Each week I will listen to and review/preview a handful of the more interesting music albums released that week. The genres I will mainly focus on are Rock, Pop, Indie, Hip-Hop, Rap, and Electronic.
Various ArtistsJust Tell Me That You Want Me - Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
From the same producers and creative team that cobbled together last year's Buddy Holly tribute album comes this 17-track homage to Mick Fleetwood and co.'s legendary band.
Each track is performed by a different artist and it is a more eclectic mix of artists than on the Buddy Holly tribute, although the names aren't as big this time around. I won't list all the artists here (you can click on the album cover to the left and see the performers' names yourself) but they run the full gamut of mainstream genres.
The album starts off strangely with a slightly trippy (and longer) version of the instrumental song "Albatross" before Antony's cover of Mac's hit "Landslide" which is even more toned down and mellow than the original. Besides Antony's quieted vocals not being able to equal the pain of Stevie Nick's on the original, this version also strips down the melody to create an even moodier track without any of the beauty.
Things start to pickup a few tracks later starting with Billy Gibbons & Co.'s southern rock cover "Oh Well" in which they wring out maximum emotion with some high powered guitar licks. The New Pornographers mostly faithful version of "Think About Me" shows how appealing these tunes can still be today even if their vocal harmonies are a pale comparison to the original's.
While this album has the same inconsistency problems as the aforementioned Buddy Holly tribute album, it is grander and more diverse than that disc. No doubt, some of that has to do with more diverse and genre-crossing material of the source artists' works, but it makes this disc more appealing than the Holly tribute.
This album will have some appeal if you're a fan of Fleetwood Mac, but there's no version of a song on here that comes close to the originals you are already used to and in that regard the Holly album is superior. But this is the (slightly) better album to listen to overall as it has a wider range of artists which leads to more diverse covers.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:Tame Impala's "That's All For Everyone" and Garden & Villa's "Gypsy"
Slightly StoopidTop Of The World
The psy and dub rockers from San Diego release their seventh studio album and their first since 2008.
Unlike their earlier releases where they sounded like some cross between Sublime and Rancid; today, they are heavily influenced by dub music with slower, rhythmic tempos and reggae-heavy melodies.
The band does give us a whopping 21-tracks on this album, with nearly all of the songs, including even the ballads, having a heavy dub feel. If anything, I miss the life of their early albums as this one had me yawning in a couple of sections especially on the tracks when the horn section is conspicuously absent.
There is one track that outshines all the others--and it features one of my favorite named artists from the music industry: Chali 2na (Jurassic 5, Ozamatli)--"Just Thinking." It sounds like more like a soul hit with toned down horns and 2na's deep voiced rapping verses deemphasized in favor of the silk melody.
Other than that, the tracks seemed to blend together both on the first listen and on subsequent listens. Even their cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" doesn't bring anything new to the song and its presence as the penultimate song isn't positioned high enough to break up the earlier monotony.
After the four year hiatus, the band has taken a more mellow approach which sadly leaves us with a lot of similar sounding tunes without any breakout songs.
The daughter of two music industry vets (her mother sang backup for Barry White and her father wrote songs for and collaborated with Kool & The Gang) releases her debut CD of soul music.
The album opens with her already released single "Only Wanna Give It To You" which features rapper J. Cole and has ranked as high as #20 on the U.S. R&B charts. For the uninitiated, it's a beguiling song whose big hook and catchy refrains that leave a good immediate impression although, sadly, not a lasting one.
On that track and on most of the album, Varner's strained timber to her otherwise silky vocals is the main draw of the album because she is able to emote a certain melancholy that immediately affects the listener's emotions, like a poor man's Alicia Keys.
While her vocals may live up to that comparison, her songwriting at this point of her career is just poor with uninspired R&B melodies that almost come off as generic standards with arrangements that could use more life.
Overall, Perfect Imperfect, lives up to its name with Varner's perfectly emotive vocals mixed with imperfect songwriting and layout. Varner is able to showoff her singing chops and they leave her songwriting skills in the dust.
Hopefully the next time around she hooks up with a producer who can elevate her arrangements to the level her vocals are already at. Still, for a debut album, there's enough good on the disc for me to recommend it to Soul and R&B lovers, especially if they like slow jams.
Score: 7/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Only Wanna Give It To You" and "Sound Proof Room"
Jim ColemanTrees
The electronic music maker and former member of Cop Shoot Cop releases his debut solo album.
The physical disc for this album doesn't get released until September but you can purchase the MP3 version of it beginning this week from most online retailers.
The tracks given to us on this album are somnambulistic ambient tunes without any structured melodies or cohesive beats to keep the music moving along as you would find in most modern songwriting. It's basically what I imagine the soundtrack to Brian Eno's or Vangelis' dreams must sound like.
It's very high in both mood and atmosphere from beginning to end although the song titles seem to have been chosen at random. For example, the third track "Summer Heat" which you might think would have some type of quicker tempo is instead a slow synthesizer exercise that doesn't elicit much heat.
Trees ends up being more plodding than entrancing even considering the slow nature of the genre this album fits in. It's a moody album that would be more appropriate if it were released around Halloween or during the winter due to its slow, Blade Runner-esque sound. As a late summer release, this album can't see the forest or the trees.
Score:3/10 Song(s) to Sample: "In To Another Place"
The Orange County, CA ska band release their first album in three years and their seventh studio album overall.
I won't lie--it has been a while since I listened to a Reel Big Fish album. Like most people, I first became aware of the band in the late 90's when their hit "Sell Out" first started getting mass airplay.
Despite living in the same area, the band had somehow fallen from my consciousness as they moved away from the major labels and started releasing stuff on their independent label. Now let's find out if their new release trumpets a return to what made them big or if they should be fading away gracefully.
I'm happy to report that here is a lot of good stuff on their latest release with their signature humor flowing freely on the album buoyed by some of the most danceable ska music I've heard in years.
