Music Monday – Volume Ninety Nine

August 29, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

1) TIEKS & Dan Harkna – Sunshine (Acoustic Version)

Gorgeous acoustic guitar version of the smash summer dance hit which almost surpasses the original.

2) Carly Rae Jepsen – Roses

Sweet Pop ballad with jittery synthesizers, thunderous percussion and Jepsen’s syrupy vocals. Taken from her new EP comprised of eight outtakes from her brilliant album ‘Emotion’.

3) Mac Miller & Anderson Paak – Dang!

American rapper Mac Miller teams up with Anderson . Paak on this subtle, chilled-out tropical-house influenced hip hop track. Buoyant yet laid back, this is a huge record.

4) Tom Chaplin – Quicksand

Keane frontman Tom Chaplin goes it alone on this fantastic pop debut. Co-written by Matt Hales (better known as Aqualung), this triumphant pop track is the lead single from Tom’s forthcoming debut album ‘The Wave’. It doesn’t stray far from Keane’s sound (in fact, it is essentially a Keane song) but it works in Tom’s favour.

5) John Legend – Start

John Legend does what he does best on this schmaltzy piano ballad. A stunning love song, ‘Start’ is taken from the soundtrack of ‘Southside With You’ which utilises nothing but John’s gorgeous falsetto and tender piano chords.

Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion Album Review

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

The sophomore album is always a challenging feat. Ask any artist and they will affirm that the second album is always the most testing. How do you follow up a successful début album, an introductory statement without recovering old ground or losing your audience altogether? Carly Rae Jepsen launched onto the music scene springier than a space hopper back in 2012 with huge guilty-pleasure ‘Call Me Maybe’ which remained in the charts (and our minds) for what felt like a lifetime. Whilst eventually a vexatious presence it was unarguably a slice of pop perfection and a triumphant launch onto the global music scene. Supporting album ‘Kiss’ was an enjoyable dance-pop album but one which failed to capture the enchantment ‘Call Me Maybe’ contained. Nevertheless, it was a commercial and critical success and one which secured Jepsen as the latest pop princess.

‘Emotion’ largely follows the same formula as ‘Kiss’; the focus is placed upon alluring hooks and uptempo dance-pop tracks which document escapades of puppy love. The primary difference however, is that Jepsen’s new material contains far greater substance. As is the latest trend, ‘Emotion’ draws heavily on 1980’s synthpop, Sia Furler’s writing credentials and a team of Swedish pop writers to formulate the perfect pop album. What ‘Emotion’ may lack in individuality, however, it makes up for in spirit and conviviality. Every track is meticulously programmed by some of pop music’s biggest producers (Greg Kurstin, Mattman and Robin and Shellback to name but a few) whilst Jepsen’s breathy and sultry vocals drift sedately atop. Every effect imaginable is tossed into the concoction – distortion, autotune, excessive reverb – but every ounce of effort is worthwhile; Jepsen has delivered an effervescent album abundant with catchy guitar riffs, breezy sound effects, and irresistible pop melodies.

Album opener ‘Run Away With Me’ is a model of things yet to come, plastered with detuned saxophone riffs, tight production, shuffling percussion, repetition and infectious melodies. It’s a fitting introduction; another teeny-bopper but its taut production gives it far greater substantiality. Lead single ‘I Really Like You’ remains as charming as on first listen whilst funky ‘Emotion’ comes dangerously close to becoming a direct rip-off of Haim’s ‘If I Could Change Your Mind’.

As is the case on all contemporary pop albums, Sia Furler is enlisted as songwriter on two tracks. The first, ‘Boy Problems’ is a fizzy affair, carrying levels of buoyancy Nile Rodgers would be proud of as Jepsen boasts that she ‘broke up with my boyfriend today and I don’t really care’. It shamelessly enters teeny-bopper territory again and is rife with sneering teenage girl ‘nah nah nah nah nah’s’. ‘Making The Most of the Night’ is a slightly darker effort in a similar vein to Sia’s own material, built around a tribal-influenced rhythm. Both tracks form just a handful of the album’s high points.

The 1975-esque ‘Let’s Get Lost’ is another of the album’s highlights, utilising funky guitar riffs, clinking synthesisers, and a feral saxophone appearance. Breezy harmonies are gorgeously layered, evolving into an exceptionally melodious chorus. It’s more infectious than than anything Jepsen has produced prior to this album and is crying out for a single release.

Elsewhere, ‘Emotion’ attempts to strike forward with a little more ferocity and variation. ‘LA Hallucinations’ explores hip-hop in a similar fashion to Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ whilst ‘Warm Blood’ uses stomping percussion and fuzzy bass lines to great effect. Finale ‘When I Need You’, the most 1980’s influenced track by far with spaced percussion and shimmering bells could have easily been featured on the soundtrack to a classic ’80’s movie, following a similar suit to ‘I’ve Had The Time of My Life’.

