Sounds Like Japan

P!nk vs. Katy Perry - "The One That Got Away"

2011-12-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

Skin by Fondant

With Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" climbing the charts for a potential record 6th #1 from her "Teenage Dream" album, I thought it would be fun to see how it stacks up against another pop diva's song of the same name. P!nk's "The One That Got Away" was never a chart-topper (it wasn't even a single), but it definitely holds its own against Perry's. How is that, exactly? Well, read on...

Vocals:
P!nk: Soulful, dynamic, improvisational
Perry: Direct, powerful, carefully planned

Perry's song has much less musical space than P!nk's. The consistent, driving beat and simple arrangement force the melody to occupy a very specific set of notes and rhythms. P!nk's song is more open, allowing her free reign to bust out her blues chops. While Perry's performance is strong, there's no nuance in the arrangement to support it, and it ends up bearing too much of the song's weight. There are advantages to both approaches, but here, P!nk comes out on top.

Hang on, P!nk, it's not time to celebrate yet

Key lines about different lives:
P!nk: "I'll look for you first in my next life"
Perry: "In another life, I would make you stay"

It's safe to say that both singers have given up on "The One" in their current life, but the subtle difference in how they address the way they would approach the situation, given another chance, is interesting. P!nk would take the burden on herself to find her lost love, whereas Perry would simply force the departing party to "stay".

How Katy Perry views men

Instrumentation:
P!nk: Acoustic guitar, backup vocals
Perry: Dance beats, keyboards, strings, backup vocals

While I've already mentioned the persistent beat that provides the foundation for Perry's song, I would be shirking my duties not to mention the lovely blues/rock acoustic guitar playing that anchors P!nk's. Moreover, the backing vocals in P!nk's song constantly reiterate and reinforce the title phrase, lending credence to lyrics like "you'll always be mine, in the back of my mind". In contrast, the bouncing quarter note piano line in Perry's song moves too quickly and robotically to capture the vulnerability that lines like "It's time to face the music, I'm no longer your muse" exhibit on paper.

Things often work better on paper

Fishing references:
P!nk: none
Perry: none

I cannot stress enough how much of a wasted opportunity this is.

Overall:
Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" is undone by its attempts to fulfill the roles of both energetic dance number and melancholy ode to what might have been. P!nk's slower, stripped back approach comes much closer to capturing the longing feeling associated with lost love. P!nk's tune feels more sincere, but Katy's brings the party. In the end, it comes down to which characteristic is more important to the listener.

I'm gonna have to side with Linus on this one

Lady Gaga vs. Queen - "You and I"

2011-09-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

"You" referring, of course, to the Surgeon General

Lady Gaga has made it quite clear that she is very influenced by Queen, which raises the question: how does her new song "You and I" compare to Queen's song of the same name? Let's find out...

Number of times the phrase "You and I" is sung:
Gaga: 15
Queen: 7

Clearly, Gaga outdoes Queen in this department, ensured by a repeated bridge consisting mostly of the phrase "You and I". If the city of Imperial, Nebraska started a school and called it "University of Nebraska at Imperial" just so they could use Gaga's bridge as their fight song, I would not fault them for it.

Your move, Imperial.

Quality of Brian May's Guitar Solo:
Gaga: Short, simple, and spastic
Queen: Short, witty, and smooth

That's right, both songs feature a Brian May guitar solo! However, there is a vast disparity in the quality of the solos. According to Brian May, his solo performance on Lady Gaga's track was cut up and rearranged after the fact. It definitely shows - his phrasing isn't nearly as fluid as on Queen's "You and I".

Another issue is the mixing. The strength of Brian May's guitar tone has always been its warmth and fatness, and on the Gaga track all of those low, meaty frequencies are taken up by the huge drums and keyboards. This robs his tone of a lot of its unique quality, which is really unfortunate. It's like getting one of the world's most famous guitarists to appear on your track, then doing everything in your power to make it sound like some unknown guy.

Yes, this situation is a metaphor for itself.

Instrumentation/arrangement:
Gaga: programming, samples, piano, backing vocals
Queen: bass, drums, backing vocals

Gaga's track goes one step further in saluting Queen by sampling the stomp-stomp-clap beat of "We Will Rock You" (a May-penned composition) and incorporating it into the song's beat. Whether you prefer the instrumentation of the Gaga tune to the Queen one comes down to whether you prefer electronic-sounding instruments to the sound of an organic, real band. Each approach has its pros and cons, but in the Queen camp sits the rather compelling pro of John Deacon and his bass playing, which is exquisite throughout the entire track.

Pictured: Lady Gaga's bass player.

Vocals:
Gaga: Lady Gaga
Queen: Freddie Mercury

Gaga's voice has been compared to Mercury by a fair number of people, but I just don't hear it. Not to say that they're not both great singers - they are - but I don't really hear much similarity in their vocal styles. Gaga gives a powerful, straightforward performance on her song, while Mercury has a more understated way of going about things. While nothing Gaga does is quite as wondrous as the melismatic phrase Mercury sings going into the fade-out on his track, she brings more excitement throughout. Looking at only the tracks in question, I'd say this is a toss-up.

When mustaches are factored in, however...

