Take That - Into The Wild

"Some things will never change"

Take That continues to surprise me. According to precedent, bands at this point in their career should be relegated to boring ballads and best-of tours. Even though there are only three of them left in the band, the guys of Take That continue the expansive, uptempo pop direction they'd ventured into with 2010's Progress (aka: their best album). The new record is instant and incredibly poppy -- a testament not only to the songwriting but also the amazing producers that they have on board. Two of the names, Stuart Price and Greg Kurstin, instantly cause my ears to perk up. I could've selected many songs to post today, but I went with the track that stood out the most to me on first listen. Into The Wild is a propulsive pop anthem with a huge sound. I'm not normally a big fan of Mark Owen's voice, and he takes the lead here, but it turns out to work quite spectacularly. The track is actually co-written with John Martin, of Swedish House Mafia's Don't You Worry Child fame. And actually, it would've worked just as well as a big Swedish House Mafia track.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Take That - These Days

"Take me back before we all explode"

A few days after Robbie Williams came back with his brilliant Avicii team-up The Days, his former band Take That also released a new single called... These Days. Take That have become very interesting over their past couple of albums, as they've stretched their musical identity and come up with a really cool sci-fi, theatrical sound. Unfortunately, Take That is now a trio, and Robbie is not one of those three. This could have meant it was back to the boring ballads for the band, but they've surprised me and released another awesome uptempo instead! In the battle between These Days and The Days (confused yet?), Robbie wins hand down. But These Days is no slouch either. It's a hodgepodge of impossibly catchy hooks, coupled with kaleidoscopic, ebullient production that forces you out of your seat. I hope this ends up being the norm for the upcoming album and not a red herring. I'm not the biggest Gary Barlow fan, but there's no denying that he can churn out a great pop song. Also, doesn't this sound like it could have been a song Mika would've recorded?



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 20 Albums of 2011: 20-19

20. Take That - Progressed



The "parent album" was one of my favorites of last year, and this continuation kept up the quality. To me, this didn't sound at all like a collection of leftovers. In fact, in some ways this is even more experimental than Progress. It's also more uptempo and, while it's not as consistently brilliant as the group can be, it has its share of blistering highlights.

19. Rogue Traders - Night Of The Living Drums



A long time in the making, this represented the band's first album with their new vocalist. She's really the reason why I love the album and, at times, am annoyed by it. When the music soars, like on Would You Raise Your Hands, Don't Think I Love You and Like It Ends Tonight, it's some of the best stuff of the year. Then there are tracks like If You Wanna Taste It and Sign Language that, unfortunately, prevent this from going higher on my list. Still, it's an overall solid album.

Top 50 Singles of 2011: 50-46

50. Jesse and the Toyboys - Push It



In a year without Gwen Stefani, this was the next best thing. A dirty, cheeky party track

49. Leona Lewis - Collide



Leona tackles dance music to stunning effect. Her voice has never sounded better than on this anthemic belter.

48. Penguin Prison - Fair Warning



A reliably cool and catchy 80's inspired pop song. One of Penguin Prison's best, and that's saying something.

47. Vanbot - Lost Without You



A Robyn-esque dance track, dense and layered and utterly gorgeous. One of the best indie tracks of the year.

46. Take That - Love Love




Take That continue their aggressive, electro-influenced sound with one of their best tracks. It just happens to be attached to one of the year's best movies, too.

Your Favorite Songs... Sped Up

Sometimes something that should be horrible turns out to be quite entrancing. There's a trend on youtube (I'm sure it's been going on for years) of speeding pop songs up. With a bit of a pitch change, you can make any song sound like Scooter. Remember Scooter? Sheesh. I was never a fan, but some of these tracks--particularly ballads and midtempos--sound quite striking when sped up to Scooter-esque levels. Here are two that I've become very... captivated by over the past week. The Take That song in particular sounds amazing as a sped up rave. It's actually kind of beautiful in a Japanese Anime sort of way.

Take That - The Flood


Isn't that amazing? This next one's a little more chipmunk-like, but still addictive.

