The 2nd Law by Muse

7/10 
 RATED: Meat is Murder 


Somehow this eclectic album is a disgusting pop explosion of rubbish but at the same time has something that charms you. Muse are updated, which is good, the album is entertaining but in some parts you want it gets hideous and make you lose patience.

The band, don't know if it's on propose, take a too comercial fad-pop road on this album, has too much theatrical  aspects like in a Glee homage episode to Lady Gaga. The record has bit too much 'epicness' and scifi-orquesta madness , a mess that makes the Queen tribute band is losing their essence  except for a very few Muse songs like 'Madness' ,which is very good, or 'Animals' which is a bit more edgy from what we are used to and both songs are like a modern version of Muse and how everything should sound on the album.The album starts with the overdone 'Supremacy' and the theatrical sound explodes more in songs like 'Survival' (worst Muse song ever) and keeps on twisted to dubstep in 'Follow Me' that sound a lot like a song which I can't remember and is also very 1970's dance. The problem is that the album mostly sounds too forced or too acted and doesn't sounds easy like in band's anterior works is very cinematic and somehow explosive but not in a rock way.


Unfortunately good songs on the album are the ones that sound like others bands or rip-off's like 'Explorers' which is a mix of sampling Queen with a Radiohead but in a lullaby version of muse and is the song that connects this album with previous one. 'Save Me' is also a nice song that sound like another band as much as 'Liquid State' but this one is sweet-hard-pop that could be rubbish but has a charm and a familiar sound. Other song that is a lot like queen 'Panic Station' which has an amazing sound, perhaps Muse want to make notice their influences but the thing is you don't copy your idols you have to reinvent them play with the inspiration and create something unique like they did.

The Album has a very like a Christmas record, every song has a cheesy intro and you don't what to expect although you know is going to be somehow familiar and warm. Also the songs crashes with each other, the album just doesn't flow at all theres a Robbie Williams-ish, 'Big Freeze', clashing with
'The 2nd Law's: Isolated System' that sounds like a hyper video game version of Coldplay and both songs fighting with a theme of holidays corny film instrumental intro which is "Prelude". But definitely the album is amusing with all those twists it takes, you could never be boring just lost and scared.

To Listen:Madness,Save Me,Explorers,Panic Station

Avoid:The 2nd Law: Unsustainable,Follow Me,Supremacy,Survival

Babel by Mumford & Sons

 8/10 
Rated:A Kind of Magic

Second album from the band and is as charming as the first one.With just a few changes like voice a bit more rustic and music a bit more happier the band managed to stay true to their style is almost an accompaniment of first work.

The songs are more cheerful and partying, mostly, than in the first record and more showing of the voice but is not bad only in  'Reminder' which is really ugly. Happy folk-rock sounds created a really enjoyable album with interesting twists in songs like in 'Hopeless Wanderer' that turns more rock a grateful. Are bits in every track that make the album interesting and keep you entertained. The folky beats are beautifully seamed together to make nice songs and have the very own style of the band all over.

Although too much quiet songs,still in the partying mood, are on this album but are not in the same style of the first album,
here the songs are less 'dark' or heavy, and have more intriguing nuances.The softness in the songs like 'Ghosts That We Knew' is really beautiful and has the perfect harmony between voice and music. The difference in this album with the previous one is not to big but the fact that Mumford & Sons has improve and get some bit of surprises in every song shows that they have grown up.

Everything flows by in the record from the more cheerful songs to the slow ones and the sound is easy to identify with the band. A more mature sound but not style not forgotten shows how much the band really focus on making good music and please first their own ears and then fan's. And They keep that feral sound really good .

To Listen: Lover of the Light,Babel,I Will Wait,Ghosts That We Knew,Below My Feet
Avoid: Reminder

¡Uno! by Green Day

6.5/10

Rated: A Kind of Magic

¡Uno! is obviously ,as the name indicates, the first album from a trilogy to be released in the 5five coming months. 

The band put aside the sound of the last 2 albums and recreated the sound of early works. The happiness and joy has make a massive comeback and shows why they are in the status they are. Good explosive fast punky tracks make the album really enjoyable and  surprises, like bits of rock-n-roll-y songs like 'Troublemaker' make it interesting. Voice and instruments are well balanced and attractive and with very own signature of green day in all songs. 

The only little  problem is that is the very high quality and there's a lack of rawness and almost sounding like Avril Lavigne or The Offspring in songs like 'Kill the DJ' or 'Let Yourself Go', but that doesn't make the songs that bad at all. Meticulousness plays a big part making the record really polish which takes off the 'appetite for destruction' of the band which is not really bad but little mistakes would been welcomed, is too nice sound. Sound a lot like Sex Pistols on really high definition so there is a absence of wildness, and is really needed but the good beats sorted it out.  

