There's Only Two Alex Turners

Lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys, musical genius and international sex symbol; Alex Turner is the figurehead of the alternative youth. In 2005, his quartet of working-class Sheffield scallies were tearing up tiny clubs with their raucous songs, later to be released on their debut LP 'Whatever People Say I Am, That Is What I'm Not'. His Ray Davies-like lyrics, narrating stories of modern day England set the world alight, which continued into their second record, 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. Using the energetic punk of the Sex Pistols, the articulation of The Kinks and the indie, careless attitude of Oasis, the Arctic Monkeys accumulated all the positives in British music to create a modern cocktail of fabulous indie-rock.

'Humbug' was a transitional period for the band, experimenting with more polished music and vocals and focussing on more, well, sexual lyrics. Many people's least favourite Arctics album, 'Humbug' was crucial in the transition into the regeneration of Alex Turner. 'Suck It and See' perfected the more polished sound, Turner's more soothing vocals carried from the previous LP, now supplementing his 50's 'Rocker' quiff.

Capitalising on the new image, 2013 saw the Arctic Monkeys release their (arguably) self-titled fifth record, 'AM'. Turning up the sexy to eleven, the band's new, ultimately poppier sound saw them recruit thousands, if not millions of fans worldwide. 'AM' became a classic from very early on and catapulted the band into the stratosphere.

Early on in the career of Arctic Monkeys, Alex I, if you will, was the King of lyrical ingeniousness. His tales of urban Britain and his in-depth character cases were unrivalled. Their debut record, along with 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' was finished with such musical quality and substance that, despite the slightly poor recording, would fool you into believing that the Arctics were an already established band. We begin to see Turner's flare for particularly impressive lyrics, whether narrative or, hm, horny! 'There's only one thing on your mind' he snarls through Dancing Shoes however When The Sun Goes Down tells the story of a girl, 'I wonder what went wrong so she had to roam the streets... He told Roxanne to put on her red light... 'Cus he's a scumbag don't you know'. His lyrical prowess is already on show from day one.

Enter Alex II. The dance moves as he gyrates his hips suggestively, the velvety tones in his voice, the love songs and sexy lyrics create the second legend of Alex Turner. More subtly sexy, 'Be cruel to me, 'cus I'm a fool for you,' he croons through 'Suck It and See'. AM sees the squealing riff of 'R U Mine?' complimented with Matt Helder's falsettoed 'Are you mine tomorrow, or just mine tonight?'. Girls want him, boys want to be him. Like Elvis Presley, he has both sexes in awe of him and his persona. He is the finished article. To match such musical quality with such star quality, it must be said that Turner is the consummate star of his generation.

Will the Arctic Monkeys continue to pander to their new crowd's love of the R'n'B tinged AM, or will they once again reinvent the sound of the band. Whatever they decide to do, one must trust that it will be huge success.

Sun Structures: What This Record Means To Me

Sun Structures is the debut album by British neo-psychedelic band Temples. Their blend of 60s nostalgia with modern studio techniques makes them one of the most promising acts of today. Adding a funkier, bassier flavour to their music than neo-psych peers Tame Impala and Foxygen, Temples provide an upbeat twist on their mystically sonic music.

The album opens with the groovy 'Shelter Song', the opening single, exactly as it was recorded in James Bagshaw (singer, writer, producer)'s bedroom when the band were only two, not four. The well layered boogie sets the scene very quickly somewhere between the haze of the summer of '67 and Bagshaw's dopplegänger, Marc Bolan and T-Rex.

The LP's title track, Sun Structures, takes you on a journey deep into psych. The irregular drum beat and the continuous bass riff leaves you safe to close your eyes, lie back and immerse your entire body, mind and soul into Bagshaw's whispered vocal.

The Golden Throne continues the journey into the mist as Thomas Warmsley's bass pushes the track along into it's distinctive distorted keyboard sound, much like that of an early 70s sci-fi film.

The boogie-woogie Keep In The Dark plunges you right into Bolan. The catchy sing-a-long is an instant hit with it's cocktail of sounds crescendoing in the bridge and chorus. This is where psychedelic rock becomes psychedelic-pop. It must be said that in this sense, pop is not the dirty word that it has become, however, it makes the band a truly likeable entity, casting their stratospheric music to the place it belongs, the stratosphere!

Mesmerise once more casts you into the euphoric world of psych-trip and the catchy melody connects with you immediately. Mesmerise is what Temples are about. Their brand of pop music mixed with pyschedelia ensures a wide audience. There is no aggression or malice in Temples' music, just love, and haze.

