SOUND JUDGEMENT
The latest album releases reviewed
FEAR OF THE DAWN JACK WHITE
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With war on TV and inflation sky high,
Jack White’s fourth solo album – first of two the White Stripes founder will release in 2022 – delivers a dissonant kaleidoscope of songs to match the world mood.
Opener Taking Me Back and the in-your-face title track sets the tone for what is, in the main, a heavilyproduced electro-inspired attack on the senses.
Hi De Ho and What’s The Trick borrow from hip-hop, but it’s not until the last quarter of the album that the vibe of his old band with ex-wife Meg creep to the fore, with Eosophobia (Reprise) a highlight for fans of the 46-year-old’s bluesy style.
There is no super anthem here in the mould of Seven Nation Army, but White has produced an album for our times – biting and confrontational.
WET LEG WET LEG HHHHH
Wet leg is the electric eponymous debut album from
Britain’s brightest indie rock duo.
Few bands could dream of the success of singer Rhian Teasdale and lead guitarist Hester Chambers’ first single Chaise Longue. The music video, in which the Isle of Wight born pair rock it out dressed like Jane Eyre extras, has had more than 3.5 million views on YouTube.
The band’s funky second single Wet Dream is the album’s strongest song. Teasdale does her best Mick Jagger impression while Chambers also provides wry backing vocals to several songs on the album, adding a wry texture to simpler songs like Being in Love and Supermarket.
As a whole, the album is cohesive and confident.
UNLIMITED LOVE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
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Unlimited Love unites the aggressive funkmetal of early work with the mellow and introspective feel of later offerings to create a celebration of the band’s immense talent and sounds. It is a bit long though.
Opener Black Summer kicks things off with a bang, with wistful vocals from Anthony Kiedis and lilting riffs from John Frusciante, who makes a welcome return, before bursting into a thumping climax. An instant classic.
While it covers all bases, giving all four of the band’s members their time in the (Californian) sun, people looking for a particular new direction or sound may be disappointed.