Mixed bag: new releases by ABBA and Coldplay

album reviews

ABBA prove they can still deliver on their first album in four decades; Coldplay goes pop on their space-themed ninth record

Artist: ABBA
Album: Voyage

ABBA offer a nostalgia pop masterclass with Voyage, the group’s first new album in four decades that effectively serves as a quick ride in a musical time machine, sweeping you back to the Swedish pop legends’ heyday. Built around beautiful melodies and sublime vocals, the new set finds the outfit sticking to what they do best – creating sweet, likable pop tunes – without pushing the sonic envelope, an apt decision given the nature of the project.

The terrific lead singles – the piano and guitar adorned power ballad ‘I Still Have Faith in You’ and the disco-tinged banger ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ – easily stand out, although there are several other bright moments on the set as well. The Irish folk-touch of ‘When You Danced with Me’ is infectious; the upbeat ‘Just a Notion’ and ‘No Doubt About It’ are irresistible.

Benny Andersson (who also serves as the set’s producer) and Björn Ulvaeus remain in charge of the songwriting, while Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad prove that they still have lovely voices. The ladies complement each other wonderfully and sound charming even when the material they are delivering is more than a little cheesy (Christmas single ‘Little Things’) or lyrically odd (‘I Can Be That Woman’).

Voyage is, all in all, quintessentially ABBA. If you have always been immune to the group’s pop magic, then the new record won’t change your mind. Fans of their easily enjoyable music, though, will certainly find plenty of pleasant moments on Voyage. If you want depth and experimentation, look elsewhere, but if you are in the mood for a sweet dose of nostalgic pop, then this is the album for you.

Highlights: ‘I Still Have Faith in You’, ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, ‘When You Danced with Me’

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Coldplay
Album: Music of the Spheres

Music of the Spheres may or may not be Coldplay’s worst album – an accusation that is being widely hurled against it – but it certainly is one of their most confusing. Inconsistent, incohesive, and unfocused, the record reveals a band that is being pulled in two very different directions at the same time and not doing a very convincing job navigating either course. 

On the one hand, the British outfit seems so eager to remain relevant that they are willing to morph into the most mainstream version of themselves in the process. With the heavy involvement of pop super-producer Max Martin and vocal appearances by the likes of Selena Gomez (treacly ballad ‘Let Somebody Go’) and BTS (synthpop ditty ‘My Universe’), the band appears to have gone out of their way to manufacture cookie-cutter pop blandness.

On the other, the group want to try new things and push boundaries to the point of self-indulgence. A space-themed concept album set in a fictional planetary system, emoji song titles, a 10 minute long closer (‘Coloratura’), whatever the heck they’ve done to ‘Biutyful’ (which could actually have been, well, beautiful, given its lovely melody) … everything here is a bit all over the place. 

The result is a pop album with superficial space prog veneer that tries a little too hard to be both commercial and interesting but just pales in comparison to the much stronger output that put them on the musical map in the first place. Even the album’s best moments seem sonically borrowed as the band channels Muse on ‘People of the Pride’ and Pink Floyd on ‘Coloratura’. The hints of ambition may be admirable, but ultimately Music of the Spheres just suggests that a little course correction might be in order.

Highlights: ‘People of the Pride’, ‘Coloratura’

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st November, 2021 *

In the picture: The Harder They Fall

movie review

The action and wit in the revenge Western The Harder They Fall entertains even when the storyline meanders

The Harder They Fall

Starring: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, and Deon Cole
Directed by: Jeymes Samuel

Real people serve as the inspiration for the characters in The Harder They Fall, the film tells us at the very start, just after it clarifies that the events we are about to watch are actually fictional. It’s a dichotomous introduction, one that intrigues as much as it frustrates. People who bore the same names as these characters did exist, and they were clearly fascinating enough to merit a mention in history. But these characters aren’t those people. At all, in some cases. And we aren’t about to learn their actual stories. Make of that what you will.