Although is what you expected from Green Day is a nice album that has the emotion from their 90's albums through the 00's vibes. 

To  Listen: Oh Love,Troublemaker,Let Yourself Go,Kill the DJ

To Avoid:Sweet 16

Push and Shove by No Doubt

6.5/10 
Rated: (I can't get no) Satisfaction 

The long awaited album of No Doubt is here and is a bit disappointing. The album has some highlights but is weak and not what you expected.

When you think of the band working on the first album in 10 years you expect is really really good and also to be like they very unique ska-punk-rock sound of No Doubt but there's a lack of it and is very missed. 'Sparkle' is the only song that reminds you of the old good band they were,but the whole album is a bit more pop and very very a la Gwen Stefani solo works. The pop sound comes mostly from the music and not the voice seems like band were asked to make Gwen's voice brightly, she's there in almost all songs but the band is playing for her 3rd album maybe?. There's quiet too much pop influence on the album is almost a Katy Perry one (listen to 'Gravity' and 'Easy' to hear it) which is basically what you expect from Gwen and not from the band.

The band returns to where they left and there's little notes of their previous album but they modernized far too much the sound adding and electronic sound, to make it hip and to join the present but didn't blended well. The mix is good for a bubblegum pop album and would definitely  be a 10/10 if it where from a solo singer.On the bright side the album is not boring  , has it's very good moments but has not a no doubt signature.

Perhaps there's was too much pressure and the band choose to took the easy way and release a descent album and entertaining (meh) but is far too much from what you expected from No Doubt there's a lack of their unique sound a lot of 'what-will-hit-for-now'.

To Listen:Undone,Settle Down,Sparkle,Undone

Avoid: nothing really bad to put here just weak album 

Battle Born by the Killers

 7/10 
Rated (I can't get no) Satisfaction

The Killers are back and a bit too far away from their last album and a little to close to their origins and beginning but weak, or at least big part of it.

At the start of this album is very mixed and with no direction, "it is going to be a Scissor Sisters dance and Christmassy  album like the first track 'Flesh and Bone'?  or it something a bit Brandon Flowers' Flamingo like the single 'Runaways'?" , those are the first thoughts to the album but at least they start changing as the album progress and gets better.

The Album has a very weak part that almost kills the essence of The Killers. It seems like the band tried really hard to make a record that sound something between 'Hot Fuss' and 'Sam's Town ' but sounds like a prequel of both. and is a bit confusing because Brandon tried to bring the very Nevada sound back as well. 'Here With Me stardust' and 'The Way It Was' makes the first part of the album better but the rest still weak.Faint lyrics, like in 'Here With Me', the band is lost and the singers makes a big effort like in 'Miss Atomic Bomb' all elements to almost sink the band's career. Apparently the singer was the only one on the mood to show what the band can do: powerful tracks sort of anthems.

But if you ran away the awful part of the album and finally reach the last 4 song you'll be amazed in how good the band sound when they want.'Heart of a Girl' is in their very own fantastic style and overshadows, easily, the hideous things you previously heard. 'From Here on Out' is like a Killers old good song it has the power and an incredible beat.And in 'Be Still' the band finally reached the sound of 'Hot Fuss' and sounds delicious. 'Battle Born' is also an amazing close to the album but is like a modernized version of the killers and perhaps a good introduction to new works.

What stitches the album together is the 1980's sound the nice songs and ugly songs have that in common. Keyboards and Synthesizers make the album very vintage. Songs thats sound like Journey as 'The Rising Tide' or very powerful beginnings but not explosive tunes like 'A Matter of Time'. The 'Sam's Town' and 'Sawdust' style are also in the album but not as stronger as they were like  the song 'Deadlines and Commitments' which is powerful with vocals but the band seem not to be participating .

This album could been a lot better if the bonus tracks were officially songs from the list and be there instead of the dreadful ones. The bonus tracks are amazing and very Killers, what the first 5-7 songs are missing. On the bright-side the very good tunes take over the horrible ones and make  the band still on the run.

To Listen: The Way It Was,Heart of a Girl,From Here on Out,Be Still,Carry Me Home(bonus),Prize Fighter(bonus)

Avoid: Flesh and Bone,Here With Me,Miss Atomic Bomb,A Matter of Time,

Mirage Rock by Band of Horses

 8.5/10 
Rated: Music is my Radar

Perhaps Band Of Horses will never release an album that is a milestone but they never fail to deliver an album that is timeless and enjoyable from beginning to end.
"Mirage Rock" is an album with balance, everything calculated  in space and time  nothing shading anything.

