Dec 02
AndrewMusic album review
There are probably worse things than stealing from Madonna’s bag of tricks, and certainly it’s no surprise that Britney Spears has done exactly that on her new album Circus. The surprise may be then that Circus is kind of a low-key affair. Aside from the sizzling single Womanizer, the rest of the album is kind of sedate.
Incorporating the hip hop beats and manipulated vocals (without the endless stream of R&B cameos) that is all the rage on radio today (and admittedly, Britney has done it longer than anyone else out of necessity) Circus looks a lot like Madonna’s Candy Shop only…tame. Songs like Unusual You and Out from Under are pretty, vacant, and perfect compliments to the rest of the album.
Besides Womanizer, there are some shining moments. The paparazzi-hater Kill the Lights and Mannequin. The whole album almost seems like Britney is trying to prove she can be non-crazy, which makes it a perfectly serviceable album all around. Some people might push for the crazy Britney to make a comeback but in my opinion, Circus is a welcome return to form.
Nov 18
AndrewMusic album review
Dido has an soulful voice and a strong pop sensibility. The problem is that her albums have been getting quieter and quieter. The strength of her vocals and the star quality of her songs seems muted overall.
The problem started on her last album, Life for Rent (notably on the title track). But there were still enough pop and upbeat elements to make it a stellar album. These days, her new release Safe Trip Home is so understated, it is like listening to background noise. Don’t Believe in the Love, the album’s first single, is quietly catchy. But after that, the energy level turns down, way down. Quiet Times (yes, the irony) has zero impact. Same with Never Want to Say It’s Love. Twenty minutes into the set and I’m half asleep. No where is this problem more apparent than on the beautiful but lackluster track Look No Further. The track was released as a free download when the album was still being mixed and it sounded unfinished. Still does. Sparse is good, but a whole album of sparse is boring and unmemorable.
Listening to the arrangements, these songs are the same Dido that we remember from Here With Me and Thank You. She uses a good array of symphonic instruments that showcase her voice well, including a heavy dose on Let’s Do the Things We Normally Do. But it’s all just a little too soft, a little too muted to make it shine.
Nov 17
AndrewMusic album review
Butch Walker has been around the block a few times, but if you don’t recognize the name, you are forgiven. Walker has a handful of solo albums, including the new release Sycamore Meadows. But his cred is built on producing records and writing songs for other big name bands. Among his recent producer credits are Pink’s last two albums, albums by Avril Lavigne, Peter Yorn and (sigh) Rock Star Supernova.
Sycamore Meadows is an energetic singalong affair. Walker is clearly the kind of guy that knows his way around a pop tune. The tracks are all of the radio-friendly variety from the lead single The Weight of Her to the upbeat jaunt down Ponce De Leon Ave. Pink does a guest turn on Here Comes The… and Walker ventures briefly into ballad territory with ATL. Every song comes with a hook and puts a smile on your face, even the forlorn love songs like Ships in a Bottle. The lyrics may be a bit love lost, but the tune gives you hope.
Walker only has two supporting dates for the set, one tonight November 17 at DC9 Nightclub in Washington D.C. and December 4 at Largo at the Coronet in Hollywood, CA.
Nov 13
AndrewMusic album review, Greatest Hits
Christina Aguilera has released a greatest hits set Keep Gettin’ Better that represents her 10-year solo career. It goes without saying that this is an awesome collection of tracks, all mainstream radio hits. She has a beautiful voice and has managed to stock her career with a nice mix of gorgeous ballads and peppy pop tracks. The best, Genie in the Bottle, Fighter, and Dirrty are here, well cushioned by half a dozen other solid hit songs. Among them are three tracks from her big band-esque release Back to Basics which come with a different vibe but are all still uniquely Aguilera’s.
Unlike Aguilera, a lot of artists release greatest hits albums after only a few studio albums and it’s like “What’s the point? You haven’t been around that long.” But in this case, a greatest hits set is wholly justified. These are bonafide knockouts tracks. Even better, the reworked versions of Genie in the Bottle (Genie 2.0) and Beautiful (You Are What You Are) are amazing new songs in their own right despite borrowing from the original. Genie 2.0 is unrecognizable (except for the lyrics) set with a backdrop of a heavy dose of 80′s electronica vibe (think Sweet Dreams) and is easily another major score for Aguilera.
Incidentally, the set is only available at Target. Though the single Keeps Gettin’ Better is available on iTunes.
Nov 13
AndrewMusic album review, American Idol
David Archuleta, the first LP release of American Idol-runner up David Archuleta, is pure pop cotton-candy. An album of power ballads, there isn’t a song here that isn’t appealing and catchy, captured by Archuleta’s breathy Celine Dion-like vocals.
The Dion comparison isn’t that far fetched. Here we have a vocalist with a soft touch, a breathtaking range, and the ability to pump the emotional flotsam out of a ship wreck. Track after track falls into a similar formula. My Hands has the some sort of vocal undulations that made Crush a hit single. Desperate is practically the same song, with a tougher exterior to be sure. Even Angels, the cover track that showed up on Idol, sounds like it belongs on this album.
Archuleta and his producers managed to avoid the schlock of say, a Meat Loaf song. That’s a good thing. But it does raise a question how these songs are going to translate into a concert. Ballad after ballad is going to slot an Archuleta show into what? A Josh Grobin type of thing? Until he can afford Celine Dion size production, I would think the energy level of his concerts (notwithstanding the 12-year girls screaming in chorus) would flatline. There’s nothing here to get the crowd pumped.
That said, the most diverse track of the bunch is Your Eyes Don’t Lie. The track has a different beat than the rest, and the vocals are jumpy (in a good way) even the whistling is a interesting twist from the rest of the album.
By the way, what’s with the cover photo? He looks tired and tough.
Oct 28
AndrewMusic album review
I got through 16 minutes of Bloc Party’s album Intimacy before I had to stop. Artfully described as “art rock” there are pop elements sprinkled throughout the album (the part I heard, admittedly) but not enough consistently to be engaging. The sound of the opening track Ares was so grating, I was already worried. But after sitting through the repetitious Mercury I knew I was in trouble. The last straw was Trojan Horse. Nothing here is particularly bad (except the annoying fuzz overlaid over every track) but nothing is good. Trojan Horse has a hook buried under annoyingly mechanized production, and that obnoxious simulated falsetto. In the hands of another band, it might be an interesting track. Here, it just pushed me over the edge.
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