The sexy singer/songwriter from Brooklyn teams up with uber-producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley & Broken Bells) on her fifth studio album.
Last year Ms. Jones assisted on Danger Mouse's fantastic album Rome (last year's best album) and Danger Mouse returns the favor by co-writing and composing on this 12-track release.
Whereas Rome was an homage to a throwback spaghetti Western soundtrack with moody and atmospheric set pieces, Little Broken Hearts has similar themes both in terms of melody and mood but with much more modern musical sensibilities in this post-breakup chamber pop album.
While the theme of the album does have darker overtones, Jones voice still has a vibrancy to it such that the songs never come across as sinister. On "Say Goodbye," Jones warbles, "It's alright, it's okay,/I don't need you anyway./You don't have to tell the truth,/Cause if you do I'll tell it too./(Oh, I'll tell it too)" but her light vocal tenor plus the buoyant guitar and keyboard accompaniment make the song a pleasant ditty rather than an overbearing rant.
Little Broken Hearts is one fantastic team-up with Jones' sparkling vocals and inviting songwriting and Danger Mouse's dynamic production work. The overall tone of album might be a dark one but Jones' music seems to shine brightest when collaborating with the Mouse.
Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Say Goodbye" [sample it below], "After the Fall" and "All A Dream"
The dub and electronica songstress finds time away from collaborating on the albums of artists like Beastie Boys, Basement Jaxx and Kanye West to release her sophomore studio album.
This time around Santigold takes us another aural journey pulling in sounds from a plethora of modern genres. The album opens with the aptly named "GO!" which sounds like a dub version of a The Go! Team song with its double-dutch style of vocals although the song isn't as tightly laid out as a typical The Go! Team song.
From there the album improves with the catchy "Disparate Youth" with its enchanting opening melody and a more subdued vocal style that is both distant and inviting. Another standout song is the laid back "This Isn't Our Parade" that slowly draws you in with its steady rhythm and casual steel drumming.
There are some questionable song choices as well where Santigold seems to try something different either in terms of instrumentation or of song construction but the results are a mixed bag. While the nonconforming track "Freak Like Me" will be able to win over some converts despite its funky production work and trippy vocals there are other tracks that prove to be more inaccessible.
Unfortunately, it's not a complete satisfying disc from the chanteuse with some inconsistency found on the disc. But when Santigold is on her game, the jams are sweeping and the catchiness of the beats is undeniable.
Score: 7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Disparate Youth" [sample it below] and "This Isn't Our Parade"
For those unaware, Smash is musical TV show whose premise is the creation and staging of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. The show features both original songs and covers of popular modern music.
Every song on the album save a cover of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" by Nick Jonas features one or both of the leading ladies from the show, Katherine McPhee and Megan Hilty. I guess the songs sung on the show by the rest of the cast didn't cut the mustard.
On this 13-track album, the first eight songs are covers while the last five are the original songs from the faux Broadway show. The original music is the big draw for me with big Broadway-style melodies and smartly crafted lyrics like the sultry "History Is Made At Night."
The covers of popular songs are nothing special especially since it has been done on Glee already for three seasons and at least the Glee musical director is willing to play with the arrangements to create more memorable versions.
This album has some value if you enjoy the Broadway-style musical numbers but the majority of album is not that. If you want to hear Katherine McPhee sing covers of popular pop songs, then just watch the Americal Idol reruns they show on the weekends.
Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Let Me Be Your Star" and "History Is Made At Night" [sample it below]
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