Adele - Rolling In The Deep


And just for fun, because it's hilarious:

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful


And yes, I'm fully aware that this is one of the most random posts I've ever put on this blog :)

Take That - Aliens

"Baby I'm with you"

Take That is one of those bands that I'd never have really listened to or had any interest in a few years ago. But after the Robbie comeback and excellent Progress, I'm completely on board with their new sound. And now they've released a companion album/EP called Progressed, which continues their new sci-fi, electronic pop. Song for song, I'm pretty much in love with it. I'm not sure any other band is doing this kind of thing right now. It's incredibly shocking (at least to me) that this is the route Take That have decided to go. It would've been so easy to keep churning out treacly, lovelorn ballad after ballad and score hits that way. With this music, they may not have the huge monster hits they used to, but you can tell the guys are really enjoying themselves. Aliens comes late in the album but is instantly memorable for its intense guitar riff. It enforces the sci-fi theme of the album (further supported if you choose to add the b-side Rocket Ship -- I add it as track 8, just before Wonderful World). It's ridiculously catchy from the get-go and a little silly, but it'll lodge itself in your brain after one listen. Like the rest of the album, it's a lot of fun.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Take That - Love Love

"Give it all away"

Take That's Progress was one of my favorite albums of last year. X-Men: First Class is one of my most anticipated movies of the summer. Somewhere between the two, there's been an unexpectedly amazing intersection. Love Love sounds like something off Progress, but is actually on the soundtrack to X-Men (never thought I would write that). It's a great glam/electro track reminiscent of their last single Kidz. They've been making such sci-fi oriented music of late. It's a genre (if you can call it a "genre") that's completely different to anything else out there. This song has an incredibly layered, lush sound to it. I wonder if it was left over from the album or specially recorded for this? On a related note, Gary Barlow's been long-rumored to take Simon Cowell's place on the UK judging panel of X-Factor. I can't say I'm thrilled. His speaking voice grates. And when the band's making music this good, they should stick to recording.

Take That - Love Love by zzmkl

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 20 Albums of 2010: 8-7

8. Darin - Lovekiller



Of all of the Swedish pop albums released this year (and there were many), this was right at the top of the list. I wouldn’t have expected that at all. I’ve always been a fan of Darin’s, but never connected to any of his albums. This, a collection of mostly-ballads, shouldn’t have been any different. But it worked. He turned the schmaltz and drama up to eleven and crafted a world-conquering sound that was more than a little reminiscent of the late, great Michael Jackson. More than anything, it ushered him into a new stage of his career. Expect more massive hooks to follow.

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7. Take That - Progress



Who would have thought? This is easily the most experimental “boy band“ album I’ve ever heard. Bringing Robbie back into the fold seemed to inspire a new verve in the band’s music. I’ve never been more than a casual fan before, but this majestic batch of songs yielded a late-Fall sucker punch. It’s one of the more eclectic mixes on the countdown, overseen by producer extraordinaire Stuart Price. What could have been a disaster plays instead like 2010’s best rock-opera.

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Top 50 Singles of 2010: 30-26

30. Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood



Her calling card in a year full of great Marina singles. This was the song that finally convinced me that she was worth a listen. So glad it did.

29. Alcazar - Headlines



Their second Melodifestivalen entry in as many years, this string-laden disco track was unfairly shut out from the finals. Pity, as it’s one of their best.

28. Katy Perry - Firework



More anthemic and touching than I thought Katy Perry could be. Loved this as an album track, but as soon as I saw the video I knew this would be one of her biggest hits.

27. Take That - The Flood



Honestly, as much as I liked their singles in the past, this was the first time Take That became required listening for me. The grandest song on the list.

26. Carpark North - Burn It




I never thought they’d be able to match the quality of 2006’s Human, but with this gargantuan greatest hits single they came back in perfect form.

Track-by-Track: Take That - Progress

I've never listened to an entire Take That album before -- not in their 90's heyday, not during their 00's resurgence. And before I heard the lead single from this, I wasn't too excited about a new album (even one with Robbie Williams). So take this review for what it is: the thoughts of a casual (relatively indifferent) fan. What I can say for sure, though, is that producer Stuart Price has certainly had a good year. If his 2010 album work was a trilogy, this would be the epic conclusion. It's as much his record as it is Take That's.

1. The Flood - The band have enjoyed a string of massive hit ballads over the past few years, but it seems that it was all building up to this. It's an incredibly majestic, redemptive song. The perfect comeback, produced to utter perfection. 10/10

2. SOS - This is where the album takes a startlingly (excellent) turn. It's a full-on paranoid dance track -- not what I would've expected from the new Take That. The interchange between vocalists works wonders and this again supports my theory that any song with SOS in the title is bound to be a good one. 9/10

3. Wait - A string-laden midtempo with more of an r&b sound to it. I like how this carries on the electronic elements, but it's one of my least favorite on the album. It sounds a little too mainstream compared to the more experimental aspects of other tracks. 8/10

4. Kidz - This is a big, apocalyptic track... a cross between Muse and the We Will Rock You musical. It's got a cast-of-thousands sound to it, with a heavy glam beat, dramatic stomps, and a sneering Robbie vocal. Excellent. 10/10

