ALBUM REVIEW: 24K MAGIC - BRUNO MARS

Wow Bruno, what an album you have here.

'24K MAGIC' has a brilliance not often found in the pop music charts today. What makes it so magical? Bruno hits a sweet balance between retro and modern.

Clean funky riffs and fun recording effects ooze Bruno's showmanship in some tracks and lean to a cool sexiness in others. The album is addictive, its simple but well-woven beats impossible not to groove to. It seems that Bruno has stuck to what makes his hits, HITS (think 'Uptown Funk', 'Treasure', etc.). Each track is injected with a hit of swag that bursts to a funky dance beat - creating a sound reminiscent of the likes of Prince and MJ. Bruno has crafted an album here with a consistent style but also individuality between tracks.

Top song: 'That's What I Like'
This is a TUNE. Backed by a bouncy and rich synth-infused bass line, Bruno sings of all that he can give his girl: "sex by the fire at night, silk sheets and diamonds all white, lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like". There's a certain romantic and playful decadence to this song that is simply luscious.

Special mention to: 'Calling All My Lovelies'
This is the classic R&B hit of a heartbroken player. "I got Alicia waitin', Aisha waitin', All the eesha's waitin' on me", but Bruno himself is waiting for one particular girl to pick up the phone. A featured recording of Halle Berry is suggestive of the influence of 90s pop nostalgia on this record.




'24K MAGIC' has to be my favourite of Bruno Mars' albums yet. It is far bolder in its flair than his previous record 'Unorthodox Jukebox' and far outshines 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans' - his debut album. Bruno commits to a unique sound and delivers it with colour and cheek, or rather 'Finesse'. From its first track '24K Magic' to its last 'Too Good To Say Goodbye', this record could be interpreted as a story of Bruno growing into and out of his rich bachelor life.

24K Magic won the Grammys for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Best R&B Album; and Album of the Year in January 2018.

Mellowing from explosive funky dance hits into a rich R&B sound, Bruno has produced an album with retro swag and a sound different from the work of most artists today. It is worth a listen.

ALBUM REVIEW: MAKING TIME - JAMIE WOON

A recent discovery, Jamie Woon seems to be hitting all my wants for study music so far.

His 2015 album Making Time is his best record, each track has its own steady pace, sophisticated beat and satisfying bursts of jazzy brass and guitar with his smooth vocal lines pulling everything together. This formula works very well in tracks like Message and Celebration. Other tracks radiate a more funky/R&B vibe (where he says his roots are), like 'Sharpness' which reminds me of a more mellow Jungle. The track Movement really identifies Woon as a new artist, testing the limits of blending electronic sounds and bass with the voice. This track and the bare vocal opening to Skin also remind me of James Blake, experimental though perhaps a bit more laid-back. Woon's voice is rather underrated in this album, personally I welcome the rare appearance of his simple, but effective, vocal tone - I'd be interested to see him explore this in future work.

One of the main attractions of this album for me is that each track has its own idea and own sound, something taken for granted but barely actually delivered in many albums I listen to today. More and more artists only care about the success of a few songs from an album for it to sell, but you can tell that Woon has put effort into giving each track its own musical value to make an overall more impressive album. I wouldn't say that the music is particularly striking or thought-provoking, Woon isn't necessarily a game-changer for new artists; however listening to him while studying  is a pleasure, he creates a good-sounding pace to work to with no surprises to come along and slap you out of focus, I appreciate the bursts of jazz/funk/electronic/R&B vibes he adds to keep each song fresh.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1piHywE1K1xbS3fTTVrdBC

12.01.16

ALBUM REVIEW: DARK EYES - HALF MOON RUN

So here we go, my first review on this blog!

One of the main reasons why I love this album, Dark Eyes, is because of the variation between each track as they explore the indie folk and alt-rock genres. This isn't one of those albums that repeats the same sound and style for every song. Is it just me, or do those types of albums become laborious to listen to? You almost have to make an effort to differentiate each track. But this album plays with different paces, rhythms, melodies and even instruments to explore different sounds and moods.

Half Moon Run have had a great response to their music so far, especially since their release of this debut album in 2012. They've opened for artists such as Of Monsters and Men, City and Colour, and Mumford & Sons. The first I'd heard of  the Canadian band, was through their song 'Full Circle' (oddly enough, the first listed on their album) a few years ago. I really liked the tone of the song, and how the band uses different vocal lines to create thick harmonies, alongside the delicately moving guitar melodies. Everything seems to fit together as it builds from an acoustic sound to something much more full with added electric guitar parts and pacey drum beats. The lyrics also transform this, they are well-written and seem to have feeling behind them, which is so important in making music sound real. I think that it gives a great opening to the album, and shows a more raw side to the band, which lets you feel a connection with their other tracks too.

 

Another stand out track of their album is 'Call me in the Afternoon'. I think this must be their hit song, as it has a pretty cool music video. More upbeat than the first track, this song has a great drum rhythm - definitely reflecting an alt-rock sound with it's contrasting light and heavy beats. There's much more of a tune to this track, and I love how they've played with the notes and percussion rhythms to accentuate certain words.

'No More Losing the War' is a very emotive track. The lyrics tell a beautifully haunting story with subtle dark phrases giving off a great atmosphere. Definitely worth taking the time to listen to properly. More importantly, who's Karen? Devon Portielje (singer), delves deeply into his emotions to deliver such intensity. This is a skill that progresses into other songs such as 'Need It' and 'Unofferable' which thrive on the sensitivity in his voice.

One of my favourite tracks on this album has to be '21 Gun Salute'. This song brings more of an electronic/house sound, which along with the fast-pace percussion and guitar lines makes a full sound. The lyrics are simple and sung in long phrases, so it doesn't dominate but adds a clean melody on top of the other sounds. This song is amazing to listen to when driving at night - it's so smooth yet complex, and enhances the night time atmosphere.

This band has developed a very noteworthy set of sounds from folk to alt-rock. I'd say that they land on a spectrum between Fleet Foxes and Alt-J. Their music isn't just constructed on hollow chord sequences, it's built on something deeper and this is how they can create an atmosphere through their sound. Definitely worth a listen.

SPOTIFY - https://play.spotify.com/album/1h0JzrOSEyEldBJOBMj9Ge