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For as long as I can remember, there's always been a HMV nearby to stroll into and buy your CDs. HMV, to me at least as a young child was (and still is) this gorgeous technological emporium of headphones, vinyls, games consoles and plenty more besides. Seeing it be threatened with closure once again brings this innate sadness as I, much like a myriad of people, spent many a time looking through their expansive collection of CDs, searching for something new from the artists I loved then and still do today. HMV has been a cultural mainstay in Britain since the 1930s with its production of television and radio sets. The retail side began to expand during the 1960s and within six years of 1966, HMV had established themselves as Britain’s leading music retailer. Their competition with the newly opened Our Price in 1972 and Virgin Megastores in 1976 was short-lived as HMV overtook Our Price in terms of popularity and threatened Virgin’s existence through opening a chain of newer and larger shops. The Oxford Street flagship moved and reopened in 1986 with HMV claiming it to be the largest record shop in the world at the time. The ceremony was attended by the likes of Bob Geldof of Boomtown Rats fame and driving force behind both Band Aid and Live Aid. By the nineties, HMV had 320 branches and had opened the USA's largest music store in 1990 in New York City. HMV, as a firm, stocked pretty much everything any technology enthusiast could ask for. It was a case of if you asked for it, HMV would be sure to deliver. Since my primary interest was CDs, nearly all of my physical music collection stems from them. This includes prized possessions of all of the Fish-era Marillion LPs and all of the Coldplay albums that reside on a rack in my office. They hold a lot of sentimental value, so to see the place from which the music was purchased end up closing would be an absolute travesty. The HMV in Milton Keynes has certainly downsized in recent years and that acts as a prime example. What was once two floors of media magnificence has since been transformed into a darker, smaller arrangement that doesn't carry the same feeling of attraction that the former one had. Stores around them have been and gone, but HMV has always remained - it's been a mainstay of that particular shopping centre. The death of major high-street retailers is something that people will have to come to terms with and losing one of those staples of the high-street is detrimental to its survivability. House Of Fraser has been bought out by Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley who has since changed the focus of the chain dramatically and if someone decides to take over HMV, I just hope that the same thing won't happen. You'd be left with the dying embers of the media retail sector and the dark monster of administration which has taken the likes of Woolworths and Maplin in recent years and surely we can’t have it consuming yet another high-street icon. Since KPMG have come onto the scene to help HMV out, hopefully their actions can guarantee safety for a little while longer. With the rise of downloading music and streaming through new mediums such as Spotify and Deezer, the act of listening to music through tangible means such as CDs, vinyls or even cassettes is a rapidly decreasing one. It was recently revealed that sales of CDs in the past year were just 32 million units and this figure has dropped by 9.6 million year-on-year. Since 2008, sales have decreased by around one hundred million. The past few years have also seen the resurgence of vinyl records, albeit at a much inflated rate from their prices around thirty years ago. With this meteoric rise of retro, there comes a certain pleasure that is mixed in with owning the vinyl itself. It's not just about the music, but also the art that comes on the front cover and if it's a gatefold sleeve, the artwork that comes on the inside; moreover, you may get a lyric sheet in a booklet, along with added pieces that are contained in the sleeve. Personally, for Christmas, I acquired the Arctic Monkeys' new album on vinyl which is more of an art piece than something to listen to. The rise of the sales of vinyl is not just because they are being played more, but also because that people are displaying them, framing them and cherishing the fantastic artwork designs. That feeling of appreciation is greatly lost with digital forms of music and the pleasure that is derived from buying your own CD or vinyl can be taken away in an instant if HMV do eventually go bust. Overall, to lose HMV would be pretty heart-breaking as it could lead to the further demise of high-street retail and lead to it all going online. The feeling of knowing that you own an edition of an album on physical means is not one that is replicated through a digital download or a low resolution image on Windows Media Player; it is something specific to the CD and with the rise of streaming, that feeling could be lost with it. What greater pleasure is there than walking into your local media emporium and walking out with the thing you want, able to play it immediately, read the cover, admire the artwork, all without delivery charges and on the same day you actually want it? In short, the loss of HMV would be dreadful for the safety of the high-street and to lose it could possibly change town centres forever.

Since Arsene Wenger left, it appears Arsenal have undergone some form of revolution. With an influx of new staff and signings, form seems to have picked up in recent games due to what we, as Arsenal fans, are referring to Emeryball. This involves his play-it-out-from-the-back, quick, tiki-taka style and rather free-form positioning which results in some entertaining football, especially with Aaron Ramsey's wonderful goal claiming Premier League's Goal Of The Month for October. Yes, some will argue that we've been playing against average opposition for the last few weeks and to be perfectly honest, they do have a point. However, at the end of the day, as long as Arsenal are getting points on the board then who am I to complain? Unai Emery is winning an awful lot of plaudits with the side he's built so far this season. The experience added with seasoned internationals such as Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sokratis Papastathopoulos has provided Arsenal with some proper leaders. This is something Arsenal have lacked since the departure of Patrick Viera in my book. With a few more team leaders around the dressing room with bucket-loads of international experience between them, we can hardly go wrong. However, with this experience comes a vital flaw - age. Lichtsteiner is now thirty-five years old. I don't know about you, but I can't think of many thirty-five year olds in the Premier League. With Juventus (or The Old Lady as they're affectionately known), Lichtsteiner has seen it all and he provides valuable cover for Bellerin. This allows for another option - Bellerin doesn't have to play in the Europa League and we can keep him fit for more important games. That begs the question though, what the hell do we do with Carl Jenkinson? Jenko's been at the club for years and hasn't really made an impact or set the world alight thus far. It might be worth selling him off sometime soon whilst he holds some form of value, but, with an injury to Lichtsteiner taking place during the game against Sporting Lisbon, he’s valuable cover for him around I suppose. Yes, the football is entertaining, but that same defensive fragility remains from seasons gone by. The play-it-out-from-the-back mentality that Emery has cultivated seems a tad too risky in terms of viewing since it seems like Petr Cech can't handle a pass back from his centre-halves. His control is usually sub-standard and in some cases this leads to the ball rolling precariously towards his own net. Our new goalkeeper, Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen, appears a lot more comfortable in passing out from the back; after all, it was a key part of the Bayer Leverkusen way of playing at that time and their defenders were comfortable with that style. Both Mustafi and Sokratis don't seem to know what to do when faced with the ball from Cech. It usually results in them holding it against the byline before punting it away towards one of the wide men. They inevitably lose the ball and the opposition regain possession and can form a counter-attack. Combined with this, the free-form system Emery operates with means that there is never a full back-line to defend with. Granted, Monreal will sit back, whereas Bellerin can usually be seen around in the opposition half, whilst running up and down the byline like a madman and never sitting back to defend. This leaves the defence open down the left-hand side. For instance, if Bellerin loses possession in the