Mumford & Sons - Babel
Yesterday we reviewed Frank Ocean's debut album, Channel Orange. With that review, we decided to format in in a different way. We received mixed reviews from our audience. Therefore, we are going to try again today, with some minor changes. After today, let us know what you would prefer to read in the future. We really appreciate all of your feedback and we hope you enjoy todays review.
Babel is the second album released by Mumford & Sons. This album was released in September of last year to incredible reception. Their debut album, Sigh No More, was the third most downloaded album of 2011, even though it was released in 2008. Sign No More has sold over 2.5 million copies. After their incredible breakthrough album, there was a lot of anticipation and pressure for the release of their follow up album. Sigh No More may be one of the best albums of the decade, so it would be very difficult to outdo themselves on their sophomore record.
Even with all of the ridiculous expectations that were set for them, Babel was a huge success. It debuted at number one in both the UK and the US and sold of 750,000 copies in its first week! That made it the fastest selling album of 2012 in the United Kingdom. The album is nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
The album starts off with the title track, "Babel". This song represents the changes the band has made over the time in between their two records. This album is far more powerful and smoother than its predecessor. This song is so crisp, it flies past the quality of Sigh No More's sound. I'm not saying that Sigh No More was of poor sound quality, but their latest album is exceptionally well done. The second song, "Whispers in the Dark", shows off the other new side of Mumford & Sons. This song exhibits Marcus Mumford's abilities as a songwriter. It's a new flavor of the band that we hadn't seen on their previous album.
Other stand out songs include "Reminder" and "Broken Crown". "Reminder" is a slower song that comes in at only 2 minutes. It is a song of disappearing love that is simple, but one of the most moving on the album. "Broken Crown" is one of the album's best songs. It starts off slow and suspenseful and builds up to an incredibly powerful final two minutes. From Mumford's intense vocals to the banjo that is consistent in most Mumford & Sons' songs, this was a fantastic song. Additionally, this is the requisite single that features a vehement F-bomb. On Sigh No More, the song "Little Lion Man" earned this honor.
Mumford & Sons' British indie rock style is one that before their debut, was unheard of. After their success, many bands have attempted to mock their unique style. *cough-Phillip Phillips-cough* However, none have been able to achieve the amount of triumph Mumford & Sons have earned. There is not another band that can compete with Mumford in the genre of Modern Folk music. This is easily one of the best albums of 2012 and my favorite to win the category of Album of the Year.
Top 5 Songs From Babel
1. Babel
2. I Will Wait
3. Babel
4. Lover of the Light
5. Ghosts That We Knew
5. The Boxer (feat. Jerry Douglas & Paul Simon) [Bonus Track]
Listen to Babel on Spotify:
Buy Babel on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/babel-deluxe-edition/id548698631
Do you have any suggestions that you want to share with us? Which style of reviews do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
This will be our first album review since early January, and we are going to try something a little different. A few of our viewers have requested that we change our format for album reviews. Our album reviews are our best feature in the eyes of many readers. The complaint we were getting was that when we review longer albums, the reviews become so long, it becomes boring. In contrast, more people read our album reviews than any other type of article. We thought that just for today, we would try a new format for reviewing this album. Please let us know which format you prefer!
Channel Orange is the debut album from American singer/songwriter, Frank Ocean. Frank has been nominated for a few Grammys this year, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year. This is a great achievement for an artist who has only been on the scene since 2011. He is my favorite to win the Best New Artist category, but you'll have to wait until Friday for the rest of the list!
This album has a distinctive style that contains influences from hip-hop, R&B, soul, and psychedelic music. In my opinion, Frank Ocean is one of the most talented modern artists. His songwriting abilities are reminiscent of some of the best in history, especially in the way he can tell a story. His music is as relative to modern youth as Buddy Holly was in the 1950s! This creates an overwhelming sensation of desire. When I first heard this album in July, 2012, I was genuinely astonished by the quality of this record. It was definitely not the experience I was planning on having. Listening to this album put me in a trance that I just didn't want to depart from.
