Music Preview: L.P.
Now here’s an odd looking girl with an uncommonly powerful voice. We were given the pleasure of previewing a collection of 3 singles from this rock singer’s third album, which is due to be released in January of 2009.
The most radio-friendly of the bunch was “Good With You”, with a hook that sticks in your head. For L.P., her songs are all about the drama. “I want them to be mini operas. You can never be too dramatic.” What could be more dramatic than sparking a bidding war between several major CD labels? Her first two albums earned her a contingent of fiercely loyal fans, and now she hopes to reach out to the masses. You can find out more about this artist and her upcoming album by visiting: www.lprock.com
Music Preview: Bryn Christopher
Bryn faced hardship as a child, growing up the product of an interracial couple. “I could definitely have ended up in a very different place if I’d given in to the bullies. You either beat them or join them.” This only fuelled his desire to be a successful singer, and go against the grain.
Drawing inspiration from childhood idols Otis Redding, Mavrin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, this emerging artist delivers some pretty amazing, passionate, and bluesy vocals. His single, “The Quest” was featured on the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, and was inspired by his brother’s experiences in Iraq. It is a very dark and powerful piece with choral backup, and an ensemble of organ, brass, bass and percussion – made to sound like an old record with subtle crackling sounds.
Bryn’s debut album is due to be released in January 2009, and more information can be found at: www.brynchristopher.com
“Delta” by Delta Goodrem
In some circles she’s known as Australia’s best kept secret. Her 2003 debut album, “Innocent Eyes” is one of only a handful of albums to sell over a million copies in Australia – one in every 20 Australians own one! So an amateur Goodrem is not – perhaps “pop goddess” is a more accurate term.
The album starts out with the epic and inspirational number “Believe Again”. “I’ve always had a really good ear for a great song that appeals to a lot of people,” says Goodrem. “I wanted to make sure I had something special. ‘Believe Again’ was the one that turned the corner, it inspired the whole album.” It is followed by her single “In This Life”, which became a number one hit on Australian radio. It’s a very confident piece with a non-stop melodic rush, flipping between its troubled verses and the joyful, life-affirming chorus.
The lyrics of “God Laughs” really got me. They speak to the unpredictability of life, and how the only control we have is whether we choose to let go. She sings “When we’re busy makin’ our plans, God laughs / We’re all walkin’ on quicksand / When we think that we understand, God laughs.” I also particularly enjoyed “You Will Only Break My Heart” with its quirky, bouncy disco-style melody that undergoes peculiar changes in key. It’s the oddball of the lot, and a welcome break from its overly perfect siblings. “One Day” offers one last fun and catchy song before the slow and sentimental closing track, “Angels in the Room”.
Says Goodrem, “This album has strong themes about going through hard times but, instead of being a victim, standing up and being counted. It’s good to focus on what life has to offer, find things that mean something to you. It’s pop music. It’s meant to be fun, magic, something you can relate to.”
“SoL-AngeL and the Hadley Street Dreams” by Solange
My first instinct was to pronounce the name with a German tongue, literally translated “So Long”, but the first track quickly demonstrated that it is actually pronounced like the French word “Orange”. Prepare yourself for another relaxed and groovy Soul/R&B album, with a sound straight out of the 1960’s and 1970’s – Solange compares it to The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Dustry Springfield and Minnie Riperton. Just listen to the funky guitars, echoed trumpets, mellow xylophones, and you’ll understand.
“When hearing the album, I hope the listener is taken back to a time when music was melodic, sweet, and soulful. When music was less provocative and came from a place of inspiration and storytelling. I hope to have followers with an intelligent ear and that are willing to take a risk.”
This is Solange’s second album, her first released at an age of only 16! Since then she has taken the time to start a family before getting back to her dream – a dream of which her father was an integral part. The album title draws from her father’s vision to build a recording compound for her in a vacant lot on Hadley Street in downtown Houston.
You might need to already be a fan of this genre to fully appreciate the CD, because aside from a small handful of songs I was left pretty cold. The very last track, “I Decided, Pt. 2” is a catchy dance remix of the somewhat bland “I Decided, Pt. 1”. I would say this track is my favorite, but that would be cheating. So next best for me was “Sandcastle Disco”, which probably has the widest appeal. “Dancing in the Dark” was also kind of fun and upbeat, and “Cosmic Journey” had a certain psychedelic appeal, taking a strange but exciting turn in the second half of the song.
Solange makes great music for a relaxed evening, but how about a little more energy…
“GlobalGroove: Live 4” by DJ Scotty K.
If club music is more your thing, you’ve probably skipped right to this review anyway. Centaur Music is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to getting your fix of dance groove, and this is the fourth CD in their Live series. This time they’ve enlisted the talent of DJ Scotty K., whose claim to fame is being the original DJ on the Ellen Degeneres show.
“I was thrilled and excited when I was asked to work on a compilation for Centaur,” says Scotty K. “I make it a goal to provide music that makes people feel elevated and makes them feel happy to be alive. I wanted to keep the entire feel of the CD fun, fresh and familiar while putting my own signature sound and mark on it.”
I found that the CD got off to an awesome start with some great melodic dance pieces like “Falling For You” and “Cry For You”. I also really liked DJ Scotty K’s remake of Linkin Park’s mega hit “Shadow Of The Day” – all wonderful rhythms with just the right amount of instrumentation to keep an uplifting mood.
But shortly afterward, it slipped into the type of hardcore groove that I’m not particularly fond of – yes, it may keep your body moving to the beat, but it seems to numb your mind. The vocals are backed only by minimalistic counterpoints, leaving a somewhat barren sound.
For instance, I was excited to see there was a remix of “I Kissed A Girl” (a song I quite like) but discovered that DJ Scotty K tore out the melody, slowed the tempo, and all that was left were Katy Perry’s time-stretched lyrics set to the same monotonous rhythm as the last song. What a shame.
My conclusion: the Album is perfect if you want to lose yourself, but not so great if you like to express yourself.
