Leela James Review

Leela James - A Change Is Gonna Come

I wrote about Leela James a while back and got moderately squee-ish about her. I didn't know she even had an album out, until I found it in HMV. So there we go. So how does Leela James translate on an album? Firstly, you can almost guarantee Joss Stone comparisons will be made, if only because Leela sounds just like a moderately more soulful Joss. But, what makes Leela so good is that she's reminiscent of 'Soul Sessions' Joss; soulful, gifted and funky as opposed to 'Mind, Body & Soul' Joss; hyped, overrated and whiney.

'Music' is a bouncing, laid-back spit at American music and particularly the perfunctory stylised attitude to music but also a celebration of the good times. She is horrified by music becoming more of a status symbol than a passion or a talent. Sees America's hip-hop culture dominate in a world and a genre that was pioneered by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Marvin Gaye. Consider this Leela's mission statement as the rest of the album is a modern soul homage spattered with nostlagic nods to the greats. Leela seems to want to gap the bridge between soul music and hip-hop. Leela sums up Indie Girl and Pop Boy's feelings perfectly when she sings "where'd the music go?/It's all about the video/We don't sang no mo'/Where's the music gone?". Ironically of course, this is the kind of song that would normally have us reaching for the keyboards for another rant and pleaing for the return of the Scissor Sisters. But she's actually making a lot of sense to me.

Stand out track and lead single (I believe) 'Good Life' is a celebration of life and Saturday nights and "getting your booty on the dancefloor". Live of course it would clearly have loads of improv and would go on for about an hour an a half. This is a rather fitting follower to 'Music'. One mopes, one tells you to get off your ass and stop moping. Oh! It's only one of those bloody schizophrenic pop records! Oh! This is getting good.

It only gets better with 'Ghetto', the Wyclef Jean written track, which contains the simultaneously brilliant and random refrain of "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Rock!" and seems to be your typical 'he ain't yo' man, he's my man, I grew up in the ghetto and I'm gonna beat you up' kind of record. You know the type. Oh, you don't?

Then Leela lets herself down. After three songs of relatively original subject matter, she gives us standard soul-pop fare. 'Mistreating Me' is your standard-fare feminist, 'I'm beaten down by men but now I realise I don't need them' r&b song. And it is very good. It's one of those ones that builds up in layers, refrains, choruses and strings that just sound like red wine being spilt on a tear stained pillow. In fairness, though the subject matter is standard-fare, this song is far from average.

Leela then does nothing to extinguish the Joss similarities with 'When You Love Somebody' which sounds like it was plucked straight from 'Soul Sessions'. The voice is particularly uncanny. The song sounds just identical. Even the angsty struggle of blind, betrayed trust is identical to that of 'Dirty Man'. Like I said, it sounds like it was plucked straight from 'Soul Sessions'. And this is no bad thing, in my books anyway.

The Kanye tracks 'It's Alright' and 'Didn't I' lack the joie de vivre and samples of and 'Gold Digger''Touch The Sky' but they can still hold there own on the album and bookend the aceness (as they come at the end). They do sound weird. As they are truly modern Kanye West songs sung by a singer and on an album who sound like they belong to another decade with jostling guitars and nods to the 1970s throughout. These are the sort of songs Joss should've tried to have had for 'Mind, Body & Soul'. In fact, the whole of 'Change Is Gonna Come' sounds like a bundle of Joss' wasted opportunities. Which is a shame as the songs are wasted, destined to remain practically unheard forever and Joss' talents are similarly wasted, consigned to second-rate material that makes her sound like a whiney cunt with a blocked nose.

Leela does have her weaker moments, 'Rain' and 'My Joy' for example, in which Leela's slips into the realms of mediocrity and switches from 'vaguely interesting' to 'snooze button'. Then there's 'Soul Food' which is about having sex and eating and which in one foul swoop moves Leela from the totally sublime to the totally ridiculous. Basically, if Delia Smith ever wrote a song about herself, this would be it. "I'm sweet like sweet potato pie/Like collard greens with yams on the side". It is good, really, providing you don't pay too much attention to the lyrics. It does have to be heard to be believed though. Especially the feeder-fetish-tastic refrain "feed me feed me feed me" at the end. Not Raphael Saadiq's finest moment, it has to be said

Another one of the weaker moments I'm still not quite over is Leela's take on No Doubt's 'Don't Speak'. Anybody who knows even the slightest little bit about Pop Boy will know that I want to be Gwen Stefani when I grow up and am the biggest Gwen fan in the world. At first, the idea of 'Don't Speak' done soul style was intriguing, to say the least. Now I need therapy, and a good head-bash with a hairbrush in front of the mirror to the original. Now I know just how the White Stripes' fans feel. Sorry about that.

