Flesh Tone

This is going to be massive. I assure you. Its exactly the kind of record that was begging to be made, and I'm glad Kelis NEARLY got there first.

I say nearly because a few years ago Madonna released the exact same kind of record (Confessions...), but (despite its success) nobody was as interested then as they will be now.

This is for the clubs. Which is very IN right now. No doubt about it. Every single track is a brilliantly produced dance-track that would appropriately soundtrack any dance floor littered with sweaty young-adults. It just never ends.

You want to move your feet as soon as it starts. And from then on its Amongst-the-smoke-machines-and-strobing-lights-at-3-am overload.

The songs are kind of hard to differentiate from one another at first, but the more you listen to it, the more you realise that's not the point. Its a continuous mix meant for some heavy rotation.

Kelis' breathy vocals fit in perfectly here. I've always felt a bit hit-and-miss when it came to her previous work, but I think this style suits her perfectly. And there's still enough of her personality visible to stop her from becoming "Featuring Kelis".

That said, the segues that appear after 6 of the 9 tracks are interesting. If you were listening to them in the context of some band, you'd happily bop along thinking "Bless them, having some fun with their instruments". But we're not listening to a band, we're listening to Kelis, and as far as I'm aware, she didn't play any of the instruments on this album. Its a small point I know, and I don't want to dwell on it too much because that seems a bit silly, but I have to admit it left me a bit disorientated the first time around. It's those small parts when it becomes too close to a dance compilation featuring Kelis here and there.

But once you get your head around that, and bear in mind that the songs will all sound the same for a while, you can just enjoy it. Of course I'm a bit biased because this clearly isn't a body work that is to be sat and listened to in headphones. We're supposed to take the disc out to a house party and play it in its entirety, or enjoy individual tracks on a night out. And we all know Acapella well enough to go absolutely crazy when it finally comes on.

So, all in all, the music is fantastic. Kelis is fantastic. The lyrics (designed to make the experience as creative as possible. Dance music usually always has the dullest and least inspiring lyrics) are fantastic. Flesh Tone is fantastic.

And my favourite moment is the rap/chant breakdown in Scream. Perfect.

Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree

Another X-Factor contestant's debut album sitting comfortably at the top of the charts. Just what we need, right?

True, this album has a noticeable amount of commercial hits and is full to the brim of brain-invading melodies, but don't let that fool you. Vickers hasn't completely sold out on us yet.

First off, you can't escape the fact that this offering has an astounding party of collaborators. Ellie Goulding and Starsmith provide their famous folky-electro with tracks like the odd-yet-catchy Remake Me + You and You'll Never Get To Heaven, heavyweight Guy Sigsworth steps in on moments like the regrettably forgettable Notice and the summer-induced joy of Jumping Into Rivers.

Rather than churn out either some Alexandra Burke-pop or (heaven forbid) Eoghan Quigg-soft rock, Diana goes with her uniqueness that made her so apparent on X-Factor and seems determined to appeal also to the indie-folk. Devonté Hynes (better known as Lightspeed Champion) contributes silly acoustic number Me & You, and there's even a cover of The Sugarcubes single Hit, which sounds perfect with Vicker's odd vocals amongst dark, squealing-siren synths.

And whilst we're on the subject, let's talk about THAT voice for a second. Yes, she's still doing her breathy bleating that made her so Marmite on television, but then again artists like Shakira, Marina & The Diamonds, Florence Welch and even now Jonna Lee seem to be getting away with it, so why should Vickers attract any more criticism? It takes some getting used to, but it makes sense within the context of the music. Even so, the best moments are when she occasionally breaks out for a second into a heart-breaking falsetto, especially in the amazing Put It Back Together (written by Nerina Pallot - remember her?).

There are plenty of Dido, ballad-y bits, but in between all of that there are some really, really good stompers. Once (as we all know) is fantastic, and we can thank Cathy Dennis for that (you'll remember her from Toxic, I Kissed A Girl and About You Now), but there's also stuff like My Hip that will have you singing along in no time.