The fun starts right off the bat with the joyous "Everyone Else Is an Asshole," which sweeps you along with its blaring horns, loud chorus and big hook, and continues over the 14-track release all the way through to the last song, a cover of Depeche Mode's "I Promise You" (misnamed "The Promise" on the album).
Candy Coated Fury is not the deepest album you'll hear this summer but it is one of the more fun ones. Reel Big Fish is able to recapture the joy I found in their music back when I was in college and that is no small feat.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Everyone Else Is an Asshole", "Don't Let Me Down Gently" and "Hiding in My Headphones"
Various ArtistsSparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The soundtrack to the remake of a "classic" 1976 film that stars Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Cee Lo Green, and Mike Epps.
The original film's soundtrack, four of whose songs appear on this version, was written and produced by Curtis Mayfield with Aretha Franklin providing the album's vocals (although Irene Cara starred in and sang her own parts for the movie). Additional tracks for the new version is written and arranged by R. Kelly.
Of course, none of those stars, despite their prominence and commercial appeal, are the draws of this album since it also features two new songs from the late, great Whitney Houston.
Since the Houston songs will get the most attention, let's get those out the way first. "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is a slow, organ-driven gospel ballad where Houston's vocals sound slightly strained although there is no doubt she could still belt out a run with maximum power. "Celebrate" on the other hand is a catchy R&B duet with Jordin Sparks where R. Kelly creates a jaunty and inviting melody that empowers Sparks and Houston's vocals without overpowering them.
Despite the praise worthy "Celebrate," the most memorable tracks on the album don't feature Houston. Cee Lo Green has a lot of fun with the throwback R. Kelly penned song (the movie is set in the late 60's and early 70's) "I'm A Man" which has the bombastic horns that you would find from Motown songs from that era and Green's always fun vocal style.
Relative newcomer Carmen Ejogo also shines on her R. Kelly written tracks with sublime vocals that harken back to some of the best from that time like Martha Reeves. She also does a solid job as the main vocalist on the tracks that return from original film's soundtrack.
Overall, Sparkle will have a good soundtrack accompanying the film that feature lots of songs that are reminiscent of the R&B hits from its defining decade. Houston's tracks will understandably get all the press but it's the lesser publicized tracks that deserves to get the attention including some breakout songs featuring Ejogo.
Score: 8.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "I'm A Man", "Yes I Do" and "Celebrate"
The unique indie rock quartet from Canada named after an Edmonton Chinese restaurant release their third studio album.
After a solid debut album and a tepid sophomore release, the band returned to the studio and laid down 11 tracks for this disc.
Go Outside is a much more cohesive than their last release and a more cogent album than their debut outing. The music itself is still non-standard, often times discordant, melodies with lots of alternative sounding, feedback-laden guitar riffs and frontman Chris Connelly's less raspy, Julian Casablancas-lite crooning style that will appeal to indie music fans because of its nonconformist ways.
For those fans that do like hard indie music, you will be in for a real treat. The album gets going right away with the pulse pounding "One in the Head, One in the Chest" and continues for the first five tracks through "Maybe Now" mixing in both prog and acid touches, plus going acoustic on one track, to maximum effect.
Go Outside isn't the most accessible disc being released this summer and it will only appeal to small group of indie music fans but those fans are going to be very impressed with the music found on this album. The album also grows on you with repeated listens so don't expect to fall in love with it on your first spin.
While their last disc lost some of the momentum built by their very solid debut, this album redirects their trajectory back into an upward direction. A well paced album with lots of indie quirkiness to fall in love with, especially during the first five tracks.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "One in the Head, One in the Chest", "Future Markets" and "Maybe Now"
The History of PanicFight! Fight! Fight!
This is the debut album from Mr. Pan!c, nee Gerald Roesser, who is, according to the band's website, "a Detroit-based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter" who "grew up with a steady diet of techno and Morrissey." Good 'nuff for me!
In fact, once you start listening to the music on this disc, you would be able to figure that much out by yourself with the heavy New Wave influenced melodies plus backing beats that sound like laid back versions of Detroit techno ditties (think: Derrick May on multiple ambien).
Considering this is basically a one man band, Mr. Pan!c is able create a real vibrancy with his richly layered music that will have you humming along or tapping your toe before you realize you are doing it.
This album will appeal more to people that grew up loving New Wave or Britpop music, but the songs are catchy enough that fans of Pop, and especially electropop, music should also give the disc a shot.
The bouncy tunes have instant appeal and Mr. Pan!c has learned how to craft songs with hooks that evoke high levels of fun and entertainment while still trying to get his message across.
For a debut album, Fight! Fight! Fight! delivers on multiple levels and is very impressive. Let us hope we get more releases from The History of Panic that can match or exceed this disc down the road.
Score: 9/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Anthem for Panic", "Out of Control" and "Own Up"
PROGRAMMING NOTE:I'm out of town next week so there won't be any new reviews until the following week. Thanks,
The indie prog quartet from Southern California release their debut full length studio album.
This album gets released this week in digital format available from most online music outlets although I haven't heard of the street date for the actual, physical disc.
Although this is their debut release I had already heard their track "Puzzle Pieces" on some sampler CD and was instantly intrigued by its kooky but catchy piano riff and Vampire Weekend-esque vocals and musical sensibilities so I was excited when I saw their debut disc was finally going to be released. Now let us find out if the rest of the disc is as captivating as their first single.
The good news for indie music fans is that Vampire Weekend comparisons hold for the entire disc (most noticeably in some of the arrangement choices they make) with some touches of Keane (especially in the band's use of vocal harmonies) and lead vocals that, when not strained, sound a bit like Simon LeBon with touches of Ezra Koenig mixed in.
Most of the standout tracks from the disc come near the beginning starting with the second track, "Benny Goodman" with a great run of tracks through the fifth cut, "1997."
"Benny Goodman" is a sweeping song that starts off with some requisite Goodman clarinet work but it quickly transitions into an acid homage to the Big Band great with distortion heavy guitars and catchy organ runs. "1997" is a sweet ballad that looks back fondly at that year with subdued vocals and a hook-laden keyboard refrain.