Overall:
Both songs are well-written and well-performed, but there are some major differences in the manner of their appeal. Gaga's "You and I" has much more of a mega-hit feel to it; its goal is to assault the listener with hook after hook, constantly maintaining fever-pitch intensity. Queen's "You and I", being more or less an album track, is content to move between subtler sections, allowing every layer of the song to be developed to its fullest. Personally, I'll be listening to Queen's version long after Gaga's has left the charts, but I wouldn't look down on anyone who prefers the Gaga version - especially if they attended the prestigious University of Northern Iowa.

Actually a real place

Carpenters vs. All American Rejects - "Top of the World"

2011-09-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

Introducing a new Sounds Like Japan feature, "Same Name, Different Song"!

"Reviewers, your work here is done"

Rarely are two songs with the same title so different in tone. Carpenters' "Top of the World" is ostensibly about being as happy as one can possibly be. The All American Rejects' version is a hard, angry rocker about the perils of greed. How do they stack up? Well, let's see...

Key lyrics:
Carpenters: "You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen"
Rejects: "Don't be so greedy, a dollar's a penny to you"

Both bands seem interested in characterizing the individual being addressed. Carpenters are primarily interested in this person's proximity to a location that, depending on one's beliefs, may or may not exist. Of course, this brings up the question of how one would determine the distance between a person and said location. Meanwhile, the All-American Rejects have determined that the object of their song has had their perception of currency altered such that all values are perceived with an implied 1/100 multiplier.

Don't be so greedy, a year is like 7 to you.

Who wins this round? I'd say the All-American Rejects - there's a certain amount of respect I have to give them for including such mathematical precision in their lyrics.

Vocals:
Carpenters: Karen Carpenter
Rejects: Tyson Ritter

Karen Carpenter, more or less a musical legend, brings practically limitless sincerity and warmth to her tune. Tyson Ritter uses extreme quantities of charisma and attitude to sell his song, but remains genuine in his delivery. I'd have to say the advantage goes to Karen Carpenter, but I'd like to point out that neither singer could really do the other's song any degree of justice. Tyson Ritter also loses points because his name is an anagram of OTTER TRY SIN, which sounds like a bad internet photo caption.

I can't believe this picture already existed. Wait, yes I can.

Featured Instruments/Arrangement:
Carpenters: electric piano, slide guitars, backing vocals
Rejects: acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals

While the Carpenters shuffle along with soft colors and slide guitars, the Rejects surge forward with a straightforward power pop arrangement. The Carpenters get points for having a more nuanced arrangement; the Rejects use simpler tricks like a flamenco-style intro to grab listeners. I'd have to give the advantage to the Carpenters here for the layers built into the song, especially the harmonies in the chorus.

Pictured: a similar concept, applied to cake

Overall:
I think Carpenters win this round, but I suppose that's what happens when you stack up a #1 hit against a promotional single. Either way, "Top of the World" is a worthwhile listen.

"Who's Laughing Now" by Jessie J

2011-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

The J stands for Jaws

"Who's Laughing Now" is Jessie J's take on the "told you so" song, a stab at all of the people who have attempted to realign themselves with her since her big break. Musically, it has some good moments and serves as a step towards establishing a style for Jessie J that is uniquely her own. There is, however, one big problem with the track: it's called "Who's Laughing Now", and there's nothing funny about it.

How about now?

The song echoes the sentiment of songs like the All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" or Taylor Swift's "Mean", but without the slightest hint of the sense of humor that those songs display. Jessie J comes across as a bitter success story unable to let go of or, ironically, laugh at the problems she had "fitting in" as a kid.

Musically, there are some good things going on here. Jessie J is on her way to combining hip-hop, pop, and her own fondness for excessively melismatic singing into her own signature style. Additionally, Jessie J scores points for the reharmonization during the final prechorus, which is tasteful.

On the whole, the song is very aggressive, and very poppy. It would be nice to see Jessie J try to write a more thoughtful and/or reflective song in the future, but, based on this song, that doesn't seem to be the way she's headed.

This is your future, Jessie J!

"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO

2011-07-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Attack of the hipster goombas!

"Party Rock Anthem" (ft. Lauren Bennett, Goonrock) has been a wildly successful single for party rock duo LMFAO, which should come as no surprise - it's one of the most unapologetically formulaic pop songs to come around since Taio Cruz's "Dynamite". Like "Dynamite", and, indeed, most of LMFAO's catalog, "Party Rock Anthem" features a syncopated minor key chord progression and a straight ahead dance beat. Similar to many pop hits, it covers topics like partying, good times, and putting one's hands in the air.

While the song is generally catchy, danceable, and fun, it has its weaknesses, most notably its bridge and, well, its bridge. Exhorting listeners to "get up, get down, put [their] hands up to the sound" repeatedly, it fails to maintain the subtle illusion of not listening to unreasonably repetitive music that the rest of the song manages to uphold.

The bridge, like any part of a good song, should introduce compelling new lyrical and/or musical themes. Since there is scarcely any fresh lyrical content, and since the singer is, in fact, a "featured artist" on the song, it would actually make a lot of sense for this section to focus on introducing new melodic material. Instead, we get two - count 'em - two notes for a good 30 seconds of song time.