Regardless though, the Netflix Western – led by an all-Black cast, a rarity for the genre – tells the (entirely made-up) tale of two opposing gangs. One is led by Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), an outlaw who robs other bank robbers, but whose main goal in life is to avenge the death of his parents by exterminating the men who killed them. His final and primary target is Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), the leader of the rival gang, who has just been released, rather circuitously, from prison.

It takes over two hours for us to arrive at the inevitable final confrontation between these two men. In between, we witness – among other things – the introductions and exploits of their various associates. These include Love’s cohorts, including his paramour Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), sharpshooter Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi), cocky fast-draw prodigy Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler), the fierce Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler), and marshal Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo), as well as Buck’s gang members, like the ruthless Trudy Smith (Regina King) and famed quick-draw Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield).

The various detours can, at times, start to feel a little meandering but they are generally wrapped in enough action and wit to remain entertaining nonetheless. Each of the sequences is generally well-crafted and often very well-shot, even if the pieces don’t always feel essential to the bigger picture.

The cast, of course, is stellar. From the inimitable Idris Elba and a scene stealing Lakeith Stanfield to the wonderful Zazie Beetz and Regina King, the performances are terrific, while Jonathan Majors helms the action impressively throughout. And the fact that this is one of the few Westerns where the principal cast members are all Black makes the effort even more significant.

On the whole, The Harder They Fall makes for an entertaining viewing even if it doesn’t tell us who the people behind these characters really were and what actually went down in history. The many subplots combined with its uneven pace and lengthy runtime do sometimes get in the way of a crisp, cohesive narrative, but the competent direction and impressive performances ensure that you stay invested in the drama from start to finish.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 14th November, 2021 *

Modern Times - Finneas and Maisie Peters craft enjoyable debut sets

album reviews

Finneas displays his pop crafting skills on his first album, while Maisie Peters’ debut makes for an enjoyable, if not particularly memorable, listen

Artist: Finneas
Album: Optimist

The O’Connell siblings have been busy causing a stir with their avant-garde approach to pop music ever since the release of the irresistible ‘Bad Guy’ and its acclaimed parent album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). The massively successful creative partnership between Billie Eilish and elder brother Finneas has earned the duo global recognition and a bucket-load of awards. Now the 24-year-old producer is striking out on his own with a debut set that is about as DIY as it gets.

Titled Optimist (ironically, one would assume), the self-written and self-produced record finds the singer-songwriter pondering his life and the world around him in 13 tracks that may not be as offbeat as the standout work he has created with his sister but still capture his innate ability to come up with pleasant pop tunes.

Parts of the album find Finneas sticking to conventions, especially when he is focusing on piano balladry with his warm vocals serving as the centrepiece on sombre tracks like ‘Love is Pain’, ‘Only a Lifetime’, and ‘Someone Else's Star’. The lovelorn lead single ‘A Concert Six Months from Now’, meanwhile, echoes indie vibes as it puts together a strummed guitar and sentiments that reflect both lockdown blues and hopes for reconciliation.

The more sonically adventurous parts of the record yield some interesting moments (‘Around My Neck’) but can sometimes feel a little out of place (‘Medieval’) or downright clunky (the autotune-drenched ‘The ‘90s’). A weaker element of these tracks is often the overly earnest lyrics, especially when the songwriter attempts to offer social commentary and appears to be trying a little too hard to be topical; instead of insight, he often delivers on-the-nose observations that feel hollow and awkward.

Throughout Optimist, though, you can see glimmers of the same talent that helped make Billie Eilish a star, as the set captures Finneas’s pop crafting skills, but the album also proves that he needs to mature as a lyricist. But this is, after all, the debut release of a relatively young performer. And it effectively serves its purpose of introducing Finneas as an artist and setting the stage for all that is surely yet to come.