Overall, Voyeur ends up being an extremely strong debut with a handful of very well crafted ditties over the 11-track album. The first half of the disc is definitely the stronger of the two parts but the entire album is worth a listen. Let's hope the band can continue in this positive direction on their future releases.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Benny Goodman," "Puzzle Pieces" and "1997"
DigitalismDJ Kicks
The latest installment of the DJ Kicks series comes out featuring the German electronica duo Digitalism.
The DJ Kicks series has been a pretty solid one since Kruder & Dorfmeister were featured in 1998 and in the following years the series was taken to such great heights when they highlighted acts like Thievery Corporation, Stereo MCs and Hot Chip.
The newest incarnation has 22-tracks cobbled together by the German duo who create most of their music using their MacBook Pro laptop.
The genre of electronica music found on this disc can best be labeled as either House or Trance with some obvious Euro influences peppered throughout the album.
The duo lists another two-person European electronica act amongst their influences, Daft Punk, and while Digitalism hasn't learned the subtle touches that elevate Daft Punk's best tracks, the youthful energy and catchy basslines DP employed during their earliest recordings have a similar feel to the music found on this disc with slight new wave and/or punk touches employed to give some of the tracks a more modern touch.
The latest version of the DJ Kicks series is worth picking up. The songs with stronger House and Trance stylings are the more enjoyable
and danceable tracks whereas the two seem to be venturing into
unfamiliar and foreign territory when they try to mix in non-electronica
styles of music to mixed results.
It's not as good as the best from the series but it would be listed on that second tier of albums, and maybe at the top of that second tier. Of the albums I've reviewed, this is easily one of the top-3 electronica albums released so far this year.
Score: 9/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Loreley," "Silenz" and "Travellers" [sic]
JJAMZSuicide Pact
The latest rock supergroup composed ofJames Valentine (Maroon 5), Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley/Conor Oberst), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Michael Runion, and Z Berg (The Like) releases their debut album.
The name of the band comes from taking the first initials of the members who originally would get together to perform karaoke during their off time. The digital version of this album comes out today with the physical disc being released next week.
The music presented on this album is surprisingly mild tempo adult contemporary rock with slight indie touches, mainly provided by Z Berg's unique vocal timber, and jam band guitar riffs, usually from the strings of Valentine's distortion-ready guitar.
There are two standout tracks on the album, the first being the opening track, "Get What You Want," which is a sweet song about the things you may desire may not being worth the trouble of obtaining them where Berg's vocals and the distortion-heavy guitar hook are the big draw.
The other is the first single from the band, "Heartbeat," which is currently available for free from the band's website. That track is a smartly constructed song that slowly builds to become a fun, summer pop song with an infectious beat and melody.
Unfortunately, the rest of the 10-track album ends up being somewhat lifeless and monotonous especially once you consider the talent behind the release. As much as I was looking forward to this disc, it doesn't deliver the goods with too many generic sounding pop songs.
Score: 6/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Get What You Want" and "Heartbeat"
The Mercury-nominated Brit indie rock band release their fourth studio album and first since 2009.
This album actually came out a few weeks ago in the UK and should be coming out soon in the U.S. although Amazon and iTunes haven't listed a U.S. release date yet. It took me a few weeks to get my import copy of the album so let's not waste anymore time waiting for its review.
The album opens with an interesting but unusually somber (for the band) piano-driven and cello-including intro track, "When I Was Wild," which un-ironically begins lyrically, "Do I really need/to give an introduction?" That track immediately segues to the eponymous "National Health" which is a more typical Maximo Park song with quick tempo beats, a melody heavy on both piano and electric guitar riffs, and frontman Paul Smith rapid sing-song style of vocals.
For better and for worse, this disc is a more mature version of the band than we've seen before. "The Undercurrents" exhibits a previously unheard of restraint to their music with a simple 80-esque New Wave sensibility to it in an easily palatable ditty.
Whether or not their more adult sound appeals to you, there's enough that sounds like the band we've come to expect with the guitar and feedback heavy toe-tapper "Write This Down" where Smith's vim and vigorous singing style makes a loud and triumphant return.
Overall, The National Health is very good album and arguably the band's best since their debut album, A Certain Trigger. Although its only noticeable in a handful of songs, the slight update in their music's maturity won't appeal to all of their old fans but it does lead to a more diverse album in total with better paced peaks and valleys. The true fun of the album, however, still comes from the frenetic song style the band has exhibited since its inception.
Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Undercurrents", "Until the Earth Would Open"and "Wolf Among Men"
Joshua HyslopWhere The Mountain Meets The Valley
The Canadian folk-pop singer/songwriterreleases his debut full-length studio album.
Okay, I won't lie--I was planning on reviewing the new Chris Brown CD this week but I wasn't able to get a copy of it in time (he was probably too busy getting into bar fights to get me a copy) so instead we're going with this first release from one of our neighbors from up North.
The easiest comparison I can make with Hyslop's music is that it is a less pop-y version of James Blunt's work or a more folk-y version of Andy Stochansky's. What makes Hyslop's songs standout is the pained timber he can add to vocals that add an extra level emotion to certain tracks.
For example, "The Mountain" features a pretty simple and stripped down piano and guitar melody but it's the affectation he is able to conjure through his vocals that give the track its oomph. In fact, the arrangements overall are very basic and teaming up with a top-notch producer would help add some needed life to future albums.
Overall, Where The Mountain Meets The Valley is a subdued release where Hyslop's pained vocals are the real highlight. Unfortunately the songs themselves don't show a lot of life or personality with dull songwriting and dumbed down arrangements. If you're in the mood for sad folk music, you might want to give the disc a spin. Otherwise, you won't miss out on anything if you skip this release.
Score: 4/10 Song(s) to Sample:"What Have I Done" and "The Mountain"
Prolific R&B artist Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known by his stage name R. Kelly, releases the followup to his 2010 album Love Letter with his eleventh studio album.