opposition half, all the other team have to do is play a long ball down their left winger and then he’s away on a quick counter attack. As a result, whoever the centre-back is will be drawn out of their position to press the oncoming winger. This creates holes in the middle of the defence that the defensive midfielders have to track back and fill. Usually though, from this predicament, we’re able to win possession back with high pressure and form a pretty dangerous counter attack. However, when the ball is lost, the same things happen again and again. The defence lacks concentration and awareness of positioning, even with the addition of international experience mentioned above. On the other hand, in terms of midfield and attack (barring Granit Xhaka and his too-feisty attitude), we are a good-looking side playing some entertaining football. In terms of transfers, the addition of Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria is an inspired one. He adds drive and direction to the midfield and it's nice to see someone willing to get their hands dirty and make a few good tackles. For around £27 million, it's money well spent as far as Torreira is concerned - the fans already have a great affinity towards him and that'll only increase as time goes on. The addition of Matteo Guendouzi from FC Lorient for £7 million or so has also been fantastic. He's already showing glimpses of becoming a world-class talent at Arsenal. Hopefully he'll be here long enough to become so and we can get the best years out of him. We really don't want Guendouzi to just use Arsenal as a stepping stone and instead want to keep him around as long as possible. From an attacking perspective, the combination of quick passes from the forward line seems to be able to split opposition defences open with ease. The quick plays with the ball moving from side to side usually result in a clear-cut opportunity on goal and with the pace of Aubameyang, we can attack either down the wings or through the middle. There’s a distinct element of quality in those midfield and attacking areas. However, there’s still the same issue that harks back to the time with Arsene Wenger in charge. The team knocks on the door of the opposition box and more often than not ends up playing one too many passes. There’s a definite lack of willing to have a go and shoot from the edge of the area. Aaron Ramsey used to do this a fair amount even five years ago but it appears we’ve lost that willingness to go for the spectacular. It’s a shame to be perfectly honest. In reality however, it’s a calculated risk and one that is only worth taking if you have a good idea of where you want the ball to go in the goal. It’s really no use doing it if all the ball is going to do is be blazed many yards of the crossbar. Emery has built a pretty good side from what we already had beforehand. The true tests with ties against Spurs in the League Cup and the Premier League and Manchester United in the league all came before the New Year and results were mixed. One win out of a possible three for Arsenal there, but an away draw at Old Trafford should have been a victory and the performance against Spurs in the League Cup was pretty dire to be honest. The 5-1 thrashing against Liverpool was a real reality check for the club and truly portrayed how shaky Arsenal are defensively. Then comes the January transfer window. It might be worth Emery bringing in some depth in defensive areas and also recalling Reiss Nelson from loan. Even though he's doing really well at Hoffenheim under Julien Nagelsmann, he's needed back at Arsenal if something were to happen to Mkhitaryan. Moreover, he's got that pace and energy that Torreira also brings. It's worth having that in the attacking areas where he can be deployed. I just hope that Emery can continue his revolution at Arsenal throughout the season and bring some hard-earned success to the club at long last. He's picked up where Wenger left off and long may the success continue!

Liam Gallagher launched his long-awaited debut solo album 'As You Were' in October 2017 and from his previous incarnations with Beady Eye and of course Oasis, expectations were high. His time with Oasis initially had been explosive with 'Definitely Maybe' and '(What's The Story?) Morning Glory' in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Things dropped off a tad with Be Here Now in 1997 with claims that it's overproduced from some. However, it's still great nonetheless and features the longest song to ever get to Number One in the UK Singles Chart with 'All Around The World'. Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants followed at the turn of the millennium after the departures of Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs and Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan in 1999. The respective replacements, Gem Archer and Andy Bell, were a perfect fit and it remains a personal favourite with live staples of 'Go Let It Out' and 'Gas Panic!' staying in Oasis gigs during the following years. The next two, 'Heathen Chemistry' and 'Don't Believe The Truth', released in 2002 and 2005 showed a different, more reserved side to the band. Their last effort, 'Dig Out Your Soul', had some highlights in 'The Shock Of The Lightning' and 'I'm Outta Time, but otherwise never did much for me as a listener. Liam's time with Beady Eye, a short-lived Oasis II without his brother, produced two albums: 'Different Gear, Still Speeding' and 'BE'. Both had some good tracks on them such as 'The Roller', 'Beatles & Stones', 'Millionaire', 'Iz Rite' and 'Soul Love'. People had ambivalent feelings about his time with Beady Eye, so hopefully his solo effort would prevail and be a little better. Let's get into it! The Album Itself Having heard Liam's early performances of tracks from 'As You Were' right back in June 2017 at Glastonbury, I had massively high hopes and with the staggered releases of singles such as 'Wall Of Glass' and 'For What It's Worth', Liam had me hooked for the time being and I couldn't wait for the album's release. Release day came around and I played it to death that week and loved every track. However, having another few listens, it reveals a few issues. Let's go through track by track: Wall Of Glass - The first single released back at the start of June 2017. It's a proper punchy rock 'n' roll track that works both acoustically and electrically. Whilst it is rather commercialised now, it still remains a superb track whenever I listen to it. Rating: 8/10 Bold - Written by Liam and a staple of his live performances, it's a more acoustic-orientated track and the more you listen to Bold, the more your feelings change. Cleverly, it makes a couple of references to Noel's solo efforts with his High Flying Birds ("There's no love worth chasing yesterday"). As a song, it's okay but it lacks a certain something both in the studio and live. Rating: 6/10. Greedy Soul - A slightly more 'Liam' orientated track this time, this is the epitome of what his music is all about. Despite its acoustic arrangement, he still attacks every single lyric as if it were live and it's one that just vents rage with every passing bar. Liam's vocal is what makes the song what it is and the inclusion of a couple of expletives here and there allow him to vent his anger. Genius. Rating: 9/10. Paper Crown - Paper Crown is beautiful. It shows the versatility of Liam's voice, both in the studio and live. He kept this song secret for a long time and doesn't really perform it that much. His vocal delicacy shines through as he hits the higher notes perfectly and the production by Greg Kurstin is outstanding. Despite the track not being written by him, Liam tailors it to himself. It really is an absolute masterpiece. Rating: 10/10. For What It's Worth – According to Liam, the song is meant as an apology to anyone he’s annoyed in the past. His vocal here is still soft, soulful and meaningful on multiple levels. The lyrics are poetic but with a prevalent aura of that apologetic notion he successfully conveyed. Overall, this is a fan favourite and it’s a great track. Rating: 9/10 When I'm In Need - A track kept insanely quiet in the run up to the release of As You Were. A wonderful acoustic composition that details the struggles of being in love with and longing to be with someone. His vocal is soft but punchy on the bridge of the track and contains lyrical references to artists gone by (She's so purple haze - the allusion to Jimi Hendrix). Overall, a fantastic song we are yet to hear live. Rating: 9/10 You Better Run - This clearly shows Liam's innate ability to belt out a rock track regardless of its arrangement. As soon as he played this at Glastonbury, I fell in love with the powerful vocal that just eked out this bottled rage and fury. Whilst he may not be up to his brother's capabilities in the songwriting department, he really does make up for it in the vocals, especially on this self-penned track and portrays that signature Mancunian 'twang'. References to The Rolling Stones (Angels give me shelter because I'm about to fall) and the Beatles (Stone cold, helter skelter) clearly show their inspiration on this song. Absolute class. Rating: 8/10. I Get By - Another Liam composition, I Get By does exactly what it says on the tin. A rage-infused vocal and simplistic structure really allow him to get his point across, whatever that may be. The only versions of this I've heard are guitar-filled symphonies of anger and force. As such, the placement of this track (usually after You Better Run) allows Liam to continue this theme of anger and hatred. It's a brilliant track with a brilliant vocal. Rating: 9/10. Chinatown - A relatively elusive one these days as it hasn't really featured in Liam's live sets very much, which makes us all the more appreciative of its brilliance. The song features yet more allusions to the Beatles (Happiness is still a warm gun) and even one to the Kinks (God told me: "Live a life of luxury."