Album Review: V - Van She

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It seems a lifetime ago that Van She's original five-track EP came out and as such a significant level of expectation potentially burdens this release. Things aren't made any easier by the fractured styles the band have meta-morphasised throughout this period and it is interesting to see how they address this point within an album strucuture.

The answer is actually straight forward, if slightly disappointing. V is a rock album, plain and simple, and so everything fits within the template of early singles 'The Cat & The Eye' and 'Strangers'. That disappointment isn't to suggest what is here isn't good, it is. Within the new context both of the aforementioned tracks shine, whilst 'Changes' sounds reminiscent of Zoot Woman's muted and monochromatic take on pop music and 'It Could Be The Same' and closer 'On The Edge' show a darker side.

Atmosphere abounds, V is just perhaps more sophisticated than we had come to expect. Even the gorgeous 80s cocaine ride of an anthem that is 'Kelly' has been revised and toned down slightly into something slightly more subtle.

V is a lush album and what it loses in excitement it gains in cohesiveness, accesibility and maturity. BlackPlastic may well be playing it all summer but you can be sure a little part of us is hoping for the next album to encapsulate the dayglo acid excessiveness of remix side project Van She Tech.

BP x

Comment: Make This Work - Magistrates

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It's only electronic in the sense that some of the intruments are plugged in, but fuck it, absolutely nothing is pleasing BlackPlastic as much right now as a four piece from Essex known as The Magistrates.  'Make This Work' is like Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together' but made in 2008 by a bunch of skinny white british kids and it makes BlackPlastic want to tear off his clothes and go skinny dipping in a lake on a beautiful summer's day.

What's more these fucking crazy kids give you all this FREE... Just sign up for some spam at http://www.magistratesband.com/ and you'll get the track plus an acapella for nada.  If you're prescious about you email address and don't take BP's word on the value here head over to the band's MySpace to preview the goodness.

BP x

Album Review: Mega Breakfast - The Chap

How to make a relevant album in 2008:

1. Take the most culturally aware sophisticate you know. BlackPlastic will refer to this gentleman as 'Ian'.

2. Force said gentleman to form band and make album in one week with no food, but plenty of cigarettes.

3. Threaten to cut off a finger whenever 'Ian' uses familiar song structures or dares to make sounds that could induce chin stroking in the listener.

4. In order to induce a further sense of urgency steal the masters on day six at 6pm, forcing 'Ian' to start again.

The resulting album would sound something like Mega Breakfast. It's diverse and chaotic.  It's reminiscent of Clor and Data Rock but with added smarts and, by George, if you know what genre it should be in let BlackPlastic know.

But most importantly it has enough pop hooks to drag you in and enough ideas to make sure you don't leave.

It sounds like sarcastic commentary on what it is like to be in an up-and-coming band,  It's unmistably London, 2008, but don't hold that against it as 'Proper Rock' will soundtrack BlackPlastic's election campaign when we run, if only for the "Proper songs about girls and clubbing" refrain, and 'Uss Wus' is an electronic gospal track for those moments when you feel defeated by your own ambition.

BP x

New site live

In case you weren't sure the new site is live! It has a nicer look! It's black, like our name! It's... still the same under the covers!

But seriously, it's been due to happen for a long time and now here it is.  There will be more changes forthcoming (finally a contact form for submission information for one) but the hard bit is now done.

The design is anything but nailed down so comments and suggestions are welcome.

EDIT: Contact form up and running - click on Contact in the navigation pane on the right.  If you are subscribed to the old RSS feed please re-subscribe.  You can also now subscribe to comments.

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