Album cover analysis
Alice Childerhouse
Fall Out Boy – From Under the Cork
Tree
                   • This album was released in May 2005 by
                     'Fall Out Boy', a four man band from
                     Chicago, Illinois, which was their third
                     album. Before they recorded this album,
                     while touring, they crashed the bus they
                     were travelling in, in the middle of winter.
                     So the photo of a minivan half covered by
                     snow relates back to this incident which
                     shook up the band members and ad
                     worried fans. I feel this made the cover
                     quite popular because it related back to
                     something important and meaningful for
                     the band and fans, giving the album a
                     homely feel. Moving onto the curtains and
                     audience I think this is a reference to the
                     record company 'Fuelled By Ramen' as at
                     this particular time other that was their
                     image, a dramatic theatre style which
                     fellow friends and band 'Panic! At The
                     Disco' were also playing around with.
Two Door Cinema Club -
Beacon
               • This album was released in September this
                 year, and is Two Door Cinema Club's second
                 major album. The cover art for this CD was
                 particularly interesting as it didn't involve any
                 shots of the band members, or any faces, and
                 instead focused on women's body parts. The
                 photos have also been edited to have a slight
                 glow about them, adding a dream like
                 atmosphere to the art. This also relates to the
                 songs on this particular album because a lot of
                 them have been inspired by a short period the
                 lead singer went through when writing this
                 album of having really odd and surreal dreams.
                 There is a track called sleep alone which is
                 about this period, using lyrics such as 'He
                 sleeps alone, he needs no army where he's
                 headed cause he knows that they're just ghosts
                 and they can't hurt him if he can't see them'.
                 It's the main single off the album and is very
                 upbeat, despite Alex singing about something
                 quite traumatic. Therefore the cover art
                 connects nicely with the songs on the album,
                 as well as referencing to something personal
                 for the band, particularly Alex Trimble (the lead
                 singer).
Belle and Sebastian – If You’re
Feeling Sinister
                    • This album was released in November of
                      1996 by a band called Belle and Sebastian
                      who produce very soft acoustic indie music.
                      The cover of this really works with the feel
                      of the music on this album, as its relaxing
                      and comforting with mildly disturbing
                      lyrics. The photo on this cover art is of a
                      young girl looking really bored, which is
                      what most of the album is about, being
                      young and bored and trying to find things
                      to do, learning about people. It's quite an
                      influential album for young adults as the
                      songs are almost educational, about life,
                      being young, and all the ups and downs
                      that come with it. There's also a copy of
                      'The Trial' next to the girl, which is a
                      depressing and complex play written by
                      Franz Kafka in the early 1900's, and is often
                      studied in later years of high school or
                      college. This also relates to the educational
                      lyrics in the majority of songs on this
                      album. The red filter on the photograph
                      gives the photo a evil/sinister feel which
                      also connects to the name of the album 'If
                      You're Feeling Sinister'.
Rage Against the Machine – Debut
Album
                 • This album was released in November of
                   1992 by Rage Against The Machine, and
                   is deemed as one of the most
                   highly controversial and political albums
                   made within the last 20 years. The photo
                   on the front of this album is a
                   photograph of a Vietnamese Buddhist
                   monk burning himself to death in 1963 in
                   protest of President Ngô Đình Diệm who
                   was trying to oppress the Buddhist
                   religion. A controversial picture in itself,
                   yet by putting it on a political statement
                   album it creates more debate and
                   discussion, especially when the music
                   itself is considered. However, despite it
                   being a highly disturbing picture to put
                   on an album cover, it stands out and
                   brings attention to itself which was
                   exactly the bands intentions, so it's quite
                   a clever notion in the way of achieving
                   what it set out to do.

Album cover analysis

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Fall Out Boy– From Under the Cork Tree • This album was released in May 2005 by 'Fall Out Boy', a four man band from Chicago, Illinois, which was their third album. Before they recorded this album, while touring, they crashed the bus they were travelling in, in the middle of winter. So the photo of a minivan half covered by snow relates back to this incident which shook up the band members and ad worried fans. I feel this made the cover quite popular because it related back to something important and meaningful for the band and fans, giving the album a homely feel. Moving onto the curtains and audience I think this is a reference to the record company 'Fuelled By Ramen' as at this particular time other that was their image, a dramatic theatre style which fellow friends and band 'Panic! At The Disco' were also playing around with.
  • 3.
    Two Door CinemaClub - Beacon • This album was released in September this year, and is Two Door Cinema Club's second major album. The cover art for this CD was particularly interesting as it didn't involve any shots of the band members, or any faces, and instead focused on women's body parts. The photos have also been edited to have a slight glow about them, adding a dream like atmosphere to the art. This also relates to the songs on this particular album because a lot of them have been inspired by a short period the lead singer went through when writing this album of having really odd and surreal dreams. There is a track called sleep alone which is about this period, using lyrics such as 'He sleeps alone, he needs no army where he's headed cause he knows that they're just ghosts and they can't hurt him if he can't see them'. It's the main single off the album and is very upbeat, despite Alex singing about something quite traumatic. Therefore the cover art connects nicely with the songs on the album, as well as referencing to something personal for the band, particularly Alex Trimble (the lead singer).
  • 4.
    Belle and Sebastian– If You’re Feeling Sinister • This album was released in November of 1996 by a band called Belle and Sebastian who produce very soft acoustic indie music. The cover of this really works with the feel of the music on this album, as its relaxing and comforting with mildly disturbing lyrics. The photo on this cover art is of a young girl looking really bored, which is what most of the album is about, being young and bored and trying to find things to do, learning about people. It's quite an influential album for young adults as the songs are almost educational, about life, being young, and all the ups and downs that come with it. There's also a copy of 'The Trial' next to the girl, which is a depressing and complex play written by Franz Kafka in the early 1900's, and is often studied in later years of high school or college. This also relates to the educational lyrics in the majority of songs on this album. The red filter on the photograph gives the photo a evil/sinister feel which also connects to the name of the album 'If You're Feeling Sinister'.
  • 5.
    Rage Against theMachine – Debut Album • This album was released in November of 1992 by Rage Against The Machine, and is deemed as one of the most highly controversial and political albums made within the last 20 years. The photo on the front of this album is a photograph of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk burning himself to death in 1963 in protest of President Ngô Đình Diệm who was trying to oppress the Buddhist religion. A controversial picture in itself, yet by putting it on a political statement album it creates more debate and discussion, especially when the music itself is considered. However, despite it being a highly disturbing picture to put on an album cover, it stands out and brings attention to itself which was exactly the bands intentions, so it's quite a clever notion in the way of achieving what it set out to do.