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The Weeknd “Echoes of Silence” Mixtape Review

January 18, 2012 in Album RealViews, Music

1.D.D The Canadian-native lead singer of The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye, known for his sensual and unique voice, beginning with a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”. It can be said that most Michael Jackson songs covered or sampled are painful but in this case he intensifies the song with what seems to be only his voice, drums and a synthesizer. The song is edgy and bold and hard not to sing along to passionately. This is easily the best song on the entire tape. It’s extremely memorable with it’s unique dark twist and is a perfect opener.

Grade: 93

02.Montreal This track opens with Tesfaye speaking in french to the soft notes of a piano. The first thirty seconds of the track lead you to believe some amazing musical number is about to follow, however, the song falls short of interesting due to a standard, three-note pattern beat and cliché background singers. The lyrics aren’t memorable and there’s hardly a change from verse to chorus. The song would have stood out if he actually broke the pattern, but it ends up quickly becoming reminiscent of a church hymn.

Grade: 65

03.Outside It’s extremely frustrating to listen to this song because, like the others, it entices you with with a bizarre but unforgettable beat but the singing is so drab. All the songs have almost the same beat, lyrics, and atmospheres. The song has so much potential but its overly strong focus on the beat robs it of said potential. “Outside”  may be better off as an instrumental and have a million more uses because one of them is not “good song”. It isn’t like the lyrics are bad and are actually heavy, it’s just the delivery makes them come off as insincere. 

Grade: 53

04.XO/ The Host  Finally things pick back up if you managed to stay awake to the fourth song. The trippy beat and electric guitar make this song. It sounds like an R&B cover of what could be an awesome Jimi Hendrix song but with a drunken twist since the lyrics are a recollection of any party-goers night, stressing drugs, alcohol, sex, and remorse; I guess it’s the 70′s in a short story. Just when you think about changing the song, a xylophone interrupts the song, giving the beat a colorful range of tones, making the song more varied but drowning out the singer. When you think the track is over, “The Host” comes on and it turns out it’s a completely necessary outro.

Grade: 80

05.Initiation When I first listened to this track I honestly thought my stereo was broken or I was unknowingly drugged because strange does not even begin to describe “Initiation”. In an attempt to be unique, Tesfaye tweaked his voice to different speeds, making his voice sound unnaturally high or deep. I’m not sure what he was going for but I personally felt like I was being serenaded by Sloth from 1985 classic, The Goonies and a creepy chipmunk. This makes it hard to hear the lyrics or focus on anything else so it’s a complete waste of four minutes. Also, why is this song four minutes?    

Grade: 25

 06.Same Old Song The irony of this song title kills me. I shouldn’t even have to say it but this song has no characteristics to distinguish itself, which is sad because Tesfaye has such a unique voice that has so much potential. I suppose the goal of the track was to be mellow and for those bedroom activities but the only thing you’ll manage to focus on is wishing this song would end. If you can memorize the song after listening to it twice, it isn’t always a good thing. Sad.

Grade: 67

07.The Fall This track is five minutes of Tesfaye telling the world a story about I don’t even know what because he tells it in chant form. The beat doesn’t actually drop until the middle and his voice is hard to hear over the obnoxiously simple but loud drum. The most disappointing part is the build-up is like some epic musical bang  set to blow your mind but he can’t seem to get out of the box and capitalize on the build. Simply using unique instruments won’t make the song suddenly interesting. 

Grade: 48

08.Next Somehow things pick back up at this point with a resonant piano riff and an erratic beat to accompany it. The lyrics are catchy, make sense, and are personable. Rather than droning on about alcohol and night lights, Tesfaye breaks down and shows some emotion other than apathy. Unfortunately, I think the only thing that makes this song good is that it’s unlike the other songs on the tape but it’s still really not all that great.

Grade: 75

09. Echoes of Silence This being the closing track of the mix-tape, I’d expect something that would leave a positive impression on me to help disregard the rest of the album…it’s an average slow song that falls short. The song is four notes on a piano with five notes singing along about lost love but he could honestly be singing about gardening and you wouldn’t notice because the words slur together. It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either. This would have made a better opening track but the mix-tape as a whole would have been better off as an instrumental and played in a strip club. This being only their third mix-tape, they’ve got a lot more to develop on.

Grade: 83

Report Card

Instruments: 87
Production: 68
Lyrics: 74
Vocals: 50

Overall

74

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Avenged Sevenfold “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” Album Review

December 21, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. To End the Rapture Ambient rain and gentle piano open Avenged Sevenfold’s debut album and the result is ho-hum. Singer M. Shadows’ vocals take some getting used to because of his highly-nasal quality, which could turn off some listeners. However, it is unique and it bizarrely adds to the tone of the opening melody that is somewhat catchy, but not exactly memorable since it’s barely over a minute long.

Grade: 64

02. Turn the Other Way Now for the real introduction of Avenged Sevenfold’s sound. A thick scream soars over chugging riffs and sporadic drumming — a bombastic opening, to say the least. Said bombastic opening, however, is the only hair-raising aspect of the song. The rest is generic metal with some odd screaming that isn’t really thick but not thin, either. It’s all one-note screaming, though, and at least it’s unique enough to distinguish them in the overcrowded genre, regardless of your feelings towards his vocals. There are quite a few instances where the instruments are out of sync since A7X produced the album before being professionally trained to do so, leading to quite a number of rather embarrassing sloppy moments throughout the album. The dragging running time considered, “Turn the Other Way” does is just serviceable as the albums headbanging opener.

Grade: 66

03. Darkness Surrounding Man, the opening was pretty cringe-inducing. It’s really evident that drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan played some crazy fast beat while the guitarist tried to keep up with him (they’ve actually said as much in a Revolver interview), neglecting a click to play along to. That being said, the drumming is impressive in its technicality, but rather rushed and forced in most spots. With a little more polish, the intro could’ve been great, but it just ends up being groan-worthy right off the bat — a damn shame, really. The screams start to get monotonous due to there being no variation in Shadows’ screaming pyramid, opting to stay in the middle rather than going low or scratching the roof with some highs. The clean vocals are lazily written and the beat change-up fails to excite or vary the song in any meaningful way.

Grade: 38

04. The Art of Subconscious Illusion Think of this as a metal-covered punk song. Actually, think of this as a metal-tinged punk song gone wrong. There’s a pretty horrific bridge that grates ear more than cheese and it almost made me skip the track. Again, the drums shine in some spots, but it’s also the drumming that shines the spotlight on the sloppiness of the composition. At least we get to hear Shadows’ higher screams, proving to be pretty satisfying. There’s a part here where he asks “who the fuck are you?” and it’s atrocious. Man, they were rough back then, huh?

Grade: 46

05. We Come Out at Night Okay, so this one isn’t bad, it’s just not as bad as the two prior tracks. The x-factor that keeps this from being dark green diarrhea — and it’s sad, really —  is the fact that there are no glaring moments of production amateurism. Everything sounds on-beat…every…mundane…note. Well, that’s not being entirely fair, as there is a decent bridge with a nifty growl from Shadows. The ending is soft and actually melodic, something of a rarity on “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”, with its soft piano akin to the opener.

Grade: 55

06. Lips of Deceit I’m not a huge fan of vocalizations in intros and this song definitely does not change that. They just come off as cheesy and grating (I’m looking at you, Disturbed) if they’re not properly implemented. The guitars are good but cliché and the drums are just as solid (with a couple of hiccups sprinkled here and there). Shadows doesn’t do anything distinguishable from the other tracks, just more of his signature, same-y pipe work. Not a terrible or even mediocre song, it’s just a serviceable rock number that does neither harm or good.

Grade: 60

07. Warmness on the Soul If you’re not accustomed to Shadows’ clean vocals by now, then this is going to be “SAW” for your ears because that’s all your getting. However, if you’ve acquired the taste, then you’re treated to a rather solid and surprisingly tender melody via a love song from the soft spots of Avenged Sevenfold’s very angry hearts. The instruments kick in with just the amount of force, never over-powering the sing’s focus on Shadows’ vocals. His pipes here actually impressed me here and the fittingly cheesy, Faith No More-esque solo works just right in. Easily –and I mean easily – one of the album’s brighter spots.

