Album Review: Born This Way - Lady Gaga

  Born This Way was defined by Lady Gaga as "the album of the decade" way before its release. Revolutionary, groundbreaking, or phenomenal were some of the adjectives used to refer to the new music of an artist who´s been know to have her share of controversy.

 So, is Gaga´s new album as epic as they made us believe? It´s not. Will it make an impact on the music industry as we know it? It won´t. Is it an album worth of our attention? Yes it is.

 Hype is a very bad word. If this album was released today without all of the high expectations surrounding it, we would have probably payed more attention to the music because... lets not forget it. It´s not about the bizarre dresses or controversial videos... it´s really about the music.

Here is our track by track overview of the album:

 Marry The Night: This song contains rock and pop elements from the 80´s with a powerful chorus. However it´s the dance section in the end what really makes it stand out. 7/10

Born This Way: The first single off the album was labeled by many as a Madonna´s Express Yourself ripoff. It is enjoyable but no as groundbreaking as it was conceived to be. 6/10

Government Hooker: This post-disco inspired track reveals one of the biggest retro moments of the record. The song is so good it just speaks for itself. 8.5/10

Judas: The second single feels sometimes messy with Gaga´s voice lost among synthesizers and digital effects. The melody is somehow reminiscent of Gaga´s old hit, Bad Romance. 6.5/10

Americano: Spanish is Stefani Germanotta´s failed subject. The song is almost a self-parody of what it is supposed to be. 3/10

Hair: An infectious chorus that unfortunately gets lost along the way of an overproduced track. All in all the drums and the saxophone riffs provide some authenticity to the song.  6.5/10

Scheiße: The real dance anthem of the album and our personal favourite. This commanding pop song is definitely single material. 9/10

Bloody Mary: The religious theme appears once again but this time the mood is quite different. Overall a decent track. 6/10

Bad Kids: A homage to teenage rebellion and adolescence. The rock intro paves the way for a more disco pop oriented sound and chorus. 7/10

Highway Unicorn (Road To Love): The melody in the beginning shares similarities with the chorus of her hit Poker Face. Not exactly our cup of tea. 4/10

Heavy Metal Lover: The song shares the exact same rhythm pattern of Born This Way only slower. Unoriginal, predictible and boring. 3/10

Electric Chapel: It incorporates 80´s elements with some rock flavour. Nice but not enchanting. 3/10

You and I: A nice change of sound. A Robert “Mutt” Lange-produced  love song with some E.L.O. inspired background vocals. 7/10

The Edge Of Glory: The current single and a very good song choice for ending the album. 8/10

Click below to listen to Scheiße, our favourite track of the album!




What do you guys think? Is Born This Way worth of your attention?

Album Review: Femme Fatale - Britney Spears

 It´s official, Miss Britney Spears has returned to full form. With Femme Fatale the pop princess has delivered a dark, risky, club record in the line of her masterpiece album, Blackout.

 Britney knows pop dance music is what she does best and this may be the main reason why the album features no ballads. Instead, we are presented with a collection of strong uptempo tracks with a defined and established sound.

 There are many potential club bangers in Femme Fatale as well as singles from where to choose from. However, there are still some pleasant unexpected surprises such as the mid-tempo closing track, Criminal,  which features a more prominent pop sound complete with guitar and flute.

 Here is a track by track overview of the album:

Till The World Ends: The second single features crazy beats and an infectious chorus. A sure hit. 8/10

Hold It Against Me: A good choice for a first single. The dubstep breakdown is one of the highlights of the album. 8.5/10

Inside Out:  Britney showcases her capacity to deliver edgy tracks even if they are not uptempo. 8/10

I Wanna Go: This song demonstrates why Max Martin and Britney are a match made in heaven. 9/10

How I Roll: One of the few dissapointments on the album. The track sounds promising production wise but it never really delivers. 3/10

Drop Dead Beautiful: Not a bad song but can the chorus can sound too repetitive at times. The final section of the song is definitely something else. 6/10

Seal It With A Kiss: Not the most innovative or shocking sound on the album. Pretty pale in comparison with the rest of the songs. 3/10

Big Fat Bass: The song goes from annoying to acceptable by the end. It grows on you. 6/10

Trouble For Me: Would have loved to listen to Britney´s voice without the autotune treatment in this track. Otherwise a forgettable one. 2/10

Trip To Your Heart:  Loved the melodic atmosphere on the chorus. Sounds like a ballad with a dance beat. 8/10

Gasoline: The last uptempo song on the record. Enjoyable but not brilliant. 6/10

Criminal: The real gem behind this album. Britney sounds great vocally showing she still has what it takes to deliver a meaningful mid-tempo pop song. 9.5/10

What are your favourite songs on the album? Hit the comments!

