Category: music

Posted in music

Pebble Brain – New Lovejoy EP

Posted on by Emily Baynham

What can I say, I’m a sucker for some good music

The new Lovejoy EP “Pebble Brain” was released on YouTube at 12:42am. It’s already racked up over 1.3 million views on the first day of release. It’s out on Apple Music and Spotify right now! Linked at the bottom of the review.

Lovejoy are relatively new on the indie rock scene with their first EP being released in June. Prior to this Will Gold, who is the lead singer of the band, released his own personal music under the pseudonym “Wilbur Soot”. Despite being new, they’ve excelled massively with millions of streams on their first EP “Are You Alright?”. Most songs on “Are You Alright?” have featured on many popular playlist’s on Spotify such as “Today’s Indie Rock” , “*hits different*” and “Gaming Lounge”

This EP has huge boots to fill and not to get ahead of myself but I think it has exceeded those expectations far beyond anyone would’ve thought. It is a natural progression from their first EP. “Pebble Brain” sounds a lot more developed and like they have settled into their sound and found a style that works for them. You can see they’re heavily inspired by the artists that they listen to such as Bloc Party, The Wombats and Two Door Cinema Club. If you wanna hear what other tunes inspired the EP Will has made a playlist you can listen to here.

The first song on the EP is “Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?”. This track is so catchy. The chorus “now now you need to calm down” is stuck in my head. The little piano tune at the start was cute. I really like the plucky guitar and the subtle hint of the trumpet. The instrumentals as a whole are super lively. You can totally tell that they were listening to the likes of The Wombats while making this. I feel like it’s a bit rough around the edges which I enjoy and it works for them. It is one of the tracks that grows on you the more you listen to it.

The next track is “Model Buses”. The bass on this tune is SEXY. It’s by far the standout in this song for sure. I love the constant use of trumpets throughout the whole EP. You can tell exactly what sound they were going for when making this track. I think Wilbur’s singing here is amazing, the instrumentation sounds great, is all mixed really well and it has a lot of uniqueness to it. In both of the tracks so far, Wilbur has a different tone to his singing compared to their first EP but honestly, I’m here for it.

“Concrete” is so far my favourite song on the EP. I think it’s a really mature sound for them. Again, the bass at the start is stunning and the drumming pattern is unique. When the guitar comes in I feel like this tune becomes quite surf-esque. I like the singular drum beats and guiatr chords leading up to the chorus. Then the build-up of both guitar and drums after this gets me hype. Again, the use of the trumpets gives this song a lot more depth. It’s genuinely very well made and they’ve done such a good job of making the whole EP a continuous sound.

Thank you to TommyInnit for getting them to keep Perfume on the EP because it is GORGEOUS. I can see why he likes it so much. They’ve really nailed the whole indie rock thing on the head. They sound hugely similar to other bands in the genre but they have a bit of flair about them. This record has got such huge potential. Wilburs vocals are really getting pushed to their limits which I love (not in a weird way). They’ve nailed the groovy guitar on this one too. It is a solid tune.

“You’ll Understand When You’re Older” is the fourth tune on this track. It’s got the trumpets, the really clean guitars and intense drums like many of the other songs on this EP but I don’t think it’s boring. Every track has its own flair. It eventually goes into a slower and quieter part of the song which is really nice. You can really hear the extent of Wilbur’s vocals here and it’s stunning. The guitar riffs towards the end of the tune completely sold it for me. It just gave me visions of jamming at a gig to it and it filled me with (love)joy.

Now “the Fall”. Two words to describe this tune is GROOVY BASS. Ash has done the bass justice on this EP. It is beautiful. It’s mainly just hi-hats and bass until suddenly a really great drum line comes in and there’s yelling in the back of the mix which complements Wilbur’s aggressive singing. I also noticed a northern twinge in some of the words he was saying which made me giggle. I think this is the most unique song on the EP by a mile it doesn’t follow the normal, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus formula which I think breaks up the song nicely. I saw a comment on youtube saying that it sounds like Will is letting out his inner theatre kid which made me howl and now that’s all I think about when listening to this song.