Grade: 78

08. An Epic of Time Wasted Ah, shit, it’s about time we got some groove in our metal. The intro is a bit misleading in that “Aw, crap, here’s another bland intro” kind of way, but it quickly turns into a headbanger of an intro thanks to the hi-hat/cymbals work of The Rev. “An Epic of Time Wasted” is actually an enjoyable fast-paced number, unlike the rockin’ tracks before it. It’s nothing spectacular, mind you, it just stands out amongst the midst of pretty terrible songs on this album. It has its fair shares of generic breakdowns, but at least they don’t sound as lazy as the other tracks.

Grade: 70

09. Breaking Their Hold Shadows’ scream leads the charge over an escalating guitar progression that’s sure to have your toe tapping. It’s hard to tell that this is Synyster and Zacky as their material up to this point has been completely generic without a melodic solo in sight. But for a quick 71-second interlude, it’s not bad when taken into that context. It ends with the drums swelling up and Shadows’ doing the very tiresome scream by now, but again, it’s a quick listen so it’s not that bad.

Grade: 50

10. Forgotten Faces The Rev does some of his best work on the album here with some thunderously quick tom-tom rolls litered throughout, providing a very fun and varied listen. Shadows is forgettable here as it’s the instruments that get the spotlight on “Forgotten Faces”. The guitars, while never at a nightmare-level for tabbers, compliment the drummer’s work. The ending also sees a good adrenaline fix that ends the song on a high note.

Grade: 71

11. Thick and Thin And cue the strum one chord intro that each metal album is obligated to. It’s an aggressive song with some neat variations, but it never comes into proper fruition. The drumming, again, is the highlight of the song, with the guitars being its great backup singers. “Thick and Thin” is some good thrash, but with a little more polish, it could’ve been a real doozy…ah, how that’s the running theme of this album.

Grade: 70

12. Streets Iron Maiden takes the cake as the main influence on “Streets”. The guitar work isn’t quite as intricate as the metal gods that are Iron Maiden, but the foundation and essential are all there. I actually prefer Shadows to use his clean vocals but that’s probably because his scream can become so goddamn monotonous. The bassist and the drums go out of sync every once in a while, but it’s not a major offense.

Grade: 75

13. Shattered by Broken Dreams The acoustic guitar isn’t exactly a prominent instrument on “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”, so it’s nice to hear A7X flex their creativity. Shadows’ clean vocals are back, but they’re iffy, especially when he wants to hold on to some notes. His screams are also present here, but they’re welcome because they’re just another layer rather than being the dominant force it is. While the harder moments aren’t memorable, they’re more tightly composed than most the songs here, automatically making it a better song than most of this album’s numbers. However, it’s sitting at an unwelcome, meaty 7-minute running time. I don’t even know if this song is a good closer because when I reflect back on the album, not many tracks distinguish themselves.

Grade: 60

“Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” was released back in 2001 and even taking this release date into context, I can’t imagine this being a standout metal album back then with some more distinguished bands all fighting for your neck. The production, as mentioned many times before, is embarrassingly sloppy but you can’t help but give these guys props for actually being able to throw this album together themselves without playing to a click (a time signature) — a feat in its own right. Based purely off the music, I don’t see how A7X made it onto the scene the way they did, but I can see how their image did so.

Not every song on “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” is terrible, but its over-bearing mediocrity and too frequently bad, forgettable songs makes the album come off as the opposite of an enjoyable listening experience. I say only check this out if you’re a current Avenged Sevenfold fan to see their roots and its that novelty that makes it worth (“worth” is debatable) a listen to anybody. The only standout moment for me was “Warmness on the Soul”, the others you can just carry on your merry way without ever listening to them.

Report Card

Instruments: 68
Production: 39
Lyrics: 58
Vocals: 62

Overall

43

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Dia Frampton “Red” Album Review

December 18, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music, Thoughts

Dia Frampton's "Red"

01. Don’t Kick The Chair (feat. Kid Cudi) – Yeah, you read that right.  Featuring Kid Cudi—a very interesting pick, to say the least.  After seeing the track listing for “Red”, I was intrigued by this one the most.  Would this be a good combination, or a sad attempt at adding diversity to the pop rock world, by adding rap?  Anyways, to make this simple, I FREAKING LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH, my go-to song off Dia’s album.  This track is all about you, meaning a song that you and I can both relate to, because let’s face it, everyone has had one of those days where we question why we even bother anymore.  The beat, the tone, the bass, the guitars…the drops and flow are all just so perfect to me, going along flawlessly with the dark undertone of the song itself.  Kid Cudi comes in with his own verse and sticks out like a sore thumb, but it does the job.  His verse is still overall iffy to me—sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t—but it doesn’t matter because Ms. Frampton’s wonderful — a soothing voice is what gets to me the most.  This song was a very good way to start off, displaying the variety to come, and makes the rest of the album seem very promising. Oh and hey, turns out this is the second single off the album. Success.

Grade:  90 

02. Isabella – The track opens up with an upbeat acoustic guitar riff, a pounding drum beat, and Dia’s voice jumping right in, really putting you in the mood that’ll make you just want to go out and do something—which is the mood I imagine this track is trying to put you in, because well, that’s what this song is all about.  Dia both serenades, and gives us advice, reminding ourselves that even in the lowest of the lows, we can’t stay there—we have to get up and do something, stop being afraid, and just take life by the handles.

Grade: 83 

03. The Broken Ones –  So what if I cried to this song? JUDGE ME GO AHEAD AND DO IT.  Just kidding, I didn’t actually cry (because I don’t cry, fuck that, I’m a thug), but I mean, I would be lying if I said this ballad didn’t touch my heart. The first single off of “Red” is backed up by a slow serene beat that gradually builds up to a fast-paced bridge—tastefully done and not disappointing at any degree.  You would expect this ballad to be somewhat of a love song about a boy she lost, and how she is healing (think Taylor Swift), but it’s not like that at all, which is one of the things I enjoy most about this song. Dia expresses her love for, well, the “broken” ones, giving us a sense that there is always someone that cares for us out there, even through all the bullshit we may have gone through. This is the kind of tone I would expect from Dia Frampton, reflecting off of her band’s first not-coffee-shop-only album, Meg & Dia’s “Something Real”.  So pretty much, a good reminder of why I fell in love with the Frampton sisters in the first place.

Grade: 87 

04. Good Boy – Jumping from the prior song’s deepish-emotional nature, we are led into a very upbeat story of a young innocent boy, and him growing up—breaking out of his cage built around him, and becoming a typical rebellious youngin.  Another “good-feelings” song from the album ends up being very reminiscent of “Isabella”, although Dia’s voice is much more flowing and bustling.  This melody is strong in its imagery, making it simple to play a little made-up music video in your head as you listen to the beats.  This is me being just a little nit-picky, because I’m sure it’s just an artistic touch or something of the manner, but, Charlie’s such a good boy, if you didn’t get it.

Grade: 75 

05. I Will (Feat. Blake Shelton) – Dia Frampton is accompanied in this track by her The Voice coach, Blake Shelton—a duet of some sort, I suppose.  These two musical geniuses join together to remind you yet again that someone is going to be there for you, always, even if you think you’re all alone.  First time around, it reminded me Lady Antebellum?  Yeah, I don’t really listen to Lady Antebellum so don’t take my word on that.  Anyways, it’s the album’s more “country”-ish song, which I guess, should be expected since it is featuring country star, Blake Shelton.  I, myself, am not a very big fan of country music, so of course, I skip it.  But hey, if you’re into that kind, by all means, listen to it.  I just found the entire track generic, to me atleast.