Much like his last album, R. Kelly again gives a disc chock full of throwback R&B jams. The album opens with the eponymous "Love Is" which samples from the slow jams master himself (Barry White) with a melody that is borrowed from "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" in a sweet and simple ditty that tries to define what love is.
That throwback feel lasts for the entire album. "Feeling Single" has a melody straight from Michael Jackson's Off The Wall while "Lady Sunday" sounds like a late The Commodores song (minus Lionel Richey's silky vocals, of course)--and those are just the opening tracks!
Love Is comes off almost as an homage album with nods to past greats like Barry White, Al Green and even a little Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, while the music echoes those past greats' classic hits, it doesn't come close to emulating them in terms of freshness, originality, or catchiness.
As much as I like classic R&B and as much as I wanted to like this album, it just doesn't hit on all cylinders. The album's lack of a true hit single plus songs that fail to leave any lasting impressions makes this a hard disc to recommend You're much better off sticking with his Grammy nominated Love Letter from a couple of years ago.
Score:5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Love Is" and "Lady Sunday"
Maroon 5Overexposed
The Grammy winning, Adam Levine fronted pop rock band from Los Angeles release their fourth studio album
First off, thanks to Maroon 5 for our first nomination for the worst album cover of the year. It's new millennium pop art at its ugliest. Let's hope the music on the disc is better than the artwork that surrounds it.
On this album, the band seems to be searching for its sound bouncing back and forth from jangly bubblegum pop songs with their customary big hooks to tracks with techno-heavy beats and disco-lite melodies.
On some tracks they are able to blend the styles better than others. On the second track, "Payphone", where Levin's high alto singing voice blends well with the hook of the song, but guest artist Wiz Khalifi ends the track with a rap that seems to come out of left field and completely disrupts the flow of the music.
In what will come as no surprise to anyone, the band seems to shine brightest when they make the infectious and upbeat singles that will become staples in your local nightclub like on the track "Lucky Strike." On that track, the beat is fast tempo with a get-stuck-in-your-head hook and the Levine's vocals screech to perfection as he sings about finding his "one in a million."
Unfortunately, Overexposed, just like its album cover, is all over the place and that scattered nature makes it a hard album to immerse yourself in. There are some quality singles but the album itself lacks direction trying too hard to be too many things. The album is worth a listen but you'll be better off just buying the singles you like rather than purchasing the entire disc.
Score:6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Lucky Strike"and "One More Night"
Fiona AppleThe Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Ever Do
Smart singer/songwriter Fiona Apple, mistress of the unnecessarily long album titles (and I thought When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King was bad), releases her fourth studio album and first since 2005.
The good news is that despite the time between albums, Apple's style hasn't altered in that period still giving us intelligent baroque pop songs heavy on wit and personality with discordant, usually piano-driven, instrumentation that can be both enchanting and off-putting depending on the direction she wants to take you.
Long time collaborator Jon Brion (Magnolia soundtrack) is left off in favor of her touring drummer Charley Drayton for producing duties although Apple's songs in general still have strong Brion influences to them.
The lyrics writing is once again top-notch with beautiful imagery and brightly colored metaphors peppered throughout the entire album. The stark visuals she paints with her words are extremely vivid and effective.
In the extremely witty and well presented "Werewolf," Apple compares her former lover to dangerous things like the previously mentioned werewolf, a shark and a volcano; although she is sure to share in her portion of the blame for setting her lover off. It opens with the starkly told but beautifully imagined, "I could liken you to a werewolf the way you left me for dead/But I admit that I provided a full moon."
The Idler Wheel... is not the most accessible album out there today but fans of Apple will find it a wonderful edition to her breadth of work. Her songwriting chops are as solid as ever even if the music with its non-standard melodies and heavy emotions still won't have great appeal for a mainstream audience. However, indie music fans already in love with Apple now have reason to renew that love.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Werewolf" and "Anything We Want"
The Smashing PumpkinsOceania
The Billy Corgan fronted prog rock band best known for their work in the 90's release their ninth studio album.
This is the band's second album since reforming in the mid-2000's (minus Chamberlin, Iha, and Wretzky) and since they started the Teagarden by Kaleidyscope project, for which they cobbled together enough songs to turn it into a disappointing album released at the end 2010.
This time around its more music from that project although on this version it's actually compiled and presented in such a way that the disc actually sounds like a cohesive album. In fact, that's not the only thing that returns to form as we get a sampling of music that actually reminds us of what made the band popular in the first place: distorted guitars, a keen indie music sensibility, and Corgan's poetic songwriting.
This 13-track album takes a couple of songs before finding its footing but by the third track, "The Celestials," you begin to feel that Corgan can summon that magic at least one more time. The track itself builds beautifully starting off with the acoustic guitar but flawlessly and brilliantly transitions to full electric guitar and bass as the song builds and Corgan warbles about finding your eternal love.
There are other gems as well on the disc. "My Love Is Winter" is a more pop-y song with a big hook and encompassing electric guitar work. "Violet Rays" is more of a ballad but the standout part of the song is Corgan's vocals emote the same level of tension that made his best songs so memorable. While on "Pale Horse" they use an Elbow-esque opening guitar melody to craft a bittersweet ballad where Croogan's pleading vocals add an extra level of tension that many other artists would be unable to pull off.
Oceania ends up being a really good album from the Pumpkins and their best release since their heyday. The songwriting is beautiful and varied, the vocals aren't any worse for the wear, and the absence of the other founding members isn't felt at all. For a band that had as many seminal albums as the Pumpkins, this album can't top their best but it is a welcome return to them creating songs that are both relevant and entertaining.
Score: 8/10 Song(s) to Sample:"The Celestials", "Violet Rays" and "The Chimera"
The quirky synthpop band from London changes labels from Parlophone to Domino on their fifth studio album.
I won't lie, I've been a huge fan of the band since their second album The Warning came out in 2006 as their unique mix of electronic and classic instruments to create techno-heavy melodies and beats has created some unique and catchy singles over the years.
