The Hunting Party - it's official. June 13 2014 is the date where Linkin Park releases their sixth studio album and I am hyped. Am I hyped about the singles so far? Well, they have been far and in between. This is a review of their latest single, Until It's Gone.
To be honest, the track starts out a little different from what you got to taste with Guilty All The Same. Obviously, the tracks are similar in that they are much more heavier in terms of production (Rob's drums, Chester's vocals, Brad's guitars) but this track just felt out of place. Let's go back to some of the positives I got out of this track. First, Chester's vocals were finally back and hitting hard. It could be because Guilty All The Same needed a different type of drive, but in this single, he hammers another home-run that brings me straight back to their Hybrid Theory and Meteora days. Secondly, the song starts out very strong. You can hear some of the synths in the forefront sort of leading the guitars on the track and they mesh well together with such ease. The drums on here are always kicking and Rob's got it all on check. However, while I wanted this to be Linkin Park's 'next big thing', I was left disappointed and oftentimes left wondering. While I question Mike's absence (he produced the album alongside Brad, in which case legendary producer Rick Rubin has finally put his hands off the band), the song was meant to fit on a heavier scale, in which too much energy was focused into. First, while the rock roots and the heavier instrumentals played a huge role into Linkin Park succeeding and granted a worldwide loyal fanbase, I cannot fail to contemplate that while they haven't gotten in touch with their old music in a long time, they were too eager to delve into it. Some of the production on here were simply sub-par. They were just not good enough. The mix of drums, guitars and synth after the chorus made the track felt more unfocused than it should have been. Secondly, the lyrics suffered drastically. Not even thought-provoking at best and fails to make any impact at all. That said, lyrical repetition has always been in Linkin Park's catalog, they definitely overdid it this time in my opinion. However, does that mean the track is not good? It's fine, but sometimes it's the kind of track that gets left out of albums because of a few things. Maybe the song was rushed because it made very little impact. Still, it's a decent track, though Guilty All The Same does edge it out on a little high. Rating: 5.5/10 I've always been a big fan of Linkin Park, but sometimes, you start to wonder if they still have steam left in their ever-running engine. While I anticipate The Hunting Party, I fear for the worst as well.
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The re-release of Native for this year certainly has seen a new single emerge from the band with an enthusiastic approach. However, can Ryan Tedder and co. see success with life after Counting Stars?
As I've said with a throwback review, production was one of the highlights of Native. Every aspect was crafted very well, which we've heard from some tracks like What You Wanted, Preacher and the successful single, Counting Stars. But the lyrics under-delivered slightly, which was a problem that has plagued the band since their debut album back in 2007. Still, what Ryan Tedder brings to the table is just simply exceptional. Named Rolling In The Deep v.2 by most fans, Love Runs Out sinks back into the band's prominent side of an engaging melody and simply giving into what they do best. Ryan's falsettos does feel out of place (similarly to Ed Sheeran's Sing I reviewed a week ago) but it is no doubt able to groove and move without having to pull off fantastic high notes so as to keep the melody flowing. The track itself does start off with what is a very intriguing fashion, before going on a piano-chord rampage that strings all the way to the chorus, which explodes like a dormant volcano. The best part of the track has no doubt got to be it's hook. So satisfying, enriching and livid that Ryan's vocals bring to the chorus is just simply too good to miss out, which made their original Native singles (Feel Again, If I Lose Myself, etc.) so enjoyable while not exactly covering all of the cracks which are simply obvious to the listener. All in all, Love Runs Out is too easy to like and definitely fits OneRepublic's catalog. You could say that had the song been on the album in the first place, it would've made a difference. Truth is, it doesn't matter and there are Rating: 7/10 Track is solid. Nothing more has to be said about it. I have always been a huge fan of Ed Sheeran and also liked his previous solo debut album, +. With that being said, and having heard his new announcement of a new single and a new album this summer titled x, I am just really excited. And then Sing was released thereafter which was produced and co-written by none other than the falsetto-singer, Pharrell Williams. How does the new single fair to it's previous ones?
If you guys don't know who Ed Sheeran is or have never heard of him at all, he is one of the guys who uses, to a very large extent, the loop pedal to create some of the best works I've heard of in a long time. Some of the tracks includes one of my all-time favourites, You Need Me. If you've never heard of his live room performance, I highly suggest you to listen to it. While probably a glimpse among his peers, Ed's amazing acoustic guitar plays probably won more fans than accolades, which transitioned him into one of mainstream's gems while not really getting as much airplay as the likes of Passenger or other UK artists. While you may feel it is a bad thing, Ed Sheeran's features have never looked dull and his releases so far has been equally consistent on a level footing. Then comes his new single, which is produced by the talented Pharrell and here we are. On first listens, Sing feels like a Timberlake-esque song, invoking vibes of that falsettos in which Ed creates and showcases on the chorus. And also, the song might not pick up as quickly like a moss stone. It really takes quite some time to get along to it and doesn't dissipate quickly. The standout of the track probably comes in Ed's verses. They are a mean shudder that sends shock-waves to his previous releases and to me, is probably what I know of the Ed Sheeran on +. And obviously, the song will take gradually almost many listens (if you aren't noticeable to change nor haven't had much transitions nor heard of most transitions within bands, then it will take awhile considering Ed's caliber). While change feels weird, I have to admit, Ed's vocals are tantalizingly smooth and silky. That also makes him a very versatile singer-songwriter. Then the negatives, which is largely the exaggerated production that consists of multiple layers of electric guitars and synthesizers that just seems to overcrowd each other. It feels like a result of too many fingers on the sample that made it feel extremely overloaded. On a side note, while this may not be Ed's best songs in awhile, I'm eagerly anticipating the album though. Rating: 6.5/10 Decent single, some great lines and the right Ed Sheeran vibe, which is pretty much all I think would fit well into the singer's catalog. It's added onto my playlist and let's see where we go from here. It seems Christina Perri's problems not only lie in the decision of whether if she should choose the head or the heart, but rather vocally and tonally, she needs to make up her mind as well. Does this album live up to the hype (if there is any) and does it succeed at being better than her debut album? All these questions add to the stickiness of intrigue.