Like a reverse Yngwie Malmsteen

Disappointing bridge aside, "Party Rock Anthem" brings enough party, rock and anthem to the table to live up to its name. Hopefully, the LMFAO boys will put a little more effort into crafting their next mega-hit.

Right, not like that.

Don't Let The Medium Kill The Meaning

2011-05-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Good one, Tim.

Not so long ago, listening to music, or experiencing any kind of art, required an investment - some kind of effort on the part of the audience that connected them more deeply to the artist. These days, much less of an investment is required. Do we value art less as a result? It's tough to say exactly how much less, but I believe that this is definitely the case.

Let me put it this way. After driving 20 minutes to go see a play, you've invested something, and therefore will make more effort to process and get value out of the art you witness. However, when you can instantly access a particular piece of art, there's no initial investment, so you're not going to really try to get inside the head of the artist and figure out what they are trying to say. Your subconscious is going to assume that what is easy to access should also be quickly accessible.

The effort of going out and buying a CD, dropping $40 on a rare record, learning the piano so you can play that one song by your favorite band - every effort you make to seek out a particular song or type of music makes you more a part of it. It's against our nature to walk away from something we've already invested some kind of time, energy or money in; we're more inclined to try to salvage it, to mine it more deeply for value.

Just be careful you don't mine too deep.

For instance, if you spend $15 buying an album at the store, and upon your first listen find that you profoundly dislike it, you are going to spend a lot more time trying to prove to yourself that you aren't an idiot who got duped into buying a bad album. You're going to listen to it until you either start to actually enjoy it or decide that it really is beyond all hope. However, an album you download for free, you're going to delete and, for the most part, forget about.

Artists are keenly aware of the culture into which they are releasing their art, and I think what we've seen over the last couple years in response to the lack of audience investment is an increase in accessibility and a drop in depth. However, the lack of audience investment is largely a result of the nature of the technology with which they access music.

Well, if all of this is true, what should we do? Should we shun the promise of portable music players and online streaming? I don't think so. Really, my main purpose in writing this article was simply to bring attention to the way the medium with which we access music changes the way we perceive it. I recommend a solid four hours of uninterrupted reflective meditation on the themes presented in this article. But why should you listen to me? It's not like you paid anything to read this.

"All My Potential" by In Bloom

2011-02-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

All my shoes

"All My Potential" is an apt title for Portland-based pop-punk band In Bloom's debut EP. The 6-song collection runs a total of 16 minutes and presents a well-rounded picture of the group's sound. It's certainly an enticing, if brief, listen - the songs are all energetic, uptempo rockers with well-thought-out lyrics and arrangements.

However, "All My Potential" feels more like a hint of things to come than a self-contained, finished work. The dynamic arc that usually gives albums their shape is noticeably missing, replaced with a balls-to-the-wall approach that finds In Bloom giving 110% on every track. A single acoustic song would have gone a long way in giving the EP more of album feel, but instead we have to settle for a couple of tacked-on acoustic outros.

Quick! Before someone notices!

Front and center is vocalist/guitarist Tim Reed's voice, which fits right in with the band's pop-punk sound. Overdubbed harmonies fill out the songs nicely, though in some places additional guitar counterlines could have accomplished the same purpose.

The best track on the album is "Wear & Tear", which, through intelligent use of dynamics, builds to an inevitable-seeming climax that satisfyingly sums up the song. This is in contrast to tracks like "You Sew Me Up", which, while well-written, never quite hit the same sort of climax.

"Don't Let Me Go" is something of the oddball track on the EP, with unusual chord changes and some strange structural choices. It's a positive sign that In Bloom is willing to experiment with such things so early in their career. I hope that their next effort takes inspiration from this track as well as the more straightforward ones.

All in all, In Bloom's first effort is a positive, upbeat collection of well-written songs. It's certainly worth checking out, but I'm even more excited for what's coming next.

On Singing Live

2011-02-12T19:10:00.001-08:00

It's funny how much credit we give to artists nowadays who can sing live. Before the invention and proliferation of recording technology, all singing, in fact, all music, was live. A singer who couldn't sing live wasn't a singer.

However, there are definitely singers today who can't sing their studio-recorded songs live. Some can't even come close. So, what happened?

The first and most obvious explanation is that actual vocal talent is currently being ignored in favor of aspects such as image and marketability. While this may be somewhat true, it is hard to believe that there are not individuals who possess adequate amounts of both vocal talent and marketability; these people would logically be chosen before those with good image and less talent.

When complaining about the consistency of a singer, we often forget that inconsistent methods of singing can result in interesting and novel sounds. Popular culture has largely rejected "classical" methods of singing, preferring timbres that startle and surprise them. While someone with a run-of-the-mill good voice is pleasant to listen to, it's not enough to convince the public to buy their albums. There has to be some special quality to it, something that we've never heard before.

So, where are all of the good singers? Well, there are still plenty around, but the sound of a well-supported, balanced vocal tone is old news to the world of pop music. We prefer novelty: harsh, undisciplined screaming run through massive amounts of compression or exuberant, amateurish vocalizations made consistent through the use of pitch correction software. Even singers today who can achieve some level of consistency employ questionable techniques, often tightening up to hit certain pitches rather than shifting registers.

