![Review: Boxes - Stickers [Album]](http://hangout.altsounds.com/geek/gars/images/2/3/5/5/0/boes_-_stickers.png)
![Review: Boxes - Stickers [Album]](http://hangout.altsounds.com/altthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fhangout.altsounds.com%2Fgeek%2Fgars%2Fimages%2F2%2F3%2F5%2F5%2F0%2Fboes_-_stickers.png&w=500&h=500&zc=1&q=70){kind=small}
Spread the Social Love:
It is a good idea to put stickers on boxes to maintain order: whether you are relocating and looking to start a new chapter or storing things away for another time. Stickers, the debut album from Athlete bassist, Carey Willetts, sees him trying to do both, and understandably so. Having performed as part of the soft-pop/rock outfit for over a decade, this is a side project by a musician who wants to explore, keen to imprint a little more of himself upon listeners.
Opener, ‘One’, is certainly a declaration of independence, as far removed from the trademark Athlete sound as possible. Purely instrumental; glitchy electronic beats are suddenly overtaken by aggressive guitars. This bold musical introduction is matched lyrically by the defiant ‘Throw Your Stones’. "What’s coming now will blow your mind, so come and throw your stones at me" asserts Willetts over Kid Carpet style synths, "you gave it all and we had plans/you’ve given out more than you take, you know you’ve earned it but it’s not about that. You’ve still got time and we’re not giving in". Time to sit up and listen then, this guy isn’t messing around.
Willetts states Stickers is about the ups and downs of his life, as musician and otherwise. It is this naked catharsis that gives the album a gritty edge. ‘Sharks’ provides 4 minutes of desolate self-flagellation, set against a lonesome piano, scattered beats and atmospheric violin. The track shares ground with Snow Patrol in their prime, but the personal criticism, "I always go too far, all at once I’m not the same as you thought I was. Turn your back and close your eyes but I’m still here", contributes a more personal feel.
The multi-instrumentalist has also spoken out about his frustrations at being labelled, selecting Boxes as his moniker in response. Therefore, it is makes sense that the synth and electronic elements get stronger on ‘Between Whiskey and Snow’ - fitting the hazy narrative perfectly. Recounting a drunken moment of introspection at a party, Willetts transports us back to his immediate emotions that night, ‘one dance left, so let yourself go’, he sings, an ode of New Radicals’ ‘You’ve Got The Music In You’. Meanwhile, there remains a recognition that the good times cannot go on forever, "this could be the best night of our lives/it’s hard to imagine fireworks in the sky, falling asleep on the last bus homeof the night". The lyricism might not be the most complex, but its raw immediacy, combined with the dreamy soundscape, make it engaging.
WATCH: 'Silent Alarm' [Explicit]
The problems hampering the record are rooted not in a lack of passion or determination, but old habits and inexperience. Willetts all too easily slips into the world to which he is most accustomed, writing clichéd lyrics to equally generic pop-hooks. For instance, the grand intent on ‘Red Skies’, surmised by the rousing chorus, is undone by the line "without you I’m homeless, a puppet without strings, without you this song doesn’t mean a thing". Putrid wordplay like that should be left to Ed Sheeran and other shades of beige. ‘Silent Alarm’ is similarly deflating; heartfelt emotion could have formed a passable guitar-pop ballad, if not for the fact the riffs are lifted directly from ‘Manhattan’ by Kings of Leon.
Nevertheless, Stickers is far from over-run by fool’s gold. When Willetts forgets to tick the boxes and addresses was it real to him, he sounds all the better for it. ‘Wake up, Wake up’ is a gusty number, slapping you about the face, whilst ‘Dominoes’, despite reverting to experimental Radiohead styled electronica and lyrical introspection, moves the sound forward in the process.