- A little reference to the ever-brilliant Sunny Afternoon). Lyrics are a little strange in places (Telephonic doses/Eliminate neurosis/And some say it's the cause of it all) and elude me even now but otherwise, it's a wonderful conflation of a mid-range vocal and producing prowess. Rating: 8/10 Come Back To Me - Probably my favourite track barring Paper Crown. A slightly harder rock track here, it shows an even more raw side to Liam's vocals, even by his standards. A proper rock ‘n’ roll track and is this time, produced and written by Greg Kurstin, who really manages to bring the song to life. Rating: 9/10. Universal Gleam - A regular show closer for Liam nowadays, which once again highlights the softer side to the younger Gallagher. It shows the up and coming prowess of his ability to write songs. The vocal is calm and brings out the best in his voice and an ability to hit the higher notes perfectly and smoothly, whilst still maintaining that Mancunian tinge, especially when he goes into the final verse. An air of vulnerability and delicacy seeps through his vocal and really brings the song to life. Like Paper Crown, it's a soft vocal that conveys a deep meaning. It's a lovely song. Rating: 9/10. I've All I Need - A slightly secretive song, not played live much until recently, it can really resonate with the listener. Like Universal Gleam, it's written by Liam and his vocal is even more delicate than the former and arguably as soft as the vocal on Paper Crown. His vocal just ekes that prevailing feeling of vulnerability. Overall, an exquisite song about his undying love for someone who holds the key to his heart and shows a heart-warming feeling of love within his vocal. References are made to the Beatles and their solo efforts (Tomorrow Never Knows for one and the combined reference of 'Slow Down, All Things Must Pass' alludes to both a Larry Williams song The Beatles covered and a George Harrison solo track off from 1970). Practically perfect. Rating: 10/10. Bonus Tracks - Deluxe Edition Doesn't Have To Be That Way - A slightly heavier track compared to the rest (similar to Come Back To Me) and appeals perhaps to the more modern rock fans due to the second-to-none mixing by Greg Kurstin. Liam's vocal appears overpowered by the instruments, but despite this, it is still a very good song. Rating 7/10. All My People/All Mankind - A much more serious track written by Gallagher that is acoustic. His vocal is straight to the point and overpowering, yet perfectly complementary to the acoustic guitar in the background. It's forceful both generally and more so phonetically with the emphasis on certain words. It's a song that would sound just as good live if this studio recording is anything to go by. A vocal masterpiece in all honesty. Rating: 10/10 I Never Wanna Be Like You - A much lighter track this time round compared to the latter and a fine closing effort. As an acoustic track, it truly shows Liam's vocal prowess and the softer side to his voice, which allows him to express himself that little bit more. As lyrics go, it's simple but effective but he still manages to do it as well as usual, hitting all the right notes in all the right places. Overall, it's a good song. Rating: 7/10. Conclusion Overall, As You Were has a brilliant variation of tracks from proper rock ‘n’ roll to soulful ballads and everything in between. It is a debut masterpiece and really could be compared to some of his work with Oasis. He just needs a little help with the songwriting and then he's practically sorted. We might just have to hold off that Oasis reunion for a little while longer if he's in this kind of form. AS YOU WERE

Another day goes by and with another day, we come closer to the idea of a second referendum. Some politicians (i.e. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell) have described it as 'imminent' whilst others have said it's just another option on the table. So, that begs the question, is a 'People's Vote' really the answer to the Brexit conundrum? Having been inundated with the whole brouhaha surrounding the idea of a second referendum, it seems the general consensus is that May's deal will be voted down in the Commons. Therefore, if the deal is rejected, we're back to where we were before with no deal and practically no hope for our economic future. As discussed previously, the EU needs Britain as much as we need them as a considerable portion of their exports comes here and some of our own exports go to the EU themselves. There's been a push for the Labour Party to try and secure a General Election so they themselves can try and negotiate a better deal. However, with a General Election, there comes an inconsistency in the deal-making process with a new leader being shuffled in who may change things around completely and as a result, the country may become worse off. If Labour fail to secure that election, it looks like that the second referendum could be one of the only other options on the table. However, the support for a second referendum isn’t actually that much – whilst some Labour MPs have backed the idea of a ‘People’s Vote’, some have refused or would refuse to back it. To get the idea through, they would also need support from rebel Conservatives to fully embrace the principle. If a ‘People’s Vote’ did go through, any Brexit-related proceedings would have to be suspended and the folks in Brussels may be happy to accommodate the second vote if it proves to be the only option. Experts have estimated that the whole process would take twenty-four weeks overall, which could be another half a year added onto the process. If the vote itself wants us to continue on with this current process then that surely makes the referendum pointless, right? However, it remains a mystery as to what the options on the ballot paper might be. There is a myriad of options available to be perfectly honest. Would it be Remain against No Deal, No Deal vs. May’s Deal, Remain vs May’s Deal, or all three against each other to give a more rounded view? Those that are campaigning for a ‘People’s Vote’ say that those options should be the only ones on the ballot and so any deal that does not have any backing in Brussels should immediately be dismissed. The question would ultimately be decided by Parliament themselves, although those in the Electoral Commission have a role to play by law in terms of giving advice and testing the potential question. There’s also the conundrum of allowing those younger than eighteen to vote. Advocates of a second referendum are also rather keen to allow sixteen and seventeen year olds to vote, although some are entirely against it and would rather see standard voting practices kept to. However, the same voters may deliver a different result. Since the initial referendum back in June 2016, there will have been a large swell of youth turning eighteen who are more likely to be pro-EU, whilst some of the probably Eurosceptic older generation will have passed away. However, whilst there does appear to be more of a push for the Remain camp since the referendum, there are doubts to some over how much people have changed their minds and therefore, there is no guarantee that Remain would win this referendum – it is undoubtedly clear that the result would be close if the vote were to go ahead. Overall, the second referendum option seems likely to some with the misleading actions of the Leave campaign back in 2016 causing increased calls for this, as well as with all of what we know now regarding Brexit. Personally, I don’t feel it is the answer as it is banking on a Remain victory and if that doesn’t happen and the people vote for May’s deal then what was the real point in having the referendum in the first place? It really is a double-edged sword.

