Grindie, grimecore, dance-punk and indietronica. Those are just some of the various (and somewhat ridiculous) genres that Hadouken! have been pigeon-holed into. While these give you a vague idea of what you’re about to listen to, the London five-piece are primarily a dance act but they often flirt with ideas in the vein of drum n’ bass and dubstep. From their wacky in-your-face debut release 'Music For An Accelerated Culture', Hadouken! experimented more on the electro side with 2010’s 'For The Masses' but 'Every Weekend' has to be their most secure record yet.
Opener ‘The Vortex’ features frontman James Smith’s signature London rap style that is extremely similar to that of fellow dance performer Example. The synths are reminiscent of those from ‘Get Smashed Gate Crash’ (from 2008’s 'Music For An Accelerated Culture') but it’s clear Hadouken! have matured immensely since these days. Lyrical themes used to follow the life of a partying teen: “Smashing up all the porcelain china/We drank the alcohol cabinet clean/But still that felt minor/Till we put the hi-fi through the TV screen” but now lyrics are much more coherent and more likely to be taken seriously. That being said, Hadouken! definitely still employ the party attitude: “Each and every weekend/We spend it like the whole world's ending”.
‘Levitate’ carries a catchy vocal hook and melodic synths, something Hadouken! have always been known for. ‘Levitate’ is sure evidence that Hadouken! are trying to crack the mainstream as this particular track is a little commercial and predictable. On the other hand, ‘Bliss Out’ takes a different direction with its stadium rock influenced chorus – perfect for an epic crowd sing along. Hadouken! pair this with an edgy verse with screeching, distressed synths and rough beats that back Smith’s aggressive rap. To top this crazy mix off, they add a cheesy fade out at the end – bizarre, but it works.
Dance beats and swelling synths reminiscent of Example make an appearance throughout 'Every Weekend', but are especially prominent on ‘The Comedown’ and ‘As One’. The latter, despite being a solid dance track, feels a little characterless and void of Hadouken!’s charm. ‘Parasite’, however, feels the most innovative of the tracks from 'Every Weekend' with Smith’s visceral rap verses and insane dub sections. Definitely the best track on the album, soaring vocals fill the spaces in between the forceful drums and the intense, deep bass lines.
Having been around since June 2012, ‘Bad Signal’ may seem old to some – especially as it samples The Supreme’s ‘You Don’t Really Love Me’ from 1966. However, Hadouken! do their best and have managed to give it a modern revamp. Perhaps they take the modern theme a little too far, though, as lyrics concentrate solely on social networking: “All the boys you friended/Seems like this contract is suspended/From the signal you are sending/Got a feeling this is ending!”
‘Stop Time’ takes a dubstep direction with positive results while ‘Daylight’ is forgettable and its repetitive synth pattern becomes tiresome by the end of the track. Towards the end of the album, the quality of each track decreases and originality seems to fade. Bonus track ‘Mecha Love’ blends into the background, not bringing any real substance or innovation to the album at all. At nearly 5 minutes long, it feels as if Hadouken! aren’t quite ready to end the album and so they’re dragging out the bonus tracks instead. Similarly, final track ‘Oxygen’ is over 4 minutes when it really doesn’t need to be. The underlying synth line is straight out of the 90s dance scene while the shrill female vocals grate instantly.
'Every Weekend' is the kind of album you’ll grow to love and certain tracks (‘Parasite’, ‘Bliss Out’) are sure to prove popular in the club scene. Nevertheless, the mediocrity of most of the tracks mean 'Every Weekend' is forgettable in the long run.
'Every Weekend' is released on Monday 18th March. Catch Hadouken! on tour next month.
Wed April 17th 2013 - Waterfront, Norwich
Thu April 18th 2013 - Cockpit, Leeds
Fri April 19th 2013 - The Arches, Glasgow, Glasgow
Sat April 20th 2013 - O2 Academy Newcastle, Newcastle
Mon April 22nd 2013 - Leadmill, Sheffield
Tue April 23rd 2013 - Library, The Institute, Birmingham
Wed April 24th 2013 - Manchester Academy 2, Manchester
Thu April 25th 2013 - Electric Ballroom, London
Fri April 26th 2013 - Brighton Concorde 2, Brighton
Sat April 27th 2013 - Fleece, Bristol
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Opener ‘The Vortex’ features frontman James Smith’s signature London rap style that is extremely similar to that of fellow dance performer Example. The synths are reminiscent of those from ‘Get Smashed Gate Crash’ (from 2008’s 'Music For An Accelerated Culture') but it’s clear Hadouken! have matured immensely since these days. Lyrical themes used to follow the life of a partying teen: “Smashing up all the porcelain china/We drank the alcohol cabinet clean/But still that felt minor/Till we put the hi-fi through the TV screen” but now lyrics are much more coherent and more likely to be taken seriously. That being said, Hadouken! definitely still employ the party attitude: “Each and every weekend/We spend it like the whole world's ending”.
