Pixie Lott // Turn It Up

Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

Pixie Lott first came to our attention with her song Mama Do in June and three months later we get the 12 track debut album, titled Turn It Up.

There’s a couple of tracks that stick out from the album and it’s these that will probably be focused on. Opening track is the debut single Mama Do (which is basically about doing things that parents don’t know about) and a song we’re probably very familiar with.

Cry Me Out requires someone to translate the first verse before we get anywhere. It feels as if there are too many lyrics for the tempo resulting in what can only be a mumble jumble of words. Memorable chorus and an alright melody. Then seems to sort itself out. Band Aid is one of those nice little laid back summery pop tunes and that you can just relax and float away to.  Boys & Girls (track 5) is the current single and here comes in original album format. However can’t help feeling that there’s a bit of an Rhianna influence to it (try playing Shut Up & Drive and this side by side and you’ll see what I mean). Jack (track 8) feels like listening to a bad mash up of nursery rhymes.

Nothing Compares (track 9) is a beautiful slow ballad much better than the ballad attempt at track 2. Here We Go Again has feelings of another group that have come to light this year, The Noisettes. Reminders of their songs Never Forget You and Young Wild Hearts. The final track on the album, Hold Me In Your Arms, has a feeling of incompleteness, like they forget one of the tracks when they were putting the final version together and kind of just leaves the album hanging.

On looking at the whole album, there’s too much going on. It’s mixed box of styles which hasn’t particularly worked. There’s no doubting her voice but there’s a feeling of trying to showcase too much in such a small selection of tracks. It would probably have been best to showcase a couple of styles this album, a few the next etc etc etc.

Rating: 3.5/5

Eternity ∞ // Eternity [Korean Release]

Buy @ YesAsia

So as expected, we have a Korean release of the album released  at the start of June. And if anyone is familiar with Jade’s work and Korean releases, then you’ll already know what to expect; yes new tracks. Oh and there’s the possibility of Taiwanese and Hong Kong Versions following shortly too!

The album opens with the first single, Only Human which has been giving a slight change; shorter intro and clearer vocals on the bridge which, if you’re not familiar with the version on the Japanese version, then you won’t mind, but somehow the clearer vocals detract from the song. Wonderful World (the opening track on the Japanese version and has been referred to by some sites as the album title track) still has the extended opening with the vocals which in, to be honest, is more suited to it’s position on the Japanese release. From here it seems this part of the album is dedicated to the ballad [So Deep, Love, You Smile & I Will]

Track 7 indicates a change of direction. This is a new track especially for the Korean release called What You Want. Take Lady GaGa’s music in general, add Britney Spear’s Radar and add Jade in large quantities and you have What You Want, probably one of the best songs so far from the Eternity ∞ name.  Again we have another block of more upbeat songs [Change The World, Vanity, Damn & How Far]

The last few tracks things go a little pear shaped. Worth It All is another of the great songs from this project and really deserves to be in the first half of the album, rather than near the end. No Apologies is more of a dark ballad while the final track, an English translation of the Korean group Brown Eyed Girls of My Style…well, it’s sort of hard to described this song. It’s like some genetic malfunction between modern, retro and translation that just doesn’t seem to work, producing a musical mule.

So let’s look at the album as a whole; two new tracks, granted one is a bonus, one given a slight make over and a changed track listing. Does it make a difference? Well we’re in two minds about it:
No -  It contains the tracks from the Japanese release bar the two that were exclusives there (Hello Goodbye & Broken Lullaby) plus there’s two new tracks (granted one is a musical mule), who can argue with that?
Yes – The blocking of styles on the album doesn’t make it flow and a some points a little strange and nothing at all like the previous release.

If you don’t already own the Japanese version, then this is the one  for you. If you do, then you might get this for the two new tracks.

Rating: 4/5

1. Only Human
2. Wonderful World
3. So Deep
4. Love
5. You Smile
6. I Will
7. What You Want
8. Change The World
9. Vanity
10. Damn
11. How Far
12. Worth It All
13. No Apologies
14. My Style

Peter Andre // Behind Closed Doors

Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

Probably best known for the songs ‘Mysterious Girl’ and ‘Insania’, Peter Ander is back with his brand new single, Behind Closed Doors, the first to be lifted from the forthcoming album, The New Beginning.

