Album Review: Kiss

... like a C-?

Months after her debut single Call Me Maybe, which for some bizarre reason became one of the biggest songs of 2012, Carly Rae Jepsen has released her first album Kiss. Just as you probably expected, it is a pile of auto tuned bubblegum pop junk sprinkled with pink fairy glitter. Kiss has simple sickly sweet lyrics, too much happiness and a guest appearance from Justin Bieber, make one overall poor album.  

The first song listed is Tiny Little Bows. I’m not sure what this song is about, because the only thing I could think of which has tiny little bows is those cute dogs you enter in dog show competitions. I really hope Carly Rae Jepsen is not singing about her favourite dog. Or her shoes. Does she wear shoes with tiny little bows? Okay, on to This Kiss, track number two. This one seems to be easier to understand; Carly Rae cannot resist some guy’s kiss. You know those songs where every sentence rhymes and the songs stops making sense halfway through? It, like the rest of Kiss, is one of those songs. Kind of like the stuff Hilary Duff did ten years ago.

There are two songs on this album which boost the star score to two stars out of five. The first is Call Me Maybe. Love it or hate it, it is the one hit wonder of 2012, and a wonderful guilty pleasure. The second is the collaboration with Owl City on the song Good Time. This is the best song on the album and it’s what Carly Rae Jepsen should be doing. It’s fun and catchy, not annoying and overly sweetened.  And then Carly Rae Jepsen featured Justin Bieber in a song about the two of them being Beautiful (?) and that lost her half a star.

The real issue I have with Kiss is it doesn’t fit with who Carly Rae Jepsen is and I don’t think there is a place for her right now in music. She is a 26 year old pop singer, but she sounds like she is 16. She’s older than Lady Gaga and Demi Lovato but isn’t putting out songs with any feeling or meaning. Carly Rae Jepsen should have taken her cut from Call Me Maybe and left it at that. Kiss does nothing for me and I think she will soon be on her way out of music making, tiny little bows and all.

And it seems iTunes has already given up on Kiss. Just over a week out and it’s already down to $12.99. Get it now, it’s a bargain! 

Album Review: North

B+

Matchbox Twenty are back with their fourth studio album North. As someone who has all Matchbox Twenty albums in their iTunes library, I had high expectations for North before I heard it. It’s the first album with all new songs since 2002 for the band so I was quite excited for the album to come out, and, overall, North gets a better than average score for being what Matchbox Twenty does best.

My first reaction to North is it combines the mainstream rock sound of Matchbox Twenty, which we’ve heard for the past decade, and Rob Thomas’ softer style from his solo career. I could distinguish between the two following the release of Exile on Mainstream (Matchbox Twenty) and ...Something to Be (Rob Thomas’ solo album) in mid 2000’s. However, North brings these two sounds together, and, complete with all new songs, this mash up is what makes the album good. North sounds more mature than Matchbox Twenty’s previous work and there are moments which show Matchbox Twenty have definitely learned a thing or two after being in this business for more than 15 years.  

North starts with Parade, which is classic, radio friendly Matchbox Twenty, and I like that the album starts on such familiar ground as it eases us back into the band following their absence. Overjoyed reminds me more of Rob Thomas’ solo album, as it is slower and more soulful, concentrating on lyrics rather than beat and tempo. Then, the two different sounds are bought together in She’s So Mean, which was also the first single Matchbox Twenty released off the album. It’s that feel good song which they generally release first, you know, like How Far We’ve Come, but this time about an upbeat track about a girl who doesn’t quite return the feelings.

Matchbox Twenty do their usual thing on North where all the songs sound a bit different, mostly upbeat and easy to listen to, but they conceal darker lyrics. Put Your Hands and She’s So Mean are good examples here. It’s something we’ve seen throughout all of Matchbox Twenty’s work (think Push off Yourself or Someone Like You). This technique is, however, nicely combined with the maturity from the band, seen in songs such as Like Sugar and I Will. They show how the band has grown over the years and talk about the cynical nature of love which comes with growing older. I like that these songs have a slightly slower tempo, rather than completely being masqueraded under a pop track.

