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ALBUM REVIEW - MS DYNAMITE
Judgement Days
NEVER has a girl made tracksuits look so cool and sexy –
and it’s because she sounds good.
American R’n’B stars could learn a lot from Camden’s
Niomi McLean Daley, although her first album A Little Deeper didn’t
really break over there.
While they were peddling sex, Ms Dynamite grabbed our attention
with her early single It Takes More, and made us realise what was
getting on our nerves was the endless gangster drivel about thugs
and their gats.
With her priorities firmly in place and a two-year break to have
her first child, Shavaar, she’s had a long time to mull over
things.
And that seems to be the problem with her new album Judgement Days.
It’s a bit forced and worthy.
The album is more produced than her last work, and sounds like it
has been struggled over.
It’s less catchy, although still soulful. She’s said she
really worked on her voice for this record, because she had her
doubts about Deeper.
But the tunes and hooks which underpinned Deeper have been left
behind.
Where she was fierce before, she now sounds like a broken record.
She’s a good singer but the album needs a balance of aggression
and melancholia, a mix of upbeat and the deep. Judgement Days is
on ‘negativity’ overload. She’s going on about the
same points she went on about before – which is fine –
but in a less interesting way.
PREVIEW - SKATALITES
Jazz Cafe
GROOVES wouldn’t normally recommend a band just because
of their name, and ‘legend’ is overused, but the Skatalites
are worthy of the moniker.
Not only did they create Ska in the musical soup of a newly independent
Jamaica in the 1960s – recording at the legendary (that word
again) Studio One – they helped promote the nascent talents
of reggae legends such as the Wailers.
The line-up may no longer boast the long-deceased (and legendary)
Jackie Mittoo or Don Drummond but the core members are still there.
Putting aside what they achieved 40 years ago, the Skatalites live
continue to produce infectious, joyous and unique Jamaican music.
A must see.
• Novemeber 10 Jazz Café, Delancey Street, NW1 £20.
Camden Town Tube.
PREVIEW - FOUR TOPS/TEMPTATIONS
Royal Albert Hall
ALL singing and song-writing gold, the Four Tops are behind some
of the best tunes in pop history, including co-writing Marvin’s
Whats Going On – bet you didn’t know that – as well
as disco favourites Reach out and Bernadette. And the Temptations
Aint to Proud to Beg for your attendance either.
• November 5-6 Royal Albert Hall £37.50- £22.50.
Knightsbridge Tube.
Goldie in good voice as things get slippery
REVIEW - METALHEADZ
Herbal, Shoreditch
I ARRIVED late and things had already taken off – the crowd
was surging and cheering in all directions as Goldie gleefully layed
on an artillery style barrage of sub-bass rhythm stormers.
Flailing arms (and some entire bodies) filled the air and I only
just escaped being soaked in a variety of expensive beverages.
Having enthusiastically and consummately executed his turntable
duties, Goldie duly handed over the controls to the man they call
Randall.
After his customary introductory segment, he proceeded to build
on the frisson Goldie had generated and there followed an inspired
selection of deftly mixed but brutally melodic drum and bass.
The faithful were reward for their stamina, with rewind after rewind
that eclipsed its predecessor in both manner of the final drop and
the intricacy of the ensuing driven-beat melee.
Fabio rounded of the night in more restrained fashion, intelligently
blending his trademark soulful grooves with the occasional segue
into more rugged domains.
A really sweaty night was perfectly rounded off by seeing one of
the ‘massive’ slip spectacularly on the dance floor, while
inexplicably managing to maintaining a steely grip on his drink.
An excellent night’s entertainment.
My top five
Dean Leon, 25, of Muswell Hill, is in his first year as a trainee-IT
teacher at Haverstock School on Crogsland Road.
• Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory. It’s manic energising
music. I listen to it when I feel caged in. It gets my adrenaline
going.
• Keane – Everybody’s Changing. It makes me want
to find perspective in life.
• 2pac – Changes. I’ve always liked him, he’s
politically rebellious. He identifies race problems in society.
By pointing out the racial stereotypes he is doing something positive.
• David Bowie – Thursday’s Child: Mystical, mesmerising.
It puts me in a trance.
• Muse – Absolutions: Upbeat – it makes me feel free.
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Bordeaux's merits are worth keeping
IF supermarket wines seem less attractive, where should we look for
our wines?
FULL STORY
We should get on our bikes and ride
CROSS country athletes will tramp across Hampstead Heath in the London
Championships later this month.
FULL STORY
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