Regina Spektor - Bleeding Heart (Single Review)

Regina Spektor is a singer-songwriter from New York, USA. She is notoriously known for her song 'You've Got Time' that was played as the theme tune for the hit US TV show 'Orange Is The New Black'. The song that made me fall in love with Regina Spektor way back in 2011 was her 2006 release called 'Samson' her gentle angelic distinctive voice made me fall in love with her. Spektor has not released anything since her 2012 album 'What We Saw From The Cheap Sets' so as you can imagine I was thrilled when I found out a few days ago that she had released a new track and is releasing an album in September! Anyway, the track is called 'Bleeding Heart' and it was released on the 22nd of July 2016.

Immediately dislike had hit from the first word. This isn't Regina! Her angelic high pitched voice with a brilliant vocal range has alternated to a bland pop voice. The distinctiveness of her voice has vanished into thin air! The lyrics are mediocre but the chorus is sung that many times you don't really catch watch she is actually saying in the verses. The only verse I really like out of the whole track is;

"You can't help but stare at everyone there. It's you versus everyone else. Your outfits a crime. You feel their cold minds placing you under arrest. And you serve your time drinking all night long."

I like this line as a bleeding heart indicates suffering and this line explains the suffering. The suffering sounds like paranoia and she is drinking excessively in order to stop the paranoid thoughts or at least calm them down to a point where she is that plastered that she eventually does not give a fuck. The chorus sounds as though she is struggling to sing the high notes, and the track as a whole sounds very rushed as some of the lines don't even make sense!

In conclusion, I understand that artists may change their style/genre/voice over time but she had something good going for her and it is a shame she has decided to try and get into mainstream pop music because her voice was brilliant! I think from now onwards I am just going to listen to her previous work as it is much better than this new crap she is bringing out now, does not tickle my fancy at all. Not necessarily excited for the album release anymore, I shall give it a listen but chances are I won't like it if it is all like this subtly weird pop/electric track. I would recommend Regina herself but not her new work - her old work. This song will be a waste of your time, there is better music out their to listen to - put it that way. Disappointed. I can't even give this track a rating out of 10, sorry Regina.

Social Confusion - You Give Me Everything & Your Life Is Waiting Outside (Duo-Release Review)

Social Confusion are a 4-piece alternative rock band from Shropshire, England. The quartet consists of; Mat Spence & Rob Flynn on vocals and guitar, Chris Symonds on the drums and Wil Blase on the bass. The duo-release happened on the 30th of April 2016, and the two tracks are called 'You Give Me Everything' and 'Your Life Is Waiting Outside'.

An upbeat guitar solo opens up the first track on the duo-release called 'You Give Me Everything' however it starts off with a steadily-paced riff, but the tempo soon increases and then the guitars are shortly accompanied by the drums. The vocals then entwine with the instruments which gradually increases the pace of the song as a whole; approximately about one minute in, the song begins to really reach its peak.

"Cus you're there when I need, you're the air that I breathe. Because YOU give me everything, give me everything, give me everything I've ever wanted."

The chorus continues after this line by alternating the end continuation of the line 'you give me everything..' The chorus repeats itself several times throughout the track which makes the track as a whole very catchy due to the repetitive chorus. On a separate note, I particularly liked the way they emphasised on the word 'you' within this line as it is if to say no one else can give me what you can, and no one else ever will.

As for the second track; 'Your Life Is Waiting Outside' at the first glimpse of the intro you hear a tune that is very similar to 'Oasis - Wonderwall'. However the riff shortly alternates into a completely different riff almost immediately after the few seconds of inspiration from the notorious track of 'Wonderwall' ceased. On the other hand, I must admit that the guitars do sound very Oasis influenced during this particular track. The vocals enter 28 seconds-in after the guitar solo intro, with the captivating opening lyrics of...

"You lie, you cheat, you take your time."

The chorus line is the song title of 'Your Life Is Waiting Outside'. This tells me that perhaps he has kicked her out of his/their home together and is telling her to get into the real world as she won't get nowhere in life she continues doing what she is doing. She will never have a happy, strong and serious relationship if she doesn't stop lying, cheating and taking her time - she is living in a fantasy world.

