Category Archives: CD Releases

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Album Review: Vive Album

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Vive's debut album is a 6-track record and features several numbers that were used in their Voice Festival UK award- and title-winning set.

Vive’s debut album is a 6-track record and features several numbers that were used in their Voice Festival UK award- and title-winning set.

After their winning performance at this year’s Voice Festival UK, I thought it was about time I got round to reviewing Vive’s short debut album, which was released in January this year and was a taster of what we were witness to at the City of London School for Girls last week. The six-strong group, consisting of five guys and a solitary female, might on first sight be compared to Pentatonix, but their sound couldn’t be more different.

While I’m not the biggest fan of jazz music, safe to say this album shows off the musical ear that the group were so highly praised for at the Final last weekend, and demonstrates a capacity not only to put a fresh, original take on well-known numbers, but also the inventiveness and musical precision that is presented in the two original tracks on the album, Your Motivation and Voices.

The group show off the insane variety of harmonies that can be used for one note during the start of High (Forever You And Me) by the Lighthouse Family, with some gorgeous falsetto from Sam Robson delicately soaring over the top of the blend. Emily Dankworth takes the solo, which is angelic but the complexity of the harmonies throughout the piece means it is probably the least interesting part of the song. There are some exquisite slides up towards the bridge, and I enjoy how the group drops the beat during the first chorus and sings almost in unison, a unique and brave choice which pays off, with some complex jazz harmonies once again shining through. The most impressive thing about this number is the group’s ability to turn a lovely yet uninteresting original into something in which a new and interesting rhythm, chord or beat is just around the corner.

They segue into the second track, Ezekiel saw de Wheel, a spiritual piece, which incorporates some incredible high harmonies and a gorgeous tenor solo from Sam Robson of which I am insanely jealous. Some of his runs are just insane, especially towards the end when everyone else drops out and he is left to have free reign on the solo, which he fully utilises. I enjoyed the group’s slide towards the end note again at the end of this one. The first original, Your Motivation, written by Sam Robson, is great. The group splits the solo between the boys, each one of them proving they are no less talented than the others, with each one of them showing careful control of their soothing voices. Again, great jazzy, original harmonies throughout.

Just as things stray near the danger-zone of becoming ‘too same-y’, the group bring out two more well-known numbers in Kiss From A Rose and Somewhere from West Side Story, the latter of which is the highlight of the album. Kiss is the straightest cover on the record, and it is refreshing to hear the group stick more closely to the original, despite the fact they have a good play about with the rhythms towards the second half of the track. The vocal percussion is used sparingly here but effectively. Somewhere is phenomenal, simply because for forty seconds, the group sings ‘Ooh-Aah’ to about a hundred different notes, with almost every single combination of notes different to the others and thus capturing the attention of the listener. Dankworth’s solo is beautifully floated over the top, and Robson’s falsetto descends, ascends and resolves with precision and delicacy several times. The final chord is unreal. Just unreal.

The final track, Voices, is kind of Your Motivation 2.0, a solid arrangement with some decent solos and gorgeous jazz chords, and this brings me to my only criticism of the album – there is no denying that Vive are a mega-talented bunch of musicians, and that their jazz/spiritual vibe is very much lounge music and not even close to the realms of sing-a-long pop, but there isn’t a huge amount of variety here. They know what they are good at, and they do it superbly, perhaps a little self-indulgently, but I’d love to see them tackle more numbers like Somewhere on their next album that give them the opportunity to blast out and hold some really meaty chords – a lot of the most impressive and unique chords in a lot of the numbers were so fleeting that you weren’t given enough time to really enjoy them.

That said, the group has way more musical proficiency than I could ever dream of, but from the point of view of a listener, this isn’t an album I’d choose to put on – rather, something I’d add to a lounge playlist to stick on during a particularly long and stressful Russian essay. There is no doubting the group’s musicianship, which is frankly phenomenal for a group this young, but it is their ability to entertain and the replay-factor that doesn’t quite come across here. No doubt the group has a massive future ahead of them, and I can’t wait to see how the group develops and further improves in the coming years.

Vive’s album can be bought on Bandcamp. For more information about the group, check out their Facebook Page.

