Digipak Anlysis: Peter Doherty 'Grace/ Wastelands'

This is the debut solo album of Peter Doherty. As this artist is well known as the front man of The Libertines and Babyshambles this album will be very important to his fans as it is his first solo album. Using his full name creates a sense of independence and tells us that this album is completely his own.

The font/lettering is best described as simple and fine handwritten style. The artists name is bold making it appear dominant in neat black capitals against the white background. The font is quite small so therefore it doesn't catch your eye straight away. Underneath is the album title 'Grace/ Wastelands' is in a smaller font which seems like it has been written in pen giving it a natural affect. This connotes an original style for the artist and creates a gentle atmosphere on the cover matching the acoustic tracks on the album.

The dominant image on the front cover is an imposing graphic design image of a woman with a burnt black/brown/orange/yellow colour scheme that carries out through the rest of the digipak. The artist not being featured on the cover connotes that he may be well known enough to not be represented through a photograph, it is also recently common for artists to do this and have an image of themself inside the package which this artist has done. The image on the cover indicates an alternative genre as it is quite a dark, artistic and very original image that seems like a symbol of self destruction. The title of the album 'Grace/ Wastelands' connotes an individual style for the artist as the two words are an unusual yet interesting combination; the word 'grace' creates a gentle atmosphere for the album whereas 'wastelands' adds a dark meaning, and also matches the disturbing image on the cover.

Above is the back cover of the album following the graphic design colour scheme with the album tracks in the fine hand written font -a key feature which works with the individual artist as it creates a personal touch. The dominant colours on the package are black, brown, orange and yellow which are earthy natural tones reflecting the artists originality not only through his music but also the package. The CD is produced by Stephen Street which appeals to the audience as this is an English producer who is best known for working with other famous artists such as The Smiths and Blur. The record label is EMI which connotes that the artist is British as EMI is a British company. It also tells us that the artists genre is alternative as this record company has focused on major rock acts such as The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

The opened up digipak features the tracks song lyrics in the fine handwritten style and further graphic design images. All three panels inside follow the recurring earth tone colour scheme. Each panel shows an image of a ballet dancer in the same aggressive style as the image on the front cover, the lyrics are written across the images which all in all adds to the original style of the artist. To either side of the centre panel there are slots for the CD and DVD and another at the bottom for a booklet, this makes the design seem neat and easier for its buyer. An extra panel features a slightly distorted illustration of Peter Doherty. The image seems to be split into two different sizes which almost represents the album title being split into two words, this could mean the artist has two different sides portrayed in the album. There are gigsaw pieces which make up part of the artists torso which I find creative, also there seems to be handwriting scratched into the image reading 'I'll love you forever' making the artist seem romantic, this almost looks like a signature which adds to the artists individuality.

Digipak Analysis: Paramore 'Riot!' (Standard Jewel Case)

The name of the artist is Paramore meaning 'secret lover' which connotes a pop/alternative band as most pop tracks are to do with love and the name is very individual giving the band an edgy portrayal.

The font on the front cover is best described as sketchbook scribble like. Most of it is in black and white. The title of the album is the biggest scribble highlighted in orange surrounded by little black scribbles. This dominates the album title making it stand out more. This type of font connotes an edgy, punky style for the band. The physical appearance of the band in the central image is quite casual yet punky, the men have rock star haircuts and as the female lead singer Hayley is wearing jeans just like the other band members it shows that she is an atypical female artist. The high angle shot of the band shows the two in the middle smiling at the camera with a direct mode of address inviting the audience for a personal relationship, the other two do not seem to look up into the camera. This could mean that the middle band members are meant to stand out more as they are the lead singer and guitarist, as the female is positioned at the front we know she is the lead singer.

The most dominant image on the album cover is the album title, this suggests that their image has been developed enough for them to be known simply through a picture as this is their second album. The title of the album is Riot! This suggests a punk rock image for the band and their music as the term is often used for group violence. The Riot! scribble theme continues on the back cover with the tracks highlighted in orange. The image of the band here has a direct mode of adress as all band members are smiling into the camera. They are all huddled together suggesting that they are close as a band. This image takes a central position on the lower half of the cover looking directly at the listener. The back cover also features the barcode, record label addresses and copyright information.

The dominant colours on the CD are black, white and orange. This reflects the punk/emo genre which the band are from. This is also signified by the bands dress sense and album title. The bands record label is Fueled By Ramen, this reaches towards the punk/emo audience as this label are well known for bands of this genre.

The albums insert carries on the scribble scketchbook theme seen in the two panels on the right. Images of the lead singer and guitarist are featured here, this is clearly a recurrent theme and these band members are again highlighted to show their importance in the band. Two popular tracks from the album are also highlighted with their lyrics featured on the panels. Sketchbook doodles and scribbles are also shown which is a feature I would like to use on my digipak considering my songs school theme. This style is consistent with the rest of the album package.

The album package as a whole gives a sense of anger and frustration with the scribbles and rough hand writing, this reflects the punk genre and the songs on the album such as 'misery business' which is has a theme of anger. This theme of the album is clear to the listener as it is reflected through the album package aswell as the music. As the theme of anger and frustration is the same in my video's song I will use similar artwork on my digipak.

The contrasting colours, the bands clothing in the images and the text style reflect the punk/emo genre which makes the album package successful in reaching its targeted audience. The bands fashion is recognisable to this audience and as the majority of this audience are students the sketchbook theme relates to them.