Overall, North is a good album to listen to and it has all the right elements. Matchbox Twenty have never been a band to push boundaries and they don’t here. Apart from sounding a bit more mature, North gives us the Matchbox Twenty we know and love. 

Album Review: Hot Cakes

A

The third studio album from The Darkness was released in August, and if you can listen to a high pitched male without cringing and, if you’re a guy, feeling your manhood slip away slightly, then Hot Cakes should be on your musical menu.

I delved into bit of (Wikipedia) research before writing the review, as The Darkness came out in 2003 with that song I Believe in a Thing Called Loved and then, following a few less than hit songs, faded away. Nearly ten years after that notoriously high pitched song, album three is out following a five year hiatus in the late 2000’s to overcome personal problems in the band. Hot Cakes is a ‘reunion album’ (does two albums and a break constitute a reunion?) and it brings you right smack back into the early 2000’s with tight pants wearing lead singer Justin Hawkins, and the rest of the original line up. To me, The Darkness is a delicious guilty pleasure, and I love some good Hot Cakes.

The Darkness start of Hot Cakes with Every Inch of You, the song they released off the album second. This is the comeback song for them and the one which makes me want to rush out and buy the album (or rush to turn iTunes on to download it). Guitar riffs from the starts and that high pitched voice coming in before a minute is up yelling “suck my cock” is exactly what The Darkness should be doing music wise. Thank goodness this is the first song listed on the album, because it makes you want to keep on listening to Hot Cakes, and the song which makes reminds you they ARE The Darkness and THIS [craziness] is what they do best.

Hot Cakes doesn’t disappoint in continuing to deliver the sweet sounds of The Darkness. From Everybody Have a Good Time to Keep Me Hangin’ On and the superb first single released Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us, the album is amusing and fun and, with summer just around the corner, it’s a must listen to in the sun with a beer in hand. She is just a girl, Eddie, is another must listen to track, especially if you keep in mind the lead singer wrote it about his brother’s ex girlfriend without him agreeing to it. The tone is taken down a notch with a cover of Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out) – this is the only song inclusion I questioned. The cover itself is fine, but I don’t think a cover on your reunion album is quite right; this is a chance to show what you’ve got what it takes to comeback, not rejoicing in someone else’s work.

Overall, Hot Cakes is a great comeback / reunion / third album from The Darkness. It may not out of this world amazing, but there’s nothing else quite like this fun and funky band out there and I recommend getting amongst their music – just be warned it’s accompanied by a lot of high pitched vocals from one small but outrageous male lead singer. 

Album Review: Days Go By

B

The Offspring, that pop punk sounding band from the 1990’s who played Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), have returned with their ninth studio album, Days Go By. If you’re a diehard fan of The Offspring then this album will already be in your collection; if not – approach it, but have a bit of caution. The album gives nothing new from The Offspring and you feel like you’ve heard it all before, but may still find yourself foot tapping along subconsciously because it’s such a catchy sound.

The Offspring kicked off their Days Go By campaign with an all partying, all hanging out with babes on the beach song Cruising California (Bumpin' in My Trunk). The song is pretty much summed up in the title there – it’s a fun song for The Offspring to bring out first and I don’t dislike it, but after eight albums I feel  The Offspring can do a bit better. On the flipside, the second single Days Go By becomes a bit more personal with lyrics: doesn’t matter in the end / those days go by / and we all start again. It’s still as carefree as The Offspring always are, but in a more warm fuzzy uplifting kind of way and it rescues an otherwise quite plain album.