Album Review: The Other Guys’ Christmas

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The Other Guys' Christmas is the first Christmas album to come out of a UK a cappella group and it the Guys' fifth studio album.

The Other Guys’ Christmas is the first Christmas album to come out of a UK a cappella group and it the Guys’ fifth studio album.

by Carys Evans

The Other Guys have once more delivered a stylish, unique and highly commercial production, and just in time for Christmas! There is no doubt that this will make a wonderful present for pretty much anyone, but it also shows just some of the breadth of The Other Guys’ abilities.

With its over-the-top Season’s Greetings to their holiday ‘broadcast’, the album immediately gets you into the mood for Christmas, though it is immediately apparent that they have their tongue placed firmly in their cheek. It’s easy to dismiss some of the fare as quite standard – with most of the tracks being very familiar, and even very traditional – but they have worked their own spin on every one, whether it’s through changing the lyrics, such as in Carols Not From Kings, which incorporates carols with pop songs and a whole new set of wonderful, hilarious lyrics, changing the harmonies, such as in the slightly experimental-sounding Silent Night, or giving the songs a whole new beat – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’s soulful beats make it one of the best tracks on the album!

The album’s single, Christmas Gets Worse Every Year, sums up this album in one song. It sounds familiar, like all good Christmas songs should, it references other Christmas songs, with the ‘Ding Dong’s beautifully done and the nod to Hark the Herald Angels Sing emphasising these boys’ strong choral ability, but it is also an original song, with a provocative title and heartwarming lyrics. Few a cappella groups seem brave enough to sing original songs, but this shows just how much it can pay off, with Oscar Foxley’s song having received praise from the likes of Stephen Fry, Neil Gaiman, and even the Scottish Parliament. These boys are not afraid to take risks, whether it’s in their lyrics, their decision to do a seasonal album (which may only sell at this time of year – though I’m sure it will sell a lot!), or indeed by putting themselves out there and getting themselves on to the charts.

I hope that other groups can learn from them – it may not be the perfect album, with some over-produced vocal percussion, and a reliance on the fact that those buying the album will like Christmas songs (believe it or not, some people don’t), but it is quite unique in the university a cappella world. And for that reason alone, this should be Number One on your Christmas list.

The Other Guys Release Christmas Album

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The Other Guys, from the University of St Andrews, have today released a Christmas studio album, entitled The Other Guys’ Christmas, and in doing so have become the first UK collegiate a cappella group to release such a festive record.

The CD contains seven tracks, including an original number entitled Christmas Gets Worse Every Year, alongside various other covers of Christmas classics. The album was released at ten o clock this morning and is already 5th on the BandCamp sales charts.

Rumours are that the boys will be releasing another YouTube video and single in conjunction with the album, with more news to follow in the next few days.

You can buy the album right here.

Album Review: Music Up!

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Music Up! is Out of the Blue’s eleventh studio album, and was mixed and mastered by the likes of Bill Hare and Dave Sperandio.

Music Up! is Out of the Blue’s eleventh studio album and the group’s self-proclaimed ‘largest scale record ever attempted’, with production taking place in four different time zones. Of all the albums I purchased at the Edinburgh Festival in August (and believe me, there were a lot of them), this is by far the one I listen to the most, and great credit must be given to the boys, especially Musical Director Nick Barstow, for producing yet another album that is filled with fun, character and musical precision which is again ridiculously easy to listen to.

I have expressed my appreciation of Laurie Cottam’s skyscraping tenor previously, and so to hear him taking the lead on the opening song, The Beatles’ Got To Get You Into My Life, which remains my favourite on the entire album, made me very happy. This is one of those numbers which you can turn up loud in your car and sing along to shamelessly, not giving a damn about the odd glares that passers-by give you along the way. The arrangement itself is busy and energetic, but while the merge into Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely works well as a refreshing change up, that particular section isn’t quite as musically interesting at the previous song. Still, it’s my most played song on my iTunes this month, so the boys must be doing something right.