Since their first album in 2004, the band has impressively managed to cobble together enough new material to release an album each even-numbered year since then. Now let's find out if the music they present on the disc is as consistent as their release schedule.
Although synthesizers and electronica influences still lay the groundwork for Hot Chip's music, they do show a softer side this time around with a couple of ballads that are good tracks ("Look At Where We Are") but are obviously not playing to the band's strengths.
However on their songs where they stick more true to form, like on "Flutes" and "Motion Sickness," the band creates tracks that shows that they can be as catchy and beguiling as ever.
In Our Heads ends up being an above average disc from Hot Chip. It's not as catchy in general as any of their previous three album although they do manage to keep the band's signature funky electronic style intact to great aplomb.
Whereas their previous albums immediately enthralled you and captured your attention, this time around the music is more likely to take you on an easily escapable yet still pleasant aural journey. Although this is not Hot Chip's best work, it is still much better than your average release and it is an album very much worth checking out.
Score: 8.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Flutes" [sample it below], "Look At Where We Are" and "Motion Sickness"
MetricSynthetica
The female-fronted, Juno-award winning post-punk revivalist quartet from Canadaalso release their fifth studio album.
Just like the last reviewed band, Metric had been on a pretty consistent schedule releasing an album every odd-numbered year since their debut in 2003 up until this album. Let's find out if the music presented to us was worth the extra one year wait.
The album starts of very well with the downtempo but sweet sounding, despite the heavy guitar feedback, "Artificial Nocturnal." As on previous albums, frontowman Emily Haines' vocals have a detached yet haunting quality to them and her tenor adds a lot of atmosphere to the album similar to how Shirley Manson's vocal stamp is all over Garbage's albums.
That track is followed by the first single off the album, "Youth Without Youth," which is easily the most accessible song from the disc with heavy new wave guitar licks and keyboard touches that pair well with the synthesizer work and punk inspired drumming to create a track that draws you in and never lets you go.
Towards the end of the album, you get Lou Reed providing primarily backup vocals on the track "The Wanderlust" where Haines' vocals take on an almost treacly sweet quality. Not exactly the pairing I have been dreaming about but the track has a fun and innocent feel to it.
Overall, Synthetica is an enjoyable disc although I did enjoy the first half with its rousing beats and more clever song writing a bit more than the second half. For better or worse, the band pretty much stays within itself on this album so there is a consistent sound on this disc when compared to their past works but there's also nothing that transcends this album's music into something greater.
Score: 7/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Youth Without Youth" and "Artificial Noturne"
Grace Potter & The NocturnalsThe Lion The Beast The Beat
Sultry vocalist Grace Potter returns with her band The Nocturnals to release the band's fourth studio album.
By now most people are familiar with the band after their last album cracked the Top 20 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums in 2010, but for those unaware the band makes R&B-influenced pop and blues-flavored rock heavy on moody neo-classic electric guitars and subdued rock drumming or, as one of my best friends from high school would have said, "soul music for white people."
The good news is Potter's vocals are as sexy and measured as ever providing a real punch to the mostly standard sounding lyrics, just like she had on past albums. On the best tracks, especially once you factor in her unique timber, Potter's vocals come across as part Pat Benatar and part Adele.
Unfortunately, the songwriting this time around can't match up with the vocal talent as we are given no standout tracks like their past hits "Paris (Oh La La)" or "Goodbye Kiss." There are quality songs from beginning to end like the sweet but beguiling "Never Go Back" and the more prog-sounding "Keepsake," just not any songs you will set aside for your next mix tape.
The Lion The Beast The Beat is decent album from beginning to end. However, it won't win over any new fans to the band as the songs this time around don't match up to their past hits. Longtime fans should be satiated by this release but let's hope for wider appeal the next time around.
Score: 5.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Keepsake" and "Loneliest Soul"
UsherLooking 4 Myself
The multiple Grammy winning media mogul finds time away from managing Justin Bieber's career to record his seventh studio album.
Usher once again teams with songwriter and producer Rico Love on this release which is shockingly low on guest vocalists. Only three of the 14 tracks feature a guest artist, with Rick Ross and Pharrell being the biggest names.
Whereas his last album Raymond Vs. Raymond was his bitter, post-divorce album, this time around Usher is back in the dating game and he's all about scoring the booty with song titles like "Scream," "Climax," and "Euphoria."
For example, on the song featuring Rick Ross, "Lemme See," Usher croons on the chorus, "She says she wanna take her skirt off/ Be my guest!/ I decided to take my shirt off/ And show my chest!/ And we been sipping on that Merlot/ So you know what's next." My educated guess is that Usher is implying that what followed wasn't a quiet night of reading (unless the book was the Kama Sutra).
As far as the music itself, Usher goes for a more pop-heavy sound toning down the club-ready, crunk-driven flourishes that have fueled his most recent releases. The soulful jams are still readily present with make-out songs like "Dive" and "What Happened To U" making an alluring pair near the middle of the album.
Looking 4 Myself shows Usher gradually taking a different direction from club ready hits to more toned down and personal ditties. This is not to say Usher has completely changed as the music still has a groovy R&B feel and the themes are obviously still very adult but it is a more mellow album in general than what came previously.
I'm not sure if Usher has matured, if he's going after a more mature audience, or if he's trying to just take his music in a slightly different direction but it's a more adult sound (in more ways than one) from the man. A quality make-out album overall but I find it less enjoyable on its own than Here I Stand or Confessions.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "What Happened To U" [sample it below] and "Numb"
Thehard rocking Swedes come back from their five year hiatus to release their fifth studio album.
Over that five year period the band dropped its former label and formed their own record company and this is the first release on the Disque Hives label. The standard disc has twelve self-produced tracks although you can purchase a deluxe, digital-only version of the album with two additional tracks produced by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.