Album closer Chasing You (reminiscent of The Saturdays more romantic moments) and next single The Boy Who Murdered Love are definitely some of the most amazing tracks. It's hard not to get bogged down with all the desperate plea for indie-fan attention, but if you listen hard enough, you'll hear a girl with a great voice and a brilliant start to her career, even with its faults

Body Talk Pt. 1

Every few years there is a sudden huge trend in the music industry. It starts with a little bit of influence creeping into mainstream songs, then slowly but surely everyone starts to catch on. Eventually the charts are stormed by it, and later even more independent artists begin to grasp on to it.

At the moment, that trend revolves around an electro inspired pop, with dashes of the 80's here and there.

But then there are a select few artists that seem to exist outside of that trend, despite the fact that the music is pretty much in line with it. And Robyn is one of those.

Her last album was pure magic. Even though I have, it felt like I had never heard anything like it. This year she plans to release three mini-albums full of new material, and I'm happy to say she's exactly the same.

Body Talk (Part One) finds Robyn doing exactly what she does best. Every single track sounds fresh and is full of attitude. She doesn't need to explore new sounds, because she defies all musical expectations.

That said, there elements that sound familiar. For example, the repetitive, Peaches-style delivery of Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do, the Rude Boy, M.I.A. Island-pop found in Dancehall Queen, and even the Björk-esque lullaby that is Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa.

But somehow, Robyn makes all of this her own, and never comes close to sounding like a rehash. Her style is effortless, her hooks inescapable.

The album talks a lot about technology (expected), most obviously in the dangerously catchy Fembots (single material for sure). But the most prevalent of all is Robyn's juvenile identity.

Despite her age, Robyn is still eager to come across as the kind of woman who will go out and party, not for the simple teenage rebellious fun, but in order to FEEL something. "You can cry when you get older" she warns at one point. The difference between her and the younger kids in the clubs is made clear many more times throughout the record, particularly on throbbing floor-filler, None Of Dem. "None of these beats are raw/None of these beats ever break the law" she sings, perhaps also commenting on how the style of music she has been dabbling in for some time now, has since become more and more commercialised and diluted.

But what really sets this album apart from any other competition, is the maturity. She knows she will always be seen as the outsider, and there's a dark, melancholic undercurrent deep within each song's core. New single Dancing On My Own is the wiser, older sister of Be Mine!, and is just as touching as the piano-led moments of previous songs like Eclipse.

And then of course we have Hang With Me. the "Acoustic" tag is a little misleading, suggesting a guitar driven version of something previously pop, but instead what we're subjected to is a PROPER BALLAD. Stirring strings? Check. Tinkly piano? Check. Vulnerable falsetto? Check, check, check.

Experimenting every now and then with flashes of other genre and style, Body Talk Pt. 1 is a welcome return. Splitting the release into three, bite-size parts is pure genius. No filler finds its way onto this disc, and it stands to reason that the next two parts will be just as impressive.

Trendsetter? Not a chance. But an example of a perfect pop artist? As close as you can get.

Congratulations

MGMT claim they want their new effort to be experienced as a complete body of work, which reportedly means no singles. In keeping with that wish, I'm not going to review any specific tracks, instead commenting on the record as a whole.

It's a bit of an experience.

But let's not pretend it's something its not. Its nowhere near the amazing piece of art that some would have you believe. And its certainly not as deep and impossible to get into as others might claim.

The startling but hardly brief flashes of classic MGMT runs through the entire disc. This is another collection of perfectly enjoyable and above-average-ly interesting noises.

On the surface, it can sound a little messy, often going for a "more is more" approach until you're lost in some trippy maze of sound. But perhaps that's the point, because just when you're in danger of becoming lost, Pete Kember's jaw-dropping production has made sure there are plenty of tiny but not invisible, intriguing signposts to keep you afloat. Its the little effects that swim in and out of your headphones that give the album an illusion of impenetrable depth, down-the-rabbit-hole style.

Whilst it certainly looks (you can almost hear the album's title being said in a sarcastic tone) and feels like an expression of discomfort regarding the accidental success of debut album, Oracular Spectacular, it does little to hide the joyous and unbelievably uplifting mood of the entire record. Even if there is an undercurrent of slight acid-induced terror lurking round every corner.