Boy, it's been a haphazard time for British politics recently. Votes of no confidence from left, right and centre (well, mainly from the right....) caused uncertainty over May's position and how she's a Prime Minister who's about as strong and stable as a bent lamppost. The required forty-eight letters to the 1922 Committee led to the actual vote being triggered and granted Theresa May immunity for another twelve months. Arguably, Theresa May hasn't had it easy by any means. To be fair to her, she was shoved in the pool at the deep-end quite forcefully and with the way the situation appeared to be going, it seemed that all the lifeguards were off-duty and that the pool was being drained. However, with all of this Brexit brouhaha and all of the different conceivable policies from all sides, does Brexit really mean Brexit? Let's take a look from the very beginning. David Cameron, the then Prime Minister, when re-elected in the 2015 General Election, promised to deliver an in-or-out referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union before the end of 2017. The referendum itself took place on 23rd June 2016 or as some Brexiteers (otherwise known as Nigel Farage & His Merry Band) called it - Independence Day. In the opinion polls beforehand, the general consensus was that Britain was to remain in the EU and everything would stay the same. Rather the opposite happened when the referendum's results came in. 52% of people voted to Leave the EU, compared to the 48% deciding to Remain. Now, fifty-two is indeed bigger than forty-eight, so, where's the issue? The issue is that some people weren't happy with this somewhat miraculous and surprising turn of events and all started running around like headless chickens making claims that the British economy would be in utter tatters and that we would never recover from such economic turmoil. Now, as with any big decision in politics such as Brexit, there are both a myriad of factors to consider with regards to economic stability and also issues surrounding free trade with the rest of Europe. In theory, free trade and subsequent trade deals should be rather simple. It is a mere case of going to another country saying "We want to buy some of your products. Can we buy some of your products please? In return, have some of ours." - Trade deal done, right? Or so you'd think. Rather unfortunately for the British, leaving the confines of the Single Market and/or Customs Union means that making said deals ultimately becomes an awful lot harder. However, a loss of trade is an issue for both sides. Forty percent of the German automotive industry’s exports come to the UK and likewise, of the 80% of Jaguar Land-Rover, Toyota and Nissan production exported, 54% ends up in the EU. On the flip-side to that, the EU countries represent eighty-two percent of Britain's motor vehicle import volume which is worth a staggering €38 billion or £33.65 billion at current exchange rates. Therefore, it would be detrimental for both parties if trade were to be lost, not only for the automotive industry, but for other industries besides. Since the UK has a negative trade balance (Imports > Exports), imports are pretty key to the economy and so to lose free trade would be a pretty bad thing. As a result of that, we can say that a 'No Deal' in terms of the economic consequences isn't the best outcome. Therefore, what is? Do we go for May's deal that's currently clambering its way through Parliament with the spates of resignations to go with it? Do we go for a 'No Deal'? Do we even have a 'People's Vote'? Now, the whole Second Referendum argument has been around since Brexit's happening more or less and to be honest, I don't really see the point. The government has gone through all the hassle to get what they think is the best deal for Britain so would they then just u-turn so people get a second choice? If that's the case, what was the point of having the initial referendum in the first place? Moreover, say the Second Referendum sways to 'Leave' again - then what? Was that first referendum just a mere opinion poll and this second one wouldn't be? Maybe I'm a tad disillusioned but I personally view a second referendum as a shooting in the foot; it makes no real sense. What would make sense however is a General Election, which would be more representative of the will of the people by potentially voting someone in who would get the job done better in theory. However, theory and practice are two different things entirely. In theory, a General Election could work with a better deal potentially being negotiated, but in practice, the General Election may cause even more trouble with the changes of personnel possibly stagnating the negotiation process. In truth, it's probably worth just seeing through what we've got as there's little to no point in going back after the travesty it appears to have all been, judging by what the news outlets have been saying. Whether Brexit actually means Brexit is a different kettle of fish entirely - it's all dependent upon what you define as Brexit and with so many definitions being thrown around in the last two-and-a-half years, it's rather difficult to offer a definitive answer. Brexit, in all honesty, just translates to "What the hell are we doing? Help!" and nothing else.

I've been an avid Apple user for a good few years now. Currently, this article is being typed on a MacBook Air from late 2015 and to be honest, it's proved to be a fantastic investment for what I've needed it to do. On the plus side, it's easy to use and features some wonderfully quick charge and loading times and for a laptop, the keyboard itself isn't too bad. Combined with this, I've been through a couple of iPads (the iPad Three or 'new iPad' that lasted me the best part of five years and currently around is the original 9.7" iPad Pro) and they've ultimately served me to do anything I've needed and wanted them to do. I look down at the charging point and it indeed features Apple's own Lightning connector. The Lightning connector has been around since 2012 and is a much easier connector to use than its thirty-pin predecessor. This connector is able to be placed in either way up which has really made life an awful lot easier for me over the years. Since it only uses eight pins, it is much more compact and takes up a lot less space than its predecessor too. It's there for convenience and devices seem to charge faster with the Lightning connector so it is rather hard to fault. However, I've been a user of Android phones for as long as I can remember and currently I'm in possession of a Google Pixel 2 - the closest that any Android phone will possibly come to its iOS counterpart, lacking both a headphone jack and expandable memory; these are things I've been used to for many years now and also something that is rather nice is its new-fangled USB-C connector which charges the phone very quickly. Apple products usually work in a rather closed technological ecosystem and so, when the announcement of a new iPad Pro came around a few weeks back, I became rather intrigued to see that their latest effort has dropped their trusted Lightning connector and replaced it with a more universal USB-C connector. This seemed pretty absurd for Apple to now learn that they do not need to have their own fancy connectors and instead conform to everyone else's USB-C connections on Android phones. This does beg some questions however – will Apple continue to change? Currently speaking, this new iPad Pro is the only handheld Apple product to have this new (well, new to Apple) USB-C port design and will their future products continue this trend? Will it eliminate the Lightning connector entirely? Someway or somehow, Apple will find a way to charge their ludicrous prices for a standard cable that can easily be bought for single-digit prices from any other retailers. The USB-C ecosystem is much wider and there is much less limitation on the cables you can purchase. The switch from Lighting to USB-C isn’t actually that bad to be honest either. The host of Macbooks that Apple offer all use USB-C connectivity and reports from earlier in the year suggested that Apple would be wholly switching from Lightning to USB-C. The new iPad Pro looks like it’s designed to replace your PC and the transition to USB-C looks like a pretty inspired decision from my perspective. It’s Apple’s way of creating another painless change, like the one from the thirty-pin to the Lightning. However, it does seem that Apple are potentially taking a step backwards with their decision in a way. The USB-C connector is a couple of millimetres thicker and whilst that may not sound like much, it will increase the thickness of Apple’s phones – a selling point that they pride themselves upon. Moreover, the Lightning connector, at release in 2012, was massively ahead of its time, whilst Android phones were still lumbered with the age-old micro-USB leads and ports. At this time, the ideas of USB-C were only just starting to be explored and so it is only with forms of technological innovation on the part of the USB that Apple are switching to. In my eyes, the main reason for switching is to conform with everyone else and to make life easier for all those involved. As a result, to me, it makes perfect sense and this does indeed help Apple users and allow the usage of one cable for most products, if not all. This could be the demise of Lightning, but, until it’s rolled out across all platforms and even then, that’s not a definite, we’ll just have to stick with our trusty Lightning connectors for now!

