Category: Pop (Page 84 of 216)

Lady Sovereign: Jigsaw

April 14, 2009 /

Lady Sovereign, Jigsaw
The recent release of UK rapper Lady Sovereign’s much-anticipated second LP, Jigsaw comes after 2006’s Public Warning, and the 2007 EP Those Were The Days. While her success on U.S Top 40 charts has been minimal, the self-poclaimed, “biggest midget in the game” has pulled out all the stops for Jigsaw and delivered an eleven-song LP that packs a punch, but unfortunately fails to follow through.

The record opens with a repetitive song titled, “Let’s Be Mates,” which Billboard.com, “a rocky start.” Perhaps the overbearing techno beats and lackluster lyrics had something to do with it. The LA Times took a dislike to track one, calling it, “phoned-in Cat Power bedroom pop that squanders her endearing MC skills.”

Jigsaw continues with “So Human,” a track built around The Cure’s “Close To Me,” which DrownedInSound called an improvement on the original. Then comes the money-hungry anthem, “Pennies” and the surprisingly streamlined, “Guitar.”

Unfortunately for the Lady, BBC reviewed Jigsaw saying the final three songs, “delve in to filler territory, with ‘Student Union’, ‘Food Play’ and ‘I Got The Goods’ sounding like unfinished prototypes.” The bulk of the record seems to fall flat among critics, earning this lady less-than-rave reviews. The LA Times wrote, “[this record is] sonically a good fit for her nimble and still undeniable flow, but the wheels come off whenever Sov’s newfound earnestness undermines her insouciant appeal.” The Boston Globe also ripped the tiny rapper, saying, “on her third album…Lady Sovereign sounds like the life of the party who gets lonely when it’s over.” Her efforts seem earnest, but they haven’t exactly paid off magnificently.

All hope is not lost, however. The Austin Chronicle wrote of Jigsaw, with this record, “Lady Sovereign reaffirms that she’s the singular queen bee in the hive of the still-buzzing London grime syndicate.” The bottom line regarding Jigsaw is that there isn’t much substance, but somehow Lady Sovereign manages to maintain her composure and deliver an acceptable album. Critics may not love it, but there’s something to be said for a little controversy.

Check out Jigsaw on iTunes, or at Lady Sovereign’s MySpace here.

CD Reviews, Hip Hop, Pop

Seen Your Video: Courtenay Green, “Beyond Therapy”

April 8, 2009 /

We’ll be honest: we’re not posting the clip for “Beyond Therapy,” the debut single from Los Angeles song bird Courtenay Green, because it’s a knockout song. The song is cute enough – though it doesn’t bear even a passing resemblance to the Hollies or New Pornographers, two bands to whom she’s compared in her press release – and Green is quite the fetching lass. Nope, we’re posting the clip for “Beyond Therapy” because the video is awesome, a throwback of sorts to early ’80s clips.

In fact, it’s rather fitting that she made a throwback clip for the song, because the song itself is a the kind of song that would have stood a much better chance of climbing the charts in 1981 than it will today. Green has good pitch, and she’s not flashy (thank God for that, as we have more than enough of those kinds of singers as it is), but her voice sounds wafer-thin compared to the girls currently dominating the charts. Not her fault, of course, but it’s definitely going to pose problems for her, which is why she was very smart to make a clip that will endear her to Gen X music lovers. We see Green singing the song in one of those karaoke bars where the songs have their own videos – not sure if anyone does these anymore, but they were all the rage in the early ’90s – and the video within this video is dead perfect. Star wipe, diamond wipe, heart wipe…yes.

Props to Green for playing to her strengths. Who knows, maybe we’ll eat the words above about her commercial prospects. Wouldn’t be the first time, and we would have no problem getting this one wrong.

Artists, Pop, Rock Babes, Seen Your Video, Videos

PJ Harvey & John Parish, Back For Round Two

April 7, 2009 /

PJ Harvey & John Parish, A Woman A Man Walked By

March 31, 2009 marked the release of British songstress PJ Harvey’s second collaboration with producer John Parish, A Woman, A Man Walked By. Recorded in Bristol and Dorset, England, the record delves deep into Harvey’s psyche, 12 years after she and Parish’ first collaboration, Dance Hall At Louise Point. The overall sound resembles Harvey’s early material more than anything else. In fact, Billboard.com wrote,

“A Woman, A Man Walked By is more like the Harvey of old than 2007’s ‘White Chalk.’ She sighs and croons and rasps her way through Parish’s twisted folk landscape, jabbing at an eternally disappointing lover with renewed ferocity and fresh heartbreak. Such a musical mind-meld, so expressive of both artists’ perspective, is rare.”

The Boston Globe reviewed A Woman saying, “This one falls squarely in line with Harvey’s eclectic discography, marking a return to gutter rock after the piano atmospherics of 2007’s ‘White Chalk.’”

It has been a while since Harvey & Parish put their creative minds to work on the same project, but the pairing seems to have brought out the best in both artists. The record celebrates Harvey’s unique vocals while still maintaining Parish’s propensity for subtlety. The Boston Globe wrote,

“On ‘A Woman, A Man Walked By,’ they create a world both beautiful and depraved, an unhinged record heavy on heartache and bristling with aggression. And that’s just the opening song, ‘Black Hearted Love,’ where Harvey’s languid voice floats above the crash and clang of Parish’s electric-guitar squall…Harvey matches him in a wild array of different vocal shades, with her shrill yelps summoning the spirit of performance artist Karen Finley on the title track. And a spoken-word recitation on “Cracks in the Canvas” closes the album on an elegiac note with Harvey intoning: “Cracks in the canvas look like roads that never end.”