Grade: 68

Dia Frampton's "The Broken Ones"

A screencap from Dia Frampton's music video for "The Broken Ones"

06. Billy The Kid – First run with this song, I got a “Foster The People” feeling—it reminded me a lot of “Pumped Up Kicks” for some reason, and what do you know?  Turns out this track was co-written by Mark Foster of that very same band.  Finally, a different experience from this album—enough with the upbeat, and more of Dia’s raw voice paired with the dark indie tones!  Definitely a good song to just sit around and chill out to when you’re kicking it with some buddies.  Very much like “Pumped Up Kicks”, this is a story about a tough messed up kid (named Billy, DUH), except in this version, Billy has a bounty on his head and is being searched for, yet no one will give him up, because Billy fucks shit up to the fullest (well, I call it how I see it).  Proving to be very infectious, this tune has no problem with getting at least one element of the song stuck in your head, whether it be the beat or the chorus.

Grade: 82 

07. Daniel – Another taste of Dia’s diversity in her voice, this harmony throws away all electronic tweaks and artificial upbringing, and is replaced with the unrefined, but still beautiful styling of Ms. Frampton, with acoustic guitars as her only companion.  This simple acoustic melody is about regret of throwing away a past love, musing over the past, and wishing things went differently, perhaps a harder fight when things were going to end.  Regardless of the simplicity in this song, it is still poignant, and by no means a generic Taylor Swift-esque song.  It does a damn good job of relaxing very bone of your body, and can easily put you to sleep—and I mean that in a sense that it’s very serene and calming (don’t twist my words, maaaan).

Grade: 84 

08. Walk Away – I’ll be honest, as I was listening to this song to review it, I got a Facebook IM and I ended up tuning out the entire song—in other words, it just didn’t stand out to me that much.  It was kind of bland, actually.  It’s not a bad song…but it’s not a very good one either.  I’m not even motivated enough by this song to read the lyrics and try to decipher what it’s about exactly—not that it matter’s because if anything, all I do is listen to the whistling in the song, and not pay attention to the lyrics at all.  I guess every album has to have a not-so-good song.

Grade: 57 

09. Bullseye – This song had the same effect as the prior song did, to me.  I was going to review it…I was going to listen to it, and read the lyrics and say what it was about, but instead, I got really bored of the song, paused it, and listened to this acoustic version of Metro Station’s “Kelsey”.  Yep.  This song was another miss to me.  Dia Frampton and Isabelle Summers of Florence + The Machine join forces to bring this song together, and I was easily disappointed, thinking that these two alike artists would conceive a magical songbaby, which instead turned out to be shitty (I was going to make some kind of mutation joke but I didn’t want to offend anyone LOLOL).  Yet again, Frampton recycles a taciturn acoustic beat and a prominent pounding drum, to tell us, YET AGAIN, to run away (like in Isabella, except this is much more low-key).

Grade: 55

10. Trapeze – Easily my favorite track off of the album, easily the best song off of the album, easily the best pick to end this album on a good note after back-to-back let downs.  This track speaks to me, man, and I’m sure you will also find it somewhat relatable.    A acoustic riff and Dia’s haunting voice offers us the ability to be able to feel every single emotion being released as this song was written.  The ballad is beautifully written, lyrically explaining the thoughts of someone guarded—someone that doesn’t want to royally fuck up what they have by talking about their past, but reassures that even though this world is crazy—even though “this world is a whirlwind”, they are going to hold on, and they don’t want to lose what they have.  Relaxing my mind, and reminding me that people feel this way too, I fall asleep with ease to this song, usually keeping it on repeat.  Once again, Dia uses this song with retrospect, to revive my memory for why I fell in love with her music in the first place.

Grade: 95

Dia Frampton is freaking BEAUTIFUL

Aforementioned, Dia Frampton is a part of the indie-gone-pop-rock band, Meg & Dia, who then became apart of the reality show The Voice, ended as a semi-finalist, and has now released this solo album.  When I heard about it, I was really excited to see what work she would be able to come up with as a solo artist.  I love this entire album as a whole—I could honestly listen to it for hours on end (and I have), but there are, of course, the misses of every album.  Dia’s constant theme in this album is to keep calm, and carry on (see what I did there?), and that there is always someone that cares about you and will be on your side—a theme that I have always liked from the Frampton’s, because it’s not your typical lovey-dovey bullshit that most mainstream music revolves around.  If you fancy the indie-acoustic-feel of music and you’re looking for some diversity to that genre, go for this album.  It fits hand and hand with your tastes.  Ugh, I freaking LOOOVE this album.

 

Report Card

Instruments: 83
Production: 87
Lyrics: 95
Vocals: 93

Overall

90

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The Maine “Pioneer” Album Review

December 14, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. Identify The light guitars and John O’Callaghan’s soft vocals lead you into a generic, mid-tempo pop-rock number. There’s nothing particularly bad about the song, it just never escapes the someone-done-this-already syndrome plaguing it. The chorus is melodic enough and the production tight. I feel like a better opener could have been put here, as this feels like a mid-album kind of track.

Grade: 61

02. My Heroine Judging by the opening of this song, maybe this should have been the opener as buzzsaw distortion and punchy drumming kick things into procedure. Drop-in guitar over drums provide the groundwork for John’s plead to become apart of a girl’s life, whom he’s captivated by. The bridge is fun with quirky vocalizations and layered shouts. It’s not terribly catchy, but it’s a melodic enough party rocker.

Grade: 78

03. Time The soothing, head-nodding bridge serves as the highlight for this somewhat bland song. The verses are smooth and the chorus underwhelming. The vibe is very laid back, perhaps working against the mundane chorus. At least the beat temporarily changes for the last 30 seconds of the song, giving it a good uptempo note to leave off on.

Grade: 58

04. Some Days The Maine show they can inject some country swagger into their Kings of Leon-esque sound. “Some Days” has a great chorus and the verses that lead up to it are just as good. I love the guitar work of Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock here. They don’t play anything highly complex, but that doesn’t matter since they keep things nicely varied and enjoyable. And speaking of variety, the bridge adds just that with soaring guitar work and a calm aftermath.

Grade: 86

05. I’m Sorry Deep kick-drums and a somber guitar nicely pave the way for John’s vocals, providing that necessary layer of emotion to an apology song. The writing isn’t anything great nor anything uncovered by almost every other band, but it’s not terrible by any means, either. However, the whole song is kind of cliché, going as far to include the obligatory violins to these kinds of songs. Thankfully,  there’s a simplistic guitar solo and John exploding in the last chorus to really convey the emotion he wasn’t really portraying for the first half of the song.

Grade: 71

06. Don’t Give Up On Us The opening of the track is very reminiscent of an Airborne Toxic Event song, which in my books, is never a bad thing. There’s a fun, bouncy vibe echoing throughout the whole song. Jared shows that you don’t need advanced technicality for compelling guitar work, just a good sense of melody. The chorus is appropriately uplifting and catchy. “Don’t Give Up On Us” is a great listen, especially evident when John soars in his plead for his better half to persevere.

Grade: 87

07. Misery O’Callaghan’s smoky vocals are nicely showcased in the opening minute of “Misery”. It’s a slow but methodical build-up to the anthemic chorus. I love the “Oooh’s”  and the lead guitar after the chorus, adding a variety. After the explosion of rock, things calm back down but it doesn’t bore. “Misery” excels in its melody, proving to be a very singable song to blast in the car on a rainy day.

Grade: 85

08. When I’m At Home Sure, the lyrics are sweet for the ladies out there, but there’s an overall mundane vibe to the track. The only exception to the humdrum of “When I’m At Home” is the intricate bridge, complete with background shouts and nifty guitars. The outro is soothing, but it’s too little too late. It’s not awful, mind you, just rather uninspired, showing only spurts of “good” here and there. The chorus should serve well as a lighter-waver, though, so there’s that.

