Sonic Summer
As the summer approaches, and children both large and small are freed from educational institutions, the music industry gleefully goes into overdrive, with a ridiculous number of big name records being farmed in the quest for the dregs of your student loan. Ridiculous is certainly a good adjective for Muse, whose fourth album Black Holes and Revelations will no doubt feature more overblown pomp-rock.
Lead single Supermassive Black Hole is an early sign of things to come, with Matt Bellamy’s falsetto reaching disco overdrive. But final track Knights of Cydonia will raise more eyebrows, with fans describing it as a “Western showdown set in space”. Quite. Similarly overblown is Johnny Borrell’s ego, with the Razorlight singer telling anyone who will listen that their as yet untitled second album will revolutionise Topshop-rock as we know it.
Described as “a jaw-dropping record of fucking epic proportions” by, um, Johnny Borrell. Predicting release dates has proved somewhat more problematic for Guns ‘n’ Roses, whose para-anticipated Chinese Democracy album was originally scheduled for release sometime during the Tudor dynasty. With a UK tour imminent, Axl’s band of merry men may well actually release the fucking thing.
If only Chinese Democracy was the strangest release of this summer: the season will bear Paris Hilton‘s debut single, Stars Are Blind. Alleged to be a mix of hip hop and reggae, it will undoubtedly be as much of a sonic travesty as it will be another piece of PR genius. Fortunately, the woman she no doubt wishes she could be, Christina Aguilera, releases Back to Basics in August, which should be this year’s best pop album.
Meanwhile, The Game is trying to out-Borrell the competition, describing his second album The Doctor’s Advocate as “a masterpiece”. Of course it will not be, but expect it to be better than 50 Cent’s bloated third effort due out in September. As for dark horses, Biffy Clyro spinoff Marmaduke Duke could produce some unlikely dancefloor hits.
8th Jun 2006