As you would expect, the album has a fervent energy that begins straight from its short opener, "Come On!", with its thumping drums and soaring guitar licks. Next up is the catchy ELO homage and the most accessible track from the album, "Go Right Ahead." That song, which features a rousing rising guitar riff straight from ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down", is an infectious rock anthem that will be blasted at summer BBQs and beach parties all of this year.
The raucous fun continues from there with the witty "1000 Answers" and the more throwback "Patrolling Days" which has a bluesier influences.
Lex Hives ends up being a fun and energy filled album that grows on you with repeated listens. You may not fall in love with the album on your first listen but you can discern really creative and clever touches to the tracks each time you listen to them. Even non-fans of the band should give this album a fair shot as there is beauty to be found that becomes more readily apparent on repeated listens.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Go Right Ahead" [sample it below], "Without the Money" and "1000 Answers"
Curren$yThe Stoned Immaculate
The New Orleans rapper enlists the help of a slew of big R&B artists for his eighth studio album.
Some of the artists getting "featured" credits on this album is very impressive. Wiz Khalifa is featured on two tracks while the following artists get credit on individual tracks: Pharrell, Estele, and Marsha Ambrosius.
Unfortunately, while those artists do bring a wide diversity to the tracks, the album itself seems to be all over the place not being able to find a common theme either in terms of the story the album is trying to tell nor in terms of having a cohesive musical bridging of melodies. So while there are individual songs that are worthy of your attention, the album is pieced together like a sloppy compilation disc.
The biggest breakout track is the Pharrell featured "Chasin' Papers" which samples the classic Nina Simone hit "Ooh Child" to maximum catchiness effect. Sadly, the tracks with Marsha Ambrosius and Estele don't exhibit the same creativity with those two artists' silky vocals being preceded by uninspired raps and surrounded by boring melodies.
The Stoned Immaculate has a couple of tracks that are worth checking out but the album as a whole is very inconsistent. You'll be better off just buying the tracks below as singles instead of shelling out the dough for the album as a whole.
Score: 6/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Chasin' Papers" [sample it below] and "What It Look Like"
The Grammy nominated, glam-skewing electropop music makers return with their fourth studio album.
This time around they stick close to the catchy electropop style we have embraced since their debut album while incorporating a throwback feel with Bee Gees and Elton John inspired disco flourishes peppered throughout the album.
The album opens with several buoyant and toe-tapping tracks including "Baby Come Home" and the first single off the album, "Only The Horses," whose playful melodies and catchy hooks lay the path for an enticing beginning to the disc.
Unfortunately the album does lose itself for two tracks in the middle of the album with the weird electroclash and house music track "Let's Have a Kiki" and the feedback heavy "Shady Love" with its discordant chorus that throws off the flow of the album substantially.
The last half of the album has a somewhat slower tempo and more somber feel overall, although that's not to say the songs are any less engaging. In fact, the track I found most enchanting of the album fits this bill with the tender homage "San Luis Obispo" with it tropical drumming and sweet guitar melody.
The entrancing "The Secret Life of Letters" has a more temperate chamber pop feel with its ethereal "ooh's" and its chamber pop instrumentation. While "Somewhere" is an ideal closing song that is both soothing enough where you don't mind letting the album end and engaging enough where you'll to listen to the album again.
Magic Hour ends up being a fantastic disc from the dance music creators where they exhibit more diverse musical tastes with some successful slower tempo tracks as well as some that have a heavier house and industrial electronica feel.
This album may not be their best release overall but its much more successful on many different levels including being less homogeneous than their last release, Night Work and easily stands shoulder to shoulder with their first two albums.
Score: 9/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Only The Horses" [sample it below], "San Luis Obispo" and "Self Control"
The multiple Grammy winning singer/songwriter from Connecticut hasn't been seen dating any famous actresses lately so he must have found the time to lay down his fifth studio album.
iTunes was streaming this album all of last week so you might have been able to hear a preview of it. For those that haven't, Mayer goes heavy in the blues and folk genres forgoing the pop flourishes that once helped his music appeal to mass audiences.
I found this album by Mayer, who has recently cancelled all live tour events due to health issues related to his throat, to be overly reliant on blues standards rather than using that type music as a building block in creating something that goes beyond a typical genre as he has done on his best albums.
Instead we get an overly morose album where even on his most accessible songs like "Love Is a Verb" he is left pleading "show me" that "love is a verb" rather than exclaiming that fact on a song that could have easily had a much different tone.
Born and Raised isn't a complete disappointment but it is a mediocre album at best. While on his best works Mayer shines in both his witty song writing and his playful melodies, this release doesn't showcase either of those abilities. Here's hoping he returns to form in both his health and his creativity on his next outing.
Score: 5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Love Is a Verb" and "Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967"
KimbraVows
The New Zealander who goes by the mononymous name of Kimbra is probably best known as the female vocaliston Gotye's ubiquitous "Somebody That I Used To Know" and today she releases her first solo studio album.
Well, this 13-track disc (with three bonus tracks if you purchase the MP3 version of the release) is already available if you are a Kiwi or an Aussie but the European and U.S. versions don't come out until today.
The music presented on this album is mostly soulful pop with Kimbra's sultry vocal style being the glue that holds the whole thing together. In fact, her vocals are constantly sublime over the duration of the album although her songwriting chops aren't able to achieve the same level of greatness yet.
A good example of this is the track "Two-Way Street" which Kimbra affects a gripping ethereal quality to her singing but the track which tries to incorporate string instruments, keyboards and even the odd xylophone comes across as forced melodically rather than the lush chamber pop feel it seems like she was aiming for.
Tracks like "Good Intent" where Kimbra's vocals take on a Nina
Simone-esque rasp and where she doesn't try to do to much with the
melodies is what really makes this album shine.
On the whole, Vows is a good debut where Kimbra's vocal talents far outshine her songwriting skills. It reminds me of a more downtempo version of a Zero 7 release but with less sweeping melodies. I could listen to her sing endlessly but I wouldn't mind seeing her get some song composition help on her next release.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Good Intent" [sample it below] and "Settle Down"
The CultChoice of Weapon
The long standing post-punk quartet from the British Isles release their first studio album in five years and their ninth album overall.
