I have been absolutely swamped in both February and March with new releases, and I need a break from covering all of those albums, so let's take today to talk about a few singles, and what they may or may not mean for the near-term future.
Jasmine Cain - Brave
The first taste of Jasmine's upcoming album "Seven", this song hits all the marks I was looking for. The guitars mesh 80s rock (a la The Night Flight Orchestra) with undertones of 90s alternative, while there are sly melodic phrasings that make every line memorable. And then there's the chorus, which is a showcase for Jasmine's voice, which is massively powerful, and the right mix of rocking and sultry. I love her tone, and she sounds great on both the softer parts, and the huge belted notes. I've been wondering how Jasmine was going to follow up "White Noise", a record I still listen to regularly, and if this is any indication, the answer is going to be "very well, thank you".
Kim Jennett - Let Me Be The One
I previously mentioned her "Love Like Suicide" as one of the best songs of the year so far, and now we get the second single from an upcoming album. This one has more groove to it, sounding like it came from the 70s, and not the 90s like the first track did. It's a solid song, but the whole thing is centered around her vocals, which are fantastic. She's an ass-kicking rock singer, and hearing her belt this song is something. I'm looking forward to hearing more, because she's making a name for herself as a real vocal talent.
Rob Thomas - One Less Day
It feels like it's been forever since I heard from Rob Thomas, especially since the Matchbox Twenty comeback was a mundane bust. I loved Matchbox, and his first two solo albums were really good, so I'm always interested to see where his head is. Today, he's ruminating on being old enough that he can't 'die young'. He's always been a good songwriter, so melodically this is a fine track. The problem is it's modern pop, so it's filled with plastic instrumentation that sounds so small and fake, compared to the similar material he did on "Mad Season". Too old to die young, he's probably too old to rock again.
Pink - Walk Me Home
Production is apparently harder than I think it should be. I thought her vocals on "What About Us" were pushed to the point of distortion, which marred an otherwise lovely track. This time, "Walk Me Home" is hampered by synthetic production that doesn't allow the song to take off. It's a simple track, and it's fine (not as good as the aforementioned), but it relies entirely on the slowdown leading to the explosive last chorus. Except the production is so thin it never explodes. What could have been is left to the imagination, and this single wastes another fine Pink performance.
Jazel - Go Away
Speaking of Pink, Jazel has a strong vocal resemblance to her, but her song is a stronger pop number. The jangling guitars breathe well for modern production, combining with the synths to give layers and depth to the instrumental bed. It's a slinky number, with just enough bounce to stand out from the dark pop dominating today. She has a lovely voice that's breathy without being rough, smooth without being plastic. I don't listen to a lot of pop anymore, but this is the kind of stuff I can get into.
No comments:
Post a Comment