'Change Is Gonna Come' is laden with soul-pop gems and contemporary R&B jewels like 'Music', 'Ghetto', 'Good Life' and 'It's Alright' all the way to 'When You Love Somebody', 'Mistreating Me' and the cover of the Sam Cooke classic and title track 'A Change Is Gonna Come' that ought to have Joss Stone shaking in her thong toed sandals. Production from Commissioner Gordon (and although I don't claim to be well-informed on this genre this is supposed to be a very good thing, he did things (albums) with Lauryn Hill and everything) and writing credits from Kanye West, Raphal Saadiq and Wyclef Jean prove that someone must be taking Leela seriously. And this woman does deserve to be taken seriously as she's got a great set of lungs on her. Let's just not EVER mention the No Doubt cover ever ever again, OK?

(Exciting) News

Reviews to come of Rihanna, Leela James and Maximo Park albums. I promise.

And! Less than a month until I see Girls Aloud! Woot!

Blasting On Pop Boy's Stereo This Week

It has quite a few balst from the past this week. This is, however, due to the fact that all the new songs out there are a pile of chaff (yes - I'm talking to you Dannii Minogue and LL Fucking-Cool Pissing-J).

Infernal - From Paris To Berlin
All the cool people out there will have already heard this about a year ago I'm sure (but as you'll see, being old doesn't blasting from my stereo). Unfortunately, British radio and record companies are too busy spunking over Gnarls Barkley and James Blunt to think about looking just over the North Sea where they've really got it going on and try to import some pop tuneage. Which is why Infernal's appearance on The Box shocked me as the song's demographic is loctaed within the song title. They've slipped through the net. Don't hang up your big sunglasses and candy canes just yet pop kids, Infernal is here, which means of course, with get hyperbole, that the pop revolution is upon us. Give us six months and we'll be sick of the latest Marie Serneholt single as it sits atop of the charts for the seventeenth consectutive week. Well, we can dream. But yes, Infernal are here! Bring on the bunting (or Bunton, or both)! Woop!

Sugababes - Gotta Be You
I bought the Amelle version of the 'babes album last week and it's been getting pretty generous rotation. All in all it's a pile of meh, if I'm honest. The singles so far were kind of the obvious choices and there isn't much left to choose for the fourth single, but this one has been re-done by Amelle which suggests it could be next (though I'm plumping for 'Follow Me Home'). Anyway this song 'Gotta Be You' was, on first listen, standard reject Ciara fodder. Then after a few spins, the light bulb was switched on and I got it. This happened about the time I was getting ready to go out, so maybe that helps. The chorus is now lodged firmly in my head like a stubborn mule that refuses to move. And! Ciara has done a(n inferior) version of this song which shouldn't be too hard to track down if you know that muzic matters and all that.

Chris Brown - Gimmie That
Speaking of seemingly meh-ish Ciara fodder... here's Chris Brown. I'm just going to ignore that 'Yo (Excuse Me Miss)' ever existed because quite frankly it is awful, and I'm sure Chris Brown must know that. I'd go as far as to say it makes 'You're Beautiful' sound like 'Like A Virgin'. It's that bad! But! 'Gimmie That' hints at a return to form promised by ghetto-fabulous 'Run It'. And that is 'hip'-music-that's-more-likely-to-get-played-at-Telford's-hottest-night-spots-than-Girls-Aloud- so-will-do-for-a-bit-and-you-can-dance-to-it music. It's quite a niche genre but when done well it's very very good. Addicive as fuck as well. The bastards!

Bjork - Army Of Me
Bjork's 'Debut' is never far from my stereo but this is from 'Post', which is equally impressive. I tried to get the DJ at the indie place I went to on Friday night to play some Bjork or Kate Bush but he rather conveniently "couldn't find it". He was actually just scared of just how much I would've rip up that dancefloor if it had got played. So anyway, when I got home on Saturday morning this was the very first song I blasted, whilst sticking two fingers up at the DJ. If I were a DJ, this would be in my setlist EVERY night. Infact, some nights it might be this, 'Big Time Sensuality' and La Bush's 'Wuthering Heights' on a constant repeat for three hours. And you'd fucking love it.

Pipettes - Because It's Not Love
Have I god-worshipped the Pipettes yet? I should have because I was there at the very beginning, and I will still be when they become global-indie-mega-stars. Which they will, if there's any justice in the world. Brilliant retro style girlband pop (is it pop, you can dress in polka dot dresses play guitars and hang around the indie crowds all you like, this is pop) expected of maybe The Orchids or The Shangri-Las. Speaking of the Shangri-Las, I may be over analysing this but is the "I don't to go walking in the sand everyday" some kind of reference? Who cares, really, let's just dance, dance, and move a little closer. Seriously, I love this, the mixture of pure pop AND pure indie is just deadly. I'm a sucker for it every time. Play on Pipettes.

Blasting On Indie Girl's Tiny White Earphones This Week...

Yes, we're not dead despite me feeling it a bit, due to illness. But I will bring a a small list and little description of the songs that I am currently in love with.