There are moments that make your heart race like it did the first time you heard The Rowing Song in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. There are moments that make you want to blast it out of your car whilst driving along the beach on a summer's day (the artwork seems very appropriate at these times). There are moments that could soundtrack your most disturbingly beautiful dreams. Before I start sounding too pretentious, in short, there are moments for every moment.

It's a heavy, mind-bending journey from beginning to end. Depending on how much effort and patience you put into it, it can sometimes dip and seem a little repetitive, and a certain 12-minute track (NAMING NO NAMES...) is almost completely unnecessary. But, as a whole (as MGMT would have it), this a lovely step in the right direction. Its a smart, playful and beautiful listening experience.

Ten

The Xenomania team have been responsible for some of the best songs in Pop history. This we know. So it speaks volumes when the sole Xenomania produced track on Gabriella Cilmi's outstanding new album, is NOT the highlight.

That's not to say that Heart's Don't Lie isn't good. In fact its better than good. The rumoured second single is an absolute corker (naturally), and finds Cilmi sounding more passionate and sexier than anyone could have imagined. But she more up her sleeve...

Ten is super slick and coolly stylistic. Its the kind of album that Sugababes should have produced when they decided to explore a more electronic sound (in fact with her striking, yet simple lyrics - "What if kisses were ones and zeros?" from Robots is a personal favourite - and effortless but powerful voice, its not hard to picture an alternate line-up featuring Gabriella). The comparisons don't end there.

Many similarities can be made with the notorious Rachel Stevens album, Come And Get It. Both feature a group of songs that not only gel comfortably in an almost intentionally conceptual way, but can also be coaxed out to shine individually. Both are quintessential of the best of British pop - music that doesn't feel the need to be bombastic and cliche as it strives on its complexity and originality. In short, both are perfect pop records.

The tracks fall into two categories; fierce, disco-inspired stompers, or sweeping and heartfelt songs that evoke the likes of Girls Aloud's Call The Shots. The latter category contains moments like Defender and Glue, that seem to work despite Cilmi's youth (and what some would call inexperience) because of her timeless and ageless voice. Cilmi never fails to sound mature or passionate. She's especially at her most believable during What If You Knew - a short but sweet memento about falling in love with your best friend, something that listeners of any age will likely be able to relate to. It happens to the best of us after all.

And on the complete other end of the spectrum, there are up-beat and powerful moments. The silliness of current single On A Mission succeeds perfectly because it is an incredible slice of independence and attitude. The fun refuses to end there.

Boys, Superhot and Superman combine all the best-loved elements utilised by artists such as Gwen Stefani, Ke$ha, Santigold and even Donna Summer. Invisible Girl sounds like it could be related to Alanis Morissette in her Flavors Of Entanglement era, in a spunkier, younger sister kind of way, Albeit one that ran away with P!nk's Funhouse.

The producers and writers have outdone themselves in making such and unbelievable record by stumbling one of the Golden Rules of pop music; that it doesn't matter much in what direction the style of the material goes in, so long as you start with a brilliant melody.

Sonically, (although enjoyable) its nothing too special. Acts like Alphabeat, La Roux, Mika and Goldfrapp have all been experimenting with this retro pop (with their own unique and modern twists of course!). But the strength here lies in every catchy chorus. The truth is, the album could be replaced with backing music of any genre, and it would still have the hooks that leave it sounding so intriguing and undeniably refreshing.

This point is certainly made with not only Love Me Cos You Want To, which harks back to her previous sound and style, but also with the cheesy (but brilliant) reboot of breakthrough single, Sweet About Me.

Gabriella Cilmi has exceeded all expectations here, proving that there's more to a career than continuously going back to Xenomania for another hit single. Even though we still love them. If she continues to stay so down to Earth and wise beyond her years, it will be a delight to see what she conjures up next.

Head First

Let's be realistic, every one's doing the whole "Oh my music has it roots in 1980's inspiration, but fused with my own, modern twist" thing right now. So to fully dive into something they helped pave the way for could be seen as a bit of misstep for Goldfrapp. To those who aren't familiar with them, it looks like they're busy playing catch-up.

But as a whole project, Head First works perfectly fine. Its understandably short and sweet, lovingly produced, and for once in Goldfrapp's career, pretty much on the ball and fresh.