The record has an good vintage vibe and is less ghostly than previous works, 'Knock Knock' is the perfect introduction for what to expect, found nice blend of instruments, great voice and 1990's-not-mainstream touches. Delicious guitars accompany whole album, especially in soft-slow songs like 'Shut-In Tourist' which is relaxing and a bit long but like 'Everything's Gonna Be Undone' the sound and softness of it makes it enjoyable. The guitar is amazing as well in tracks as 'How to Live' ,which exposes the vintage soul of the album, or the most fun and fast cheerful song 'Feud'. But the guitar is not the only good thing about it all instruments play massive tunes and are mixed with a beautiful voices such as the astonishing 'Slow Cruel Hands of Time' that has the ideal balance of everything.'Long Vows' also has a great voice and instruments.

Although all songs are very connected and on the same rock sound is astounding how the album is anything but boring. Twists and taking different roads that take you to the same place make the album very enjoyable and easy to love. 'Dumpster World' is an example of the twists that the record takes, it changes from slow to super fast so well and retakes the sound later without confusing. The album has switch-overs of more happy beats to balance to mildness of some tracks, 'A Little Biblical' and 'Electric Music' are so much entertainment to be true and the sound they have is incredible.A bit of Folk to  'Long Vows' and the weirdness of 'Heartbreak on the 101" make an album even more full of joy and pleasant.

So this album is a wonderful collection of good songs that will be underrated but always be in the sake of making great music and for enjoyment of people who will hear it. The band still got what make them unique and enjoyable.

Highlights: Electric Music,A Little Biblical,Slow Cruel Hands of Time

Gallows [self-titled] by Gallows

7.5/10

Rated: A Kind of Magic

First full album without Frank Carter and is noticed from the start. Although they have released a previous EP, 'Death Is Birth', with new singer, Wade Macneil,the clash between voice and instruments is well show in the first song, 'Victim Culture', from this new Gallow's album but with time the album gets better and returns to what the band's style, Hardcore-Punk.

The record starts with an intro, which becomes a constant element in some songs that starts low to really laud, in sort of a controlled explosion. 'Outsider Art' is one of those songs with a quiet start that starts to accelerate gradually until itblows up magnificent without being amok trash. 'Austere' is also one of those songs, but this is more 'immature' and wind down.

The whole album is compound of blasts thats goes from naught to 1000 in a second and it can occurs from the very start of a song like inCult of Mary' , which have a perfect balance of voice and instruments but weirdly ends in Lana Del Rey-ishchorus, or bangs can come after slow downs in songs like in the americanized and with an incredible to-keep-pace, Odessa that sound incredible in always and talks about Cadillacs, vomit and rats what else you can ask for.

Frank Carter's contributed to put the Punk to Hardcore-Punk and is a bit missed in some parts but almost from the second song that's very enjoyable, 'Everybody Loves You (When You're Dead)', you get that feeling of harmony, the combination of voice and notes/beats, reaches preceding band's works. 'Depravers' has also a almost perfect sound, it's balanced and with a more relaxed voice.Also in a relaxed tune is 'Cross of Lorraine', that is a good post punk track a but there's a lack of something.The sound of instruments built this record and have like a combination of old good genres for example the single 'Last June' has elements of 70's Punk influenced by Rockabilly, a total great blend with guitars and drums as well .'Nations / Never Enough' is a song that have the harmony and bursts but but some how is not quiet there. Another song that is out of concept or something is 'Vapid Adolescent Blues' which is almost that, vapid adolescent post punk something that sounds like what they called 'Pop-Punk' like Green Day but very immature and cheering up like Avril Lavigne goes Hardcore. 

Which is really good and interesting in the album is how a song leads to another with repeating some elements but without making it tedious, is almost adorable. Another good thing that doesn't make the album boring is the rapidity it has and the mix of instruments and genres or levels of hardcore and sometimes is even mixed with Psychedelia. An enjoyable album to listen to alternative music and poke around other vibes and take you to places/mixes you never knew existed although some clichés might come out eventually.

To Listen:Outsider Art,Everybody Loves You (When You're Dead),Depravers,Odessa 

Avoid: Nations / Never Enough,Vapid Adolescent Blues

Coexist by The XX

7/10

Rated: ???? 

With not much difference from their debut album the band is back. The sound hasn't changed and style still the same. The only thing that has change is harmony with the voices the album took a dialogued-language-duet direction.

'Angels', first single, leads all the songs, is the first song and displays what the album is about weak : voices great music. The voices are a bit feeble compared  with the work on instruments for example  in 'Reunion' has an beautiful tropical-ish sound but the voices are lost and also 'Try' has a great music but the band seems to have not reached the perfect balance like in their first record. 'Sunset' also a good pop-y sound with nice guitars but it has nearly a distracting conversation which is pretty annoying but not as annoying as the sound of horses galloping in 'Missing' that also has the worst vocals in the album.

