Plan B: Lost My Way

As promised, here's my review of Plan B's brand new track 'Lost My Way'. The song is due to be released both as part of the album 'Ill Manors' this July, and as a single on 30th June. It is also a part of the soundtrack for the film 'Ill Manors', directed by Plan B, which is again due for release next month.

Here's the official video for the song... 

'Lost My Way', alongside its predecessor single 'Ill Manors', signifies Plan B's return to the dark, macabre tones of his grime-scene roots. It suggests a rejection of the radio-friendly, melodic material of his previous album 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks' in favour of a new direction heavily influenced by the current political and social atmosphere.                 

As with 'Ill Manors', the lyrics of 'Lost My Way' present an intense criticism of the democratic, capitalist, hierarchical system. The call-and-response narration of a hopeless, disenchanted youth very much echo the techniques employed by soul and gospel singers in their respective styles of music. The inclusion of such a reference draws a parallel between the youth of today, "enslaved" with "their circumstances [shaping] the way they behave", and the de facto enslavement of black citizens in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Coupled with the anger with which Plan B raps in the track, and the inconsistent dynamic changes, the listener is immersed into a state of rage at the system which is apparently responsible for the problems facing today's youth.                     

This is reinforced by the music itself. The sinister, discordant piano and the heavy, aggressive beats gradually build up to a dynamic climax before suddenly ending. The silence following the song's conclusion fills the listener with an extreme sense of dread and horror, echoing the theme of a young generation in despair over their future.              

Of course, the themes presented in this song echo closely those conveyed in 'Ill Manors', simply because both were created for the same purpose. The upcoming album from which both singles have been taken is, as well as being a standalone album release, the soundtrack for Plan B's new film of the same name. The film is set in a London ghetto and charts the struggle for survival of its inhabitants, so the dark and intense tones of 'Lost My Way' and 'Ill Manors' are unsurprising when their purpose is considered.                                                                                                           
Overall, 'Lost My Way' is not a song for the casual listener, and will undoubtedly surprise fans of Plan B's recent hits 'She Said' and 'Stay Too Long'. However, both musically and lyrically it is a masterpiece, and couldn't be any more effective in making the emotionally charged, anti-authoritarian statement which characterises the artist's new musical direction.


...So, there's my review of the track! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned to the blog as there are loads more reviews and articles to come in the next few weeks!
PsyD

It's been a while...

I know that I haven't posted anything for a good few months now, but AS Level exams and the magazine that I run have been taking up all of my time, so I haven't really had the chance to review music! The good news, however, is that my exams are now over, so I'll have an abundance of time for music journalism in the coming weeks and months.

Also, even though I haven't had the time to actually sit down and write reports and reviews, I've still had plenty of ideas for articles that I can't wait to pursue. Here's just some of the posts that will be coming up on Superunknown in the next couple of months...

• A review of Plan B's brand new track 'Lost My Way'
• An album review of Twin Atlantic's 'Free'
• A single review of the new release 'Rize of the Fenix' by Tenacious D
  

So make sure that you stay tuned to Superunknown for all of that and more!

PsyD

Dog Is Dead + Fiction + Moral Panics - Friday 24th February 2012, Stoke Sugarmill

Dog Is Dead doing what they do best: Whipping the audience into a frenzy with their triumphant choral harmonies and complex yet catchy riffs!

Dog Is Dead's Stoke-on-Trent debut was truly a night to remember. Both the headline act and their two support bands performed perfectly, and although it took a while to truly whip up the crowd and create an atmosphere, by the end of the night everybody had experienced something special. 

Local heroes Moral Panics were first on the bill, performing their catchy blend of indie, pop and rock with an energy and musical prowess rarely seen in even some of the most successful bands. The three-piece stayed perfectly in time and in sync throughout, thanks to the remarkable skills of the trio's drummer and bassist respectively, with singer Dan Johnson's vocals and guitar work soaring above the songs' strong beats and basslines. Although the crowd only rose to a polite and reserved applause by the end of Moral Panics' set, the band without a doubt made a commendable and strong effort and I thoroughly recommend seeing the trio live.

Art-rock group Fiction were next, performing a bizarre and surreal set involving bin lids, water bottles, guitars and synthesisers which worked bizarrely and surreally well! Their music seems to be a cross between 80's electronica/synthpop vibes and Radiohead-esque experimental threads, with a Caribbean and African tribal flavour... It's literally impossible to accurately describe the sound of this band, but whatever it is, it works. The band succeeded in getting the audience emotionally and physically involved in the music, creating a strange, hypnotic cocoon of sound which was both complex enough to keep the crowd fixated for the whole of their set, but with a strong enough pulse to get the room dancing, moving and grooving for the first time of the night.

And then the headliners took to the stage. Dog Is Dead (see left) were the icing on the musical cake - at first the crowd admittedly seemed a bit reluctant, perhaps bemused a little by the great contrast between Fiction's calm vibes and Dog Is Dead's upbeat, energetic pop/indie tunes. However, the performance of 2010 single Young was without doubt the turning point of the night. With every chorus of this fantastic song, the audience became more and more engaged and by the song's anthemic conclusion the crowd were wild and hungry for more. The rest of the set went down a storm, from the calm, placid moments which sent the audience into a slow, relaxed groove to the pitch-perfect 5-way-harmony choruses which resulted in the happiest mosh pits I've ever seen and a number of adrenaline-fuelled crowd surfers. The audience were well and truly in the palm of their collective hand.

I can honestly say that this gig was one of the best I've ever been to. If you happen to see Moral Panics, Fiction or Dog Is Dead live you won't be disappointed, with all working in harmony (excuse the pun!) tonight to create a fun, refreshing Friday night atmosphere which none of the lucky audience members present will be likely to forget anytime soon!

Rock on,

PsyD

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Check out Moral Panics at:

www.facebook.com/moralpanicsband

Fiction at:

www.myspace.com/fictionlondon

And Dog Is Dead at:

www.dogisdead.co.uk