great healing for me. I hope that it may do the same for others also.”

How to Check If a Used Car Has Been Stolen

Before purchasing any used vehicle, make sure its past does not hold dark secrets. Unfortunately, some sellers are unscrupulous, so they conceal facts that would deter buyers. Luckily, you can check auto background easily — just run a quick check of the identifier.

Every vehicle sold in the United States since 1981 has a unique 17-digit code. Known as VIN, it allows you to obtain full reports about the history and specifications of any car or motorbike. No two numbers are the same, which is why you can check stolen car by VIN easily. Any accidents, repossessions, damage, and other critical events are also highlighted instantly.

Prevent Big Mistakes

Even when the deal seems irresistible, do not pay until you are sure the vehicle is legit. An online check will prevent you from buying illegally traded property. If you see that the title has been hijacked, cancel the deal and contact law enforcement. This check is recommended by state authorities.

How to Find the Code

The sequence is always stamped on non-removable elements. It includes numerals and letters except for those that are easily confused — I, O, and Q. The location varies depending on the manufacturer and model. Some typical locations include:

  • The windshield on the driver’s side (bottom left);
  • The front side of the frame near the container holding the washer fluid for the windshield;
  • The well of the rear wheel above the tire;
  • Under the spare tire;
  • The door jamb on the driver’s side.

If VINs Don’t Match

The number on the vehicle must match the sequence in any paperwork that comes with it, including the owner’s manual. In case of a mismatch, you have grounds for concern. If there is no number at all, this could mean the vehicle was not produced for sale in the US, so it may not be registered in the country.

Finally, you can see different numbers on the vehicle itself. This often happens when cars are hijacked. Most consumers only pay attention to the number on the windshield, so thieves do not bother changing the other ones.

Additional Benefits

Finding out if the vehicle was stolen is just one of the benefits. The full report will tell you about any suspicious events in history before the car was returned to the owner. For example, it may have been damaged. Generally, buyers should never presume that a car that was hijacked is safe for driving.

You can use the check on your smartphone. During the visual examination of the vehicle, find the number and enter it into the search field. If you see that the car is stolen, inform the police, but do not tell the owner to avoid problems.

Spiritualized Announce New ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’ Reissue

Spiritualized have announced a vinyl reissue of their landmark 1997 LP Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space as part of the Spacemen Reissue Program. It’s the third edition of the series following re-releases of 1992’s Lazer Guided Melodies and 1995’s Pure Phase, and it’s due out September 10 via Fat Possum. Check out a newly unveiled uncensored video for ‘Come Together’ below.

Talking about the album, the band’s Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) said in a statement: “We went out to America ahead of recording this record. John [Coxon] had joined on guitar and I’d recorded the title track and a number of other demos that ended up on the finished record. But we got to play Cop Shoot Cop and Electricity live and to work them out before we recorded them for the record and then John became integral to the band. He came from a world of Syl Johnson and Al Green, Teenie Hodges and Reggie Young; a different world within the guitar lines. And then there was Kate [Radley]’s hugely influential keyboard that was relentless and loud.”

Pierce added: “I like Pure Phase the best of these four records, but people still say Ladies and Gentlemen is where everything kind of came together. I’m still astounded by both records, where they don’t let up. There’s no kind of curfew. Or no ‘you can’t stay on that section for that length of time.’ They sit on where they arrive and stay there, and I found that kind of amazing.”

Why I Didn’t Sleep At All Last Night by Mindaugas Buivydas

Mindaugas Buivydas, the Lithuanian photographer who explores nature through the eye of emotion, released a splendid series named Why I Didn’t Sleep At All Last Night. The series explores eerie nature absorbed by overwhelming mist, reflecting the broader works of Buivydas, which examines similar stylistic themes.

Find more work by Mindaugas Buivydas here.

Album Review: Darkside, ‘Spiral’

A certain aura of mystique permeated Darkside’s music even before they decided to take an eight-year hiatus. But when visionary electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington first joined forces, the appeal was as immediate as the music was innovative: their lauded 2013 debut Psychic melded worlds both old and new, allowing various electronic and rock forms to congeal into a single, alluring entity. There was room for both artists to learn from each other as they combined their individual strengths, yet they sounded fully locked into the cavernous, prismatic nature of the project as early as on their 2011 self-titled EP. The Darkside universe was one they could explore in endlessly unpredictable ways for years, but it’s only now, after a series of successful solo ventures, that they decided to reunite for a full-length follow-up.

If there is an air of nostalgia surrounding the new album, Spiral, it’s less to do with their musical approach or shared influences than the general atmosphere that led to its creation. In a recent interview, Jaar spoke about the youthful playfulness that drove much of the process: “With Dave we have a very silly band name and it really brings us back to being 14-year-olds,” he said. In that context, his categorization of Darkside as a jam band makes a bit more sense, hinting at a looseness that doesn’t contradict so much as enhance the group’s meticulous arrangements and striking focus. Spiral’s greatest achievement might be proving that those elements aren’t mutually exclusive, that the two musicians can ease into a familiar groove without losing their grip on what made their union unique in the first place – which is why the album sounds as refreshing and immersive as its predecessor, even if it’s not quite as inventive.