Now, I was indeed a fan of the World Cup in Russia and well, you really have to be when you’re inundated with daily reminders that football is supposedly ‘coming home’. England usually don’t stand a chance when it comes to continental competitions, such as the World Cup, but, for this one just gone, a few things seemed different. The appointment of former England centre-half Gareth Southgate, previously manager of the Under-21s, did seem a tad inspired at first. A seasoned international with skill managing at lower levels, Southgate appeared comfortable within his position. As the World Cup drew nearer, patriotic fever kicked in and all neighbourhoods could be heard blaring out ‘Three Lions’ by the Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel and Frank Skinner a good few weeks before the World Cup was due to begin. No less, on the night of the penalty shootout victory against Colombia, at eleven o’clock at night, I could hear it blaring from two houses down from my own. After the whitewash of a qualification process, there’s always that smidgen of hope that grows at a rapid rate. However, beating the likes of Lithuania and San Marino are not really representative of a World Cup style performance. When the group stage draw came and England drew Belgium, Tunisia and Panama, hopes were much more contagious and indeed higher. The ties with Tunisia and Panama were supposedly guaranteed wins, but with the way football is, complacency tends to kick in and players lose focus and sight of the end goal – a win and three points in the group stage. Personally speaking, I had my doubts about how well England would do; I didn’t write us off immediately, but I didn’t really let the patriotism get the better of me. Belgium are a good side, featuring the likes of world superstars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois and so, in my eyes, there wasn’t much hope on that front. With regards to both Tunisia and Panama, they were indeed underdogs by a country mile. This underdog status is what drives certain teams to prove themselves against the larger oppositions in stature. With these two minnows by comparison to England and Belgium, they could have proven to be a slight threat, especially with the looming prospect of complacency. However, the group stages came and England did better than I thought. The first performance against Tunisia seemed especially shaky. For one thing, it seemed that my fears regarding haunting complacency were coming true. England struck first with a goal from Harry Kane and then the pressure got to Kyle Walker and England gave away a penalty. “Here we go again!” I exclaimed as Pickford conceded and we were back to level-pegging. It took England until stoppage time to score, again through Harry Kane, and restore some hope. Panama were up next, but to my surprise, they were brushed aside with a 6-1 thrashing. Maybe there was a little more hope? With qualification secured, the prospect of Belgium loomed. Belgium were playing a second-string side with players such as Michy Batshuayi and Adnan Januzaj getting the first-team nod. To be fair, the latter did score a rather well-worked goal with a curling effort into the top-left corner. It would prove to be the only goal of the game. England, despite the loss, had secured qualification from the group stages. This was better than my prediction and anything else was a bonus. The knockout rounds loomed and first to face Southgate’s men was Colombia. Colombia are a good side, but with star player James Rodriguez out on the sidelines, they were weakened severely. England had held a 1-0 lead for the majority of the game but a Yerry Mina header in the dying embers put England back to square one. Extra time solved no problems and penalties had to solve the issue. Before this, England had never won a penalty shootout and did not want to suffer the ignominy of being knocked out of the World Cup by a depleted Colombia side. After much tension and some good saves from Jordan Pickford, the time came for Eric Dier to take his penalty. If Dier scored, England would win and go on to face Sweden in the Quarter Finals – arguably a much easier opponent. Dier stepped up, scored, and the crowds went wild. ‘Three Lions’ could be heard blaring out across the country once again. England were through to the Quarter Finals to face Sweden. Sweden proved little challenge and England ran out 2-0 winners with goals from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli. The Semi Finals came around and all fans were hopeful of a victory against Croatia as on paper, England seemed the better side. I had my doubts with Croatia’s stock of players such as Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Perisic, as well as their midfield maestro Luka Modric. England did indeed take the early lead with a curling free-kick effort from full-back Kieran Trippier, but that would prove to be the only England goal scored in that Semi-Final. Croatia, after extra time, ran out 2-1 winners and the dream was over. It wasn’t coming home after all. Granted, Southgate had done very well, but there were other shock results that made England’s path easier, such as South Korea’s unlikely victory over holders Germany. England had also steered clear of some of the big players like Spain which wouldn’t have ended well with the stock of the Spanish team. So, in the end, football didn’t ‘come home’ that time for the senior team, but it did ‘come home’ for the youth sides a couple of years prior. So, with this next cohort of England prospects such as Reiss Nelson and Jadon Sancho proving starlets in the Bundesliga, could England win at other tournaments in the future? I’m a big fan of giving youth a chance, but with the current crop of players, it seems to be the case that by the time the next tournament comes around in 2020, there’ll be a lack of fully-fledged international experience as some players will have since retired or declined as they reach that magic age of 30 or so. Some of the younger players such as Angel Gomes may be given a chance, but it won’t be until many years down the line until we see them playing for the senior team. Therefore, the prospect of football ever ‘coming home’ is not too far away, but there is still work to be done but who knows? 2020 may be our year.

