Atlantic レコード& CD

Review: Fred Again seems to be one of the most talked about artists of the year. Part of that centers around the astonishing Boiler Room set he served up, but also plenty of credit is due for the music he makes. A lot of that is summed up here on Actual Life 3, the third installment of his series after the previous two back in 2021 and recent collabs with the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Future. It shows off his mastery of a range of different sounds and scenes across 13 fun and fresh tunes that are backed with emotive beats and catchy hooks as well as some standout vocals.

Review: Fred Again's latest album Actual Life 3: January 1 - September 9 2022 is the third installment in a series of albums by the British artist which has received positive reviews from music critics and been praised for its experimental sound and emotional depth. The LP features songs that document his personal experiences and thoughts over a period of time. His musical style can be described as a blend of electronic, dance and pop with introspective and emotive lyrics, often incorporating samples from various sources, including personal recordings to create a unique and eclectic sound. The album features collaborations with various artists, such as Kieren Hebden, Jamie XX and Skrillex, among others.

Review: Pedestrian Verse is a critically acclaimed album by Frightened Rabbit, whose rapidly blooming career was cut short by the death of singer Scott Hutchison in May 2018. It has now been a full decade since the band dropped the mini-masterpiece and so it gets remastered at half speed and reissued by Atlantic with the full and original 12-track album on LP next to a bonus 12" with 11 extra tracks. This was the band's fourth studio album and the only one to feature guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene. The record is inspired in part by a break up and finds each of the members of the band stepping up their contribution to the songwriting. It's a great piece of modern indie history.

Review: Lizzo's ascent to superstar status was confirmed with 2019 major label debut, Cuz I Love You, a set that gleefully joined the dots between pop-rap, R&B, trap, funk and neo soul, with Missy Elliott and Gucci Mane swinging by to lend a hand. Special, whose 12 songs are a tiny fraction of the 170-odd she reportedly wrote and recorded, continues in this vein, offering another entertaining, kaleidoscopic romp that pairs killer grooves, recognisable sample lifts (the Beastie Boys on the controversial 'Gurrlz' and Coldplay's 'Yellow' on the set-closing oddball fantasy 'Coldplay') and Lizzo's typically strong sung and rapped vocals. There are far more hits than misses, with recent single 'About Time Now' sounding like a long-lost Chic classic and the sound of summer 2022.

Review: Lizzo is a three tie Grammy winner who after much build up finally drops this long awaited new long player. Her last album, the multi-Platinum selling, top-10 debut album, CUZ I LOVE YOU came back in 2019 and since then Lizzo has cemented her place as one of the most in demand live music performers in the game. This recorded has been proceeded by lead single 'About Damn Time', which leant on disco's colourful rhythms and some fresh cosmic melodies, while most recently Lizzo has partnered with Logitech as the face of their 2022 campaign Defy Logic.

Review: American singer and songwriter Janelle Monae has been invigorating the world of hip-hop and r&b for well over a decade now with a series of well-received and still oft-referenced albums. The Age of Pleasure is her fourth and has been a long time coming for fans. The eight-time GRAMMY Award nominee has an inimitable style and visionary sound that often comes steeped in important social commentary. Monae herself is unwavering in her activism for social justice and the LGBTQIA+ community and this album shows she's just as fiery in the studio across two sides of wax that feature guests like Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, CKay, Sister Nancy and even the one and only Grace Jones.

Review: Album six from the mighty Paramore has been kept pretty close to the band's chest. And the collective chest of mighty Atlantic Records, with at least one UK national newspaper accidentally (or not?) breaching a review embargo stopping any critical editorial appearing before the actual release date. How's that for a sign of the brave new world we've wound up living in.

Of course, last minute - or on the minute - is the way things make sense these days, with pre-album singles usually peaking a week or so ahead of the full release and tickets often only shifting in the final days before an event. That said, we had our first flavour of this record in the form of title track four months or so ago, Paramore's first single in four years, and fans have been rightly chomping at their bits since. Yes to more emotionally charged, musically accomplished alternative but accessible rock, yes to the ever-mesmerising voice of Hayley Williams, and yes to less is more promotion.

Review: Grammy-nominated rockers Rival Sons punch hard on their latest album - perhaps harder than they have before. But then that's exactly the outfit's modus, with guitarist Scott Holiday making it clear that the band are resolutely determined to progress, develop, step up, and push forward with every effort they bestow on us. To say that's audible when casting an ear over their back catalogue would be an understatement, not that preceding efforts like Hollow Bones, Great Western Valkyrie and Feral Roots weren't all commendable. Nevertheless, there's definitely growth evident when taking a listen now compared with back then. Running from full throttle, sweat inducing, guitar-fuelled adrenalin in song form, through to sweeping and grandiose tracks and onto more reflective acoustic moments, in world that often feels slightly lacking in terms of real modern rock greats, this is one example of where you can still find plenty of life.

Review: Australian singer-songwriter Sia - formerly the voice of chill maestros Zero 7 - is a real pop gem who directed and co-wrote the musical film Music. She penned 10 new tunes for the occasion, with the best of them making the cut here next to songs inspired by the film such as the Dua-Lipa co-written 'Saved My Life.' Largely pop in style with undercurrents of electropop, reggae, EDM and R&B, these are accessible songs that bounce with joy and exuberance. The title track in all its sweeping cinematic glory will likely be the standout for many.

Review: Released right at the very end of 2019, Stormzy's much-trumpeted second album, "Heavy Is The Head", is one of the most significant releases in recent times. Made with a gigantic cast list of producers and guest vocalists - Aitch, Burna Boy, Headie One, H.E.R, Tiana Major9, Yebba, Fred Gibson and MJ Cole included - the set includes some of his most thoughtful and incisive lyrics to date, as well as some particularly ear-catching mutations of grime that will further solidify his place as one of Britain's most important artists of the 21st century. Yes, it does include more nods towards pop music - he's a Glastonbury headliner after all - but the beats remain tough.

Review: There was a time when Atlantic was one of the foremost house labels in the game, and that was back in the 1990s when artists like Kerri Chandler were defining the deep New Jersey sound. If you didn't know, Three Generations is actually one of his aliases - one that only ever spawned one tune, and this is it, featuring Chevell. It's an absolute classic of the time with the garage swing, the emotive vocals and the silky synths over a nice taught bassline as well as the sound of a needle scratching across the track which was to convey the pain Kerri was feeling at the time after the murder of his then-girlfriend. A true bit of house history.

Review: The War on Drugs have pleased fans by tightening up their sound somewhat on this newest album, I Don't Live Here Any More. This firth studio long player was proceed by stadium sized singalong rock song 'I Don't Live Here Anymore' and follows it up with music that celebrates life. Bandleader Adam Granduciel is in fine form with daydreaming verses and soul-stirring choruses that are never less than epic. There are a wealth of thrills to be had here for fans old and new and the most common line about the records is that the Philadelphia band sound more like themselves than ever.

Review: It was always a pretty weird idea for Weezer to turn their attention on Vivaldi's violin concertos, The Four Seasons, and release a four-part EP series inspired by those classical landmarks. An out of the blue concept given this Rivers Cuomo-led outfit aren't exactly famed for waxing lyrical about the legendary work.

Nevertheless, fans should not be put off, nor should they expect to find a collection of tracks that look to rework Vivaldi via geek surf rock. Well, OK, maybe two of the songs here do exactly that - 'Opening Night' and 'Lawn Chair'. Or at least they both have string and guitar movements that look to pay homage to the master composer. But, for the most part, this is Weezer doing what Weezer do: sounding very much like Weezer.