For starters, I'm not a big fan of Christina Perri and never was since her debut album, Lovestrong. Albeit the album had decent tracks (the famous Jar of Hearts and one of my favourites, Distance), it's just not on the level that other peers work with in the same genre. That is a very troubling message considering her popularity rose even higher with the release of the Twilight-driven single, A Thousand Years. Though she did deserve some of the attention, I guess the criticism did too. Bare in mind I haven't touched on Lovestrong for the most part, and you could consider this an album review solely on Head or Heart, but the album just falls apart so, so heavily. Let's touch on some of the better points in my opinion. Firstly, the album starts out relatively strong with Burning Gold and Be My Forever probably being the stand-out tracks out of the three (Ed Sheeran was amazing on the latter track as always). Then Human picks up the slack, which for me, I didn't like from the beginning of it's release back in November. If you notice now, Perri relies very heavily on the instrumental tracks to lead her rather than taking charge with her vocal delivery. That is a plus point, considering she is self-aware in most occasions, and she doesn't overdo it as well. Another track that stands out is One Night which shows the piano lurking, overbearing on the chorus but the problem lies in another category (which I will talk about later). Secondly, the melodies are more of a hit than miss, and considering the tracks are somewhat dramatic and high-toned, Perri matches it to a certain weight at the extent of her not-so-high vocal delivery which actually does drag her down on too many conditions. Still, it worked very well. Thirdly, most of the tracks are capable of being more than what they are, and Perri knows that, and the tracks do showcase most of her vocal delivery (which doesn't necessarily has to peak high every single time), on songs such as Run and Lonely Child. Now that we've got the good points out of the way, this is when Christina Perri capitulates on her own solo album. None of the tracks run well on their own, and since most of the tracks are strong when played on repetition, none of them stand up well enough to even earn it. Human certainly doesn't. Burning Gold certainly doesn't. That's when it fell apart almost very quickly. It seemed as though for this album, the foundation was built upon what thrived exceptionally well on A Thousand Years, which wasn't really all that talent-precision considering the fan base pushed it well beyond borders when it wasn't possible. Christina Perri focuses too much on grabbing her own attention, and extending her vocals rather than keeping it on her own footing and letting the songs go on their own. Her efforts makes the songs almost dull, Broadway-esque and similarly lacking in other areas. There are standout tracks, but even the flaws outweighs the goods. The album is inconsistent from the get-go, the build-ups don't work and many of the tracks don't deserve a spot on the album. The album makes Jar of Hearts and A Thousand Years feel like fluke popular tracks that were designed for mainstream, which the former probably is while the latter was certainly not. The self-aware measures weren't high enough and while Perri might've strained herself to reach those peaks and valleys vocally, she does it while not noticing her versatility and her vocal range, making the tracks stumble and crumble almost immediately. Favourite Tracks: Be My Forever (featuring Ed Sheeran) Least Favourite Tracks: Human, Run, Shot In The Heart, (And Others) Rating: 4.5/10 If you're a Christina Perri fan, you'll love it. If you're not, I might recommend some tracks but even those are under-worked, under-developed and are just not good enough. Perri has work to do. A lot of work to do. So Painkiller is Three Days Grace's official new track with a changed front-man, in the form of Matt Walst, who is part of the band My Darkest Days (which released a single a few years back with Ludacris and Chad Kroeger titled Porn Star Dancing). Is this return to roots, or is the band lost in direction?
Listen to the track here. I'm pretty sure I don't want to see anymore bands breaking, especially some of which I've listened to and liked in the past (My Chemical Romance, Breaking Benjamin although it seems Burnley could form a new group but under the same name), so I would say it's decent handling to bring Matt Walst in to replace one of my favourite songwriters and long-time lead vocalist, Adam Gontier. Like any other band, usually the lead vocalist is kind of the nucleus and the main core of the band. Gontier not just built a foundation, but he stuck it thick and thin with the band and wrote his troubles into a fan-favourite album, One-X. With that said, it was sad to see him go considering the band's songwriting was respectfully crafted under his guise and I guess it had to happen. With that, in steps Matt Walst and Painkiller seems to a bit hard to swallow for long-time fans. On one hand, Painkiller is like the perfect track record for the band: incredible electric guitars swinging by and the drums are hard. On the other hand, it will take a long time getting used to Walst's vocals considering they aren't as rough and glaring as Adam's, but he's not a bad choice anyway. We all need to accept Adam's gone now and he isn't coming back, so let's stick by the band and prepare for their new album hopefully in the fall of this year. While Walst does what he can with the song, the rest of the band is still rock solid. The singer does sound a little stiff, but hopefully he's a great choice and I will look forward to their new album. Rating: 7/10 And yes, it will take some time to soak in the song, but it's a good track nonetheless and most audience should feel the same. Unless their on the diving board with an atrocious spirit of having Adam Gontier leave, otherwise it's a good track. I will be reverting to my singles rating, and it will be added to my playlist. Karmin, the duo of Nick and Amy which took the world by storm in their popular cover of Busta Rhymes' and Chris Brown's Take A Look At Me, have finally debuted their new album after their 2012's Hello EP which was messy, uncoordinated and off-beat in a few cases. Can they produce magic which skyrocketed them to fame and glory? Or will they crumble from a high peak?
