Songs of hope and peace

interview

Pakistani actor and singer Junaid Khan speaks to Instep about his upcoming collaboration with Indian rock band Spunk to create an anthem of unity

Musicians around the globe have often tried to bring people together by inspiring them to choose love over hate and give peace a chance. Joining the list of artists who want to unite listeners in harmony is Pakistani singer Junaid Khan, who has collaborated with Indian rock band Spunk to create an anthem of unity.

The song

Titled ‘Talash’, the cross-border collaboration aims to send a positive message to the people of the subcontinent. “The song is about living for the moment, forgetting about the past, and moving on,” the singer tells Instep. “It’s a very happy rock track, full of energy and life. There are also elements where we emphasise the fact that we should focus on unity and togetherness.” The “search” referenced in the title, Junaid explains, works on both a personal level – the search for yourself, your own identity, your place in this world – and the national level – the search for a common ground, a unifying purpose.

The impact of the song doesn’t just rely on its lyrics though; Junaid says its meaning is amplified by the collaborative aspect of the tune. “It’s about artists from different countries working together for one particular cause, and that’s music and entertainment, showing the world that we are one.”

So how did the idea of collaborating come about? “Actually, the collaboration was offered to me by Spunk,” says the singer. “They contacted me through social media and put forward the idea that we should collaborate. They showed their love for my music and sent me a couple of their songs. When I heard them, I was really impressed by their organic rock sound. I felt that our music interests are the same, so I decided that we should go ahead with this project.”

Creating the song was a truly collaborative effort. Spunk sent Junaid a demo of a song they were working on, a musical arrangement without vocals. He then wrote the first verse and the chorus. “When they heard the lyrics and vocal melody fit on the sample they sent, they loved it. They wrote the rest of the lyrics, and that’s how we made the song together.”

Junaid hopes that ‘Talash’ will send a message of love to the people of both India and Pakistan, despite the deep-rooted and complex issues between the two countries. “As artists, we keep trying to somehow remove barriers. The artist community of both the countries are very much – and have always been – in harmony. We love each other. Pakistanis love their work. Indians love our work. When we go there we get so much love and respect, and when they come here we give them so much love. The people from both the countries, we love each other. It’s just the political and geo-political issues that create the conflict which political bodies from both countries cash in on. That’s the only issue,” he elaborates. “We artists are beyond that political conflict. We are totally in support of love between both countries and that is why we try to stay in harmony and keep collaborating so that we send a very positive message to the world.”

“Politics and entertainment shouldn’t mix at all,” Junaid continues. “It is very unfortunate that all other things and trades continue between the countries, but the first thing that is affected is entertainment. This is a business that is very visible, so to hurt someone, you cut the ties of entertainment. It’s very unfair when political bodies do this. The means to resolve political issues are different. Cutting ties does not really make sense. We should always be open to collaboration to bring peace between various countries.”

And how does he feel about musicians being political? “If you ask me, I am absolutely not in favour of giving out political views,” he opines. “As artists, we should always have a neutral stance towards everything that is happening. I think an artist should be independent of any association with any political party. Their vision should be towards the art, the craft, and unity and peace. This is entirely my view though. If there are artists who have a political affiliation and politically express themselves then that’s entirely their point of view. I personally don’t agree with it. I think the artist should be free of such biases. Entertainment works towards unity and has no sides.”

The video

A music video has also been shot for ‘Talash’. Spunk introduced Junaid to Bangladeshi production house Glitch and suggested recruiting Glitch for the clip. “Their work was good, they appreciated my work, we shared the same sentiment, and they were enthusiastic about this whole project, so we decided we should work with them” says Junaid.

The video was shot in Nepal for multiple reasons. “There are political hurdles of Pakistanis travelling to India and vice versa. Recently the political clash has increased. The visas have been an issue, especially for artists, so we didn’t want to take that risk. We also chose Nepal because we wanted to capture the scenic beauty of the country.”

The group wanted the band’s performance to be shot within that beauty, but unfortunately nature had other plans: incessant downpour. “When I went there for the shoot, it started raining. We delayed the shoot for two days, hoping that it would stops raining and then we could go on. But it kept raining, so we had to shift the shoot indoors into a warehouse. Thankfully we did get to shoot a brief conceptual part outdoors in the limited time we had and feature the scenic beauty of Nepal in that part of the video.”

