Skip to main content

ALBUM REVIEW: "Perennial" by Vera Blue

   I remember clearly how astounded I was while hearing Celia Pavey's rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" on The Voice back in 20-something, and thinking to myself that I should keep an eye on her music after the show finished. For whatever reason I completely forgot to do that, and her debut full-length under musical moniker Vera Blue Perennial is the first thing I have heard from her since. It certainly wasn't at all what I was expecting, and while it certainly was an interesting and unpredictable listen the first time around, for the most part I was underwhelmed by the blend of sleek, dreamy electronica Pavey is now dealing in. Had I listened to her previous EPs and guest spots this wouldn't have been a huge surprise, but she has pretty much entirely shed her shy folk vibe for a strident, slightly run of the mill auto-tuned Flume-fest. I honestly feel like Pavey's strongest asset - her voice - is lost to the swelling, wobbly synths and drum machines, and overall Perennial feels a little directionless. There are a number of great songs, though, and a strong sense of melody carries through the run time rendering even the not so good tracks completely singable, something that has to commended. Overall it isn't really my cup of tea, and I was frustrated by the lack of personality in the vocal deliveries, but there are enough bangers and crooners to keep most more than happy.

   Favourite Songs: Give In, Said Goodbye To Your Mother, Magazine and Fools

    Least Favourite Songs: Private and Overachiever

   Rating: C+

   What did you think? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! To stay connected follow thatmusicnerd on Facebook, and my personal Spotify (Jonty Cornford) and Cymbal (jonty98) accounts. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1 YEAR LATER: "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

   Bon Iver's third studio album turns 1 in about a week (where did that year go?), so I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about how my impressions of the album have changed - or how they haven't - over the last 12 months. When this album was released I was more excited than I think I ever have been to hear a new album. For Emma, Forever Ago is one of my all time favourites, and I love his self-titled second album too, so I had huge expectations for this album, but was also wary that expectations might ruin my experience of the music. This was particularly the case for 22, A Million , because it is unlike anything else Justin Vernon has released. There have been hints at this more processed, electronic direction previously, like the song "Woods" on the Blood Bank EP and occasional flourishes on Bon Iver , but 22, A Million is a drastic departure from the Bon Iver sound we had grown accustomed to at this point in time. Or at least, that's what I thought...
Post a Comment
Read more

ALBUM REVIEW: "Mesmer" by Northlane

   On Friday Northlane released their fourth studio album Mesmer without any warning, and it's pretty awesome. Fans that were keeping up had been getting hints for a while, with cryptic announcements and a seriously cool chatbot, but Mesmer was a complete surprise for everyone, and one that has brought with it a more cohesive and complete sound for the band.    2015's  Node was a great way to open up the second chapter in the band's trajectory and featured a fantastic performance from new singer Marcus Bridge, but definitely felt like a transition album for a band that had forged such a signature sound and was in the middle of great change. Mesmer immediately feels a lot more comfortable than Node  for a bunch of reasons, which is to be expected now the band has been touring with Bridge almost non-stop for more than two years. While the production on Node didn't quite fit the sound they were going for and seemed a little flat across the board, David Bend...
Post a Comment
Read more