Following on from the success of our ‘My favourite film’ feature I’ve invited the Kettle team to share their favourite albums! This is definitely a tough one, but whether its a classic, the one that got you into music, or the one you’ve had on repeat all week, there must be something that comes to mind. Its time to recognise those great albums which never get old and where every track is better than the last! -Kealie Mardell (Music Editor)
Who are you and how did you choose?
I think this is my favourite question! Who am I? Such a philosophical question, impossible to answer! I’ll take it in the Kettle context as I’m sure it’s intended. I’m Karishma Jobanputra (good luck pronouncing that correctly for the first time!) and I’m Kettle’s Books Editor. It was difficult to choose, and I had a shortlist of three. Ultimately though, I had to choose the album which had the best songs overall, every single song on my favourite album is great. It meant I had to knock out The Script and Ed Sheeran’s X, which was tough, but they had songs that I wasn’t crazy about, whereas that isn’t the case with the album I have chosen.
What is your favourite album?
Bad Blood by Bastille.
When did you first hear or buy this album; Why is it particularly memorable?
I’d heard the popular track ‘Pompeii’ for a while before I’d heard the full album. I must have heard that song on the radio, I think. I listened to the entire album in full only recently, during last year’s exam season, so May 2014. One of my flatmates was listening to it, and the walls in our halls were really thin, so I asked her what it was and it went from there. I had the full album on repeat for a good few weeks! It’s memorable because it made revision somewhat bearable at the time, which is really no easy feat!
Favourite track?
I’m dithering between ‘These Streets’, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Daniel in the Den’…do I have to choose? I’m going to pretend the question asks for favourite track(s) and go with those three! They’re all just so mellow, the lyrics and melody really sticks in your head. Oblivion in particular really showcases Dan’s voice…I really wish I could sing that high.
Least favourite track?
Difficult, but I think it has to be ‘Icarus’. I heard this shortly after ‘Pompeii’ and actually really liked it, but think I’ve just heard it too much and it feels just a little too run-of-the-mill, especially compared to the other tracks on the album. A little too repetitive and not quite as strong in terms of melody as other tracks.
Best lyrics?
“And it’s harder than you think, telling dreams from one another”. It’s just such an interesting line, what’s real and what isn’t? What’s a dream and what’s reality? Where and how do you draw the line to distinguish between dreams? It’s just loaded with questions and scope, especially for a line that’s gone so quickly in the song. When you think about it though, it’s incredibly interesting. Maybe the English module I’m doing is making me over-analyse it though!
Best video?
I’d say ‘Overjoyed’. I don’t particularly love it, but it’s the least scary for me out of the other music videos for this album. Especially Pompeii, that gives me nightmares.
Why is it your favourite?
It’s interesting because I don’t have a particular genre of music that I love. I’m happy to listen to Vivaldi, Kanye West or One Direction. Bastille aren’t desperately pop or rap, they’ve almost created another genre altogether and I can’t quite put my finger on it , but I love it and I think that’s why it’s my favourite. I can listen to it when I’m in any mood. Lyrics aren’t meaningless but are still catchy and no doubt Dan’s voice is something special and real. In fact, if the videos weren’t so creepy, it would be perfection!
