The French DJ and remix master's second studio album finally gets released over here in the States. Living was released last summer in Europe and, if you're like me and already have the import version, there's no difference between that release and the US release.
This album shows Yuksek taking a slightly altered approach with the overall feel having an electropop vibe rather than a European house/trance aesthetic you might expect. All of the tracks have lead vocals although lyrics writing isn't Yuksek's real strength at this point of his career.
What are Yukesek's strengths are his ability to lay down a good beat and to craft catchy hooks on his synthesizer and these strengths are on full display over much of the album. His first single off the album, "On a Train," is an absolute blast with cleverly layered guitar, drums, keyboards and vocal harmonies. The clever hook draws you in and you are swept along by the subdued brilliance of the electropop song.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album can't replicate that track's greatness especially on the less eletronica-heavy numbers. Don't get me wrong, tracks like "Dead or Alive" and "Always on the Run" are very good songs that will have you listening to the album in its entirety but there's little doubt which track vastly outshines the others.
Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "On a Train" [sample it below], "Dear or Alive" and "White Keys"
The DuPree clan's indie pop band Eisley (four siblings and a cousin make up the band) releases a five song EP follow-up to their hit 2011 album, The Valley.
The album opens with "Lights Out" which has the catchy vocal harmonies we expect from the two sisters and guitar-driven melodies that could have come off most of the songs from The Valley that will please fans of the band. While on the track "Laugh It Off," Stacy and the other DuPrees channel their inner Fleetwood Mac with a subdued but enchanting melody and vocals that are just dripping with Stevie Nicks-esque levels of restrained emotion.
Once again Eisley does not disappoint. This sparse EP is easily the best new release this week. The overall feel of the EP is stripped down compared to their most recent full-length discs but the vocals are still heavenly and their song crafting skills are still as beguiling as ever.
Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Lights Out" [sample it below], "Laugh It Off" and "One Last Song"
The British power rocking trio release their second full-length studio album.
I admit I wasn't familiar with the band prior to this but a friend described them as a mix between Led Zepplin and The Raconteurs so I had to give them a listen. After listening to their new album, the band definitely has an old school vibe to their songs while the instrumentation has more modern, hard rock influences especially from the lead guitarist, Russel Marsden.
While I can definitely appreciate their style, I was less impressed with the song writing which seemed to wander between blues and heavy metal without finding firm footing in any particular style. The overall album has decent flow but, as much as I wanted to like the album, it failed to immerse me in its music. There is a lot of potential in the band but this album won't be their breakout disc.
Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Wanderluster" and "You're Not Pretty But You Got It Goin' On" [sample it below]
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