Issue 51 - University of Surrey's Student Union

28 MUSICThe Stag | Wednesday 14 th November 2012music@thestagsurrey.co.ukREVIEW: Leona Lewis - ‘Glassheart’By Thea Spalding, Music TeamArguably (although not reallyarguable at all), Leona Lewis isthe biggest superstar to come outof the X Factor. The 2006 winneris back with a bang after releasingher third album ‘Glassheart’ onOctober 15th. There is no doubtthat Leona Lewis is showing a more“edgy” side to her music, with thebrand new album being far fromher usual taste of heart-stoppingballads that filled her previous twoalbums.Despite many critics oftendubbing Leona’s music as “boring”,her debut album ‘Spirit’ and followup ‘Echo’ have collectively sold10 million copies worldwide, andtopped the charts in countries allover the globe. Stepping out of hercomfort zone for the ‘Glassheart’album was a big risk to takeconsidering the huge success of herprevious sound, not only for hermusical reputation, but also for herdie-hard fans that are used to themore mellow side of the Hackneybornsinger.By Tanya Noronha, Music TeamGreenday are back, and theywant you to know about it.However, they aren’t content withjust one album after a 3 year gap.‘¡Uno!’ was released on Septemberthe 25th, but it’ssequel, ‘¡Dos!’ isdue on Novemberthe 13th, followedby the grandfinale ‘¡Tré!’, duefor release onDecember the12th. For a lesserband, the release ofthree full albumswithin a space offour months wouldseem a dauntingfeat. Then again,Greenday formed25 years ago, andit’s safe to say ifanyone knowswhat they’re doing,they do.Being unable tojudge the trilogy inits entirety meansthat it is hard to tellif their risk has impressed criticsor not. It can be safely assumedthat the band have once againdelivered, according to the varietyof generally favorable reviews.However, the strength of this albumis up for discussion, especially incomparison to previous work.When tracks are produced in‘Trouble’ is the leading track forthe album and reached number 7 inthe UK top 40 after it was releasedon the 5th October. The song is amid-tempo ballad that combinesHip-Hop with Leona’s hauntingvocals, expressing the singer’spersonal experiences of a pastrelationship turning destructive.‘Trouble’ was written by a varietyof British songwriters includingScottish sensation Emeli Sande,and produced by well acclaimedNaughty Boy.‘Come Alive’ is without doubta standout track for the album,showcasing an uplifting electricsound with throbs of dubstep thatstrays far away from anythingLeona Lewis has ever producedbefore. It would be no surpriseif the song soon becomes a hitamongst the clubbing scene, withthe track containing all of the keyingredients required for a moderndance anthem. Leona Lewis hasrevealed that the album, and inparticularly ‘Come Alive’ wereinfluenced by 90’s dance group“Faithless” highlighting her desiresuch volume, there is always a riskthat the quality of songwritingwill suffer. After all, howmuch inspiration can Billie Joerealistically have? There are tuneswhich do hold their own against themight of previous hits. Single ‘OhLove’ has a quiet intensity unusualto a relatively acoustic track, while‘Stay The Night’ walks the linebetween catchy and edgy withoutfalling into the trap of clichéd.Greenday retain their attitude, asseen in ‘Carpe Diem’ and ‘NuclearFamily’, but ‘¡Uno!’ is not the grandsocial commentary that ‘Americanto change her style into a more uptemposound.‘Fireflies’ is a quaking balladaccompanied by a piano beat,boasting huge notes and highsopranos that only the likesof Leona could hit with sucheffortlessness. The song has a darktwist, with lyrics such as “I’d knowyou found your silence, Instead ofbeing wrapped up in me, Wrappedup in this violence” adding toLeona’s new edgy persona.‘Glassheart’, the album’s titletrack, contrasts Leona’s stunningvoice with grimey dubstep, makingit a truly mesmerising listen. Thecontemporary beats are sure tobe popular amongst the teenagescene,potentially transformingLeona’s usual fan base.After the release of the albumbeing delayed for 11 months,the hype around Leona’s newproject has certainly built, but inmy opinion the risk paid off and‘Glassheart’ is the X Factor stars’best album to date, and certainlyworth giving a listen to.Greenday are back with new album ¡Uno!Idiot’ or ‘21st Century Breakdown’were. In fact, the subject matterseems much lighter. Whether thismakes it easier to listen to, or analbum with far less to say, is for thelistener to judge.However, it can also be arguedthat Greenday havethe experience bynow to be churningout hits by the dozen.‘¡Uno!’ is definitelyworth several listens.Perhaps the secondand third offeringswill build on the solidbase that is this firstalbum. However, it isnot outstanding byany means. It has asoundtrack feel to it,so it can accompanya long car journey ora large pile of workwithout causing ahuge distraction. Yetthere are a few trackswhich do fade intoobscurity, which is adisappointment.In conclusion?There will always bea certain amount of commercialsuccess, because Greenday hasthe ability to shift records byname alone. The album is by nomeans a disaster, and it contains agood amount of listenable tracks.However, I would hesitate to buythe sequels unless the band hassaved the best for last.New: FletcherAn upcoming indie pop band with a UniS bassistBy Shiri Shah, Music TeamAn upcoming indie pop bandcalled Fletcher who haveplayed alongside the likes of BobGeldof and who perform regulargigs in London have their veryown bassist, Harry Johnson,studying Tonmeister at theUniversity of Surrey. He says “Iappreciate the facilities here forme to use and improve my skills,it’s also really convenient havingLondon next door so I can go forband practise more regularly.”They use simplistic yet catchybeats and harmonize well in theirmusic for enjoyable and easylistening. Look out for an articlecovering their next Londonbased gig with an interview inthe next issue! Fletcher wouldlove to perform a set on campusfor everyone who loves the indieor alternative scene. For moreinformation and to check outtheir music, subscribe to them onYoutube under FletcherOfficial.