After releasing their last album and being dropped from their label, the band had announced that they would not be producing anymore studio albums. Instead they released two EPs and went on tour to support those two releases. Well the band has obviously backed off that proclamation and instead satiates their fans with this 10-track release.
Frontman Ian Astbury, who just turned 50, starts to show his age a bit on this release with a more narrow vocal range and more introspective songs. This is not to say that the man has gotten soft--far from it--but there is a weariness to the music this time around with a greater feel that he is taking stock of his life.
They Cult will probably never be able to recapture the fun and energy of their early hit albums like Sonic Temple and their 1994 eponymous release but there are a handful of songs on Choice of Weapon that will appease their longtime fans like "Honey From A Knife" and "For The Animals." For non-fans, you'll be fine skipping this release altogether.
Score: 5.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Life > Death" and "For The Animals" [sample it below]
The indie rocking British quartet release their first full-length album in over four years. This review is based off of the standard version of the album although a deluxe version with four additional songs can also be had. As we have come to expect, the band once again relies on their staple of piano-driven songs although the melodies seem less lush and vivacious this time around. Just like on their last three albums, the entire band gets credit for writing each track from this release.
The general message of the album is a positive one. For example, on "You Are Young," Tom Chaplin sings, "Fearful child have faith in brighter days/Stay until this darkness fades away" with as much restrained emotion as he can muster on the melancholy opening a track.
If anything, this overly preachy and protective stance leads to some safe song choices that don't exhibit much life over the duration of the album. While the piano melodies do have a simple beauty to them, the album as a
whole lacks any vibrancy and the dull tracks end up sounding very
similar by the end of the album.
Strangeland ends up being a monotonous and utterly disappointing release from a band once voted as producing two of Britain's greatest albums of all-time according to the readers of Q Magazine. While all of their previous albums showed great growth in terms of the band's music, this album is a step backward and is easily one of the most disappointing releases so far this year.
Score:3/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Silenced by the Night" [sample it below]
The Silversun Pickups Neck of the Woods
The noise rocking quartet from Los Angeles debut their third full-length studio album after their last release, Swoon, ranked as high as #7 on the U.S. charts.
For those who are already aware of the band, let's just say the comparisons to The Smashing Pumpkins will surely be mentioned again after listening to this release with frontman Brian Aubert's vocal tenor still sounding very Billy Corgan-esque and the band still taking a big cue from the Pumpkins' distortion-heavy songwriting style.
However, while the style is similar to The Smashing Pumpkins, the music given to us on this release sounds fresh and original with more electronica cues, booming riffs, and even a more evolved vocal style. A good example of this is the already released first single "Bloody Mary" which has wonderfully layered overdubs of guitars that somehow comes off more soothing than frantic and has Aubert's vocals more seamlessly woven into the music rather than him just singing on top of the melodies like he did on their previous two albums.
Neck of the Woods is a more advanced and better constructed album than what they had released before that sweeps you along on a fun journey filled with pleasant surprises. While still not as good as The Smashing Pumpkins at their best, with this album they firmly move out from behind that shadow and create something wholly their own with great success.
Score:8/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Bloody Mary" [sample it below], "Make Believe" and "Simmer"
KarminHello
The duo best known for their YouTube-posted cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" (200 million hits!) release their debut studio album.
Of the engaged duo, Nick Noonan provides the instrumentation heavily influenced by both pop and R&B while Amy Heidemann provides vocals in either a modern pop or rap style.
Noonan's melodies have a bounciness to them that gives the album a fun attitude while Heidemann's vocals sound equally silky crooning both the singing and the rapping parts of the songs, frequently switching to and fro on individual tracks. However, while the band definitely has its own unique style, they seem to try too hard at being quirky and it comes across as forced on a few of the tracks ("Too Many Fish" is one example).
There is a lot to like on this album with the jauntily crafted songs and Heidemann's rare ability to switch styles on the fly but the inconsistencies from trying to be too unorthodox and the short duration of the disc (7-tracks running less than 25-minutes) loses it some points. It's an above average debut album where the duo's personalities shine through even if a couple of the tracks come off as dim.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Brokenhearted" [sample it below] and "I Told You So
Programming Note: I'm out of town next week but reviews of new albums will be posted the following week.
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"
SantigoldMaster of My Make-Believe
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"
Various ArtistsThe Music of Smash
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]
The frontman for The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather writes and produces the first solo album of his career.
Although this is being billed as the premier solo album from White, fans of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs know he was the driving force behind those bands' albums so the blues-y and roots rock White gives us on this 13-track solo release won't come as a surprise.
Thematically the album covers a wide range of topics from the metaphysical exploration of being comforted by belief in a creator ("Yet of the dark I have no fear/But feel as safe as when 'tis light/For I know God is with me there/And He will guard me through the night" from "On and On and On") to more non-sequitur subjects like the random ideas that might pop into a youth's mind ("Moby Dick is a novel novel and I like skittles/Did you eat that bone?/I'm a happy rabbit and your mother called/on the telephone" from "Freedom at 21").
Despite recently going through a divorce and the brooding,
Morrisey-esque album cover (a vulture perched on his
shoulder--really?!?), there is a real vibrancy and life to the
arrangements and melodies that makes the entire album extremely enjoyable even on the songs with the darker themes.
That is not to say that the album is all fun and good spirits as White's songs can spiral through various emotional states all in the span of a four minute track but White does seem to enjoy making the music on the album and that fun he experienced shines brightly through the myriad of instruments he incorporates--two things that had been missing on White's most recent releases.
Blunderbuss ends up being an aural gem from Jack White where he manages to straddle the line between many polar opposites like happy vs. sad and standard blues melodies vs. funky prog-rock arrangements all with great aplomb. This stellar album has very few faults and is easily White's best solo or group work since the apex of his White Stripes days.