There are many highlights on this album: the wall of sound that hits you on the opening of Fat Bottomed Girls; the goosebump-inducing With Or Without You, which is magnificently and purely sung in two octaves; the mash-up of the Spice Girls’ Stop and 5ive’s Keep On Movin’ which, for a 90s kid like me, is a welcome blast from the past; the lively VF-UK arrangement of Jessie J’s Domino, sung by Nick Barstow with real emotion and character; and the musically superb California Girls, which is mashed-up from start to finish in a real triumph of originality. Oh, and the beatboxing in the bridges of the latter is frankly astounding. In fact, I could quite easily make a positive comment about every single track on this album, such is the quality of arrangement and execution of every single number.

There were few negatives. I’m still not won over by their Lippy Kids arrangement – I’m not sure why. It’s minimalistc, but still requires precise timing for the majority of the backing parts, which comes off well, but the number just doesn’t make me feel anything. It doesn’t make me tap my foot, nor does it appeal to my emotions. It’s musically flawless but I can’t help but listen with disinterest when it comes on. Their arrangement of Skinny Love is good, but does seem a little fast and again leads to a slight loss of emotion that the original otherwise provides. However, the dual solo section and the build up towards the climax at the end is phenomenal.

These are very churlish, personal criticisms on what is otherwise a very, very impressive album. I think the real triumph of this album is how different and unique all the arrangements are. While the boys do have a distinct sound and image, they are still able to distinguish between soul, pop, rock and hip hop, and inject the relevant elements of each genre into their music. Equally impressive is that at times I find their arrangements to be better than the originals, which, for a student a cappella group, is extraordinary.

Buy this album. You won’t regret it.

Album Review: Take Your Mama

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Take Your Mama is the sixth studio album from The Oxford Alternotives, who also hit the US for a tour earlier in the academic year.

Having only really been involved in a cappella for the past two years, I had not been in the community for the release of The Oxford Alternotives’ previous albums, most recently the intriguingly named Get Naked With…The Oxford Alternotives, and having only seen them live for the first time at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I was very intrigued to hear what the group had to offer in the studio. While there are significant strengths as well as areas in which to improve, the album makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen, punctuated with three or four truly sensational numbers.

Two things strike me as I listen through their latest album, Take Your Mama – one is that the female soloists seem to be a lot more vocally solid and assured than their male counterparts; and the other being that the group seem to have developed an inherent skill at covering the slower numbers with great proficiency. Two songs demonstrate these two remarks excellently: the first being the hauntingly beautiful Samson, originally by the magnificent Regina Spektor. When I saw this live, I didn’t expect it to be topped on the album, as it was incredible live, but I was wrong – Sarah Anson handles the solo delicately and with passion and a beautiful pure tone. The real triumph of this track, though, is the high soprano line, which is simply flawless. There were occasions at which that line lingered longer than the others, and the tone to these lingering notes was unbelievably good. The second song is perhaps the even more impressive Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt, which again has a phenomenal solo from Natasha Heliotis, who riffs effortlessly and just the right amount throughout her silky alto solo that strolled into my heart. The arrangement itself was simple but effective, and allowed this wonderful solo to deservedly shine through.

After that, the album descends into enjoyable songs that work well as a cappella arrangements but all have imperfections. The ‘best of the rest’, as it were, is the penultimate track, Janelle Monae’s Tightrope, with the tricky solo being tackled superbly by Olivia Willis, climaxing to a very deliberate finish with suitably punchy backing, which was an impressive finish to a dexterously arranged track. One expects the opening track to generally be one of the stronger ones on the album, and indeed Canned Heat is an energetic, lively start, setting the mood well for the rest of the album, with some solid bass. There was some noticeably accomplished beatboxing on the title track, Take Your Mama, with a sturdy solo performance throughout from Alastair Livesey, while the Beach Boys section of California Girls was tackled with some very atmospheric 80s pop breathy-ness that really set the summer mood, despite the dreadful British weather of recent times. And Dom Burrell’s low, dulcet solo during Say My Name was honeyed and soothing – a lot of the time I wish basses got more of a chance to take a solo, because a lot of them can have a great quality and tone to their voice.

There were unfortunately some letdowns. Thriller and Lost felt a little like non-entities, neither of them really grasping my attention, with the former a little flat and the latter simply not that musically ornate. While the closing track, Spandau Ballet’s Gold was on the whole thoroughly entertaining, it did lack a little of the oomph necessary in the chorus. Nevertheless, these were minor glitches in an otherwise excellent effort from the oldest group in Oxford.