In an album so sharply focussed on tight production and frolicking with various effects, the Mattman and Robin produced ‘Gimmie Love’ adopts a more simplistic touch through utilising Jepsen’s angelic vocals beautifully over minimalistic over reverberated percussion and metallic guitar riffs. Then there is sole conventional ballad ‘All That’ – a slow schmaltzy number rife with twinkling keys and giggling synthesisers, lavishly drizzled with Jepsen’s syrupy sweet vocals. The end of the middle eight hits a colossal climax which completes the track nicely.

Whilst Jepsen doesn’t necessarily demonstrate the greatest vocal range, this is greatly compensated for by the compelling melodies that stick in the mind long after the album’s final track. Every track is solid enough to be a single and this engenders a flawless album of pop gold.

‘Emotion’ is a glitzy album bursting with vibrancy; forty five minutes in which the listener is permitted to re-enter the comfort of a convivial, juvenile world free of the stresses of life. A perfect pop album.

Rating: 5/5.

‘Emotion’ is out now on Interscope/School Boy Records.

Carly Rae Jepsen – Understated and Underrated Pop Princess.

August 28, 2015August 30, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

The rise of Carly Rae Jepsen has been somewhat remarkable. The Canadian sweetheart first came to prominence on Canadian Idol back in 2007, finishing a respectable third. Of course over the years, the Pop Idol has become largely overshadowed by Simon Cowell’s replacement international franchise X Factor which currently runs in thirty four countries over the world. Despite this, the ‘Idol’ franchise continues to run in some countries simultaneously. Whilst such programmes often produce successful acts, they rarely become superstars in anywhere else but their home country (though Leona Lewis & Kelly Clarkson have both proved to be an exception to the norm.) So when Rae-Jepsen placed third in 2007’s Canadian Idol, chances of worldwide success appeared slim. After all, when has a winner of Canadian Idol ever become the next big thing over here in the UK? Exactly. But somehow, gentle and unassuming Carly cracked the big time.

As is often the case, success was not immediate; début album ‘Tug of War’ was released on a tiny independent label with no mainstream release until three years later when she began working on her follow-up album. It was the writing of one song that changed everything. That song is of course ‘Call Me Maybe’. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, ‘Call Me Maybe’ was written by Jepsen with Tavish Crowe as a folk song until Josh Ramsay transformed it into a teen dance-pop track. The song’s eventual success was largely the responsibility of Justin Bieber who tweeted the song to his millions of Twitter followers before increasing its popularity even further a month later when appearing in a viral video in which he lip-synced the track along with Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale. Perhaps this isn’t surprising when Bieber himself is considered a teen-bopper by many and isn’t exactly swimming in credibility. Nevertheless, Bieber’s assistance resulted in the snowball effect in which the song was picked up by radio stations and music channels worldwide, on heavy rotation which resulted in it becoming a Number One hit in eighteen countries; an impressive feat. It was nominated for two grammy awards and won MTV’s ‘Song of the Year’ award in 2012. Rae-Jepsen’s grip on the world was only reinforced later that same year upon the release of her second album ‘Kiss’, released to overall positive response.

This year, Jepsen returned triumphantly with the exceptionally catchy ‘I Really Like You’, accompanied by a comical music video starring Tom Hanks. It became another hit in Jepsen’s back catalogue and follow up ‘Run Away With Me’ has also been soaring high into the music charts in multiple countries. Both singles, whilst remaining faithful to Jepsen’s signature pop-sound, have hinted at a more 1980’s synthpop sound, adding an extra layer of depth. No wonder then, that forthcoming album ‘E-M-O-T-I-O-N’ (released in the UK on the 18th of September) is one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. The pop world is all about 1980’s synth/electro-pop so the release of ‘E-M-O-T-I-O-N’ has been impeccably timed.
Whilst Jepsen’s commercial performance has been hugely successful, she remains a greatly overshadowed artist in the fickle world of pop music. In an industry that increasingly objectifies women and removes the focus from vocal and artistry talent, placing it on personality, controversy and appearance, many women become lost in the haze of the music industry. Rhianna, Beyonce and Taylor Swift tend to dominate for their colourful personal lives and vibrant fashion sense. Indeed, they each also have extensive collections of hits and are largely talented but the emphasis is equally placed on matters other than the music. It is somewhat refreshing then, that Rae Jepsen seemingly avoids association with controversy is also refreshing in an age where disputation is the main attraction in pop careers. No matter the opinion of the most cynical music fans, her talent to write catchy and memorable pop hits cannot be denied. ‘Call Me Maybe’ undoubtedly became bloody irritating after a few weeks but it remains one of the best hits in Pop History. Furthermore, her sultry, squeaky and quirky vocals make her refreshing to listen to in an industry dominated by auto-tune and instinctive vocals.

The longevity of a pop career can never be guaranteed in a rapidly changing industry. Nevertheless, if her musical output remains as strong as is currently the case, understated and underrated pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen can expect a very long and fruitful music career.