W/e 10/05/24 - Ibibio Sound Machine, Willow, Home Counties, Due Lipa, The Verve

An average week, no movers or shakers at either end of the chart.

Home Counties are our winners and back it up with a solid AYL performance.

Ibibio SM have TOTW with Mama Say.

Guy is out 😀, his 7th since his last sad face almost a year ago!

Sam has the ☹️ with his lowest set of scores this year.

Verve sit mid table on the classics alongside ABC and Marlillion.

Andy

Willow - opening with a Jon Batiste collaboration means jazz is inevitable but this veers mainly on the acceptable side. This is less rocky than her previous album and Reading festival set of two years ago but it’s interesting enough. She’s eschewing her dad’s style which is probably a good idea these days, although a “Boom, Shake the Room” wouldn’t go amiss 6

Ibibio Sound Machine - more of the same but maybe a bit less exciting second time around. Jaunty fun nonetheless 6

Home Counties - I enjoyed this. As has been suggested they could have been created in a lab specifically to play AYL. They’ve got a touch of the Alphabeats about them and even if a bit of Blur at times, especially as they bemoan the rubbishness of modern life 6.5

Dua Lipa - Really solid slab of dancey pop. I heard she’s come up with some old baloney about being influenced by Britpop and Primal Scream but I can’t really see it and it’s none the worse because of it. Some sweet summer vibes 7.5

TotW - Training Season

The Verve - despite its status I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album before. Obviously the singles are good (if a bit overexposed these days, particularly Bittersweet Symphony) but I quite liked the rest of it, even if I never thought I’d been missing much all these years 7

Sam

Willow : bad music alert ! Dreadful jazzy nonsense. 3

Ibibio Sound Machine : better than Willow but still not my bag at all . 5.

Home Counties : at least some of this was good ! Firmly in the Yard Act / Deadletter mould . Had its moments : 6.8

Dua Lipa : perfectly ok pop . Polished . 6

TOTW : was there one ? Ok , You break it you bought it by Home Counties

The Verve : perplexed as to why Erol chose this . I fucking loathe The Verve . I’ll give it a score of 2 as two songs are not absolutely dire .

Guy

Willow - I thought this was decent. Some good variety to the sound - some heavier and some softer, some jazzier and some more rocky. A more interesting offering from that perspective than some of our recent female vocalists - 7

Ibibio Sound Machine - As Andy said, more of the same. It’s enjoyable but I’m not sure I’ll remember any of the tunes - 6.2

Home Counties - Nice bit of Indie. It wasn’t classic guitar but neither was it weird spoken poetry (a la Yard Act). It definitely had its own sound to my ears. And it was pretty catchy too - 7.4

Dua Lipa - I wasn’t expecting too much with this but listened to it on the way to the airport last Saturday at 6am and it got me gee’ed up. Dancey and catchy. A good combo. - 7.3

TotW - Posthumous Spreadsheets - Home Counties

The Verve - I think you need to ignore the fact that Bittersweet Symphony was played to death on Sky Sports for 10 years and take it at face value. If you do, that song, and a few others (The Drugs Don’t Work, Sonnet, Lucky Man), are all brilliantly crafted tunes. Ashcroft’s a Richmond resident too! - 8.5

Simon

Willow: feared this was going to be in a similar vein to Dua Lipa but fortunately it's far more interesting than that - quite liked the jazzy numbers at the start and the fear is not real and run! are both decent little numbers. 6.7

Ibibio Sound Machine: another decent offering - not one I'm likely to go back to that often but it's funky and vibrant with some pleasing old school house grooves. 6.8

Home Counties: lots of fun to be had here - witty, upbeat and particularly enjoyed the Bodega-style alternate male/female vocals. Looking forward to seeing them at AYL. 8

Dua Lipa: really don't know what any of you saw in this - it's wholly inconsequential and almost entirely forgettable throwaway pop. She must be the most lightweight Glasto headliner of all time. 3.5

The Verve: I do have this (I'd imagine a few of us do, although not Sam obvs), but not listened to it for years - thought it stood up pretty well, plenty of enjoyable album tracks beyond the singles. 8

TotW: Home Counties - Uptight

Jim

Willow 6

Quite liked this, nearly disappeared past the jazzy event horizon, but managed to stay away and stay interesting

Ibibio Sound Machine 6

Nice sunset-suiting vibes. Mama Say was the standout

Home Counties 7

Definitely the pick of this week's bunch. A bit chaotic but there were a few gems and plenty of promise. Let's see what they can do in a church.

Dua Lipa 5

Her last one was a terrific piece of soulful disco pop, possibly my fav pop offering we've reveiwed, but I thought this was a massive step down - bang average, uninventive tunes. Falling Forever was particularly dreadful.

TOTW: Home Countries - Uptight

Verve 7

I never really got on with them at the time and whilst it was nice to give it another go, it didn’t flip my switch. In my mind it had more zip but it's pretty dreary. Doesn't help that the biggies have been played to death

Erol

Willow - cleverly done with a dash of jazz but not too much. She’s got a decent voice but has a tendency towards histrionics in her delivery. 6.5

Ibibio - fun summery sounds. 7

Home Counties - catchy indie but it’s a bit all over the place. 6

Dua Lipa - the opening few tracks are happy, bouncy pop music, perfect for a Spanish holiday disco. It fades quite a bit in the second half though. 7

TOTW - Dua Lipa, Training Season

The Verve - yes, it is quite downbeat and some of the tracks have been played to death, but there are some brilliant songs on this that have stood the test of time. 8.5

Mark

Willow - this was one of those albums I can see the artistic merit in but didn't massively enjoy. Seem to recall seeing her at Reading a few years back and she didn't sound like this, it's all a bit try hard and noodling - 5.5

Ibibio Sound Machine - more groovy Anglo Afro electro soundclash, not suite hitting the heights of their previous one without the Hot Chip production but this does float my boat - 7

Home Counties - liked this a lot, shades of Yard Act for sure, bit of Talking Heads even, one to catch this weekend at AYL for sure - 7.5

Dua Lipa - oh boy this was poor, so bang average. I'm not averse to smooth disco pop, but this was completely devoid of any personality whatsoever, just sounded like it had been put together on a computer by a big team of faceless contributors. Honestly preferred the last Kylie offering. She said it's influenced by Brit Pop, seriously ??? Sorry but this is in no way the album of a Glastonbury headliner - 3.5

TOTW - Political Incorrect by Ibibio Sound Machine

Justin

Willow - different and liked the jazz aspect 6.5

Ibibio Sound Machine - sounds like the music you would hear in a trendy bar in Spain. Music to drink to in the sunshine 6.9

Home Counties - Not bad live 7

Dua Lipa - a few nice tune but no real wow 5.5

TOTW Mama Say - Ibibio Sound Machine

The Verve - a real classic and some great songs. As already commented has been played to death which is a shame. 8

Matt

Willow - flirted with jazz funk but felt forward looking rather than nostalgic. A nice run of strong tracks in the latter half. 7

Ibibio Sound Machine - strong and smooth , powerful Afrobeat. 6.7

Home Counties - there's a definite feel to this new wave of indie bands both in sound and subject. Enjoyable nevertheless. 7.2

Dua Lipa - slick but disposable pop. 6

Totw - Mama Say Ibibio Sound Machine