This is a beautiful album that requires patience and attention to completely understand. This is the kind of album that you have to listen to more than once. The lead single off of the album, "Thinking Bout You", is one of the best on the album. It evokes feelings of regret and sorrow, somehow in a subtle manner. It shows off Ocean's incredible falsetto ability, as well as his incredible songwriting abilities. The song peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, which came as a surprise to me only because of the unconventional genre of the song.
I think this was one of the best albums of 2012 and it has the chance to win Album of the Year on Sunday. I actually told my father that I thought Frank Ocean would win Best New Artist way back in 2011 when he released the mix tape, Nostalgia, Ultra. He is one of my favorite artists of the year and I am rooting for him this Grammy season!
Top 5 Songs From Channel Orange
1. Thinking Bout You (9/10)
2. Pyramids (10/10)
3. Super Rich Kids (8/10)
4. Lost (8/10)
5. Sweet Life (7/10)
Listen to Channel Orange on Spotify:
Buy Channel Orange on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/channel-orange/id541953504
Hopefully you all enjoyed our experimental format for album reviews. Let us know if you want to see more of these kinds of reviews, or more track-by-track reviews!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Tomlin - "Burning Lights"
Burning Lights is the seventh studio album released by Chris Tomlin. This is our first new album review of the new year! This album was released on January 8, 2013. This album contains many studio versions of songs released on the live album, Passion: White Flag. It seems like Tomlin is taking a different path with the sound of this album. It's not a huge change from what he has done in the past, but I am excited about where he is heading. It's amazing that after all this time, he is still able to bring new things to the table. This is not something that is commonly found in contemporary Christian music. This album features many wonderful collaborations, and is one of his best studio albums in years.
1) Burning Lights
The opening track to Burning Lights is just a one minute intro to the album. It shouldn't really be considered its own separate track because it blends so well with the next song. It is a guitar driven intro that sets the stage for his latest album.
2) Awake My Soul (feat. Lecrae) [9/10]
I thought this was one of the stand out songs on this album. As always, Tomlin's songwriting is amazing. This is an extremely inspirational song that I can definitely see getting airtime on Christian radio stations very soon. This collaboration was the one I was the most skeptical of. Lecrae is a Christian rapper. He is one of the best at what he does, but I did not think it would blend with Chris Tomlin's style very well. I was definitely wrong, as Lecrae's verses are what affected me the most.
3) Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) [8/10]
Whom Shall I Fear is the lead single off of Burning Lights. This song was released way back in November and continues to be a top hit on Christian radio. This track is one that you will feel in your gut. As it is in most Christian music, the songwriting is near-perfect. Chris Tomlin has obviously put a lot of effort in this song, as it is still a staple on Christian music stations. Also, this track has already become a popular recording that is sung in churches across the country.
4) Lay Me Down (8/10)
This song begins to show off the changes in Chris Tomlin's sound. His voice is very unique and cannot be compared to any other artist today. But the real change is in the band surrounding him. This song does not sound like a typical Christian/worship song. It resembles bands like U2 and Mumford and Sons more than popular Christian artists. I am very excited about this because recently, Christian music has become boring because there are many songs that sound alike. I really hope this starts getting played on the radio as well.
5) God's Great Dance Floor (7/10)
This song shows off the other side of Chris Tomlin's slight change in style. With this track, he uses an electronic house beat as the backbone to this song. In the past, Tomlin has been known for his traditional use of guitars and a string section in his music. This is the complete opposite of his hit songs like "Our God" and "I Will Follow". This song could be a shot at TobyMac due to its modern, pop sound. This dance-filled worship song continues to display Tomlin's fantastic lyrical abilities. It's really great to see him experiment outside of his comfort zone.
6) White Flag (8/10)
On the Passion band's album, Passion: White Flag, this was the hit. However, Passion was a live album, and this is the first time "White Flag" has been available as a studio recording. The inspiration in this song is extremely effective. I was looking forward to hearing the recorded version, as the live version was my favorite off of the White Flag album. The first half of the album has soared way beyond my expectations. I just hope he can stay at this level as the album continues into its second half.
