Album Review: Talk That Talk - Rihanna

 Rihanna is one of the most prolific artists of this generation. She has released an album per year since she first started out in the music business six years ago, and radio stations from all over the world have fallen in love with her hit songs.

 Now she´s back with Talk The Talk, a record which follows the signature style of pop-dance music she returned to with her previous effort, Loud (Rated R was the only exception and her biggest dissapointment up to this day).

 The album as a whole is no masterpiece, although it does have a variety of hits waiting to become DJ favourites at clubs everywhere.

 Let´s take a closer look with a track by track overview:

You Da One- Rihanna finally sings about positive love and she´s embracing it. Her vocals seem comfortable on a reggae-infused track mixed with a touch of dubstep courtesy of hitmaker producer Dr. Luke. 8/10

Where Have You Been - Definitely one of the highlights of the album, and will be a club banger for sure! Calvin Harris provides some crazy dance, dubstep and techno beats in what is sure to become a massive hit song on the dancefloor. 9/10

We Found Love - The first single we´ve all grown to know and love, and her latest song to hit the number one spot. A very appropiate choice for the first single from the album. 9/10

Talk That Talk - Rihanna reunites with Jay Z for the first time since her Umbrella era, but the result is not as half as appealing. An urban song complete with some dirty lyrics and hiphop beats. 5/10

Cockiness (Love It) - It is reminiscent of the old school Missy Elliot sound but fails to achieve the successfull outcome of the popular rapper tracks. Instead, it becomes an annoying imitation of a style that doesn´t suit the Barbados singer. 3/10

Birthday Cake - The sexual innuendos of the previous track continue on this interlude/song, along with some more annoying sounds that only seem to interrupt the flow of the album. 2/10

We All Want Love - Rihanna showcases a softer side on this one, and the anthemic and radio-friendly chorus definitely stands out. 7/10

Drunk On Love - The vocals on this track are powerful but the production team behind it seems beneath it which, as a result, substracts the brilliance that could have been. Destined to be just an average filler song. 6/10

'Watch n' Learn - This song really becomes more enjoyable with each listen. Rihanna´s vocals sometimes are reminiscent of those from TLC. Lots of strong bass and sensual lyrics. 6.5/10

Farewell - The album closes with a melodic and heartfelt ballad about saying goodbye to a loved one. Definitely not her best slow jam but an appropiate way of drawing the album to a close (plus, it has single potential). 7.5/10

You can listen to one of our favorite tracks on the album, Where Have You Been, below!

Album Review: Born This Way - Lady Gaga

  Born This Way was defined by Lady Gaga as "the album of the decade" way before its release. Revolutionary, groundbreaking, or phenomenal were some of the adjectives used to refer to the new music of an artist who´s been know to have her share of controversy.

 So, is Gaga´s new album as epic as they made us believe? It´s not. Will it make an impact on the music industry as we know it? It won´t. Is it an album worth of our attention? Yes it is.

 Hype is a very bad word. If this album was released today without all of the high expectations surrounding it, we would have probably payed more attention to the music because... lets not forget it. It´s not about the bizarre dresses or controversial videos... it´s really about the music.

Here is our track by track overview of the album:

 Marry The Night: This song contains rock and pop elements from the 80´s with a powerful chorus. However it´s the dance section in the end what really makes it stand out. 7/10

Born This Way: The first single off the album was labeled by many as a Madonna´s Express Yourself ripoff. It is enjoyable but no as groundbreaking as it was conceived to be. 6/10

Government Hooker: This post-disco inspired track reveals one of the biggest retro moments of the record. The song is so good it just speaks for itself. 8.5/10

Judas: The second single feels sometimes messy with Gaga´s voice lost among synthesizers and digital effects. The melody is somehow reminiscent of Gaga´s old hit, Bad Romance. 6.5/10

Americano: Spanish is Stefani Germanotta´s failed subject. The song is almost a self-parody of what it is supposed to be. 3/10

Hair: An infectious chorus that unfortunately gets lost along the way of an overproduced track. All in all the drums and the saxophone riffs provide some authenticity to the song.  6.5/10

Scheiße: The real dance anthem of the album and our personal favourite. This commanding pop song is definitely single material. 9/10

Bloody Mary: The religious theme appears once again but this time the mood is quite different. Overall a decent track. 6/10

Bad Kids: A homage to teenage rebellion and adolescence. The rock intro paves the way for a more disco pop oriented sound and chorus. 7/10

Highway Unicorn (Road To Love): The melody in the beginning shares similarities with the chorus of her hit Poker Face. Not exactly our cup of tea. 4/10

Heavy Metal Lover: The song shares the exact same rhythm pattern of Born This Way only slower. Unoriginal, predictible and boring. 3/10

Electric Chapel: It incorporates 80´s elements with some rock flavour. Nice but not enchanting. 3/10

You and I: A nice change of sound. A Robert “Mutt” Lange-produced  love song with some E.L.O. inspired background vocals. 7/10

The Edge Of Glory: The current single and a very good song choice for ending the album. 8/10

Click below to listen to Scheiße, our favourite track of the album!




