Don't worry, this post has nothing to do with that John Mayer song that makes you want to smash your radio. No, before I get back to my top 20 albums of 2009, I just had to have a little freak-out about something to look forward to later in 2010 (March 2nd, to be specific): the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack!
The soundtrack, featuring everyone from Avril Lavigne to Owl City to Motion City Soundtrack, is poised to make emo kids smile wider than the Cheshire cat (on the inside, of course). And really, any CD with a Mark Hoppus/Pete Wentz collaboration sound pretty darn wonderful to me.
The soundtrack will be a hodgepodge of original songs loosely inspired by the book and old animated movie (All Time Low said they didn't get to see Tim Burton's version yet). Except, um, "The Technicolor Phase" was definitely released on Owl City's debut album, before anyone would have guessed he could fit in among the ranks of these pop-punk personalities. But it could still have been inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It has almost nothing to do with the story, but hey, you never know.
Anyways, after hearing Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Marilyn Manson on the 2006 reissue of The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (another Tim Burton film, of course), it only seems logical to commission a slew of Alice-themed tracks from the myriad poster children teen angst. Even if the music lacks the quirks and experimentation of Burton's film, it's sure to look lovely next to the six rows of overpriced Alice t-shirts, hoodies, and jewelery boxes at Hot Topic stores everywhere.
Now before we run out of time (get that White Rabbit reference? no?... oh well), let's get to the tracklist:
1. “Alice (Underground)” – Avril Lavigne
2. “The Poison” – The All-American Rejects
3. “The Technicolor Phase” – Owl City
4. “Her Name Is Alice” – Shinedown
5. “Painting Flowers” - All Time Low
6. “Where’s My Angel” - Metro Station
7. “Strange”- Tokio Hotel and Kerli
8. “Follow Me Down” - 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch
9. “Very Good Advice” - Robert Smith
10. “In Transit” - Mark Hoppus with Pete Wentz
11. “Welcome to Mystery” - Plain White T’s
12. “Tea Party” - Kerli
13. “The Lobster Quadrille” - Franz Ferdinand
14. “Running Out of Time” - Motion City Soundtrack
15. “Fell Down a Hole” - Wolfmother
16. “White Rabbit”- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
The tracklist was released on MySpace's music blog, and you can check out that story if you like.
In other news, I went to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' website today and discovered that not every band with "Potter" in its name is a wrock band. This makes sense because Harry Potter had no relatives named Grace.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
See Who's to 'Blame'
Hey, just wanted to issue a quick apology for totally not keeping up with my planned pace of an album-a-day for my 20 favorite albums of 2009. Turns out homework is still pretty time-consuming. Oh, and I simply cannot look away from the fascinating camerawork and costuming in Mika's video for his upcoming single "Blame It On the Girls," to be released on February 15th. (Let's hope this song actually gets some airplay in the States!)
Enjoy:
I'll admit, the video's not as spectacular as "We Are Golden," but "Blame It On the Girls" has always been one of my favorite songs on his album. (Wondering where - if anywhere - that album will fall on my top 20 countdown? You might have to hang on til the end to find out) ;)
Enjoy:
I'll admit, the video's not as spectacular as "We Are Golden," but "Blame It On the Girls" has always been one of my favorite songs on his album. (Wondering where - if anywhere - that album will fall on my top 20 countdown? You might have to hang on til the end to find out) ;)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Shining LIGHTS on Our Disconnected World
Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#17 The Listening by LIGHTS
Canadian electropop darling LIGHTS (and winner of Canada's prestigious Juno award for Best New Artist) may claim to be from another galaxy, but her songs sound like they take place on a plant not to different form our own. If they truly are intergalactic, though, they must take place in the same dark but beautiful galaxy of auto-tuned beings that Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak took place on.
Yet LIGHTS' planet has an interesting mix of desolate cities and majestic natural areas. Songs like "Drive My Soul" and "February Air" are about trying to make a human connection in immense and impersonal cities, much like 808s. Despite all LIGHTS' pictures of herself posing with candy-colored ray guns (disclaimer: she totally did it before Lady Gaga and Beyonce), the album starts out with LIGHTS as a damsel in distress looking for a "Saviour" and somebody to drive her soul.
On the other hand, LIGHTS sings of nature as though it is a magical force that can rescue her from this isolation. Her song "River" is a prayer to a river. Conceptually, it's similar to Owl City's "Hello Seattle," whose last eight lines are like a prayer to the city. LIGHTS is frequently compared to Owl City, with good reason: both deal in a subdued style of electropop not often heard. And the fact that they're touring North America and Europe together can't hurt. (If I wasn't such a crazed Owl City fanatic, I probably would have compared her music to his instead of Kanye's, but I could write a whole 'nother post about how the world his music creates is much more magical yet similar to our own than hers... And don't even get me started on the subtle differences between Owl City and the Postal Service...) But I digress.