Grade: 67

09. Thinking of You I feel like the bouncy pianos in the intro lied to me. “Thinking of You” is generic and lazy; not even the bridge saves the song from its one-note, dreadful listen. I couldn’t help but think that a piano-and-drums-only music track would have been a much more fun approach, but the guitars come in to throw away any innovation. Then there’s the weird voicemail that segue’s into the next track that was unnecessary. Don’t be deceived like me and skip it.

Grade: 48

10. Jenny The song’s pleasing to the ear, sure, but I, again, I was hit by the wave of colorless mediocrity. The song may be personal and, if so (and I apologize for any ignorance if any), that does add some depth to the track, but that doesn’t excuse the bland melody. Acoustic guitars, deep bass, and light electric guitar blend together for a soothing yet very boring music track. It’s worth a listen, though, but literally just a listen — no more than one.

Grade: 48

11. Like We Did (Windows Down) A slow build-up is the name of the game here and I’m pleased to say The Maine gets out of the little two-song slump with a catchy and thoroughly groovy track. The build-up, despite being slow, is aggressive in nature with subtle-yet-simple nuanced layers. O’Callagan’s vocals carry the track through an effectively simple music track, reminiscing about his younger days. “Like We Did” is a great song and one of the album’s better tracks.

Grade: 85

12. While Listening to Rock & Roll The opening has hints of souls with it’s softly strummed chords and steady hi-hat. It’s a down tempo song but a good one at that. “Doo-doo-doo”-like vocalizations add welcome subtlety and O’Callaghan sounds great in his desire to listen to some rock and roll. I appreciate the fact that this song never explodes and I applaud The Maine for taking the better ground of keeping it on the softer side. Ironically, this adds more of a punch to the lyrical content. There’s also a very gentle outro interlude that kicks up after the main track dies off. It’s very introspective and has reflective qualities and is neither great nor bad.

Grade: 81

13. Waiting for My Sun to Shine The Maine decide to strick to their strength (namely, a midtempo jam) to close their album. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like their flexing that muscle as hard as they could have. I feel like maybe this track and the prior should have switched places because I’m not too hot (I’m not particularly down, neither) on this track. “Lukewarm” is my mindset on this song, as I really do want to love the guitar variations, but I’m left wanting more from the drummer (an issue throughout the whole album). Around the 8 minute mark, there is some soft guitar, once again, playing foundation to O’Callaghan’s hazy vocals. It’s very soft and soothing before bursting into a rather blasé explosion of sound. ”Waiting for My Sun to Shine” is a weak closer but as a track, it’s not bad at all and is actually listenable.

Grade: 76

The Maine’s “Pioneer” album is pop/indie-rock akin to Kings of Leon and The Airborne Toxic Event. It’s a tightly produced album with every instrument given its share of the spotlight. John O’Callaghan’s vocals are consistently great and his great tone really give almost every song an edge to it that  even saves some of them from being completely generic. The guitars by Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock never impressed on a technical level, but they were appropriate for the sound of the band. Drummer  Pat Kirch and bassist Garrett Nickelsen are only serviceable in their roles, never stepping into the spotlight to impress but only to supplement The Maine’s sound. “Pioneer” won’t be making any “album of the year”-like buzz, seeing as there are a couple of fillers and a handful of mediocre and lazy songs, but when it’s good, it’s great for fans of The Maine.

Report Card
Instruments: 72
Production: 86
Lyrics: 77
Vocals: 88

Overall

79

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My Top Ten Albums Of 2011

December 8, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music, Thoughts

The year is closing down which means that year-end, best-of lists are opening up. It was undoubtedly a great year for music and regardless of listeners’ preferences, there was something worthwhile for everyone. In attempting to confine to a top ten list, I have certainly left off many other fantastic albums released this year. Without further ado, presented here are my favorite studio album releases of 2011; some predictable, others surprising, all entertaining.


10. Raphael Saadiq, STONE ROLLIN’



Raphael Saadiq has been a veteran of the R&B and soul scenes for decades, consistently teaming with musical giants and producing for massive talents on the mainstream radar. Saadiq has been revered and respected through the music industry for his devotion to music as an art, consistently dedicating himself to quality standards and receiving numerous Grammy nominations in the process. With “Stone Rollin’”, Saadiq brings an original retro sound and upbeat soul feel to a year dominated by forgettable noise and recycled Auto-Tune beats. Reminiscent of vintage 1960′s rock and roll tinged with the electricity of 1970′s blues, Saadiq’s fourth studio venture is a uniquely branded, wildly enjoyable and frequently moving musical gem.


9. Jay-Z and Kanye West, WATCH THE THRONE



Perhaps the highest-profile collaborative effort of the year, the teaming of contemporary hip-hop’s two most commercially successful behemoths was something held in great anticipation, a release with the bar held extremely high. “Watch The Throne” doesn’t fully translate into a spectacular album, but that is by no means an insult to its credibility. It may not even be the best work that Jay-Z or Kanye West has ever done, but that’s still a compliment to its quality. Normally, when two big-name artists join forces to release a compilation, it’s a hit-or-miss affair, but in the case of WTT, it was a critical and commercial bullseye. Stripping away all of the press and hype surrounding the release, it turns out to be a really great time through all the glitz and glamour.


8. Bon Iver, BON IVER



“For Emma, Forever Ago”, Bon Iver’s mythical debut album, was recorded in a remote cabin in northwestern Wisconsin and quickly became something of a legend in the world of independent music. It was a beautiful, haunting and completely unexpected experience, and I wasn’t sure in what manner it would be followed up, yet Justin Vernon has once again surprised me and completely exceeded my expectations. Bon Iver’s second, self-titled effort surpasses the original in ways I couldn’t have predicted, creating an atmospheric and dreamlike world in the process, boosted with Vernon’s ethereal vocals and sparse instrumentals. Bon Iver is a moody, melodic and mesmerizing trip through a melancholy world and a vision fully realized by its creator.


7. Owl City, ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL



Upon being entranced by Owl City’s radio hit “Fireflies” a couple of years back, I proceeded to almost instantly become a fan of Adam Young and his sparkling creative output, consistently shining through his music. Young is the singular member of Owl City, which is more of a project than a band, and whose name has become synonymous with lighthearted, upbeat electronic tracks laced with innocence and optimism. On “All Things Bright And Beautiful”, the sounds and feelings conjured are identical to previous releases, yet still manage to feel fresh and new. It’s more of the same, but this is the rare exception where that is a very good thing.


6. Beyonce, 4



This was a very big surprise. Up until the release of Beyonce’s “4″, I had never paid much attention to her music. Of course I knew her from Destiny’s Child, as an actress in several high-profile films and a philanthropist, but I had always thought of her solo career as generic. With the release of her fourth studio album, I now realize it was a completely false assumption. With the release of “4″, I have become a Beyonce believer. However, “4″ is very different than any previous work she has ever done, and the public took some time to warm up to her change in style. It’s an eclectic but artful work, fused with everything from down-tempo beats and colorful flavors of world music to classy ballads and nostalgic instrumental jams. Beyonce makes a bold claim of artistic stature on her latest musical venture and comes through shining, successfully standing high above virtually every other contemporary female pop and R&B artist.


5. Florence + The Machine, CEREMONIALS



Florence Welch contains a voice that could shake concrete and shatter glass. The sheer vocal range she possesses could probably reverse the axis of the Earth, and in that regard, “Ceremonials” is a massively loud and orchestrated work. Florence + The Machine, referring to the various musicians who back her vocals, have been a hit in the United Kingdom for the past several years, now beginning to break ground worldwide with long overdue praise. Certainly one of the more delightful albums to make my list, it’s one that I could have on repeat time and time again and never tire of it. Florence is a vocal powerhouse and is endlessly enjoyable to listen to. From slow, bluesy crooning to fast and hard-hitting shouts, she takes the listener on one of the best musical rides of the year.