What do you guys think? Is Born This Way worth of your attention?

Album Review - Matthew Morrison

 When listening to Matthew Morrison´s debut album, we cannot help but think that it should come with a disclaimer sticker that reads: "This isn´t your regular Glee compilation record".

 Morrison was clearly seeking for a departure in sound from the show that made him hugely popular, and the result is an album that reflects the maturity of a performer who is finally getting the chance to put his music out there. Sure it has its flaws and it may not be perfect, but the guy has some undeniable talent.

 Here is a track by track overview of the album:

Summer Rain: The album´s first single is an easy jam that could have easily been sung by Jason Mraz. Enjoyable song but lacks the strength expected for an album opener. 7/10

Still Got Tonight: A pop-rock song with a powerful chorus that hits all the right notes. Should have been the first single. 8/10

Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (Feat. Sting): An uneccessary cover of the 1996 hit song by Sting. Both voices blend well and Morrison seems comfortable singing with one of his idols. 6/10

My Name: The first ballad off the album fails to engage us in the emotion conveyed through the lyrics. The song prepares us for a climatic moment that never arrives. 3/10

Hey: This melodic pop tune is the best track on the album. It delivers a positive feeling and an upbeat infectious chorus. The rest of the album could use more of this, it definitely has single potential 8.5/10

Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Feat. Gwyneth Paltrow): We´ve all heard this one by now. Another cover, only this one stands out thanks to the vocals provided by Gwyneth. 7/10

Don´t Stop Dancing: This track seems to fall out of place when compared with the rest of the album. It´s not bad... but not necessarily good either. 5/10

It Don´t Matter To The Sun:  Another slow jam, only this time it does a slightly better job when appealing to the listener´s attention. 5/10

Mona Lisa´s And Mad Hatters (Feat. Elton John): How many covers can be featured on an original album? Enough already! Elton John lends his voice and revisits one of his classic hits. 6.5/10

It´s Over: If you end an album with a ballad, you better make it powerful. Sadly, this isn´t the case. This Broadway influenced song is, however,  the most heartfelt one included on Morrison´s debut album. 6/10

Click below to listen to Hey, one of our favourite tracks on the album!

Matthew Morrison´s first solo record is out on May 10. Will you be getting a copy?

Album Review: Femme Fatale - Britney Spears

 It´s official, Miss Britney Spears has returned to full form. With Femme Fatale the pop princess has delivered a dark, risky, club record in the line of her masterpiece album, Blackout.

 Britney knows pop dance music is what she does best and this may be the main reason why the album features no ballads. Instead, we are presented with a collection of strong uptempo tracks with a defined and established sound.

 There are many potential club bangers in Femme Fatale as well as singles from where to choose from. However, there are still some pleasant unexpected surprises such as the mid-tempo closing track, Criminal,  which features a more prominent pop sound complete with guitar and flute.

 Here is a track by track overview of the album:

Till The World Ends: The second single features crazy beats and an infectious chorus. A sure hit. 8/10

Hold It Against Me: A good choice for a first single. The dubstep breakdown is one of the highlights of the album. 8.5/10

Inside Out:  Britney showcases her capacity to deliver edgy tracks even if they are not uptempo. 8/10

I Wanna Go: This song demonstrates why Max Martin and Britney are a match made in heaven. 9/10

How I Roll: One of the few dissapointments on the album. The track sounds promising production wise but it never really delivers. 3/10

Drop Dead Beautiful: Not a bad song but can the chorus can sound too repetitive at times. The final section of the song is definitely something else. 6/10

Seal It With A Kiss: Not the most innovative or shocking sound on the album. Pretty pale in comparison with the rest of the songs. 3/10

Big Fat Bass: The song goes from annoying to acceptable by the end. It grows on you. 6/10

Trouble For Me: Would have loved to listen to Britney´s voice without the autotune treatment in this track. Otherwise a forgettable one. 2/10

Trip To Your Heart:  Loved the melodic atmosphere on the chorus. Sounds like a ballad with a dance beat. 8/10

Gasoline: The last uptempo song on the record. Enjoyable but not brilliant. 6/10

Criminal: The real gem behind this album. Britney sounds great vocally showing she still has what it takes to deliver a meaningful mid-tempo pop song. 9.5/10

What are your favourite songs on the album? Hit the comments!