Album Review: Michael Jackson - "Michael"

  As a long-time Michael Jackson fan, the idea of listening to new music from the King of Pop was something that I've been looking forward to for years. After his unexpected passing last year, I knew that June 25th marked the end of an era as far as his music is concerned. The awaited new album would never see the light of day, at least the way Michael himself envisioned it. However, there was still a possibility that many of his unreleased recordings saw the light of day in the future. Almost a year and a half later, Sony releases "Michael", a posthumous album (or so they claim) of new music that Jackson was working on the last couple of years.

  The approach for this record was risky because a lot of the material was unfinished or too raw to meet Sony standards so a decision was made for other producers to finish what Michael had already started. People like Teddy Riley or Neff-U were brought in to work on the project following a "roadmap" Michael had left in order to complete the album. This has caused a backlash from fans everywhere who claim that the tracks should have been left as untouched as possible, which ponders the question: Could they really intuit what Jackson would have wanted for each given song?

  To make matters worse, there are claims that 3 of the tracks (the ones produced by Cascio) feature an impostor and not Michael's voice. This is partly why we must not consider this a new Michael Jackson album per se, but a collage or collection of unreleased material completed as a tribute or testament to his genius.

Lets do a song-by-song analysis of the album:

Hold My Hand (7/10)

 An early version of this mid-tempo track had already leaked in 2008, so die-hard fans were already familiar with it. The song in itself is pretty decent, although it sounds more like something Akon would do (the credits don´t lie) rather than a Michael Jackson hit. Although enjoyable and uplifting, I do not think it serves the album well by having it released as a first single. The best moments of this track is when Michael's voice is prominently featured.

Hollywood Tonight (8.5/10)

 This energetic track is definitely one of the highlights of the album. Produced by longtime collaborator Teddy Riley, both the music and the vibe contained in this track is more reminiscent of the Jackson we all know and love with a modern 2000's twist that will make you want to dance to it. The lyrics talk about the dangers of success and fame, with Michael's vocals sounding deeper than usual but nevertheless effective. It has definite single potential (they should have gone with this one instead of Hold My Hand). On a side note, the spoken bridge is performed by Taryll Jackson, one of Michael's nephews and member of 3T.

Keep Your Head Up (6/10)

 This is the first Cascio track of the album, a mid-tempo song that culminates with a gospel choir singing about hope and strength in life. Many fans are divided in their opinions regarding the authencity of Michael's vocals. Based on my humble intuition, I believe that this is the only one of the Cascio tracks that could feature his real voice. An early version of the song was leaked weeks ago which featured some Earth Song adlibs that, thankfully, have been removed in this final album version.

(I Like) The Way You Love Me (8/10)

 The original demo of this song was released a while ago on the 2004 Box Set, The Ultimate Collection. It was not unusual for Michael to return to tracks from previous album sessions and rework them for new releases. This was the case with this song which features excellent production by Neff-U as well as a brand new intro and vocal effects. This is an example of how additional production can be successful on the album when done properly.

Monster (4/10) 

 One of the most suspicious tracks on the record. The estate situates the recording in 2007, at Eddie Cascio's home studio with Michael singing through a lenght of PVC tubing. One cannot help but wonder if this is just a way to justify the fact that Michael's signature voice is nowhere to be found in this song (except for bits and pieces taken from previous recordings). However, it does prove what an excellent producer Teddy Riley is combining melody and innovative sounds. With a rap by 50 cent, the song does have great potential. Too bad most of us don't believe it is really Michael Jackson singing.

Best of Joy (9/10)

 Recorded in Los Angeles in 2009, this mid-tempo ballad is believed to be one of Michael's final recordings and his voice could not sound any better. Delicate and smooth, it features Jackson's distinct falsetto

as he sings "I am the moon, you are the spring, our lives a sacred thing"  to his loved one. Produced by Neff-U, this is one of the strongest tracks of the album, and one that showcases the amazing talent that Jackson still had before taking his final bow.

Breaking News (2/10)

The first song to be previewed from the album, and also the most controversial one. While the estate defends its authenticity, his fans believe that the person singing is not the real Michael Jackson but an impersonator. The vocals of this anti-media track lack the strength and clarity of any typical Jackson recording, yet Teddy Riley's production infuses it with a much needed catchy pop groove. Overall, this is definitely the weakest link of the record.

(I Can't Make It) Another Day (7/10)

 Taken from the Invincible recording sessions, this track is written and produced by Lenny Kravitz who is also featured in the background vocals. Part of the original 1999 demo leaked a while ago, prompting Kravitz to complete production on the track by adding drums and guitar which consequently has overshadowed Jackson powerful vocals in this new version. However, even though it does seem somehow incomplete, the song showcases Michael's amazing vocal range and adds a much needed rock vibe to the album.

