Big Surprises in Small Packages - 4/5
“The Big Ask” is an album by lo-fi duo ‘Artists only’,who have a habit of writing, recording, and producing their music in bedrooms, attics, and tents using tape machines. Given this, the impression you’d probably give on their 11 track album may be of White Stripe standards or a barrel of utter shite. Well, it’s neither.
It’s practically happy music, something you can dance to and love. Opening with “Tip of the Top of the Tree” is a redefined version of the Artic Monkeys, ignoring the sometimes annoying guitar licks. This is rectified on the next track “How do you Spend Your Days?”, where the lyrics can be seen to be crap in a pop song, but it works with James Madden and Ryan Murphy working together wonderfully. “Teddy” sounds like something Mr Bean would probably write, yet magic is created with the duos signature sound, and the cliché “Woo hoo hoo” to give the song its slice of a cheesy pop hook. Needless to say, it works. The title track “The Big Ask” is a charismatic song in its own right that would make almost any aspiring indie artist to be jealous, with its chilled atmosphere. “Soon Face”and “This is All we’ve Known” sounds like what would happen in a fight between The Beatles and Pink Floyd, creating surreal sounds and even more surreal lyrics. This odd influence works until the acoustic “Ulagḡe” before the final moments of “The Big Ask part II” in which sounds like ‘Artists Only’ have given up completely and decided to insert a track with the sounds of them brushing their teeth.
In general, this is a fine album that’s riddled in brilliant ideas and fine musicianship that works better than if it were to be recorded within the confines of a professional recording studio. Better still, it would be better if it didn’t involve a track in which the members decided to brush their own teeth…
http://www.facebook.com/#!/ArtistsOnlyMusic
It’s practically happy music, something you can dance to and love. Opening with “Tip of the Top of the Tree” is a redefined version of the Artic Monkeys, ignoring the sometimes annoying guitar licks. This is rectified on the next track “How do you Spend Your Days?”, where the lyrics can be seen to be crap in a pop song, but it works with James Madden and Ryan Murphy working together wonderfully. “Teddy” sounds like something Mr Bean would probably write, yet magic is created with the duos signature sound, and the cliché “Woo hoo hoo” to give the song its slice of a cheesy pop hook. Needless to say, it works. The title track “The Big Ask” is a charismatic song in its own right that would make almost any aspiring indie artist to be jealous, with its chilled atmosphere. “Soon Face”and “This is All we’ve Known” sounds like what would happen in a fight between The Beatles and Pink Floyd, creating surreal sounds and even more surreal lyrics. This odd influence works until the acoustic “Ulagḡe” before the final moments of “The Big Ask part II” in which sounds like ‘Artists Only’ have given up completely and decided to insert a track with the sounds of them brushing their teeth.
In general, this is a fine album that’s riddled in brilliant ideas and fine musicianship that works better than if it were to be recorded within the confines of a professional recording studio. Better still, it would be better if it didn’t involve a track in which the members decided to brush their own teeth…
http://www.facebook.com/#!/ArtistsOnlyMusic