So, next time you complain about a particular artist's lack of ability in live performance, remember what the recording sounded like - that's the timbre that their inconsistent technique makes possible.

WARNING: may also lead to gratuitous "you sing it!" moments in live performances.

"What The Hell" by Avril Lavigne

2011-01-17T03:07:00.000-08:00

...did you put in my HAIR?!?!

Avril Lavigne has gone pure pop. Not the guitar-driven, punk-pop of "Sk8ter Boi", or even the half-pop half-rock of "Girlfriend", but pure, electronic dance pop. It's not a terribly surprising move for Lavigne, who hasn't had a major mainstream hit since the aforementioned "Girlfriend" (2007); she needs a real chart-topper to put her back in the public eye.

Plan B: whale costume.

So, when you need a hit, who do you call? That's right: Max Martin. Lavigne brings her fair share of singing and songwriting talent to the table, but Martin's contributions are what will set this track apart from the pack. From the catchy opening organ riff to the massively hooky pre-chorus, his nuanced arrangement is what gives this song its momentum.

Lyrically, "What The Hell" is well summarized by its chorus, in which Lavigne states plainly, "all I want is to mess around". With this in mind, the remainder of the lyrics explore tried and true pop music subjects such as infidelity in relationships and not caring about what other people think. While this approach could have come across as formulaic and clichéd, Lavigne sells the song's premise with her exuberant vocal delivery.

Overall, "What The Hell" is a solid comeback single. If this doesn't get Avril Lavigne back to the top of the pop world, I don't know what would.

Actually, never mind.

"The Time (Dirty Bit)" by The Black Eyed Peas

2010-11-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ironically, the Black Eyed Peas were late to the cover shoot

"The Time (Dirty Bit)" is based around the chorus hook from "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", the theme song of 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The track gets a club-ready treatment with a four-on-the-floor beat and handful of rap verses.

While the hook is well-chosen, the synth-enhanced rap verses don't line up quite right with its sentiments. The Black Eyed Peas are known for re-contextualizing samples and making them work in new songs, but in this case the difference is too severe: the chorus is a nostalgic, melodic love song, the verses a braggadocio-laden rap-style club stomper.

That said, my main problem with this song is that it lacks the dynamic journey found in previous singles "Imma Be", "I Gotta Feelin" and "Boom Boom Pow". After the second chorus, you've pretty much heard every trick the song has to offer, save for some yawn-inducing beat-slicing that occurs in the final chorus. The Black Eyed Peas can do and have done better.

All in all, this song is much less game-changing than any of the singles from their previous album, The E.N.D. . It's not terrible, but it's disappointing to see such a great hook get such lackluster treatment.

Patrick Swayze is displeased

"Right Thru Me" by Nicki Minaj

2010-11-12T22:35:00.000-08:00

When headlice dream

The hype surrounding Nicki Minaj is incredible. She's released 4 singles, had a top 20 hit, contributed guest rap verses to 10 different other artists' singles and performed at the VMA awards, all without releasing a major label album. In the past year, she's gone from acclaimed underground rapper to A-list star.

Is the hype legitimate? Well, Minaj is a talented rapper, and it's been a while since the rap scene has seen such a promising female star. This alone allows her to stand out in an industry full of male rappers and female pop singers. However, only the quality of her upcoming album and future singles will determine conclusively whether or not all of this excitement was worth it.

The future, however, is difficult to predict.

"Right Thru Me" is based on a sample from Joe Satriani's 80's cornball guitar ballad "Always With Me, Always With You". Minaj tries to bring her tough attitude to what is clearly intended to be a happy, cheesy song, with mixed results. For the most part, the verses allow Minaj to display her skillful lyricism, and feature effective wordplay. The choruses, on the other hand, feel cliched and mismatched.

Overall, this song feels like an inferior version of Minaj's previous single "Your Love". It has its positive moments, and Minaj has talent as a rapper, but her songs haven't given her ample opportunity to show it yet. Hopefully, this will change in the near future.

"We R Who We R" by Ke$ha

2010-11-08T13:07:00.001-08:00

And she is who she is.

When Ke$ha burst onto the scene last year, her "sing-talk" gimmick and annoyingly catchy party songs catapulted her straight to the top of the charts. The question now is whether this same gimmick will continue to impress the general public. Apparently, the answer is yes ("We R Who We R" debuted at number 1).

What about what's underneath the gimmick, though? Personally, I can put up with Ke$ha's bizarre style if the underlying song is well-written and interesting. Previous hits "Tik Tok" and "Your Love Is My Drug" had some muscle as songs, not just as Ke$ha-delivery vehicles.

Sadly, "We R Who We R" is no match for such company, instead falling more towards the "generic party song" category. The worst part of it is the bridge, which consists entirely of the words "DJ, turn it up" repeated multiple times.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN'T HEAR YOU"

All in all, "We R Who We R" is a step backwards, not only for the English language but also for Ke$ha's artistic credibility. She really needs to figure out a new gimmick, or at least write some better songs.

"Just A Dream" by Nelly

2010-10-29T02:49:00.001-07:00

Half-jackets are all the rage in dreamland

Instead of my usual review, I'm just going to comment on a few select quotes from this song.

