Tuesday 14 January 2020

Album Review: POPPY - I Disagree

Poppy - I Disagree

01. Concrete
02. I Disagree
03. BLOODMONEY
04. Anything Like Me
05. Fill The Crown
06. Nothing I Need
07. Sit/Stay
08. Bite Your Teeth
09. Sick Of The Sun
10. Don't Go Outside


Weird and wonderful Pop icon Poppy has ditched her former collaborator, Titanic Sinclair, and has released her third album through Sumerian Records, home of Body Count, September Mourning, and countless Metal artists. Musically, she has made a massive change by embracing elements of Industrial, Electronica, Hardcore and Metal. Yes, you are not dreaming, YouTube sensation and Pop star Poppy has made a kick-ass Metal album! What a great start to the year.

I expect the hordes of insecure men who took to the internet to spew vitriol at Babymetal when they went supersonic a few years ago will literally have nightmares about what Poppy has just released. 

I Disagree is as much a Pop album as anything else, but the writing is so on-point that the Metal elements blend into the music seamlessly, giving it that heavy punch, yet retaining the ridiculously catchy and commercial elements you'd expect from Poppy.

Opener Concrete initially reminded me of Babymetal with its heavy riffing and the lightest, sweetest Pop chorus imaginable. However, Concrete has many tricks up its sleeve including a Beatles influence and a lead guitar that sounds like Brian May. It's a quirky number that's as catchy as it is eclectic.

I Disagree brings in some detuned Nu Metal style riffing into play, and BLOODMONEY sounds like Sleigh Bells mixed with Nine Inch Nails, both playing nicely with Poppy's Pop sensibilities to create tunes that perfectly balance the sweet and the sour.

My personal favourite is Fill The Crown, which is contemporary Gothic Electronica at its finest, sounding like The Birthday Massacre, Grimes, and Marilyn Manson all mixed together. I never thought I'd hear Poppy open a song with a lyric like "Poison The Children", but she's certainly bringing her darker side to the surface in this bona fide classic.

Other songs that are undeniably awesome include the chilled Nothing I Need, which I could imagine Michael Jackson singing this in the early 80's. Also, Don't Go Outside is an amazing closing track. It is creepy, atmospheric, and clearly deeply personal, being the book-end to Poppy's new chapter of independence and musical exploration. The song juxtaposes the quiet reflective parts with some powerful Hard Rock. After the incendiary guitar solo, Poppy reprises some lyrics from other tracks, which ties everything together to make the perfect ending for such a captivating album.

I Disagree is a creative, interesting, and relentlessly catchy record. The writing is unquestonably intelligent, giving the listener something new to pick up on with each repeat play. I just hope that she continues to make music with heavy elements, because it works so well, and it would be a massive shame if this were a one off.


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