Some may criticise that recent events would help publicise the release and that maybe it wasn’t the best time to release it. And while it may, the release should be viewed on it’s own merits although some of the lyrics might hint at recent events. It’s a great little rnb/rock number with strong,mature vocals. Nothing cheesy or pop sounding. It feels…raw…powerful. As said previously some of the lyrics hint at recent events but they’re strong, memorable and likely to have you singing along anytime you hear them.

For those of you with preconceived ideas of Pete’s previous work, cast them aside and imagine that you’re hearing him for the first time and see if you’re views of him change any.

Rating:4/5
Video:

Annie Lennox // The Annie Lennox Collection

Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Buy @ Amazon.co.uk (2 Cd + DVD)
Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

*this review pertains to the 2cd/dvd release of the album*
Considering the length of time that Annie Lennox has been around, it’s surprising that this is the first collection to come out of her solo career (the collection from The Eurthymics came out a few years ago). It features songs all the albums released so far including the most recent album, Songs Of Mass Destruction.
As a collection, it brings together those songs that have been used as single (either retail or promotional) ranging from Little Bird to No More I love You’s, Love Song For A Vampire to the latest single Shining Light. It’s great to be able to listen to the songs and see that throughout the years that Annie has been able to maintain that distinct sound.
Disc 2 is a collection of rarer songs recorded by Annie for different projects including the award winning song from The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King, ‘Into The West’. The DVD contains the videos to the songs on disk 1 as well as the videos for the songs ‘Something So Right’ and ‘Waiting In Vain’
Overall it’s a nice little collection for those who may not be familiar with Annie’s solo works or for those who have just dabbled in a couple of tracks. From a collectors point of view, well, if you own the albums, then there isn’t much here for you except a couple of new tracks and of course the DVD. My only complaint with the release is the presentation of it. It comes in a cardboard digipack with a disc in each panel. For a limited collection one may have expected something else more appropriate instead of making it look cheap.
Rating: 4.5/5
Track Listing:
Disc 1 1. Little Bird
2. Walking On Broken Glass
3. Why
4. No More "I Love You's"
5. Precious
6. A Whiter Shade Of Pale
7. A Thousand Beautiful Things
8. Sing
9. Pavement Cracks
10. Love Song For A Vampire
11. Cold
12. Dark Road
13. Pattern Of My Life
14. Shining Light
Disc 2 1. Into The West
2. Ladies Of The Canyon
3. Hush, Hush, Hush
4. Many Rivers To Cross (From Idol Gives Back)
5. Dream Angus
6. Mama
7. Every Time We Say Goodbye
8. Everybody Hurts (With Alicia Keys)
DVD Little Bird
Walking On Broken Glass
Why
No More "I Love You's"
Precious
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
A Thousand Beautiful Things
Sing
Pavement Cracks
Love Song For A Vampire
Cold
Dark Road
Pattern Of My Life
Shining Light
Something So Right (Bonus Video)
Waiting In Vain (Bonus Video)

Utada // This Is The One [US Version]

Buy @ Amazon.com | Download @ Amazon.com
Buy @ YesAsia | Download @ iTunes

So you may be wondering why I’m bothering to what is basically an identical album to a preview review (click here to read it). Well it’s because for the US release, the track listings had a bit of change. And that change throws the album. Track 1 (On & On) from the Japanese release has swapped positions with tracks 9 (Come Back To Me) & 10 (Me Muero).

So while the grand piano entrance of the albums first single may well suit the beginning on the album, the inclusion of Me Muero near the start doesn’t sound right. And On & On at the end makes you wonder where the rest of the album is. And thus the flow of the other tracks (who’s order still follows that of the Japanese release) just doesn’t sound right. It starts calm, climaxes around the middle, begins to calm again and then climaxes again. Not the best ending for an album.