"I was thinkin' 'bout her, thinkin' about me.
Thinkin' about us, what we gonna be?
Open my eyes, yeah; it was only just a dream."

Summary: Nelly thought he was was thinking about a lady, but it turned out to be a dream. Apparently he doesn't think about relationships while awake, or maybe he does, but he just doesn't care to mention it.

"If you ever loved somebody put your hands up."

This is the new thing for cops to say when busting any kind of crime operation. It's like a preamble to the Miranda rights.

"Now I'm in the club thinkin' all about my baby."

This is a little bit confusing. Could Nelly actually be pondering the details of a relationship while awake? There's not enough evidence to say either way.

"I was at the top and I was like I’m in the basement."

Nelly excels at hide-and-seek because of this kind of clever treachery.

"And now you ain't around, baby I can't think.
Shoulda put it down. Shoulda got that ring."

Wait, what? I have searched the rest of the lyrics for the song, and there's no indication of what the "it" Nelly "shoulda put down" is.

We can only speculate

"Raise Your Glass" by P!nk

2010-10-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

You better do what she says

P!nk has been very careful in crafting her image. She's mainstream, but not that mainstream. She's cool, but edgy cool. She's rough, tough and in-your-face, wasting no energy on sweetness or diplomacy. She may have sold 30 million albums, but P!nk is not like the other pop divas; she's a rebel.

"Raise Your Glass" is the quintessential P!nk song. It's a party anthem for those who are "wrong in all the right ways", those who will "never be anything but loud", or, as P!nk so eloquently puts it, "nitty gritty dirty little freaks".

People outside of the "nitty gritty dirty little freak" target demographic would probably still enjoy the song, though, since it was co-written by Max Martin and is therefore engineered to be a hit. This is not to say that the song doesn't have its creative moments, because it does have quite a few of them, most notably the third-chorus fake-out, which is tremendously effective.

Sound-wise, Martin's signature over-processed guitars feel right at home, giving P!nk the rock edge that so many pop stars seem to be without these days. P!nk's voice sounds great, as always.

Lyrically, I should also mention that P!nk chooses to use the line "why so serious?" twice in the song, preceding both of the first two choruses. Is she hinting at something?

Suddenly the "dirty little freak" line makes a lot more sense

"Raise Your Glass" walks a tight rope between a fun, silly party song and something that's trying to make a deeper and more artistic statement about acceptance. P!nk's spoken "aside" comments sprinkled throughout the song make me think it's intended to be more of the former, but whether it's about existentialist criminals or just a fun party tune, "Raise Your Glass" is a winner.

"Deuces" by Chris Brown

2010-10-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

How cute, he named his middle and pointer fingers!

Chris Brown's new "Deuces" is, musically, everything that a pop R&B song should be. The arrangement is spacious and varied, the melodies free-flowing and the form fluid. Additionally, the song features not one, but two genuinely well-done guest rap verses. Not only has Chris Brown's smooth R&B voice never sounded better, it has never had a better-suited vehicle.

The song sounds somewhat depressing on paper: Brown, Tyga and producer Kevin McCall take turns describing failed relationships. It is a bit mournful, but the song turns out to be more about making the positive decision to leave the relationship behind. The "deuces" referred to in the song are the peace signs the speakers are throwing up, telling the object of the song they're going to "peace out".

Sorry, turns out this song's not about poker

All in all, "Deuces" is a compelling listen, but I'm more interested in hearing what's next for Brown. Maybe he'll write a song about pocket aces. Seriously, why aren't there more songs about poker?

Even "Poker Face" wasn't about poker

"Waiting For The End" by Linkin Park

2010-10-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Waiting for this cover art to make sense

Linkin Park's new single "Waiting For The End" is a very different sort of song for the band, taking place in a major key and featuring an industrial ballad aesthetic. While the arrangement may lack the depth and nuance of some of the arrangements from Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the song itself is as good or better than most of the material from those two albums.

My favorite thing about this song is its form, an altered sort of verse-chorus structure that allows the song to build throughout its entirety. All of this building culminates in the final section, which layers multiple themes of the song into a satisfying climax. This form also allows vocalist Chester Bennington to show off the dynamic nature of his voice.

Rivaled only by the dynamic nature of his hair

As for the instrumentation of the song, it works alright as is, but I miss the real drums and guitars.

More of these please

In the end, this song is one step closer to a newer, better Linkin Park. They simply need to take their new found songwriting sensibility and combine it with their older, more intricate arranging style. That would truly be the best of both worlds.

"Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna

2010-09-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Quit blinking!

Rihanna took a brief detour from radio-ready pop last year with the darker, more adventurous "Rated R". With her new single "Only Girl (In The World)", she has pointedly returned from that detour. While I might have been interested in hearing another more experimental album from her, switching back to mainstream pop is definitely the better choice, at least from a commercial perspective. If "Only Girl" is any indication of the quality of her upcoming album, I can safely say it was a good choice artistically as well.

The most commendable aspect of this song is the sneaky modulation that occurs when the chorus begins, allowing Rihanna to shift her vocals up into a higher register, giving the chorus the extra punch it needs.

