Words: Emma Lawrence

Marcus Collins first came to the British public attention last year when he entered the X Factor, and has since come in second to Little Mix in the contest. He has been kept under the tight supervision of none other than pop legend and his mentor in X Factor Gary Barlow. Coming in second in the TV talent show bodes well for people because it means that they can release an album before the winners and often gain more success and this is probably what Marcus can look forward to! As his self titled debut album shows, he has got the song writing talent and soulful voice so many people strive to have.

Opener “Seven Nation Army” is a cover of the White Stripes classic that has been given a makeover and now sounds soulful, vampy and has the distinct air of big band around it. He’s certainly made the song his own and it’s done in a totally different way to the original, proving that songs from any genre can be sung by Marcus.

The next song that stood out for me was the slow “Don’t Surrender”. It’s one for the couples to dance slowly to and look lovingly into one another’s eyes at a wedding. However, just because it’s a slow song doesn’t mean that it’s boring. Because it certainly isn’t! It’s got a Motown feel to it and Marcus’ voice is smooth and perfect for having a slow dance to!

The only other cover song featured on Mr.Collins’ album is “Higher and Higher”, a song in which he covered on X factor. This is the kind of stuff that Marcus is good at. He has power and strength in his voice and a lovely tone. This, I found, kept the song fresh and makes you want to dance.

Overall the whole album has a soulful/disco vibe and suits Marcus down to a t. It showcases not only his voice but his talent for song writing. Having Gary Barlow as a mentor and a friend has definitely paid off for Marcus and he looks set to have a bright future in front of him. Coming in second in the most watched reality TV show in Britain has given Marcus the opportunity to go down the route that he wants to and showcases his talent beautifully! Not bad for a former hairdresser from Liverpool huh?

Words: Gaz Martinez

Dubstep, love it or hate it, has been steadily gaining recognition in the music world, with professional artists recording albums, or enthusiastic amateurs remixing elements from their favourite TV show. It was perhaps inevitable that such a genre would find its way into the rock world in one form or another. Korn is by no means the first band to dabble into the world of dubstep, anybody who remembers much of 2009 will remember that Enter Shikari dropped their second album, Common Dreads, which definitely carried some sort of influence from dubstep, heard in songs such as Havoc B and Zzzonked. That said, it would be wrong to assume that the sounds that Shikari and Korn have produced are the same, fundamentally, they are two very different bands and have taken two very different directions concerning dubstep. While Shikari’s dabbling in the genre at the time was largely produced in-house and limited to serving as the icing on their cake. Korn, always being a band unafraid to experiment musically, have instead decided to completely immerse themselves in the genre, going so far as collaborating with plenty or dubstep artists, Skrillex, Noisia, and 12th Planet to name a few. Rather than the icing, dubstep is the sponge and foundation of this album, as far as the genre goes, all the trademarks of dubstep are present, from the heavy drops, the bass.

It is difficult to pick out a particular highlight off this album, every song manages to blend with each other perfectly, which on one hand, demonstrates how well the band have thrown themselves into the music, full throttle, without any previous safe experimenting to test the water, on the other, it suggests that the album sounds largely monotonous. For me, it is definitely the former, though it may be a bit much listening to it all in one go. That said, The Path of Totality succeeds mainly because of Korn’s perception in people’s eyes, it’s just like Korn to not only create something so radically different, but to actually pull it off. While Metallica’s Lulu will be remembered than little more than a gimmick, if that, Korn have potentially brought an entirely new avenue of musical possibility to the mainstream.

Words: Tom Willmott

It’s been a landmark year for Welsh trio The Joy Formidable. In January, they released their critically acclaimed debut “The Big Roar”, and in August played the main stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals. At the same time they’ve gained a firm fanbase stateside, as well as getting phenomenal praise from the likes of Dave Grohl and Mark Hoppus. The next record just cannot come soon enough. For the time being , though, (and possibly as a marketing ploy) an EP of extra tracks has been released as a stop gap, while the band head back to the studio.

