the ride; an album review

i've been a bit absent from this for a solid few months because it's officially exam season and unfortunately blog posts aren't top of my list of priorities, but here i am with a (yes, another) post about catfish & the bottlemen. this time, it's the release of their second album, 'the ride'.

their latest pick 'n' mix of eleven songs has secured catfish and the bottlemen's place as possibly my favourite band. full of an eclectic but familiar mix of guitar heavy songs, 'the ride' is an album that is worth every penny of that £10. even if you're not the biggest catfish fan, it's bound to have some songs that appeal to you.

it opens with '7', which actually strays away from the normally anthem-esque tracks that many have come to associate with the band. however, though it may be more stripped back than their usual offerings, '7' definitely doesn't lack the catchy, singalong qualities that to me scream catfish and the bottlemen. all of their songs are perfect for live performances in which the crowd sing louder than van mccann himself, and '7' is no exception by any means.

their pre-album release tour back in april debuted a few new songs so much of the album was familiar. their initial single 'soundcheck', as well as 'anything' and 'red' were amazingly well received live and so they continue to be on the album. 'anything' is actually one of my absolute favourites from catfish's latest- it's somewhat romantic as the lyrics express the need to be there for someone, with van singing that 'anything you need at any time at all i want you to phone me'. still, whilst lyrically it might be quite cute in a way that's unlike catfish's usual blatantly upfront and shameless lyrics, 'anything' still follows the familiar and prevalent guitar riffs associated with van, bondy, benji and bob.

other standout tracks include 'oxygen' and the acoustic numbers 'glasgow' and 'heathrow'. they create a nice contrast with the manic, angsty tracks that surround them on the album, whilst still embodying the unapologetic indie rock that catfish & the bottlemen are renowned for. the album finishes with 'outside', a song that was hyped up by frontman van mccann before the release of the album in his usual ecstatic and humble way. it's hype was undeniably for very good reason- 'outside' is one hell of a track. it's raw, and honest but the crashing guitar and that last minute or so (if you know, you know) is, as van put it in a mailing list email a few months ago, 'absolutelyyyyy masssssssive'. i can practically hear them ending future gigs with this anthem.

all in all, the brazen-faced llandudno lads
maintain the relatable and anthemic but admittedly safe style of their first album, in what is a stellar follow up. paying homage to the crass lyrics and thrashing guitars of early arctic monkeys and oasis tracks, this is an album that isn't getting old any time soon. it does lack one standout song; catfish don't exactly have their 'I bet you look good on the dancefloor' just yet. but if you're a fan of some old school indie rock, it's a genuinely brilliant album.

'the ride' is available on apple music and spotify now.

neive x

catfish and the bottlemen; a gig experience

a few days ago, i was lucky enough to go see one of my absolute favourite bands, catfish and the bottlemen, on their pre-album release tour of the uk. it's fair to say they didn't disappoint.

i've been waiting to see the band for a long time- i discovered them in late 2014 and from then onwards i have absolutely loved their music. unfortunately i was unable to see them before this tour but after over a year of waiting, i managed to get tickets! the past two months since have been me excitedly but nervously waiting.

the crowd was honestly electric from just the support act- a band called them things. if i'm being honest they were okay, but not exactly brilliant. not long after, catfish were coming on and you could sense the excitement instantaneously as the light dimmed. from the opening notes of 'homesick' the crowd was screaming every word back to frontman van, who had complete control of them. as far as frontmen go, van, in my opinion, is a brilliant one- he knows exactly what he's doing and it's evident from the start. as well as that, his frequent thank you's show his apparent humbleness at such a turn out as this one- the band sold out the venue within minutes, and van and the boys were clearly chuffed with it.

from 'homesick' they progressed straight into one of their most popular, well known songs, 'kathleen', which was also wonderful. from there, we were treated to their latest- 'soundcheck', in which van didn't even have to sing the first verse, not that he really had to sing all night with that crowd. my personal favourites from the night were 'sidewinder', 'cocoon' and '7', a song from their upcoming album. 'hourglass' was a definite crowd favourite- van mccann looking borderline angelic with the white stage lights behind him by serenading a few thousand people can't not be a crowd pleaser really.

as a band, they really are talented, and just as good live as they are recorded. some of the guitar solos from bondy and benji were immense, as was bob's drumming. of course the vocals were extremely good too!! it's fair to say i lost my hearing slightly afterwards but it was worth it for such a brilliantly atmospheric gig. despite missing some of it because i was a bit too overexcited and threw up, but i managed to enjoy it nevertheless and cannot wait for the next tour!

you can pre-order catfish and the bottlemen's upcoming sophomore album 'the ride' now, out may 27th.

neive x

i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it; album review

recently, the increasingly popular band, the 1975, released their sophomore album in the form of "i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it". after their phenomenally well received first album, they had a lot to live up to. and live up to it, it did.

debuting at number one in both the uk and us, 'i like it when you sleep' has the familiar guitar riffs and pretentious lyrics that have come to be associated with the band. and despite how it may seem, that isn't a bad thing.

from the very first song, a recreation of the opening track of their self titled first album, i knew i would love it- i think my gasp upon hearing the oh so familiar 'step into your skin? i'd rather jump in your bones' line was a tell tale sign of my forthcoming love for the album.

it then launches straight into to their initial single from the album, 'love me'. to begin with, i wasn't actually that keen on this song to be honest. however, in november i was lucky enough to see the band live on their uk tour, and from that moment onwards i loved it- it's endlessly catchy and undeniably good.

speaking of their tour, it was upon this that they debuted some songs from their latest album- namely 'she's american', 'a change of heart', 'somebody else' and 'the sound'. these are undoubtedly some of the highlights of the album, which is most likely why they chose to perform those pre-album release. instantaneously, they had a positive response, with the crowd picking up the words and joining in without hesitation.

in terms of standout songs, i would definitely throw 'she lays down' in there- with it's peaceful acoustic guitar and the soft vocals, it's exceptionally raw and emotive, and generally quite calming, in effect. 'somebody else' also has to be one of the standout songs- it's infinitely catchy, as per most songs by the 1975, whilst still being quite different to their usual songs.

on a whole, i would definitely consider this a really well done follow up to their first album. with starkly different songs from the energetic, upbeat 'ugh!' to the soothing, sleepy 'nana', it's a mish-mash of different styles of song, all with that same, distinctive the 1975 vibe. it's definitely a worthy investment, but you can also find it on spotify- go listen!

neive xx