Musical Recap: January

Hello, and welcome to something new! This is Musical Recap, where I take a look back on the music that surprised me last month. Before we start I want to point out that you can download a new track by U2 for free on iTunes. By downloading you support the fight against HIV & AIDS. I've got 3 cool segments lined up for you, so let's just kick it off!

100% Song Of The Month

In 100% song of the month I'll list 5 songs that surprised me in the last 30 days, and compare them to the #1-song in order to rate them. That way you know if a certain song is really great or just "ok, but nothing special". Here is this month's 100% Song Of The Month!

05 Wet - No Lie (39%)

Wet (yes, that is the name) has surprised me with soft vocals supported by chilled out guitar riffs, cool electronic drums and an amazing bass. "No Lie" was the first song I heard of this project and I was hooked in the blink of an eye. We'll see Wet a few more times in this edition of Musical Recap. Absolutely awesome if you want to chill out.

04 Wet - Dreams (45%)

Didn't think we'd see Wet this soon again? Don't worry, it's the last one in this list. I love the rough feel of this song and the way it switches from this full-atmospherical sound to something like just vocals and drums.

03 Butch Clancy - Russian Lullaby (Candyland Remix) (48%)

Candyland was pretty generous, since they did a week of freebies on their Facebook page. Most of these tracks didn't really catch on, but the first song they released was an amazing mix of both dubstep and trap. The first drop blows me away each and every time again. Amazing song and a must have for everyone who thinks Skrillex is the only one who can do dubstep right. Also, did I mention it's free? Go get it!

02 Rameses B - Transformations (feat. Laura Brehm) (52%)

The combination of sweet vocals, sweet piano and heavier electronic elements made this a big favorite on my iPod for the last month. This is the good kind of dubstep, and in my opinion you can hear the days of work that went into this song. It's constantly looking for ways to surprise you and to provide that extra kick of energy when the song drops once again. It's almost 6 minutes long and it doesn't bore a single second. Amazing. Get ready to fly.

01 Feint & Veela - The Journey (Original Mix) (100%)

Even though all of the songs above are extremely awesome to listen to, nothing comes even close to this track released back in 2012. I discovered this one mid-January and up until this moment I believe it's one of the best tracks I've heard in the last year. The vocals move me, the music contains a huge amount of energy while not forcing itself onto you. I always liked Drum&Bass, but this is much more than just "liking" a track. I'm 100% in love with this track. Can it get any better? Yes, it can, 'cause Feint is coming to Antwerp in February. On his Facebook page he promised to play a new VIP-version of this track. It better be 10 minutes long, 'cause I'll be in the crowd.

Album Review

Wet - "Wet - EP"

The album review takes an album or an EP and reviews it. Easy. Here's how I liked listening to Wet's "Wet - EP"

The EP starts of great with "Dreams", but the intensity drops a bit with song #2, called "You're The Best". This song feels a teeny tiny bit forced to me, and I also don't believe the lyrics as much as I do with the other 3 songs. Fortunately the EP reaches a second climax at the end with "No Lie", meaning that both the start and the end of the EP are easy to enjoy. It makes me want to forgive the tiny dip in the middle. For being an amazing debut and showing a lot of potential I'm giving Wet's "Wet - EP" a solid 80%

Upcoming

Let's have a look at the most anticipated releases of next month. Remember that it is possible that a release might be released sooner or later, depending on the country you're living in.

3 February

[Electro] Boys Noize: "Out Of The Black - The Remixes" 

10 February

[Alternative] Band of Horses: "Acoustic At The Ryman (Live) [Bonus Track Version]"

[Pop] Katy B: "Little Red" (both Standard & Deluxe)

14 February

[Pop] Intergalactic Lovers: "Little Heavy Burdens"

18 February

[Alternative] We Are The In Crowd: "Weird Kids"

28 February

[Pop] Foxes: "Glorious" (both Standard & Deluxe)

So there you are! The first edition of Music Recap is done! Keep an eye out for the launch of our BirdReview Youtube Network later today! Let me know which EP or Album you want me to review next month by tweeting suggestions @BirdReview and obviously it's recommended to follow us there, since we've got regular one-tweet-reviews right there!

I see you all next month!

Michiel