The duo of Nick and Amy is, to be honest, easily likable. Though Amy does sometimes scratch the infuriating levels on the surface with her off-vocals and falsettos (check Acapella), let's not forget that she her vocals are incredibly veined and she can pull off incredible vocal stunts that probably most other singers can't. That said, the duo never seemed strong on the lyrical content (Too Many Fish, Hello, I'm Just Sayin' from their Hello EP), but the catchiness of their music is what they've subdued since the EP released two years ago. That being said, after the mysterious release of the two singles in the form of Acapella and one of my favourites, I Want It All, it can be said by most Karminites that the album has finally arrived at their doorsteps. Well, maybe in a few days. Let's talk about some of the positives here, because this album starts out strongly. Amy's vocals on Pulses is just simply astounding on extreme levels. The talent is there, and while it may seem suffocated on their previous release, Pulses definitely hits the right scenery and the vocals are put to the ultimate test. It is just glorified and outstretched, leaving the audience to be amazed at Amy's vocals. I will get to Amy's rapping later, but let's just take a gander (or hear it) at how simply fluid it's become. Another thing that has grown is Nick's vocals too. From Pulses, it's probably the only thing I liked apart from the weird synthesizers (Amy's vocals did not work in that song; it was awkward and simply irrelevant). Nick also does some of the instruments on the tracks, but his oblivious influence on the EP, while contributing to only some parts, is also shown in full glory here. It's amazing to listen to, so check out his vocals on tracks like the aforementioned Pulses, Night Like This and Hate to Love You. Next, the production level increased up a notch, such examples include: Drifter, I Want It All, Night Like This. The guitars, the percussion; so perspicuous from the get-go became a large part of the album apart from Amy's vocals. They can be heard clearly and soundly, which is great considering their EP was just flabbergasted of production that became overly tiring as the song went on. Geronimo, which is an acapella introduction, is epic. The sounds of the duo explodes perfectly, and then notes are hit on-point. This shows that Nick and Amy are capable of stripped songs and can still balance it well. The emotional tones on the album are immensely full of depth as well, such is Neon Love and Tidal Wave, which the duo handles pretty well, though I'm fond of the former than the latter. Lastly, the lyrics have been kicked up a notch, although at the expense of trying very hard of being too capable. It's not terrible though, after what was the lyrical nonsense of the EP (Apart from Brokenhearted), it's great to hear something refreshing and that has semblance of the album from top to bottom. However, just like every pop album (although Karmin are fiery on their live shows), the flaws are just obvious from the start. The duo's over-singing on most parts (Tidal Wave, Gasoline, Hate to Love You) and it slowly starts to grow annoying, while at the same time keeping the song bridged from it's verses from it's chorus/hook. Thankfully, that's only a small part. Then, there's Amy's rapping such as Try Me On and others. I liked Take A Look At Me's cover and Brokenhearted's short snippet of rap, but sometimes it gets over-annoying and it feels insipid. I get that it's fun and whatnot, but I'd do without it personally and it makes the tracks much stronger in terms of quality. While 50% of the fans do like the rap and have asked for it, I'm just not a fan and probably will never be one. Apart from the negatives, the positives simply outweigh it's counterpart. While it doesn't paper over cracks and it isn't that big a gap in the first place, the tracks are fine on their own apart from my dislikes. What's In It For Me which feels Timbaland-esque definitely doesn't make the cut... Favourite Tracks: I Want It All, Drifter, Night Like This Least Favourite Tracks: What's In It For Me Rating: 7.5/10 All in all, I would recommend the album if people are relatively okay with the pop tracks on the album. It gets you in the mood to rock, it gets you on your emotional side and packs a big punch with epic production, tamed lyrics and at times, being vocally opulent. While it's not the best thing out there, Karmin sure as hell picks up as a rock. I can't wait for future releases, as long as they're on par in quality or a better one. The album is awesome, just don't get me wrong. As I like to compare the modern arts to literature and previous works with the current ones, there is absolutely no denying how anticipated Supermodel has been after engraving success of their previous album, Torches, with a multi-platinum single in the form of Pumped Up Kids, would see the band make shift into a direction and experiment on songs and tones that they aren't used to. Will the band expose their mistakes or will they carve a new route onto even bigger pastures?
Let's be honest, Foster The People got me on my feet with the singles from Torches, an album that undeniably sunk in with ambitious tracks (Call It What You Want, Don't Stop, Houdini, and of course the lead single, Pumped Up Kicks) that worked insanely well because of how groovy the tracks were meant to set out to be, despite the pretentious tracks behind it's pillar singles that never really got to see the light of day. Although the lyricism does exact a different punch, Torches, albeit an indie record, surpassed expectations and became one of the best albums of that very year. And with their recent new single, Coming of Age, I had a very bad feeling with the song, and soon, the album. Bands taking directions, you've heard of it and you've seen it. Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, Paramore, the list goes on for the mainstream bands, but what really got the project running was the inevitable hardcore fan-base that really rallied behind the bands when they needed support for the new music. And I am a big fan of Foster The People in which they undoubtedly won me over single-handedly with their debut album, but I really cannot avoid the fact that Coming of Age is at most blatantly decent and that brick blocking it from achieving higher things will probably not be washed out. You could say Pumped Up Kicks wouldn't have the exact same popularity it deserved, but 2011 was the year in which indie-pop and most indie-rock bands shone. Fun., for example, broke through with We Are Young a year later and caught on to people because of what they set out to be. Though Nate Ruess and Mark Foster are exact opposites (Nate doesn't do falsettos, Mark doesn't do high notes), their music felt at least capable of drawing listeners. I couldn't feel that straight out of the gate with Supermodel. It's not an underrated album, and it's probably sub-par in very wide regions that is exceedingly visible for all to see. Coming of Age, while not terrible, does provide the forgiving catchy hook that balances the harmony, while the entire album itself falls off on the wayside. Straight from the get-go, the ambitious, yet un-fortuitous opening track Are You What You Want To Be?, showcased brilliance and intellect, but at the same time a repetitive experience with an awkward melody lines that barely feels decent. As much as it is ambitious, it falls flat. And hard. With a big loud thud. Same goes to Nevermind and Best Friend, which has a cheeky undertone, full of overdressed melodies and is just trickled with wrong vocals over-stepping each other all the way. So many tracks just feel obsessive on their own that feel as if they had been stripped of a monotone vocal from Mark, who overdid it on the most part, would've been much, much better. It wasn't a fluke that Torches became a highlight of 2011 and became a transcendence for other bands to be influenced (tick the box that has the name Imagine Dragons). In fact, the best songs on the album are probably the stripped ones that contains much more sincerity than the others. My favourite one has to be Fire Escape, and to an extent, Goats In Trees. The acoustic sounds of these tracks level up the over-pounding mayhem that is caused by the rumbling of the other tracks, and prove to be sophisticating and also compelling, rather than being overly ambitious and seeing the downfall straight away. That said, effort was definitely not absent, but the experimentation seemed to become dysfunctional for the band, being overly flamboyant on the subjects and never really putting their foot into it. While it's not a simplified bad album, it's nowhere near good nor great. Favourite Tracks: Fire Escape, Goats In Trees, The Truth Least Favourite Tracks: Nevermind, Best Friend Rating: 5.5/10 I wouldn't care if experimentation was used on an external play record or somewhere along those lines, but too much of an overdoes definitely doesn't exaggerate and could readily fail upon impact. Foster The People, while Supermodel does tirelessly clock down it's efforts and proves to be ambitious, lyrically, it's decent and the plan worked on selling and about the consumers. However, there is obviously no other reason why the band cannot churn out a record that is just simply better than what they have in their hands. Supermodel is a disaster for the most part, and a probably a modern artwork at best. Now before y'all start going 'Linkin Park brought a feature on to their new track!' or 'it's going to sound exactly like A Light That Never Comes with Steve Aoki' and have never even heard of Rakim, to just toss that thought aside. Never heard of Rakim? You mean you've never heard of the legendary New York rapper whom many up and coming, underground lyricists have known for a long time? Yeah, I hear you. Still, let's be honest. I won't deny the fact that the previous single with Steve Aoki was anything of quality that was on par with Living Things (which was a great album), but this track will surprise you in ways you would never expect to happen.
First off, a few things aren't really on this track. Where is Mike Shinoda? He isn't even rapping on the track (considering the only one doing so is Rakim). And of course, considering their previous album, Mike has probably gone behind the scenes to do the usual production with the bombastic synthesizers which are heard absolutely monstrous on this track. They come out roaring almost like a kraken just a minute into the song, and the chorus feels almost in the heydays of Meteora and Hybrid Theory, which most 'hardcore' fans will definitely enjoy. Another thing that was great was the instrumentals. It felt everyone had a role to play in the song: Rob's drums were crashing, they were so huge that it was so surreal; Brad and Dave, the guitarists also played a huge part in the electronic aspect of the track but the only one I felt didn't deliver as much was Joe Hahn. Maybe he had a lot to do with the mixing and switching roles with Mike into a more dynamic role, but he felt missed. There was one small problem: Chester Bennington. When he sang the first verse, he felt sick and stiff. It was as if he was drained of his energy, but he did do as much as he could on the chorus which was absolutely kick-ass. But his effervescent energy provided a lot for the track, because Rakim just felt left out. What was growing into a song that would explode (considering the track is 5 minutes long, almost 6), you would expect Rakim to roar, but I felt he under-delivered heavily. Still, I haven't heard Rakim in a long time as well, so it was good to hear both Linkin Park and the legendary rapper rocking out so heavily on a track again. Rating: 8/10 I thought I'll just go with the more stylized version and simpler one for the track reviews as well. All in all, it's a great track, but does lack a little effect vocally. Still, I'm hyped for Linkin Park's next venture, considering I was sold on Living Things (I'd rank it up there with Meteora, which is my number 1), but I hope they don't go electronic again considering A Thousand Suns when compared to it's successor, was just dismal. To sum it up effectively: while flawed, Linkin Park got back to their roots and that's all it matters. It's going on my playlist for sure. The second solo studio album by Pharrell Williams is here! Well, it seems the producer has finally put aside his main duties and decided to put himself in the spotlight after an incredible year for the 40-year-old (Get Lucky, Blurred Lines, producing records for Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar), man, does Pharrell even take a rest? But then again, his last solo studio album was dropped almost 8 to 9 years ago, and finally taking over the helm from the sidelines, can G I R L, a concept album that Williams himself has defined, do well or even better than his predecessor record (In My Mind) almost a decade ago?
