In the run up to the recent of her new album, Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey has released the official audio (listen below) for her title track from the highly anticipated album. 'Ultraviolence' is taken from the album of the same name (which is set for release in the UK on the 16th June and in the US on the 17th of June) and we have to say, it's everything we hoped it would be. As expected, the title track is filled with undertones of violence, with Lana's sultry voice echoing the abuse 'I can hear the sirens/ sirens/ He hit me and it felt like a kiss/ I can hear the violence'.
Lana's lyrics echo an incredibly toxic relationship, where someone knows that they could ultimately die from the violence they are receiving, but they can't help but stay, and it's pretty powerful stuff from the singer, whose lyrics often touch on the uncomfortable. There are also possible alternative theories as to what the lyrics mean, with some claiming they could echo a drug overdose/addiction as opposed to domestic violence (but we'll let you decide!). The track itself is a smooth mix of subtle guitar instrumentals and siren-esque singing from Del Rey, with a distinctively western beginning (similar in sound to the track 'Lucky Ones'). Ultraviolence seemingly sees the singer use an increased amount of distinctive guitar solos and sultry beats, which gives us a slight indicator of the way the rest of the album may shape up to be.
There is something almost hypnotic about the singers voice which make each individual track sound incredibly distinctive and memorable from the rest, and 'Ultraviolence' is no exception, as she coos seductively across the steady drum beat. Making distinctions between pain and love, 'Ultraviolence' is an ultra success for the singer. The track itself is in a sense, is a form of ignorant bliss and misguided devotion, and it makes for a pretty infectious track from the starlet. Have a listen to the addictive and destructive 'Ultraviolence' below:
You can also check out our review of Lana Del Rey's album, Ultraviolence, here.
Possibly one of the most successful games of
2013 was the rebooted Tomb Raider,
developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix, starring the
infamous Lara Croft. Choosing to instead reboot the series instead of making a
sequel, the developers chose to take a journey back to Lara’s beginnings,
showing the origin of the character. Tomb
Raider follows Lara and her friends as they set sail for Yamatai, an Island
which has some affiliation to Himiko, The Sun Queen. However, following a ship
wreck, Lara and her friends are positioned at the mercy of the Island, and
indeed its mysterious inhabitants, and Lara must battle several foes to save her
friends and get off the Island. Whilst the gameplay elements revolve more
around survival, it is part adventure (as opposed to horror) as well, as
elements of exploration and discovery are included in the gameplay as Lara can
hunt for hidden tombs and treasures, climb walls, scavenge for salvage and
other food items and hunt animals, and also try to collect GPS’, diaries and
other artefacts.
In the game, the player takes on the character
of Lara, on her adventures and journeys as she attempts to recover her friends
and figure out how to get off the Island. Along the way (in addition to
collecting artefacts and exploring tombs) the player also gains skill points
which can be used to purchase various hunting, survival or brawling skills,
whilst also collecting salvage to purchase weapon upgrades. The weapons Lara
can wield range from a simple bow (which later has the add-on of being able to
throw modified arrows) to a handgun, rifle, pistol, and even a climbing axe,
which can be used to strike enemies eventually. Various expansions and
modifications for the weapons can be found in sections of the world, and the
located camp-sites can be used to teleport back to certain areas after acquiring
the right type of weapons.
The cover system that Lara follows is one where
she will automatically duck behind cover whenever enemies are near and then pop
back up again when all the enemies have been eliminated from the surrounding
area, which is a sure fire way to alert players to when there is danger around
(in case you didn't notice the bullets flying at you). This form of seamless
cover elevates and intensifies the gameplay, as often you will come across certain
areas which will trigger cut screens and indeed, cause guards and other enemies
to appear who will instantly attack you – requiring that you be alert at all
times, lest you find yourself in a corner without any cover and no-where to go.
