BUSH,
Snoop Dogg
Looking at Snoop Dogg’s 2013 release ‘Doggumentary’ on
Spotify and every song (bar one) hosts the explicit certificate that would have
made me feel truly untameable had I been listening ten years ago. Controversial
lyrics actually aren’t a part of ‘BUSH’ at all, with rap taking a backseat role
to baselines that are truly enjoyable purely for their relaxed, funky sound
that somehow reminds me of smooth 70’s disco. ‘California Roll’ is easily the best hit on the album, with Stevie
Wonder’s influence automatically adding a timeless element to the song, ‘Peaches N Cream’ is more upbeat, but
Snoop’s classic soft vocals chill the song out. The whole album is incredibly
effortless, relaxing and a generally good record for background music. 7/10
English Graffiti, The Vaccines
Back in 2011, my answer to the question ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’
would have been recklessness and vocal depth, and a whole bunch of songs that I thought I could listen to for a long time, but with the release of this new album I might have to say I don’t quite know. I really want to like 'English Graffiti' – it’s unquestionable that Justin Young has the song-writing capability
to twist simple lyrics into the kind of powerful anthems that made 'Norgaard' and 'Post Break-Up Sex', I’m just not all that sure that
this is really shown off on 'English Graffiti' as much as on the record’s predecessors. But where
lyrical sincerity is compromised, a new territory has been explored by the
band: everything’s more robotic and tracks such as ’20/20’ and ‘Minimal
Affection’ really represent a movement towards pop-rock, which is generally a genre I like. Action-packed and
categorically energetic, English Graffiti is a vibrant wake up for The
Vaccines, but I might find myself returning to their older material for
something with more depth and impact. 5/10
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