So for those of you thinking you've been here longer than the man himself, well, you're wrong. Since the 90's, Pharrell has been a huge part of the R&B genre (and to a closer extent, hip-hop and soul) and was also part of the producing duo with Chad Hugo (who is now a member of N.E.R.D.). And thus, also invigorating some of the R&B sounds with come to listen to now on present day. But, what's really actually gave him the revolutionizing start to re-begin with was his almost flawless contributions to two of the hottest tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 that eventually got the attention of the eyes he wanted. Even if it isn't the ones he was going out to get. Now as a producer who has now come out of the shadows to do an album that would work (considering some of the tracks he's done), it may seem like the best idea. But when you have a solo album that happened almost 8 years ago, that suffered terribly, people might not buy into the fact that you're either a talented producer, or a decent songwriter that matches up with your singing abilities. Lets take for example, Happy, the lead single off of this album. People enjoy the track, why? It's groove and the funky aspects come into play that translates itself to make it enjoyable, and that's one of the reasons why the song is so successful. But if you delve deeper, the track offers no essential meaning other than just be happy and not care about what others say. On the lack of voided lyricism, it is true that Pharrell more than makes up for it with his superb skills in the percussions, and funk guitars that happens not just on the single, but throughout the rest of the album. Now that sets the tone for Pharrell to dive in, and considering such funkiness throughout the album evokes the thoughts that Pharrell's instrumentations and production are almost most superb when compared to his songwriting and singing capabilities. And when I mean singing, Pharrell usually goes straight falsetto-ish and delivers sometimes awkward, messy and strange vibes that don't connect very well. Let's be honest. As a lead act, there's not much when Pharrell on his own, can carry the helm. Not even being in the lead act, as long as he commandeers the ship alone, he already even has trouble anchoring the spot that he is voyaging into. Take for instance Get Lucky by Daft Punk which also features Nile Rodgers, that Pharrell obviously is immediately boosted by the fact that the instrumentation is enhanced and the production too, which makes his feature all the more charismatic and detailed. In G I R L, Brand New which features Justin Timberlake is a perfect spot-on example. Not only does Timberlake bring his charisma and his own set of falsettos to the table to par it with Pharrell, but to actually share it with Pharrell simply simplifies the fact that it doesn't necessarily focus on the main singer considering he is always better with another feature. Of course, the singing is awkward and it also showcases that, which probably also hinders the rest of the album in a wholesale kind of effect. Also, if you notice the lyrical content Pharrell is putting up (along with some of the vibes he's been giving off), they sound so similar to the likes of Prince and Michael Jackson. Obviously, the stars of before definitely have much better songwriting lyric-wise than Mr. Williams himself, which makes the content on G I R L all the most un-witty and... weird. Sex is kung-fu? Hunting for women than ducks against Duck Dynasty? Taxidermy? That act is killing animals Pharrell. And your animals are women. What is wrong with you? Those are lyrics from Hunter, and Gush just exaggerates to another level. Apart from them, there is Come Get It Bae (Ride a motorcycle. Shh, it is Pharrell's. Not to mention Miley Cyrus does a great job albeit in a small feature) in which otherwise, provides once again attractive production, instrumentation and guitar riffs that rips apart the track in a solid way. All in all, amazing production and instrumentation (you're talking Pharrell Williams for God's sake), but almost weird, awkward and random lyrics that put Pharrell in a spot where this 'concept album' suddenly shifts it's toes sideways. Favourite Tracks: Happy, Come Get It Bae, Brand New Least Favourite Tracks: Lost Queen, It Girl, Gush Rating: 6/10 Let's not take away the fact that Pharrell produces some of the best tracks that I have heard in a while, but the liability that is his songwriting is just too much to handle. It's okay, but it's always the beats and production, the groove and the funk that keeps the audience moving, while the lyrics just feel out of place. I'd recommend it, unless you're the person that don't really care about lyrics and that melody is what you're searching for, G I R L is great. But necessarily weighed down by some negativity that translates to a bad album elsewhere. Have you ever heard of an album that eventually, while still continuing on an unscheduled basis, to shift your musical tastes and land you so desperately far off from what your musical tastes were before? Breaking Benjamin was a band that was one for me, and throughout their careers, through raw (Saturate), post-grunge rock (We Are Not Alone), and career defining tracks (Phobia) managed to bring out from. In fact, they are probably one of my most favourite bands in the rock genre that brings about their own flair to a song while keeping their distinct styles apparent. And with this throwback review of their most recent album before their breakup, I will talk about Dear Agony, an album that has been praised and criticized all at the same time, while still being a fan favourite in my eyes.
If you've not known Breaking Benjamin, or have only heard of them now, I suggest you listen to some of their previous tracks just to notice some of the track's grimy related attributes that would later distinguish itself to be a prominent pivot for the band's success in future releases. Dear Agony, while to me having shouldered much criticism than it should have in my view, certainly doesn't deserve the lack of attention that they got with their previous release, Phobia. In many actual facts, it was due to the popularity of the tracks on the album (Diary of Jane, Breath) that eventually won them many fans that would later become just there so that the band would stay afloat for at least one more record. At least now Benjamin Burnley, the lead singer, has finally gotten the lawsuits done so I'm amped up for a new album at the moment. Let's go back to the band's roots for a second, considering Saturate, when heard now, is characterized with such raw and distinct attributes (the guitar riffs, Burnley's saturated voice (pun) and mostly the drums that pounded insanely on tracks such as Polyamorous, Water, Skin, etc.). I think what most people didn't understand was why the band changed their direction of each album so that it actually felt genuinely post-grunge/alternative rock that eventually shaped future records. For me, Saturate was like a gateway for the band. It was just like a means for them to get their names out, at the same time staying relevant to the mainstream. We're talking about year 2002, where rock kind of dipped and collapsed while it made sure to uphold the intensity of some older bands that had stayed. While it may be considered by fans to be one of the weakest, I feel like the album ranks itself in a position disclaimed because of the way the band writes the tracks. And that to me has always been the band's strength and has always been at the forefront of their sales and success. That to me, is their flair. Breaking Benjamin's style of writing, or more to the point of Burnley's apt songwriting has always to me, been the focus of some of their songs. Say for example in Dear Agony, there is a track titled Without You, that Burnley sings: Swallow me under and pull me apart; I understand there's nothing left; Pain so familiar and close to the heart; No more, no less, I won't forget. People seem to forget that Burnely's songwriting was also a main component for the breakout of the band's success. In other songs of Dear Agony such as Crawl, Burnely also sings: Falling forever, chasing dreams; I brought you back to life so I can hear you scream. All in all, a talented songwriter was placed in a foothold that basically ripped apart the job so easily that with each brush of a paint he held, he had done something magnificent. Of course, there are times where the track falls apart readily, but the notion of it usually comes from the fact that it is the band that hasn't found the right formula to an ingredient that had been lying awake all so long. With that being said, the lyrics add a wider tone, emotion and depth that hasn't been seen before or heard before on previous records, thus creating a vibe for the audience rather than suit them accordingly. However, the problems lying down with the album definitely don't stem with the lyrics itself. One of the weaker tracks for me, Fade Away just feels incomplete and undesirable. It's the track the probably to me least fits the album because of the subject and the tone, whereas the album title track and others like Give Me A Sign provide the excellent accompany to an album that's capable of being extremely better beyond it's lengths. And like I said, most of the tracks don't cave in due to weak songwriting, but mainly the tie-in of the tracks and how the tracks blend well on their own. Lights Out also feels similar to Fade Away, while most of the fault kind of lies in it's own weight in which it is unable to hold on it's own. That and the non-subtlety that's missing which is attached to the other tracks definitely show that it's lacking thereof. In a well-rounded album in and of itself, Breaking Benjamin has made another great album, but to say that it is weaker than Phobia and We Are Not Alone definitely shows that this album doesn't have the more core components that was included in the albums that felt as if this album fell short of something. But in actual fact, the album didn't. Favourite Tracks: Hopeless, Without You, Crawl, Anthem Of The Angels, Dear Agony Least Favourite Tracks: Fade Away, Lights Out, Into The Nothing Rating: 8.5/10 The album deserves more spotlight than it's predecessor records and that means something. While it definitely doesn't hold up against specifically to Phobia, Breaking Benjamin's Dear Agony is equally damaged, sophisticated, emotional and full of depth. That's probably something most bands can't match, lest even compare to Phobia. Dear Agony is not a wasted trip, but an experienced journey that will leave you in specific tender and warmth. It's one of my favourite Breaking Benjamin albums, and I will play it for a while more as I eagerly anticipate their future releases. I've not watched Glee since it's first episode of it's first season years ago. But hey, Darren Criss, Lea Michele and of course, the late Cory Monteith. The question remains: can one of \television's beloved stars make it big with a debut album?