‘Talash’ was originally meant to be unveiled earlier this month but has since been delayed. “Initially we planned on the 6th of November, because Spunk wanted to release it around the festive event Diwali. I agreed to this, but some things – like the song production, audio mixing and mastering – took longer than anticipated. So we have shifted the deadline for a week or two. We’ll be releasing it within this month for sure.”

- Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News International - 29th November, 2018 *

Expanding the sonic canvas - new releases by Little Mix, Olly Murs, and Muse

album reviews

On their latest record, Little Mix feature a set that sees the singers searching for hits by trying on different styles to see what fits; Olly Murs’ You Know I Know is split in two parts; Muse’s latest concept album, Simulation Theory, sees them expand their sonic canvas

Artist: Little Mix

Album: LM5 

While many of their reality TV cohorts may have fallen by the wayside since their time vying for a recording contract on a televised singing competition, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson are still going strong. Since being brought together as Little Mix on the eighth season of UK’s The X Factor in 2011 (and eventually emerging as the series victors), the British girl group have become one of the most popular products of the talent show circuit and amassed considerable success over the years. The ladies have now released their fifth album, LM5, a set that sees the singers searching for hits by trying on different styles to see what fits; lucky for them much of it does.

Lyrically, the album largely focuses on female empowerment, clearly aiming to inspire their young fans to love themselves and support the women around them. Little Mix relay messages of body positivity (‘Strip’), confidence (‘Joan of Arc’), and friendship and support (‘Told You So’) on this record, although standard musings about relationship strife (‘Monster in Me’) and unconditional love (‘More Than Words’) have also been peppered into the mix.

Sonically, this 14 song set is more confident than their previous releases. This is R&B-tinged pop that seems coloured in part by the mainstream trends across the pond. Indeed American artists and producers provide a helping hand in shaping some of these tunes – Nicki Minaj contributes a rap verse to reggae influenced ‘Woman Like Me’; Sharaya J appears on the self-acceptance anthem ‘Strip’; and Timbaland lends his production wizardry to ‘More Than Words’.

The most interesting moments of the album come curtesy of infectious beats and unique musical touches, like the strutting stilettos of ‘Strip’ and the cutlery-on-crockery beat of highlight ‘Wasabi’. But Little Mix also impress even when they’re delivering a regular power ballad like ‘Monster in Me’, which explains the outfit’s enduring appeal.

Not everything works quite as well though. At times the group seems like they’re searching for an identity and haven’t quite been able to find a sound that’s uniquely their own. And there are a few lyrically questionable moments here as well; singing “when he’s with me, b*tches hate me” on ‘Motivate’ undercuts their message of female solidarity, and given how their lives and stories turned out, “Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, [and] Queen of Hearts” (‘Joan of Arc’) probably aren’t the icons women should want to feel like.

Highlights: ‘Wasabi’, ‘Strip’, ‘Monster in Me’

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Olly Murs

Album: You Know I Know

Another X Factor alumnus still soldiering on is Olly Murs, the British singer who has used his smooth voice and lovable persona to find a place in the entertainment industry. Nearly a decade into his career, the pop singer has released a new double album to both continue his musical journey and celebrate his many successes so far.

You Know I Know is split into two parts; the first consists of 14 new songs, while the second serves as a greatest hits compilation, putting together his most popular tracks including his collaborations with Demi Lovato, Flo Rida, Rizzle Kicks, and Travie McCoy.

There may be a few skippable moments on it, but overall the second disc is an enjoyable collection of career highlights.

It’s the first disc, however, that yields more mixed results. Thematically the new material mostly revolves around love and relationships and doesn’t go in any different or exciting directions. Musically, the album mostly offers upbeat ditties, accompanied by the occasional ballad. But while there are pleasant tunes here, there isn’t much creativity. The disappointingly derivative lead single ‘Moves’ sounds heavily inspired by Calvin Harris’s ‘Feels’, and ‘Mark On My Heart’ feels like it belongs on a Jess Glynne album.

