Popportunity

Corynne Elliot, better known as Speech DeBelle, may have been the only person unsurprised by her 2009 Mercury Prize win. Beating the likes of Kasabian, La Roux and Florence & The Machine, one listen to her thrilling debut Speech Therapy and you couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Social commentary over a variety of musical genres is not an innovative concept, but DeBelle’s contemporary and straightforward philosophising mixed with show-stopping production quality signal the arrival of an authentic talent.

Brassy jazz and gutsy beats excel on Spinnin’, the kind of tune Lauryn Hill would be making if she was around in 2009. The Key fuses a breezy arrangement of oboe & cello with DeBelle’s sassy girl-next-door attitude, “I’m getting older now and I’m starting to make sense of it, I’m seeing signs, reading minds like hypnotists, understands the figures like arithmetic and my guess is, people are bad man.”

Go Then, Bye shows a vulnerable quality, both lyrically and compositionally, incorporating acoustic guitars and poignant strings. Bad Boy’s aggressive beats are reminiscent of Rihanna’s Umbrella and the chorus is simplistic yet memorable, again aided by dazzling instrumentals and a dramatic drum ‘n’ bass outro. Equally prominent is Better Days with a hauntingly soulful chorus.

DeBelle’s electrifying debut is not for everyone, but the deserved Mercury-winning combination of first-rate production and clever social commentary will enthuse anyone in search of the next Lily Allen or The Streets.

Key Tracks: Spinnin’, The Key, Bad Boy, Better Days

Read Full Post »

Swedish producer/songwriter Andreas Kleerup (better known by just his surname) must be a patient man. His international debut, simply named Kleerup, has taken over two years from conception to fruition, thanks to a series of trajectory changing moments. Some were good – Collaboration with Robyn With Every Heartbeat, aided by critical acclaim, came from nowhere to reach no.1 on the UK charts over a year ago. Some were bad – Collaboration with Cyndi Lauper, the excellent Lay Me Down, was stripped entirely of her vocals due to her refusal for the original to appear on his album. Appropriately, this is an album heavily influenced by guest vocals.

In saying that, Kleerup’s aptitude lies as much in his instrumental work as his choice for vocalists. Album opener Hero is an exciting mix of rippling bass, pulsating synth-pop and (captivatingly) Gregorian chants – Not only an effective alliance but also a fitting insight into Kleerup’s signature style. Similarly, Chords benefits from absent vocals – By no means a radio hit but a perfect concoction for weekend chill-out sessions.

Until We Bleed maximizes the talents of the perennially dependable Lykke Li. It’s not immediate, but encapsulates Kleerup’s dazzling ability to ignore modern pop conventions. It contains no definable chorus and stews string arrangements, electro-pop and haunting female vocals.  Sound familiar? It should. With Every Heartbeat was a modern electro-pop masterpiece that similarly breached contemporary pop convention and earned Kleerup his kudos.

This songwriting knack can be further witnessed on 3am, a seemingly saccharine tune that masks the tale of a neglected lover, “3am, honey where you been? Cell phone turned off I waited here, by the phone again, just like last night.” Other highlights include the gorgeous Longing for Lullabies, a breezy electro-balled showcasing Titiyo’s melodious voice.

The originally titled Lay Me Down suffers substantially from the loss of Lauper’s vocals. Kleerup is well aware of this, audaciously renaming it Thank You For Nothing – A deserved stab at Lauper’s austerity.

Comparisons are undoubtedly drawn between Kleerup’s debut and other Scandinavian electro-pop albums such as Royksopp’s recent Junior, no doubt assisted by both employing Robyn and Lykke Li’s vocal chops. Luckily, Kleerup’s distinctive sound and genre colliding ingenuity secure his name as an artist to watch.

Key Tracks: With Every Heartbeat, Longing For Lullabies, 3am, Until We Bleed

Read Full Post »

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

Read Full Post »

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

Read Full Post »

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)

Read Full Post »