New single Rocket and I Wanna Life are classic Goldfrapp songs, with hints and tinges of the overall concept. A bit like Happiness from 2008's Seventh Tree. Its also the closest the duo have ever gotten to a real, feel-good, proper POP (!) song.

But its slightly darker and more melancholy moments like Believer and Dreaming that make the record worthwhile. An appearance of more similar tracks would have shown a little more growth for the band.

As usual, the production is warm and pleasing, and you're never too far from a sweeping chorus. Its sugary and surprisingly... well... full of joy. Alison seems to be having some genuine fun, and naturally her vocals are still sounding out of this world.

Speaking of which, album closer Voicething may sound odd to begin with, but bear with it. Around the 3 minute mark it suddenly turns from intriguing experiment to epic, movie soundtrack-style heart breaker.

In short, an album title has never been more appropriate. Easily the most accessible Goldfrapp disc to date. Prepare to fall in love.

Animal

There are A LOT of albums that are being released or rumoured to be released this year that I’m almost dying with anticipation to hear. Since my plan of reviewing all the new albums I got last winter never worked (I will sort that out at some point), I figured I should get the ball rolling with this task instead.
The first of this year’s awaited albums was released a few days ago, and I’m sorry to say that we’re not off to a great start.

I have to point out before I get right into this, I AM a fan of Ke$ha. Last year someone pointed me in the direction of around thirty or so demos that had thankfully leaked. I was already (like the rest of the world it seems) enjoying TiK ToK, so naturally I was curious.

I’d much rather be reviewing those demos. One of Ke$ha’s biggest criticisms right now seems to be that people just aren’t at all charmed by her trashy, “look at me I’m so drunk, isn’t it hilarious” thing that she’s got going on. I’ll admit that I am, but there are plenty of demos that expand her personality ever so slightly. Unfortunately, this is where debut album Animal falls flat straight away.

I’m not usually one to hold grudges, but only four of those demos have made it to the final album, the aforementioned TiK ToK, the cheeky Boots & Boys, bitchy Backstabber and bonus track V.I.P. The rest of the album is entirely new songs, produced by those behind most of Britney Spears, Lily Allen, P!nk and Katy Perry’s recent output. That’s a good thing, right? Wrong.

The album opens with Your Love Is My Drug, which starts with Ke$ha’s trademark rap style vocals. It’s a decent pop song as far as crafting pop songs go, channelling Katy Perry in the chorus. But it’s nothing new, and lacks any originality to elevate it above the ten thousand other songs we heard last summer that sounded exactly like this (it even refers to a heartbeat being similar to an 808 drum like we haven’t heard THAT before). The only redemption is ending, but again this also sounds way too similar to the way songs like Ur So Gay. Not a great start in terms of carving any kind of personality.

Next is current single, TiK ToK. I don’t really need to say anything about this. We’ve all heard it. It’s the perfect party song. It’s stupid, fun and makes you feel dirty in just the right way. And the ridiculous cameo from P Diddy is completely worth it.

Take It Off starts very promising. The stolen chant is immediately recognisable (what exactly it is from actually eludes me right now, but trust me, you know it). But the rest of the song falls completely flat. Ke$ha’s vocals are understandably of the “love it or hate it” variety, but this song is one of the few times where it actually annoys me. Certain parts sound way too Nineties and that is NEVER a good thing. It’s neither catchy nor relevant in any way.

And back to Katy Perry again with Kiss N Tell. The title says it all. This is more or less the sequel to Hot N Cold. But there is far too much happening musically. The chorus is bloated and sounds like something may have malfunctioned when it was being recorded. Aside from that, nothing incredible lyrically or vocally and if you’ve heard Hot N Cold, you’ll want to stay away from this so as to not ruin it.

Stephen happens to be the most disappointing moment of the album. It starts incredibly, with a wonderful folk/gospel tinged introduction. But after that we are falsely lured into a plea for the guy in question to give in and return her call. It completely goes against the image she has been trying to create. There’s nothing wrong with showing a more vulnerable side, but singing lines like “I’m feeling pathetic, I can’t take rejection” and “Don’t you think I’m pretty? Don’t you love me?” before going on to sing about men in the way she does on Boots & Boys is terribly inconsistent… and like she said herself, slightly pathetic .

