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I Wanna Boy

1/23/2017

Key Lyric: I Wanna Boy Who Thinks Its Sexy When My Lipstick Bleeds

Punk duo PWR BTTM released a music video for one of their more inescapable tracks off their 2015 album Ugly Cherries. Combining the album's strength of brevity with standout lyrics, “I Wanna Boy” was one of the album's obvious highlights from the young New York based band.

The song benefits from the visual treatment. PWR BTTM is in essence a visual band. The duo takes over a country house donning Dr. Frank N Furteresque attire, crawling across the table a la Britney Spears, and the boy that fulfills all their dreams is a blow up sex doll. Liv Bruce embodies a fifties housewife wearing nothing but a towel or an apron, all the while keeping his lipstick flawless.

PWR BTTM is anything, but a mainstream band. Their songs err on the side of shorter is better, something early Gossip also adhered to. But, they infuse their music with the brash honesty and edge that is at the core of punk rock. Ugly Cherries is not a perfect album, but it is their first and “I Wanna Boy” highlights the best strengths they have. The duo is expected to release new music in 2017 (!) and there musical progression can only get better.

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Good For Me

1/16/2017

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Vocalist Karen Harding is most widely known for her 2015 single "Say Something" that hit the top ten in the United Kingdom and was eventually certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry

Key Lyric: I Drive You Crazy / I Am So Far From Perfect

Legendary record producer Giorgio Moroder released a new single in anticipation of an upcoming studio album. Expectations were high (reference his excellent 2015 album Deja Vu) and “Good For Me” released at the tail end of 2016 jumped the hurdle.

Built off the sounds of the 70s thrown into the 21st century, the nu-disco pulse of “Good For Me” is irresistible froth. The lyrics are hardly earth shattering, but it moves and it slithers to a propulsive beat. The fact that there's yet to be an official music video is criminal.

The 70 year old hitmaker responsible for smashes by Blondie, Kenny Loggins, and Donna Summer enlisted fresh talent Karen Harding to herald his new track. None of the hooks are immediate, but they're sticky sweet, once you hit replay. Giorgio Moroder continues to produce ear candy and we'll see if any of his work with Lady Gaga ends up on this new album. We can only hope. In the meantime “Good For Me” is more then worth the wait.

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Best Albums of 2016

1/2/2017

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This list is a review of all the albums I've bought this year. They are all rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. My favorite song (determined by how many times I've played it individually) is listed along with the album.

Anti: Rihanna
4 Stars
Contrary to the title, this album is not a new direction for Rihanna, if anything it seems a natural progression from where Unapologetic left off. The long overdue album is rife with scattered musical genres, that the singer carries with ease. The album is held together by the sheer strength of Rihanna and for that Anti is a singular triumph.

Most Played Song: “Same Ol' Mistakes”

AIM: M.I.A.
3 ½ Stars
British rapper M.I.A . claims this will be her last album. Hopefully that's not the case. She constantly genre bends and innovates and on this album there are clear missteps, but they result from experimentation. A fault I never have with an album. She continues a decade into her career to push timely political topics over seductive beats. This isn't her best, but it's endlessly fascinating.

Most Played Song: “Borders”

7/27: Fifth Harmony
3 Stars
The second album in the Fifth Harmony catalog falls to the same mistake of their debut. It is front loaded with quality songs, but the rest are lackluster. It remains unclear if they will continue on as a Fourth Harmony, but their output remains marked by inescapable singles and rough shod full lengths.

Most Played Song: “That's My Girl”

The Art of Hustle: Yo Gotti
3 Stars
The Memphis rapper finally hit the mainstream after singles like “Errbody” bubbled just under the surface. Nothing on the album lives up to “Down In The DM” or follow up single “Law” for that matter, but the album is unified by Gotti's singular flow. It won't redefine the rap game, but it wasn't meant to.

Most Played Song: “Law”

Big Day In A Small Town: Brandy Clark
4 ½ Stars
Country music is in desperate need of female talent. Brandy Clark offered that with her terrific follow up to her 12 Stories debut. The album is rife with snapshots of a “small town” layered in easy to digest one-two punch of lead single “Girl Next Door” or the ironically funny “Broke”. The album was unfairly overlooked at country radio and features a slew of near perfect songs. They show off the singer's talents for detail and classic story telling.