4. Coldplay, MYLO XYLOTO



Another surprise, but different in that I was surprised that I didn’t love it, only liked it. If you had asked me at the beginning of the year what my most anticipated album of 2011 was, I would have answered “Mylo Xyloto”. I have been a Coldplay fan since the beginning, way back in the year 2000 with the release of their debut album “Parachutes”, and with each release, they get better and better, continually improving upon their previous albums. Flying under the mainstream radar for their first three studio ventures, they were brought to the international forefront of with 2008′s “Viva La Vida”, consequently raising the bar very high for their next release, the current fifth album. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fantastic release, complete with Chris Martin’s signature piano and otherworldly vocals, and the band’s flighty but heavy-hitting backing instrumentals. I feel ashamed I don’t love it, as I have all their previous efforts, but it still earns a place of honor as one of the best releases of the year.


3. The Black Keys, EL CAMINO



The Black Keys have been shuffling around the indie music scene for awhile now, creating some great contemporary song and dance tracks that make you want to get up and move. Low-key and mostly independent until the breakout release of last year’s Grammy-winning “Brothers”, the Black Keys proceeded to move to the forefront of indie music. The follow-up album, “El Camino”, is a small but brilliant package that rocks hard and mellows out all over the course of a half-hour. From riffing guitars to clapping beats, this is pure grassroots music, falling somewhere between blues and boogie, and it’s a complete joy to listen to, hearkening back to a time when musicians actually made their music.


2. Adele, 21



A stunner of an release, provided by a stunning woman with a stunning voice. Garnering six Grammy nominations, standing for over half a year in the top charts, and becoming one of the highest-selling albums of 2011, Adele and her second studio venture “21″ have broken numerous records in the United Kingdom as well. Adele certainly has the rare ability to convey a wide range of emotions and situations vocally, spanning heartbreak, humor, breakups, fantasies and honesty. “21″ is definitely original, full of power and fragility, and Adele sings with both strength and tenderness. In a time when every other artist’s voice is digitally processed and everyone is featured on everyone else’s album, Adele’s “21″ is a fresh and welcome change of pace. Her debut album, “19″, struck a major chord with critics and listeners alike, and with “21″, that impression is built upon and cements Adele as one of the great contemporary pop artists.


1. Tom Waits, BAD AS ME



The legendary Tom Waits’ first studio album in seven years, “Bad As Me” is a thoroughly enjoyable and sharply focused roller coaster ride of music that feels both ancient and modern, evoking emotions of blues and the anger of rock and roll from long ago while still presenting itself as a fresh and original product, vastly different from pretty much everything else released this year, or last year, or since Waits’ last album, for that matter. Waits is a master-class musician in full control of his raw vocals and hypnotic instrumentals, and as is expected, provides a track list full of grit, grime and goodness. “Bad As Me” combines the most blistering music I’ve heard in recent memory with the most fiery voice work to grace a microphone in some time. Concise and expertly crafted, the album soaks with rattled emotion and reckless energy, with absolutely no filler nor dull moments. Waits is one of the few genuine badasses still around yet never feels the need to flaunt or show off just how cool he is; he just allows the music to spread that reputation on its own. “Bad As Me” stands as the best album I’ve experienced all year and is a testament to the fading originality of music and emotion.

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“Here and Now” Nickelback Review

December 5, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

Yeah, this is happening.

HeRe AnD fUcKiNg NoW

Nickelback, one of the seminal bands of the US Top 40 Music Scene. Contrary to popular belief, people actually do like them. So, I’m going to take the time and give this album the go it deserves. Then, I’m going to give it a review. Alright. Headphones are in. Spotify is set to Private Listening Mode. Review is go.

01. This Means War- Chad Kroeger opens this album heavy, possibly with their heaviest song to date (I can’t tell you that with accuracy however, because I haven’t listened to them since I was 9). This is a song full of emotion, complex guitar riffs, and beautiful vocals. On top of that, they deliver what I believe will be the future facebook statuses of many a 12 year old girl. With gems like “But you brought a knife/to an all out gun fight” and “now you got to wonder/who will dig you out when you’re six feet under” I think we are beginning to encounter Chad Kroeger’s darker side. True emotion bleeds through this song, a masterpiece.

Grade: 12

02. Bottoms Up- The drums really start the track off right with a proper beat. It becomes clear right off the bat that they’re writing a drinking song (if you didn’t catch that from the title), and in the vein of the legendary George Thorogood, it does make you want to get drunk, if only to tolerate it. The drum beat changes towards the end of every verse as Kroeger croons the beautiful lyrics “Hammer down, grab a cup, bottoms up!” I really think AUDIOSOUL really sums it up with this comment on the Song Meanings page “Nothing more than a great drinking(party)song that any Nickelback fan has come to love and expect.keep rocking it out boys…Bottom’s up:)” Bottoms up, indeed, AUDIOSOUL. Bottoms up.

Grade: 08

(Author’s Note: It was at this moment that I realized I made a terrible mistake. Even for the sake of comedy, my ears may start bleeding at any moment, and this is an eleven track record. Godspeed, my readers. Godspeed.)

03. When We Stand Together- The first thing that becomes clear, is that this is going to be a single off the record. It starts slower than the previous, and has acoustic guitar. I just…I can’t do this.

I’m breaking out of this review right the fuck now. This is not in my job description. This is a basic Nickelback record, where every fucking song sounds exactly the fucking same. Track 03 sounds exactly like their song Someday, released years and years ago, and low and behold, I am 99% sure When We Stand Together is their lead single from this album. And Wikipedia just confirmed that suspicion. Instead of reviewing the remaining eight tracks, I will instead list eight things I would rather do than be subject to any of the songs from this album:

01. Get in a knife fight with a rabid kangaroo.

02. Stick my head in a toilet just used by a detoxing alcoholic.

03. Have a conversation with Bill O’Reilly.

04. Go on a six month cruise where I have to room with this guy:

05. Let the bum who lives in the park across the street finger my dog.

06. Drink the 5 month expired milk in my fridge.

07. Allow a blind surgeon to perform corrective eye-sight surgery on me.

08. Boil Chad Kroeger’s hair, then add chicken ramen seasoning to it, and eat it.

Seriously. Any of those 8 things would be infinitely  better than being subject to any horror that Nickelback has put out, or will put out in the future. In the immortal words of the 19th president of the United Sates, the great Rutherford B. Hayes: “I will never forgive Canada for this. The Biebs, okay, but I would rather have another civil war than listen to Nickelback.” Goodnight.

OVERALL:

-12

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Shy, Low “Shy, Low” Album Review

November 25, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. Confirmation Bias The album opens up with an ominous synth texture, militaristic drums, and simple yet mood-setting guitar work. New layers, whether it’d be the smack of a tambourine or swelling ambience, are constantly being added to create an incredibly soothing listen. It may drag on for a bit but just when you’re about to be bored, the drums swell up with tom-tom work and tremolo-picked guitars. An interesting speech sample is inserted, adding a break from the procedures before the instruments come blasting in to great effect. I love the whole atmosphere and mood of the song. It’s beautiful in its ominous if not haunting kind of way. A fantastic opener.

Grade: 86

02. Light Feet Spacey guitars lead way to more tremolo picking and midtempo drumming. It’s not quite as captivating as a whole to the prior track but the payoff is incredible if you’re willing to sit through the dull, slow segments. The drums, with a faster pace and more technically complex pattern, come in after a quieted-down break to provide variety. “Light Feet”, in a way, tells a story. It starts out bleak, hopeless even, before bursting into a beautiful crescendo of hope. Yes, the slower and quieter segments can drag on, but the patient listener will undoubtedly be rewarded with a swell of instrumental wonder.

Grade: 91

03.  The Tide Once again, eerie synths provide the groundwork for the incredibly minimalistic track. This unnerving synth dominates the track, with the bass being the other major player here. Incredibly small and subtle elements are sprinkled throughout. It’s an unusually beautiful song but it’s probably only going to get one listen out of you. It’s a whole four minutes and some change of ambience. It’s great for introspection and atmosphere but for a good listening experience? You could do better.