The raw intensity and brash lyrics of A Woman, A Man Walked By prove PJ Harvey’s, “still not a girl to take home to Mama” (RollingStone.com) but a trip through her subconscious is anything but ordinary.

Standouts on A Woman include the opening track “Black Hearted Love” which, “finds Harvey delivering the brooding, disturbing vocal beauty she’s know for.” (Spin.com) “Passionless, Pointless” also shines. DrownedInSound said the track “finds as poignant a pay off as [Harvey’s] ever written: ‘you slept facing the wall, and you wanted less than I wanted.’”

Not every track on A Woman was well received, however. PasteMagazine.com criticized Harvey’s vocal on “The Chair,” saying, “she sounds like she’s falling down a well.” And they don’t stop there. The indie-mag goes on to write, ”on A Woman as a whole, she sounds as though she’s far less inspired than she was on her previous disc, White Chalk, a work of bone-chilling intimacy. This new one is both harder to love and harder to fathom.”

Although many seem to have gotten lost in Harvey and Parish’s interestingly haunting hooks and odd lyrics, I find it hard to concentrate on anything while she literally barks, and snarls her way through each song. The artistic integrity is there, but it just doesn’t translate as well as one would hope. Fans of classic Harvey should definitely check out the new release but newcomers may find themselves wanting more with this record.

You can preview tunes from the record on Harvey’s MySpace, or go straight to iTunes and check out the record for yourself.

Alternative, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Psychedelic

Gavin DeGraw Lets Loose With Stripped-Down LP, Free

April 4, 2009 /

Gavin DeGraw, Free
One of the many undeniable appeals of New York singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw is his sultry, soulful voice, layered with a raw poignancy and surprising sincerity, that’s effortlessly wound around every melody to seep through his lips.  The J Records superstar has been on a decidedly major-label track since his debut release Chariot in 2003, and made the choice to scale back the production on his latest LP, Free.  DeGraw told Billboard,

“I just wanted to make a legitimate record, an artist’s record for an artist’s fans.  I didn’t want to saturate the tracks with overdubs and flying guitars and unicorns and shit. I wanted to keep everything out of the way and allow the songs to really be about what the songs are fundamentally, which is music and lyrics.””

The result is a ten-song deep journey into DeGraw’s soul that may not find a place on the charts immediately, but will definitely satiate even the pickiest of fan pallets.

Billboard.com wrote,

“While making “Free” DeGraw reached back into his catalog to include early compositions such as “Dancing Shoes” and “Glass,” which have not been released but have become fan favorites through his live shows. He also finished a couple of songs, “Mountains to Move” and “Stay,” in the studio, [and] covered the late Chris Whitley’s “Indian Summer” as the album’s opening track.”

The combination of old material and newly reconstructed studio tracks suits DeGraw perfectly, and certainly lends to his credibility as a songwriter.

Free begins with a cover of the late Chris Whitley’s “Indian Summer,” a song that Entertainment Weekly called, “slow-burning.” There’s definite passion in DeGraw’s vocal that carries magnificently to the other nine tracks.  The title track follows with heartfelt lyrics like, “I am heartbreak and romance/the feather and the stone/I feel crowded/and alone/and I wanna be free…” His voice is pristine on Free but there’s still a sexy edge that leaves you wanting more.

The unfortunate draw-back to Free is the lack of tempo change.  Song after song is undeniably passionate and from the heart, but there’s little excitement in the arrangements, save a few shining moments on, “Lover Be Strong.”

DeGraw did manage to save an old gem for this record that’s reminiscent of Mark Cohen’s, “Walkin’ In Memphis.”  “Dancing Shoes” begins with a delicate piano and escalates into one of the only piercing hooks on the record.

While this may not be an official follow-up to hi 2008 release, Gavin DeGraw has proven his staying power with Free.  The label surprisingly supported it, critics seem confused by it, but fans love it, and in a world without frills that’s all that matters.  DeGraw’s brooding melodies and soulful expressiveness have satiated pop/rock appetites with for years, and Free is no exception.  A little old school, a dash of new, and heaping spoonful of authenticity makes this relaxed-fit album the perfect addition to his catalog.

If you’re into smooth melodies and passionate lyrics, make sure you check out this album, and please, do yourself a favor and give it more than just one listen.  Free is definitely worth it.

Adult Contemporary, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock, Soul

Molly Jenson: Maybe Tomorrow

April 3, 2009 /

Do you find it hard to keep track of how many VH-1 “You Oughta Know” type singer/songwriters there are? You know, that wispy alt-pop thing – think Sara Bareilles, Erin McCarley and the like. Well, don’t look now, here comes another one; Nettwerk’s latest signing, Molly Jenson, with her debut, Maybe Tomorrow. Try as you may to dislike it, Jenson’s sultry voice and more than pleasant melodies will keep you listening. Sure, it sounds like everything else the genre is putting out, but let’s face it – these songs don’t write themselves. Jenson and writing partner Greg Laswell have crafted a fine effort of pop tunes and if you’d rather not lump her into the current crop of female singer/songwriters, consider that she could be a young Aimee Mann, bending falsetto and all. On the title track and as well as on “Beginning Here,” there is this perpetual feeling of being dragged along through a thick fog – she gets you to where you’re going, but you may struggle to enjoy the ride. But then, Jenson is at her best when she throws some hip swagger in, as she does on “Thinking of You” and “Alongside You,” as well as the simply beautiful guitar and vocal track, “Wait For You Here.” (LABEL: Nettwerk)

Molly Jenson MySpace Page

Adult Contemporary, Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

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