I meant to post this last Friday, but I came down with a cold instead. Boo…
To go along with my last post on new albums from The Americas, here’s my offering on what I think is new and relevant coming out of the UK right now.
Pixie Lott “Turn It Up”
I’m not sure how I found out about this artist, or if I even remember why I wrote it down and went looking for it at the music store last week, but I sure am glad that I did. Currently, her debut album has only been released throughout basically the REST of the world, but I hear a murmur that it’s going to be coming out here stateside later this spring. “Turn It Up” is an eclectic mix of pop – ranging from a Motown-inspired sound to reggae to a more urban mood.
There’s really nothing revolutionary here, including the Lady Gaga-inspired Here We Go Again, but it’s a fantastic album from someone at the tender age of 18. And because she sings with such force and expression, you can help but listen along and inevitably tap your foot to the infectious beat.
Download now: Mama Do (Uh-Oh), Cry Me Out, Nothing Compares, Here We Go Again, and Hold Me In Your Arms.
Daniel Merriweather “Love & War“
I first heard him on Mark Ronson’s 2007 album “Version” singing a cover of The Smith’s “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before”, which was an instant hit on the charts. In 2009, Merriweather finally released his full length debut album “Love & War” in the UK. It entered the charts at #2 and gave him two top 10 hit singles, Red and Change. So, given the success of Ronson’s album, along with Merriweather’s success with his own album, “Love & War” has been released here in the US.
It is an excellent collection of soulful tunes, a cohesive album with a very distinguishable sound. His duet with Adele is the highlight of the album, the moody Water and a Flame. (On a side note, hearing Adele sing makes you long for her to make another record, so if you’re a fan of hers, beware.) “Love & War” is filled with a lot of different feelings, and Merriweather’s vocals carry that weight throughout.
Recommend: The whole album…
Mumford & Sons “Sigh No More”
Let’s just say this from the jump: Mumford & Sons are like what the lovechild of the Avett Brothers and the Fleet Foxes would be. Regardless, their album “Sigh No More”, which has just been released here in the states, is pretty damn good.
Banjos, guitars, quirky lyrics, and quirkier vocals make up this debut. They describe themselves as a ”gutsy, old-time sound that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the might of Kings Of Leon, and their incredible energy draws us in quickly to their circle of songs, to the warmth of their stories, and to their magical community of misty-eyed men” (from their website). Pretty heavy, but in truth, it’s actually pretty accurate.
Try these: Sign No More, Little Lion Man, and The Cave.
And next up, look for my thoughts on the weirdest, yet undeniably good albums that I bought last week…
Enjoy everyone!
-B