So if you've read the Rolling Stone review of Louder by Lea Michele, let's be honest, the album isn't some jazz, maldisfunctional EDM ruin that comes out blasting with pop affectionate vocals talking about love. On the contrary, the album does support itself well enough to state that it's a good album, but again, that's really all there is. Not entirely sophisticated nor having the traditional songs that kind of surround the likes of Katy Perry or Demi Lovato, Lea's new album does take some of her songs in a different direction and in a balanced way. Not amazing, not dire but just well fenced. However, that's half a mistake considering the album is very safe on the topics. While (obviously) the album is orbiting around the main subject of love and mainly of the death of her boyfriend, the lyrics are very straight to the point and doesn't necessarily dwell on it nor beat around the bush. Some songs such as Burn With You and Thousand Needles portray the sounds that Lea herself is singing about, and there's no other way to it as well. With that saying, it isn't necessarily a bad thing considering the album does have great writing on many occasions. Spear-headed (mainly) from Sia's writing on some tracks, such as Cannonball, the lead single, the song itself connects lyrically. But I've always had a problem with the lead single, with it being that it felt too much for Lea. As everyone knows from Sia's vocal range, the song is going to be high octave with growing vocals. When it came to Lea, it felt strange during the chorus that didn't necessarily fit with the song entirely. I could be nitpicking, but the song just didn't work and it became easily forgotten for me. However, the other songs of the album eventually shined through a small crevice that made the album emotionally toned, and it's probably a good reason why the album is impressive wholesale and not just track-by-track. Take and give, Lea's vocals are not impressive, not by a long stretch. But what she does on the upscale, is that she provides the emotional undertone that most pop stars don't usually express from or have a hard time doing so. One of the songs in particular includes Katy Perry's 'almost-made-it-to-emotional' track Unconditionally. Coupled with simply bad songwriting, Perry's version just simplifies Prism to make it seem exotic and free. However, Louder is camp free. In camp free, I mean that it's much less exaggerated and just flows with the track rather than succumb to it on a level that precedes that of Prism or the likes of other mainstream female pop albums. This makes the album much better on a large scale, and some tracks boost it greatly. On My Way, Battlefield, Don't Let Go and the co-written song with Sia If You Say So takes the album to a different level, and that's one of the reasons why the album is simply great. Yes, it does feel as though Lea 'over-sings' on some occasions (Cannonball, Burn With You, You're Mine), apart from that, her vocals aren't that bad, considering Glee has definitely solidified it greatly. Once you get used to the vocals, which is kind of similar of that Demi's, you'll find yourself strapped in and ready to go. Favourite Tracks: On My Way, Battlefield, If You Say So, Don't Let Go Least Favourite Tracks: Cannonball, Thousand Needles, Empty Handed Rating: 7.5/10 The album deserves a score better than the albums that were delivered by other mainstream pop female vocalists considering Lea's talents, which is mostly seen on television. I would recommend the album, but the album's definitely going to get slapped with criticism for sure. But hey, opinions are opinions, so just let it slide. If you enjoy it, good for you. Quick question: name a band that's had their first debut single reach the top 5 in the Billboard Hot 100, who has a lesser known reputation and their new debut album is going to smash the Billboard 200. Did you guess A Great Big World? Well they do fit the first three criteria, but the last part does seem to put them off the steering wheel a little bit. Bolstered by the hugely popular international single, Say Something featuring Christina Aguilera, there's no way this album can fail right? Well...