I haven't been to many concerts in my time, but the ones that I have were utterly brilliant. As you'll see from one of the previous musical posts, we're big Arctic Monkeys fans over here at UNTITLED, and I had the pleasure of seeing the boys from Sheffield back at the start of September on their opening night at the O2. This performance, along with others throughout this tour, cemented their position as one of the best live acts in both music today and also as one of the best British live acts of all time, alongside the likes of Oasis (that Knebworth '96 performance especially) and Paul McCartney (a man who plays for two and three-quarter hours with no breaks or interval). You'd have thought with the general reaction to the boys' latest effort Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the biggest musical u-turn in their history, that some fans wouldn't have bothered to turn up and hear the new things live. As famed radio presenter Danny Baker once said, "The worst thing that a band can say is "And here's something off our new album..."" before misdirecting the crowd who've only come to hear what they love and what they know. Unfortunately, in a way, fans who would have gone to hear the earlier songs (Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But... or Still Take You Home) would be sorely disappointed. Red flashing lights started and then we're graced with the boys from High Green, Sheffield. Having been a lover of the new album from release day, I was hoping for a few new tracks mixed with perhaps some obscurities and some live staples. Four Out Of Five acted as the band's opener which saw Turner ditch his now signature Fender Jazzmaster initially to act as that lounge singer right from the beginning. He delivered his vocal with the crowd singing the choruses and some of the verse. A top opening to set the mood perfectly. The band then upped the tempo and energy massively with fan-favourite Brianstorm from 2007's Favourite Worst Nightmare. The crowd sang the entire song with Turner, instrumental included, whilst going wild as the band went mental on stage. Turner, with Jazzmaster now firmly grasped, rocked through Brianstorm with the crowd in the palm of his hand. We got a magnificent drum solo from Matt Helders that teased the return of this wall of noise that ceased as the lights suddenly flashed off. Snap Out Of It and another massive crowd singalong ensued, except this version of this song felt like it had more definition and was a more complete track than the original, which is also rather good. The best part of this version was the falsettos being hit wonderfully with the crowd helping Turner on every bar. Then followed Crying Lightning, a personal favourite from 2009's Humbug, with Turner's voice sounding as velvet smooth as it did nine years ago, but as time has gone on, the song seems to have gained more attitude, which was greatly aided by the lighting. Turner's haunting riff, O'Malley's signature bassline and Helders' impressive drum work make this a pitch-perfect rendition of an already amazing track. Turner's introduction of "We'd like to play something from our second LP, Favourite Worst Nightmare; this one's called Teddy Picker.." made the crowd cheer wildly and start singing along with the signature riff. Once again, there's this bluntness attached to the song that was there went it was first released eleven years ago, but the song's taken on a new refinement - a pretty key aspect to both their latest release and also this live performance so far. Following on from Teddy Picker was another track from the boys' 2007 record with 505 being played, before which came the introduction of old mucker Miles Kane. It's been customary for Kane to join the boys on-stage for 505 at large performances playing lead guitar as he did on the original recording. Turner and Kane have recorded together in the past with their supergroup side project The Last Shadow Puppets, who also happen to be rather good. Kane's appearance was welcome and the song gave the crowd and indeed the band a breather with the down-tempo, piano-driven song being played to the baying crowd who, as always it seems, were singing their hearts out. Kane's cameo was only for 505, although there was a part of me hoping for at least one Shadow Puppets number on the rather minor off-chance... Before the title track from Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, came a well-thought out jam entitled The Jam Of Boston which acted as an energetic segue. It was the first time when there seemed to be a slight lull in the crowd and this was probably down to the fact that it is a new song. Although, this version of the title track was a superb rendition and saw the whole seventies vibe continue on perfectly from the opener. Following this came another 2007 track, Do Me A Favour - a track that I personally don't mind, although it isn't one I haven't really listened to by comparison to the rest of that album. The lyrical delivery was conversational and Turner's slightly American twang suited the song more so than the original in my personal opinion. I was astonished that nothing had been played from the 2011 masterpiece, Suck It And See but soon enough, the opening riff from Don't Sit Down'Cause I've Moved Your Chair caused cheers and a mass singalong yet again. This was accompanied by more tremendously aggressive drum work from Helders and a slightly darker feeling to the song with Turner's blunt and low, conversational register. Another element that made this track one of the many highlights of the evening was the great lighting from the guys at the side of the stage - top marks for that. The lights descended quickly and soon after came the first inkling of early fan-favourite Dancing Shoes which got a great reaction from the crowd with mass-cheering and the most enthusiastic singing I heard all night, myself included. It's one of the first times this song had been played since 2014, having been played on the opening night of the UK leg of the tour in Manchester beforehand. The same attitude from twelve years ago was present in this updated version and once again, Turner's vocal was crisp and pristine. One of the best moments of the evening. "Thank you very much, are you having a nice time? I am! [crowd cheers] I'm having a bloody nice time; it's nice to be here", Turner shouted, before the opening chords of new song One Point Perspective struck up, which caused a small, but quickly resolved lull in the crowd. This is one of the more-loved tracks on the new LP. The version of One Point Perspective was especially conversational on this night which only made the song better and it sounded and looked better than the studio version with a great guitar solo and visual proof of Turner losing his train of thought rather wonderfully. After this came another slice of Humbug in the form of Cornerstone. Now, this version featured one of the most passionate vocals I've ever heard. It was velvet-smooth and with the song's now lower tempo, it allowed him to ring out the pure emotion in every syllable. In addition, his voice perfectly complemented the melancholic guitar notes in the background and made for a wonderfully complete performance. That version of Cornerstone was pretty hard to follow but the boys did with two tracks from 2013's AM - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? and Knee Socks. The version of Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? was pretty good, although a little slower than the original but it did feature more of an organ-based backing which proved to be a neat addition. The introduction of Knee Socks was especially funky and the haunting bassline continued throughout the song. This was better than the album version as there's a more defined and down-tempo funky sound to it, that gives it the edge; the falsettos were also damn good here too! After Knee Socks' mass singalong had finished came a bit of a gap, before the boys pulled a rabbit out of a hat with a very rare performance of new track Science Fiction. Much to my dismay, it appeared that the crowd got pretty bored during Science Fiction and some of them left. They soon scurried back with the now signature riff of perhaps the Monkeys' most famous track Do I Wanna Know? teasing them to return and they did in droves. The song prompted probably the loudest singalong of the night and the largest crowd reaction to what is probably the most commercialised Arctic Monkeys track these days. Nonetheless, it proved to be a truly magical experience being in the midst of a sold-out O2 crowd singalong at the top of your voice. What followed was something pretty special. The crowd were re-energised and the evil organ of Pretty Visitors came in like a kick in the teeth, with Turner getting really involved in the vocal, becoming animated with every passing bar and line of absurdly wonderful lyrics. As a track, Pretty Visitors on this night was punchy, loud and violent - everything that needed to capitalise on the energy brought around by the end of Do I Wanna Know?. Following Pretty Visitors came the classic I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, preceded by Turner uttering his classic line of "Ladies!", though less energetic than usual. Regardless, the song carried the same energy as always and prompted one of the biggest crowd reactions, as well as one of the most passionate singalongs of the evening. After a short break, the boys returned to huge applause for an encore and delved straight into new album opener Star Treatment to a mixed response. There was a slight change to the set with the spinning, illuminated cube descending to the side of the stage. The song really gave the start of the encore a more relaxed and loosened feel. Then followed some outstanding versions of Arabella and R U Mine?. Arabella came first with a deep and heavy bassline and Turner's slick and silky vocal proving perfect and there's a certain soulfulness attached that isn't on the recorded version. Then came the boys' last hurrah for the evening in the form of an aggressive version of R U Mine?. This reflected the moment perfectly, with intensity that encapsulated a rather perfect evening before the final crescendo. The final chord sparked a rapturous reaction from the crowd to close what turned out to be a fantastically perfect evening. Don't Believe The Hype.