Put together, You Know I Know doesn’t widen the singer’s appeal, but there are enough catchy new pop tunes here to please his fans, and the hits compilation is a joyous reminder of just how infectious his songs like ‘Dance with Me Tonight’ and ‘Up’ are (as well as a distracting reminder of just how much ‘Troublemaker’ sounds like Maroon 5).

Highlights: (Disc 1) ‘Love Me Again’, ‘Something New’, ‘Take Your Love Away’

Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Muse

Album: Simulation Theory

Synthpop meets stadium rock in Muse’s latest concept album, Simulation Theory, the band’s eighth studio release, which sees them expand their sonic canvas without abandoning their established style  – it still sounds entirely like Muse, but Muse who are very enamoured with synthesizers and hip hop.

The English rock band have co-produced these 11 songs primarily with Rich Costey, and singer Matt Bellamy continues to be the group’s main songwriter.

With a throwback science fiction inspired narrative built around the simulation hypothesis (the theory that all reality is actually an artificial simulation), the record finds Bellamy and co. trapped in a “dark fantasy world”, trying to escape this false universe, a setup so dystopian it should come with its own comic book. And to drive home the 1980s pop culture reference point, the album cover art has been designed by Stranger Things visual artist Kyle Lambert.

Synths and hip hop beats adorn the tunes, and while the band clearly still believes in the power of the guitar solo, Muse have fully embraced the bombastic pop song here, creating the Timbaland-assisted hip hop ditty ‘Propaganda’ and the glorious, yearnful highlight ‘Something Human’. But things go awry at times, when the band ends up so lost in the mainstream that they fail to capture the magic that originally made them so popular; ‘Get Up and Fight’, for instance, is more fitting for a Katy Perry album, and even the aforementioned ‘Propaganda’ is just as likely to intrigue long-time fans as it is to disappoint them.

Highlights: ‘Pressure’, ‘Something Human’, ‘Propaganda’

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 25th November, 2018 *

More of the same

album reviews

Jess Glynne returns with more of the same; Carrie Underwood shows no inclination to step out of her comfort zone; Wax makes a solid addition to KT Tunstall’s already impressive discography

Artist: Jess Glynne
Album: Always In Between

Jess Glynne started her music career by conquering the pop charts with her vibrant and soulful but altogether generic debut album I Cry When I Laugh (2015). She returns with more of the same in her sophomore attempt Always In Between, another collection of radio friendly tunes engineered to seamlessly find a home on mainstream charts.

The English songstress doesn’t stray from the sound that previously brought her massive success and opts to stick to her speciality, creating more catchy, enjoyable ditties akin to the hits that helped cement her place as one of Britain’s favourite artists. But in sticking to the same old formula, the singer misses the chance to come up with something interesting or exciting.

The primary issue with this 12 song set is that there simply isn’t much variety or variation here. You’ve mostly got upbeat anthems (like the synth-pop proclamation of support ‘I’ll Be There’ and the uplifting offering of gratitude for unconditional love ‘All I Am’) as well as the occasional ballad (the guitar-driven ‘Thursday’ and the album closer ‘Nevermind’). Other than a couple of highlights – primarily the second single ‘All I Am’ and the sassy ‘Rollin’’ – these tracks aren’t as contagious as you’d hope.

The lyrics – all co-written by Glynne with the help of different songwriters – are cliché ridden, sometimes painfully so. And the album is largely devoid of personality. This is serviceable, inoffensive pop music. But it’s also forgettably beige and disappointingly bland. A voice as distinctive as Glynne’s shouldn’t be wasted on songs this indistinctive.

Highlights: ‘All I Am’, ‘Rollin’’
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Carrie Underwood
Album: Cry Pretty

Since winning American Idol in 2005, Carrie Underwood has established herself as America’s biggest female country pop singer, and she has no intention of abandoning her throne with her sixth album, Cry Pretty, yet another set of power ballads designed to please her fans.

The singer shows no inclination to step out of her comfort zone or try anything new on these 13 tracks, all but one of which she has co-produced with musician David Garcia. Underwood has mastered the formula for commercial success in her genre and reproduces it here, seemingly effortlessly, to yield predictable results. There are occasional, benign tinges of R&B on tracks like ‘Drinking Alone’ and ‘End Up with You’, but nothing groundbreaking or even mildly exciting ever arrives.

