Yo Yo

Yo Majesty

Futuristically Speaking... Never Be Afraid

Yo Majesty gained a wave of hype after the release of 2006 "Yo EP" and some bolshy live performances. It's easy to understand when you hear the addictive booty bass of "Club Action" & "Don't Let Go", tracks that demands your attention and need to be heard in a club. While Yo Majesty may be able to win a crowd over, their songs don't translate that well on record. A lot of the hype relating to the band focuses on how the band comprise of three gay females, challenging hip hops traditional chauvinistic view. This notion seems somewhat less credible when you hear lines such as "Fuck a bitch… Leave a bitch, then don't give a shit" uttered on "Blame It On The Change". The inclusion of sickly ballad "Buy Love" also leaves a bad taste in ones mouth, there's no other way to say it, the song sounds like Pink.

Futuristically Speaking is a fractured debut, that at points it touches on brilliance. However at it's weakest it becomes a pale Imation of the stereotypes the band were supposed to be against. Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd sooner listen to Missy.

Days in....

Metronomy

Nights Out

Metronomy's debut album was a glorious collection of electronic mini masterpieces. Would Joseph Mount be able to improve on it? Or would Metronomy fade out quicker than an old glo stick? Naysayers will be sufficiently silenced after hearing Nights Out. The brooding instrumentals have now given way to fully-fledged, lyrically enhanced, pop songs. The most important thing is that this doesn't feel forced, Nights Out feels like a natural progression. While Mount's lyrics may not win an Ivor Novello, the songs now have an added depth. This coupled with sounds robbed from manga soundtracks and a new found love of the disco bass line make this one of 2008's most pleasing follow ups.

Thomas Tantrum

After listening to Thomas Tantrum's debut album I find myself in a frustrating place, I've never encountered a band that can change my mood so quickly. At points I'm overcome with pop induced joy - then seconds later ferment rage. The main factor in this bipolar listening experience stems largely from lead singer Megan Thomas' delivery. Her sickly sweet vocals in the verse of "Shake It, Shake It!" are perfect, but when she starts to repeat the line "I wanna talk, no I wanna talk" my head is magnetically drawn to the nearest wall, I can't take it. I'd rather be stuck in a lift with Anne Widdicombe than hear than line again, but no there it is planted in my brain forever. Maybe it's just me; perhaps someone in their mid twenties is far too jaded for this type of thing but then the jangly guitars of "Swan Lake" kick. Then it hits me "no this is great, I can still enjoy happy indie pop" then, like an over exuberant drunk being dragged out his local, I'm pulled from my joy by the Kate Nash evoking "Mum's The Word. Arrrrrrrrrrgh.

Guaranteed to be musical marmite, Thomas Tantrum's eponymous debut will be cherished by some and spat out by others. I however remain firmly on the fence, like the confused teen torn between trekking the familiar route of heterosexuality or taking unknown path to the land of gay.