“The Red Blooded Years” -aKing
After looking at the packaging thoroughly and deciding that the artwork is astounding the inlay booklet offers an array of spectacular craftsmanship, really beautiful images and cutaway pages and intricate embossing. The album itself delivers melodic songs but yet there is a sense of reasonable logic as the lyrics cover the misfortune of everyday life, the relation between the band and listener easily building a connection. Laudo Liebenberg offers a range vox that compliments his fellow band mates Hennie Van Halen, Jaco ‘Snake’ Venter and newest member Andrew Davenport. It would be fair to comment that this album does show a fair amount of growth in their music and if this is the type of growth they are showcasing we can only expect the exceptional, “The Red Blooded Years” is a definitive portrayal of where aKing is headed in intellectual growth. The two songs that stuck out the most was ‘CUT-THROAT TONGUE & RAZOR’ which is just rock grit and roll, then “Weak man’s world’s” an invigorating song with lyrics that end with a thought of “so smile without a reason”.
Holiday Murray: Holiday Murray
Self titled Debut album from Capetonian band which has high a sense of pop-rock fused with folk rock yet a hint of ska. Deeply rooted in their ethnicity and vibrance throughout their single “Jirey” one must note that they are intense within their lyrical realm but ever near their musical realm following through to the notes that compliment the words. Holiday Murray is a band that has quite a set of instruments behind and the muso’s portraying those multiple talents are James Tuft – Vox, Guitar, Ellis Silvermann – Drums, Justin Davenport – Guitar, Vox and Chris Carter – Bass, Violin, Keys, Vox. So with such an eclectic array the fusion they bring forth is definitely something to look forward to. Find them here: http://www.facebook.com/holidaymurray
The Strokes: “Under the Cover Of Darkness”
The Strokes still seem comfortable in their old style that we have become accustomed to however there may be a tainted technical adherence to their advancement in the music itself. There seems almost an untimely progression yet an adulthood arising from their last album to this one. Can’t help but feel that this album was purely made for manufacturing reasons but on the plus side it’s still the Indie rock and Roll we learnt to love from The Strokes. If one is an avid follower of the Strokes then surely one will admire the tenacious loyalty to not copping from the originality they first introduced to us.