The singer has proved time and again that she can convincingly deliver powerful emotional ballads, and weepy songs like ‘Low’ and ‘Spinning Bottles’ really do work well here. But there is nothing innovative about anything she does on this record. Her style remains largely monochromatic and there isn’t much variation in her voice and delivery from song to song.

As for the promised political commentary on the supposedly anti-gun ‘The Bullet’ and ‘Love Wins’, the sentiments here are too tepid to be effective. The singer never dares to express any controversial opinion, instead offering generic tales of sorrow and calls for harmony.

Much of Cry Pretty sounds impersonal, and all of it sounds unexceptional. This is middle of the road country pop, immaculately produced and competently sung. If you’ve liked her previous albums, then you’ll like this one as well. But if you’re not a fan, then there’s nothing here that will change your mind.

Highlights: ‘Low’, ‘Spinning Bottles’, ‘Love Wins’
Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: KT Tunstall
Album: Wax

On the second album in her “soul, body, and mind” trilogy, KT Tunstall has created an invigorating set of guitar driven music that blends pop’s appeal with rock’s attitude.

The Scottish singer focuses on the body, exploring self-image and the complexities of physicality in this 11-track collection that was co-produced by former Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy and Sebastian Kellig, and features guitaring by Charlotte Hatherley

Wax uses each song as a vessel for expression. From the stomping opener ‘Little Red Thread’ to the gentle closer ‘Tiny Love’, Tunstall creates a confident, complex record, playing with different tempos and textures, often to engaging effect. While the album loses some momentum towards the middle with more typical tunes like ‘Dark Side of Me’ and ‘Poison in Your Cup’, it never ceases to be enjoyable. At its best, Wax is an irresistible showcase of Tunstall’s soulful voice and songwriting skills. Energetic rocker ‘The Healer’ and emancipation anthem ‘The River’ rank among her most infectious songs to date.

Subtle sonic touches add variation to each tune on Wax and make this a solid addition to KT Tunstall’s already impressive discography.

Highlights: ‘The River’, ‘The Healer (Redux)’, ‘The Mountain’
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 29th November, 2018 *

Isn't It Romantic - a rom-com spoof

trailer review

Imagine being stuck in a universe made up entirely of romantic comedy stereotypes. And to make things even worse, imagine if that universe was rated PG-13! That’s the living hell Rebel Wilson’s character Natalie finds herself in as she wades through rom-com clichés in Isn’t It Romantic, a meta romantic comedy that’s on a mission to lampoon its own genre.

It’s a premise somewhat akin to last year’s Amy Schumer-starring damp squib I Feel Pretty – a woman suffers a head injury, gets knocked out, and wakes up to an alternate version of reality. But unlike the 2018 comedy, the change she wakes up to here isn’t focused on the protagonist’s self-image but on everything around her. She suddenly has a nicer apartment, expensive clothes and shoes, and a hot hunk (Liam Hemsworth) swooning over her.

It’s not a particularly ingenious plot but it does have the potential to yield comical results. Ultimately how well it turns out will depend largely on the script. The movie needs a sharp screenplay to satirise the rom-com tropes; without a good script, the film could end up generating exasperated eye-rolls from the audience.

The cast isn’t altogether dazzling, but the leads seem well-suited for their roles and are fairly amusing in the trailer. Wilson may not be the “first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy”, but the Australian actress still seems charming in the main part. And fellow-Aussie Liam Hemsworth also seems suitably cast as the love interest in her fictional life.

Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra appear in supporting roles. The latter gets about two and a half seconds in the trailer, and one can only hope this isn’t one of those instances where an actress is cast just to attract an audience or make the film seem diverse and not because she has an integral part in the plot.

Isn’t It Romantic tries to put an interesting spin on rom-coms, a genre generally targeted towards women, but it seems unlikely the film will excite viewers who don’t enjoy romantic comedies. Rom-com fans looking for a laugh at the expense of genre clichés will probably want to check this one out.