In conclusion the duo-release was admittedly very well put together as both of the tracks link together. The first track - 'You Give Me Everything' is about this 'perfect' woman who lures him into loving her by telling him everything he wants to hear and fulfils all of his needs. On the other hand; the second track is a continuation from the first track whereby he actually sees her true colours and for who she really is (a manipulative swine). Both songs have a guitar intro and outro, therefore it is easier to make the continuation of songs flow together one after another when performed or listened to. The only minor bit of criticism I really have on the two tracks is that I wish that the drums were more distinctive within the two songs, and were used more usefully to show the indignation and intensity of the songs when the tempo and volume increases. Therefore I wish that the drums can make as much of a statement as the guitars do, because I personally didn't even notice the drums through first-hearing. I only really properly noticed them when I was intensely listening to the track for the lyrics. Apart from that minor criticism (just a personal preference) I love these two tracks! They are brilliant and perfectly placed together! The vocals are also very good and show pure passion as well as the lyrics. I wish to hear more work off you soon lads, congratulations on your duo-release and I wish you all the best of luck within your future endeavours as a band. The links to the two tracks are below -

1. 'You Give Me Everything'- https://soundcloud.com/socialconfusion/you-give-me-everything
2. 'Your Life Is Waiting Outside' - https://soundcloud.com/socialconfusion/your-life-is-waiting-outside

The Garage Flowers - Think Of Me Hill (Demo Review)

The Garage Flowers are a southern indie-rock 3-piece from London. The Garage Flowers hoping to be a four-piece if they can find a bassist, so if you're around the area give them a message! The three piece consists of; Joe Capaldi on lead vocals, Jonny Webber on lead guitar and Greg Edwards on the drums. 10th of May 2016 was the release date and you can listen to it on soundcloud which I will link at the end of my review. The band have obvious influences during this track of; Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Ian Brown (The Stone Roses) and Oasis.

An acoustic guitar opens up the track with a melancholic riff, shortly followed by Capaldi on vocals sounding similar to Ashcroft on the opening line with the lyrics of;

"Hey how ya doing. How's the weather? Wherever you are. I'm back in Devon with the rain the sea, and the stars."

This opening line represents that he is obviously missing someone and is dying to know what they are up to and how they have been getting on etc... Yet she has moved on and therefore asking questions would basically be pointless as you may never receive a response. After the first verse, a very Stone Roses 'Elephant Stone/This Is The One' inspired guitar riff is played - and you can tell that it is definitely a Stone Roses inspired guitar riff, as their band name is a line from one of their songs called 'Tell Me' which was a part of The Stone Roses earlier work. Then a rather insightful, upsetting chorus representing the bitter truth behind love and heartbreak is sung...

"Call it right, call it wrong - call it anything you want. I'm getting drunk again on my own, and I want everyone to know."

This song is so heartbreaking to hear, as it mentions in one of their lines about his 'sugar-coated love'. Sugar-coated love is whereby everything looks good on the outside but it is a different matter behind closed doors; away from the outside world - by the sounds of things he has been in a relationship like that and then has had his heart absolutely teared apart into shreds by someone; how devastating. The nostalgic chorus line is then sung;

"Climb up and meet me at Think Of Me Hill"

Followed by an outstanding solo riff on the electric guitar by Webber, which is then accompanied by Edwards on the drums which picks up with the guitar after being so subtle for a gentle effect during the nostalgic and melancholic track.

In conclusion this nostalgic track about heartbreak and the bitter truth is absolutely devastating to hear when you really listen to the lyrics as they are so intense. This is one of them songs that you write when you are absolutely smashed and crying your eyes out on the sofa and you just pour your heart out onto a piece of paper. To find out that years later what you had written was perfect to make a song out of as the words are just so heart felt and personal. The guitar riffs were placed perfectly, as were the drums and Capaldi's Ashcroft inspired voice makes the lyrics really mean something as he just such a believable singer. Very well done lads, this is a very heart warming track yet simultaneously absolutely devastating. A very well put together song with incredible lyrics and the fade out at the end was also a very nice touch. I look forward to listening to some more of your work.

https://soundcloud.com/thegarageflowers/think-of-me-hill-demo