5. Pretty Things - This couldn't possibly sound any more like Bowie. It's a languid, distorted music box ballad that didn't hit me on first listen but grows each time I hear it. It's more a solo Robbie song than anything, but it's a great one. 9/10

6. Happy Now - We've now entered the second half of the album, which is stronger than the first. This kicks it off quite soaringly. It transforms from a tricky verse to a pulsing disco chorus. It's the most immediate song on the album. 10/10

7. Underground Machine - Less instant, but just as impressive. This is one of the more experimental sounds for them -- big glam swagger, industrial guitar riff and a loopy falsetto chorus. Like a lot of songs here, it's basically a Robbie solo track, but unlike anything you've heard from him before. 10/10

8. What Do You Want From Me - Though I would've chosen a different vocalist for this, there's no denying the strength of this song. It's like Fire With Fire part two. It's got that ballad vs. dance track sound that Stuart Price produces so well. It builds to something pretty epic at the end. 10/10

9. Affirmation - A perfect seque from the last track, this has quickly grown into one of my favorites. It's got a dramatic prog sound to it, with Bowie-esque verses that build into an explosive chorus. I'm amazed that this is even the same band as the Take That of the nineties. 10/10

10. Eight Letters - The big closing ballad. The lyrics are highly self-referential and autobiographical. It's probably closest to the sound of the previous two albums and seems to utilize the entire band more fully than on most of the album, which is fitting given the meaning behind the song. 9/10

11. Flowerbed - Technically a bonus track, but it's on every version of the album so it'll feature in my review. This tender ballad opens with processed vocals for the first minute or so before revealing a simple, delicate melody. It feels a little unfinished, almost like an interlude, but it's certainly pleasant. 7/10

Album Grade: 9.2/10

Take That - Happy Now

"I feel myself falling"

Whoa. This is not at all what I expected from Take That. Granted, I've never listened to an entire album of theirs before this new one, but I'm a fan of their string of "comeback" singles released these past few years. And having Robbie Williams back on board instantly peaked my interest. The current single, The Flood, is one of their best, but it really didn't prepare me for the shifts that were in store when it came to the album. Enlisting Stuart Price as the producer was the smartest thing the band has ever done. Instead of a bunch of dreary middle-aged boyband ballads, Progress is one of the most ambitiously experimental "boyband" (though aren't they really a "manband" now?) album I've ever heard. They flirt with disco, glam, electro and Bowie-esque ballads. It's really quite sweeping--a must hear if only for the shock factor alone. Luckily, it doesn't have to rely solely on shock. This is a brilliant collection of songs. Happy Now might not end up being my favorite track in the long run, but it was the one that appealed to me most instantly, so I chose it to share today. The verses are straight off of Robbie's Rudebox album, but the chorus is the real standout. Super catchy, super huge and super Scissor Sisters. I would have never expected to make that comparison!

Take That - Happy Now by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 10/22/10

Black Eyed Peas - The Time (The Dirty Bit) Okay, so it's basically just a cover track of the Dirty Dancing song with some obnoxious sound effects (and even worse rapping) in between. Lazy, which wouldn't be so bad if this was listenable. D

Take That - The Flood
A strong comeback, with a lot of Robbie time. It's as majestic as modern radio pop gets, with a huge chorus and "sing it from the mountain tops" verses. Not quite as good as Patience was, though. A-

The Wanted - Heart Vacancy
Another boyband... from an old to new. The Wanted had a surprisingly excellent debut single. This is less excellent and far more in keeping with the genre, but it's pleasant enough. Still, they should be doing better.C+

Duck Sauce - Barbara Streisand
My god, the things they make songs out of these days. Take a riff from an old Boney M song and repeat a name over the top and that's it. Literally, that's it. It's a testament to how strong the riff is. Without that, this would be nothing but a name. B

Pet Shop Boys - Together
It's always nice to hear something new from PSB. On first listen, I wasn't sure if this was more of a hit or a b-side, but it's grown on me. The layered chorus is gorgeous. It's a very dense dance track with a lot to listen to. B+

Ke$ha - We R Who We R
Well, she's got a formula and she's sticking to it. If you've heard any of her songs, you'll know what this sounds like (maybe with a little of Taio Cruz's Dynamite thrown in). It's a dreadful concoction she's got going on. Lowest common denominator. (but still not as bad as that BEP song) D

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair
The whole Smith family nepotism thing drives me insane, so I came into this already annoyed. I just find it all a little creepy and... lifeless, somehow. This song was long-rumored to be a Rihanna track and thank god it wasn't because it's irritating as hell. Whatever happened to melody with some staying power? D+