Move With The Season is a pure trip. From it's dreamy vocals to the massive final section of strings and Bagshaw's falsetto. The track is almost in slow motion, sit back, relax, enjoy the sensation. This brings the album to Colours to Life. This single is not quite as poppy as Mesmerise or Keep In The Dark but is just as likeable. As Bagshaw breathes his lyrics of love, you begin to realise that this album is something more than great.

Album tracks A Question Isn't Answered, The Guesser and Test of Time provide ten minutes of dream and some very decent music. The three tracks may not be quite as entertaining as others on the record, but are however good enough to be singles for some bands. Temples present us with their awesome use of studio equipment and effects pedals to assert the sonic nature of the LP.

Sand Dance begins with similar bass boogie to the rest of the record, however the bridge breaks down into a slow, wishy-washy dream. Another good track, until the three minute outro. As the band show off their prowess, Adam Smith on the keyboard, James Bagshaw on lead guitar, Samuel Toms' drumming keeping the pace and Thomas Warmsley on bass, the record drifts off into a dream. Like an improvised version of the bride repeated over and over again you are catapulted up into space in the arms of Kettering's premier (and first?) psychedelic heroes.

Fragment's Light finishes the album on a Byrds-esque acoustic guitar. Bagshaw whispers his vocals over the track to conclude, in my opinion, the album of 2014.

Sun Structures is my coming-of-age album. Having taken me through my sixteenth summer, Temples will stay forever with me as the band of my youth. The instrumentation on this record is second to none. We can only hope that Temples' second record is just as good.

Beginning Sixth Form

September is here, thank God that I am no longer a mere school pupil, but an AS Level student! I've continued to study at my current school (I suppose I should call it sixth form now!) as the other options were either not up to the same standard, or I was not up to their standard!

First impressions? Scary! I've had two teachers tell me so far that an hour's work at school needs to be consolidated by three hours at home. This means that if I return home at 3:40 and studied all four of my subjects without a break, I would be up until 3:40 the next morning. I don't think they're being serious, are they?

I've taken Spanish, German, History and Music Tech. Languages is my passion. I love conversing in different languages and the appreciation that you receive from foreigners when you attempt to speak their language is second to none. I've always loved History, I find it so, so interesting. I can listen to the stories of Kings, Queens, battles and politics forever. And of course, Music is my passion. Studying in the studio will give me chance to record a lot more of my own music and experiment with high tech equipment, I can't wait!

I've found myself buying lots of ring binders too. I've heard that organisation is key so I'll put trust in that! It's nice to take a laptop into sixth form too. Carrying my iTunes everywhere is a dream!

It's nice that there are a few 'external' students coming in from other schools, it gives me a fresh start in some ways. Teenagers have long memories. If you were a nerd in Year 8, then your classmates back then will see you that way forever. Mad, I know. Unfair, definitely.

It's nice to wear your own clothes. I bought a soon for prom from Burton for around £110. They offered shoes for £10 on top of that deal, so I bought a pair of tan brogues. I then have an array of ties (all in the Mod vain) ranging from paisley, to plain, skinny black to a really awesome cheque one that I can't explain!

I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead!

A Little Song Review #2

Cry Baby Cry is a Lennon-McCartney composition (written by Lennon) from The Beatles' 1968 self-titled LP. I was first alerted to the song by a cover by Beady Eye for Absolute Radio. Liam Gallagher's snarl through the track intrigued me enough to listen to the original.

The track certainly has a more whispered quality than upon first listen. It opens with an acoustic guitar and Lennon's vocal, 'Cry baby cry, make your mother sigh,' as this chorus leads into the ambiguously written verse, telling us about the King and Queen of Marigold's lives.

The chorus kicks back in with drums and piano, leading into a just as ambiguously written verse about the Duchess of Kircaldy. Despite all the nonsense, there's something drawing, and convincingly serious about Lennon's lyrics. Maybe it's in the tone of the voice, or the imagery of a crying baby, but this is not just a song about nothing.

After another verse and chorus in similar vain, the song breaks down into an almost random to McCartney's vocal, 'Take me back.' Similar to the reprise in Strawberry Fields Forever, it catches you off guard, and adds to that often bonkers vibe that The Beatles so often give off.

Cry Baby Cry may not be a Beatles greatest hit, however it amuses and entertains me, and I hope it does to you too!

Why I Love Liam Fray

The Courteeners are the last bastions of the Manchester indie scene. The Mancunian rockers, with their indie stompers, sing songs of love, heartbreak and youthfulness. Frequently criticised by many, The Courteeners' loyal fan base remain fanatical as ever, singing along to the bands' anthems, not missing a word (or note!)

Lead singer Liam Fray dons no long hair, previous drug addictions or ignorant attitude, yet remains inherently cool and with bags of stage presence. His bellowing voice captivates his every audience from o2 Academies to Reading Festival, invoking a havoc-wreaking party everywhere he goes.