Highlights: ‘Only a Lifetime’, ‘Around My Neck’

Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Maisie Peters
Album: You Signed Up for This

Mentored by Ed Sheeran and signed to his Gingerbread Man Records label, 21-year-old British singer Maisie Peters has released her debut album You Signed Up for This, a collection of pretty, mid-tempo pop ditties that bring Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift to mind.

Relationships, mostly of the failed variety, are the central theme of this record, and the 14 songs here prove that Peters has a penchant for storytelling and an ear for catchy melodies.

Sheeran provides a hand writing three of these tunes, including the album’s primary highlight: first single ‘Psycho’, an irresistible synth-ridden earworm with an infectious chorus guaranteed to get stuck in your head. Songs with more distinctive musical backdrops (‘I'm Trying (Not Friends)’, ‘Boy’) easily stand out. But elsewhere, the bland, uninventive production makes some of the tracks (‘Outdoor Pool’, ‘Hollow’, ‘Love Him I Don’t’) feel samey and forgettable. 

Overall, this is competently made, unchallenging pop music that is easy to enjoy, even if some of it doesn’t make much of a lasting impact. You Signed Up for This is likely to please young fans of artists like Jepsen and Swift, and the online following Peters has amassed over the last few years won’t be disappointed either.

Highlights: ‘Psycho’, ‘I'm Trying (Not Friends)’

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 7th November, 2021 *

In the picture: Army of Thieves

movie review

It may be a slight improvement on its predecessor, but Army of Thieves’ unconvincing premise and uneven pace ultimately yield unexciting results

Army of Thieves

Starring: Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Ruby O. Fee, Stuart Martin, Jonathan Cohen, and Peter Simonischek
Directed by: Matthias Schweighöfer
Tagline: Nothing is a safe bet.

Netflix released the zombie heist caper Army of the Dead earlier this year. It wasn’t very good. The streamer has now unveiled its prequel, Army of Thieves. It isn’t very good either. So at least no one can fault the franchise for not being consistent.

The new film gives us the backstory of Dead’s Ludwig Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), who is known, at this point, by his real name Sebastian. The protagonist works as a bank teller and is stuck in a mundane life. But his passion for safecracking soon takes him on an unusual adventure when he is recruited by a crew that executes international bank heists. The team includes jewellery thief Gwendoline (Nathalie Emmanuel); hacker Korina (Ruby O. Fee), getaway driver Rolph (Guz Khan); and their supposed leader Brad Cage (Stuart Martin) who fancies himself an action hero.

Their target is the Ring Cycle, three of the four safes created by famed locksmith Hans Wagner that have now become the subject of legend. Due to the zombie outbreak in America, the owner of the Wagner safes is transferring them to a vault in Geneva where they will be decommissioned. For Sebastian, this is the last chance to solve the puzzle that Wagner spent his life developing before it is forever destroyed. 

The action takes us from Paris to Prague to St. Moritz as the thieves try to reach and then crack each of the three safes, an obsessive Interpol agent (Jonathan Cohen) and his team clumsily in tow.

This premise should, theoretically, be exciting. Practically, it really isn’t. Things may not be as nonsensical as the mess Zach Snyder created, but they are still pretty preposterous nonetheless. Plus the safecracking – basically a man pressing his ear against a safe which slowly turning a dial – which should be the heart of the film, isn’t exactly the most thrilling thing to witness.

But its primary flaw, perhaps, is that it gives us no reason to be invested in any of the action. Most of the characters are underdeveloped and uninteresting. The stakes never seem as high as they should be. (Oh and in case you were expecting the undead to have an integral role here, you’ll be disappointed to know that the zombie outbreak plays no real part in the proceedings, although yes, things do ultimately tie into the parent franchise.)

The degree to which the movie does work is thanks largely to the very likable Schweighöfer. He is a charming presence in front of the camera, and knows that the story needs a light, goofy touch behind the lens. It’s a pity though that the plot and script continuously let him down. Ultimately, while the film probably won’t leave you looking forward to whatever is coming up in this franchise, it may still pique your interest in what the German actor-director does next. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 7th November, 2021 *