A Great Big World comprises of the duo that is Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino, with Axel being the lead singer (more or less considering what he's done for the album) and is also the pianist while Chad (and mainly both) are/is the songwriters of the album. Is There Anybody Out There is also the duo's debut album and to call it 'immediate amazing' because of one hugely successful single does off-put what the duo's potential really is. There's many, many problems that is stuck to the core of what the album is really. And many of the problems are already in hindsight of their single with Xtina, Say Something. Firstly, Ian Axel's vocals are a large part of the problem, but it doesn't complete the full circle of what is to come. Sure, it is powerful (which can be heard on Say Something and Rockstar), but sometimes it does feel awkwardly plain, too direct and just unfitting. Along the album, Chad's vocals, although is not heard throughout as poignant as Ian's, does seem to shine through more than his partner. That seems to me as a much better option considering Ian is the pianist and both are equally talented songwriters (will get to that point). But Ian's vocals, to be flat out honest, is just not good enough. Secondly, while the piano is mainly the core instrument on the album, the production is just incredibly wasted on this album. That's why one of my favourite tracks, Shorty Don't Wait, just shows how emphatically promising A Great Big World can be. It's just a fantastic discovery that is lined up along the likes of Land Of Opportunity, Already Home and I Really Want It that feels like filler songs, experimentation tracks that doesn't mean anything to the record on a whole. While I do know they want to make the album fun and exciting, on a whole, it doesn't make a point as one who is trying to sell the album. Hell, I don't even know if I should laugh or just remain calm to Cheer Up!'s lyrics. The album just doesn't know of it's direction and just sails in another completely, just out of notion. Thirdly, comes the topics that the album addresses, such as Everyone Is Gay: 'If you're gay, then you're gay; don't pretend that you're straight' and so much interpolations on You'll Be Okay, I Really Want It and There Is An Answer. You may think I am nitpicking, but maybe the inspirations of the duo seems waned and faded, sometimes just crafting cheap lyrics at it's finest and just storing them in when they know their strongest has already peaked. This makes the songs tired, outdated, of what is a generic flash in the pan statement. But, as always, not all of the lyrics are as bad as they suggest. In fact, at this moment, lyrics are what's the best for the duo when it comes to their technique. I Don't Wanna Love Somebody Else, Rockstar and of course, Say Something all show perfect qualities of the duo's strengths in crafting momentum based lyrics that builds up to this incredible peak during the choruses, as shown in their lead single. But as profound as they may be, the weak links of the album just seems to come out on top every single time. Favourite Tracks: I Don't Wanna Love Somebody Else, Shorty Don't Wait Least Favourite Tracks: Cheer Up!, Everyone Is Gay, This Is The New Year Rating: 6/10 Is There Anybody Out There is just a terrible mess, incomplete and downright mediocre. The album just shadows itself in a complete treble of mess and just states nothing but future potential vanished in thin wake. A Great Big World has to know that they've got good potential, but this is good potential squandered at it's very best. I wouldn't recommend the album, but if you wanna' check out the hype behind Say Something (or forward), then I say just listen to the two tracks I've listed as my favourites because, well, you'll know why. Well it's been a long time since I've been induced strongly to a new album, and The Fray's new album titled Helios certainly looks impressive on paper at least. However, after coming off 2012's Scars and Stories, certainly they look to amend themselves to their previous work. But will Helios change their fortunes?
You can call The Fray a rock band, but I'd rather place them in the alternative rock genre due to their surprising hits back in the past with Never Say Never, How to Save A Life, and mainly their first two albums that pretty much skyrocketed them to fame. I don't care what people say, but Scars and Stories was a downright disappointment from the get-go. The album never had a defining track, suffered from the promotion of singles and the band itself didn't even feel whole-hearted in that project, making it a mess with only a small amount of tracks that managed to 'rescue' the album from being a total disaster. I also want to note that Scars and Stories also felt contained, and didn't have the uplifting melodies that were present back in the first two albums, which I felt was really core of what The Fray was with Isaac Slade leading the charge with his powerful vocals. And yet, the first song off Helios, titled Hold My Hand just feels like a quality marred track, with an unbalanced tone and doesn't appeal at all. It just felt like the wormhole was back to swallow the album back to their previous two albums. But a change of form was necessary, and duly delivered in the form of Love Don't Die and Give It Away. It's true, that the songs don't really have the emotional vibe that was present in How To Save A Life, which was probably why this album was more of a dramatic, anthemic album than their predecessor albums. With hard-pounding drums in the second track and a guitar-core track in the second, the tracks are bound to get you moving up about your seat. In both tracks, Slade's vocals are tantalizingly amazing, stretching at the chorus and just soothing. In fact, the album itself does revolve around the 'get up' drums with the occasional guitar riffs that tingles the audience to move, along with Slade's vocals for the ride. And that might not be a bad thing after all, considering their lackluster albums before, Helios' vibe is a great welcome for fans alike, though that may just be personal opinion. The album does also contain shades of their first album with tracks like Keep On Wanting, Closer To Me and Our Last Days which kind of feels similar to the 1-2-3 punch that was Heaven Forbid, Look After You and Hundred on their debut album back in 2005. There is also Break Your Plans which adds to the list as having a similar vibe of an emotional tone. But Wherever This Goes is where the album picks up once again back from Hurricane, which is an amazing track that kind of belongs together with Love Don't Die and Give It Away. Still though, the track itself preserves the previous track's emotional tones and carries on until the end of the album. The album's closer, Same As You, is probably the culmination of the entire album. It is solid, it has the effective drums, along with an ever-growing melody that, well, kind of just ends sadly. I wished the song was more in depth, and had the characteristics of some of the other emotional tracks on the album, but from what I've heard so far, it is solid and the album justifies itself. Favourite Tracks: Love Don't Die, Give It Away, Hurricane Least Favourite Tracks: Hold My Hand Rating: 7/10 All in all, it's a good album but the band really does seem to be experimenting with newer melodies rather than bringing their music back to it's roots. It's technically good, apart from some minor touches that needed to be added or amended, I would recommend it to other listeners. It's the same case for most other rock albums though: the first half of the album was great, while the second half just barely makes it unscathed. With a request, I decided to also do a throwback review from one of hip-hop's underground artists, August Alsina. With Downtown: Life Under The Gun EP which was also dedicated to his lost brother, August comes off the EP with a singular success that probably not most other underground rappers would achieve nor try to. What is it that you might ask? Well, it is a bit of a long shot but it seems August has not only put his pedal to the ground, but also maintained his solid approach to the music industry.
