Album Review: Spector - Moth Boys

Spector's second album Moth Boy was released last Friday. As someone who has never really heard any Spector before, I thought I'd give it a listen.

The band have been knocking about since about 2011, and the London outfit make a nice, bright post-indie/new wave sound.

You'll like them if you like Hurts, Interpol, Editors or White Lies.

What does it sound like?
Moth Boy seems to take inspiration from the best parts of Interpol, Delphic and The 1975 to form a really fantastic sound. It sounds like the natural progression of indie/electronica, without sounding too hip and pretentious.

Overall, it has a very well polished sound.

Best tracks:
- 'Stay High', 'West End'

'Stay High' showcases the more indie side of the album, and 'West End' showcases the more electronic side of the album. I think both are great songs, although 'Stay High' is probably the better song out of the two.

'Lately It's You' definitely pushes the most boundaries, however it doesn't fit as well with the overall feel of the album. It's a great closing track though.

Worst tracks:
- 'Decade of Decay'

I just didn't really like this song. I can't really put my finger on it, but it didn't really fit with the rest of the album, and sounded a bit jarring between 'Bad Boyfriend' and 'Kyoto Garden'.

Overall: 7/10

Moth Boys is a great album overall, and a great achievement. I can't give higher than a 7 as I don't know how similar this is to their older stuff.

As I've previously said, the album has a very well polished sound, but it feels like Spector are holding back a little bit on the oomph. Some of the songs are very punchy ('Stay High', 'Decade of Decay') while others are very glossy ('Believe', 'Using')

Well worth a listen.

End of hiatus...

Wow. I really haven't updated this in a long while. I've been listening to quite a bit of stuff this year, but I've been quite busy with other things unfortunately.

Fear not! I will be posting some quick fire updates over the next couple of weeks (minus the time I'm at Mysteryland and ArcTanGent).

So, what have I been up to? Well, I finished my 3rd year final exams at the end of May, and then did 3 weeks of project work for my Masters. Followed by 8 weeks of a summer placement. Yowzer.

Sandwiched in between the chaos was a beautiful little venture to 2000trees Festival (Upcote Farm, UK), which was simply fantastic.

I'll update this with a picture later, if I find any. Without nipples.

Anyways, here's some of the cool tracks I've stumbled across in the last 15 minutes or so.

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Lindsay Lowend's latest track on Soundcloud has a lovely, pure and dark feel to it. Fantastic beats, nothing more to say. Chiptune meets dub.

TEED's started producing some new stuff, and has launched his new record label, Nice Age. To commemorate the occasion, he's put out a new track with Anna Lunoe. The Orlando Dub mix offers something a little bit different, which I like.

BILLON's track Special is just plain fun. Standard deep house vibes.

And I felt like I couldn't go without including some of alt-J's new stuff. Very excited for their new album, and 'Every Other Freckle' is a great taster.

I'm going to be uploading some reviews of some albums I've been listening to over the next few days, probably two a day. Some are relatively old now (perhaps March/April), however some are perhaps more recent (last month). Keep your eyes peeled!

Album Review: Metronomy - Love Letters

Love Letters is the fourth album from English electronic act Metronomy. Is it any good? Does it hold it's own against their previous efforts? Almost definitely.

What should I expect?
If you haven't listened to Metronomy before, Love Letters is a hard album to describe. It's pretty dreamy and has this lovely late 1960s vibe throughout. If you like LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip and Kraftwerk, you'll probably like Metronomy, but even if you're more of a Mamas and Papas/Monkees kinda person, you'll still find some stuff to get stuck into.

How does it sound?
The album sounds amazing, quite frankly. The mix of '60s songwriting with '80s synths just mixes perfectly. The melodies are spot on, and the album grows on me more and more with every listen.

Love Letters definitely showcases Metronomy's songwriting talent more than previous albums. The songs on the album could easily be performed by others, and I can see a whole slew of covers and Live Lounge sessions cropping up in the future.

Metronomy have managed to modernise the classic love song format, and it really is great.

Best songs:
- 'Love Letters' and 'Never Wanted'

The title song really sums up the album pretty well, both in sound and lyrics. It's also a pretty damn good song. 'Never Wanted' flaunts Metronomy's downtempo side, and feels like their equivalent of an acoustic track. Truly something special.

The instrumental interlude 'Boy Racers' was my favourite song on the album, but I do have a soft spot for interludes. That being said, it is a great tune!

Worst songs:
- 'The Most Immaculate Haircut' and 'The Upsetter'

I was hard pressed to find bad songs on this album, but these two are probably the weakest. There's nothing wrong with them per se, however I liked these two the least, personally.

Overall: 7/10

Metronomy have consistently made great albums, while keeping their sound fresh, which is something to be proud of. Love Letters is no exception to the trend, however I do like some songs on the album more than others.

I don't think the album is quite in the territory of an 8, as I think The English Riviera is slightly better. That being said, Love Letters is a beautiful inward journey, that while lacking the punch of their previous album, really does draw you in.