SOUND JUDGEMENT
THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED
BARBRA STREISAND – THE MUSIC... THE MEM’RIES... THE MAGIC!
TISSUES at the ready – things are about to get emotional. This collection of classics, covers and show tunes is – as the title suggests – a walk down memory lane.
At 75, her voice is as rich and powerful as ever, while her witty quips and showbiz anecdotes in-between are a mesmerising purr.
However, thought-provoking, topical mentions of how “music transcends politics” and “our beautiful butterflies are disappearing” do take a up a lot of track time, which may be a sticking point for musical fans.
But the music – which includes high-calibre guests such as Jamie Foxx – is worth waiting for.
MMODE – MMODE
IN their previous guise as Southern, Belfastbased siblings Lucy and Thomas Gaffney were cool enough to get gigs at fashion shows. However, tiring of that, and returning to their roots, they’ve reinvented themselves as a folky indie-pop duo making music with a distinctly 1990s vibe.
The pretty guitar arpeggios, dreamy vocals and insistent drumming of lead singles Waiting in the Desert and Gustav recall early Britpop, while album stand-out Sunrise in Belfast, with its lazy bass riff and chilled-out sax wouldn’t sound out of place on a Groove Armada record.
It’s nice to hear something so unashamedly earnest and sweet.
WALKER HAYES – BOOM
WALKER HAYES is shaping up to be the classic American success story. After years of struggling, working at Costco to support a growing family, he’s pushed through to the public eye with a handful of relatable country-infused pop songs.
Hayes’ album is one of conflicting tones. When earnest it is pretty good, and even hints at something great.
You Broke Up With Me is a warm, well-produced future hit with hooks aplenty, and his more contemplative compositions (Beer in the Fridge’s insight to alcoholism, and his fun homage to his kids in Beckett) are thoughtful and endearing.
But with the hackneyed Dollar Store and Sheeran-like spoken word in the saccharine Mind Candy, you can feel the glint in a corporate eye hoping to sell Hayes to a young demographic.