Most Played Song: “Girl Next Door”

Blood, Sweat, & 3 Years: Cash Cash
4 ½ Stars
No one understands the restraints of Mainstream Top 40 EDM, better then the trio Cash Cash. The 16 track epoch features genre mixing hip hop (“Devil”, “The Gun”) sentimentality (“How To Love”, “Hero”) or crashing climactic EDM drops (“Take Me Home”, “Surrender”). They've never secured a hit stateside, but this album shows versatility and ability to please. The 56 minutes and 46 seconds just flies by.

Most Played Song: “Devil” featuring Neon Hitch, B.o.B. and Busta Rhymes

Dangerous Woman: Ariana Grande
4 Stars
The latest from the pop megastar snagged her multiple Grammy nominations and it certainly plays as a cohesive album (which doesn't mean it's better then 2014's My Everything). The new album is more dark, more edgy. Closing song asks “have you ever seen a princess be a bad bitch?” She pulls it off, restraining her voice, if never quite convincing us she's as dangerous as she claims. The album is complete with songs that could easily vie for radio attention in the coming year.

Most Played Song: “Side To Side” featuring Nicki Minaj

Detour: Cyndi Lauper
4 Stars
80s heavyweight, Cyndi Lauper turned her attention to country music with her latest studio album. Over a three decades long career that's experimented with jazz, electronic, and alternative stylings it's time the icon turned her attention to country music. Detour shows her deft ability to make old material her own, invoking a classic country feel, covering songs by Patsy Cline and featuring appearances from country superstars Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, among others. She subverts and passes expectations.

Most Played Song: “Heartaches By The Number”

Ghostbusters: Soundtrack
3 Stars
Film soundtracks are usually at best a mixed bag (take The Bodyguard), that case is proven on this soundtrack that doesn't quite live up to the quality of the film. There are multiple standout tracks, but nothing that cast itself into iconic territory. With 4 versions of the “Ghostbusters” theme song, you really can't go wrong, but there is still some to be desired.

Most Played Song: “Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)” by Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott

Girl Problems: Chris Lane
2 ½ Stars
Chris Lane delivers a perfectly acceptable, if forgettable album. The album never replicates the instant connectivity of hit “Fix”. This album could have been recorded by anyone. It makes no impression. His debut album lacks personality and does nothing to separate himself as anything other than a commercial product. The biggest surprise is the inclusion of the Mario hit “Let Me Love You”

Most Played Song: “Fix”

Glory Days: Little Mix
4 Stars
British girl group, Little Mix, delivers on their new album. Starting with the flashy, Zayn bashing “Shout Out To My Ex” the album powers it's way through a string of uptempo numbers, only slowing down for a few tracks. The album covers throwback vibes, EDM drops, and every string of popular musical trends, all without losing their personality. They handle the braggadocio of “Down & Dirty” with a knowing nod. It's all girl power and it's all riotously fun.

Most Played Song: “Shout Out To My Ex”

Glory: Britney Spears
4 ½ Stars
The latest release from the princess of pop finds her delving into a more urban world. Something she's demonstrating by throwing Tinashe and G-Easy onto her tracks. The album isn't perfect, no Britney record is. It's flaws are what make it eminently listenable. It's an album, perfect for 2016, it's an album that you can keep coming back to. Britney didn't let me down with Britney Jean, but for those who were this album should restore all faith in what the star has to offer.

Most Played Song: “Slumber Party”

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It: The 1975
3 Stars
The longest titled album to ever hit number one in the United States, The 1975 updated their project into full color, since their last album. The new album is as pretentious and overwrought as the title suggests. There are multiple standout moments littered over the extended tracklist, but lead singer Matty Healy is at times to self indulgent to make the album easy to put on. The album rewards repeat listens, unfortunately with a run time of over 70 minutes that can be hard to carve out.

Most Played Song: “Change Of Heart”

Hero: Maren Morris
3 ½ Stars
This year had a string of strong female led country albums (see Cyndi Lauper and Brandy Clark) and Maren Morris was no exception. She had a breakout hit with “My Church” and over the course of the album she demonstrates all facets of where country music is heading with ease and dexterity. The album has received raves across the board, and Colton Haynes has made his appreciation especially known. Hero is a necessary look into one of Nashville's rising star. She swears with comfortable millenial twang and she still goes to church on Sunday with a hangover.

Most Played Song: “80s Mercedes”

Joanne: Lady Gaga
3 ½ Stars
Gaga finally ended her pop hiatus when she returned with “Perfect Illusion”. She's yet to find a hit to hold traction at mainstream radio, but she's showing us a different side on this album. Joanne empties Gaga's roots of EDM. She ditched collaborations with disco producer Giorgio Moroder, and worked with Mark Ronson who failed to yield an “Uptown Funk” for this album. Joanne despite it's flaws, showcases a new Gaga. Her voice is rough, the music is raw, and she seems genuinely enthralled with the material. She ditched the gimmicks, but it wouldn't be a Gaga album without an ode to masturbation. See “Dancing In Circles”. The album has a notable amount of soul bearing “come together” social messages that might make for a breakthrough in light of the 2017 political climate.