Written during a week-long session in Flemington, New Jersey in 2018, Spiral is a markedly introspective work, drawing attention to the intricate details that are sprinkled throughout instead of some grand vision. If the atmosphere on Psychic seemed alien, here it is grounded in the familiarity of the natural world, seeped in earthy, organic tones that are delectable and dense even if the overall effect lacks some of the fluidity that has often been attributed to Jaar. The album’s 9 tracks unfold with patience and control, crackling with texture that ripples through and sometimes bubbles over the frame – and the moments where it does are its most memorable: the guitar solo at the end of ‘I’m the Echo’, sounding not so much unhinged as disturbed by its own mirrored presence; the chaotic layers of noise that underpin ‘The Limit’. The latter also happens to be the album’s catchiest track, proof that Darkside are at their best when they establish a pulse and subtly suggest the organism could dissolve at any moment; when they simply pare things back, like on the title track or ‘The Question Is to See It All’, the results can feel disappointingly aimless.

Fortunately, Spiral rarely falls into that trap. ‘Liberty Bell’ boasts one of Darkside’s most satisfying grooves, and the acoustic guitar outro is a prime example of the group at its most dynamic and exciting. This has always been a project bolstered by contradictions, but here some of them diminish its impact: when the joyful ease that characterizes the duo’s collaborative approach clashes with the lingering confusion of the songs themselves, the album can feel tonally inconsistent. This might have been less of an issue had not the album’s lyrical concerns or Jaar’s vocals been more prominent, because even as they are pushed into the foreground, their resonance continues to elude the listener. The relationship between sound and concept remains an intriguing one, but the ideas don’t always come through as intended.

A crucial exception is ‘Lawmaker’, the album’s brooding centrepiece, in which Jaar’s vocals assume a more dominant role as he tells the story of a doctor-turned-cult-leader. It’s the sole moment on the album where the underlying tensions reverberate with clarity, like opening a window and actually absorbing the atmosphere of a polluted city. Spiral’s commentary may not run very deep, but the general idea of “being OK with the flux of the spiral” is reflected in the malleability, if not the boldness, of the duo’s improvisations. It’s a fragmented, even comforting journey – but allow yourself to get lost in it, they suggest, and you may be surprised with what you find.

This Week’s Best New Songs: The War on Drugs, Dave, Low, Cafuné, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.

On this week’s list, we have the lead single and opening track from The War on Drugs’ new album, ‘Living Proof’, a plaintive, quietly rewarding reintroduction to the band’s sound; Low’s ‘Disappearing’, another gorgeously warped single off the group’s upcoming album; the beautiful ‘Phoenix’ by Big Red Machine, a collaboration with Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and Anaïs Mitchell; Dave’s James Blake-featuring ‘Both Sides of a Smile’, an outstanding, evocative 8-minute highlight from the London rapper’s new album We’re All In This Together; illuminati hotties’ lovely new song ‘u v v p’, a surf rock- and country-inflected track complete with a spoken word segment from Big Thief’s Buck Meek; Cafuné’s ‘Empty Tricks’, a dynamic and stirring highlight from the duo’s debut full-length Running; and Penelope Isles’ ‘Sailing Still’, a slow-burning indie rock ballad set to appear on the group’s sophomore LP.

Best New Songs: July 26, 2021

Cafuné, ‘Empty Tricks’

The War on Drugs, ‘Living Proof’

Low, ‘Disappearing’

Big Red Machine feat. Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell, ‘Phoenix’

Song of the Week: Dave feat. James Blake, ‘Both Sides of a Smile’

illuminati hotties feat. Buck Meek, ‘u v v p’

Penelope Isles, ‘Sailing Still’

Skepta Announces New ‘All In’ EP Featuring Kid Cudi and J Balvin

Skepta has announced a new EP titled All In. The five-track project arrives July 30, and it includes features from Kid Cudi, J Balvin, and Teezee. Check out the tracklist below.

Skepta most recently released the new song ‘Lane Switcha’, a collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the late Pop Smoke, as part of the F9 soundtrack. He previously appeared on Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon III track ‘Show Out’, also featuring Pop Smoke. His most recent album was 2019’s Ignorance Is Bliss.

 

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All In Tracklist:

1. Bellator
2. Peace of Mind [feat. Teezee & Kid Cudi]
3. Nirvana [feat. J Balvin]
4. Lit Like This
5. Eyes on Me

Kanye West Reportedly Living at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Finish ‘Donda’

Kanye West has reportedly moved into Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium while finishing work on his long-delayed new album, Donda. The rapper and producer took over the venue on Thursday night to host a listening party for the album, and according to TMZ, he has not left the stadium since. The outlet reports that West has constructed a studio space and a place to live inside the stadium, and has even hired a private chef to prepare his meals. West is therefore expected to miss his Rolling Loud Miami performance this weekend, sources with direct knowledge told TMZ.