Grade: 68

04. The Golden Hour Piercing, haunting effects are used to give “The Golden Hour” a harrowing foundation. Seriously, listen to the first two minutes of the song with the lights off or walking in the woods at night and I’d be damn impressed if you didn’t get anxious at all. When the instruments come in, it nulls the spooky atmosphere for a good minute before they themselves become ominous and foreboding. Everything done here is to great effect and, I hate to keep harkening back on this point, but it should seriously be used in a movie such as “28 Weeks Later” or any other depressing, apocalyptic titles — Shy, Low should seriously look into composing pieces for movies. Unfortunately, after all the instruments slowly fade out, the rest of the song sputters out for nearly four minutes.

Grade: 86

05. Heavy Hands A simple, thick fuzzy bass line rides the drum beat as minute variations to the song are springled in here and there before the guitar cranks the volume up. “Heavy Hands” isn’t as atmospheric or as moody as prior tracks. It’s more of a straight-forward rock number and, unfortunately, it doesn’t rock all that much. Shy, Low perform at their best when their drenching their sound with ambience and “Heavy Hands” just doesn’t do it for me.

Grade: 62

06. Farewell: A New Beginning The synthesized textures in the intro and the palm-muted picking isn’t as stirring as their previous outings on this album, but it’s still relaxing to hear. Unfortunately, I was bored with this song. Maybe it was just fatigue from listening to the album, but “Farewell” just didn’t grab my attention the way the other songs did. I dug the xylophone being thrown and the tom-tom variations and it’s by no means a terrible song, just not as enveloping as the first two tracks or “The Golden Hour” nor as distinctive.

Grade: 72

Shy, Low

Report Card
Instruments: 87
Production: 98
Lyrics: N/A
Vocals: N/A

Overall

87

 

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Drake “Take Care” Album Review

November 25, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. Over My Dead Body Drake sure doesn’t waste any time letting us know that he knows he’s good. Modesty is a non-existent ingredient in this particular recipe and man, it’s delicious. The  first he spits is about how he killed it last year and if that isn’t presumptuous, then I need to re-read the definition. “Over My Dead Body”, as is with the majority of the album, is a mellow affair but it’s an expertly crafted one. Drake’s signature flow is present and is bolstered by the simplistic, atmospheric beat. He’s accompanied by popular female Canadian artist, Chantal Kreviazu, who’s electronically-altered voice over the piano add an extra dream-like layer to the procedure. In other words, “Over My Dead Body” opens Take Care in proper fashion.

Grade: 90

02. Shot For Me Drake sings over a light and very relaxed synth texture, asking his ex-flames to take a shot in his name because he made it. It covers the dead-horse topic of “don’t you regret breaking up with me now?”, but Drake does it with such a deft touch and his personal input undoubtedly makes it better. The sleepy (in a good way) beat add to the nostalgic but ultimately well-wishing subject matter, ending with a small, bass-soaked percussion segment. It’s melodramatic but a damn fine listen.

Grade: 90

03. Headlines Drake wants you to know he’s a force to be reckoned with as the infectious hook reminds us his skill is something that should be assumed. The rapid strings of the violins and cellos provide the background to the relatively more upbeat track. The lyrics aren’t quite as well-written as the two prior tracks but that definitely doesn’t mean the lead single of “Take Care” won’t be hearing repeat listens. My only gripe is the completely cheesy ending. Drake sounds pretentious and up his own ass and, even worse, it’s not like what he says is eye-opening advice. Other than that, enjoy!

Grade: 85

04. Crew Love (Ft. The Weeknd) The intro before the spacey — sexy, even — texture comes in is annoying and unnecessary, but I guess it provides contrast.  Fellow Canadian, The Weeknd (the “XO” to Drake’s “OVO”), sings a soothing hook while providing subtle vocalizations under Drake’s rapping. When the drums fully kick in, you can’t help but nod your head along to Drake’s flow. Although the music may sound minimal, there’s actually a whole lot of subtle touches that help saturate this entrancing beat.

Grade: 95

05. Take Care (Ft. Rihanna) Rihanna starts the title track with a subdued yet still effective hook. The piano and echoey electric guitar in spots keep the beat going at a good clip. Drake, as expected, sing-raps his little heart out over a bass-heavy drum track and the odd laughing in the bridge provides for an offbeat bridge. “Take Care” is interesting in that Rihanna’s hook sounds like she’s singing a verse, which is a very nice deviation from her typical power anthems.

Grade: 78

06. Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive (Interlude) This is a hefty track, clocking in just over eight minutes. As expected, the beat is a slow, sleepy affair with random breaks and added layers to keep things varied. On the vocal side of things, Drake does a splendid job of telling a story about how we feel about our ex’s finding a new partner while we’re in an alcohol-tinged haze, letting her/him know they could have gotten someone better. It’s akin to Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”, just more melodramatic and spot-on with its emotional weight. It’s a portrait of a dejected man, something not many mainstream rappers cover. The latter third of the song feels random, but because of the subdued beat, it manages to fit in to “Marvin’s Room”. The song drags on for a bit but the slow spots were necessary to properly convey the sad mindset of a longing ex.

Grade: 92

07.Under Ground Kings Simple plucking on an electric guitar picks the tempo up a bit, but the overall beat here seems really bland. Definitely not one of Take Care’s better moments, but it’s not terrible either — just overwhelmingly mediocre. Sure, the beat is tightly produced but that doesn’t do much good when the song’s forgettable, especially since the topic is about Drake’s triumph into the music industry, which we’ve heard millions of times and already a handful of times on this very album.

Grade: 58

08. We’ll Be Fine The interesting electronic vocal sampling over the drums provide an interesting texture for Drake to rap over…until it becomes annoying because it loops throughout the whole damn song, even when the drums are dropped. The hook provided by Drake is anything but catchy or anything remarkable. “We’ll Be Fine” is one of the albums weaker tracks and highlights that Drake is at his best when rapping over melodramatic beats.

Grade: 45

09. Make Me Proud (Ft. Nicki Minaj) Spiraling synths and Drake’s verse open up “Make Me Proud” and, once again, I feel this wave of mediocrity crashing over me. It’s odd that Drake’s repetitive chorus’ are his best, as they prove to be the most catchy — it’s a love it or hate it kind of thing. Nicki Minaj saves the song from mediocrity with her trademark vocally-fluctuated delivery. If it weren’t for her, this would be a generic track.

Grade: 72

10. Lord Knows (Ft. Rick Ross) Flanger-affected vocals lead way into an explosive beat, dominated by a bombastic choir over a head-nodder of a beat — this is one of Take Care’s best beats. Drake’s raps sound great over the epic beat and it’s slightly modified for Rick Ross’s verse, who delivers on his end of the deal. “Lord Knows” is easily one of Take Care’s better up-tempo songs.

Grade:80

11. Cameras/Good Ones Go (Interlude) Drake’s second 6+ minute track — what is he doing, making a prog-rock record? Anyways, this definitely pales in comparison to “Marvin’s Room”, but it’s a different kind of song…and that’s a shame because it’s boring. Drake raps to a girl as to why he’s the stallion she should be cowgirlin’ at night over a bland, lazy beat that doesn’t add to the song in any beneficial way. The “Good Ones Go” interlude is actually tons better and that’s because it has Drake returning to the slow jams and sad topics, where as the first half of the song was the cocky Drake — he’s much better with his vulnerable side turned to us.

Grade: 58

12. Doing It Wrong (Ft. Stevie Wonder) Ambient synth drench the atmosphere as Drake does what he does best — namely, self-deprecating lyrics. The chorus, while far from being lyrically creative (if not just lazy), is somehow catchy, if only by the virtue of being easy to sing along to. Stevie Wonder doesn’t sing, but he adds much-appreciated instrumental variety with his bluesy harmonica play, giving “Doing It Wrong” a very introspective  and self-reflective vibe to the song and proving to be the highlight of the song.