Behind the Mask (9/10)

 Originally intended for Thriller, Behind the Mask is a adaptation of one of Michael's favourite songs by Yellow Magic Orchestra who gave him their blessing to add new lyrics and arrangements. Producer John Mcclain has produced this new version by modernizing the production in search of a more current sound. The song is one of the strongest included in this music collection, with Jackson vocals sounding as good as ever. Would have definitely become a hit had it been released in the Thriller era. However, one cannot help but wonder how the original 80's version would have sounded like without all the updated modernized production that has been added later on, in order to make it blend in with the rest of the songs of this record. Sony should definitely consider releasing it someday as it was originally conceived.

Much Too Soon (8/10)

 Another track shelved from the Thriller era, Much Too Soon was a song that Michael would return to over the years but never found its place on any of his albums, perhaps because of its folk inspired sound. It showcases the simplicity of an artist who was also a great singer/songwriter dealing with love, regret and yearning. With just the exquisite sound of his voice accompained by strings and acoustic guitar, this bittersweet song is an excellent choice to end the album. 

Album Review: Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer

  A few years back, Cee Lo Green invaded clubs, radio stations and filled the cars of many thanks to his infectious collaboration in Gnarls Barkley's hit "Crazy". That was back in 2006, and since then it seemed as if the charts had eluded him. However, Green was not done with music success just yet, he's been working hard on a solo album that would return him to mainstream radio everywhere and so, 4 years later, we are found with his new record, "The Lady Killer", a collection of soulful melodic songs.

  In this album, Green seems to have focused on what he does best, singing catchy tunes with an old school-ish feel that matches perfectly with his style and playfulness. The intro sets the mood for the rest of the album with a theme that could perfectly serve as the score to any old TV show from the 70's. The atmosphere quickly changes into a more contemporary sound mixed with echoes from the 80´s ("Bright Lights Bigger City" contains a bassline heavily influenced by Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean").

  The record carefully tries to balance the old with the new, with tunes containing classic Motown elements ("It's Ok", "Cry Baby", "Wildflower" or the lead single "F*** You" to name a few) with a more polished sound as far as production goes, making it trendy but timeless all at once. However, the album does have its flaws and certain songs such as "Bodies" or "Please (Feat. Selah Sue)"  come dangerously close to filler status, interrupting the continuous flow of this highly comforting musical experience. This is quickly forgotten when we come across remarkable tracks like the appropiately titled "Old Fashioned", where Cee Lo Green's emotional vocals will give you chills (If they don't...check your pulse!) or the radio friendly "It's Ok" which definitely has single potential.

  The best thing about the record is that Green does not attempt to be original or highly innovative, he just presents a collection of timeless songs that talk about love and heartbreak that could easily speak to a different number of generations, old and new. You won't get the slightest glimpse of autotune here, just raw talent and an album that could have easily been recorded decades ago, only with that new spin that contemporary music can add to the mix production wise. This is, hands down, one of the best records of the year that will take you on a journey to a time where music really mattered and spoke for itself.

  Listen to one of my favourite tracks from the album, "It's Ok", below!

Are you into Cee Lo Green's music?

Album review: Merry Christmas 2 you - Mariah Carey

  It's been 16 years since Mariah released her "Merry Christmas" album, and still today, it is one of the most successful holiday albums ever. This is part of the reason why this new record was so highly anticipated by her fans all over the world. "Merry Christmas 2 you" is a collection of classic holiday songs mixed with original compositions written by Carey herself, and it is mostly on those new songs where the record reaches its highest note.

  The album starts strong, with a nice intro that leads to the uptempo and energetic first single, "Oh Santa". However this state of celebration is fleeting, as "O Little Town of Bethlehem / Little Drummer Boy" breaks the mood and turns the atmosphere into boring and predictable. "Christmas time is in the air again" is a slow and subtle jazzy tune that needs more than one listening in order to truly appreciate it, as its undeniable quality unfortunately suffers from being placed between two of the most boring tracks of the album.

  The record suffers from lack of direction at times and, instead of focusing on a more classic and traditional sound, there are bits and pieces that fail to fit with the holiday atmosphere, some with better results ("When Christmas Comes") and others with awful resolutions (the final and unneccesary r&b section of "Born is the King", the futile "Here comes Santa Claus", or the Christmas disco experiment "Auld Lang Syne - The New Year’s Anthem”).

  However, the album saves the best quality tracks for last, delivering a non-stop succession of poweful melodies, backing choirs and orchestral arrangements that should have been echoed in all the remaining tracks. Songs like “O Come All Ye Faithful / Hallelujah Chorus”, the new versions of "O' Holy Night" or "All I want for Christmas is you", and the best original track of the album, "One Child", reminds us why Mariah Carey has become one of the most unique voices in the music industry since the early 90's.

  Overall, this is a good holiday record that can hold its own against its predecessor but will never surpass it. It suffers from a terrible misplacement as far as tracklisting goes, but has enough quality material to be considered a good Christmas gift for the listener.

  Click below to listen to my favourite original track on the album, the beautiful "One Child". Will you be decorating your Christmas tree with Mariah this year?