Jack's CD covers

When looking at You Me At Six’s album ‘Hold Me down’ although it is a simple cd cover it reveals a lot about the band and what they are trying to say. ‘Hold me down’ is not you me at six’s debut album so when comparing it to the debut album one difference was the lines on the cover are a lot less definite and harsh maybe suggesting that with the band’s maturity the music has become more varied and the boundaries within their music are less definite from the original album. When looking at the colours used on the album cover this also shows some messages. The album cover uses a very bland green for the background then a totally contrasting middle with a lot going on in a range of colours; it also has a breaking through effect with the colours. This could be because the debut album put the band on the music scene, where this album was to make the band a massive rock band so the breaking through effect could be a metaphor for what the band is doing in the music industry. The bland green in the background could also represent the other bands in the music industry and how You Me At Six offer an alternative and are something new which is why the name of the band is located in the colour and not it the dark green. The album seems to give off a natural theme to it with the colour in the middle involving a lot of natural images like wings, clouds and flowers, which may also suggest that this band is still original and hasn’t become industrialised (it is still natural and un-affected by the mainstream of music). The writing on the album cover is very simplistic and stands out. It just says the name of the band and the album so it suggests that the music on the album will do the talking so there is no need for any pointless information. The colours and font of the writing also follow this simplistic style by having it in an opposite colour to the background so the name stands out and the use of capital letters to reinforce this message. Comparing it to the debut album the writing is a lot less over the top as again with the fame and maturity growing in the band the band do not need to be as loud and big because they already have a of fans. The colours within the album also reflect the band well as the use of bright colours show their up tempo optimistic music so the colours reflect the band well which is also a similarity to the original album. The band have followed their tradition of not having the band on the front cover and had more symbols of the band, this is following the convention of rock bands as not many have their band on the front cover.

Kids in glass houses.
This album cover lends itself to a simplistic approach, involving not many colours and a basic art design. This album contrasts to the debut album of the band a lot as because it was a debut the band needed to get attention and be noticed and now this has been achieved it has allowed there second album cover to be a lot more simplistic. This simplistic style is reinforced in the language as all that is included is the name of the band and the album, because of the lack of txt and detail it has allowed the writing to be large and eye catching although it is a simple cover. This means that the consumer receives the information that is important straight away. This eye catching language is also highlighted through the contrast in colour of the background to the writing. Through the bright lettering this also attracts the attention but could also give a metaphorical message similar to the You Me At Six cover, portraying Kids in glass houses are exciting and bright compared to the rest of the music industry. When looking at the development of the band this is also present in how there album cover has changed. On the original there is a large picture of a women with a lollipop and involves a of colour, this attracted the attention of the consumer but because of the colours where with the second album the attention is attracted to the name suggesting that people buying the first album would be attracted to the cover where with this album the name of the band and the music associated with the band will sell the product. The album also shows a contrast between the band and how this album may come across as the writing for the band name is very definite and harsh which is what the band are associated with as their music is rocky and raw, but through the softness of the font ‘DIRT’ it maybe suggests that this album shall show a different side to the band which may be a little softer, also shown through the femininity of the flowers. These flowers may also suggest that they are a very modern band and aren’t afraid of being feminine, but there is definitely room for interpretation as there is a juxtaposition created through the word dirt and the word being made up of flowers which are usual related to masculine dirt. This may suggest that the album is full of contrast within the music and now they are established as a good rock band, they can now be more experimental with the music. Through the lack of writing and the flowers on the album cover this to me suggests that they also believe the music will sell the album not the art so therefore it can be a simple beauty like in a metaphorical way a flower. The name of the band in that font is also increasing that recognisable factor as in any of the band’s merchandise their name is always written in that font so if that font is ever seen by a consumer they will instantly recognise the band.

Kings Of Leon
This album reveals a lot about how the band works as a group. The blending of the four band members to create the one image of the eagle shows a unity within the group and also shows the family link within the band as they all create one image and this image could be a symbol of their family. Although the picture creates one image there is a disjointed effect to it and the four images do not blend completely together. This may be a metaphor for although they are close there are four clear personalities within the band and all of their individual qualities are what creates the band. The use of the eagle is also important as not only does it relate to where they come from (Southern North America) but the eagle is also a symbol of power maybe relating to their achievements within the music industry. This album goes against the convention of rock by having the actual band on the front cover as not many modern rock bands do this, but the band are still trying to follow the convention as although the band are on the front cover it is to create another image not just a picture of the band. They might be going against this convention to show their originality in music as another one of their albums did not have the band on, so this shows a versatility within their music like their album covers and they have changed with maturity as their new album cover shall be different to their stereotype. The font is very small and also follows the simplistic idea of just the name of the band and the album. Through the small font this shows that they can be recognised by their faces reinforcing the band’s achievements within music as rock bands are not as noticeable as pop acts so for a rock band to be noticed by their faces this shows their popularity and fame. The small writing could also show that the writing does not to make the album good the real creation will come from the music, so through this simplistic album cover the consumer believes there are no gimmicks. The bland colours used on the album cover also reflect this simplistic approach and the same colour being used for the whole cover also reflects the togetherness within the band. There are clear definite lines on the album cover which may be a metaphor for their music and the relationship between each other, as although their music is original a lot of the songs are similar showing there are clear definite lines within their music style and also these clear lines reinforce that they are all different people. The album seems to have a harsh feel about it through the definite lines and hard almost digital font, this may show their genre of music as rock is seen as raw and harsh at times, but I think the album does create a juxtaposition because there is the very man-made digital font contrasting with a natural image of the bird.