The Big More contains one of their more familiar tunes “Cradle”, but also has a remix by eccentr US math rockers, Fang Island. It does come across as slightly underwhelming, but then again, no reworking of this track was likely to do it justice. The highlight comes in the form of a new tune “Anemone” showcasing an impressive two and a half minute build up, with great atmosphere that could hint at the direction the band will be taking for their sophomore release.

Also included is a live version of “Whirring” which clocks up around ten minutes, four minutes longer than the studio recording. If you’ve witnessed the band’s performances you’ll know what t0 expect – an extended harp intro with frontwoman Ritzy Bryan smashing the hell out of her guitar towards the end of the song. Rounding this all off is a smoky, haunting version of Roy Orbison’s
cover “It’s Over”, which although the band isn’t known for this type of rock ballad, they execute with great results.

For long-term fans, this is a decent little extra to go with their other releases. However, if you’re new to the band, my recommendation would be to just download the new track off Itunes and save your money for when the new album drops sometime next year.

Words: Tom Willmott

The UK always has a great number of bands appearing on the live circuit. The shame is even those with talent and passion can end up playing to Barfly-sized venues at best. And those sometimes come without a stage even. Enter The worldonfire. It’s amazing to think they’ve already released three albums, and with barely any promotion. The Harlow four piece have had a decent run so far, gaining support slots for Taking Back Sunday and Oceansize across Europe, and making an appearance at Sonisphere Festival. This latest effort shows them at their most ambitious yet.

Anyone who isn’t familiar with the band but is a fan of early 00′s britrock such as Inme and Hundred Reasons will quickly warm to these guys. You only have to listen to “Five Years” and “(Life) It Changes Everything” , both great examples of down tuned riffs at their finest.
Other tracks such as “Smoke” and “This.Is.The.Wrong.Way” are pleasant echoes of early Yourcodenameis:Milo, And the 8-minute epic “Mary’s Midnight Prayer” harks back to the days of My Vitriol, another great blast from the past.

As much as this record has many positives, though, it still feels it lacks that special something to make it stand out from the crowd, or it might have something to do with the fact that they’re competing with so many great British rock albums this year.

Overall, this is definitely a worthwhile listen and shows the band deserves more recognition than they currently have. But the record did make me feel I was on a nostalgic journey rather than experiencing something new. Maybe they will come into their own distinctive sound in time and hopefully play venues larger than 200 capacity in the future, or is that wishful thinking?

Words: Kelly Jones

The Call Back Academy hail from Brighton and consider amongst their influences pop-punk heavy weights including the likes of Blink 182, New Found Glory and Jimmy Eat World, and their influence can certainly be felt throughout this EP. 

Smarter Than Your Average Bear opens with Emergency Power Sketch. The first track is fast-paced, with rumbling guitars and bass on the back of heavy drums that span the entire three minutes and eleven seconds. The band claim ‘no filler’, and, for this song, at least, they deliver. Emergency Power Sketch is exactly that, and although there is nothing particularly outstanding and unique, it is a fairly enjoyable example of a well constructed pop-punk song. However, it’s following this song where the EP begins to fail. None of the tracks are particularly new, which doesn’t necessarily attribute them to being bad songs. However, it’s The Call Back Academy’s insistence on such a formula that is holding this EP back. 

Its second track Dual 27 that lends a comparison to Emergency Power Sketch, and evidences a slower, slightly more melody based tone to it. It serves well to showcase lead singer Jonny Davis’s voice. There is something almost You Me At Six-esque to the song and is again a product of a well used and accessible formula. The two songs demonstrate two sides to the band, evidence they can handle the harder side of the genre as well as the slower tunes whilst sustaining an upbeat vibe.

Smarter Than Your Average Bear EP is a product of well-trodden soil of pop-punk, and with room to expand and grow, The Call Back Academy could yet prove to be contenders in the UK’s growing pop-punk scene.