Chicks On Speed - We Don't Play Guitars
Silly, shouty song with funny lyrics and a killer bassline. Yes, Chicks On Speed really deliver with a nonsense song all about the fact that "THEY DON'T PLAY GUITARS!!!" Definately check it out. Their best song from what i've heard. The best part is definately when the long high pitched lengthening of "guitars!" turns into a lush, mad theremin-like electro mess. Adore it.

Queens Of The Stone Age - No-one Knows
Ok, i've heard this song about a million times and before it never really had any impact on me. Recently, i've been listening to it a lot more and listening to the slightly dirty yet tortured vocals and the hard, fast bullet-like drumming and slowly beginning to love the song.

White Rose Movement - Girls At The Back
This is another electro-rock band that are way too fashionable for their own good (and if they saw me they'd be ashamed to have me as a fan) but I can't help but like this tune. It's quite similar to a lot of offerings of late but I reckon that this band have a slight edge over the rest of the market. I've heard them compared to The Bravery but don't let that turn you off, as they're really nothing like The Bravery at all. This band are actually good.

Beck - Loser
I love the white-trash country start to this song that leads into clever lyric after clever lyric spilling out of Beck's mouth. My personal favourites being "with the re-run shows and the cocaine nose-job" and "he hung himself with a guitar string". It's slightly morbid but it's really THE song to listen to when you just couldn't give a fuck about anything.

And now for the inevitable MySpace links:
Visit Chicks On Speed on MySpace
Visit Queens Of The Stone Age on MySpace
Visit White Rose Movement on MySpace
Visit Beck on his irritating website because he doesn't have a pissing MySpace! (as far as I know)

I Said I Didn't Want To Become Another mp3 Blog

Here it is, once again for you to download.

Sarka Vankova - Lasku Davej

But of course, if after sampling this little nugget of aceness you decide that you really like Sarka, you will go and buy the album (Verim Nahodam) from someone reputable like this and you won't go and download all of her songs from elsewhere because that's naughty and Pop Boy will get a slap on the wrist.

Actually, I found a radio blog on a Sarka fansite where you can listen to the whole album. So that's pretty snazzy. Infact, the 'official' site even has lyrics if you fancy singing along in Czech, and who wouldn't?

(apologies if you don't like/can't use .m4a format)

Also: There's a comment box, don't know if you've noticed, for you give me your opinion of Sarka. Or anything else for that matter. Or just call me a cunt. Whatever, as long as you make a comment.

"Emo? That You Can Dance To? Don't Talk Nonsense, Girl!" you say...

Oh, but tis true!



Panic! At The Disco have truly invaded. Converting very non-emo poptacular types like our very own Pop Boy into fans and encouraging emo kids that you can do things when music is playing other than stand around, sulk and bob your head.

They've truly made people doubt their musical allegiances by making emo music that is actually good. Pop fans are thinking "oh no, I can't possibly like this. It's emo. I thought all emo was meant to be absolute drivel, like that insufferable, living pile of toss Hawthorne Heights." And the emo fans are thinking "Oh, another emo band! But wait, something a bit different... should I like this? I'm actually tapping my foot along to music. That's like dancing. What's wrong with me?!?"

But even though people are so quick to categorise this band as emo, they're not really. Well, they are... but they're far better. They can make you dance like a madperson around your bedroom (case and point: yours truly) and they can make you pop your body along to tortured disco beats.

And here, friends... is my list of favourite songs from their fantastic album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (cover pictured above) in order. Order of preference. You lucky, lucky people.

1. "There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet": Three words people, 'I'M A DIVA!'
2. "Build God, Then We'll Talk": The cascading "favourite things" bit at the end being my personal highlight.
3. "I Constantly Thank God For Esteban": Despite the 'strike up the band' bit reminding me of Balamory, i'm immediately won over by the haunting 'we sure are in for a show tonight!"
4. "The Only Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage: A quirky, catchy possible next single for Panic! The electro-ish bit at the end shouting "swear to shake it up" is absolutely brilliant.
5. "Lying Is The Best Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off": To me, it sounds like an american high school anthem. Talking about all the sham relationships that take place. Brendon's voice at the start is alluring and sexy yet bitter as well.
6. "Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks": Pretty much on par with Time To Dance, but this one just wins it for it's ace title and electro verses.
7. "Time To Dance": Thumping dance beats and fast paced vocals make this addictive.
8. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies: This is the original track that got me into this band... now with a absurdly high number of plays on iTunes.
9. "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines: The jaunty little bridge is this song places it higher than the others in the list.
10: "Camisado": Just doesn't interest me as the rest of the songs is more relaxed and the first verse is slightly melancholic. Sort of.
11. "But It's Better If We Do": Chosen last only because it was the only one left and has the least plays out of the lot on my iTunes. It has a great lead into "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" though.

I left out the introduction and intermission tracks as they don't really count.

So basically yes, the point of this exercise is to try and get all you people who dismissed Panic! for being emo to give them a chance. Go on! Even Pop Boy likes them!