During said chorus, Rihanna asks the object of the song to "love [her] like [she's] the only girl in the world". Most of the song revolves around this idea, but, in a surprising turn, she also asks to be loved like a "hot ride" and held "like a pillow". Allow me to summarize:

Hi, my name is Rihanna. Please view me as a combination of the following:

Seriously, though, "Only Girl (In The World)" is a great high-energy club hit with a surprising amount of musical intelligence. Why can't all pop music be this good?

"Mine" by Taylor Swift

2010-09-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Or is it "Mime"?

"Mine" is a bold step for Taylor Swift, with lyrics detailing the heartbreaking tragedy of a third world orphan who loses her legs in a land mine accident, then dies of –

It's a happy song about love. It sounds a lot like previous hits "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me". Swift is continuing to do what works for her as a songwriter and artist, and as long as she can pull it off it's fine by me.

It is worth mentioning that Swift has sole writing credit for this song, which may explain why it doesn't feel quite as slick or streamlined as the previously mentioned "You Belong With Me". I think this is a positive step, however, as Swift will develop more as a songwriter by being allowed to experiment on her own. Additionally, the moments in this song that aren't as perfectly polished make it feel more genuine, which is always a good thing.

I'm curious to see what direction Swift goes with her next single; will it be exactly the same or just mostly the same? We will have to wait and see.

"Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars

2010-09-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

Actually, maybe you should get that skin problem looked at

After making two massive guest appearances on B.o.B.'s "Nothin' On You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire", Bruno Mars is making his own bid for stardom with his first major single "Just The Way You Are". No, it's not a Billy Joel cover, but the message is similar, if a little less nuanced.

Much has been said about the quality of Bruno Mars' voice, and, on this track, he lives up to all of it. The arrangement backing up his vocals is equally grand, with anthemic drums and piano layered to great effect. The only downside to all of this positive sound is that, when the lyrics are taken into account, the song feels a tad cheesy - overdone around the edges.

Much like this cheese soufflé

Luckily, "Just The Way You Are" has a few musical tricks up its sleeve that keep it from falling into the "forgettable, sappy love song" category. First of all, the song is built around a I-vi-IV-I progression, which makes no use of the V chord; this gives the song a rolling, circular feel. Secondly, a sizable portion of the song contains no backbeat, boldly defying pop radio listener's expectations. These attributes of the arrangement are what keep the song from being too obvious, an important feature of a good song in my book.

In the end, "Just The Way You Are" is a respectable effort, but given Mars' experience in the music industry I expected a little more. That said, I look forward to seeing more of Mars in the future.

But that's another topic entirely

"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" by Usher

2010-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

'Cause DJ can't get us fallin' in love by ourselves, Pitbull got to be there too

What does Usher's single "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" have to offer, besides poor grammar, a guest appearance by Pitbull, and an extremely lackluster single cover? Nothing special, I'm afraid. While Usher's singing is as vibrant and powerful as ever, it's not enough to save the song from an unimaginative instrumental arrangement and a rap bridge that is a prime example of why rap bridges are a terrible idea.

There are, however, a few interesting moments in the lyrics. During the first verse, Usher claims the dance floor makes him feel like a "zombie gone back to life". Usually, the phrase is "come back to life", but as we have already seen, Usher is unconcerned with conforming his lyrics to established norms of the English language. While I do not applaud his word choice, Usher gets points in my book for the zombie reference.

In the second verse, Usher says he's "gonna set the roof on fire", which is at first understood to refer to the "hotness" of the dance moves that he proposes to do. However, he clarifies in the next line that he's "gonna burn this mother [father] down", making it difficult to accept the sentiment as metaphor and not a literal threat of arson.

Assuming that Usher is hosting this party at his own residence, it turns out that Edgar Allan Poe actually predicted this exact event, 171 years prior:

Not featuring Pitbull this time

"Double Vision" by 3OH!3

2010-09-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

After hours, nay, DAYS of deliberation, they finally chose this cover

From 2009 breakout hit "Don't Trust Me" to recent success "My First Kiss", 3OH!3 has consistently delivered music that blurs the line between the incredibly catchy and the intolerably annoying. Their latest single, "Double Vision", leans towards the former, but still delivers enough of the latter to qualify as classic 3OH!3.

That said, this song is a notch above the dance pop duo's standard fare. Its greatest innovation is its pre-chorus, which features clever lyrics and a lower-than-usual vocal melody. This gives the song dynamic range, a quality noticeably absent from many of their other tracks. Also, the octave guitar in the verses gives the song a hint of 70's funk, a welcome addition to the 3OH!3 formula.

That said, there are a few moments in the song that feel a bit stale. 3OH!3 refuses to fix what is not broken: the rhythm of the "hey" yells in the chorus is exactly identical to that of the kissing sound effects from the first chorus of their previous single "My First Kiss". Additionally, 3OH!3 name check themselves in the bridge, singing "we only clap because we need more 3OH!3".

These guys just can't get enough of each other, apparently

All things considered, though, this song is one of 3OH!3's best singles to date. It's a shame it hasn't enjoyed the success of "Don't Trust Me" or "Starstrukk".