But for this release it isn’t the end. No, the American market have been given three additional bonus tracks in the forum of the themes from the Kingdom Hearts series of games (both of which Utada sang in their English and Japanese forms respectively). For fans of the games, this marks the first time that the closing version of Sanctuary has been made available (as many fans had a game rip of the opening version). Having these songs included may well be enough to entice people to buy it by using this tactic.

Sadly for me though, it’s not enough to make me think that. If the track listing had remained the same then there might not have been a problem, but with changing it, everything seems thrown.

Rating: 3.5/5

NB Downloads DO NOT have bonus tracks. Amazon is normal 10 tracks whilst iTunes release has bonus video and digital booklet

Track Listing:
1. Come Back To Me
2. Me Muero
3. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
4. Apple And Cinnamon
5. Taking My Money Back
6. This One (Crying Like A Child)
7. Automatic Part II
8. Dirty Desire
9. Poppin'
10. On And on
CD ONLY
11. Simple and Clean (Bonus Track)
12. Sanctuary (Opening) (Bonus Track)
13. Sanctuary (Closing) (Bonus Track)

Mamma Mia! // The Movie Soundtrack

 Buy @ Amazon | Download @ iTunes

There’s something about watching grown women coming out of the cinema arm and arm, skipping down the street and singing Mamma Mia at the top of their voices that makes you say ‘ I’ll have whatever they’ve had.’
I’d never understood the phenomenon that is Mamma Mia, but with the stage version always guaranteed to sell out, people raving about it, it couldn’t be that bad could it?
Having now actually seen the film I can understand why people love it. If you’re not crying with tears of laughter and singing along by the end of it, there’s something wrong with you! After all, who can resist a good sing along to ABBA (don’t worry, the DVD comes with a sing along option!)?
I deviate from the point of this review. The album features the majority of the songs from the film (there’s one or two that have missed out sadly) in the order that they appear. And yes it is the cast singing.  Who knew that the likes of Meryl Streep and Colin Firth could sing? Sadly the same can’t be said for Pierce Brosnan and just about bearable if you can remember the scenes that the songs come from. Also on the soundtrack is the omitted song ‘ The Name Of The Game’ (which apparently is included within the deleted scenes section of the DVD or so I’ve discovered).
This is a must have if you want to enjoy the music of the film without having to sit through it. The cast pull it off wonderfully despite them not being familiar with recording in a studio. Make sure to let the last track (I Have A Dream) play in full in order to find the hidden track, Thank You For The Music, beautifully performed by Amanda Seyfried.
Rating: 5/5
Track listing:
1. Honey Honey
2. Money Money Money
3. Mamma Mia
4. Dancing Queen
5. Our Last Summer
6. Lay All Your Love On Me
7. Super Trouper
8. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
9. Name Of The Game
10. Voulez Vous
11. SOS
12. Does Your Mother Know
13. Slipping Through My Fingers
14. Winner Takes It All
15. When All Is Said And Done
16. Take A Chance On Me
17. I Have A Dream/Thank You For The Music [hidden track]

Sandi Thom // The Best of Sandi Thom

 

Buy @ Amazon.co.uk

With only two album releases, you’d think maybe this was a premature release and that not much can be on it. Surprisingly, there’s 18 tracks on this release, which may be viewed as the ending of her time being constrained by what others want rather than herself before anything is heard of the third album (which Thom herself has made reference to be working on, on both her myspace and twitter)

This release is released via Camden Records after Thom parted ways with former record company Sony BMG over, what can only be deemed ‘creative differences’. The album features the tracks that were released as singles ( I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In Hair), What If I’m Right, Lonely Girl and The Devil’s Beat), a selection of songs from the albums Smile…It Confuses People and The Pink & The Lily as well as the exclusive tracks that were previously released as mobile exclusives via various mobile phone providers in the UK.

Looking at the album as a whole, it brings together what is probably the best tracks from the last two albums. The addition of the exclusive tracks (Kiss From A Rose, It Must Be Love, Times Like These) as well makes this a nice little collection. So who will realistically buy this album? Well, there is of course the collectors either because they have every other release or because they’ve been looking for the elusive tracks found on the album (either because they were unable to buy them the first time around due to not being with the right provider or because they were on a service that they didn’t use (Lonely Girl [Live From The Basement] was released via online retailers such as iTunes and Napster]). This release may also appeal to those who may only be familiar with the one hit (that most likely being I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) which was probably her biggest, if only hit, to date) and may be curious into finding out what they’ve missed out on.

