Popportunity

When the indisputably cute Mitchell was cast off Idol in sixth place, there was a sigh of relief rather than disappointment. One listen to Wonder and you’d be hard-pressed to envisage Mitchell belling out Angels Brought Me Here or similar post-Idol fare. Instead, Mitchell has collaborated with the likes of Ben Kweller, Katy Steele, Ben Lee and Clare Bowditch to create one of the most exciting debuts of 2009.

So far, Mitchell has excelled in her choice of singles. Having placed 12^th on my Top 75 Songs of 2008 list, Neapolitan Dreams is immediate with its chiming, cutesy lyrics and catchy “ba da ba da da da das.”. The inventive and hopelessly romantic Coin Laundry shines with its mix of whimsical vocals, gorgeous piano melody and (bizarrely) beat boxing. Red Wine Lips is already garnering warranted attention on Triple J, aided by its calypso xylophones and schoolyard whistling.

Influence wise, it’s a mixed bag. Mitchell channels Cat Power on Love Letter and Reef’s classic Place Your Hands on the honest Sidekick, “Even the bravest lions, they need a sidekick…Even the tallest kings, they need a sidekick.” Neapolitan Dreams closely echoes Feist’s equally stellar 1234, while So Jealous’ acoustic melody could be lifted from Ben Harper’s Fight For Your Mind. The album on the whole will also hit a note with fans of Rachel Yamagata’s folk/pop stylings.

Wonder’s achievement, thanks to endowed song-writing, lies in its ability to be both instantly familiar and utterly unique. Fans of Cat Power’s The Greatest, Feist’s The Reminder or Rachel Yamagata’s Happenstance will enthusiastically embrace Mitchell’s folk styling and instinctive ability to narrate.

Key Tracks: Neapolitan Dreams, Coin Laundry, Sidekick

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A new album and another different direction for the increasingly dependable Blasko. Where The Overture & The Underscore delivered sing-a-long style rock/folk gems, What the Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have gave us insight into Blasko’s lush orchestral arrangements and cerebral relationship anecdotes. For album no.3, Blasko has teamed up with Bjorn (of Peter, Bjorn & John fame) and the results are expectedly melodious.

Opener Down on Love is ethereal with tinkling pianos and lush vocals, Hold On My Heart and lead single All I Want both employ old Western howling, the latter best demonstrating Bjorn’s distinctive rattling percussion. Is My Baby Yours survives a repetitively weak chorus to become one of Blasko’s most beautiful ballads yet, utilizing beguiling Spanish guitars. Over & Over effectively merges calypso and country – yet another winner.

Blasko has achieved two major goals with As Day Follows Night. First and foremast, As Day Follows Night is an album encrusted with splendor, an album that somehow betters both of Blasko’s exceptional previous efforts. Secondly, ADFN is Blasko’s first concept album – a haunting and lyrically compelling story of lost love. BUY this album right now.

Key Tracks: All I Want, Over & Over, Is My Baby Yours, Bird On A Wire

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Two years ago, American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks made a gamble. Rather than rush release an appalling post-Idol album crammed with lackluster ballads about realising dreams (apart from forced debut single This Is My Now), Sparks created an unpredictably fun, flippant and critically accepted R&B/pop pearl. Surefire hits like Tattoo, One Step At A Time and predominately No Air shone, while album-fillers were replaced with the likes of Shy Boy, Young And In Love and Freeze, songs applauded by Rolling Stone, The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, creating the first genuine Idol star since Season four winner Carrie Underwood, while the third overall including Kelly Clarkson. Her girl next door appeal was universal and her unashamed attitude to deliver fun pop was celebrated – with one and a half million sales.

It’s therefore a genuine surprise that this exciting talent has chosen the safe route. Battlefield is merely an exercise in copycatting. Moreover, Sparks has done the number one faux pas of pop albums – Relying on three or four decent singles and injecting the rest of the album with space filler.

This is not to say that those singles aren’t bad. Lead single Battlefield is the stunning reincarnation of Pat Benetar’s Love Is A Battlefield, stuffed with humungous percussion, 80s influences and ridiculously over-the-top lyrics “You better go and get your armour.” The news is not so good for songwriter Ryan Tedder. It doesn’t take a musical protige to comprehend that Beyonce’s ‘Halo’, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Already Gone’ and now Sparks’ ‘Battlefield’ are all the same song re-worked. Tedder – Sharpen your writing skills, or music critics will sharpen their talons.

Single in waiting Walking on Snow has a gorgeous guitar melody and is reminiscent of Sparks’ earlier work. S.O.S (Let The Music Play) samples Shannon’s previous hit, and despite a shoddy Rihanna imitation holds its own, sounding both very current and a prospect summer dance anthem. Additionally, Sparks’ signature brazen exuberance can be best heard on the synthy Emergency (911).

Regrettably, the rest of the album is strewn with the kind of post-Idol balladry expected to be on her debut. No Parade and the self-penned Faith best exemplify the ‘heard it before’ feeling to the record. Cheesier than mother’s day commercials, they both reek of safety and banality. Those fans desperately craving a sequel to No Air are fresh out of luck.  Don’t Let It Go To Your Head is as close as it gets in terms of exaggerated bliss. A respectable and enjoyable tune, but not in the league of her previous no.1 hit. However, a bigger disaster would’ve been an ill-timed reunion with Chris Brown. Additionally, The Cure is gob-smackingly cheesy and the kind of ballad anthem I would ordinarily describe as unlistenable, though Sparks’ charm and exquisite vocals turn mince meat into filet mignon.

Battlefield is not a disaster but is an illustration of regression, rather than progression. Sparks has, to put it tackily, lost a bit of her spark. For album no.3, Sparks needs to take another gamble or she will become (groan) yet another Mariah/Whitney wannabe.

Key Tracks: Battlefield, Walking On Snow, S.O.S (Let The Music Play)

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