7) Crown Him (Majesty) [feat. Kari Jobe] {7/10}
Emotion is the focus of this song. Chris Tomlin's songwriting abilities allow for some songs to affect some people so deeply. This song is a great example of that. He is able to transmit his love of God through his music and into the listener. With this song specifically, you can really hear the passion in his voice. While this was great, I don't think it is as good of a song as some songs on the first half of the record.
8) Jesus, Son of God (feat. Christy Nockels) [6/10)
This is the first song on this album, that I found to be forgettable. Each previous song had its own special qualities that would make you want to go back and listen to them again. "Jesus, Son of God" just didn't have that same affect. It sounds so similar to songs on all of his other albums, it just doesn't really fit in with this collection of songs. However, for a duet, Christy Nockels does a great job harmonizing with Tomlin. Her sections add a little contrast to the rest of the song.
9) Sovereign (7/10)
We have definitely gone back to the Chris Tomlin who writes beautiful lyrics but is afraid to be innovative as a musician. This song is so typical for him, I seriously think this song has been on every past Tomlin album. All joking aside, I think I even recognized some lyrics from some of his other songs. What we can't forget is that it is hard for Chris Tomlin to write a bad song. His lyrics are always great, so where he falls short is usually in the way he executes the performance of the song. I really hope he goes back to what he did in the first half, trying out new sounds.
10) Countless Wonders (8/10)
Countless Wonders is another stereotypical Chris Tomlin song. It is a little more bearable in this song but I was still hoping for something different. After the first six songs I was really looking forward to the new sounds I would be hearing in the rest of the album. I didn't get those new sounds, but I did get a great, regular song. Nothing different, but another song with great lyrics and an average musical approach.
11) Thank You God for Saving Me (feat. Phil Wickham) [7/10]
I actually think this song's weaknesses come from the inclusion of Phil Wickham. This is not because Wickham wasn't good enough, it was actually the opposite. I feel that his musical personality is so great, it took away from Chris Tomlin. This could easily be a great Phil Wickham song, but it isn't. It's a Chris Tomlin song. If it was just one of the two singers, it might be the best on the record. However, the duet lowers its potential. I love each artist individually, but together on this song just didn't do it for me.
12) Shepard Boy (8/10)
The closing song is a piano driven ballad about himself. He sings passionately about how he isn't the one everyone should be excited about. Everything he sings comes from God and that is who he sings for. The story he shares is really touching. He sings for God and is just a "Shepard Boy" in comparison to him. I really loved how Tomlin showed that he can tell a story so well through his lyrics. I rarely see this type of music in Chris' work. For me, this was the most beautiful song to listen to. Every song can touch people in different ways, but on this album, this song touched me the most.
This album started off better than most of Chris Tomlin's previous albums. The first half was absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, as it is with most of Tomlin's albums, the second half was very forgettable and did not stack up to the creativity shown off in the beginning. Regardless, this album provides many songs that are bound to be heard on Christian radio in the near future. Burning Lights is my favorite Chris Tomlin album to date. The magnitude of the great songs overpowers the forgetfulness of the basic songs. Even if you aren't Christian or if you don't like Christian music, this is a great album to listen to. Just think of the lyrics as epic love songs. If you are a fan of Christian music, you will definitely be pleased. This is the best studio album by Chris Tomlin I've heard in a long time. Burning Lights is not one to be forgotten.
Listen to Burning Lights on Spotify:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruno Mars - "Unorthodox Jukebox"
Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album released by Bruno Mars. The sophomore album is a highly anticipated follow up to the highly successful Doo-Wops & Hooligans. This album covers a wide range of musical styles with obvious 80s influences. The lead single, "Locked Out of Heaven", was released back in early October. It is currently doing very well and charting pretty high on both the iTunes and Billboard Music charts. So far, this record as received generally positive reviews. This album represents Mars' freedom as an artist to produce great songs in a wide variety of genres. Unorthodox Jukebox is a great follow up album that leaves Hooligans in the dust.