Grade: 78

Drake and The Weeknd's brand, "OVOXO"

13. The Real Her (Ft. Lil Wayne, Andre 3000) Drake again tackle relationship issues over a somber beat.Sparse piano and a thick bass dominate the track and Drake, while I appreciate his slow songs and delivery, is starting to sound monotonous and leaving me desiring for another style from Drake. Thankfully, Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 break the monotony with great appearances, especially Andre 3000. I aslo appreciate how the beat goes through simple modifications to suit whoever’s rapping.

Grade: 70

14. HYFR (Hell Ya Fuckin’ Right) (Ft. Lil Wayne) A stringy synth kicks things off on this midtempo rap where Drake finally decides to quicken up his flow. Lil Wayne stands out with an impressive verse, it’s just that the chorus’ writing made me cringe. When they say “fuckin’ right”, I couldn’t help but groan at the laziness of the song writing here — it just sounds tacky. Other than that, “HYFR” is a decent track.

Grade: 63

15. Look What You’ve Done Drake raps over a hotel lobby-like piano with some random background vocalizations, giving the impression that he’s contemplating at the booth at a classy restaurant (think the album art). Drake pretty much kills it before the beat comes in and you know what? I wish there were no drums in this song because I really loved Drake just rapping over the live-sounding piano. I do appreciate how it breaks up the song and keeps the piano segments a little more special. There really isn’t a chorus here, but I don’t mind.

Grade: 84

16. Practice Take Care has proven to be a monstrous album in terms of length. So how do you close out an ambitious effort like Take Care? By letting the girls listening to the song know that every relationship they’ve been with were just practice for the gentle curve of Drake’s co–. Anyways, I’m glad he decided to close things out on a mellow note, as I’ve repeatedly said that’s his strong suit. While the beat is atmospheric with spacey, echoey snares, the chorus is of the typical “shake your ass” nature which is fine for what it is, but after a mostly personal and emotional album, I didn’t see him closing the album with “you’re a fine motherfucker, girl, back that ass up”. My only major gripes are how lazy he seems to be in spots, opting to repeat himself numerous times and how “Practice” doesn’t exactly feel like a closer.

Grade: 78

Drake’s “Take Care” album is a thoroughly enjoyable album when the tempo is kept on the “slow” setting, which is almost reverse to most mainstream artists. Whenever Drake decided to try and make things more upbeat, it was a mixed bag — more miss than hit. The album is an incredibly long album for a rap/hip-hop/R&B album, clocking in around 80 minutes. The first half is incredibly strong and some of the better hip-hop songs I’ve heard all year, but the second half loses steam with some very bland efforts.

If you weren’t a fan of Drake’s before, I don’t expect you to be lured in by the slow jams and long running time. However, if you’re willing to be patient, listen to the lyrics, and take in the simplicity of the beats rather than criticizing them, then you’ll undoubtedly be rewarded. If you’re already Drake fan, then expect to be blown away by a sizable handful of songs. Take Care, as a whole, avoids the dreaded sophomore slump and further solidifies Drake’s credibility.

Report Card
Instruments: 85
Production: 98
Lyrics: 94
Vocals: 85

Overall

88

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Rihanna “Talk That Talk” Album Review

November 24, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. You Da One Fade-in vocals give way to a breezy vibe as, despite the attitude-suggested album title, Rihanna stats singing how a man and her’s love is a unified, two-way street kind of deal. It’s sugary and bouncy, perfect for a summer jam but it’s a little too bland. There’s a little dirt thrown in here in the form of a very light dubstep-like bridge, but don’t expect to break your neck to it. “You Da One” is a safe effort from Rihanna and “We Found Love” would have been a better album opener.

Grade: 53

02. Where Have You Been Rihanna searches for her man over a beat that slowly builds to a dirty-synth club jam. She sounds impressive and powerful even when she belts out “crowd” before the beat drops to a spacey, synth-and-vocal break before the club beat drops. “Where Have You Been” will surely be a headbanger’s ball at the club but it doesn’t make for too much of a fun listen at home. The club portions can get repetitive but I do love the way Rihanna’s vocals sound.

Grade: 70

03. We Found Love (Ft. Calvin Harris) One of the record’s best tracks, “We Found Love” is a sure-fire hit (as already proven) kind of tune. Rihanna soars effortlessly, sounding captivating with her entrancing falsetto. Calvin Harris’ production is spot-on but, as it is with all club-oriented songs, the beat can get repetitive. The bass is nice and fat and is nicely blanketed by upbeat synth work. “We Found Love” can get monotonous really fast as the vocal melody is identical throughout the whole song, but there’s something about Rihanna’s falsetto that makes me keep coming back.

Grade: 87

04. Talk That Talk (Ft. Jay-Z) Jay kicks things off with a good flow over a fat synth before Rihanna comes in with a rather bland melody. If this wasn’t the title track, I’d be okay with it, but I expected more from the album’s title track. The chorus is forgettable and the verses even more so. The bridge drops almost everything except for the bass and Rihanna’s vocals, giving us a break from the bland but it’s not even that good of a bridge. “Talk That Talk” is disappointing and forgettable.

Grade: 52

Rihanna -- she fits in any decade

05. Cockiness (Love It) “Suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion, eat my poison, and swallow your pride down”, Rihanna sings over a bare-bones, bass-heavy drum track. The lyrics on the chorus are clever on this sex jam as “Cockiness” proves to be a fun little diddy. The rapid “I love it” loop is a fun little layer added to the beat. The only problem is that while the lyrics are clever, the melodies just aren’t that memorable.

Grade: 68

06. Birthday Cake The first ten seconds sound incredibly sloppy, with an annoying wish-washy bass synth and a piercing bell. The overall vibe is similar to the prior track in both lyrics and the beat. “Birthday Cake” isn’t even a full song, just an out of place interlude that doesn’t need to be here. I think Rihanna could have fleshed this song out more and it could have turned out to be a decent track because when the drums come in, it does sound good. “Birthday Cake” ends so abruptly and I honestly don’t see why this is on the album. Skip it.

Grade: 40

07. We All Want Love Ah, the album’s first slow song. Soft electric guitars provide the backbone to the dreamy atmosphere. The drums maintain a steady tempo as Rihanna claims that we all, as a collective group, just want love. It’s generic, sure, but the chorus masks it in it’s sing-along melody. “We All Want Love” is a pretty song that stands out as one of Talk That Talk’s better tracks.

Grade: 80

08. Drunk On Love Why Rihanna feels the need to vocalize so much, I’ve no idea. Other than her annoying vocalizations at the beginning, “Drunk On Love” is actually one hell of a track and should be her next single. It’s a great effect when the drums kick in with a head-nodding beat with Rihanna giving a very listenable vocal performance. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little more variety in the song, but that’s just me nit-picking at a very good song.

Grade: 87

09. Roc Me Out Thick synths and a thumping beat dominate over Rihanna’s lyrics about how I should do her before she turns to asexuality. The drums echo for the bridge, providing a decent break. “Roc Me Out” has an infectious chorus and the verses flow well, but I can’t help but feel like it’s missing that extra pizazz — the secret sauce, if you will.

Grade: 78

10. Watch n’ Learn Easily the most upbeat sex-based track on the album, with its bassy, booming drum and sunny synths/xylophone play. Unfortunately, the melody is very lazy and isn’t all that memorable and kind of just flows with the beat. It’s a fun couple of listens and there’s a good dance to be had here, but if you’re looking for something good to crank up in your headphones, Talk That Talk has better offerings.

Grade: 62

11. Farewell Rihanna decides to bow out of Talk That Talk with a good but generic mid-tempo ballad. The verses are quiet, eventually erupting in the chorus with arena rock-like drums. Rihanna sounds good for the most part but she doesn’t exactly blow you away — she’s not that kind of singer anyways. “Farewell” does fit as the album closer, I just wish it had an extra layer added to it to fully realize the potential here.

Grade: 78

Bonus Tracks

12. Red Lipstick Why they gave a space to “Birthday Cake” besides this song is a damn doozy. “Red Lipstick” has a gritty swag to it, thanks to it’s punchy bass and heavy, fuzzy synths. It’s a great song to throw on if you feel like you need a quick fix of testosterone.

