Album review: Example – ‘Live Life Living’

Following the release of his #Hits last year, Example returns with a collection of tracks which could all easily formed part of his ‘best of’ project. Sticking with the dance and a dash of rap formula which has already treated him to one #1 album (2011’s Playing In The Shadows) and two #1 singles (Changed The Way You Kissed Me and Stay Awake, from the same album), each number on Live Life Living is a prime example of how Example creates monster dance anthems.

With three singles already released, the artist formerly known as Elliot John Gleave has showcased a grinding, more Pendulum-take on dance with All The Wrong Places, bouncy Euro-pop with the made-for-Ayia-Napa nights Kids Again and the 90s house-fuelled One More Day (Stay With Me). Next single release 10 Million People sees Example rapping about dancing “by the sand like Duran Duran do” (which is also pretty Arctic Monkeys-esque), on a track which sounds like it could have been made in a bedroom. Of course that’s not a complete criticism, some of the best albums created were homemade, self produced projects, but Example’s output shows no signs of progress, instead staying as the sounds he no-doubt dreamt of when his teenage room.

His output remains an amalgamation of Calvin Harris beats with hints of Robbie Williams (and perhaps a bit of Bastille) in the choruses. Midway through the album the tracks begin to blend into each other, with Seen You and Can’t Face The World Alone seemingly like a 7-minute number. Title track Live Life Living is slightly more exciting with its waltzer-like effects, but is a track best suited to the fairground, while Take Me As I Am moves from piano-led ballad to big beats to the Pendulum-like grind once again.

Closer Longest Goodbye is worryingly close to being a Pretty Green Eyes cover at first, but does become one of the most interesting inputs due to its simplicity and the lack of a huge injection of Ibiza. With raw percussion and a lighter take on production, it’s still a little dated (still the 90s but perhaps a little less Madchester and a little more Massive Attack) but it’s also a little different. It’s clearly more difficult for dance acts to evolve when compared to rock acts (some of whom incorporate dance for a change of direction), but with Longest Goodbye Example shows promise, hopefully making for a more varied collection on his next #Hits.

Live Life Living is out now and can be downloaded direct from the iTunes link below. Head over here to enter our competition to win a copy of the album, signed by Example himself!

Words by:
Dan Bull
Follow @DanBull7609