The final track on this EP isn’t a new tune. It’s all futile! It’s all pointless! is a previous song of Wilbur’s. It was featured on Will’s single “Maybe I was boring” toward the end of the song at around the 10:15 mark. It was a nice surprise to see this song on there and I think they did it justice. The acoustic version is nice if you’re wanting a chill song but the new version just adds so much more to it. It gives it the oomph the acoustic version was lacking. Again, the instruments on this song have been executed beautifully and it was a lovely way to end the EP.

Overall, the EP is on par with “Are You Alright?” I think with a few more listens it will top it for sure. I love the trumpet theme throughout the whole EP and I think this really tied all the songs together. If I was to pick any song to be their first mainstream single it’d probably be “Model Buses” I feel like the radio’s and other mainstream media would like this one the most. I can guarantee probably all of these songs are going to be on big Spotify playlists in no time just like their first EP. I’m genuinely excited for what’s to come of these lads because I think it’s going to be massive. Obviously, this EP isn’t perfect but it’s literally their second EP. There’s things that couldve been done better like I would’ve liked the vocals to be crisper but thats just me. It’s miles better than some of the second EP’s I’ve listened to over the years. They’re developing their sound and growing as a band and this EP showcases all of this.

(P.S. hello LoveJoy if you see this. You’re very cool 🙂 I’m no big-time reviewer and this is all just for fun but I hope you like my thoughts about the EP. Huge props to you all <3)

Follow Lovejoy here:

Twitter – @LVJYonline

Insta: @lovejoyonline

Youtube: Lovejoy

Spotify: Lovejoy

Apple Music: Lovejoy

Posted in music

New LoveJoy EP – Sneak Peek

Posted on by Emily Baynham

A few days ago Will, the lead singer of LoveJoy, gave us a sneak peak of LoveJoy’s new EP which claims to be finished at the end of September/ start of October. and I am buzzing.

During his twitch stream a few days ago will decided to give all LoveJoy’s many fans an insight on what the new EP is going to sound like and the vibes are already immaculate. He played the first 30 seconds of two songs and it sent the chat wild.

LoveJoy are relatively new on the scene with their first EP being released in June. Prior to this Will Gold who is the lead singer of the band had his own personal music he released, Despite being new they’ve excelled massively. With millions of streams on their first EP “Are You Alright?” this second one has big boots to fill. Their top steamed song is “One Day” which is a Wombats/Los Campensinos! inspired tune that is severely addicting. Most songs on “Are You Alright?” have featured on many popular playlist’s on Spotify such as “Today’s Indie Rock” , “*hits different*” and “Gaming Lounge”

Fan seemed very happy about this sneak peek and it became a trending topic on twitter:

loving the memes omg

As you can see the LoveJoy stans are HYPED and so am I. Very excited to see what’s to come and to hear more of what LoveJoy has to offer us. I guarantee its going to be good. I’m putting a lot of faith in these sneak peeks.

Here is the clip of the sneak peek.

credit to user: DREAMSMP VOD’s

Posted in music, The Top 5

The Top 5: Albums that shaped me as a person

Posted on by Emily Baynham

Music has made such a huge impact in my life and I don’t know where I’d be without it. There have been several albums that have really stuck by me over the years but here are my top 5. It was so hard to condense them all into this list. It took a lot of listening and a massive pros and cons list. So here are my top 5 albums that shaped me into the person I am today.

  1. Wasting Light – Foo Fighters

Now I know what you’re thinking it’s not “The Colour and The Shape” nor is it “Sonic Highways” but it’s bloody good. I remember when it first came out in April 2011. My uncle is one of them people who buys an album and listens to it for about 3 months straight and then buys another. He bought this and played it every time he dropped me off at school for 3 months and I fell in love. It was the first foo fighters album I’d heard all the way through and I was mesmerized. Dave Grohl’s voice was addicting for my little 11 yr old ears. One of my favourite tracks on the album is “Arlandria” which is a great tune to shout the lyrics to in any setting. “Rope” is also another favourite the guitar absolutely shreds and Taylor Hawkins on the drums just completes the track. “These Days” gives me such nostalgic vibes of rocking out with my uncle and it still gives me goosebumps. I could listen to this album for the rest of my life and not get bored with it. This album was the start of my love for the foo’s and Dave Grohl. I class Dave as one of my many idols and I adore him.

2. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

If you know me then you know I LOVE the Beatles. This is such a classic. I’m not condoning drugs in any sense but they were all high as kites and they created such a masterpiece I can’t even fault one track on this. I first listened to this when I was about 13 and it’s all I listened to for at least a month. I used to just sit in my room with my headphones on and close my eyes and just vibe. I didn’t have too many true friends growing up so music was my escape and when I discovered music like this my little mind was blown. I know this album like the back of my hand. A few notable tracks on this album are “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” its pretty much about a psychedelic experience and that’s how I felt listening to it for the first time, “Within You Without You” I can confidently say why I first listened to this I had never heard music like it and my 13 yr old brain really didn’t know how to process it but its become one of my favourite tracks. Their creativity shone through in this album and I love it. (even though they were drugged up).

3. Teenage Dirtbag – Various Artists

I know this is probably cheating as it’s a compilation album but I don’t care. My little pop-punk heart loves this album so much. Again, my uncle bought it and played it in his car and again I fell in love. By this point, I had already started listening to My Chemical Romance and I’d been a long time Avril Lavigne fan but this album opened up the pop-punk world for me even more. This album is where I discovered my love for Bowling for Soup who is now one of my favourite artists. It has such bangers like “All-Star” by smash mouth, “Sell Out” by Reel Big Fish which is the first ska inspired song I’d ever listened to and “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard (rip they’ve broken up). This album opened my eyes to so many new bands I’d never heard of and I was ecstatic. I still listen to it every week. It is also a banging car album. I cannot count the number of times my uncle and I have sung this album, all the way through on car journeys.

4. 5 Seconds of Summer (Self Titled) by 5SOS

I first listened to 5SOS in my best friends bedroom in 2013 after convincing myself I’d never like them. She showed me some of their earlier songs and music videos and I fell in love. This album came out when I was 14/15 and I feel like that’s a really influential time in anyone’s life. It massively influenced my music taste and fashion too. I started to wear more flannel shirts and ripped jeans and doc martens. I thought I was the shit. 5SOS are still by far one of my favourite artists. They have grown musically since 2014 and their newer stuff is awesome. You can still tell they’re influenced by pop-punk but they adapted to give themselves a more modern sound. Some of my top tracks are “End Up Here” it gives me huge All Time Low/ Blink 182 vibes and I love it. “Amnesia” has me crying every time I listen to it. I’m a sucker for a sad song and this one just hits me right in the feels. (link to my sad song playlist here). “Kiss Me, Kiss Me” feels like it should be in a coming of age movie where they’re doing a montage of a group of teenagers having fun. It’s such an upbeat track and the drums before the chorus always get me hype.

5. Scouting For Girls by Scouting For Girls

Scouting For Girls brings back so many fond memories for me. Me and my sister, Beth, used to sing them all the time with my mum and I hold this album near and dear to my heart. Countless times we’d be dancing around the living room to “She’s So Lovely”. We would change the lyrics to she’s so ugly and point at each other. Beth and I still sing those lyrics now. It feels wrong not to. Their songs are also heavily featured in the hit movie “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging” featuring Georgia Groome (who’s now had a baby with Rupert Grint). Whenever I listen to them I just imagine the main character Georgia running through Eastbourne in that massive olive costume. Some of my top tunes on this album are “Elvis Ain’t Dead” mainly because it reminds me of my auntie. She was convinced that Elvis was still alive somewhere and the thought of it makes me chuckle. “I wish I was James Bond” is such a catchy tune and there’s just something about the lead singer, Roy Stride, that makes me want to sing along with his voice.

Some honourable mentions are:

  • Intertwined EP – Dodie
  • Up All Night – 1D
  • The Balcony – Catfish and The Bottlemen
  • The Specials – The Specials
  • The Seldom Seen Kid – Elbow

Well, there you have it! The top 5 songs that have shaped me into the person I am today. Without these tracks, I really don’t think I’d be the person I am today. They all hold so many memories that I will cherish forever. I cant wait to see this list again in 10 years and see how much my music has changed. Music influences everything in your life from style to the way people act. It’ll be interesting to see if any of these albums will still be on this list by then. This list was really hard to narrow down but I’m happy with my choices.

Here’s a link to the playlist with all the albums on it (excluding honourable mentions)