By the middle of the album, LIGHTS has made a human connection and spends her time comforting this guy, insisting that he shouldn't worry about her ("The Last Thing on Your Mind") and should face every situation with courage ("Lions!"). And in this world of isolation, LIGHTS eventually finds lots of people in similar situations. In "Face Up," she instructs this boyfriend to "Look at the people all around you/The way you feel is something everybody goes through."
Though none of the tracks are as dynamite as the cartoon weapons she loves to pose with, the album's only true dud is the treacly ballad "Pretend," whose sappy nostalgic lyrics sound especially bad with LIGHTS' weak and breathy voice. The album's timeline isn't perfect either, but if a few tracks were switched around, LIGHTS could weave a wonderful story about finding compassion and courage in a disconnected world remarkably similar to our own.
#17 The Listening by LIGHTS
Canadian electropop darling LIGHTS (and winner of Canada's prestigious Juno award for Best New Artist) may claim to be from another galaxy, but her songs sound like they take place on a plant not to different form our own. If they truly are intergalactic, though, they must take place in the same dark but beautiful galaxy of auto-tuned beings that Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak took place on.
Yet LIGHTS' planet has an interesting mix of desolate cities and majestic natural areas. Songs like "Drive My Soul" and "February Air" are about trying to make a human connection in immense and impersonal cities, much like 808s. Despite all LIGHTS' pictures of herself posing with candy-colored ray guns (disclaimer: she totally did it before Lady Gaga and Beyonce), the album starts out with LIGHTS as a damsel in distress looking for a "Saviour" and somebody to drive her soul.
On the other hand, LIGHTS sings of nature as though it is a magical force that can rescue her from this isolation. Her song "River" is a prayer to a river. Conceptually, it's similar to Owl City's "Hello Seattle," whose last eight lines are like a prayer to the city. LIGHTS is frequently compared to Owl City, with good reason: both deal in a subdued style of electropop not often heard. And the fact that they're touring North America and Europe together can't hurt. (If I wasn't such a crazed Owl City fanatic, I probably would have compared her music to his instead of Kanye's, but I could write a whole 'nother post about how the world his music creates is much more magical yet similar to our own than hers... And don't even get me started on the subtle differences between Owl City and the Postal Service...) But I digress.
By the middle of the album, LIGHTS has made a human connection and spends her time comforting this guy, insisting that he shouldn't worry about her ("The Last Thing on Your Mind") and should face every situation with courage ("Lions!"). And in this world of isolation, LIGHTS eventually finds lots of people in similar situations. In "Face Up," she instructs this boyfriend to "Look at the people all around you/The way you feel is something everybody goes through."
Though none of the tracks are as dynamite as the cartoon weapons she loves to pose with, the album's only true dud is the treacly ballad "Pretend," whose sappy nostalgic lyrics sound especially bad with LIGHTS' weak and breathy voice. The album's timeline isn't perfect either, but if a few tracks were switched around, LIGHTS could weave a wonderful story about finding compassion and courage in a disconnected world remarkably similar to our own.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
If you take the 'F' out of Bowling for Soup's initials...
Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009
#18 Sorry for Partyin' by Bowling for Soup
Why is Bowling for Soup depicted jumping into a giant toilet on cover of their latest album, Sorry for Partyin'? The album before that, The Great Burrito Extortion Case, had more mentions of bodily wastes. In fact, jokes are in (relatively) short supply on this album. This album finds the fifteen year-old pop-punk quartet wading through their old material and producing new songs that revolve around the same old ideas, but with less snarky spirit this time around. Can anyone think of what they're doing in a toilet?...
The album opens with "A Really Cool Dance Song." The name says it all - it's catchy and as danceable as anything released by the bands "in frilly tuxedos" they try to imitate. Yet the genre-skewering inevitably leads to comparisons with their 2003 gem "Punk Rock 101." And this songs is not "Punk Rock 101." "A Really Cool Dance Song" cracks jokes about how little the band knows about dance music (they only listened to Motley Crue), while "Punk Rock 101" was a (relatively) insightful parody of the lives of emo young adults. "Dance Song" can make listeners want to dance, but "Punk Rock 101" made them want to throw up their hands while they were doubled over laughing.