1) Young Girls (7/10)
Bruno Mars starts off his latest record with a hit. This first song has a stimulating soft rock style that is a great way to begin the album. It is redolent of his previous hit "It Will Rain". This is a track I can definitely see getting a significant amount of radio time in the near future. It's not the happiest song on the album by any means. Bruno Mars thrives when he is singing happy pop songs. However, this song is a rarity that is bound to be a successful single.
2) Locked Out of Heaven (8/10)
The second track is the lead single off of Unorthodox Jukebox. I think that it is his best single to date. The main reason I like it so much is because of its incredibly obvious resemblance to The Police. His voice even sounds like Sting in this song. Now, let's not let that take away from what Mars has done with it. Even with the similarities in sound, it is still a Bruno Mars song that kills. I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to top the charts for another month or so.
3) Gorilla (6.5/10)
This song tells the story of a night of love with Bruno Mars. The song progresses as the night does. It starts off with "a body full of liquor and a cocaine kicker" and later in the song, ends with "you and me making love like gorillas". As the song moves from one stage to another, the song changes from sounding pretty depressing to a song of relief and great pleasure. They aren't the most intelligent lyrics ever, but it is still a good song.
4) Treasure (8/10)
Treasure is a song that makes you want to get up and get your groove on. In this track, he takes on an 80s disco style that fits him perfectly. It reminds me of an old pop song that I just can't remember the name of. This song gives me the feeling that disco-pop is the genre of music that Bruno Mars enjoys playing the most. Here is another song that I can definitely see becoming a single, that will dominate the charts.
5) Moonshine (6/10)
It might just be me, but this song reminds me of something Michael Jackson might produce. This homage isn't as blatant as the resemblance to The Police on "Locked Out of Heaven", but it just shows off Mars' wide range of talent. Anyway, this song is pretty one dimensional and by the end, you're just waiting to move on to the next track. This won't be the song that you'll have stuck in your head all day.
6) When I Was Your Man (8/10)
I am starting to really understand how talented Bruno Mars actually is. He can take any style of music, and make it extraordinary. This song is a piano driven ballad. He sings about a period of heartbreak in his life. You don't usually hear ballads like this from Mars, but he pours his heart out on this one. He literally lists all of the things he did wrong that made him a terrible boyfriend. You can feel the regret in his voice. While he is singing, you will start to feel bad that he is upset. It is very powerful, but I really can't see it being anything that would be too successful as a single.
7) Natalie (7/10)
"Natalie" is a rant against Mars' ex-gold digger. "Natalie" was a woman who ran away from him while taking everything he had. It is definitely one of the more polite rants like this, while he does not get too impudent. But, he still expresses his anger and regret perfectly. The song itself is backed by handclaps and a strong bass drum. It is a song to get all of your emotions out when you are mad at someone. So far, that has not been a song on this album that isn't good.
8) Show Me (5/10)
Ah-Ha! Back to Mars' Hawaiian roots. This song is filled with steel drums and meaningless lyrics. This mellow track is meant to be heard on a vacation to a tropical island. Personally, I did not like this song. It wasn't a good use of Mars' talents. His vocals in this song sounded a bit off, reminding me of Mike Posner's voice. The care-fee nature of this song was a nice vacation from the deep emotions found throughout the majority of this album, but is my least favorite song.
9) Money Make Her Smile (7/10)
This is the song where Bruno Mars completely understood his abilities as a true pop artist. This track is filled with electronic noise and computerized drumbeats. Not surprisingly, Mars found a way to make this style work for him. This track is based on the artificial sounds created by a machine, that are comparative to The Black Eyed Peas. It is uncharted territory for Bruno, and he does surprisingly well in his first serious pop song.
10) If I Knew (8/10)
"If I Knew" is like a modernized 60s soul song, brought out mostly due to the passionate group of singers backing him up. This final track is the shortest on the album, coming in at just 2 minutes and 13 seconds. Yet he packs tons of emotion into this short amount of time. It is the complete opposite of the previous song, which made me question the order he decided to put the songs in. It is one of the better songs on the album, and makes for a great finishing piece to a great sophomore album.
