i got my hands on an advance release copy of leona lewis’s upcoming sophomore album “echo” a few days ago and i’ve been giving it a good spin on my ipod. i was prepared to listen to an album filled with power ballads but was pleasantly surprised a handful of upbeat numbers – including an unexpected dip into electropop. leona lewis is no longer boring!
there are a number of ballads found on “echo”. unfortunately, at times, these ballads lose their distinctive qualities. having a grand chorus, virtuosic vocals, and emotional orchestration only work a number of times. after a while it gets old. however not all is lost, some of the standout ballads include “broken,” “i got you,” “don’t let me down,” and “my hands.” justin timberlake lends his vocals to the smooth track “don’t let me down“. the real surprise was the electro-infused “outta my head.” it’s no surprise that this track was written and produced by pop mega producer max martin. the track is oddly retro sounding yet still incredibly catchy. within the first ten seconds, pulsating snyths set the pace for what is to be a high energy track. leona’s vocals still shine and are not overpowered by the production. maybe more production/effects could have been done to make “outta my head” that much better. but i’m not complaining. i’ve already have listened to this track on repeat for 234283094029384 times.
i’m not one to usually whore myself out … well, who am i kidding? the 2009 weblog award nominations have been opened, so please nominate i try too hard in the category: best music blog. it would mean a lot, and only takes a few seconds!
this has got to be the strangest collaboration ever. seriously, what the eff is this? “make it last” is a track from model turned actor/singer tyrese and features jewel. yea, this is no typo and it only gets better … or stranger. apparently this track was recorded with the intention of it being on the transformers 2 soundtrack. i’m not sure if you saw the movie this past summer … but this joke of a track did not make it onto the soundtrack nor the score. do you really think director michael bay, who loves exploding everything and anything, would ok a love ballad? this is just a mess. not even a hot tranny mess.
in my last post i made a shout out to florence and the machine and failed to even bother telling you who they are. the band consists of florence welch (lead singer) and the machine (the band). one of the songs i’m currently in love with is their cover of “you’ve got the love” originally performed by the source feat. candi stanton (you may recognize the track as being used during the final scene of sex and the city).
florence and the machine have breathed new life into this old classic. florence’s distinctive voices makes this song her own. the inclusion of a harp only adds to the gentle sway effect produced by the track. this melodic segment is only emphasized by how simplistic the track is. check out the music video below. anyone want to buy me that sparkly crescent moon? i need to have it in my room.
ellie goulding is a british singer who is getting ready to drop her as-yet-untitled debut album. her first single “under the sheets” however has already garnered critical acclaim. ellie would be the result of little boots, florence + the machine and marina and the diamonds if they had a group orgy. seriously, this british girl has got some talent, and a beautiful voice. (plus she’s pretty like all the musicians i compared her to!)
“under the sheets” is a pure, heavenly explosion of indie pop. you can even say that you can hate it because it might sound too mainstream for your liking, but we would all know that is a lie.
she’s currently touring with little boots and florence, coincidentally.
