Tag: rca records

#Review: MUNA – About U

‘About U’ is MUNA’s must-have debut album – a thoroughly powerful and stunning release!

Matt Wright - Muzik Speaks1 Comment

   

facebook-like

Instagram

In case you didn’t already know, MUNA are an American band consisting of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson, who have been hard at work, crafting their own unique sound and brand of “dark pop”; this is their debut album, About U.

muna-about-u

About U is an incredible debut album; it’s production is slick and the lyrics are playfully honest. The band have ensured to steer clear of gender pronouns to ensure their songs are able to resonate with a person of any gender or sexuality, yet they still cover a wide variety of topics; relationships, heartbreak, regret, freedom and individuality. Yes, it’s an album predominantly about the ups and downs of love, but MUNA have definitely taken a refreshing stance on it.

What I love about this album is how the style of it flows superbly yet each song has its subtle gems in the production, that make each and every one of them stand out.

It features all the fan-favourites (‘So Special‘, ‘Loudspeaker‘ (an unapologetic anthem for being your imperfect self – a real highlight of the album) and ‘Winterbreak‘) as well as their newest single ‘Crying On The Bathroom Floor’, which is packed with melodrama. Then there’s the huge, hit single, ‘I Know A Place‘ which is pure pop perfection – it’s catchy as hell and the lyrics provide unity; it’s an anthem for the LGBTQ community and has provided a beacon of hope for those who’ve suffered horrendous attacks in recent times.

The band’s sound is stunningly well-crafted; from the huge, euphoric synths and drum pads to the subtle, endearing guitar licks, Katie Gavin‘s vocals weave beautifully across the tracks. At times she has a vocal style similar to that of Katy Perry and the use of vocoders is subtle yet haunting – very reminiscent of Imogen Heap.

Some of the stand-out tracks (besides the singles) include ‘Around U’ (an anthem of detachment; freedom from a former lover), ‘After’ (an exploration of the feelings you get from the morning after the night before) and ‘Promise’ (an admission of lies that have been told, after it’s too late). ‘End Of Desire’ and ‘Everything’ are fantastic songs too.

All-in-all, this album is the perfect debut and thoroughly deserving of the rating I’ve given it. There isn’t much I can fault with it. It almost allows you to forgive yourself for past mistakes you made and empowers you to take control of your life by embracing the highs and lows of love and relationships. A thoroughly powerful and stunning release. I honestly reached the end of the record and wished that they could release another album of new music next week!

Rating
5.jpg

‘About U’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/about-u/id1171832662

About U on Spotify

‘I Know A Place’ (Official Video)

‘Loudspeaker’ (Official Video)

I hope you enjoyed ‘About U’ as much as I did! What are your thoughts? What would you rate it? Please leave a comment below or let us know via our social media.

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#MellowMonday: You+Me – ‘Unbeliever’

Matt Wright - Muzik SpeaksLeave a comment

You+Me Banner

This song is beautiful; in fact this duo sound beautiful! Their album is stunning too!

In case you haven’t heard of them, You+Me are comprised of two sensational singers; P!nk (Alecia Moore) and Dallas Green (AKA ‘City & Colour’ and singer of post-hardcore band ‘Alexisonfire’). The project came about when the two met through mutual friends. They sang together on various tours, just as friends, until one day their schedules opened up and they got together to compose some original songs.

This song hasn’t actually been released from the album, however it’s such a beautiful song, it needs to be shared. The video below is a live performance of the song, but it sounds pretty true to the album track. I also love the way Pink messes up – it’s endearing.

Please share the link to this song as it deserves to be heard by many! What #MellowMonday track are you listening to today? Leave a comment below.

Matt – Muzik Speaks

#ThrowbackThursday / #ThrowbackThreesday: Lil’ Chris Special (R.I.P.)

Matt Wright - Muzik Speaks2 Comments

Lil Chris Banner

This week, I have decided to do a Lil’ Chris special for ‘Throwback Thursday’ and have changed it to ‘Throwback Threesday’ as there are 3 of his songs that I’d like to share.

As I’m sure you are aware, Lil’ Chris has been struggling with depression and unfortunately, suddenly, passed away at the end of March 2015, at the young age of 24. However I want to look back at his positive achievements. He first came to public attention back in 2006, when he took part in Channel 4’s Rock School, hosted by Gene Simmons of KISS – he was selected to front the band of the show.

After the show finished, Lil’ Chris went on to sign a record deal with RCA Records and released his first single, ‘Checkin’ It Out’, in September 2006.

Lil’ Chris – Checkin’ It Out


Then, in December 2006, Lil’ Chris went on to release his second single ‘Getting’ Enough??’, as well as his debut album, ‘Lil’ Chris’.

Lil’ Chris – Gettin’ Enough??


Finally, in October 2007, Lil’ Chris released his last single, ‘We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off’ from his second and final album, ‘What’s It All About’. The song was a cover of the Jermaine Stewart R&B/funk classic, released in 1986.

Lil’ Chris – We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off


I know that Lil’ Chris wasn’t necessarily everyone’s favourite singer, but he had some catchy songs, loyal fans and worked very hard. In 2012, he played a part in James Bourne’s musical ‘Looserville: The Musical’, in London’s West End. He also launched his own clothing label MAML in 2014. The most recent thing he was working on, was a comeback summer anthem, Louder with Guy Barnes, which you can hear below.

Lil’ Chris – Louder


I hope, like me, your thoughts will be with his family at this time and that you will remember the brief joy he brought to the pop-rock world and enjoy his hits and cheeky-chappy videos.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks