Windsurfing’s not just about the sport, it’s about the lifestyle…

We’re sure most of you have heard that good old motto before and, cheesy as it is, we are inclined to agree. With that in mind we thought it was time to step a little outside of the windsurfing box and bring you some more lifestyle related pieces.

What to wear, what not to wear, the latest and coolest gadgets, we will bring it all to Boards, but first a review of the latest music to hit the ears of windsurfer and music lover, Jan Sleigh…

Music to unwind to, dance to and get yourself ready for an epic session to; take it away Jan…

Ellie Goulding

Halcyon Days

On first listen to Halcyon Days I didn’t think it really got going, bar a few catchy tunes, but on second listen it felt much more lively and longer! So much so, that I thought I was listening to a completely different album. Turns out I was. The thing about xbox music, is you can search and stream almost any album and using that function I had lazily clicked on what I thought as Ellie Goulding’s latest release. I’d clicked on “Halcyon” – Ellie Goulding’s 2012 release. My second listen was to “Halcyon Days” which is actually a repackage reboot of Halcyon with an extra ten or so tracks. So perhaps it was an easy mistake to make, after all the album cover is practically the same and its title it pretty much the same too. Overall the music is heavily vocal which is not a back thin, Ellie has a beautiful voice that is quirky and folky while keeping the electro pop vocal feel that is upbeat. And after a few listens I really like it. There are similarities to Moloko, Goldfrapp and even Bjork that spring to mind but its distinctly individual. There are plenty of catchy tracks like Anything Could Happen, Only You, Figure 8 and Burn that you will find playing in the back of your head etched into your subconscious.

7/10

Best for: laid back listening feel good album

MySpace: myspace.com/elliegoulding/music/songs

Avenged Sevenfold

Hail to the King

Hail to the King is probably the most accessible, most mainstream, and maybe most successfully Avenged Sevenfold (A7X) album. But entering the UK album charts at number one is more likely related to their huge and loyal fan base than any mainstream radio airplay. However, the music on the album will appeal to a wider audience than earlier work. The metalcore roots have completely gone now, blended into a more hard rock feel and while this is very distinctively A7X it is definitely not the same sound as their debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. M. Shadow’s screamed vocals last heard on Waking the Fallen are all but a distant memory.

Opening with a bell tolling, Shepherd of Fire slowly builds and then sets the tone and pace of the album. Chugging guitar riffs, solos, and punctuated with complicated breakdowns that are a throwback to the metalcore roots.

The album has a familiarity to it as well. “This Means War” thumps out like a stock Metallica track. The title track Hail to the King feels like Iron Maiden with Coming Home’s guitars even more so. Doing Time wouldn’t be out of place on G’nR’s Appetite for Destruction. But the similarities to the aforementioned end there as this definitely an A7X album, an extension and progression from Nightmare and City of Evil. And while these bands may be cited as A7X’s artistic influences, A7X have the depth, power, and talent to herald them as the influence of a new generation of future rock.

9/10

Best for: Guilty pleasure: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses (or Avenged Sevenfold)

MySpace: myspace.com/avengedsevenfold/music/songs

Naughty Boy

Hotel Cabana

At the time of review A7X and Naughty Boy were vying for the number one spot with A7X winning out. Two very different genres of music and on listening to Hotel Cabana it was definitely not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a super commercial mainstream R&B album but actually its much more edgy and melodic. It album opens with Act 1 a spoken track/ semi rapped rhyme that is almost a poem before boosting into the title track that feels a little like Spooks’ Karma Hotel mixing the female vocals with rap. The album continues to balance rap with female vocals – the majority of which is with Emeli Sandé – who Naughty boy has collaborated with before co-writing and producing her debut album. Further collaborations include Gabrielle, Ed Sheeren and Sam Smith. Stand out tracks include Wonder, Pluto and Lifted.

7/10

Best for: pre night out tunes

My Space: myspace.com/nortzmusic/music/songs

Check out part one where Jan reviewed three more of the latest releases here. 

Jan will be back very soon with another music review, but what else would you like to see him review or test? Do you want to know the latest fashions? Gadgets? Van accessories?

And why not join in with the review? Do you agree with Jan? What do you think of the music he has reviewed?

Let us know in the comments below…

As well as being an amazing windsurfer and SUPer, riding Naish sails and boards, Jan also runs his own surf shop,check it out here.