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson (who did a fairly good job with the slasher comedy The Final Girls in 2015), the film will fittingly be released on Valentine’s Day (February 14) next year.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 8th November, 2018 *

Bohemian Rhapsody - a wasted opportunity

movie review

Bohemian Rhapsody 

Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Tagline: Fearless lives forever.

As the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody commences, a young Freddie Mercury (portrayed by Rami Malek) approaches the members of Smile – a local band he admires and whom he has just seen performing at a club – and shows interest in joining the group. Too bad, he’s told; he’s five minutes too late. Their lead singer just quit so the band is effectively over unless they can find a new vocalist. Well, they’re in luck! Mercury belts a few lines from one of their songs and proves that he’d make a terrific new frontman, his overbite notwithstanding.

Oh and just before he speaks to the band, he meets a bystander who turns out to be Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), his future girlfriend and lifelong friend.

All these major life-changing encounters within a matter of minutes … it’s a series of coincidences so amazing that it’s hard to believe it’s all true. That’s because it isn’t.

In fact, hardly anything you see in Bohemian Rhapsody is an accurate reflection of how things really happened. There are discrepancies in timeline, distortion of events, and outright fabrications.

It’s all a bit of a disgrace.

Capturing a complicated life and person on film may certainly require creative liberties but that is hardly an excuse for misrepresenting reality. Criticizing Bohemian Rhapsody’s inaccuracies is not about being a pernickety nit-picker. The discrepancies are so glaring that they’re distracting and altogether misleading.

Why director Bryan Singer (and subsequently Dexter Fletcher who took over the project after Singer’s firing) wasn’t concerned with painting a truthful portrait of real-life people and events, even though said details were widely known, remains a mystery. And just why would anyone choose to make a biographical drama but distort its biographical elements? It’s hard to tell.

Perhaps an even bigger issue with Bohemian Rhapsody is how it turns textured reality into a formulaic rock biopic and doesn’t do justice to anyone involved in the project. The film doesn’t do justice to Queen’s genius or to Mercury’s legacy. And it certainly doesn’t do justice to its cast.

While no one is likely to suggest that Malek looks like Mercury’s doppelganger, it’s his skill as an actor that makes Malek’s performance so impressive. To be fair, the filmmakers really have made excellent choices while casting the movie. The other actors who portray the members of Queen – Gwilym Lee plays guitarist Brian May; Ben Hardy appears as drummer Roger Taylor, and Joseph Mazzello as bassist John Deacon – are all very well cast in their roles, as is the aforementioned Boynton.

You can’t fault the acting in this project. And you certainly can’t fault the power of the music that soundtracks the movie. Queen’s hits remain as enjoyable today as they were decades ago. That said, from an acting point of view, it’s a tad disappointing that we don’t hear Malek performing the songs himself; apparently the tracks are “an amalgamation of a few voices” including Malek’s, but it is predominantly Freddie’s distinctive voice we hear throughout the movie.

Ultimately, Bohemian Rhapsody is a wasted opportunity. From how Mercury joined Smile and turned them into Queen to how he was diagnosed with AIDS (which was, by most accounts, after Live Aid, and not before), things didn’t happen how the film depicts. And its infidelity to the truth is just one of its multiple problems. The filmmakers had the incredible story and music of a legendary band and were lucky enough to gather such impressive acting talent, so it’s a let-down that they couldn’t make the best use of these remarkable assets.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 5th November 2018 *

Music reviews - a look at new rock releases

album reviews

Trench by Twenty One Pilots finds the band trying to evade their demons; Blue October’s ninth album isn’t as consistent or powerful as their long-time fans would have hoped; Cloud Nothings sound confident on Last Building Burning

Artist: Twenty One Pilots
Album: Trench

Twenty One Pilots’ conquest of the charts with 2015’s Blurryface may have surprised some, but in hindsight it’s easy to see why the rap rock duo found so much success with their fourth album. The genre-crossing set offered a creative take on pop with hip hop, rock, reggae, and electronic elements all put together, crafting a catchy sound that made their work easily enjoyable despite the material’s difficult underlying themes. But those who were hoping the band would return with a follow-up that simply stuck to the same parameters as their breakthrough will have to adjust their expectations when they listen to Trench.

