Demi Lovato, The Fratellis and Cheap Trick serve up new albums
Dancing With The Devil… The Art Of Starting Over
Demi Lovato’s journey from Disney child star to chart-topping singer almost ended in 2018 when she had a near-fatal overdose. It was the shocking culmination of a young life that had seen sexual abuse, eating disorders and addiction.
Dancing With The Devil, Lovato’s seventh album, charts her journey to recovery in the most literal sense, starting with a candid trio of songs detailing her “fall from grace”.
ICU (Madison’s Lullaby) sees her waking in an intensive care unit before the album pivots to a hefty 15 tracks about self-love and self-discovery.
The album is full of heartbreaking moments that catch you off guard. Melon Cake details how, as a young star, cake was banned on birthdays and she would instead be served a watermelon topped with icing.
It even features guests. Ariana Grande, is joined by Noah Cyrus, Sam Fischer and Saweetie on a series of mainly forgettable second-half tracks.
Lovato is at her best when she is dissecting her past traumas and future loves without distraction.
8/10, review by Alex Green
The Fratellis Half Drunk Under A Full Moon
Back with a head full of ideas, a belting title and an urge to party post-lockdown, The Fratellis are ready to blow away the blues.
From the opening semi-nonsensical title track, with its delirious, Neil Diamond-meets-toast of London “Yes!” chorus, to the lush closer Hello Stranger — both comfortably over the five-minute mark — the album is painted from a wider palette than ever before and is the richer for it.
The latter is one of several songs to revisit the “Starcrossed Losers” characters from 2018’s previous album In Your Own Sweet Time, who also share the dancefloor on Strangers In The Street and the euphoric but deceptive “train wreck honeymoon” of lead single Six Days In June, one of the standout tracks among a staggeringly strong and varied set.
Living In The Dark’s chorus offers up a whiff of old-style Costello Music, while Need A Little Love and Lay Your Body Down also shine. Yes!
8/10, review by Tom White
Matthew E White & Lonnie Holley Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection
This collaboration between artist and musician Lonnie Holley and singer-songwriter Matthew E White is like nothing else, a soundclash of free jazz, blues, funk and performance poetry. As well as his solo work, White also leads the avant-garde jazz big band Fight The Big Bull, while Holley is an acclaimed artist who did not release any music until he was in his 60s.
Now 71, this is his fifth album, and he speaks, sings and chants the lyrics over urgent percussion, ominous washes of keyboards and jagged guitars.
White and seven musicians improvised these tracks before they backed Holley for an unrehearsed gig, and for this recording the artist sang complete first takes to music he had never heard before.
The results are five lengthy tracks, with the opening This Here Jungle Of Moderness/ Composition 14 dragging you from your comfort zone.
I’m Not Tripping has a minimal backing of burbling synths, and Holley’s gravelly voice dominates the final track, Get Up! Walk With Me, with White adding a dub sensibility.
Not for those who prefer conventional song structures, this album will suit those willing to approach with an open mind.
7 /10, review by Matthew George
Cheap Trick In Another World
You would think that after five decades Cheap Trick would be repeating themselves.
But somehow the band, who emerged out of Rockford, Illinois, in 1973, continue to push the envelope on each album.
That being said, on their 20th studio album the four-piece are working with familiar themes.
Power pop, hard rock and edgy punk combine with their trademark court jester mentality to create 13 tracks of enjoyable music.
On Quit Waking Me Up, the band dip into ska punk, a genre thankfully not heard from much nowadays. A cover of John Lennon’s sardonic anthem Gimme Some Truth closes the album.
Cheap Trick have already secured their place in the musical pantheon — they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Be glad their lust for music has not faded over time.
6/10,