Tag: Mika

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Music Music reviews

Recent Listening Episode IV

Here’s what I’ve been listening to since [23rd October 2006][].

[23rd october 2006]: http://pete.nu/blog/2006/10/recent-listening-time-again/

The Information **The Information** by *Beck*

I’m coming to the realisation that *Beck* was all about *Odelay* for me. Ever since then, I have listened to each subsequent album less and less. *Mutations*, *Midnite Vultures*, *Sea Change*, *Guero*… they taper off gradually. Not in terms of quality, necessarily, just in terms of how much attention I have given them.

I think it all dates back to when I was at school. I rewrote half a dozen of the songs off of *Odelay*, substituting his nonsensical lyrics with my own bat-shit crazy bollocks, probably about pencil cases and bunsen burners and something like that. This gained me some small amount of notoriety from three people. This directly led to Craig and I writing songs about masturbation and Santa Claus on my dad’s acoustic guitar, which led to us buying electric instruments, which led to us forming a band, which led to us recording an album and playing a gig, which led to more gigs, which led to… you get the picture.

Yeah, this is a very roundabout way of saying that I haven’t listened to this album much. Sorry.

Jarvis **Jarvis** by *Jarvis Cocker*

A bit disappointing really. Though some songs are superb (*Black Magic*, *Big Julie*, *From A To I* and *Fat Children* which bears a lot of resemblance to the work that he did with *Relaxed Muscle*), most of them fall into the category of being quite un-unmissable. The two songs that he wrote for Nancy Sinatra (*Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time* and *Baby’s Coming Back To Me*) also sounded much better on her album, and I don’t think he has done himself any favours by rerecording them here. Still, I’m glad that he’s back, releasing albums that I can listen to instead of faffing about with *Harry Fucking Potter* films and co-writing on obscure projects, which is admittedly probably very creatively satisfying for him but it flies beneath my radar a tad.

The Milk-Eyed Mender **The Milk-Eyed Mender** by *Joanna Newsom*

On the basis of hearing *The Sprout And The Bean* I expected to like this album, but I guess I was wrong. However, this was actually a Christmas present to Karen, so my opinion isn’t really important.

No, hold on, this is my site and my review, so you could argue that my opinion is of paramount importance.

I think that some albums hit you straight away and some grow on you gradually, and this one has the potential to grow. However, I’m struggling to find the enthusiasm to listen to it.

The Pick Of Destiny **The Pick Of Destiny** by *Tenacious D*

Listened to it once, wasn’t paying attention. I think that my time for *Tenacious D* may have passed. In time, my enthusiasm for their debut album waned, and I think that the nature of their project means that a new album won’t necessarily restore it. What do I mean by “the nature of their project”? I mean that they seem to be more character-driven than plot-driven, and so when you are tired of Tenacious D it is because you are tired of the characters, not the music.

Still, I have a great deal of respect for what they do, crossing the boundary between music and cinema in a way that few achieve. I think that Jack Black is awesome, and I probably enjoyed Nacho Libre more than is healthy.

Real Life **Real Life** by *Joan As Police Woman*

I was almost certainly in love with *Joan Wasser* before you were. Back in Spring 2005, she was accompanying*Rufus Wainwright* on tour, both as a member of his band and as his support act. Without a doubt, I have never been more captivated by the support act in my entire life. It was a display of intimacy and intensity that made my heart bounce off the walls of my chest cavity. She made me forget about Rufus entirely. Anybody who knows how I feel about Rufus will understand the significance of that.

Though this is an exceptional album, sadly it does not inspire the same emotions in me as that concert did. For example, *We Don’t Own It* sounds like the same song that she played that night, but it clearly isn’t, because the song she played that night sent shivers down my spine.

But it’s a great album, especially *Eternal Flame* (no, not a cover of a fucking Bangles song) which is, in my opinion, perfect.

Gulag Orkestar **Gulag Orkestar** by *Beirut*

I first heard of *Beirut* [back in May][] and was most impressed. When this album made Hg’s [end of year chart][], I figured that they could no longer be ignored. I find it refreshing to listen to, because I’ve always considered Eastern European music to be too far removed from my comfort zone to be enjoyable. Yet this album seems to straddle the divide, presumably because of its heritage ((made by an American who travelled)), and so listening to it makes me feel like I am expanding my horizons without making me want to run for them. Unlike…

[end of year chart]: http://www.hydragenic.com/archives/002814.shtml
[back in may]: http://www.3hive.com/2006/05/beirut_1.php

Life In Cartoon Motion **Life In Cartoon Motion** by *MIKA*

More like *Life In Satan’s Underpants*, and I don’t mean that in a *The Devil has the best tunes* sort of way. [See here][] for my earlier review of this album, in which I feel that I have said everything that needs saying. This CD has received a new lease of life as Bernard’s new shiny shiny toy. I passed it to him and said “Now take good care of that,” safe in the knowledge that it would be unplayable within no time at all. Breathe a sigh of relief.