While the production value of this CD is not quite as high as some of their contemporaries, namely their all-male counterparts from Oxford, the Alternotives clearly have a lot of good arrangers in their midst, as well as some very strong female soloists. The album could be slicker, tidier and tighter, but these are churlish comments, and on the whole an album well worth setting aside your money and time to purchase and listen to. I look forward very much to what they produce in the coming academic year.

The Techtonics Announce Debut Full-Length Album

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A year after their trip to Croatia for the Vocal Marathon competition, the Techtonics are releasing their debut album, Groundbreaker.

The exciting aca-news keeps flooding in left, right and centre, and none more exciting than the news that Imperial College London’s premier all-male group, The Techtonics, are releasing their debut full-length album, Groundbreaker, on September 5th.

The boys have been a little quiet since the London Regional of the Voice Festival 2012, but have clearly been making the most of their summer by heading to the recording studio, and the result is their highly anticipated debut full-length and professionally mastered album, which follows in the footsteps of several other collegiate groups who have also released new albums this summer.

The Techtonics did release an LP back in 2010, but this effort is the first to be fully released since the group’s inception.

This time last year, The Techtonics flew to Croatia for the Vocal Marathon competition, and we are interested to see what kind of impact that extra competitive experience will have had upon their music.

For now, we must wait, but get excited for the second debut album of the year.

The Techtonics can be found on Facebook.

Albums Galore On Sale in Edinburgh

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We here at the UK University A Cappella Blog are almost overcome with aca-excitement as studio album after studio album are falling into our possession up here in Edinburgh. No less than six brand new albums, some full length, some extended plays, have become available over the past two weeks.

The Oxford Alternotives have released their sixth studio album, entitled Take Your Mama, with ten sensational tracks on it. Meanwhile, Out of the Blue are on an incredible eleventh, Music Up!, which is packed full of energetic, powerful numbers that the boys do so well, many of which can be heard in their Edinburgh show. On a different note, All the King’s Men have released a five-track EP It’s Reigning Men, which was recorded live, and should bring a slightly different perspective to their music. The majority of the album consists of their recent Voice Festival UK winning set, but there are some amazing extras on there too.

All-female group from Oxford In The Pink have released their sixth studio album, She Who Dares, while fellow Oxford group The Oxford Gargoyles have released Up The Scale, which is a mixture of studio and live tracks, and is sure to be a thoroughly professional effort. And We’re Not Kitten is the latest of a string of fantastic feline puns for the new album of The Alleycats from the University of St Andrews, the first group from Scotland to release a full length album this year.

If you can’t make it to the Fringe Festival, these albums are sure to be available for purchase online in the next few weeks, but why miss the chance to see the groups live at the best arts festival in the world? Details of each of the shows can be found below.

Alleycats
All the King’s Men
Alternotives
Gargoyles
In The Pink
Out of the Blue

Album Review: EP – The Accidentals

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The Accidentals are the first all-female group to release an album in over a year.


I must admit, I was very excited when I heard The Accidentals had finally released an album, albeit a 4 track EP, becoming the first all-female group to so for over a year. It is encouraging progress for the group based in St Andrews, who have had a relatively quiet year by their standards, having lost several of their established group members through graduation and failing to reach the Voice Festival UK Final for the first time since 2009.

But the news that the group will be taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a short period is, literally and metaphorically, music to my ears, and so the fact I can now listen to them whenever I want while helping them to fund their Fringe run makes me very happy. That’s why I’m sitting here on the balcony of my Russian apartment soaking in the sun, eating ice cream and enjoying the start of the summer.

And this is very much a summery album, which has injected an additional, gratifying layer of summery goodness into this already extremely pleasant afternoon. The album kicks off with the girls’ cover of Jessie J’s Price Tag, and I almost want to describe it as ‘bubbly’, with the cutesy ‘Do’ and ‘Ba’ sounds filling the background as if it were the first song of a bubblegum-pop infused Now That’s What I Call Summer! album. It becomes clear after a while that this song is a mash-up, and indeed we are introduced to Where Is The Love? by the Black Eyed Peas, with the solo and ad-libs tackled superbly by Gemma O’Brien’s magically smooth alto voice. Credit must also be due to Becky Muir, whose solo on this track is nothing short of exceptional.