When I listened to the rest of the songs of the album I didn’t feel like there was much variation between the songs. The best way to describe it is if you’ve got it on in the background, you might not even notice a change in song apart from that bit of silence between the tracks. I could say The Future is Now and Hurting as One are good songs – because they are – but I might as well say Spare Me The Details and Self Esteem (both released in the mid-2000’s) are good songs because it’s all the same old stuff which we already have in our iTunes library.

An interesting decision made on Days Go By was to include of a re-record of Dirty Magic, a song originally on The Offspring’s 1992 album Ignition. It’s a good song, and I like that it gives the album a different sound, but I don’t quite understand the motives. Are The Offspring trying to take a step backwards despite the rest of the album sounding modern? Are they trying to hold onto the fragments of the 1990’s when they were the most fly band around? Or do they simply love that song so much they wanted to include it?

Technically, Days Go By is all there – guitars are good, drums are good, vocals are good, songs sound fine. However, it all sounds so dated and, dare I say it, safe. The Offspring are that rebellious band who doesn’t care what society thinks, so why they didn’t put out an album which pushes the boundaries a bit more is beyond me. 

Album Review: Counting Spins

A-

Local musicians Clap Clap Riot have just released their debut album Counting Spins. The boys, originally from Christchurch, have spent the last year working hard on the album and it has paid off, with a 12 awesome songs with a sweet sounding Kiwi slant.

You’ve probably heard quite a few of the tracks from Counting Spins before, as Clap Clap Riot bought out four tracks before releasing the album. The first was Everyone’s Asleep, which came out in March 2011. It’s the one that starts with a whole lot of clapping (kind of cute irony there, huh?) before kicking into a sweet chorus. The second song to receive some air time is Yoko Ono, and this is my favourite song off their album. It’s a great rock song which kicks off hard and fast and has a nice comparison to relationships like the one between Mr and Mrs John Lennon. Whether you feel partial to Yoko Ono or not, Clap Clap Riot turn her name into a great song.

You might also recognise Moss-Haired Girl, which was released in late 2011. With a similar sound to Yoko Ono, I feel this is the direction Clap Clap Riot want their songs to take – and it is a damn fine direction to take. Finally, So You Say came out earlier this year; it’s the track you probably best recognise and starts off with some strings before, again, kicking into a heavier chorus which is fast becoming Clap Clap Riot’s signature sound.

In saying this, the rest of the album follows in a similar suit and there isn’t a lot of variation between the tracks. Everyone’s Asleep is probably the track which takes the biggest detour from common sound. However, because it is their first album and a new sound for New Zealand, Counting Spins still manages sounds fresh, you can forgive Clap Clap Riot not putting in too much variation into their tracks. I especially recommend checking out Never Go Back and, for something a tad more upbeat, Lie.

Thanks to a few good contacts in the New Zealand music industry, Clap Clap Riot had some help making the album sound so good. The most significant of these is said to be Jimmy Christmas, lead singer and brain child of The D4 and Luger Boa. Christmas knows how to make an album sound good and helped Clap Clap Riot on their EP. I wouldn't be surprised if Clap Clap Riot retained his advice, and some other local music greats, to bring Counting Spins up the level it is. 

Overall, Counting Spins is a great debut album which you can't help but like; everyone I’ve talked to has nothing but good things to say. It is fair to say Clap Clap Riot are still finding their footing in the industry, and I can’t wait to see where they’re heading next.  

Concert Review: 30 Seconds to Mars 2010

30 Seconds to Mars live at the Logan Campbell Centre August 2010

At the last minute my friend had a spare ticket to 30 Seconds to Mars. I threw him a very reasonable $65 without much thought and jumped in the car to see the Mars invasion for myself. 30 Seconds to Mars had been all over the radio with their rocking tracks and C4 was repeating their outrageously expensive music videos daily. 30 Seconds to Mars seemed like a sweet mash up of rockers and political glamour so it was without a doubt I wanted to see them live.