[see here]: http://pete.nu/blog/2007/02/mika-life-in-cartoon-motion/

Neon Bible **Neon Bible** by *Arcade Fire*

Not as instantly catchy as *Funeral*, but a worthy follow-up regardless. Surprisingly, the music seems to draw a lot of influence from *Bruce Springsteen* and *Echo And The Bunnymen*, which should illustrate that this isn’t just a cheap rehash of the songs on *Funeral*, but a fresh creation from a band who are clearly going somewhere. However, like *Funeral* there is a theme that recurs throughout this album, and that theme is religious fundamentalism, and those who use their religious beliefs to bully others into submission. It’s a bit of an *issue du jour*, and I wonder whether it will affect the longevity of this album, but then there will always be religious nutbags so I guess probably not much.

Categories
Music Music reviews

MIKA: Life In Cartoon Motion

For the last fortnight, my life has been consumed by this album. I can’t get it out of my head, so I’m going to review it in depth, as an attempt at therapy. Perhaps by recording my thoughts, my brain will not be so reluctant to keep a tight grip on them, and I may be released.

*Grace Kelly* – I’m not in love with this song, but it’s quite bearable. The chord sequence is a bit uninspired, and his voice annoys me when he goes for the high notes.

*Lollipop* – Trite lyrics, bland chord sequence and melody. Sounds like a really inappropriate advertising jingle. Hey, remember when Iceland approached Bennett to license “Mum’s Gone To Iceland” for their ad, and Bennett said “Uh, I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick, mate.”

*My Interpretation* – Please, kill me now. This is one of the most boring songs that I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s like Robbie Williams but without the charm, and I never thought that I’d say that.

*Love Today* – Chorus lyrics so bland that I can’t believe that he is actually of sound body and mind, and aware of what he is singing. This song does not do a single thing of interest – just coasts along from start to end with minimal effort. And his voice still annoys me when he goes for the high notes. It just sounds hideously unpleasant.

*Relax (Take It Easy)* – This song is good one of the best on the album. It’s not *good*, but in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

*Any Other World* – Biggest pile of shit imaginable. The lyrics are really earnest, in a very annoying way, with words clearly inserted just for the sake of satisfying a rhyming scheme, and then repeated a few times to make it seem more substantial than it is. The lack of imagination that went into the music shows Mika up as the talentless soon-to-be-nobody that he is. This song reminds me of the bad bits of Elton John.

*Billy Brown* – The verse sounds like Penny Lane crossed with a nursery rhyme, so he’s getting zero points for that. I usually like songs that tell a story, but this one doesn’t tell it with any panache at all – any appeal that this song may have is solely in the underlying concept.

*Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)* – I’m not going to make the obvious reference to Fat Bottomed Girls, because it’s already been done a few times already. However, I will note that if you listen to this song carefully, you get the impression that Mika sounds like he is actually being quite sarcastic, and is clearly trying to suggest that big girls are NOT beautiful. He’s clearly taking the piss. Incidentally, this song also dispels any doubts about Mika’s sexuality, because he sings about sex with women with absolutely zero discernible enthusiasm. The music is pretty good though, but again it suffers from having little dynamic – it just starts, continues, then stops.

*Stuck In The Middle* – Good song. The lyrics actually seem to have some weight. I’d recommend this one.

*Happy Ending* – Another boring ballad. No risks, no imagination, no effort, no investment. Just no.

*Over My Shoulder* – Shows a great deal of promise, but his voice just doesn’t seem to have the strength to carry the high notes convincingly.

I can’t remember ever being so agitated about an album in my life. Normally, when I dislike something, I can easily dismiss it, but there’s something about all the hype surrounding Mika that makes me furious every time I see his name. I want to grab people by the shoulders and shake some sense into them. I wonder if I’m living in my own personal hell, where this is all a joke that has been concocted at my expense, and you’re all finding it really funny watching me get so irate.

But then, on the other hand, maybe my fury stems from the fact that it could be the other way round. What if other people are seeing something in Mika that I can’t? And I wish that I could listen to his album a bit more, so that I could see it too, but the truth is that every time I put the CD on in my car it makes me want to drive into oncoming traffic.

I take solace in the fact that this second theory is incorrect, and that I am almost certainly right about Mika, and hence in a few months he’ll be known as “Mika. Mika? Oh, that Mika. I’d forgotten all about him.”

Mika has been compared to the Scissor Sisters, but he isn’t as good as the Scissor Sisters. He has been compared to Freddie Mercury, but he doesn’t possess a fraction of Freddie’s talent or enthusiasm. I’ve compared him to Robbie Williams, which I admit is damning with faint praise. And anyone who compares him to Rufus Wainwright is clearly barking mad. If you are considering listening to this album, I’d strongly suggest that you listen to a bit of Scissor Sisters, a bit of Queen, and a bit of Rufus Wainwright instead – you’ll enjoy it much more.

If Mika, or Mika’s people, are reading this article, I’d like to stress that I have nothing against Mika as a person (I am sure that if we found ourselves on opposite sides of a pub table with a couple of beers, we’d get on famously), and I’m not so blinkered as to rule out the possibility of enjoying his future work (in spite of my prediction, above); but Life In Cartoon Motion is, out of all the albums that I have ever heard in my life, definitely the one that has had the most destructive effect on my sanity.