Album Review: Radio 1 Live Lounge: Volume 2 :: Wessex Scene Online

Album Review: Radio 1 Live Lounge: Volume 2

25th January 2008
Pete Bryant

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Hosted by Jo Whiley, the Live Lounge on Radio 1 always tends to produce a few surprises, and often a few gems. This album, the second volume of the Live Lounge series, is a collection of highlights from the show.

Live Lounge.. allows us to enjoy a selection of covers of popular songs sometimes by artists from a completely different genre of music, as well as artists performing their own material. All the tracks are recorded live and in acoustic format, giving the genuine feel of an open-mic-night, without the need to buy a round of drinks in.

Performances by the likes of the Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Mika and Robyn present a rich and varied selection of songs which are very easy to listen to thanks to the simple and uncomplicated music accompanying the lyrics.

The two CD’s contain several stand-out cover tracks which offer a different perspective of the song. This is true of Biffy Clyro’s rendition of Rihanna’s "Umbrella" and especially of 30 Seconds to Mars version of "Stronger" by Kanye West. While many are perhaps not fans of either artists, the combination of musical and vocal styles on display create a unique sound which encourages an appreciation of songs which would perhaps be overlooked because of their original composer.

Other highlights include The Enemy – "Hung Up" (originally by Madonna), Maximo Park – "I’m Gonna be 500 Miles" (originally by The Proclaimers) and Jose Gonzalez – "Heartbeats" (originally by The Knife). Already there is enough intrigue in these combinations of songs and artists to make this album worth a listen to, without even mentioning what can only be described as very original takes on "Dirrtylicious" by Keane (originally by Christina Aguilera/Destiny’s Child) and "Hips Don’t Lie" by The Fray (originally by Shakira feat. Wyclef), both of which demonstrate the fun, laid back atmosphere the Live Lounge creates.

While this album, on the face of things, is a fascinating mixture of styles, overall there is a feeling that something is possibly lacking. While 30 Seconds to Mars’ "Stronger" is certainly a great cover, it is slightly bland musically. The same can be said of The Enemy’s "Hung Up" and Avril Lavigne’s "The Scientis"t. At times these tracks cry out for something more than just an acoustic sound and appear to fade away before they really get going. On occasions you get the feeling some of the artists could have done more to make the song their own, leaving their tracks fairly uninspiring.

All in all there is something on Live Lounge: Volume 2 to attract the interest of almost everyone. The album doesn’t disappoint in terms of providing a few superb performances and alternative cover tracks. The atmospheric live format takes little away from the essence of the songs, even if it does on occasions deprive the performance of some much-needed energy. In 3 words: worth a look.

Radio 1 Live Lounge: Volume 2 is out now