When you look at underground rappers, sometimes they either go disastrously bad with their first EP, or make a big hit (Imagine Dragons with their Continued Silence EP, though they had It's Time which was promoted alongside The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, so probably not the best comparison) that could turn them into potentially record-tasting signings. August is currently signed to the Def Jam Label where his camped up with some RnB singers and some questionable rappers (2 Chainz). Perhaps he's doing well at the moment? Either way, he had to impress with this EP and man, did he thrive well. He didn't do bad, but for most underground artists, August certainly threw a competitive punch that felt more like a direct uppercut. The voice in August Alsina is probably the cream of the crop for the album, and is definitely the highlight. While not entirely the best, it is fluid and does warrant solid ground for him. The lyrics, sometimes flat and out of flak, didn't really feel all that 'put into effort', but rather just 'make do with it' sort of method. That doesn't necessarily make the EP bad, but it does show the audience that perhaps the lyricism wasn't well thought out or to focus more on vocals than what's taken at face value. The only single, I Luv This Shit featuring Trinidad James, was decent. The lyrics could be better and while having no feature is better, Trinidad James did okay. It certainly was a similar case to all features on the album, with just baseless and un-unique flows that don't really build, add nor improve the song. At the same time, Kidd Kidd rapped with a distinct flow that reminded me of Motion Man in Linkin Park's Enth E End on Reanimation, but it didn't really capture any attention at all. Curren$y was probably the better out of the four. Rich Homie Quan was... sub-par. Not at all emotional, void of power and just doesn't fit in with the song in Ghetto. With that said, it so has to happen that August was a brighter star than his features and in the end, provided the main show and let the others become a distraction that really detoured from some of the songs. Like I said previously, the lyrics on the EP is lacking in all directions. It probably has to do with some of the subject matter that it inherits from on the songs, such as Ghetto and Let Me Hit That. These songs show a very sensual tone rather than being serious (maybe it was balancing both in Ghetto). Still, the EP has also other tracks to make up for it, namely Hell On Earth, Nobody Knows and Survival Of The Fittest. These songs are more emotional, provide a unique baseline coupled with overly decent instrumentals, especially on Nobody Knows; the piano on the song is just crazily ferocious that really grasps you about and brings you toward the song even closer. 7.5/10: All in all, a decent EP, if not a good one, but definitely not great. There are some highlights on the EP and I can see August perhaps landing a mainstream hit in the future as he definitely has the potential to cause such a ruckus. Let's see what he's up to now, considering this EP is a strong one. He definitely also needs to work on his lyrics and subject matter to progress higher, considering the tracks are stuck in the middle and are disparate from the other tracks. Most underground artists don't even have such a strong start to their career. OneRepublic's Native was probably one of my more anticipated albums of 2013 in it's first quarter, but I hadn't really got a chance to look into it after it skipped me over for pretty much the entire year (I did review If I Lose Myself). This time, I finally got my grips together and decided to do a throwback review for Native, an album that I got around to but still has hand-prints along my mind.
Let's be sure, OneRepublic sure hasn't been that consistent with albums, but their singles have been topping charts all over the years. Apologize, Good Life and Counting Stars all got their fair share of popularity and success, but the albums don't exactly feel the same way nor provide an impact ever since their debut album back in 2007, which I feel happens to be their best album to date. With that, I guess you sort of know where Native stands as a whole when you compare their three albums together. And I'm not saying that Waking Up nor Native can't stand on par, but let's do a quick roundup before we review Native. Now let's be honest, I liked Waking Up, but you have to admit that some of the songs on the album don't fit retrospectively, nor on the album as a whole. That surprised me, considering the album itself took quite some time to fuel up attention before it really started to burn through walls in the form of Secrets and of course, Good Life. I've never had problems with the instrumentals nor the vocals because Ryan Tedder and the rest of the band delivers and fires on those listed cylinders. But most of the tracks, while impressive, feel all over the place. Everybody Loves Me is a great song, and carries the same vibe of Good Life, but that's also one of a consistent problem OneRepublic concurrently has in their albums. While I like similarities to their previous album, such as All This Time and Prodigal, it just feels as though a tingling vibe is missing. Apart from the singles, Waking Up is not really a commercial success. And I suppose if you just transitioned into the album after hearing Dreaming Out Loud, you will notice differences. So am I to say that their sophomore album is largely influenced by Native? I wouldn't think so. On another level, I would say Native is more of an eclectic-fused experimental album, due to tracks such as Au Revoir, Can't Stop and Light It Up. These three tracks are more atmospheric-themed that doesn't match into OneRepublic's catalog, and feels like something out of Coldplay's book. Obviously, it's new steps for the band, but it was a really ambitious one considering most of the tracks are too simplistic too tag and don't really necessarily pick up the edge nor melody that really stands out from the others. That's why some of my favourite tracks include Counting Stars, Something I Need, Feel Again, Burning Bridges and Preacher. When you compare these tracks to the above three, you will notice the drastic difference that these tracks have. Unlike the above, the songs offer a tone and uniqueness that oftentimes is able to latch on to you easily, rather than having to specifically emote ourselves onto the tracks. This makes Native a very topsy-turvy album that surprises at times, but feels like a letdown on the other. While yes, the production did come in handy at times, but for others, it was Ryan himself with his organic vocals and distinct lyrics that really pulled ahead for the album for sure. Tracks like Don't Look Down, Counting Stars, Preacher and I Lived really showcased his diversity in songwriting, and took Native to it's next level. While I know that these tracks have a more toned meaning than the others, OneRepublic's experimentation took them back and forth, leaving them stranded and stray of a certain direction, rather than focused on an aim that really hampered their progression by quite a mile. It's still a great album, and does have fantastic singles (Feel Again and Counting Stars are catchy, meaningful and great), but at the same time flawed, lacking and too disparate from their counterparts that the album felt messy and all over the place. 7/10: All in all, Native gets a decent 7. I would rank it behind their debut studio album because I still felt Waking Up was a letdown in certain directions, while Native still has that OneRepublic sense to it and continues to thrive on it. You will certainly either love it or hate it, depending on how big a fan you are of alternative pop, but OneRepublic can still do better because this is not their best by a long shot. Either they stick to their game plan or try out something that works because hey, they have great singles so I guess that is still a good sign, even though it's the label that usually has the last word. I'd recommend Native, but it definitely isn't for everyone. |
AuthorBenny Ong: Just your regular guy who likes soccer more than most people, and also a little downtime is pretty nice. Archives
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