Dashboard Confessional ALTER THE ENDING

“This album is probably exactly what you’d expect from Dashboard when combined with Butch Walker. Perfect recording teamed with perfect pop melodies. The acoustic versions on the attached CD show the songs in their stripped back form. From my point of view, this is where the songs are at their strongest. The acoustic CD also harks back to ‘The Shade of Poision Trees’, which is still my personal favourite Dashboard CD.”

“It could rock more, but you can’t have it all ways.”

ED: While it’s his most mainstream/accessible album, it is also chock-full of meaning and emotion. As they say ‘no filler, all killer.’ 4/5

Kids In Glass Houses DIRT

Following their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Dirt’ is the second album from Welsh pop-punkers Kids In Glass Houses. Theband draw upon a wide array of influences - from the sunny pop tone of the Beach Boys to the hardcore style of Glassjaw - to conjure an album of massive guitar hooks and big singalong choruses. The two singles precede the album, ‘Young Blood (Let It Out)’ and ‘Matters At All’ benefit from the full production from Romesh Dodangoda (Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout).

“You would be forgiven for thinking Dirt was created by a pretty boy American pop punk band. Ok, Yes, Kids in Glass Houses are Pop Punk, but it’s a very different colour to the mediocre we here coming from the states - it’s slightly darker, with almost emo undertones. The album opens up with “Artbreaker I”, a rather short track that seems to work well as an Introduction. The next track, “The Best is Yet to Come” is easily memorable, and is quite a good landmark, following into “Sunshine”, which is slightl dissapointing. Of course, the main reason for buying this album, “Matters at All” explodes into energy, but is a little more sophisticated to the rest of the album. This is good news for the single, and follows into the almost equally as good “Youngblood”, which retains the darker sound of “Matters at All”, but staying summery at the same time. However, these 2 tracks greatly outshine the next two, “Lilli Rose” and “Giving Up” which pass by without a second glance. Fortunatly this picks up with “For Better or For Hearse”, which one might ignore the first time round. Fortunatly, as with the rest of the album, a couple of listens later, it hooks you in like a rather unaware fish.”

“In theory I should really hate “Undercover Lover”. It’s horrendously poppy, but somehow the the duet with The Saturday’s (and former S Club member Frankie Sandford. I think at this point it depends on your age of listening - as a teenager I can remember listening to old CDs with the overproduced SC8 in the summer, and I tink this track reminds me of that and makes me feel like a child. Though I would imagine most will find this track annoying. “The Morning Afterlife” seems only to serve as a “wind-down” from the previous track, and is a little boring. Fortunatly, “Hunt the Haunted” explodes in afterwards and picks the pace straight up (a possible single in the making?). This blends into the second part of “Artbreaker”, “Artbreaker II” which somehow makes the first track make sense now, and finishes off the album perfectly, bringing it full circle .”

ED: It’s good to see a young band progress, as Kids have done with this album. I could have played several tracks but eventually chose ‘Hunt The Haunted’ which for me is the standout. 4/5

Rufus Wainwright ALL DAYS ARE NIGHTS: SONGS FOR LULU

Eclectic singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright follows up 2007’s studio recording “Release The Stars” with “All Days Are Nights.” While Wainwright’s voice recalls the late Jeff Buckley, there has always been an added sense of mischief and theatre about his style. This outing features his most strippedback, affecting work to date - Wainwright’s trademark virtuoso piano work the only accompaniment to his emotive vocal style, removing some of the theatrics but leaving an album drenched in style.

“Some have complained in the past that Wainwright has used theatrics and cabaret to hide raw emotions, it is “like listening to the most depressing lounge act in the fanciest lounge in the world” is the loudest criticism. I’m not certain that many would ever agreed with that judgement but in the case of “All Days Are Nights” it becomes superfluous. This is Rufus Wainwright’s most powerfully evocative album, he sings throughout like a baroque master and the depth of his song-writing is awesome. In terms of the terrible labels we use this is not “feel good” or chart music, it is an album that challenges, provokes and stimulates. It is classical music for modern times and deserves an audience that will be bewitched by its beauty and grace.”

“This is a very personal and esoteric album from Rufus. Just his voice and piano, which works well. Most of the songs are about his mothers illness and demise along with three of Shakespeares sonnets put to music and even a touch of opera (”Les Feux D’Artifice T’Appellent” which was used at his mothers funeral). The outstanding track is the final one “Zebulon” Another standout is “Martha” a song to his sister. Not as easily accessable as a lot of his music but an enjoyable listen.”

ED: I’m still trying to make up my mind on this one… But it does get better with each listen (hence the high score). I played my standout ‘A Woman’s Face’ which is arguably the most accessible song here. The problem I find is that he has a voice that makes most songs sound the same. That said, I arte this album as one of his best and hence, 4/5.