While they retain their genre-blending tendencies, the American group moves into a somewhat less pop-friendly direction on their fifth record. The song structures generally rely on drum beats and synths, and there are still commercially accessible songs here – like the highlights ‘My Blood’, ‘The Hype’, and ‘Legend’ – but there is also more intensity, more weight.

Lyrically, there is a lot to unpack in these 14 tunes. A concept album built around a cryptic narrative that will require an army of fans to decode – what’s that about a pet cheetah named Jason Statham? – Trench finds the band trying to evade their demons. It’s all borderline impenetrable unless you pay close attention, a characteristic the record ends up turning into its strength – the more you listen, the more rewarding the experience becomes.

Written and produced by singer-rapper Tyler Joseph with Paul Meany of the alt rock group Mutemath, Trench may not be as immediately gratifying as Blurryface, but the more time you spend with it, the more captivating it becomes.

Highlights: ‘My Blood’, ‘The Hype’, ‘Bandito’, ‘Legend’
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Blue October
Album: I Hope You're Happy

There is something a bit discordant about Blue October’s latest album, I Hope You’re Happy. The band clearly don’t want to be bound by a genre, and to be fair they have made good use of their vast musical palette in the past; their ability to seamlessly go from snarling about their troubles to crooning a touching duet with Imogen Heap was one of the reasons why their breakthrough album Foiled (2006) was such an interesting alternative rock piece. But their new set isn’t quite as satisfying as the release that put them on the map more than a decade ago.

I Hope You’re Happy is a less raucous, more pop-oriented affair, and thematically it’s less dark and generally more positive. Sure he still has moments of frustration or self-doubt (‘Daylight’, ‘I Wanna Come Back Home’), but singer and producer Justin Furstenfeld’s songwriting doesn’t feel as bleak or raw here. He goes as far as offering nothing but good wishes to his ex on the upbeat title track ‘I Hope You’re Happy’ (which almost feels like a thematic companion to the more mellow ‘Congratulations’ off Foiled).

The sentiments aren’t as wrenching as they were in their earlier work, and the variety of styles doesn’t work quite as well. When you sound like Imagine Dragons (‘Daylight’) one minute and Phil Collins (‘I Wanna Come Back Home’) the next, the ultimate result isn’t as riveting as it is confusing.

Blue October’s ninth album has quite a few enjoyable moments, but overall it isn’t as consistent or powerful as their long-time fans would have hoped.

Highlights: ‘I Hope You're Happy’, ‘Colors Collide’, ‘Let Forever Mean Forever’
Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Cloud Nothings
Album: Last Building Burning

Since making their unassuming debut with an infectious self-titled offering in 2011, Dylan Baldi and his band Cloud Nothings have shed their lo-fi indie leanings and opted for a heavier sound. But while they may have taken a step away from the punk inspired power pop of their early days and moved towards more hardcore noise rock, they haven’t entirely lost the catchiness that first brought them to listeners’ attention. Their fifth album, Last Building Burning, makes good use of the band’s marriage of the raucous and the tuneful; it may be more amplified than their last outing, but the result still remains accessible.

Created with the help of producer Randall Dunn (who often works with metal and experimental outfits), the record captures the energy of the American group’s live performances. But beneath Last Building Burning’s raspy vocals, abrasive guitars, and relentless drums, there is still an undercurrent of a pop melody, particularly on tracks like the instantly enjoyable ‘Leave Him Now’ and ‘In Shame’.

At the same time, though, Cloud Nothings haven’t shied away from treading into louder, rawer directions. The intense opener ‘On An Edge’ sees the band venturing into more hardcore grounds. And while most of the album’s 8 songs hover between the 3 and 4 minute mark, the group seem to have channelled all their leftover experimental desires into one nearly 11 minute long track, ‘Dissolution’, much of it made up of extended instrumental solos akin to a jam session.

Cloud Nothings sound confident on Last Building Burning, which is mostly a fun, often interesting listen even if this short collection may not always be as distinctive as the band would have hoped.

Highlights: ‘Leave Him Now’, ‘In Shame’, ‘Dissolution’
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 4th November, 2018 *