Well, this may be a first. Me actually talking about an album while it is actually being talked about. My pre-order of the Hilltop Hoods' new album arrived this afternoon and I just finished listening to it.
It's pretty damn good.
I was really worried about what I blew $20 on after hearing I Love It, but this single is A. Not the best song on the CD by far and B. Better in context of the rest of the album. I don't believe it is a concept album, bt it certainly seems to have a dark theme. The best way I can describe it is the best of The Herd meets American rap. I'm not a fan of much American rap, but it really seems to be used to the best effect here.
My personal favourite song is Speaking In Tongues, which gives a great sample of what the album is like. Sadly, I don't believe that there is a new Fifty In Five, which saddens me greatly, but there are no songs comparable to She's So Ugly or Aussie Accents, both of which are dreadful songs in my opinion.
On a completely unrelated note, the artist behind one of my favourite albums of all time, Plan B, who is behind the immortal The Defamation Of Strickland Banks released his new song...and he's going back to rap. I'm very, very, very, very saddened for several reasons. Firstly, the man cannot rap. He sounds like a bloody idiot and just generally sounds terrible. Secondly, this almost certainly means that Plan B will not be making a new R&B album any time soon. Shit. I don't understand this at all. Sales of Strickland Banks were phenomenal. According to Wikipedia (blame them, not me for inaccuracies. Blame me, not them for bat-shit crazy opinions) Plan B's first album peaked at 30 on the UK charts and was certified silver (60,000). Not bad for British rap (I say that "not bad" in reference to sales, not sound. I think that album is shit.). Now, his second album, The Defamation Of Strickland Banks not only reached 1 on the British album charts, but appeared on charts all around the world, including 25th in Australia. On top of that, it sold triple platinum in the UK, which means over 900,000 sales. I understand that Plan B is most passionate about rap, and I can't fault him for that, yet brining good music to well over a million people worldwide surely is a higher calling.
Anyway, a taste of this next album can be found by simply searching for Ill Manors on Youtube, which is a single released from it. If you wish to cry for several minutes over wasted talent, open Love Goes Down and Ill Manors in different tabs and listen to alternating segments from each. I need to get some tissues...
H. Rourke
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