Grade: 83

13. Do Ya Thing Much like the prior track, this song has a definite head-nodding vibe to it but on the more upbeat side of the spectrum. The chorus is absolutely infectious due to its repetition, but that’s not a bad thing here since it works well with song’s structure. The drop beats frequently, keeping things varied (as does the bridge).

Grade: 80

14. Fool In Love The song starts off with a vocal nod to Queen’s megahit, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and that earns some points right off the bat for me. Strummed acoustic guitar add extra flavor to the slow tune and a fitting guitar solo nicely caps off this pop-rock track. “Fool In Love”is about the well-covered topic of how she’s in love with a man no one else seems to like and she conveys the emotion effectively.

Grade: 80

Talk That Talk isn’t quite as good or varied as her last outing, Loud, was. Not to take away from her as it’s pretty crazy and undeniably impressive that she’s been releasing albums annually since 2005, especially when you consider how long her singles stay on the airwaves. The biggest disappointment is the lack of anthemic choruses or inventive melodies, something Rihanna has built her career on.

There are definitely a handful of great tunes to work out your speakers to, especially if you get the deluxe version which comes with three songs that should have made the final cut or replaced three lesser songs (like the atrocious “Birthday Cake”). “Talk That Talk” won’t hook any non-fans in but it should please her current fanbase, providing a good stop-gap until next years inevitable release.

Report Card
Instruments: 76
Production:  92
Lyrics: 75
Vocals: 83

Overall

79

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Evanescence “Evanescence” Album Review

October 13, 2011 in Album RealViews, Music

01. What You Want Evanescence hasn’t put out a song since 2006;  it’s been five years since the famous Goth-Rock outfit has composed a song. What You Want brings us back to the familiar sounds of Evanescence with its booming drums, light synth elements, and, of course, Amy Lee’s powerhouse vocals. Doesn’t sound so bad so far, right? Well, the song is actually underwhelming and never builds upon the promising first minute of the song. Everything teeters on the edge of being something really cool but Evanescence pulls back and just play it safe instead — not bad, just safe. What You Want ends up being a generic yet somewhat fun, catchy tune and thankfully, its pacing is brisk.

Grade: 79

02. Made of Stone The bland intro is thankfully saved by the sparse, atmospheric piano and the offbeat guitar work of the first verse. Unfortunately, the chorus isn’t as interesting as the verses or the bridge. It’s melodically unmemorable and just “meh”. The bridge sees Amy Lee soar over nothing but a piano track for a brief moment and her falsetto bleeds sweetly into the simplistic yet serviceable guitar solo. While not as perky to the ears as What You Want, Made of Stone is easily a better song.

Grade: 83

03. The Change Synth textures provide the backdrop to light, palm-muted guitar and intricate electronic drumming as Amy Lee lets us in on her frustration on not being able to properly convey her emotions in a relationship. The chorus isn’t special but it’s not necessarily boring either. Basically, it’s doing the bare minimum of a chorus and at least it’s Amy Lee’s strong vocals singing the lyrics or else we’d have a truly bland number. The bridge provides little in trying to keep things varied and interesting. It’s all in all a very mediocre song that, again, starts off promising, leading you to think the song will erupt into something but never doing so.

Grade: 65

04. My Heart Is Broken The Change transitions into the piano-led intro and verse. The drums and guitars have a nice punch and grit to them when they come into the mix The hook here is better written than the prior song and Amy, as to be expected by now, sounds great and sounds convincing with her emotional delivery in the chorus. The drummer, while never doing anything awe-inspiring, keeps things varied and interesting at the very least.

Grade: 84

05. The Other Side Light double-pedaling infuses light metal elements (emphasis on light) into this track but the guitar lacks that punch to make it a good head-banger; a missed opportunity, really. The melody here is forgettable in both the verses and chorus. At least the bridge serves to be a decent, generic chug-fest but comes off as a poor metal-man’s breakdown.

Grade: 64

06. Erase This Ah, here we go! Quick-paced piano leads way to some good accompanying guitar work and the hi-hat of the drummer keeps things at a fast tempo. Erase This stays at a steady clip and finally lets up when the bridge slows procedures down. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since this song would probably become repetitive if it stayed at the tempo it maintains for most the song. This is one of the more fun tracks to listen to and never really becomes a drag.

Grade: 86

Lead singer Amy Lee

07. Lost In Paradise The intro of this song is very reminiscent of a Linkin Park song with a somber piano and only Amy’s voice in the airwaves. Cliche, moody violins provide another layer to the soundscape until the band comes in, sounding completely uninspired. This would all be fine if the vocal melody was really strong throughout but it’s just not. Fortunately, Amy’s voice excels in the bridge as she flies out of her comfort zone, hitting some rousing high notes, masking the bland melody. The first minute and the bridge serve as a good moody listen while the middle dampers things down to a generic, soft-rock number.

Grade: 69

08. Sick Sick’s intro is very reminiscent of a Disturbed track, playing around with electronic elements and aggressive, tom-tom-heavy drumming. The chorus can get stuck in your head and don’t be surprised if you find yourself nodding your head to the beat in the verses. I couldn’t help but feel like the song lost its momentum after the second chorus but at least Amy ends things on a pleasing high run.

Grade: 71

09. End of the Dream Thank God Amy saved the brief, heard-it-before intro with her come-hither vocals. The chorus almost seems forgettable but Amy’s chorus-ending falsetto is a pleasant surprise and saves it from total blandness. A decent breakdown serves as the bridge before booming back into the last chorus, capping off another fun but ultimately disappointing Evanescence track.

Grade: 72

10. Oceans A club-like synth bass provides the stage for Amy’s catchy melody and the drums keep things bouncy. When the guitars come in, they do so with a satisfying crunch (and the guitarist actually manages to squeeze out a pretty good, post-chorus riff). Oceans is one of the better up-tempo songs on the album and the bridge is definitely going to be a headbanger when performed live.

Grade: 85

11. Never Go Back The guitar attacks right off the back for a nice, aggressive intro. The bass guitar and drums dominate the verses with the guitar coming in sporadically, maintaining a good pace for the listener. The chorus slows things down a bit, but it picks right back up thanks to some nice rolls from the drummer. The bridge serves as a means for Amy to add in some piano to the affair and her vocals sound great during the bridge.

Grade: 85

12. Swimming Home Easily the most experimental track on the album and, for the most part, this experiment yields some fantastic results. The faint, electronic drums and moody synths suggest a tone of despair, but the subtle violins and Amy’s voice suggest one of hope. It’s a neat contrast and it proves to be a great listen. The chorus is catchy and Amy, while not soaring, sounds completely amazing in this song in her soft delivery, sounding utterly convincing as “I’m sorry” breezes out of her mouth. I also want to commend the band for resisting any temptations to join in with distorted guitars or thunderous drumming. Other things worth noting are the vocal melodies and the quirky, electronic background vocals. Swimming Home is a very relaxing, atmospheric song that, for me, is the best song on the album.

Grade: 92

Evanescence

Evanescence’s self-titled album is ultimately a disappointment. I struggle to remember much of the hooks off the album and I just listened to each song on repeat for the duration of this review. No instrumental sections really stood out for me as it’s almost all just a blur of drop-D chugging and bass-drum-heavy drumming. Nothing here is terrible, per se, just overwhelmingly mediocre with spots of excellence here and there.

At least the production emphasizes the loudness of the instruments in hoping to mask the lack of  technicality involved with song.  As I previously stated, Evanescence seemed to have opted to play things safe rather than shaking things up, which will undoubtedly go over well with fans. For those wanting to see Evanescence progress, this (with the exception of the album closer) isn’t that album and, after waiting five years for it, it’s a frustrating disappointment.

Report Card
Instruments: 73
Production: 82
Lyrics: 80
Vocals: 87

Overall

70

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