P!NK’S FUNHOUSE

Did anyone else count the days till this freakin’ gorgeous badass superstar finally released her fifth studio album? I DID! Acht! I just could not wait for Funhouse, the latest fireball of sound to be hurled in our direction from the punk princess herself. So, here it goes, my first impressions of Funhouse, P!nk’s latest album… Read On!

It must be a daunting experience to release a fifth studio record on top of a previous four which have accounted for such momentous success in the music industry. Pink’s career took off in 2001 following a realisation that she wanted to break the mould of traditional solo female singer-songwriters. Her second album, M!ssundaztood, reflected this perfectly. It remains her most successful album to date, and boasts her first ever UK number one single – Just Like a Pill. Almost five years later in 2006, I’m Not Dead launched P!nk back into the limelight after some disappointing responses and harsh criticisms of her earlier 2003 record, Try This. 

Needless to say expectations were high for the newest offering. Things sounded exceedingly hopeful for P!nk when the first single  was released earlier this year.  Despite having just split from her former husband Carey Hart, the hit single So What dominated the singles charts worldwide. Laden in usual contradiction, P!nk certainly played her cards right in featuring Hart in the video. Interestingly however, she maintained in a recent C4 interview that she and her ex remain close friends.

“…tequila for my friend it makes her flirty, trust me, i’m the instigator of underwear showing up here and there…”

In all truthfulness, I’m a little disappointed with the new record. I expected more hard-hitting, jump-up-and-down-till-yer-blue-in-the-face tracks - you know the ones I mean. I’m Not Dead was full of them. I just loved the intense mixture of musical styles that crept their way onto that album, and I really feel that such genre-spanning diversity is something Funhouse lacked. While we’re on the subject, let’s just consider I’m Not Dead for a second. Pop-tastic anthems Leave Me Alone I’m Lonely and U + Ur Hand laid comfortably in the company of soulful numbers such as The One That Got Away. And Moore even threw into the mixture a beautifully raw acoustic track she recorded with her father, I Have Seen the Rain, which they dedicated to all the Vietnam vets – a perfect personal touch shall we say. This aside, what really saddened me was the lack of cheeky wee tunes on this one. Tracks like Fingerson the previous album really put the icing on the cake for me. All in all, I feel quite let down by Funhouse…

The standout track for me has to be Bad Influence. I think this track really showcases Pink’s lyrical ability – always infused with suggestion and dominance! And it’s probably one of the catchiest on the record. The line ‘wind me up and watch me go’ just captures her unpredictable spirit brilliantly. It’s All Your Fault was another of my top rated. It’s intense drum sequence and synths will have the track stuck in your head all day and there’s never any beatin’ a good bit of guitar!

“…have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air? have you ever looked fear in the face and said i just don’t care?”

And I reckon the most politically infused track on the album has got to be Ave Mary A. Knowing Pink, having made her strong views on animal rights, terrorism and equal rights very apparent in the pubic sphere, this song is a true depiction of her feelings of desperation with the world.

I am however trying to convince myself that the forthcoming single, Sober, will grow on me. And I will admit that the lovely vocals and quirky lyrics of Please Don’t Leave Me have already done so. I’m definitely not regarding either track as her best work, though. My personal opinion is that I am glad the biggies (Bad Influence, So What, Ave Mary A) made it onto the album. Otherwise I think the album may have run the risk of sliding down the same road that Try This done only a few years ago.

“…i forgot to say out loud how beautiful you really are to me, i can’t be without, you’re my perfect little punching bag…”

But as I’ve already mentioned, I didn’t expect so many slower songs. The latter end of the album carries a beautiful heart-felt number entitled Glitter In the Air. It comprises only of vocals and piano for the most part and expells a lovely give-away lyric which indicates a theme of romantic appreciation: ‘Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry / have you ever invited a stranger to come inside.’ The track builds up to an intense end in which Moore’s powerful vocals are displayed in a much-needed opportunity.

On the whole though, Funhouse is the clearest display of real emotion we have ever heard from this artist. Sadly, some of these emotions are embedded in slow-paced songs, featuring somewhat defeatist lyrics and slightly desperate connotations. I don’t know about you, but I love Pink’s bad-girl image and would much rather hear her prancing about screaming into a mic than strumming away at a guitar singing about how doom and gloom she feels. Acht well! It’s still a stormer!

When was the last time you accidentally stumbled upon an album which quite possibly altered your perceptions of heartfelt music for good? Well, Awakening by the Sarah Mac Band just might do it for you.

Hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, they pride themselves in having established their musical collective out of long existing friendships – friendships which are beautifully unique and span generations. Charlie Vanture, Claire Swindell, and Sarah McElhaney released their first debut EP Countdown to Silence in 2006. They later recruited Keli Swearingen (of the late hard rock band, The Audience) to complete their line-up. Together they have created an absolute stormer of an album which displays reoccurring themes of survival and strength.

The band…

‘Open Fire’, which is track nine of a generous twelve, is by far the best feminist anthem I have heard this side of 2008. I have no hesitation in crediting it as the strongest track on Awakening, comprising of emotionally charged lyrics such as “where did you learn that/ this was any variation of normal” and “I can’t speak cos I’m so damn angry/ I don’t ask much just act like you love me”. The track threw the band into the lime light when Paste Magazine featured it on their CD sampler last May. It has since proven to be popular among fans who appreciate the lyrical ensembles of personal experiences and intense observations.

Claire Swindell, the band’s multi-talented bassist, explained to me in a recent interview that the song demonstrates our human desire for love. The album as a whole overflows with lyrical creativity which reflects the vast emotions that women experience everyday. Claire explained, “We are pretty convinced that one of the most common human desires is to be known. But for the most part, we all live these guarded lives, afraid to let people know who we are.”

The band believe that the concept of ‘awakening’ was a very appropriate way to frame their first full album together, and hope that their brutal honesty contribute to the reasons why people love them. Awakening should be a definite purchase for those who appreciate truly original and heartfelt music.

Aye, and it’s about bloody time we had a new strong female vocalist to grace the UK Top 40!

We Started Nothing is the first debut album from hotter than hot British pop duo, The Ting Tings.  Hailing from Salford, England, Katie White and Jules de Martino are beginning to rock the foundations of the pop industry like never before, with their unstoppable momentum and ridiculously catchy lyrics. They first graced our ears a few months back with the release of ‘Great DJ’, an absolute club anthem for a good week and a half until ‘That’s Not My Name’ was unleashed unto a desperately awaiting British public.

Storming straight into the number one stop on the UK Singles Chart, throwing the likes of Madonna and Rihanna into the wastepaper basket, ”That’s Not My Name’ sealed the deal for Katie and Jules as Britain’s top pop punk asses. BBC music journalist Sophie Hammer takes it a step further, dubbing the record as a “feminist rant”.

Check out the vid for ‘Thats Not My Name’

Released on Columbia Records, ‘We Started Nothing’ promises to throw more indie anthems at the UK charts. Despite being taken over by Rihanna this week, with her lastest single ‘Take a Bow’, The Ting Tings promise to pull something special out of the bag. Aye, move oor Rihanna hen, make way for ‘Fruit Machine’, an album track set to plough all pop acts out the water. Watch this space.   

In anticipation for their exclusive interview next week, I take a  look at The Sarah Mac Band’s Myspace blog to see what they’re up too… 

Check back next week for the full interview and pictures of the band!