You might think this is going to cause some bias in my review, but I’ll be honest. I just don’t get 3OH!3. At all. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to be taking seriously and what I’m not when I see or hear them. Oh, and they just released a single (that’s actually not THAT bad) that features… Wait for it… KATY PERRY.

And here we have Blah Blah Blah (Featuring 3OH!3 – and rumoured to be the second single… naturally). Again, I just don’t get this song. It’s cringe worthy and actually quite painful to hear at some points. The only thing interesting about is hearing Ke$ha sing about a guy in a way you rarely hear women in the charts do. But there are much better songs where she does the exact same thing much better, and the arrival of the guys from 3OH!3 obviously completely turns the tables on that concept anyway.

Hungover is the first of the rather strange mellow songs. It’s surprisingly like Avril Lavigne’s I’m With You meets something by Kelly Clarkson meets something produced by Ryan Tedder. Surely, a recipe for success? But the problem with these slower songs is that they just don’t work. For whatever reason, they just halt the party atmosphere of the album and are still lacking in any true moments of originality.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself initially enjoying Party At A Rich Dude’s House. It’s a punky moment, in the same vein of songs like U + Ur Hand by P!nk, and includes a line that refers to that infamous moment when Ke$ha met Paris Hilton and threw up in her closet. But the bittersweet feeling kicks in soon after, and once you listen back, you’ll see that it isn’t actually as exciting as it first seemed. The track builds up some momentum, but then never goes anywhere with it. Instead of trying to reach anthem height, the song is stays at the same level throughout; seemingly scared to break from its formula that got you hooked in the beginning.

Finally, one of those amazing demos I keep telling you all about. Backstabber is just plain great. It’s a sort of Shakira style angry song for 90210 kids. This mastered version is a little easier on the ears, but doesn’t lose any of the punch and attitude that make the song such a joy to listen to. Ke$ha’s laid back, “what’s the point” vocals really suit this song. The only downside is that this version is now censored, but when a song this fun finally appears, you can easily forgive that.

Things quieten down again for Blind. Again, there’s nothing particularly wrong with the song, but the downbeat lyrics and atmosphere are just depressing in the context of the rest of the album, and nothing jumps out to make the song above average. Ke$ha even sounds like she is wondering what the point is, her vocals appearing to have had no effort put into them.

Dinosaur is the only new track on this album that I actually think I might like. We’ve come to expect this from Max Martin and company anyway, but this song is hilarious. It’s short, snappy and to the point. The biggest problem I have is that it spends so much time trying to be funny, that nothing much else happens, there’s not even a great, sing-along chorus like the countless ones we have endured throughout the rest of the tracks. However, it’s still probably (apart from the 4 songs I mentioned at the beginning) the only song worth listening to.

Another “slow” song. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes echoes Avril Lavigne once again. These specific songs would probably sound so much better on their own disc. I hate to say it, but nothing special… again. Plus the title is just awful.

The last of my treasured demos, Boots & Boys is the penultimate track. This song is slick and sexy, and sees Ke$ha objectifying guys in the way women usually are in genres like (but not exclusive to) hip-hop. That’s not actually as revolutionary as it sounds, but the song is one of the album’s rare moments of pure joy. Ridiculously catchy.

This brings us to a moment that never fails to make me angry. I can’t understand the point in releasing a trashy party album, looking like you do, and calling it Animal, if the title track is going to sound like THIS. And it especially doesn’t belong at the end of the disc, giving it some kind of hype, making you await the outrageous and incredible song it promises to be.

It doesn’t live up to the expectation, simple as that. It’s slow, bland and disastrously anticlimactic. Oh, and it sounds like one of the more mellow moments on Katy Perry’s album…

Maybe it has something to do with my bitter feelings towards the blatant avoidance of utilising those brilliant demos, but I fully expect most people to actually accept this as a genuinely good album, despite it not being. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Ke$ha, and I think she will continue to plague the charts with her seemingly perfect pop songs for at least the rest of this year. But anyone who decides to leave Mr. Watson (one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time!) off of their debut album can’t actually know exactly what they are doing. A disappointing start to the year. Hopefully it can only get better…