Most Played Song: “Come To Mama”

Lemonade: Beyonce
4 Stars
The R&B star has further cemented her position as an icon with Lemonade, certainly one of the most talked about albums of the year. It is both visual and musically progressive and will hopefully snag her a Grammy for album of the year. The album is thoroughly enjoyable, however the subject material can at times be hard to process. It misses the gloss that M.I.A adds to her work and for that her brutal honesty can be difficult to handle all at once.

Most Played Song: “Formation”

Lady Wood: Tove Lo
4 Stars
The heartbroken Swedish heartbreaker titled her album as a veiled sexual gem. Only, Tove Lo would take the artistic initiative to rephrase “lady boner”. The sterling album is the first of two and the concept of the album is frankly lost on me. Regardless it's still a solid piece of good music. She's moody and as frank as ever. Unfairly overlooked by American radio, Lady Wood is a modern and well thought out pop masterpiece complete with electronic flourishes.

Most Played Song: “Cool Girl”

Love You To Death: Tegan & Sara
4 ½ Stars
Canadian sisters Tegan & Sara deliver a near perfect follow up to their first pop outing Heartthrob (which served as a musical guide for Taylor Swift's 1989). It was too gay for mainstream audiences. Lead single “Girlfriend” was a pop explosion that just wasn't relate-able for the heterosexuals. Greg Kurstin lends the album a trendy engineered sound, with the same insightful lyrics the duo is known for.

Most Played Song: “Faint of Heart” and “Dying To Know”

Thank You: Meghan Trainor
3 ½ Stars
The pop star didn't maintain her impressive streak of chart topping worthy singles, but Thank You fits nicely into her existing discography. Meghan Trainor has an irresistble stage presence that doesn't always translate to her singles. She experiments with more hip-hop vibes to her credit (although the Yo Gotti assisted “Better” doesn't land). She's silly and fun all while delivering mind numbing pop hooks. “Me Too” may be too much for the uninitiated, but the album is lauded with other standout tracks. See “Champagne Problems” or the deluxe edition opener “Mom”.

Most Played Song: “No”

Wildfire: Rachel Platten
2 ½ Stars
Taylor Swift approved, Rachel Platten broke out last year with “Fight Song” and it's follow up “Stand By You” finally releasing her debut album at the beginning of 2016. The album is tightly written, but is suffocated by unoriginality. The songs although well written don't POP and it seems unclear who Rachel Platten is. None of the material stands out and if it did it seems dead set on maudlin sentiment. The punchy “Hey Hey Hallelujah” with Andy Grammar is horribly perfunctory, but manages to make an impression. “Astronauts” is one of the few album tracks worth checking out.

Most Played Song: “Fight Song”

This Is What The Truth Feels Like: Gwen Stefani
3 ½ Stars
A shining return from one of 00's greatest stars, Gwen Stefani delivered a current pop album helmed with the help of hitmaker Justin Tranter (“Good For You” , “Centuries” , “Sorry”). The album has a solid EP of personal material. It tends to be the strongest on the album (“Asking For It” is an exception). Gwen suggested that this was a break up album and when she deals with that muse, she full handedly succeeds. The rest of the material, does not live up to the forward thinking process that made “Hollaback Girl” a hit. Although, enjoyable, and a thoroughly good listen, the album reveals less then it suggests, much to it's detriment.

Most Played Song: “Rare”

A Very Kacey Christmas: Kacey Musgraves
4 Stars
The first Christmas album from one of country music's youngest entertainers it lives up to her dereliction for a classic country sound. It's bright and vibrant and the new tracks such as the Leon Bridges duet “Present Without A Bow” and “Ribbons And Bows” are welcome additions to the cluttered Christmas catalog.

Most Played Song: “Ribbons And Bows”

The Weight of These Wings: Miranda Lambert
4 Stars
A sprawling two disc album split into “the nerve” and “the heart”, Miranda Lambert espouses sentiments varied wildly enough that you can't describe this as a breakup album. Many of the songs are soft and introspective, she wisely spends most of the album acknowledging her faults, eschewing blame for her next release. Fans of the singer's quieter material will find this album wonderfully therapeutic.

Most Played Song: “Things That Break”