Category Archives: Pop Album Reviews

Pop album reviews by Wicked Mike.

Eve 6 – Speak in Code (review)

Eve 6 – Speak In Code album cover 300x300 Eve 6   Speak in Code (review)In the Nineties, EVE 6 were darlings in the USA but their third album tanked (even though fans loved it) and they drifted into obscurity. Now, 8 years later, the original members have returned with Speak in Code. Max Collins, the singer, explains the album’s title as a lyric from the same song where, in a vulnerable moment, “the world is overwhelming and it’s like people are speaking a language you don’t understand.” Unfortunately, i don’t understand EVE 6 anymore.

The rhythm, melody and “have fun” attitude of ‘Curtain’, the opening song, made me think again that EVE 6 is am underrated band but by the end of the album i had quickly rescinded that opinion.

A landmark in the band’s discography would have been ‘Open Road Song’. It was a lovely example of rocked pop, catchy but edgy with college attitude. I expect most bands to develop but i would’ve been content if they’d emulated that moment. They did neither. Continue reading

Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (review)

The Magnetic Fields Love at the Bottom of the Sea album cover 300x300 Magnetic Fields   Love at the Bottom of the Sea (review)Does MAGNETIC FIELDS want me to take them seriously or are they trying to make me laugh? Firstly, there’s the colourful stuffed animal on the cover of their latest album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. Then it’s song titles such as  ‘Infatuation (With Your Gyration)’ and ‘I’ve Run Away to Join the Fairies’.

Opening song, ‘Your Girlfriend’s Face’, maintains the comedy with a childish electronic sound and vocals that seem one step removed. Half of the album is like that. However, ‘Andrew in Drag’ may possesses funny lyrics but the vocals are less processed, the tone more serious and the instruments leaning towards rock. It makes me take the band more seriously and understand that comedic intent does not make the band a joke. The song is a highlight and one if the best in the indie genre this year. Continue reading

Macy Gray – Covered (review)

A covers album is a dual edged sword. It has the power to introduce a new, or different, generation to music they may have never listened to. A great song can gain longevity, possibly begin a listener’s exploration into the discography of the original performers. On the other hand, it’s seen as a desperate move by a has-been artist seeking quick, Billboard generated bucks from a hopeful hit single (not an album). Continue reading

Menage À Trois’ – These Are Birthmarks

menage a trois birthmarks cover Menage À Trois’   These Are Birthmarks“Take it or leave it, I’m the best version of me you’ll ever find. I’ll blow your mind.” And i want to believe her. Lead songstress, Auriel Lefebre, mesmerizes with wise words of melancholy, strength, fragility, intelligence, beauty and a fuck-off attitude. “Besides these tits of mine, everything but my spine, I can swear that I’m a bigger man.”

There is no doubt that bassist Garth de Meillon and drummer Jako Loots are essential lovers to this experimental birth called MÉNAGE À TROIS and that their musical dexterity, from folk to rock to funk, gets a full body from Wolmer Studios. Band highlights are ‘Stepping Through’, ‘Saturday Night Machines’ and ‘Voodoo’.

But as a writer, my soul is constantly sucked towards Auriel’s earnest words and the manner in which they’re delivered (“The truth wasn’t easy so we called the truth a lie.”). Continue reading