Overall, the closing track ‘I Can’t Imagine’, about the trauma of his child’s birth, sums up the positives of the album. Direct, honest and bare, it is rewarding in its bravery and vulnerability. You can’t place Stickers into the chart topping box, but Willets has done his credibility no harm. He certainly demonstrates there is more of a future for him as a solo artist, artistically if not commercially, than if he were to return to Athlete. Simply, Willetts has fallen into the trap of demonstrating everything he offers in a desperate bid to impress, without yet fully cultivating his own identity. Although there is definite room for improvement, don’t leave this for the scrap heap.
Worth listening to:
Opener, ‘One’, is certainly a declaration of independence, as far removed from the trademark Athlete sound as possible. Purely instrumental; glitchy electronic beats are suddenly overtaken by aggressive guitars. This bold musical introduction is matched lyrically by the defiant ‘Throw Your Stones’. "What’s coming now will blow your mind, so come and throw your stones at me" asserts Willetts over Kid Carpet style synths, "you gave it all and we had plans/you’ve given out more than you take, you know you’ve earned it but it’s not about that. You’ve still got time and we’re not giving in". Time to sit up and listen then, this guy isn’t messing around.
Simply, Willetts has fallen into the trap of demonstrating everything he offers in a desperate bid to impress, without yet fully cultivating his own identity
The multi-instrumentalist has also spoken out about his frustrations at being labelled, selecting Boxes as his moniker in response. Therefore, it is makes sense that the synth and electronic elements get stronger on ‘Between Whiskey and Snow’ - fitting the hazy narrative perfectly. Recounting a drunken moment of introspection at a party, Willetts transports us back to his immediate emotions that night, ‘one dance left, so let yourself go’, he sings, an ode of New Radicals’ ‘You’ve Got The Music In You’. Meanwhile, there remains a recognition that the good times cannot go on forever, "this could be the best night of our lives/it’s hard to imagine fireworks in the sky, falling asleep on the last bus homeof the night". The lyricism might not be the most complex, but its raw immediacy, combined with the dreamy soundscape, make it engaging.
WATCH: 'Silent Alarm' [Explicit]
The problems hampering the record are rooted not in a lack of passion or determination, but old habits and inexperience. Willetts all too easily slips into the world to which he is most accustomed, writing clichéd lyrics to equally generic pop-hooks. For instance, the grand intent on ‘Red Skies’, surmised by the rousing chorus, is undone by the line "without you I’m homeless, a puppet without strings, without you this song doesn’t mean a thing". Putrid wordplay like that should be left to Ed Sheeran and other shades of beige. ‘Silent Alarm’ is similarly deflating; heartfelt emotion could have formed a passable guitar-pop ballad, if not for the fact the riffs are lifted directly from ‘Manhattan’ by Kings of Leon.
Nevertheless, Stickers is far from over-run by fool’s gold. When Willetts forgets to tick the boxes and addresses was it real to him, he sounds all the better for it. ‘Wake up, Wake up’ is a gusty number, slapping you about the face, whilst ‘Dominoes’, despite reverting to experimental Radiohead styled electronica and lyrical introspection, moves the sound forward in the process.
WATCH // 'Don't Look Down'
Overall, the closing track ‘I Can’t Imagine’, about the trauma of his child’s birth, sums up the positives of the album. Direct, honest and bare, it is rewarding in its bravery and vulnerability. You can’t place Stickers into the chart topping box, but Willets has done his credibility no harm. He certainly demonstrates there is more of a future for him as a solo artist, artistically if not commercially, than if he were to return to Athlete. Simply, Willetts has fallen into the trap of demonstrating everything he offers in a desperate bid to impress, without yet fully cultivating his own identity. Although there is definite room for improvement, don’t leave this for the scrap heap.
Worth listening to:
- 'Throw Your Stones'
- 'Sharks'
- 'Between Whiskey And Snow'
![Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito [Album]](http://hangout.altsounds.com/altthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fhangout.altsounds.com%2Fgeek%2Fgars%2Fimages%2F1%2F4%2F8%2F5%2F7%2Fyeah_yeah_yeahs_mosquito.jpg&h=75&w=75&zc=1&q=70)
