1. A L B U M A N A L Y S I S

2. MOUNT KIMBIE LAYOUT: The layout of this cover works well. Having the text placed in the bottom quarter of the cover looks neat and simple. Personally I don’t like the spaces left between words as I think it looks too spaced out, to counteract the large spaces left I would ad a space between each letter therefore shortening the larger spacing. The compilation of the photo looks natural, whilst at the same time looks professional. I think the casual, natural pose looks effective and I would like to do something similar myself to ensure my cover does not look forced or unnatural. IMAGE: Personally I much prefer this kind of shot used on an album than a studio shot using a model. An image of the band can work well in my opinion, if shot in a natural environment to avoid looking too ‘clean and polished’. By using a real person who is not a stereotypical ‘model’ appeals to the bands audience who wouldn’t want to buy a stereotypical looking album. The largeness of the lady’s ‘booty’ looks almost exaggerated or comical, enhancing their unusual-ness and individuality through the image. COLOUR: The colours used in this album work well together, the setting for the photograph used shows a muted colour palette with the greys of rubble, shop fronts and metal poles almost merging into one washed out backdrop. Using a vibrant red tracksuit in the foreground of the shot catches the attention of the onlookers, creating a contrast between dull back ground and a highly saturated red figure. There seems to be a motif of red across the cover as in the backdrop there are flashes and elements of the colour throughout the street. Text-wise the white font, again, contrasts against the bright red outfit, however it’s inkeeping with the colour palette behind. I would like to use a white font as I think its subtle enough to look stylish whilst also contrasting with the photograph catching the viewers attention. EFFECTS: Ideally I would like to use some kind of effect on my album artwork, I’ll do this through Photoshop and hopefully it should compliment the electronica genre we have chosen to do. This Mount Kimbie cover seems to have used selective focus, the image of the lady in the foreground seems to be a lot clearer in focus then the fuzzy background. The colours used also look edited in some way, the red seems to be very vibrant throughout, perhaps due to using a high saturation. I think overall it works well and creates an interesting, eye-catching design, which compliments their genre and style of music well.

3. YEAH YEAH YEAHS LAYOUT: This album again uses a photograph to cover the entire background are of the cover. Personally I think this looks the best on a album if a photograph is to be used. The band name and single title are positioned in the top left corner, I think this is an ideal place to add text as its where the eye automatically goes too to begin reading, and also allows for a larger visible surface area of image to be shown. IMAGE: This image used is perfect for the genre of music and for the persona created by the band. Using surreal images creates interest, enticing new listeners to investigate further into their sound. I think that using a close up has worked well cutting off anything that could distract from the main image. By using the bands signature logo, in this case the eyeball, lets fans know at a glance who this cover is for. The fact the eyeball is in the mouth adds surrealism to the cover. I would like to use a surreal image on my cover as it matches our video storyline & characters perfectly. EFFECTS: Using a close up creates depths within the photograph, it adds to the surrealism and interest on the cover. The shadows created by contrast make the photograph look more realistic. The iris and pupil of the eyeball are created with a cartoon effect, the bright colours and graphic pattern add a psychedelic feel to the cover. Overall I think the font, image and colours work really well together, complimenting one another. COLOUR: The main motif across the cover is red. The lips and font compliment each other tying the image and font together. The other colours are vibrant too, fitting with the general feel of genre Using blue fluorescent tube font suits the electro genre, and the graphic green and purple print in the eyeball hint to the viewer that the band is quite ‘crazy’.

4. OFWGKTA LAYOUT: I think the layout works really well for this style of cover. The position of the font in the top third, middle and bottom third is well spaced and uncluttered. I like the idea of using a close up shot of a mans face as the background of the cover. Using a blank background balances out the amount of font. Using different sized fonts helps to keep it minimal, the curved font of ‘JIMMY FALLON’ fits the curse of the mans face tying the images together. I’m unsure if this is an actual cover, but I think it would work well as one if it was. IMAGE: I love the image used on the cover. The vintage style photograph contrasts with the cartoonist font. The twists added to the photograph hint to the listeners that the band are a little out the ordinary. The blanked out eyes are almost a trademark of Tyler the Creator as he uses blacked out eye contacts in his video for ‘Yonkers’. If I was to use a photograph in my cover I would like to add in a personal touch on photoshop to show the genre of the band through into the cover. EFFECTS: The effects used on the main image work well, giving the picture a vintage feel which clashes with the fonts used. Other than the vintage effect used there is only the blanked out eyes and fangs added. These are drawn on, giving the image a graffiti feel. COLOUR: The main colours used in this cover are bright red, pink and pale green and white. These work well as they clash, enhancing the others. The cartoonist colours and style of font are binary opposites of the old fashioned style photograph, working well together. The use of bright colours works well with the genre of music of the band as it shows they aren't boring.