The poppiness continues onto track 2, which is another mash-up of Nelly’s Ride With Me, Ridin’ Solo from Jason DeRulo and Busted’s Year 3000, all of which blend very well together. I do lament that one is unable to watch the girls perform this particular track live, as I remember it was much enhanced by some clever and hilarious choreography during their Voice Festival set that year. Nevertheless, it’s a strong, if a little short explosion of pop.

The girls tone it down a little bit for the third track, which further emphasises the solo talent in this group, with Grace Hardy, Anna McDonald and particularly Ellie Mason excelling here. The track is JLS’s Love You More, and while the soloists shine, I do feel there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the backing in this particular number, with the girls not really adding much of a personal touch to the original track. Until, that is, Gemma O’Brien intoxicates us all again towards the climax of the piece with another silky solo which really adds a much needed extra dimension to this song.

The final piece features the award-winning solo of Anna McDonald on Adele’s Rollin’ In The Deep. This is by no means an easy song to sing, and Anna really shows her ability to be in command of her voice by not just belting the number out as loudly and as brashly as possible, but instead delivering a controlled performance ahead of more slightly innocuous backing, which in a way works well here and allows the strong solo to shine through.

The girls have therefore produced a very cutesy, summery album, and while I do feel it does lack real substance, that’s not really what the Accidentals are all about. They play to their strengths on this short album, with strong solo performances from several group members, and from what we saw at the Voice Festival this year, that tradition has continued with their new batch of talent. I would like to see the girls tackle some more meaty songs in the future, but regardless of that, I thoroughly look forward to seeing them perform at the Fringe Festival in the coming summer – on the back of this album, they could go down extremely well.

To buy the album, click here. For more information about their Edinburgh Fringe show, check out their Fringe Listing.

The Accidentals Release Brand New 4-Track EP

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The University of St Andrews’ The Accidentals, the last all-female group to reach a Voice Festival UK Final, back in 2011, have released a brand new EP in the lead up to their brief Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, and are hoping the album will help them to fund their debut performance as the world’s largest amateur arts festival.

The album, which contains their entire set from their successful Voice Festival participation in 2011, is the first studio offering from the group in recent memory, and is sure to whet the appetite of any potential audience members hoping to see their show in Edinburgh in August.

The album is available to buy for a minimum of £5, and can be found right here. For more information about the group, check out their Facebook page.

St Andrews Girls: The Reaction

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Just two days after its release, The Other Guys’ new charity single in aid of Breast Cancer Care has already amassed 40,000 views on the popular video sharing site, YouTube, as well as finishing their first day in the Top 10 Most Liked Music Videos. The video is now the 40th Most Liked Music Video this week alone, despite its very recent release.

While the media reaction has not been quite as strong as that of their previous YouTube hit, Royal Romance (which is now pushing 740,000 views after a significant boost due to their latest release), there has been a lot of positive press for the video, particularly in the bloggersphere and on Twitter.

Colin Montgomerie, a self confessed fan of the group, released a statement declaring his support for the group and the charity: “I am a huge fan of The Other Guys and their work. They have been fantastic in supporting my own charity the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation, and I wish them every success and support for their new single, in aid of Breast Cancer Care.”

Celebrities Lemar and Arlene Phillips also tweeted their support for the group. Lemar said “Good job guys,” while Arlene Phillips called the video “Brilliant”.

Jules Knight, alumni of the group and current member of classical quartet Blake, claimed that “Blake officially endorse The Other Guys. Legends.”

Dawn Porter, journalist and presenter of Balls of Steel, said that she “love[d] it” and believed “Katy Perry would love it” as well.

The group also received statements of support from Tatler, Barbour and Hunter Boots, the latter two of which were prominently featured in both the lyrics and the video itself.

As yet, no larger press organisations have picked up the story, and time will tell if the video is to be as successful as Royal Romance, but it appears the boys have once again produced another YouTube hit.