The night kicked off with Computer Want Me Dead ... which really did leave me feeling a tad dead. Even when the crowd started throwing glow sticks at the duo, there was no spark in their performance. Overall, it was a bit lacklustre, even though on the radio Computers Want Me Dead seemed like a kicking Kiwi duo.

My big mistake was not checking out their most recent album thoroughly before I headed along to the concert. I loved their second album and still play the hits today, but their third album sort of slipped by me. However, even though I didn’t know all the words to the opening track Escape, the rocking intent from 30 Seconds to Mars was there, and I found myself cheering along with the crowd regardless of my lack of knowing the lyrics. Lead singer, Jared Leto, was sporting a large blonde mohawk and sunglasses, and looked every bit a rock star.

For me, the concert really started when Attack was played – this is one of the songs I knew best. This was followed closely by older hits such as A Beautiful Lie and their new smash hit, This Means War a new song I did know all the words to). A nice touch to the night was when Leto disappeared off the stage during a drum solo and reappeared at the sound desk, situated at the back of the venue. This is where he bought out his acoustic guitar and played three songs, including From Yesterday solo. It was a beautiful rendition which the crowd obviously loved, judging from the vast amount of cheering and applauding.

30 Seconds to Mars rounded off their set with their smash hits Closer to the Edge and, my personal favourite, The Kill. I lost my voice somewhere in these two songs and I had to croakily ask my friend how they would encore. It was their recent hit Kings and Queens which did it, complete with around 20 school kids who had won the opportunity to go on stage with the boys.

Overall, it was one rocking night confined within the small space of the Logan Campbell Centre. The biggest disappointment was the acoustic version of From Yesterday; despite it being beautiful, it was the hit which catapulted 30 Seconds to Mars into fame and I would have loved to see the full version as the final song played on the night. Other than this, 30 Seconds to Mars gave me a fantastic night fully worth my money. 

Album Review: Living Things

A-

Linkin Park released their fifth studio album, Living Things, at the beginning of June, and if you are a long term Linkin Park fan, this album should be in your collection. The album is a mix of the sound from Minutes to Midnight with the original angst of Hybrid Theory. Combine this angst with some sweet rock rapping from Mike Shinoda and you’ve got the gold which has always been Linkin Park.

The first single you’ve probably heard on the radio is Burn It Down and it epitomises this angst. Lead singer, Chester Bennington, sounds fantastic in it. To me, it sounds like Chester has manage to nail his vocals without putting too much strain on it, something he struggled with in the previous two albums. And, as a bonus, the title track of the album had nothing to do with a Transformers movie. It seems  Linkin Park have realised they don’t need Michael Bay to sell more records.  

The track which kicks off the album is Lost in the Echo and it’s classic Linkin Park. Some guitar, Shinoda with his raps and Chester coming over the top and into the chorus – how is it this combination never gets old? The song also sets up the rest of the album nicely. There’s a flow throughout the album, continuing with the classic Linkin Park in tracks like In My Remains and I’ll Be Gone, and then a bit of a fresh twist in tracks such as Lies Greed Misery.

Linkin Park have a few standard formats of songs off all their albums and Living Things picks up on these. First, the song Until it Breaks is their one drum heavy song on the album (think Nobody’s Listening off Meteora). They drop down the tone with Castle of Glass and Roads Travelled. Critics mind view this as going soft, but I like the softer side of Chester’s voice still amongst the guitar and drums, and it is nowhere near as bad as that Valentine’s Day song. Finally, Chester gives us one last yell with Victimized; it seems he can’t resist bringing up that strong voice which originally got us into Linkin Park.

I suppose the big letdown is the lack of really new, really fresh stuff. Chester said Living Things is “embracing everything that [they] have done in the past" and taking the “best pieces”. Yet, remember when Linkin Park released Breaking the Habit?  It was so different and yet everyone raved about what a great song it was. That’s what this album needed; something completely different. On the other hand, Linkin Park ain’t broke, so I guess it wasn’t the time to fix it.