I would like to close with this message to 3OH!3:

Please free the souls imprisoned in this album cover

"Misery" by Maroon 5

2010-08-17T18:43:00.001-07:00

Brought to you by the letter "M".

Maroon 5 have skillfully skirted the line between jazz, funk and radio-ready pop for the last decade, and continue to do so with their newest single "Misery". While "Misery" may not break any new ground for the band stylistically, it makes up for it by hitting harder and stronger than before.

Maroon 5's signature sound is instantly recognizable: straight ahead drums, funky guitar, groovy bass, soulful vocals, and, most of all, heartbreaking lyrics. Just listen to the chorus:

I am in misery
There ain't no other who can comfort me
Why won't you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me

Did you catch all that? The speaker is suffering a slow, painful death. Additionally, he is unable to find healing except in one person, a specific person with whom he is particularly obsessed.

I know what you're thinking: that sounds surprisingly similar to the plot of 2002 sci-fi film Star Trek Nemesis. And you are correct.

Shinzon: #1 Maroon 5 fan

Adam Levine: #1 Shinzon fan

It is clear that Adam Levine wrote the lyrics to "Misery" with two objectives in mind:

1. Explore themes of unrequited love.
2. Describe the plot of what is generally considered to be the worst Star Trek: The Next Generation movie.

And I would say that he succeeded.

"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz

2010-08-05T15:18:00.001-07:00

Listen, Taio, I don't understand why you keep buying sunglasses with no arms.

While Taio Cruz only recently broke into the US market with his single "Break Your Heart", he is not new to the game. He has been an industry songwriter for a long time, and has just in the last couple years begun pursuing his own solo career.

His industry-songwriter style has never been more obvious than on his newest single, "Dynamite". The chord progression is tried and true, and the lyrics are mostly about dancing, with Taio exclaiming "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes". Bold statement, there: he throws his hands up in the air...sometimes.

Usually adherence to such a standard formula results in a banal and forgettable pop song, but this tune escapes with a couple of original moments. First off, I really appreciate the sense of humor in Taio Cruz's language and rhymes, especially the following lines:

"I came to dance, dance, dance, dance
I hit the floor 'cause that's my plans, plans, plans, plans"

Secondly, the ubiquitous Dr. Luke applies his hardest-hitting production techniques to the track, bringing back the synth stylings of previous Ke$ha hit "Tik Tok". If you liked that song, you will probably like this one.

Overall, the song doesn't do anything new, but it's fun when listened to in the proper context, which is with friends while dancing/intoxicated. Who knows, you might even throw your hands up in the air. Sometimes.

"Cooler Than Me" by Mike Posner

2010-08-02T18:16:00.001-07:00

Mike sometimes talks like a pirate.

Mike Posner's first big hit comes in the form of 12/8 dance track "Cooler Than Me". A combination of electro-pop and whiny R&B vocals gives the song a dark, hip sound. The lyrics are about a girl who thinks that she is cooler than Mike Posner.

Clearly a very cool guy.

For me, what makes this song work is the ambiguity of the verse/chorus form: the verse and chorus sound very similar, making the song feel almost like a strophic form jam, save for the contrasting bridge. The high background note at the end of the bridge (appropriately on the word "clouds") breaks up the claustrophobic, repetitive melody, giving the song a dynamic peak vocally.

After the last chorus, the music picks back up and suddenly we've got a synth solo going on. It's a little surprising, but in a good way, like you just finished eating a takeout pizza and the box suddenly turned into a bicycle. Your first thought would be, "Holy crap, what just happened", but then you would calm down and realize you had just gotten yourself a free bike.

Take-home lesson: Synth solo = Free bike

After the synth solo, the song is suddenly over. There are a lot of places the song could have gone, like back to the bridge chords or one of the earlier verses, but it just ends. Left hanging, we scream aloud in our frustration, "You know what, Mike Posner? Maybe she is cooler than you."

"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

2010-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

More like "Teenage Complex Partial Seizure"

The lead single off Katy Perry's new album, entitled "California Gurls", blended trendy dance-pop with 70s funk. The follow-up single, "Teenage Dream", also produced by the omnipresent Dr. Luke, goes in a more contemporary pop-rock direction.

Similar to most of Dr. Luke's work, it is based around a dance beat and a syncopated, anthemic chord progression. Similar to most of Katy Perry's work, it has thoughtful lyrics and effective melodies. Similar to most of their collaborations, it is a smart, slick, and well thought out pop song.

In particular, the bridge of "Teenage Dream" is a fantastic example of Perry's uniquely infectious melodic sensibility. The bridge is so good that Dr. Luke and Perry decided to write it into the song twice - once before the final chorus and once after. It is wonderful to hear the section twice, but after the second repetition the song just fizzles and fades out. What circumstances could possibly have led to such an unresolved ending? To this end, we can only speculate.

Dr. Luke: Hey! Now that we're done with the second bridge, how do you want to end it?
Katy Perry: ...
Dr. Luke: Dangit! She's gone catatonic again!

At least we can get the cover shot done.

"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers

2010-07-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Brandon's signature often gets him into trouble at the bank.

