The Harry Potter Trilogy


Now I’m not one who would normally go around proclaiming this, but there’s no denying that the Harry Potter books are pretty damn addictive. So when the latest one arrived, I was amongst the millions doing pretty much nothing but reading it. However there was a slight twist to my story…..around the same time I had acquired a heap of albums and was in the process of evaluating them. Amongst these were three albums by bands beginning with the letter S, all of which I had never heard of. This combination of unfamiliarity and similarity was posing particular problems and I could never tell them apart. To solve this dilemma, I decided to whack them all in a playlist and let them play through while I attended to the far more important task of reading my book. By the time I finished it, I would have listened to each of these albums at least 6 times, yet I felt like I was even further from getting to know them. That was, of course, until I listened to them in a different context and I discovered that, not only had they been drilled firmly into my head, but they had become intrinsically linked to the book. This was last thing I needed, at time when I was trying to shift my attention back to the real world, but it did add a bit of extra dimension to how I felt about these albums. I wouldn’t call them my favourites, but they’re all decent, with their own sounds that I’ve really come to enjoy. However, to save myself from insanity, I think I’m going to put them aside for a month or two. And so I present to you, the Harry Potter Trilogy: An enjoyable collection of new music with a title relevant only to myself.

Shapes and SizesSplit Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner

This is an album of extremes. I’ve already talked about the intimacy they sometimes display, well at other times, they also venture of into fits of hyperactive lunacy. It certainly keeps things interesting, even if it can occasionally fall apart. This song has earned the spot of equal favourite, not just because it’s bursting with energy, but because it manages to stay reasonably together the whole way through.

MP3: Head Movin'


Sister Vanilla - Little Pop Rock

This band is as erratic as the last. For every moment of brilliance, they walk off the track a little too far. However, when the dust settles, it’s the good parts you remember and there are more than enough of those here. Their sound seems to hark back to some prolific movement, but I can’t think what. Whatever it is, it has an ‘epic’ feel to it. This song is particularly grabbing, I just wish they’d ended it earlier.

MP3: Jamcolas



Of the three, this is probably my least favourite album. It’s also the one I’ve listened to least so I’m not sure what caused what. Either way, it is still a good album. It has a nice sense of tranquillity about it and something the other two don’t: consistency. However, this is probably also its downfall, because in the end, I can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed by it. As for this song, I think they got it just right.

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