As previously said, a nice little collection that will probably be overlooked with other release around the same time.

Rating: 4/5

Track listing:

1. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) (Radio Edit)
2. What If I'm Right (Radio Mix)
3. The Devil's Beat
4. Little Remedy
5. Saturday Night
6. When Horsepower Meant What It Said
7. The Last Picturehouse
8. The Human Jukebox
9. The Pink & The Lily
10. Sunset Borderline
11. My Ungrateful Heart
12. Lonely Girl (Live From The Basement)
13. Kiss From A Rose (Acoustic)
14. It Must Be Love (Acoustic)
15. May You Never
16. Times Like These (Acoustic)
17. No More Heroes
18. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) (Mutiny's Rockers & Lovers Mix)

Lady GaGa // The Cherry Tree Sessions EP

 
Download @ Amazon.com

Lady GaGa first came to light with her song Just Dance, which some people did believe that her lyrics were simply influencing the young generation to a lifestyle that wasn’t exactly the best. But if you look back at the music throughout the years, there’s always been songs those lyrics haven’t exactly been…politically correct?

Anyway, that aside, The Cherry Tree Sessions is three tracks (Poker Face, Just Dance & Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)) in an acoustic or raw format. Poker Face is presented as a piano and vocal performance. It’s nice but somehow it doesn’t feel right at the slow tempo (maybe it’s because I’m so used to hearing it at faster speed on the radio).

Just Dance is just stripped down. It’s the raw elements of the back track plus GaGa’s vocals and it doesn’t sound too bad.

Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) came as a bit of a surprise. Because there is no tag at the end of this track (like with the previous songs) I thought that this was the version as featured on the album. It turns out that I was wrong and this version is sometimes known as Piano and Human Beatbox version. After hearing the album version though, I have to say that I prefer this version over the album one.

Looking at this little collection, it’s not half bad. It shows that even without the full production that GaGa can still perform the songs to album standard, which is always the proof of a good artist. An interesting little number but maybe only if you’re a true fan or looking for some alternative versions

Rating: 3.5/5

Cascada // Evacuate The Dancefloor [Album]

Buy @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ Amazon.co.uk

2009 sees the return of Cascada to the charts with their third album release Evacuate The Dancefloor. The single of the same name was released just last week in the UK. For seasoned Cascada fans, this is just a walk in the park but here’s the shocker: there are NO COVER VERSIONS on the album!! Yep, all the tracks are original material….

The open track is the self titled Evacuate The Dancefloor which I’ve already covered in a previous posting so no need to go into this again. Track two (Hold On) lulls the listener into a false sense of belief by making the start sound like a cheesy pop song before heading into the dance side of things. Fever (Track 5) has your genetic dance song markings. And track 6 (Hold our Hands Up)…sorry, is this still a Cascada album?! An Acoustic poppy ballad?? Where did this come from?It’s brilliant!! Surprisingly for this album as well, Draw The Line (Track 11) is the only song to have the Candlelight treatment (the norm is usually the first track to be lifted from the album gets it…)

Lyrically, the album is sound. It’s musically that I have the main problem with. Some of the tracks you feel that you could easily go and lifted the previous albums and say ‘yep that this track, that’s that one…”. There’s only so many times that this the same track can be used. You can change the outside, but the inside will be the same. 

Overall, it’s goo to see that Team Cascada have finally managed to move away from the covers and have finally managed to produce an album of completely original material (lyrically). It will be interesting to see what the fans have to say about it and it will be interesting to see how this album fares without the covers to float it.

Rating: 4/5

Track listing:

1. Evacuate The Dancefloor
2. Hold On
3. Everytime I Hear Your Name
4. Ready Or Not
5. Fever
6. Hold Your Hands Up
7. Breathless
8. Dangerous
9. Why You Had To Leave
10. What About Me
11. Draw The Line (Yanou’s Candlelight mix)

Cascada // Evacuate The Dance Floor (Single)

Buy CD @ Amazon.co.uk | Buy mp3 @ Amazon.co.uk

Evacuate The Dance Floor is the first track to be lifted from the album of the same name (Set for release next week).  The song follows the same Cascada pattern; Catchy lyrics and a catchy beat and if you’re familiar with previous works, then you already know what to expect.