Additionally, there are certain sections of the game which require you to press
buttons on your console (if you use the PS3, then these are usually the square,
triangle or circle buttons) in order to avoid certain attacks and not fall off
ledges, which ultimately result in instant death if you fail to press
accurately and in time with the timer. Left, right and centre, there is
constant action – buildings disintegrate underneath your feet, roofs give way
and send you plummeting down, scenery catches on fire and objects come hurling
towards you at alarming rates – all making for an intense, action-orientated
gameplay.
There are also several scenes in which the player will be required to
guide Lara through trees and rivers, in order to avoid getting impaled. Despite
this, Tomb Raider is less ‘jumpy’
scary and more adventurous, and whilst there are gruesome scenes and plenty of
bodies scattered round the place, there are several checkpoints so that if you
do fall prey to the Island’s inhabitants, you won’t lose too much of your
gameplay, you’ll just be teleported back to the last checkpoint, or to the
beginning of an action sequence.
If exciting gameplay and riveting quests and
challenges weren't enough to attract your attention, then the infamous Lara
Croft should be. Tomb Raider features
a surprising amount of character development, as the player is able to see Lara’s
development from a reluctant and terrified young trekker, to a full-blown
fighter and ‘Tomb Raider’, with a whole heap of awesome weapons to wield. Croft
is voiced by Camilla Luddington (replacing Keeley Hawes) in the game, and her
performance as the adventurer is sublime. Luddington’s Lara commands attention
on screen, despite being slightly timid to begin with, but as Lara is put
through her paces she truly shines on screen, showing the vulnerable sides to
the character as well as her strengths.
The other cast members on the Island with Lara
include Roth, who plays out as a sort of Father-figure to Lara, helping her through
her psychological torture and offering her gun assistance, to the friendly Sam
(a little too trusting of some people) who is kidnapped. Of course, there is also
the ominous Sun Queen Himiko and a mysterious Mathias who occupy the villainous
roles and the latter’s antics on the Island are certainly questionable and
become more clear upon discovery of his journals throughout the game. Whilst
some characters are not developed to their true potential (or nearly as much as
Lara), this is a minor detraction from the overall game quality.
One of the most impressive aspects of Tomb Raider is its incredible graphics
and visualisation, which reels you in and encourages players to full enjoy the
exciting landscape and characters. Croft is beautifully stylized, with her
messy ponytail and (often) blood stained clothing and mud-covered trousers
being accurately displayed through top-of-the-notch graphics. The various
settings, areas and camp-sites are distinctive and feature remarkable structures
that stand out amongst the rest of the landscape, and not one area is the same
as another. This type of variety helps keep gameplay exciting and adventurous,
as opposed to repetitive and boring, which can be the case with games which opt
for similar settings. The various challenges and activities Lara encounters are
complimented with suitable visuals which are quite impressive (especially on
the PS3 version of the game) and encourage you to get lost in the Island along
with Lara.
With one of the most well-known gaming
characters at the helm of this adventure, Tomb
Raider proves itself a worthy reboot despite some scepticism that it could
truly perform after some dodgy additions to the former gaming series. Lara
Croft is back and bolder than ever in this new exciting adventure amidst the
ominous shores of Yamatai, with all of its secrets, mystery and hidden
treasures (and horrors). From the exceptional graphics, to the intense and engaging
gameplay, Tomb Raider features Lara
at her finest, and offers an exceptionally thrilling journey that any eager gamer
will enjoy.
5 stars
As Lindsey Stirling descends from her glass
prison in the music video for 'Shatter Me,' she brings forth with her the second studio
album of the same name for listeners to delight in. Aptly titled, the main
title track of the album sees a turn in styles for Stirling, who duets with
Lzzy Hale, of hard rock band Halestorm, on the song. ‘Shatter Me’ sees Stirling
and Hale deliver power-house performances as Hale triumphantly belts out her
verses to the tune of Stirling’s violin beautifully, making for an incredible
combination of rock, classical and dub-step. It is perhaps this track which
truly commemorates the album as a whole, and for which many people will
remember it for. The themes of ‘Shatter Me’ revolve around a struggle for
independence, and reflect someone trying to break old habits and how difficult
it can be to truly step out of your comfort zones (displayed literally through
the inability to break through the glass dome that entraps Stirling in the
music video) and take a leap of faith.