Unorthodox Jukebox is a fantastic follow up album for Bruno Mars. It shows off his true ability as a recording artist. He is able to express himself through all kinds of musical styles. I have underestimated Bruno Mars up until this point. The more serious tone of this album, compared to Doo-Wops & Hooligans, is a great improvement. There is a deluxe version available exclusively through Target. This album was a short ten tracks, so I may have to consider picking up the extended version to hear one unreleased song and a few alternate versions of songs on this album. By saying that, I am trying to make it clear that this is a great album that will keep me waiting for his third studio release.
Christina Aguilera - "Lotus"
Lotus is Christina Aguilera's seventh studio album that was released last Friday, November 9th. This album is a huge step up from her last album, Bionic. This album has a great mix of club/dance songs and piano focused songs that bring out the best in her powerful voice. This album definitely brings her voice front and center, something that Bionic lacked. Her previous album was a major flop in the music industry with very low sales figures. Aguilera has put out her best album in years with this latest release. The main theme throughout the album is that she is a fighter and refuses to be hurt by what all of her critics have to say. All of the Aguilera fans will be very pleased to see what she has done with this album.
1) Lotus Intro (??/10)
This "song" sets the mood for the rest of the album. It's not much of a song, as the entire thing is spoken word. The words, however, use the lotus flower as a metaphor for Christina's "rebirth." She is making it clear that she wants a clean slate and is ready to take on her career with a new attitude. I can not give it a score, just because it isn't really a song.
2) Army of Me (7/10)
This song is about facing the pressure of being a celebrity. Aguilera is already using her lyrics to build herself up and prove that she will not be affected by what anyone else has to say. It has the sound that I would expect in a single off of this album. I wouldn't be too surprised if this inspiring hit will see some time on the radio in the coming months.
3) Red Hot Kinda Love (8/10)
Now this song is interesting. The first time I heard it, I absolutely hated it. But after a few listens it began to become one of the standout songs off of this album. It is a fun pop song filled with energy that is bound to make its way onto the playlists of clubs everywhere. This song takes some warming up to, but it has that sound that will have people singing it all over the place.
4) Make The World Move (feat. CeeLo Green) [5/10]
The addition of her "Voice" co-star seemed really unnecessary. His vocals never had an important part in the song. He was basically a back-up singer for the track. The song was backed by a band that featured a lot of trumpets and horns that didn't quite fit. The mix of "old-fashioned" and modern music made for a sub-par song.
5) Your Body (8.5/10)
This is Aguilera's lead single off of Lotus. It was released sometime in September and saw a good amount of time on the radio. It shows off Aguilera's incredible vocal ability tremendously. What makes this song so good is that it can do that and be a pop song that will be very successful. This is a hit song for Aguilera and her producer.
6) Let There Be Love (7/10)
This song is headed straight for the radio. It uses the familiar formula for hit songs, mostly because of the producer of this song, Max Martin. He has also produced songs for Katy Perry, Usher, and Britney Spears. Christina is likely to release this as a single also, as Martin has proved to be very successful in the past. The song itself does not lack vitality and deserves to be a hit single.
7) Sing For Me (8/10)
This is the first ballad of the album. It is reminiscent of arguably her best song to date, "Beautiful." This is another song where she gains confidence by singing about how she is not affected by what other people have to say. It is backed by some soft violins and a piano, with a solid "ballad drumbeat." For die hard Christina Aguilera fans, this is a precious jewel to save from this LP.
8) Blank Page (7/10)
Aguilera decided to follow up the album's first ballad with another intense piano ballad. This is the first song with a lot of emotion that doesn't focus on her thoughts of herself. These lyrics focus on a lost love. Christina is able to show off the power in her voice. Her voice is able to make the listener feel the emotions she is feeling, and that is very evident in this song.
9) Cease Fire (5/10)
This song is very bland and uninteresting. From the extremely unnecessary use of auto-tune at times to all of the war analogies, this song is probably the album's low point. Even the chorus isn't as electrifying as the rest of the songs. I just feel like this song was released unfinished. If it was a little more polished and the lyrics were put together a little better, it could be great.
