Contextual Referencing

In one of our lessons, we were shown these 4 album covers. Clueless at first as to what relevance they had until the teacher explained the task, then we understood. The class was divided up into 4 groups and given an album cover each where we had to answer questions on them.

This is the album cover for coldplay x&y album. Coldplay are formally one of the most recognised and successful British alternative rock bands who date back to 1996, where they were formed by the lead vocalist Chris Martin and the lead guitarist Jonny Buckland in their university days. The album cover was designed by the duo Tappin Gofton (Mark Tappin & Simon Gofton). When I first saw the album cover, I thought it was really plain and boring and the design + layout just isn't something that i would be attracted to.

The Baudot Code

There was something interesting about it though and that was how the used what is known as the Baudot Code, which by looking at the clues it gives you inside the cover, you find that it spells out x and y.

In terms of how the album cover relates to their genre of music, it doesn't relate at all. Personally, they could have been a bit more creative in the sense that especially since they specialise in rock, they should at least try and make the cover relate to their style. I say this because, when I look or come across a rock album, it is normally rather colourful or there is a lot going on on the cover, but here, there i not much happening at all.

The Killers

Where as when you look at these two album covers from the same genre, they have a lot more going on in them and they have been a lot more creative in the layout, colour, font etc. Maybe had they tried to be a bit more creative in and put a bit more thought into it they could have come up with something far more better than what they have.

Fall Out Boy

Like this for example!

This is the logo for cold play. In this case I would say that simplicity has worked well as well. But also, now I see they chose a simple approach to the album cover as well. Now that i think about it, they have actually put a bit more thought into it than I originally thought, because their music is simple an effective, the code on the cover is simple and kind of carries effect in it, in the sense that it spells out the albums' name (not many bands think like that) and the simple colours along with simple text and background colour are again very effective in that you can recognise straight away who it is.

Personally, the logo for the chemical brothers works really well in the sense that the font they had use doesn't really look to healthy and almost like they painted it with poison. I say that because of the brush strokes and the extended tips of the letters and how it stretches out, even makes it look like it was written in Arabic, which to me is definitely one of the best logos i have seen for an album cover, because there are so man things that can link with it whereas you don't normally find that in many others.

This album cover, for me was the best one out of the four that we were showed because, you can tell from the detail in the image, that a lot of thought has gone into it. The name that they gave it works perfectly alongside the 3 images (1 inside and 1 on rear) where it shows the first one (this one) saying "push the button" almost like it is saying switch me on and let me work. The second one shows the person's brain at work (wheels turning in his mind processing words to send to the mouth) then the third showings the words flowing down the brain and out the mouth. It can make him seem like a stereo, which you push the button, it reviews the lyrics and the let's you hear what it is thinking.

The 3 colours work well together too, you have the bright grey adding emphasis to the cold blue words and cracked black bricks and outline, which to me, it would attract my attention and I'm not even a rock music fan...that shows how effective it is.

The target audience for this album and probably to the other albums too would be people with the same taste in rock music and love that head banging drum and distorted guitar sound. The age range I think, varies quite a bit, because you can find young teens around 15 to 18 who like this kind of music or you can find young adults 20's or 30's who also enjoy it. I think it just depends on who the person is.

Blur are another English alternative rock band and just like Coldplay, they also formed in London but in 1988. The group consists of  :

• Lead singer: Damon Albarn
• Guitarist: Graham Coxon
• Bass player:  Alex James
• Drummer: Dave Rowntree 

"The Best Of" was a compilation of their greatest hits formed into an album by the English Britpop band themselves; Blur. It was first released in the late 2000's and is the final album by the Food Records company.

This is the first time I have ever seen this album and my first impresion is that I love it! Firstly, they have used one of my favourite art movements 'Pop Art' to be the design on the cover is very unique and very eye catching. The way in which they used their logo in big writing with a plain white tone to it, against a multi-cooured background, is a very effective way to form an album cover indeed! The way in which they used their imagination to cartoonise the members to fit the theme of Pop Art was one of the best things a band could think of! (I still like The Chemical Brothers though)

The logo for blur is another interesting and unique logo that i have seen on an album cover. Not many bands have thought about adding effects to their album that relate to the bands' name like how blur used the blur effect (found in Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator) or by adding smokey colours to the background to give it a kind of hazey look.

The target audience again just like the chemical brothers and coldplay, it varies a lot because there are a number of people from certain age groups that you find engage in this type of music. So to try and set a specific amount would almost be rather difficult.

I especially like this album because it has shown me that you can inc operate contemporary art movements with design and illustration. It has also inspired me to try something new if it comes to a point where i have to design one.

  

This is my favourite album of all time by my favourite and inspirational artist; Keri Lynn Hilson. Once started off as a backing singer for several RnB artist, to move on to be a part of a group called D'signe, yet despite their separation she was still having her lyrics sung by Brittney Spears and the legendary Mary J Blige. Recognised for her talents, she was then signed by the top music producer Timbaland where she produced her debut single 'The Way I Are' which then lead to a whole new life for Miss Hilson.

Her 2010/11 album 'No Boy's Allowed' was purposely created for women who have had enough of being mistreated, demanding to be treated properly or have had bad experiences with men and love. 'Toy Soldier', 'So Good' & 'Hustler' despite being unreleased tracks, thy became very popular with those that haven't had a fair chance in love and have spotted the enemy within whom they thought they found love in.

Her choice of imagery for her album is a rather interesting one in fact. She chose to have a warning banner reading 'No Boys Allowed' with a picture of her looking rather stunning against a glamorous background, which when you combine the two together it's trying to say 'Warning, Do Not touch', so its kind of showing them what they are missing out on because of how they have acted.

The target audience for Keri's album/music is kind of set to young teens/young adults a her music is not really the type you would hear someones parents listening to, unless they enjoy these kind of slow, sensual and sometimes explicit lyrics.