On Saturday (July 24), West was spotted wandering around the stadium during an Atlanta United football match that took place there while wearing the same outfit that he wore during the listening party earlier this week.

Donda was supposed to arrive on Friday, July 23, but no album materialized. Internet personality Justin Laboy, who has been posting updates throughout the album’s rollout, claims the album has been pushed back to August 6.

Album Review: Charli Adams, ‘Bullseye’

Despite Charli Adams’ 2020 EP, Good at Being Young, marking the singer-songwriter as a kind of millennial mouthpiece, her debut album, Bullseye, opens with an apology for the stories she has yet to tell. “It’s all spilling out/ Sorry for oversharing,” she intones as soft electric guitar melodies curl around her mournful vocals. And yet the album’s eleven offerings are neither messy nor excessive. Synthesising emo, grunge, and ’80s electronics into a chromatic and ever-surprising sonic backdrop, Adams retraces her trauma until she ventures upon shining moments of confidence. 

The opener, in line with Adams’ apologetic tendencies, undercuts its own solemnity with the title ‘Emo Lullaby :’(‘. The result is a deceptively earnest ballad with piercing observations and falsetto yearnings reminiscent of Phoebe Bridgers. Muffled harmonies and hints of distortion create the sense that Adams is projecting her tender vocals across a great distance, like ribbons of light shooting across a black sky. There is certainly the impression that an absence is trying to be filled here; “Never liked silence too much/ It tends to scare me,” Adams admits, but her silences are perfectly populated with crackling guitar and slick drums. ‘Cheer Captain’ provides a dose of punk with powerful strings and a more lively beat that reinforces Adams’ attempts to overwrite her vulnerability. In a piercing yet delicate moment she notes, “I’ll take it all off so he says that he wants me/ ‘Cause I’m a people pleaser,” adding later, “I don’t wanna be her.”

Such a desire for urgent change haunts Adams in most tracks, snowballing, often, into painstaking self-criticism. Amid patterns of whirring synth and keys in ‘Didn’t Make It’, an early single, she deplores, “I was looking desperately/ For something I would never see.” Yet, in this record, vacancy is always voiced with paradoxical precision. Even when looking into the past, nothing escapes Adams’ view: “You forgot but I remember/ Everything about it now,” she sings in the next track as frenetic guitar is smoothed out by her airy falsetto and the velvety vocals of Ruston Kelly. For all the chasms and fault lines Adams attempts to cross in these songs, there is a pleasing sense of fullness and vibrancy in even her gloomiest tales.

She is at her most spirited, however, when returning to the roots of her previous EP and chronicling her not-so-distant youth. In the anthem ‘High w/ My Friends’ she laments, “I was so good at being young/ Now I’m growing up,” but she is proficient in sketching her teenage days in all of their chaotic glory. Spurred on by a snappy digital drum beat and snatches of twinkling keys, Adams conjures a dance-pop portrait of recklessness and spontaneity that wrestles with its own fleetingness. “What if we sit in the moment and feel it/ Watch our shadows on the ceiling,” she proposes, “God knows I need it right now.” She opts for an even more colourful disco feel in ‘Remembering Cloverland’, which layers keys and flurries of synth with buzzing guitar solos to give the sense of bright planets dancing in orbit. “We made it magic, but what a shame/ The days are fading away,” she remarks, but affirms in a rush of elation, “If we could go back, baby, we would do it the same.” 

But youth, in Adams’ eyes, is dangerously volatile; scenes of innocence and warm nostalgia are noticeably absent in the later track ‘Seventeen Again’, which betrays the burdens of adolescence. “You’re all I’ve ever known/ I’m a tourist with a camera phone,” she sings, and the entire track – Adams’ most popular single – is imbued with an eerie sense of displacement (“I’m an echo,” she chants in the bridge) fortified by harmonies from Welsh singer and producer Novo Amor. Such hushed despondency also simmers in ‘Bother With Me’, which melds soft acoustic guitar with more glittering ’80s keys as Adams asks, “So what about me/ Makes everyone leave?” Desolation and uncertainty often threaten to swallow any flashes of assuredness, though empowerment endures in ‘JOKE’S ON YOU (I Don’t Want To)’ as Adams dismisses men who act “Like everything’s for sale/ But baby I’m not.” 

Traversing such a wide expanse of experience is no mean feat, but Adams crafts her narratives with eloquence and the kind of emotional awareness that appears practiced but never forced. Closing the project, the title track gathers elements of both anguish and courage from its predecessors to create a sense of bitter determination, with more humming electric guitar ringing out after Adams’ vocals evaporate. Swinging between strength and fragility, then, seems to be her greatest accomplishment. For all of her doubt and detachment, she certainly hasn’t missed the mark in this debut.