Moon & Back Music » JessBean

Single Review :: Wolfgang :: The King and all of his Men

JessBean — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:14:23 +0000

Up until I heard this song, I wouldn’t have believed that a bit of old school MJ, Led Zep – esque vocals mixed with a beat that resembles the ever present indie pop would have worked. But then, I wouldn’t have told you Africa was a continent, either.
I digress. The point is, the mixture works. Its nano-speed drumming kept me focused, and although the melodies and lyrics had their moments: ‘You’re in control, so why should you be fighting me?’, they tended to fade into one noise. I can only assume from that that after listening to it a few times, it didn’t grab me.
This is unfortunate; because it’s a very good effort from some very talented musicians – it’s catchy, it’s upbeat, it’s everything a good song should be. But the change in tempo was welcome; it made me realize I hadn’t been paying enough attention, especially the lyrics, that, although they are original, were all too familiar, to say I loved it.
Shame.

Single Review :: The Boxer Rebellion :: Evacuate

JessBean — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:13:00 +0000

The first thing that came to mind when I listen to this was Enter Shikari. It has the same harshness and hostility in the music, somehow softened by barely audible yet haunting voices at the start.
The song does instantly grab you – or it did me, anyway. That a similar desperate voice, reminiscent of Leto, Franz Ferdinand, or even Bowie – esque at the very least, seemed to be filled with anger and contradicted by a feeling of remorse. It was strained, again, almost desperate, but in a way that didn’t sound so bad.
The pace of the song doesn’t slow – the rest of the instruments provide an excellent contrast with the voice that sounds like it could give up soon, but would go on forever, and I feel that’s part of the song’s message. The ending too, contributes to this; its abrupt, as if to portray that the song has got straight to the point with its energy and fury, and it ends the same way.
My only criticism is that it was too short! A song like this could have lasted longer and still succeeded; Dream Theatre – esque.

Single Review :: Girls :: Laura

JessBean — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:12:01 +0000

Do you know, I loved this one. The music instantly reminded me of The Fratellis – very jazzy but with a tone of melancholy.
The voice was different, though. It sounded desperate – but the good desperate, almost begging. It was the perfect contrast against the beat and melodies, just as the childlike simplicity of some of the lyrics bounded off the adult language in the next line: ‘I really want to be your friend forever/ You’ve been a bitch, I’ve been an ass’.
The beauty of this song is that its something everyone can relate to – if not having been there yourself then having the thoughts play about in your mind; of going from friends to lovers, and what would happen if it turned to shit.
The tempo change reminded me (somehow) of the Mighty Boosh. It was expertly imperfect, another experiment in the muddle that worked brilliantly. It is a very easy song to listen to, even easier to like, and it grabbed me instantly.

Gig Review :: The Used -21/09/09

JessBean — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:54:55 +0000

The problem with music is, as I’ve recently discovered for myself, is that it’s too much of a drug. You don’t realize how addicted to it you are. You’ll always know when it starts, because it’s that gig that sends you off on a buzz that you’ll remember forever but you’ve never felt since. And then when you see that band again, there’s a high that’s not the same but it’s still not something you want to escape.

Normally, I don’t mention the support bands, but I feel that We Are The Ocean deserve a say. A cross between Funeral for a Friend and Cook (from Skins), the atmosphere rocketed when they played. It was helped by the evident camaraderie that their loyal fans portrayed by screaming the lyrics back to the band; lyrics that were indistinguishable to us mere onlookers. But their energy was enough to impress and infect us.

The drug analogy came to me after the gig had finished, walking back to the flat; and honestly, it’s the only way I can describe my experience of The Used’s Manchester gig. It wasn’t necessary to jump and scream to Blood on my Hands or The Best of Me, it was enough to get lost in the music by doing whatever felt right.

It was a fast paced set – almost too fast paced, because by the time it ended it felt like no time at all. Even looking back, it felt devastating when they said it was the last song. The thing that made up for this (as well as everything else they did), was that hardly any new songs were played. Now, as much as I can hail the new album, it just emphasized that camaraderie that We Are The Ocean introduced. It was a show for all the fans that put them where they were, a thank you. And that’s so respectful.

It’s difficult to put into words how the mood, how five hundred people can change their moods from crazy and excited to almost erotic in the time it takes for the introduction of a song to finish and the actual song to start. Come Undone changed the mood just like that, without missing a beat, without anything dropping.

The same happens with the first song of the inevitable encore – On My Own. It was definitely a highlight, easy to play over and over again and remember the feeling it gave you but difficult to put it down in words. Euphoria comes to mind, because it’s close to me, but somehow it seems unjust describing it that way; it’s such a cliché. It felt like perfect contentment, adrenaline and intimate would feel if they were bundled up and injected into you.

I think anyone who goes to see The Used live and only knows their most recent record will have a difficult time enjoying it. And I think that even if you don’t like the band, the energy at this, or any gig that certainly I’ve been to, is inescapable.

But that’s from me: an avid, lifelong fan.