Facebook Slider

Spinn - Outside Of The Blue (Album Review)

  • Published in Albums

 

Sometimes I wish I were younger. The time of youth is fleeting, and I don't think the cognizance and lucidity I have as an adult was ever as present in my early years.  Luckily, we are blessed with the gift of music and its ability to mentally pull back our focus within our memories, subjecting ourselves to exhumed thoughts and feelings - good or bad.  I can safely say my initial musical tastes as a teenager were more aggressive and, in hindsight, at times, makes me cringe.  And that's my confession.  I wish I subjected myself to the positive and uplifting tunes.  Maybe it wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today and maybe it could have unshielded me and my introversion.  But then I think... fuck it.  If I'm gonna be a moody bitch, I'm gonna be moody bitch, sir. 

If my years of youth were transposed a decade or so, and I didn't want to be a moody bitch, I'm sure my playlist would include Spinn and their latest album, Outside Of The Blue.  And look, I'm going to be honest here, I wasn't sold on the album on the first go-around.  My initial impression was "I've heard this before" and that it sounds like it would get lost in the upbeat-indie-small club-dancey-safe genre we hear plenty of, through popular TV shows and ads.  I realized that my adult-ish mind, assaulted with a career, family, a mortgage, brief diets and utility payments, was not the type of mind meant to hear this album.  Music is meant for everyone and anyone who wants to hear it.  Yet, in this case, this wasn't meant for me because I'm simply not young enough. 

With this younger generation, caught under the heavy foot of impending crises, there sits a vast awareness that shit is fucked, but succumbing to tribalism, nihilism, and doomed thinking won't help.  It's okay to be positive and catchy.  Dreamy, pop-rock has a place here and is culturally appropriate for the youth.  The whatever-ennial generation this is, does give hope.  So fucking dance, you moody old bitch! 

The album opens with 'Hello’, a song that screams "yes, this has to be the opening track" into the ‘80s inspired ‘Daydreaming’.  Spinn comes through the speakers invoking that youthful energy and capturing snapshot feels of young love and reminiscent of summer crushes - a perfect lead into ‘I Believe In Love’ and further down the tracklist ‘Sweet Like Honey’.  The latter of which, along with the title track and ‘The Things She Said To Me’, harken the jangle of Johnny Marr's Smiths-era guitars.  Big props to Johnny Quinn, lead singer and songwriter, for spearheading a very British record, as there's an undeniable charm running through the LP.  A uniquely British charm, attractive to that current-ennial generation, ripe for the zeitgeist, indicative of youthful optimism during the overarching stupidity for which we currently operate under. 

The kids are alright.  And by the end of 37 and a half minutes of listening to Spinn, I kinda wished I was one. 

8 / 10 

Follow Johnno


 

Read more...

Physical Format-20190703

  • Published in Columns
 
Hey Charlie returned to Flying Vinyl in February of this year, getting the pink vinyl treatment for 'Bad Things' (a heavyweight pop thumper) and 'Electric Dream', more emphasis on the pop here. Both are reasonable with the latter bringing Ash to mind at points. The group's Facebook shows they now seem to be a duo and are on tour for a week in England this month.
 
'On The Subject Of Breathing' doesn't seem like the sort of catchy title that will rhyme easily or be shouted out by stadium audiences. Bryde has it as the A side on her single here though and it's as angsty and heartfelt as the name would have you expect. 'To Be Brave' sounds a bit like The Cranberries. Bryde's website indicates she's playing the SWN Festival in October.
 
Moreish Idols (the worst name this month) will apparently "always leave you wanting more". In the case of 'JnT' it's more earplugs. This smooth, pervy crooning song is laughable. 'Electric Beach' isn't any better. Whoever's not needed anymore in the subject matter of the song is far better off. Unsurprisingly it's the flea market box for this rubbish. Head over to the band's Facebook page if you want to help fund their next video.
 
Spinn are another act keeping stammers in band names alive. 'Notice Me' and 'Shallow' are decent, jangly indie numbers from a quartet who seem like likeable types. Since writing this the disc has been bought by someone in Japan for £11. The group's Facebook page shows they have an album out and will be touring the UK at the end of November/start of December.
 
Seafret end this month with the orange vinyl single. 'Monsters' and 'Can't Look Away' are both decked out in the tropes of indie rock, to no special effect. Anthem fans will probably be well served though. The band's website shows they have two gigs in Brazil this week.
 
Raced through that lot, chucking the word count rule to the winds. Just so little that's possible to say about such generally average music.
Read more...
Subscribe to this RSS feed