If you don't know who Brandon Flowers is, allow me to inform you: he is the lead singer/keyboardist for Las Vegas rock group The Killers. "Crossfire" is the lead single off of his upcoming solo debut "Flamingo", and it is a fantastic song.

It's got a lot of things going for it. The instrumental arrangement is nuanced and intelligent. The production, while a little overstated, is just right for the song. The lyrics paint a compelling portrait of a husband/wife (or comparable) relationship, and Flower's voice has never sounded more full and powerful. However, all this is eclipsed by the music video, which features Charlize Theron. Charlize Theron...fighting ninjas.

Here's the only problem: after making a video like this, Flowers' career has nowhere to go but down. He should have saved the concept for later, and instead made a video based on the album's title:

The one in front is a bit camera-shy.

This sort of video would guarantee future improvement.

"Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert

2010-07-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

"...because THIS is what you're getting."

After singing his way to fame on the 8th season of "American Idol", it was clear that Adam Lambert was on the fast track to becoming a huge star. What wasn't clear was what sort of style of music he would pursue. However, now that we've all heard his first major hit "Whataya Want From Me", well, uh, we... we still aren't really sure.

The verse plays out like a 90s alt-rock ballad, with a clean guitar riff underscoring lyrics (actually mostly written by P!nk) about some sort of relationship struggle. The music is subdued, and the tone is decidedly intimate. However, roughly a minute into the track the drums pick up and suddenly we're livin' on a prayer, with Lambert howling "Just don't give up!" like Michael Bay was suddenly hired to produce the track.

Michael Bay: "Make it sound more like THIS."

It's not that any particular part of the song is bad in and of itself (rather the opposite), it's just that the tones of the various sections just don't quite fit with one another. It's like chocolate and steak. I like both of them, but I'm not going to eat a chocolate/steak sandwich. Well, I might, but I digress.

Despite all of these criticisms, I actually like this song quite a lot, and think that Adam Lambert has a lot of potential. He just needs to decide what he wants to sound like, and work on getting top-notch songs to match his top-notch vocal abilities.

Kesha Has No Talent?

2010-07-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

One of the funnier things I've heard recently: people saying that pop star Kesha - I'm sorry, "Ke$ha" - has "no talent". These accusations basically come down to one of the following:

1) She Can't Sing

2) She Doesn't Write Her Own Songs

3) She Can't Sing and Doesn't Write Her Own Songs

Now, why is this funny? It is not unrealistic to think that, in our age of industry songwriters and auto-tune, a successful pop star could lack skill in one or both of these departments. However, what exactly is a pop star responsible for? I propose that they essentially have the following three duties:

1) Sing

2) Write Songs

3) Look good

Now, follow this logic. If a label were to choose someone to market as a pop star, and didn't care about 1) and/or 2), which one of the following people would they choose?

"Dance Team 4 Life"

"My last name is literally Fox"

I'm not saying that Ke-dollar-ha is ugly, I'm just saying that she must have some kind of skill in 1) or 2). From what I've been able to gather, she is in fact a talented songwriter and a decent singer. It is true that the overall sonic quality of her tracks has more to do with the talents of her producer Dr. Luke (of whom I am a huge fan) than any particular skill she has, but anyone who calls her talentless has clearly not taken a good, hard look at the facts.

"Alejandro" by Lady Gaga

2010-07-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

"Don't call my name, don't call my name, I am sleepy"

An artist of Gaga's aspirations has a lot to live up to with each successive single. For some part, she has delivered truly transcendent pop songs, such as "Bad Romance" and "Paparazzi", each of which featured splendid, expansive melodies and non-derivative harmonic material ("Paparazzi" even features a genuinely effective modulation - a rarity in pop music these days) as well as the vibrant, obsessive lyrics that make up all of the best in pop. "Alejandro" features quite the opposite: a repetitive, claustrophobic melody (at least for the chorus); a derivative progression (IV-I-V-vi for the majority of it) and lyrics that actively reject her object of obsession ("don't call my name"). While the song is catchy and has found some success, I don't believe that it possesses the same durability as Gaga's earlier hits.

This is not to say that the song is without merit. While I have criticized the chorus melody, the verse melody is quite dynamic and possesses a strong originality. It starts off with a fragment of the verse of "LoveGame" ("I wanna kiss you" becomes "she's got both hands...") and then departs into a new, varied series of phrases. The progression (i-III-v) is also striking and facilitates the inventive melody. In contrast, the pre-chorus melody is more static, as to draw attention to the rhythm; this gives the vocals the impression of rap.

While the verse is impressive, the standout moment in this song is the slow buildup of elements beginning at the bridge and continuing until the end. What could have been a one-off chorus and fin becomes an exciting minute and a half of cascading "Alejandro"s. Though this section of the song is very well-done, it could have been even better had it lasted a little longer and incorporated some of Gaga's higher, more powerful register, which is strangely underutilized.

This song fell short of absolute brilliance, but I do believe that Lady Gaga has what it takes to write durable and timeless pop music. She just needs to understand exactly what elements separate her good songs from her great ones, and focus on refining those elements. In the case of "Alejandro", I would say that her harmonizations are the biggest issue - a reharmonization of the chorus could improve this song significantly.

"I like the sound of this...HARMonization. Tell me more"