To me, Liam Fray is relatable. Growing up in a working-class family, but not without a reasonable amount of money (with his father being a teacher), Fray speaks to me in a world full of bands either compiled of council estate layabouts or pompous students. He is also presentable, with no greasy, long hair or visible tattoos, something always encouraged to me by my family.

His obvious diction in his songs, conveying a message through his obviously Mancunian accent is something that I can also relate to. As a singer-songwriter myself, the transatlantic accent used by most 'pop stars' is wearing thin and his regional twang adds flavour to his music, in the same way that it did for Blur, The Stone Roses and Bob Dylan.

With a lyrical talent able to capture the imaginations of young indie fans nationwide, it is no surprise that Liam Fray should be one of my favourite musicians.

Innerspeaker: What This Record Means To Me

Innerspeaker is the debut LP by Australian psychedelic rock outfit Tame Impala. Released in 2010, it combines the studio production techniques of the 21st century with psychedelic influences of the 1960s.

The opening track, It's Not Meant To Be reminisces the hazy, wah rhythm guitar that opens Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, The Small Faces' 1967 hit album. And the sixties references continue through the record. Kevin Parker's whispered, dreamy vocals gasp 'Sitting around, smoking weed,' and the image of a smoky, 1960s bedroom springs to mind immediately.

The lyrics to the opening track are that of admiring a girl and boasting that, 'It is meant to be,' however in reality, the narrator doesn't, 'Have a hope in hell.' It's a situation that many a teenager can relate to, and so can I.

Track 2 is the fuzzy, slightly heavier guitar number, 'Desire Be, Desire Go' which leads us into the equally fuzzy (and trippy!) numbers 'Alter Ego' and 'Lucidity.' We land at Track 5, 'Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?' In a haze of guitars and synthesisers, Parker's voice breathes the title line along with 'Give me a sign' and not much else. In it's simplicity, the message of confusion by a lover is drilled in harder than by a long, well-thought out piece of poetry. Again, the complexity of love and relationships latches onto the listener, it's what makes this album so, so relatable.

The short and simple piece follows into the wah masterpiece that is 'Solitude Is Bliss'. As Parker croons, 'You will never come close to how I feel,' the song becomes a loner's anthem. The positive vibe that bellows through the whole song makes being alone feel oh so great. The reference to LSD in the lyric, ' There's a party going on in my head, and there's nobody else invited' once again links the band back to their 60s influences.

The instrumental 'Jeremy's Storm' delivers exactly what it promises. Violent dissonance in certain parts of the song really do throw you into the storm. This launches you into 'Expectation', which, I doubt unintentionally, is a track that you begin to expect from this album. It must be made perfectly clear however, that describing it as an album track means it no disrespect. Every song on this album is as good as another, and the standard is incredibly high.

'The Bold Arrow of Time' leaves you somewhere between Jimi Hendrix, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Zero7. The driving riff mixes 'Voodoo Child' and 'Spread Your Love' and Parker's cloudy vocal kicks in again.

The album finishes with the loud and layered 'Runway, Houses, City, Clouds' before 'I Don't Really Mind.'

Every single track on this album can compete with another. The lyrics that owe much to heartbreak and loneliness add meaning to the notoriously nonsense genre of psychedelia. Tame Impala went on to create Lonerism which may well be featured in the future. The debut record put Australia on the 'cool' music map, like an industrially-booming China, where Peter Andre and Kylie Minogue were drawn as Turkmenistan and Andorra.

Walking along the beach in the rain

There's something beautiful about walking along the beach in the rain, especially as
 it goes dark. Yesterday evening, I went to Summerleaze Beach in Bude, Cornwall
with my sister, one of our cousins, and a couple of his friends. My cousin, Charlie,
is lucky enough to live in Bude, so the beach is a short five-minute walk from his house.

The cloudy skies in Bude

Paddling

For a boy from the Midlands, no matter how old, the beach is always novelty.
For someone with a lust for melancholia and sadness, the combination of that with rain
is dreamy. Like a scene from Richard Ayoade's Submarine, we splashed around and
played on the somber, lonely shore.

Georgia, my sister, gooning around.
Adam (our friend) in the background.

Andrew (Adam's brother) and Charlie, the locals

 In my favourite pair of black skinny jeans (Primark, £10) and a navy blue Harrington
purchased from a store on eBay (£12), I strolled across the seafront, with only my
companions also on the beach.

Seeing an area usually so full of life, in it's solitary emptiness is rather sad, however,
 the sense of freedom that consumes you, as you stare out at the vast emptiness of the
ocean, with nothing in front of you and nothing behind you, is an unparalleled emotion.