10) Around The World (6/10)
This song also lacked the excitement the album reached in the beginning. It reminds me a little bit of "Your Body," but without the thrills that it had to offer. One good thing about this song is the drums, something about the drumbeat in this song stood out to me. Aguilera also referenced her hit song from 2001 by whispering "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" in the background. That might have been the best part of the song.
11) Circles (8/10)
This song was a complete change from the current mood of the album. With the hook line being "Spin around in circles on my middle middle finger" it definitely took me by surprise. Anyway, the song is one of the more fun tracks off of the entire record. It was filled with attitude and was a great change from past three songs, which were not very great.
12) Best Of Me (8/10)
This is Aguilera remembering how she used to be so vulnerable. With this song she is putting the past behind her and promises that nobody will ever get the "best of me" anymore. This is a song of hope that she can stay strong in the future. This is the third and final ballad of the album. I think it is the best of the three.
13) Just A Fool (feat. Blake Shelton) [7/10]
This is a great song to end the record. It is another duet with her fellow judge on "The Voice," but this one is much better than the first, with CeeLo. The first verse is all Aguilera, and the second is with Blake Shelton. Even so, he continues to sing along with Christina in the last part of the song. There is a great powerful drum beat that is perfect for tapping your feet along with the music. If there was one song that really proved that Christina Aguilera is one of the best singers of this generation, it would be this one.
Lotus is so much better than I thought it would be. It is one thousand percent better than her last album, Bionic. The addition of a long list of new producers make this an album that is filled with songs that are bound to make an impact on the charts. There was a brief stage of about three songs where things got a little weak, but for the most part, this was a great album. Christina is starting a new chapter, and all of her fans will be very excited when they hear this new record.
Aerosmith - "Music From Another Dimension!"
1) LUV XXX - (6/10)
Just the name of this song (pronounced 'Love Three Times') had me worried at what to expect from Aerosmith's latest album. After the minute of a creepy voice explaining how this album was going to control my emotions, I wasn't feeling any better about it. However, they surprised me and pulled of a solid rock tune with an infectious drum beat and nice little guitar solo by Joe Perry. I'll give it a six out of ten just because Tyler's vocals just didn't sound like himself and that took away from the experience. The majority of the song didn't sound like it should be an Aerosmith song. But I have to say, the last minute is completely different than the majority of the song. The last bit reminded me of Aerosmith in their prime and it got me pretty excited.
2) Oh Yeah - (7/10)
This song also had its dull moments. There were times when the constant singing of "Oh Yeah!" in the background got kind of annoying. Regardless, this song was definitely better than the opening track, but it still lacked some of the characteristics I have come to expect in Aerosmith's music. Another awesome guitar solo brought this song to life and left me satisfied.
3) Beautiful - (8.5/10)
This was the rowdy rock anthem I had been waiting for! It's hard to think of anything negative to say about this song. For those of you who aren't familiar with Aerosmith, this song represents their style perfectly. With another impressive guitar solo and electric vocals from Steven Tyler, this album just got a whole lot better.
4) Tell Me - (7.5/10)
This was an interesting choice to follow up the hard-rocking "Beautiful." This song is driven by the acoustic guitar and is a typical Aerosmith love song. It progresses from just an acoustic guitar and Tyler's vocals to a quality rock ballad. This is the first song on the album that expressed a lot of emotion and had meaning. Perry snuck another guitar solo into this song, making that four songs in a row in which he had a share of the spotlight. Let's see how long this streak lasts!
5) Out Go The Lights - (9/10)
After listening to this song I felt like I was back listening to Aerosmith in the seventies. It is a hard rocking song that shows off their bluesy roots. The backing vocals give this song a type of groove that I haven't heard in an Aerosmith song in a long time. Another long-lasting guitar solo brings the streak to five consecutive songs!
