No Air, Lots Of Sugar
Jun. 6th, 2008 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
koganbotFinally listening to the Jordin Sparks alb, which magically snuck into my computer at some undetermined time in the last seven months, apparently without my knowing it.
This is definitely a case of the whole dragging down the parts, or in this instance pickling everything in giant vats of sugar, so after a while I almost forget that there are quite a few good songs here. Her lungs are whompers, I don't understand why so much of this was brought down to the same sweet sorrow, track after track. But good songs there are, such as these:
"Tattoo": Good, of course, but it should have been allowed to just unfold quietly, without the drama and the caramel drips. Passion and ache and prettiness.
"No Air": Here the sweetness opens up the crack in her voice, a not-bad song that's been made much better by the alternatingly open and claustrophobic sound.
"Freeze": Starts like it's going to be a dance stormer, instead is a pretty mood piece. A potential grower.
"Shy Boy": The first of the three Bloodshy & Avant productions, all successful. Jordin lopes gently atop wibbling and wobbling rubber beats that pull at her feet. The sugar machine is turned off for once, but some harmonic sweetness enters unobtrusively.
"Now You Tell Me": Sweet of course, with words of betrayal, rises but doesn't quite find its payoff.
"Young And In Love": Bloodshy & Avant #2. Once again forgoes the sugar, this time in favor of basic '80s dance w/ '00s bouncing-ball effects; gives itself time to establish its groove, then the melody clicks. This is a Stacey Q song looking for its Stacey Q, needs that kind of soft presence. Jordin doesn't do badly. Another grower.
"See My Side": Bloodshy & Avant #3. And this one is sweet or it's nothing. The melody is a sing-song, like a tinkly Christmas carol, hard to do well: either you shortchange the prettiness - don't dare the delirium - or you fall headfirst into icky poo. They and she walk the line very well. Needs a bit more intensity, and she doesn't altogether avoid the cloying, but this is probably the best thing on here, even better than "No Air." I would like to hear different versions from nonsweet singers trying to connect to the candy (Cassie? Rihanna [who's just proven with "Disturbia" that she can handle sweetness and subdue it]), or a very sweet singer - Darin, say - whose prettiness is simple naturalness. Michael Jackson, who can add terror to sweetness?
"Overcome": A bonus track, most like "I Who Have Nothing," goes for the dark tones rather than for stickiness. Very good.
Of course then there's the stuff like "This Is My Now" and "God Loves Ugly," basic dreck. But anyway, I'm glad I finally got to this.
This is definitely a case of the whole dragging down the parts, or in this instance pickling everything in giant vats of sugar, so after a while I almost forget that there are quite a few good songs here. Her lungs are whompers, I don't understand why so much of this was brought down to the same sweet sorrow, track after track. But good songs there are, such as these:
"Tattoo": Good, of course, but it should have been allowed to just unfold quietly, without the drama and the caramel drips. Passion and ache and prettiness.
"No Air": Here the sweetness opens up the crack in her voice, a not-bad song that's been made much better by the alternatingly open and claustrophobic sound.
"Freeze": Starts like it's going to be a dance stormer, instead is a pretty mood piece. A potential grower.
"Shy Boy": The first of the three Bloodshy & Avant productions, all successful. Jordin lopes gently atop wibbling and wobbling rubber beats that pull at her feet. The sugar machine is turned off for once, but some harmonic sweetness enters unobtrusively.
"Now You Tell Me": Sweet of course, with words of betrayal, rises but doesn't quite find its payoff.
"Young And In Love": Bloodshy & Avant #2. Once again forgoes the sugar, this time in favor of basic '80s dance w/ '00s bouncing-ball effects; gives itself time to establish its groove, then the melody clicks. This is a Stacey Q song looking for its Stacey Q, needs that kind of soft presence. Jordin doesn't do badly. Another grower.
"See My Side": Bloodshy & Avant #3. And this one is sweet or it's nothing. The melody is a sing-song, like a tinkly Christmas carol, hard to do well: either you shortchange the prettiness - don't dare the delirium - or you fall headfirst into icky poo. They and she walk the line very well. Needs a bit more intensity, and she doesn't altogether avoid the cloying, but this is probably the best thing on here, even better than "No Air." I would like to hear different versions from nonsweet singers trying to connect to the candy (Cassie? Rihanna [who's just proven with "Disturbia" that she can handle sweetness and subdue it]), or a very sweet singer - Darin, say - whose prettiness is simple naturalness. Michael Jackson, who can add terror to sweetness?
"Overcome": A bonus track, most like "I Who Have Nothing," goes for the dark tones rather than for stickiness. Very good.
Of course then there's the stuff like "This Is My Now" and "God Loves Ugly," basic dreck. But anyway, I'm glad I finally got to this.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-06 11:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-08 06:55 pm (UTC)