The first track to be released in the run up for
the album, Shatter Me, was of course, ‘Beyond the Veil’ which is rather distinctive in its
style, featuring short murmurs from the singer which overlay the track, whilst
also laying the groundwork for Stirling’s light violin instrumentals to follow
through. The beat builds up in a similar manner to previous tracks, with the
dub-step beats taking over once the violin reaches its highest note, which
brings the track back down to its new equilibrium. There is something
remarkably peaceful about ‘Beyond the Veil’, and it is reminiscent of ‘Elements’
from Stirling’s first album, but with a more mature and developed tone.
The second ‘lyrical’ track from the album is ‘We
are Giants’ which features Dia Frampton on vocals, accompanied by Stirling’s
violin. Possibly a little overshadowed by the titular ‘Shatter Me’, ‘We are
Giants’ is still a firm addition to the album, featuring sweet tones and light
repetition of the ‘We are Giants’ as well as wistful whispers from Frampton.
These are complimented by the trance rhythms and dub-step beats featured at
intervals throughout the song.
Other memorable tracks from the album include ‘Heist’,
an up-tempo mix of classical crossover and dub-step, which mimics its title, as
it is played out with notes following in quick succession to mimic an actual
heist. Building in tempo and reaching a satisfying climax, ‘Heist’ is expertly
composed and executed and features breaks which allow the dub-step beats to
settle in. Additionally, the airy 'Ascendance' is a moment of calm amongst the metaphorical storm of the album, which features a lighter violin sound backed up by smooth rhythms and intrinsic movements from Stirling on her violin.
Some less memorable tracks come courtesy of ‘Swag’
and ‘Take Flight’, whilst ‘Roundtable Rival’ has a strong medieval theme with
heavy rock and drum beats intertwined, that listeners will either love or hate.
Overall, whilst the album contains a few
memorable tracks such as ‘Shatter Me’ and ‘Beyond the Veil’, and some ‘unknowns’
that are worth listening to, there are a few tracks on the album which fail to
make as much of an impact, and becoming quickly forgettable. Whilst Shatter Me
is an identifiable progression on Stirling’s first album, featuring a more
mature theme, which showcases her growing talent and development, it can’t help
but be let down by the tracks which are not as strong (and just come across as ‘album-filler’).
Fingers crossed Stirling will make it third time lucky and triumph all-round
with her next studio album, should there be one.
3.5 stars
Glorious is the début studio album from Foxes, (real name Louisa Rose Allen, from Southampton) and indeed, I had high expectations from the singer, who has previously featured as a guest artist on Zedd's 'Clarity' and had a few successful singles with 'Youth' and 'Let it Go For Tonight'. You can't help but feel a certain sense of apprehension when an album from a successful 'single' singer comes out, because you can't help but wonder whether the album will be cohesive and strong enough all-round, to be considered successful. Indeed it is questionable as to whether the album will indeed be entertaining enough, and make you want to listen to every track on the album repeatedly (often is the case that there are only actually a few songs that you end up 'liking'). Upon first listen, Glorious seems to be a rather cohesive album, with a solid structure and a continually identifiable theme of childhood; with the star stating herself that the album is a form of 'therapy' and is essentially 'her talking to herself'.
In regard to the track listing, the standard album features a total of 11 tracks to enjoy, whilst the deluxe version has an extra 4, with a live version of 'Clarity' also being available to listen to. This review shall be for the standard version, so if you are looking for a review include the deluxe versions, you'll have to look elsewhere (apologies!). The sixth track on the album is ‘Night Glo’, which features a beautiful piano
accompaniment. Foxes' voice fits perfectly with the gentle melody and wistful
lyrics, complimenting each chord. Particularly, we like the end of the chorus: ‘Just run through the night glo/ Drown out the voices/ And you know you
don’t have to go’.