Another songs that has as much trouble avoiding comparisons to previous songs as lead singer and songwriter Jared Reddick has trouble avoiding bottles of beer is "Bfff," a song about how he loves his best friend (in a heterosexual way). Though it could provoke a few chuckles, it can't compete with the delicious snark of "Friends Like You" from Great Burrito Extortion Case, the same album on which Reddick's jokes about his sexuality wore out their welcome in the song "I'm Gay."
Reddick finally puts his immature charm to good use on Sorry for Partyin''s latest single, "No Hablo Ingles." In that song, he proves that whether you didn't do your homework or your nephew wants you to take him to the Jonas Brothers movie, all you have to say to get out of it is (cuatro! cinco! seis!) "No hablo ingles." Catchy, silly, and very funny, it's one of the best songs on the album - though don't expect it to get as much airplay as "1985," or even "High School Never Ends."
And more songs continue to disappoint. "I Don't Wish You Were Dead Anymore" looks promising, but its title is by far the funniest part. However, it is probably Bowling for Soup's happiest song ever, and it's super catchy. But snark was one of Reddick's best features, and the most catty this song gets is a warning for his ex to never return to their hometown because he's doing fine.
Maybe Reddick is just too happy. "Only Young," a song about having "the best night of our lives," is just like every other song about that topic: very fun and catchy, but not remotely clever or original. By Bowling for Soup standards, it's totally forgettable.
Then again, Reddick's ballads, usually filled with delicious, sickly-sweet sap, are pretty drab on this album. "Me With No You" is a pity party attended by an impressive assortment of cliches. "Love Goes Boom" is an echo of the disaster metaphors at the end of Great Burrito Extortion Case in "Don't Let It Be Love" and "If You Come Back to Me." It's a solid song, but Reddick could have written it in his sleep.
But even when trying out a relatively original concept, Reddick stumbles about like the eternal drunk he's always painted himself as. He's written some good songs featuring spoken phone calls with girlfriends, so he decides to flesh that concept out to a whopping 3 minutes 39 seconds on "If Only." The twist ending is great, but the long conversations chop up the song and make for a jarring listening experience. With more singing, less talking over guitars, the song could be quite cute.
If Reddick is into innovative ideas, he should just creative a concept album of ballads about inanimate objects (and some very animated parts of his body) personified as beautiful women. On Sorry for Partyin', three of the album's best songs personify three of Reddick's favorite things: beer, America, and his... Wena.
The album's first single, "My Wena," is all about Reddick's girlfriend Wena, who is very close to him. She's quite popular with the ladies, she loves being held at night, and... I think you get the idea. Immature to the max, but it made this prissy seventeen year-old girl giggle uncontrollably like a prepubescent boy. Gross, immature - definitely a must-hear.
Listeners with a bit more discretion (but just a bit) may prefer "Hooray for Beer," a love song about Reddick's favorite beverage. Of course, the man has extolled his love of beer in the past more often than Disney Channel stars have sung about believing in dreams, but this song doesn't feel stale. It's catchy, clever, and one of the album's best tracks. Kind of the quintessential Bowling for Soup song.
The pretending-nonhuman-things-are-pretty-girls idea worked great on "Beer" and "Wena," but the concept is terribly suited for "America (Wake Up Amy)." Reddick personifies the United States as a beautiful girl from out of town, which works great at first - "She bullies at school/Her parents were cool." A lighthearted parody of American culture could easily follow, but apparently Reddick had his fill of skewering celeb culture on "High School Never Ends." Now he's moving from LA to the big leagues: Washington DC.
Reddick's attempt at political commentary has a generic anti-war message: "wake up, America, don't want to fight anymore." I know I've been complaining that Bowlign for Soup isn't funny enough anymore, but this song is hilarious since earlier on the album, Reddick urged listeners to answer questions like "Where'd you leave your pants?" with the catch-all "No hablo ingles." He also, in case you forgot, told listeners to shout "Hooray for beer!" and check out his Wena. Now that's the type of man I want to take foreign policy advice from.
Reddick's pacifist logic essentially goes as follows: America is a bully. No one likes bullies. Bullies have to buy their own beer. Therefore, America should stop picking fights.
Listeners get another peek into the fascinating inner workings of Reddick's mind on "I Gotchoo," the catchiest track on the album. Eschewing their usual guitars in favor of an insanely catchy piano melody, the song is a stream-of-consciousness journey through Reddick's brain, as he thinks about everything from chocolate-covered cherries to the capital of North Carolina. In the chorus, Reddick explains that "If you were me, you'd probably see what I'm talking about." True, but you don't need to understand his thought process to appreciate the hilariously random lyrics and great groove of the melody. Catchy, funny, random - this is the Bowling for Soup I've been looking for throughout the album.
The album's last original track, "I Can't Stand L.A.," is another great one. Sounding like a punked-up classic show tune, the song features shout-outs to cities around the country... Reddick just can't stand L.A.
The album (without bonus tracks, though there are plenty of those scattered around) closes with a polka rendition of Bowling for Soup's signature bonus track "Belgium." After an album with a few great tracks and a lot that feel like the guys are just phoning it in (to put it politely), "Belgium Polka" is a real party song and a breath of fresh air.
#18 Sorry for Partyin' by Bowling for Soup
Why is Bowling for Soup depicted jumping into a giant toilet on cover of their latest album, Sorry for Partyin'? The album before that, The Great Burrito Extortion Case, had more mentions of bodily wastes. In fact, jokes are in (relatively) short supply on this album. This album finds the fifteen year-old pop-punk quartet wading through their old material and producing new songs that revolve around the same old ideas, but with less snarky spirit this time around. Can anyone think of what they're doing in a toilet?...
The album opens with "A Really Cool Dance Song." The name says it all - it's catchy and as danceable as anything released by the bands "in frilly tuxedos" they try to imitate. Yet the genre-skewering inevitably leads to comparisons with their 2003 gem "Punk Rock 101." And this songs is not "Punk Rock 101." "A Really Cool Dance Song" cracks jokes about how little the band knows about dance music (they only listened to Motley Crue), while "Punk Rock 101" was a (relatively) insightful parody of the lives of emo young adults. "Dance Song" can make listeners want to dance, but "Punk Rock 101" made them want to throw up their hands while they were doubled over laughing.
Another songs that has as much trouble avoiding comparisons to previous songs as lead singer and songwriter Jared Reddick has trouble avoiding bottles of beer is "Bfff," a song about how he loves his best friend (in a heterosexual way). Though it could provoke a few chuckles, it can't compete with the delicious snark of "Friends Like You" from Great Burrito Extortion Case, the same album on which Reddick's jokes about his sexuality wore out their welcome in the song "I'm Gay."
Reddick finally puts his immature charm to good use on Sorry for Partyin''s latest single, "No Hablo Ingles." In that song, he proves that whether you didn't do your homework or your nephew wants you to take him to the Jonas Brothers movie, all you have to say to get out of it is (cuatro! cinco! seis!) "No hablo ingles." Catchy, silly, and very funny, it's one of the best songs on the album - though don't expect it to get as much airplay as "1985," or even "High School Never Ends."
And more songs continue to disappoint. "I Don't Wish You Were Dead Anymore" looks promising, but its title is by far the funniest part. However, it is probably Bowling for Soup's happiest song ever, and it's super catchy. But snark was one of Reddick's best features, and the most catty this song gets is a warning for his ex to never return to their hometown because he's doing fine.
Maybe Reddick is just too happy. "Only Young," a song about having "the best night of our lives," is just like every other song about that topic: very fun and catchy, but not remotely clever or original. By Bowling for Soup standards, it's totally forgettable.
Then again, Reddick's ballads, usually filled with delicious, sickly-sweet sap, are pretty drab on this album. "Me With No You" is a pity party attended by an impressive assortment of cliches. "Love Goes Boom" is an echo of the disaster metaphors at the end of Great Burrito Extortion Case in "Don't Let It Be Love" and "If You Come Back to Me." It's a solid song, but Reddick could have written it in his sleep.
But even when trying out a relatively original concept, Reddick stumbles about like the eternal drunk he's always painted himself as. He's written some good songs featuring spoken phone calls with girlfriends, so he decides to flesh that concept out to a whopping 3 minutes 39 seconds on "If Only." The twist ending is great, but the long conversations chop up the song and make for a jarring listening experience. With more singing, less talking over guitars, the song could be quite cute.
If Reddick is into innovative ideas, he should just creative a concept album of ballads about inanimate objects (and some very animated parts of his body) personified as beautiful women. On Sorry for Partyin', three of the album's best songs personify three of Reddick's favorite things: beer, America, and his... Wena.
The album's first single, "My Wena," is all about Reddick's girlfriend Wena, who is very close to him. She's quite popular with the ladies, she loves being held at night, and... I think you get the idea. Immature to the max, but it made this prissy seventeen year-old girl giggle uncontrollably like a prepubescent boy. Gross, immature - definitely a must-hear.
Listeners with a bit more discretion (but just a bit) may prefer "Hooray for Beer," a love song about Reddick's favorite beverage. Of course, the man has extolled his love of beer in the past more often than Disney Channel stars have sung about believing in dreams, but this song doesn't feel stale. It's catchy, clever, and one of the album's best tracks. Kind of the quintessential Bowling for Soup song.
The pretending-nonhuman-things-are-pretty-girls idea worked great on "Beer" and "Wena," but the concept is terribly suited for "America (Wake Up Amy)." Reddick personifies the United States as a beautiful girl from out of town, which works great at first - "She bullies at school/Her parents were cool." A lighthearted parody of American culture could easily follow, but apparently Reddick had his fill of skewering celeb culture on "High School Never Ends." Now he's moving from LA to the big leagues: Washington DC.
Reddick's attempt at political commentary has a generic anti-war message: "wake up, America, don't want to fight anymore." I know I've been complaining that Bowlign for Soup isn't funny enough anymore, but this song is hilarious since earlier on the album, Reddick urged listeners to answer questions like "Where'd you leave your pants?" with the catch-all "No hablo ingles." He also, in case you forgot, told listeners to shout "Hooray for beer!" and check out his Wena. Now that's the type of man I want to take foreign policy advice from.
Reddick's pacifist logic essentially goes as follows: America is a bully. No one likes bullies. Bullies have to buy their own beer. Therefore, America should stop picking fights.
Listeners get another peek into the fascinating inner workings of Reddick's mind on "I Gotchoo," the catchiest track on the album. Eschewing their usual guitars in favor of an insanely catchy piano melody, the song is a stream-of-consciousness journey through Reddick's brain, as he thinks about everything from chocolate-covered cherries to the capital of North Carolina. In the chorus, Reddick explains that "If you were me, you'd probably see what I'm talking about." True, but you don't need to understand his thought process to appreciate the hilariously random lyrics and great groove of the melody. Catchy, funny, random - this is the Bowling for Soup I've been looking for throughout the album.
The album's last original track, "I Can't Stand L.A.," is another great one. Sounding like a punked-up classic show tune, the song features shout-outs to cities around the country... Reddick just can't stand L.A.
The album (without bonus tracks, though there are plenty of those scattered around) closes with a polka rendition of Bowling for Soup's signature bonus track "Belgium." After an album with a few great tracks and a lot that feel like the guys are just phoning it in (to put it politely), "Belgium Polka" is a real party song and a breath of fresh air.
Almost 'Bulletproof'
Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#19 La Roux by La Roux
Based on the hype surrounding British electropop duo La Roux, it would sound like they truly have become, as their popular single said they hoped to be, bulletproof. And singer Elly Jackson's ethereally high voice just adds to their superhuman image. Their loss of the mtvU Breaking Woodie award to NeverShoutNever! seems to be the only proof that they're only human.
The duo's terrifically danceable debut album is propelled by producer Ben Langmaid's superb instrumentals, and Jackson's thin croon provides the icing on the dance hall cake. Songs like "I'm Not Your Toy" prove that Langmaid can write a catchy loop, and "Fascination" shows that Jackson is just as good with catchy choruses. La Roux's songs are all fairly similar, which makes them the perfect party album, but it's not clear if their synthpop will catch on outside discos (and all of Europe).
Jackson has ruffled some feathers when criticizing other artists in interviews, and her songs are most interesting when they're equally aggressive and blunt, as in "In for the Kill" and "I'm Not Your Toy." Yet her soft voice is better suited for gentler songs, like the delicate ballad "Cover My Eyes." And although "Cover My Eyes" is the only really unique-sounding track on the album, La Roux don't need much variety because they know what works. Their album is certainly airtight, even if it's not quite bulletproof.
#19 La Roux by La Roux
Based on the hype surrounding British electropop duo La Roux, it would sound like they truly have become, as their popular single said they hoped to be, bulletproof. And singer Elly Jackson's ethereally high voice just adds to their superhuman image. Their loss of the mtvU Breaking Woodie award to NeverShoutNever! seems to be the only proof that they're only human.
The duo's terrifically danceable debut album is propelled by producer Ben Langmaid's superb instrumentals, and Jackson's thin croon provides the icing on the dance hall cake. Songs like "I'm Not Your Toy" prove that Langmaid can write a catchy loop, and "Fascination" shows that Jackson is just as good with catchy choruses. La Roux's songs are all fairly similar, which makes them the perfect party album, but it's not clear if their synthpop will catch on outside discos (and all of Europe).
Jackson has ruffled some feathers when criticizing other artists in interviews, and her songs are most interesting when they're equally aggressive and blunt, as in "In for the Kill" and "I'm Not Your Toy." Yet her soft voice is better suited for gentler songs, like the delicate ballad "Cover My Eyes." And although "Cover My Eyes" is the only really unique-sounding track on the album, La Roux don't need much variety because they know what works. Their album is certainly airtight, even if it's not quite bulletproof.
'Trying' Too Hard to Experiment This Time
Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#20 Lines, Vines, and Trying Times by Jonas Brothers
It's good for artists to explore new territory. Especially when they're splattered all over Disney Channel's prime-time line-up and are constantly being written off as cheap Hanson knock-offs. But as the Jonas Brothers proved this summer, exploration can be a bit risky. They stumble and fall as often as they discover glorious new sounds. And some of the places they go aren't all that pretty. Lines, Vines, and Trying Times is an album that suffers from too much experimentation and too little cohesiveness. It's full of great songs, but they're from such diverse genres that the whole is less than a sum of its parts. The JoBros' journey has several spectacular stops, but overall, it's a rather bumpy ride.
The album begins beautifully with the rockable, danceable "World War III," which is, in my opinion, the best song the JoBros have ever recorded. The discovery and addition of a horn section was certainly a great step in their sonic journey.
The album continues with "Paranoid," a brilliant and downright respectable rock song, catchy but much more subtle than the usual fare from Disney-endorsed bubble-punkers. Then "Fly With Me" veers back into cutesy wish-upon-a-star territory, but its great melody and lovely orchestration keep it sweet, not saccharine.
Based on the album's first three songs, it sounds like the Jonases have learned to walk the fine line between the sugary pop their younger fans crave and the mature rock that will earn them a little respect. "Poison Ivy," though not stellar, doesn't detract from this image.
But then, the album takes a turn for the worse, hopping around from one genre to the next. "Hey Baby," "Before the Storm," "What Did I Do to Your Heart," and "Much Better" are all fine songs on their own, but placed back-to-back, they rudely jolt listeners from one genre to another and make Lines, Vines, and Trying Times sounds less like an album than a poorly-conceived mix CD. They're great songs: "Hey Baby" is bluesy and pretty mature; "Before the Storm" will tug at the heartstrings of all but the most cynical and vehement Miley Cyrus haters; "What Did I Do to Your Heart" probably wouldn't make me want to claw my eardrums out if I didn't hate fiddles so much; and "Much Better" is hands-down the most fun song on the album. Everything about it is deliciously campy, from its not-so-subtle jab at Taylor Swift to its retro sound that sounds like it belongs at one rockin' party... in a nursing home.
With "Black Keys," the JoBros get the album back on the pop-punk-with-the-occasional-heartfelt-ballad track they traversed so well on their last two albums. Not many 16 year-olds can write and perform a ballad as well as Nick Jonas, and this sentimental-not-sappy song doesn't disappoint. I find it even more moving than Nick's last ballad, the unforgettable "A Little Bit Longer," which is kind of saying something, especially if you've seen Nick play "A Little Bit Longer" live.
But then the JoBros take a wrong turn and end up in a nasty spot: the misguided hip-rock tune "Don't Charge Me for the Crime." I know the boys wanted to work with Common, but couldn't they have come up with something more... sensible? The song is about helping a friend rob a bank and the moral dilemma they face: help out your friend, or uphold the law? Um, guys, there's not much of a moral dilemma there... Helping a friend rob a bank isn't really helping your friend. Besides, the Jonas Brothers seem like the last people in the world who would ponder the morality of bank robbery. They wear purity rings, for gosh sake. The song is sloppy, strange, and unbelievable.
"Turn Right" is another tender ballad and one of the best-placed songs on the album: "Black Keys" was a beautiful ballad; "Turn Right" is bland and juvenile in comparison. But with the gawd-awful "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" sandwiched between the two, listeners forget that "Black Keys" was ten times better than "Turn Right" and get on their knees and thank the JoBros for only doing one song with Common.
"Don't Speak" is a well-orchestrated rocker and a song that shows that the Jonases have some real promise as grown-up rock stars. If you cut out all the songs between "Poison Ivy" and "Don't Speak," you'd have a wonderful little rock EP. With the entire album intact, it at least provides a clear road map for future Jonas journeys: walk the line between mature rock songs and Nick's ballads, don't get ensnared by any appealing genre-jumping experiments, and try to make the album flow a bit better next time.
#20 Lines, Vines, and Trying Times by Jonas Brothers
It's good for artists to explore new territory. Especially when they're splattered all over Disney Channel's prime-time line-up and are constantly being written off as cheap Hanson knock-offs. But as the Jonas Brothers proved this summer, exploration can be a bit risky. They stumble and fall as often as they discover glorious new sounds. And some of the places they go aren't all that pretty. Lines, Vines, and Trying Times is an album that suffers from too much experimentation and too little cohesiveness. It's full of great songs, but they're from such diverse genres that the whole is less than a sum of its parts. The JoBros' journey has several spectacular stops, but overall, it's a rather bumpy ride.
The album begins beautifully with the rockable, danceable "World War III," which is, in my opinion, the best song the JoBros have ever recorded. The discovery and addition of a horn section was certainly a great step in their sonic journey.
The album continues with "Paranoid," a brilliant and downright respectable rock song, catchy but much more subtle than the usual fare from Disney-endorsed bubble-punkers. Then "Fly With Me" veers back into cutesy wish-upon-a-star territory, but its great melody and lovely orchestration keep it sweet, not saccharine.
Based on the album's first three songs, it sounds like the Jonases have learned to walk the fine line between the sugary pop their younger fans crave and the mature rock that will earn them a little respect. "Poison Ivy," though not stellar, doesn't detract from this image.
But then, the album takes a turn for the worse, hopping around from one genre to the next. "Hey Baby," "Before the Storm," "What Did I Do to Your Heart," and "Much Better" are all fine songs on their own, but placed back-to-back, they rudely jolt listeners from one genre to another and make Lines, Vines, and Trying Times sounds less like an album than a poorly-conceived mix CD. They're great songs: "Hey Baby" is bluesy and pretty mature; "Before the Storm" will tug at the heartstrings of all but the most cynical and vehement Miley Cyrus haters; "What Did I Do to Your Heart" probably wouldn't make me want to claw my eardrums out if I didn't hate fiddles so much; and "Much Better" is hands-down the most fun song on the album. Everything about it is deliciously campy, from its not-so-subtle jab at Taylor Swift to its retro sound that sounds like it belongs at one rockin' party... in a nursing home.
With "Black Keys," the JoBros get the album back on the pop-punk-with-the-occasional-heartfelt-ballad track they traversed so well on their last two albums. Not many 16 year-olds can write and perform a ballad as well as Nick Jonas, and this sentimental-not-sappy song doesn't disappoint. I find it even more moving than Nick's last ballad, the unforgettable "A Little Bit Longer," which is kind of saying something, especially if you've seen Nick play "A Little Bit Longer" live.
But then the JoBros take a wrong turn and end up in a nasty spot: the misguided hip-rock tune "Don't Charge Me for the Crime." I know the boys wanted to work with Common, but couldn't they have come up with something more... sensible? The song is about helping a friend rob a bank and the moral dilemma they face: help out your friend, or uphold the law? Um, guys, there's not much of a moral dilemma there... Helping a friend rob a bank isn't really helping your friend. Besides, the Jonas Brothers seem like the last people in the world who would ponder the morality of bank robbery. They wear purity rings, for gosh sake. The song is sloppy, strange, and unbelievable.
"Turn Right" is another tender ballad and one of the best-placed songs on the album: "Black Keys" was a beautiful ballad; "Turn Right" is bland and juvenile in comparison. But with the gawd-awful "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" sandwiched between the two, listeners forget that "Black Keys" was ten times better than "Turn Right" and get on their knees and thank the JoBros for only doing one song with Common.
"Don't Speak" is a well-orchestrated rocker and a song that shows that the Jonases have some real promise as grown-up rock stars. If you cut out all the songs between "Poison Ivy" and "Don't Speak," you'd have a wonderful little rock EP. With the entire album intact, it at least provides a clear road map for future Jonas journeys: walk the line between mature rock songs and Nick's ballads, don't get ensnared by any appealing genre-jumping experiments, and try to make the album flow a bit better next time.
2009: A Year in Review
Happy slightly belated new year! 2009 was a pretty darn decent year for pop music. Kanye led a charge of autotuned robots to hold the charts hostage, then led a one-man assault on the VMA's attempt to give redundant awards to every pop star, then stormed a few late-night talk shows before going home to watch "Single Ladies" on repeat and sulk. Miley Cyrus embarrassed everyone else in the recording industry by outselling all their albums with the subpar pop (and hip-hop-country fusion) of The Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack, then really rubbed it in by outselling their singles with her supremely catchy and critically tolerated (if not adored) "Party in the USA." Lady Gaga appeared. And the Black Eyed Peas lured Fergie and will.i.am's egos back to make a few more number one hits as a group.
But as a girl who loves lists and statistics, no year in review can be complete without a countdown of the year's greatest albums. My dreams of reviewing every single significant pop album released this year were crushed when I realized there were five days left in 2009 and I probably had at least 30 albums to listen to, half of which I hadn't even heard of yet. Then my dreams of creating a purely objective list of the undisputabel best albusm of the year were crushed when I looked at Rolling Stone's list and realized I had only listened to one and a half of the albums on it. And so, I settled for my top 20 favorite albums. Still 10 better than Rolling Stone's list. Suck on that.
I'm kind of irrationally terrified of being perceived as some wanna-be hipster indie snob, then being mobbed by the masses of people who secretly despise hipsters (oh, you know you want to strangle them with their designer scarves), so here's a bit of a rationale for why the upper reaches of my list are very indie-heavy:
As great as 2009's singles were, most of them came from albums released in late 2008. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kanye... all fall 2008 releases. The Black-Eyed Peas, Shakira, and Rihanna were three of the only major pop artists to release popular albums and singles in 2009. And so, I'd say 2009 was not a great year for the radio-ready pop album. And heck, pop-punk hasn't had a good year since '04. That means it was up for indie, electropop, and alt dance to pick up the slack, and I am happy to report that they stepped up to the task.
And I'd love to list all the albums I meant to listen to but didn't (Adam Lambert, Shakira, Little Boots, Noisettes, Cascada, Florence + The Machine, Andrew Bird, The Bird and the Bee...) and all the perfectly good albums that I'm not including because I don't consider them to be pop albums (Green Day, U2, Jay-Z...), but that would take days, and I would still probably forget somebody important like the Black Eyed Peas and make their fans at least mildly annoyed.
Also, I should note that I am reviewing albums, not EPs, because if we started lumping together compilations of roughly four to eight songs with compilations of roughly nine or more songs, it would just be chaos and anarchy. Sorry Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, NeverShoutNever!, and that other release from Andrew Bird; you won't be on the list.
I'm going to post one review per day for the first 20 days of January, to draw out the suspense. And because writing these reviews can take an effing long time. So without further ado, I will post today's review. And yesterday's I missed. And the one for the day before. Oh gosh, school hasn't even started again, and I'm already behind...
In the meantime, if anyone reading this has their own list of favorite albums and cares enough to post it in the comments section, I'd love to hear some other opinions! [Not that I need ideas... I honestly do have the full list ready; I just like suspense...]
But as a girl who loves lists and statistics, no year in review can be complete without a countdown of the year's greatest albums. My dreams of reviewing every single significant pop album released this year were crushed when I realized there were five days left in 2009 and I probably had at least 30 albums to listen to, half of which I hadn't even heard of yet. Then my dreams of creating a purely objective list of the undisputabel best albusm of the year were crushed when I looked at Rolling Stone's list and realized I had only listened to one and a half of the albums on it. And so, I settled for my top 20 favorite albums. Still 10 better than Rolling Stone's list. Suck on that.
I'm kind of irrationally terrified of being perceived as some wanna-be hipster indie snob, then being mobbed by the masses of people who secretly despise hipsters (oh, you know you want to strangle them with their designer scarves), so here's a bit of a rationale for why the upper reaches of my list are very indie-heavy:
As great as 2009's singles were, most of them came from albums released in late 2008. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kanye... all fall 2008 releases. The Black-Eyed Peas, Shakira, and Rihanna were three of the only major pop artists to release popular albums and singles in 2009. And so, I'd say 2009 was not a great year for the radio-ready pop album. And heck, pop-punk hasn't had a good year since '04. That means it was up for indie, electropop, and alt dance to pick up the slack, and I am happy to report that they stepped up to the task.
And I'd love to list all the albums I meant to listen to but didn't (Adam Lambert, Shakira, Little Boots, Noisettes, Cascada, Florence + The Machine, Andrew Bird, The Bird and the Bee...) and all the perfectly good albums that I'm not including because I don't consider them to be pop albums (Green Day, U2, Jay-Z...), but that would take days, and I would still probably forget somebody important like the Black Eyed Peas and make their fans at least mildly annoyed.
Also, I should note that I am reviewing albums, not EPs, because if we started lumping together compilations of roughly four to eight songs with compilations of roughly nine or more songs, it would just be chaos and anarchy. Sorry Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, NeverShoutNever!, and that other release from Andrew Bird; you won't be on the list.
I'm going to post one review per day for the first 20 days of January, to draw out the suspense. And because writing these reviews can take an effing long time. So without further ado, I will post today's review. And yesterday's I missed. And the one for the day before. Oh gosh, school hasn't even started again, and I'm already behind...
In the meantime, if anyone reading this has their own list of favorite albums and cares enough to post it in the comments section, I'd love to hear some other opinions! [Not that I need ideas... I honestly do have the full list ready; I just like suspense...]
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