Score:9/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Missing Pieces" [sample it below], "Love Interruption" and "I'm Shakin'"
The Dandy WarholsThis Machine
Over the years The Dandy Warhols have gone through many changes to their sound from power rock to electro pop with frequent stops in the alt rock genres in between. Now let's find out what kind of music they present to us on their eighth studio album.
This time around they mostly return back to their garage and power rock roots with tracks chock full of prominent electric guitar riffs and other rock instruments featuring heavy compression.
While I can definitely respect a return to one's roots, there is very little creativity to the individual tracks of the album which leads me to think this change was due more to convenience than inspiration as the album as a whole ends up being very tired-sounding.
Overall, there's just not a lot to love or to hate on this album--it is just kinda bland. That album isn't overly boring but, on the flip side, it isn't terribly interesting either. You'll be better off saving your money for a less monotonous album down the road.
Score:4/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Sad Vacation" [sample it below]
Bad VeinsThe Mess We've Made
The indie chamber rocking duo from Ohio known for putting on exciting live shows returns with their sophomore studio album.
The 10-track album opens strong with the infectious "Don't Run" which comes across as a more Pop-y version of a The Killers or a Franz Ferdinand song with its catchy guitar and synthesizer refrains that are more likely to get stuck in your head than the hook of the song.
That's followed by the equally fun "Nursery Rhyme" and "If Then." The former follows a more traditional rock format with grittier drums and a crooning style of vocals on the guitar driven track while the latter enchants you from the beginning with its beguiling violin intro in the atmospheric chamber rock song that builds to brilliant crescendo.
Unfortunately, the album's tracks after that blistering three song opening can't sustain the same levels of enjoyment with more generic song writing in the middle of the album that is not able to conjure up the same magic. There's nothing inherently wrong with the middle songs, they just don't sparkle like the tracks at the opening.
Towards the end of the album the band lets go a lot more and the album feels more free by going heavier in the chamber rock direction to great effect. Tracks like the somber ballad "I Turn Around" and the bouncy pop song "Dancing on TV" help bring everything back home after the album loses itself a bit.
The good news is that Bad Veins avoid the sophomore slump on this front loaded album. While not a straight-A student this time around, it's definitely a solid B+ GPA for clever sounding songs and the brilliant incorporation of instruments on the heavy chamber rock tracks.
Score:8/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Don't Run", "Nursery Rhyme" and "I Turn Around"
The multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter from Virginia releaseshis fourth studio album.
Can Mr. Mraz continue the success he found on his past two albums, both of which ranked in the Top-5 of the U.S. charts? This time around Mraz takes a more subdued approach to his songs with the majority having a very slow- or medium-tempo.
The album opens with "The Freedom Song" which you might expect to be a breakup song based on the anti-love title of the album but instead it is a song about "how when I feel good/I sing!" While the song itself is melodic and a pleasant listen, there seems to be a discord right off the bat between expectations based on the title and what is given to us.
Unfortunately, that discord continues over the entire album as the songs seem more concerned with living the "easy and breezy life" like in the track "Living in the Moment" than with exploring why love is a four letter word.
The second major problem with the album is the slow tempo over the duration of the disc. In the past, Mraz's best tracks are when he is able to weave his cleverly worded lyrics with bouncy and buoyant melodies that appeal to even the most basic pop sensibilities. The high levels of fun that was present on all of his past releases are buried deep on this album. The slower tempo on the album would make more sense if the album's theme followed the album's title more closely but that's a spotty proposition, at best.
Overall, it's an extremely disappointing release from Mraz who attempts to show us his more serious side by forgoing a lot of the peppiness that made his music popular in the first place. The thing that is is consistent are his silky pop vocals and his clever lyrics rhyming style but those aspects can't bring the album up from the doldrums.
Score:4/10 Song(s) to Sample:"The Freedom Song" [sample it below] and "Everything Is Sound"
TrainCalifornia 37
The Grammy Award winning San Franciscan pop & rock trio release a new studio album that tries to replicate the success of their 2009 album that rose up the sales charts thanks to the ubiquitous single "Hey Soul Sister."
Unfortunately for the band there's not another "Hey Soul Sister" to be found on this disc but let us explore what can be found on the album.
It opens with the Billy Joel-wannabe "This'll Be My Year" which comes across as a poor man's "We Didn't Start The Fire" with its quick list-style lyrics that isn't as clever nor as catchy as the song its based upon.
From there the album ventures more into the roots rock music you've come to expect from the band. However the most interesting tracks shows the band is not reluctant to venture into other genres as well.
"Bruises" has country-esque guitar licks and guest vocals with Ashley Monroe to create one of the most memorable tracks off the album. While "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" sounds like it would be a Paul Simon-lite track but instead it comes across in the beginning as cross between 80's Broadway musical (think: Chess) with a Spanish flair before transitioning into a more traditional rock song
California 37 has some bright spots but there are no blinding tracks like their uber-popular "Hey Soul Sister." It's a mixed bag of an album that will probably still sell well to the masses.
Score: 5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Bruises" [sample it below] and "50 Ways to Say Goodbye"
SWVI Missed Us
If you are a GenX-er or GenY-er you probably remember the group SWV (Sisters With Voices) with top hits like "Right Here/Human Nature" and "You're The One" from your high school years in the 90's before the trio broke up in 1998. Now the three ladies have gotten back together to release a new album.
What I remember about the band from their original heyday are impassioned lead vocals and luscious vocal harmonies with a tinge of sass, which are mostly still prevalent on this release.
The sass seems to be more at bay this time around, instead replaced with a mature song writing style that probably comes with age since all three members are now in their 40's.
The album itself is chock full of similar-sounding slow R&B jams with more modern mixing techniques, a good example of which is the first released single from the album "Co-Sign." Although the ladies still have velvety vocals, the music on the album starts to run together towards the end of the album and becomes more monotonous.
It's good to see the ladies back in action but they won't be able to conjure up anything close to their past successes on this release.
Score:6/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Co-Sign" [sample it below] and "Keep You Home"
