Eyemaylisten Music Blog

Hey, it’s matt here, writing my first post of the new blog! ^_^

Me and Luu have been in the sprawling metropolis that is London for some important eyemaylisten business (and some important retail therapy!). More details about our trip and the juicy heap of goodies we received is to follow shortly, but Following on from Luu’s post last week, there is another new album out next week which we think you will be interested in.

The Subways – All or Nothing – 30th June.

We’ve all heard the classic ‘Rock and Roll Queen’ and ‘Oh Yeah’ from the Subways previous album, ‘Young for Eternity’. And next week, the subways are back with their new album, ‘All or Nothing’. Here at Eyemaylisten we have been lucky enough to attend an exclusive preview of the album at Warner Bros. Recordings with a handful of other critics. I wasn’t expecting very much, not having paid much attention to the band before, but…

IT BLEW ME AWAY.

Unfortunately, you will have to take my word for that, as there were no copies of the album available to take away. However, a number of the tracks have previously been performed live by the band, so many fans will have already heard some of the line-up.

The album starts slightly run-of-the-mill, with the standout track from the first half being their new single, ‘Alright’. Following from the previous album, the mix of (bordering on) acoustic tracks and slamming rock tracks is in almost the same proportion. ‘Shake! Shake!’ is an uplifting track which we thought was quite motivational, but which is by no means the best track of the album.

The second half of the album however, is absolutely mind-blowing. The last track, ‘Lostboy’, sums up the album perfectly, and with an infectious beat, persuades you to listen to the album all over again. And believe me, you will want to because this is an album that will grow on you over time, even if (like me) you are blown away first time. Towards the end of the album, the tracks seem to build up into an exhilarating finish, from ‘Turnaround’, and on to ‘Obsession’, ‘Strawberry Blonde’, and ‘Always Tomorrow’, with ‘Lostboy’ being the final epic push. From ‘Turnaround’, the flow of the album is utterly perfect (despite the car alarms and church bells common in central London breaking the silence between tracks). These are a sequence of track which you could listen to over, and over again.

One of the most exceptional tracks from the album was ‘Strawberry Blonde’. As one of the more mellow tracks, many of the other critics in the room were not as enthralled with the song as I was. Although it may not be released as a single, it is one of those songs (such as Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Eleanor Put Your Boots On’) which will quite deservingly loiter in your head.

Track listing:

1. Girls & Boys
2. Kalifornia
3. Alright
4. Shake! Shake!
5. Move to Newlyn
6. All or Nothing
7. I Won’t Let You Down
8. Turnaround
9. Obsession
10. Strawberry Blonde
11. Always Tomorrow
12. Lostboy

This is a great comeback album, surpassing the debut. I will definitely be buying it as soon as it arrives on the shelves. I recommend you do too! Stay tuned for our exclusive video interview with Temposhark at their gig at Popstarz.