Her popular hit ‘Holding Onto Heaven’ has an
infectious quality that makes it thoroughly re-playable, with the mix of
uplifting melodies masking the slightly melancholy undertones, giving the track
more depth than may be noticeable, upon first listen. Foxes’ voice sky-rockets the track to new heights, making her mark on the track, and ensuring that she
will indeed be Glorious.
The best ‘unknown’ tracks from the album are
indeed the beautifully composed ‘Night Glo’ and the soulful ‘Echo’, with ‘Counting
The Saints’ coming in a firm third in the stakes. Allen’s voice on the latter
is complimented by powerful drum sounds, which fortunately do not detract
attention from the singer, but instead offer a suitable backing for her to
showcase her vocal talents, of which she has plenty. The album features Foxes
in all manner of singing, from wistful whispers, to full on power-performances and
subtle murmurs; Allen is in her element for the most part, except on tracks
where things seem to get a bit overwhelming, such as ‘Night Owls Early Birds’
and ‘Shaking Heads’, which featuring some rather overpowering instrumentals, with not enough strong vocal accompaniment.
However, despite the vocal abilities of Allen and the strong singles that stud the album, Glorious
can’t help but feel more than a little bit generic. This perhaps comes from the
feeling that it is a little too polished, a little too perfect; there seems to
be a lack of personality, despite the effort to make this personable from the
singer. It feels as if this was meant to be something else, but ended up being glossed over and thoroughly commercialised in order to market a more general appeal, as opposed to being a more representative album, of the singer as an artist. Aside from a few memorable tracks, the album as a collective can’t
help but feel a little lost and I fear as if the lack of personality makes it
just a bit too similar to other pop albums that are out there despite the
overall appeal of Foxes as an individual British singer. Many may have expected more from the singer on her first album, and this is perhaps a big ask; hopefully there will be more great things to come from Allen should there be a second album. Despite all of this, the redeeming factors of
the album are the individual songs, which range from the undeniably whimsical (‘Night
Glo’) to the upbeat dance tracks like ‘Let it Go For Tonight’ and the electro
hits like the slightly sombre ‘Youth’ and the synth-pop ‘White Coats’.
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3 stars
The Pierces have recently released their latest music video (available to watch below) for their track 'Kings', and it would appear to be war as the two sisters seemingly battle it out for a crown (like Kings do). 'Kings' is the first single for the upcoming album, Creation, from the duo, which is set to be released around September later this year. This video graces us with its presence as the second 'video' for the track, but this one has been cited as the official music video for the single, as opposed to the former that was released in January.
Allison and Catherine Pierce are well and truly back and this latest video showcases them in all their glory, dressed in opposing black and white pieces, whilst gearing up for their war. 'Kings' is a particularly relaxing piece, influenced by psychedelic sounds and coming on strong with hippie rock vibes, the track really helps to get the energy going, and its particular hook of 'we could do what kings do' is incredibly catchy when combined with its heavy percussion background and drum beats. The chorus is particular memorable: 'if we want to/we could do what kings do/ I could feel the earth move when you speak/ if we fight through/all the things we wont do/ everything could change for me and you/ we could do what kings do'.
'Kings' is quite a powerful song, which features wavering vocals from Catherine and Allison whilst featuring some folksy rock with psychedelic undertones that doesn't become suffocating or tedious (as some songs can be), with just the right amount of instrumentals to vocals. The track and the video's theme is very fitting as it sort of sounds like one of those sorts of songs you might like to listen to in a lazy summer haze or whilst driving down the highway with the sun setting in the background, and we like the whole desert theme in the video.
Speaking of the video, it features the two sisters (as we stated) going head to head, seemingly fighting over a crown only to destroy it before confronting and celebrating with a bonfire in the desert whilst dancing. The visuals are pretty striking and features enough planets to satisfy any astronomer, whilst the cinematography is tastefully executed and presented in a satisfy manner, featuring plenty of silhouette shots of the two sisters. You can check out the dusty desert battle in the video below:
