Album Review: Fifth Harmony by Fifth Harmony

This is a group I had never heard of. They formed in 2012 during the X-Factor. They had all auditioned independently but were talked into forming a group and after the season ended signed a record deal. They were very young at the time the oldest being 19, two of them being 15. They have come out with an album a year for the past three years all doing quite well. One of the members left the band after their 2016 release and so this album is their first with just four members.

So now the women range in age from 24 to 20 and as they have aged over the past five years so to have their fans and so from what I've been reading this is their most mature album. It's funny but when I listened to this, saw the video, and read their story I assumed they probably ranged in age from 29 to 25 not 24 to 20. Even going back and watching their old performance on X-Factor it's hard to believe they were that young.

The album is at its worst when they are being too mature, like on the song "He Like That" or "Sauced Up."  It just doesn't work.  The album is at its best when it feels more natural like on "Make You Mad" or "Deliver." The best thing about the album is that it is short and full of catchy songs. The worst part is that the songs sound like the same song over and over after a bit. This happens because they structure the songs to try and feature all four singers on each song, and there are really only a few ways you can do this.

Still all in all its not bad and if you are making a workout mix you could throw this whole album on there. Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.

Album Review: Bedroom by Mabel

Mabel McVey is the daughter of Neneh Cherry, who I heard of but don't remember any of her music. Anyhow I think it's cool that Mabel now at age 22 has come out with her first EP after a few singles. I'm assuming this means we'll see an album soon and based on this EP I would look forward to hearing what she does.

A good album to add to your workout mix. It has a good moody vibe to it which I like. Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.

Album Review: Nothing's Real by Shura

For me the only thing that keeps this album from getting four stars is the experimental stuff she has scattered about but mostly at the end of the album. It just doesn't fit with the album as a whole.

Shura is 25 years old and this his her debut album. Now based on my age theory this would tell us that this is the best album she will ever produce and so we'll see how that plays out, but it is a very good start to a career.

Anything you read about her music talks about her bringing the 80's sound to 2016, but the truth is it's not really the 80's she's influenced by. Yes it is artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson, but more like 1995 Madonna and Janet Jackson.

80's Madonna


90's Madonna


80's Janet Jackson


90's Janet Jackson


I've talked on this blog before about the influence that I'm hearing from 90's female artists on modern female artists, but Shura is the first I've heard that has taken her influences most specifically from 90's female pop artists and it works brilliantly in 2016. At least to someone who loved that music back in 1995.

All in all I really like this album. Lyrically Shura is interesting, she's tapped into the music of the 90's perfectly and extracted just what she needed.  This is a fun album just to throw on for any reason you want.  The sign of a really good album it hits all the moods and yet all fits together.  Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.

Album Review: Joytime by Marshmello

So two things this week made me feel very old. The first was catching a recent performance of Natalie Merchant on the Tiny Desk series. The second was listening to this album and reading up on Marshmello. He is an anonymous DJ/Producer who performs wearing a big marshmallow head who had a number one dance album on iTunes. He's really big with the kids right now.

It's all very strange to me that this is my current world, but no matter it is.

For me this album doesn't offer anything that special. In terms of the DJ remix stuff I much prefer something like what we got from Ben Watt on his Lazy Dog releases. I think the best song on this album is the last "Keep It Mello," it feels like a fully flushed out song. You could easily put anything off of this album onto a workout mix or a dance mix. As well as throw it on as background music for most anything and in that way it works. But for me the only moments where you really notice the songs are the moments where the songs seem a bit annoying. Following the Rhapsody rating method I give the album 1 out of 5 stars for Just OK.

Album Review: Know-It-All by Alessia Cara

Funny but Alessia Cara's story is becoming a fairly common one it seems. She started out posting videos on YouTube, then found a label, then put out an EP, had a hit song, then put out a full blown album. What makes Alessia Cara an unusual story is that it is not the strength of her voice, or her personality that makes her such an interesting new face to keep an eye on, it is her songwriting.

Let's break this album up into three parts. First there is the music. It is OK but feels "big label produced" which it is. I will say it is very smartly produced and fits very well I believe with whatever vision Alessia Cara had, but still it has a very polished and at times overly produced feel. So the first question I have when listening to this is, how will this 19 year old approach her next album. Will she want more control over the complete sound. I'm guessing she will if this album has enough success to give her that control. If the label won't give it to her will she go indie to get it? Her personality would make you think so.

That get's us into the second component of the album. That is Alessia Cara as a singer/performer. Vocally she's OK but performs with a good energy and emotion. Still this is not an artist who is going to win you over with her voice. Though she is obviously heavily influenced by Amy Winehouse, she is not Amy Winehouse when it comes to vocal talent. I think she understands her limitations and knows how to write to her voice.

That get's us to the third component of the album, the songs themselves. Lyrically she's very interesting. Her big hit song, "Here," is a great example of her potential as a writer. Here is the opening line

I'm sorry if I seem uninterested
Or I'm not listenin' or I'm indifferent
Truly, I ain't got no business here
But since my friends are here
I just came to kick it but really
I would rather be at home all by myself not in this room
With people who don't even care about my well being
I don't dance, don't ask, I don't need a boyfriend
So you can go back, please enjoy your party
I'll be here, somewhere in the corner under clouds of marijuana
With this boy who's hollering I can hardly hear
Over this music I don't listen to and I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here

Much of the album is an examination of the world around her, her view of the world, even at times anthemic takes on her generations view of the world and how they fit in. I must say she's the kind of artist who I'm happy to hear getting a voice. I wouldn't mind my 13 year old daughter listening to her music if I had one because it's message is positive and powerful which I like.

I find it hard to rate an album like this.  But ultimately I find it worth a solid rating for the fact that we have someone who was writing these songs at 17 and 18 years old and has a very interesting voice.  On top of that came out with an album of 10 solid songs and left me looking forward to see what would come next.  Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.

Album Review: Breathe In Breathe Out by Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff was at her peak as her show Lizzie McGuire came to a close on Disney back in 2003. She then put out a couple of albums did some movies and then went off to live for a while. 11 years later, 8 years since her last album, she has released a new album and so it's interesting to see where this 28 year old divorced single mom is coming from.

At least that's how I was thinking when I first put on the album. From the opening track it is pretty clear this is not going to be a deep dive into the mind of a woman who has been through a divorce, lost her fame, and is a single mom. No it's going to pretty much be a match to the music she made 8 years before. In fact it sounds like it was made 8 years before.

Truth is the songs are strong and good pop songs. Problem is they just don't resonate. Her first album in 2003 sold over 3 million copies. Her second album over 1 million, her third over 400 thousand, the latest less than 50,000 so far. The problem is she's been away for a long enough time and so her name will only appeal to people who were her fans back in 2003. Those fans have grown up and in order to interest them she needed to put out an album that is more than 12 tracks of dance pop. She didn't.

If you just look at the album as an album it works for what it is doing. It is a solid pop album that you could easily throw on when you want to go run or for some fun tracks for the summer. Lyrically the songs are more mature than what she would have put out at 20, but still there is just something missing in all of this.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out 5 stars for Not Bad.

Album Review: Worlds by Porter Robinson

The biggest problem with most electronica dance albums is that they simply sound like a collection of individual songs made to be played on the dance floor. There is no flow or cohesion to the album and so you may like a few songs here or there, but the album doesn't hold up very well.

It's interesting because from what I've read it sounds like Porter Robinson, who made a name for himself producing hit dance singles, purposefully set out to produce a legitimate album and move away from his dance single roots. Now I don't know that you can really say he moved away from his roots as this album feels very dance beat heavy, but he did succeed in creating a very cohesive album that flows well from start to finish. Because of this flow and the good beats this makes a fantastic workout album. Put this on and go for a run and you'll find yourself getting an extra boost as you run up that hill.

The other good thing about this album is that there aren't any bad moments. It works pretty well from start to finish. I've really enjoyed listening to this album. Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.

Album Review: Supermodel by Foster the People

Their first album was one of those rare albums that has been embraced by me, my wife, and daughter. It has great hooks and energy and so we gravitate to it for most any occasion. Though it was not my album of the year it has been the album from 2011 that I most listen to.

I was very excited then to see they had a new album and was even more happy to find it didn't disappoint.

This album feels like it was constructed as an album from start to finish, where their first album felt more like a collection of individual songs. We also find them becoming a bit more experimental with their sound.

I have talked a lot on this blog of the influences of the post punk movement on much of the music today. One thing that is easy to forget about that movement in the 80s is that it lead to songs like "In Between Days" by The Cure. Foster the People have found that music and brought it up to date and created an album that feels youthful, energetic, and still edgy.

Of course experimenting with new sounds also means you get at least one bad song here or there and they have one of these on here called "Goats in Trees". It doesn't really work and takes the air out of the end of the album. It just goes to show how tough it is to make a full album from start to finish.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.

Album Review: Pulses by Karmin

So here is another group I knew nothing about when I first put on their album. It struck me right away as a very solid pop album and has one song "I Want It All" which will be in my running for song of the year. I was very happy with this album and then like I do for all albums turned to allmusic.com to see what they have to say.

I was surprised to find that they gave the album only 2 stars.  Allmusic.com rates stuff pretty loosely for the most part.  I mean if it's a pop group they don't compare their work to Dylan they tell you whether it's a good pop album or not.  And what surprised me about a 2 star rating was that I had found this album to be a pretty solid pop album, with one exceptionally good song.  Normally those albums on allmusic.com rate at worst a 3 and usually a 4.

Then I read the review and what I discovered was that this wasn't as much a cut on the album or the music, the reviewer also really liked "I Want It All."  It was a cut on Karmin.

As I said I had never heard of these guys, but they came to fame back in 2010 as a youtube sensation doing covers like this.



They were then signed to a label and then sort of disappeared.  They came out with an EP in 2012, but only now 4 years after their fame hit on youtube have they come out with a full album.

I think it's interesting because if these guys had just now hit the scene and this was their debut album I don't think they would have gotten so torn down by the reviewer at allmusic.com. Like I said it's a solid pop album. Sure it has it's throw away moments but most albums do and when they hit they really hit. They have solid hooks throughout and she has some real vocal talent.

So if you're looking for a fun pop album to put on or songs to grab for a workout mix this is a good one.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.

Album Review: Kiss Me Once by Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue is a big star. She may not be that big in the US, but she is a star in the UK. What I like about Minogue is that she seems to take being a pop star seriously. To me what that means is that she continues to take her song selection seriously, she continues to work with top producers, and she continues to keep her sound up to date. In the end what you get is a solid pop album which is something somewhat rare for an artist who is 45 years old.

There are a few throw away tracks on the album but otherwise it's a solid album. I always think a pop album is successful when you realize it could be listened to pretty much no matter what the occasion. This album is well suited if you're looking for tracks to put on a workout mix, having a dance part, going to the beach, cleaning the house, etc. I would label this as a good workout mix album.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.