It's been five years or so since the last Arctic Monkeys album and of course, expectations were high. They'd gained a multitude of new fans from AM in 2013, preceded by the single release of R U Mine? the year prior and fans were expecting the same stadium-rock sound from the follow up - an AM Part II if you will. However, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, their latest effort in a career where every single one of their releases has topped the UK Albums Chart at release, is as far from AM as it could possibly be. Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not remains the fastest selling debut album by a band in British music history since its release in 2006 and I have to say, it is one of my personal favourites. It features some fantastic tracks such as Still Take You Home and Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But..., besides the song that everyone knows them for: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor . This still gets a massive cheer at live concerts these days. Dancefloor is a staple on their setlist and has been since its release twelve years ago. Following the year after was Favourite Worst Nightmare, an album that sounded pretty similar to their debut, but is still one I rate incredibly highly with tracks like Brianstorm and D Is For Dangerous. What's great about Favourite Worst Nightmare is the pace of the record and how it never really slows down - it's like it's at two hundred miles an hour from start to finish and that really shows the energy that the four lads from Sheffield have. 2009's Humbug followed on in a very different fashion. They recorded this much darker, more sinister work entirely in the USA, whilst roping in Queens Of The Stone Age producer Josh Homme to help them out. Humbug collates elements of desert-rock this time and is still great, but to many fans doesn't live up to the standards of the first two and indeed is an album that lost some Monkeys fans. It's a slower album by all accounts but tracks like Crying Lightning, Cornerstone, as well as Pretty Visitors have made it onto the setlist for their current tour and those songs are great, but lack some of the energy seen on the first two. Suck It And See followed in 2011 and is arguably their best besides their debut personally speaking. It's a lot more mature than the first two and could be considered more pop-orientated than Humbug particularly. It shows evolution from Humbug's desert-rock and moves on from the loss of some of their fanbase. However, it still includes some incredible songs such as Black Treacle, Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair and The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala. Suck It And See sees the Monkeys return to form and although some fans got tired towards the end of the associated tour, they released new single R U Mine? in 2012 for Record Store Day and this rejuvenated the fans' interest in the band - it showed that they really still had it. 2013's AM proved to be the real commercial success, full of stadium-rockers such as opener Do I Wanna Know? and Arabella, which shows an evolution, with Alex Turner more sophisticated in both delivery and the lyrics themselves. Seven years prior, he'd been talking about fucking taxi ranks and now he's talking about a girl whose lips are like the galaxy's edge and he kisses the colour of a constellation falling into place - his lyrics have improved greatly as time has gone on, although there's still something unconventionally charming about his punchy and aggressive delivery on tracks like Dancing Shoes. AM allowed many new fans to jump onto the Arctic Monkeys bandwagon and gave them something they had wanted - something that slightly harks back to the heady days in High Green, Sheffield. Now, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino has divided an awful lot of fans - some love it and some hate it. Unlike their last five offerings, no singles preceded its release which left fans like myself rather intrigued as to what Alex Turner and the band had to offer after a five year hiatus or so. Of course, with Tranquility Base, everyone was going in blind with no idea of what the boys could muster up. Well, at a first glance, it's a complete polar opposite to AM but, is that necessarily a bad thing? There's little snippets of this lounge feeling on parts of Alex Turner's efforts with good friend Miles Kane on The Last Shadow Puppets' latest album Everything You've Come To Expect such as The Dream Synopsis and Sweet Dreams, TN, which showed Turner's direction. Below is the full-on, in-depth review. The Album Itself Star Treatment - “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes/Now look at the mess you’ve made me make….” sings Turner on Tranquility Base’s opening piano-driven number. It’s a track that sets the scene and tone for the rest of the album where Turner plays the part of the frontman of the fantastically-named lounge band The Martini Police. It's a track where he appears regretful that the period of time since the inception of The Strokes has passed by in a flash and he’s turned into this forty-something year old man who’s wistful about his past and what he’s turned into. The song’s inception came with Turner’s time with the Last Shadow Puppets and this is evident with some of his work with them and truly shows the direction he wanted to take with the new record. As opening numbers go, Star Treatment truly takes us away to maybe the piano bar at the hotel & casino where the lounge singer resides, whilst looking back on the past and how he’s been pulled down from the height of his fame during the wilder times of the seventies and now has to take up a residency as a lounge singer with The Martini Police as his backing band; it’s a truly wonderful song that gives us the right ambience for this laid-back tour of the hotel and casino and insight into the life of the lounge singer. One Point Perspective - “Dance in my underpants, I’m gonna run for government, I’m gonna form a covers band an’ all….” is the magnificent opening line of the following track that sees the lounge-singer mock the hasty nature of today’s world and the gung-ho attitude of today’s society. The song takes its title from a filming technique pioneered by Stanley Kubrick with relation to certain scenes of films where all of the symmetrical lines in-frame point to the centre-point of the frame. This is something which Turner really takes inspiration from and replicates in the video for Four Out Of Five, the lead single with the video showing a recreation of scenes from Kubrick’s iconic film “A Clockwork Orange”. The line “I’ve played to quiet rooms like this before” seems to fit perfectly with the scene that Turner wishes to set – a lounge singer who’s fallen from grace on this “elevator down to [his] make-believe residency” which suggests that it’s hardly real or tangible for that matter and maybe that the crowd don't necessarily care for the washed-up singer and his backing band which they see before them in the piano bar. The song critiques society today with its mention of ideological documentary Singsong Round The Money Tree referencing a Conservative Party statement last year. Overall, One Point Perspective is one of the best songs on here and acts as a perfect early insight into the mind of the lounge singer. American Sports – A slightly shorter track this time at around two-and-a-half minutes. This track continues on from Star Treatment where Turner, as the lounge singer, takes a look himself into this dystopian future and gives the listener an insight into the habits of the hotel’s inhabitants. There’s not really a lot to say about American Sports since it’s such a short track, but rest-assured that it’s one of the best full stop and the transition between One Point Perspective and American Sports is fluid and absolutely gorgeous – it’s a tad reminiscent of the transition between Kayleigh and Lavender on Marillion’s masterpiece Misplaced Childhood in terms of overall fluidity. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino – A fantastically named album also happens to come with a superb title track. Continuing on from where we’ve left off, the title track portrays Turner instead as the receptionist of the hotel, Mark, who appears to work on the main switchboard of the hotel. Turner's vocal is hauntingly delicate and conversational and ridicules society and the influence of technology over people’s lives and this Mark that he refers to could possibly be Mark Zuckerberg – Turner once described how Zuckerberg is “too powerful for his own good” during a 2016 interview and therefore he furthers this critical attitude of technology and its influence over people. It’s a fantastically well-written and performed song that is also amazing live, especially with the newer Jam Of Boston transition that the boys have added during the latter shows on the tour. Golden Trunks – Ah, where to start? Notably, it’s one of only a couple of tracks in the Monkeys’ entire discography that doesn’t feature any drums, with one of the others being a wonderful album track and rarity, Only Ones Who Know. The track is a superbly-formed conversation between himself (possibly as the lounge singer from Star Treatment) and a girl he’s falling for – the figment of her imagination that he’s appealed to, as said by Turner during his tremendous interview with John Kennedy on Radio X. The theme of critiquing something continues with Turner’s jibes at modern-day transient politicians and political attitudes. He describes the leader of the free world being reminiscent of a professional wrestler who comes along with his own theme tune – the rich vein of references to Donald Trump are uncanny. It’s been said in the past that Trump’s rallies are comparable to that of rock concerts in terms of atmosphere and the blaring music. There’s also the absurdity of the wrestling analogy – Trump did actually play an on-screen role in Vince McMahon’s WWE for a few years part-time so, it’s ironic Turner mentions this, although his comparison does deserve a fair amount of credit. He comments on the nature of modern-day politicians and their pragmatism to appeal to the public as best they can by describing them as bendable figures - easily influenced. Golden Trunks is a politically-driven love song that is haunting like its predecessor but also carries this certain charm with the internal monologue Turner portrays – arguably one of the best tracks on here. Four Out Of Five – A track that all fans can agree on as one of the best on the album, Four Out Of Five is the lead single and features one of the most notable choruses. As a whole it lacks choruses (as said by Noel Gallagher) so it’s nice to hear one on this track. The ideas portrayed don’t really get any less absurd with the idea of putting a taqueria on the moon becoming a reality in the form of The Information Action Ratio, which, in itself, is an inspired name for any business. There are allusions to television shows of old with the “Old, grey whistle test lights” reaffirming a smile on the face of the listener with this echoing a popular music show on the BBC during the seventies and eighties, in-keeping with the whole seventies theme. It harks back to the works of David Bowie with its over-riding similarities to Space Oddity on the bridge, and as a song, it’s one of the most readily-available but unlike some, doesn’t take a myriad of listens to learn to like. Four Out Of Five gives a great invitation to the listener to take the Monkeys as they find them without any form of judgement; the track is one of the best full stop. The World’s First Ever Monster-Truck Front Flip – A track that certainly caught the attention of fans from the get-go. Turner returns to this emotional vocal that was last seen on the title track where he describes people’s infatuation with technology and its convenience to the population. The opening lyric harks back to an old Kodak slogan from the 1800's whereby the chief executive wanted to appeal to amateur photographers with the operation of a relatively new technology being at the fingertips of the end user. Interestingly enough, Matt Helders, the drummer, is an amateur photographer himself. The song continues on the theme of technological advancement, but also really questions the relevance and need for some of these advertisements that narrow a person’s brain. The title of the song is like one of these, usually seen as advertising below an article and one of those you can’t really resist clicking because of its absurdity. It’s describing how society in its entirety is attracted to the absurd and how we go looking for it to keep on using technology. Turner’s sad, lamenting vocal, combined with the underlying organ in the background allow a clever image to be painted in the mind of the listener with Turner’s sophisticated and conversational delivery keeping me hooked throughout. Science Fiction – One of the more piano-driven numbers, this is Turner’s love letter to the genre. His obsession led to the writing of this song so he could criticise society today in the medium of a created one through the song. It questions scientific advancement and Turner uses it as a metaphor to pose the question of the movement of the relationship he has with a girl (maybe the girl from Golden Trunks) and how they’re going to move forward with regards to love. The guitar in the background of the piano, Helders’ pans on the drums and Turner’s deep vocal paints a sinister picture of the world, possibly something comparable to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis from 1927. It’s this darker world that is only seen by those who reside in this fictional hotel or possibly the way that Turner’s lounge-singer views the world. The over-riding bass tones add to the ominous nature but also provides a concrete backbone to what proves to be a well-comprised song with some brilliant symbolism. She Looks Like Fun – The comedy song of the record, this is my personal favourite. It’s all very well and good having Turner’s solo pieces commenting on the politics of the world and our ever-incessant, possibly abusive and pointless relationship with technology, but there has to come a point where all of the prevailing dark attitudes drop and reveal a much lighter side to Turner and possibly the lounge-singer himself. It harks back to something from The Beatles’ 1969 Abbey Road with its lighter, happier tone, slightly off-the-wall lyrics and a fantastic guitar solo. Helders' drum work is reminiscent of that found on The End and also Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, which also combines with the comedy nature of the song. It’s a simple song lyrically but there’s a naive bluntness to it all - “I’m so full of shite...I need to spend less time stood around in bars waffling on to strangers all about martial arts” - there’s blunt rhyme and half-rhyme in “Shite” and “Time” and this can be seen throughout the song really. This all harks back to the heady days of Sheffield in some strange way, but it’s now more refined and sophisticated. She Looks Like Fun allows Turner to relax a little and show the listener that himself and indeed the lounge-singer have a brighter and lighter side. Batphone – Sounding like something out of an Adam West-starring television series, Batphone comes a very close second to She Looks Like Fun for me in terms of picking a favourite. The title is business jargon for a private phone whose calls take priority over any official channels and the song overall acts as a metaphor about technology and critiques modern life no end. It describes the numerous layout and processes change each time with every bug-fix and little update applied to phones and other modern-day technology. The closing line of “Panoramic windows looking out across your soul” refers to the way technology is now an essential part of our lives and such windows are the screens of phones or perhaps computers. Turner describes the vastness of the array of emotions and personality traits that people are able to determine about someone through the mediums of texting and social media. There’s a certain intimacy to those mediums that mean people are encouraged to be themselves and therefore it allows these windows to stretch out across the soul of the people sending the messages. Overall, Batphone, with its low piano notes, higher-volume bass tones and critical style paints this fantastically detailed picture of modern society and acts as a perfect soundtrack – it’s timeless. The Ultracheese – Even the title epitomises Turner’s infamous associations with celestial imagery and his tremendous ability to entwine it in any song he writes. We get the sense that this song would close the set of the lounge-singer’s residency at the hotel’s bar/restaurant with Turner’s powerful vocal evoking a serious sense of emotion from the audience with its likeness to songs from the past. It rings the bells of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in a way – those old-time crooners reminiscing about their lives and how it all used to be. There’s this element of detachment presented to a past love, how his love for them is eternal and how he’s constantly reminded of them from the pictures he’s left up on the wall for the sake of sentimentality. Then, how it will always stay with him in the form of some golden vinyls for example – they are invaluable to him in the most precious way possible. As far as songs go, there aren’t many better than this with Turner’s soft, low, crooning vocal and symbolic piano usage reminiscent of that found on Piano Man by Billy Joel for example. It seems like The Ultracheese will go on to stand the test of time, not just because of its off-the-wall title, but because of the careful musicianship and its crude simplicity. It’s a masterpiece. Overall, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino isn’t to be enjoyed individually; it’s a pure collective of songs that all have a myriad of common themes linking them in an infinite number of ways. Turner's lyrical brilliance has found its way onto this record in spades once again and the musicianship of the rest of the band combine with this to produce nothing short of perfection in my book. Some fans may not like it because it’s so far from what they were expecting and that’s fair of course. Personally speaking, I don't believe there's really a weak track once it’s been given a few listens and from that moment on, you’ve arguably got the album of the year. It sees the Monkeys return to their very best and whilst fans may be divided on it, that will never detract from the unadulterated perfection that they’ve created. Good work boys.