Sound is stuck in the naughties, but really good, is sort of a wave that came out in the middle of the 00's but never got to explode due to 'emo' and indie rock, the sound of the genre was really good and thankfully The XX is bringing exhibiting out loud. The relaxed beat makes a captivating album, 'Fiction' is the one track that shows very well all this blend, 2004-2008 vibe plus soft and interesting sound.Theres also a clubbing or on-the-way-to-the-club sound surrendering, mostly the end last tracks. 'Tides' makes the dialog better and is pretty good and dance could been better without the building-under-construction sound but is decent. And on the dance theme there's also the theatrical 'Swept Away' which is more Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor, a bit dark, dancey and nice baseline with a piano that reminds Clocks by Coldplay.

The really bad thing ,aside not good mixing with the voice, is the way the band tried to connect the songs they're meant to be played continuously, and The XX repeat elements from the end of previous song on the beginning of the song next song, and thats the easy way to make it but is floppy and messy. Another problem is that good songs are like cut off like the dreamy-good sound 'Chained' which also could be a better end to the album than 'Our Song' that has many highs and lows so as the album. Unfortunately they not bringing nothing new. 

To Listen: Chained, Reunion,Swept Away

Avoid: Missing

Come of Age by The Vaccines

 5/10 
Rated: (I can't get no) Satisfaction:

Probably this album came out too soon, and is just a repetition of their debut album but just far TOO MUCH polished. There's not something remarkable or astonishing on this aside that Justin Young sound drunker and they are now more like a Surfing version of the Kings of Leon's Come Around Sundown.

What was lovable from The Vaccines was the rawness and the unpolished tracks, but now they sound fancy and refined. There's also a lack of passion, like they did it just to have a laugh.Songs like 'No Hope' ,'Bad Mood' which has an horrible voice, ' All In Vain’, and the Mumford & Sons bad rip-off ‘I Always Knew are boring and repetitive. They also ripped of riffs from their first album in ‘Change Of Heart pt.2.’. And the sound of instruments doesn't save the record because crashes with the blurred voice, though is fine in 'Weirdo'. The way they put it together, the posh sound with the weak voice is very bad.

The album has songs/parts that meant to be more Pop, like 'Ghost Town' that sound very indie 'rock' sort of Arctic Monkeys but with bubblegum pop touches. There's also the hideous and lady gaga-ish ‘I Wish I Was A Girl’, that mention fashion labels, that's not what makes it Gaga ,it's the style and that's predictable.The Vaccines really tried to sound like a mix of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles and obliviously failed and what the album sounds like is like an awful mess of a dull Beady Eye tribute band and is very showed in  'Aftershave Ocean'. Probably a hard failed attempt,at any cost, to make something like what they did in 'What Did You Expect..'.

For an album full of 'Woah' and 'oohh' 's you expect something less boring but unfortunately there's a lot of boredom and this is an album that was made without commitment, is easy to notice it. This album doesn't even work for a b-sides album is very floppy and The Vaccines have some amazing b-sides.

Recommended: Teenage Icon, Weirdo
Not To Listen: Aftershave Ocean,All In Vain

BEACON by Two Door Cinema Club

7.5/10
Rated:A Kind of Magic


They have change a bit and all for good. More in the "commercial" side than their debut album but more enjoyable as well.

Unlike the previous album this has highs and lows in a beat-y way and that's what makes it not boring at all. 'Tourist History' was good but sort of plain nothing amazing but now with 'Beacon'
the band have found a more catchy and enjoyable electro-pop-rock sound. The new vibe is felt from start to end, since the first, ,'Next Year',song you can hear a more pumped up beat that easily overshadows their previous work. The album continues with 'Handshake' which shows the evolution very well and thereafter the album become even more delightful.


All songs have a incredible inviting beat. Two Door Cinema Club reached the harmony between voice and incredible well played instruments. In songs like  'Beacon',the unfortunately too short 'Pyramid' and 'Sun' the bass plays big part and make them sound absolutely brilliant. The rhythm is so good that in 'The World Is Watching' and  'Wake Up' it turns more dancy, and both have a vintage style and impressive music.And the extraordinary sound of instruments doesn't stop in the more relaxing songs like 'Spring' which is so enjoyable and probably their best. 'Settle' also starts a bit quiet but gradually explode in glee. There's also a song that sound amazing and is more like a reminder or a connection to their previous album and recalls to The Strokes as well, not just for the title 'Someday' but for the guitars.

Although fans will say "they will never top Tourist History" they will like it because they improved their work and I would say the first album was a descent job but this album is a lot better perhaps I would have put songs in  another order but aside that every thing's fine.Everything is in place and on time.

Recommendations: Spring, Pyramid, Handshake, Next Year, The World Is Watching (With Valentina)
Not So Much: Sleep Alone