It’s been met with criticism that it ‘ a total rip off’ of Lady GaGa’s Just Dance, and while it may sound like their elements of this, it is the Cascada sound. Besides, wouldn’t a comparision to Lady GaGa be more beneficial?

Sadly the UK CD release has been given only two tracks this time (the Radio Edit and the Extended version) while if you want the rest of the remix tracks you need to buy from online retailers such as iTunes, 7Digital or Amazon.co.uk. If there was ever a way to get people to part with their cash, this is it.

Will this be the number one song of the summer? It’s hard to say seeing as we’re just beginning, but it’s sounding good as a basis of what to expect from Team Cascada when the album is released.

Rating: 4/5

Track Listing:
1. Evacuate The Dance Floor (Radio Edit)
2. Evacuate The Dance Floor (Extended Version)

Video:

Sweetbox // The Next Generation (Japanese Release)

Buy @ CDJapan | Buy @ YesAsia.com

The Next Generation is the 7th studio album from Sweetbox, while at the same time being the first album to feature the vocal talents of Jamie Pineda.

The album has a more an RnB feel compared to previous albums however, this release also maintains the groups signature musical style;  fusing modern sounds with classical sampling [We Can Work It Out, Crash Landed, Magic]. There’s also ballads [In A Heartbeat, With A Love Like You, When Will It Be Me], upbeat songs [Blue Angel, Everybody Come Out In The Sunshine] as well as some dancey sounding songs [Love Forgets, Crash Landed]. There is also a brand new version of the group’s signature song, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright as well as a remix of the same track by Yasutaka Nakata (a bonus for this version of the album)

As previously said, this album has a more RnB feel to it, making feel a little more ‘Western music’ feel. However, what should be remembered is that with every new singer, something new has been brought into the group. The one complaint that people seem to have is that Jamie has only co-wrote on the songs on the album, however, if we look at some of the more popular/successful artists out there, we may be surprised that to find that most of them have no input with their songs. And while yes, this is being used to compare Jamie to previous front woman, Jade Villalon, this is not to say that on future albums, Jamie won’t have more of a strong presence with writing.

Overall, given that this is a new combination of vocal talent and a new producer, the album is alright. The track order doesn’t produce a feeling of disjointedness and seems to contain the right mixture of styles. It will be interesting to see how the album is accepted by old and new fans alike

Rating: 4.5/5

Track Listing:

1. We Can Work It Out
2. You Don’t know What You’re Sorry For
3. In A Heartbeat
4. With A Love Like You
5. Everything Is Nothing
6. Crash Landed
7. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (Next Generation 2009)
8. Blue Angel
9. Magic
10. Everybody Come Out Into The Sunshine
11. These Dayz
12. More Than You’ll Ever Know
13. When Will It Be Me
14. Coming Home To You
15. Love Forgets
16. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (Next Generation 2009) [Yasutaka Nakata Remix]

Sweetbox // Rare Tracks

Buy @ CDJapan |Buy @ YesAsia.com
Buy @ YesAsia.com (Taiwan Version)

What's in the title, Rare Tracks? Well, this little gem from the Sweetbox treasure trove is 22 tracks on previously unreleased or demo versions of songs which have appeared on the previous albums, from Classified to Addicted. In essence, this is the Japanese version of the previous European Exclusive, Raw Treasures Vol#1.

The main highlights for most fans will probably be the two different versions of Addicted that were used in Japan for the Subaru Legacy commercials as well as World Without Frontiers (altered version of Hate Without Frontiers of which the demo version is also featured on the album). Other highlights include a wedding arrangement of the classic Cinderella and a live piano version of For The Lonely.

This album as a whole is probably more suited to fans who know of the group as many of the tracks featured are demo equivalents of the versions that were eventually released. Overall though, the album makes for interesting listening.

Rating: 4.5/5