6) Legendary Child - (8/10)
This song proves that Aerosmith is really putting forth an effort to return to their seventies form. I was surprised to find out that this was the lead single off of this album. For the past 20 years, it seems like Aerosmith has been making pop-influenced songs in order to stay on the radio. It's a great song that deserves to be the lead single. An additional guitar solo means that Joe Perry has had a solo on every song on the album so far!
7) What Could Have Been Love (7/10)
This song is just a classic power ballad that is a target to expand their audience and get playing time on the radio. It highlights Steven Tyler's voice but the song as a whole lacks detail that could have made this song better than what it is. Tyler's passion gives it a tone that makes the song, um, not terrible. The power ballad did not call for a real guitar solo from Perry, ending the streak at six consecutive songs.
8) Street Jesus (9/10)
This is another great song that brings me back to Aerosmith's prime. There are pieces of this song that could have been taken directly from an old album of theirs. It has a blues sound to it that is just awesome. This is definitely one of the stand-out tracks off of this album. Going back to Joe Perry's string of guitar solos, this song gets him back on track with a few nice riffs and one great solo.
9) Can't Stop Lovin' You (feat. Carrie Underwood) [4/10]
I don't know what to say about this one. What were they thinking? This song is an awkward cross between country and shrieking hard rock. It doesn't make sense. However, I have asked other people their opinion on it and some people really like it. To me, I think it was a terrible decision on Aerosmith's part. I actually lost some respect for these guys just now.
10) Lover Alot (7/10)
This is just a raw, powerful, hard rock song. This is another one that is reminiscent of Aerosmith's prime days in the seventies. It's surprising to see how much their music has changed since their last album, 11 years ago. This song is all about repetition. This was the song that was stuck in my head after listening to the album for the first time. It is also the second single off of the album.
11) We All Fall Down (6/10)
This one is just another ballad. It's more sappy than the first one (What Could Have Been Love), and it doesn't fit in with the rest of the songs that take on that old "Rock 'n' Roll" sound. Despite that, this was expected because they gained a large amount of fans from their "sappy" stuff in the nineties.
12) Freedom Fighter (8/10)
Politics isn't usually something that is brought up in Aerosmith's music. However, lead guitarist Joe Perry was outraged when he learned of Joseph Kony, who has been abducting children all across Uganda and surrounding areas. He was inspired by the documentary "KONY 2012", which went viral on YouTube. Perry wrote and sang this song all on his own, making it the only song that does not feature vocals from Steven Tyler. On top of all this background information, it's a great song.
13) Closer (5/10)
This song is just boring. It is lost somewhere between a regular mid-tempo Aerosmith song and one of their slower ballads. I haven't been able to figure this one out, and the confusion made the song come across as a bit dull. If anyone can give me a clue as what this song is all about, please let me know.
14) Something (6/10)
This album is beginning to lose the early excitement it had in its first half. This song is also a little boring. I think the vocals belong to Joe Perry, but I can't be sure. It's definitely not Steven Tyler. Something about this song just didn't do it for me.
15) Another Last Goodbye (7.5/10)
This closing ballad was a great way to end the album. The final track was the best of the three ballads off of this album. It featured a few signature screams from Steven Tyler. The song expressed the emotion of the entire album. Based on the lyrics, I wouldn't be surprised if this last song may be the final song of Aerosmith's career. This is quite possible because Steven Tyler is well into his sixties now. The song and the album ended with the return of the eerie voice from the beginning. This time it told me that I am now allowed to return to reality. I don't think that was at all necessary, it made the whole thing seem pretty corny.
Music From Another Dimension! adds to the success of the legendary band, Aerosmith. The album had several hits and a couple misses. And although the 15-track album isn’t its best work, it is much better than anything they have released in the past 15 years. Aerosmith is obviously trying to recreate its prime days, but I don’t think any longtime fans will be complaining.
I love your website!! I'm on it all the time!! You should do Taylor Swift's album Red...
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to reviewing each song on an individual basis? I really enjoyed TNMR's effort to comment on each song on the album...will you be going back to that format or is this the way of the future....I have not seen each song reviewed on any other music site...that's what made this one unique...I hope it will continue..
ReplyDelete