So there was no monthly entry for June because I had a pretty heavy time in terms of work, meaning I couldn’t really be arsed to sit down and flick some music on. That being said, I did have time for one particular single and it is:
The Molotovs, Today’s Gonna Be Our Day
When I last spoke of the Molotovs, I stated that their anthemic stylings were surely going to turn heads. I’d like to reiterate that statement because, while More More More was an introduction by way of a slap over the head, Today’s Gonna Be Our Day shakes you violently to wake you up and get you off your arse.
THIS is an anthem for 2025. THIS is a call to the disillusioned youth. THIS is a Mod song in spades. THIS is well-deserving of another number one on the vinyl charts. If anyone else tries to claim otherwise, play them this song and show them just how dead wrong they are.
Can’t wait for that album now. Sack off 2025, roll on 2026. Wasted on Youth, get it pre-ordered.
Now, as mentioned last time, I wanted to add a bit of spontaneity to proceedings this time around. I’ve had the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die on my shelf for a long time now but I’ve not quite used it to point me in the direction of new albums that may go against my usual tastes.
Until now.
Yes, combining this book with a random number generator, I am going to listen to a series of albums solely based on luck and the word of Robert Dimery. Whatever number I am given is the page I must read. Plus, to make sure I don’t get bogged down in one particular genre I will reroll the generator in the event that I draw numbers that are too close together.
Page 814 – Robbie Williams, Life Thru A Lens
You’ve got to be kidding me. I wanted to draw the line at Rocket but no, the Gods of music have decreed I must now suffer through a Robbie LP. Then again, this is his Britpop album before, well, Britpop, so maybe this could be a nice way of easing me into this menagerie of music I’ve set myself.
Story goes that Robbie was heavily influenced in the making of this album by Oasis, and that’s clear as early as the closing moments of opening track Lazy Days – Those gravelly yeah-yeah’s sound more like a certain L.Gallagher. But to be honest, this album sounds like an amalgamation of the Britpop scene at large: Life Thru a Lens is reminiscent of Lovelife-era Lush, Ego Agogo and South of the Border seem borne from early Supergrass and Ocean Colour Scene, respectively, and Old Before I Die? Take your pick for that one.
For a solo debut, it can be a risk sounding so much like your peers, and ultimately Life Thru A Lens feels like a case of throw shit at the wall and see what sticks – I’ve heard more cohesive albums. Luckily, the one song that everyone knows about from this album, Angels, sticks out enough to allow Robbie to stand on his own two legs. It shows he can write a decent song and do them justice with his vocals. It’s not a song I ever imagined I’d enjoy, and it does seem like a weird outlier in the tracklist (making South of the Border come across as a bit of a hard left turn), but I must admit it earned my respect. Just as it earned the critics’ respect and kept Robbie’s career on life support and ready for the new millennium.
Let Me Entertain You was also pretty bloody good.
Page 22 – Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours
Fancy that, I end up with the very first album the book talks about, and with an artist who I first became aware of as a wee lad playing Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. Yes, a game whose soundtrack is filled with metal, punk, emo, hiphop, reggae, and a curious but welcome smattering of Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra. God I miss the 2000s.
If it wasn’t Sinatra, I would’ve been apprehensive with going back as far as 1955 to listen to an album (baring in mind my cutoff point is typically the 60s). However, to hear him sing is like hearing an old friend, bumping into them in a smoke-filled bar, and then going for a walk under moonlight in the (funnily enough) Wee Small Hours. Trouble is, they’re tipsy and lonely, hence the mood and the subject matter that dominates this album. Sinatra was at a personal low point and his raw emotions bleed into every orifice of every song. You could tell he wanted to get this album right, and get it right he did because good lord that man could sing. I think the next time I listen to this, I should have a glass of Jack Daniels on my left and an ashtray on my right.
Page 233 – John Lennon, Imagine
I can’t tell if the title track is aging like fine wine or milk in the sun. The world is f*cked enough as it is, it became even more f*cked midway through June, and then there’s the minor issue of Gal Gadot turning the song into a joke during the pandemic.
Anyway, the rest of the album sounds lovely, some slick production on this one. If you take the time to read between the lines you are rewarded in dividends (see Jealous Guy). That is, unless John is knocking you over the head with the messaging (see I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama and Gimme Some Truth). As a lighter successor to Plastic Ono Band, Imagine is very easy to listen to and, dare I say it, everyone involved sounds like they’re having fun. And I am too.
Also, I was ready to hate the closer Oh Yoko!, but John went and ended it with a harmonica solo. Clever bastard.
Page 584 – Terence Trent D’Arby, Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby
When I told people that I would be listening to a Terence Trent D’Arby album, the responses ranged from groans and eyerolls to ‘godspeeds’. Bodes well, dunnit? Plus, I had to laugh when I read that when gearing up for its release, Terence/Sananda labelled it the most important album since Sgt.Pepper’s…
I believe the term used by the kids these days to describe the sound and beat is it ‘slaps’. We are knee deep in the 80s here, and the percussion is here to slap you across the face with that fact. It can be a bit much at times but overall I like the sound of the album (bar the keyboards on Dance Little Sister, gives me ‘Casio from the charity shop’ vibes), I really need to tap into funky stuff down the line. Terence/Sananda is a decent vocalist with a lot of energy, it’s easy to picture him bouncing about while struggling to stay within distance of the mic. Trouble is he hovers too far towards wet and then growly. There’s a lack of a happy medium. All in all, this isn’t an album I’d actively seek out but I wouldn’t mind it if I came across it in the wild, in the supermarket or on the radio in a taxi.
That’s about half of the albums I’ve gotten from Dimery and the wheel, I’ll save the other half for August. Before I sign off though, there were a couple of other things that I listened to in this here July, not because fate forced them upon me, but because I wanted to:
Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas
My TikTok suddenly became full of people calling this the dog’s bollocks when it came to dream pop. Well, that and latter-day Fishmans (I seriously need to do an entry on one of their albums at some point). ‘Timeless’ would probably be the word I’d use to describe Heaven or Las Vegas – Radio 1 could easily get away with sneaking the singles into their A List. ‘Trippy’ also springs to mind thanks to the production leaving you feeling like your brain is swimming in a whirlpool. ‘Excellent’? With songs like Pitch the Baby and the title track, the word ‘excellent’ should definitely be applied. This is a must-listen.
Massive Attack, Mezzanine
Trip hop is a genre whose iceberg I have touched the tip of once or twice, mainly through Massive Attack. This month, I gave it another go with Mezzanine, captivated by that album’s reputation for being much darker and with an industrial flourish. End result? A damn good LP. Portishead next, methinks.
Ok, that’s enough for now. Three things to look forward to next month:
- Another batch of albums pre-selected from the Dimery book.
- Finally summoning the courage to listen back and review a brand new album from one of my favourite bands.
- I’m going on a train journey tomorrow. Gotta listen to some albums to get me through.
A-Side Glance 