Dancing on a razor blade

[koganbot]

"It's the shadow inside my mind
And I'm in denial
I'm becoming quite a liar
Does that make me beautiful tonight?
In my sickness can you find me beautiful tonight?"

I'm assuming that the "you" in this song is God rather than Krystal's potential paramour. Anyway, "Beautiful Tonight" is far and away my favorite song on the Krystal Meyers album, though honestly I only noticed the words just now, long after I'd fallen for the song for simply sounding beautiful. Wouldn't say the lyrics are deep - rather are suggestive of some darkness or sexual desire that Krystal's not sure she's ready to throw off. She's a Contemporary Christian Singer so there's something at stake here, not spelled out remotely as well as Aly Michalka did in "Blush," of course. But I do like that this is sung with Hilary Duff style wholesomeness rather than the piercing agonies of Amy Lee or Lacey Mosley. Sort of bubblegoth that one wouldn't necessarily notice as bubblegoth.

Definitely good but not up there with "Beautiful Tonight" is the single "Make Some Noise," which is a big catchy blatant takeoff on another song (hereinafter referred to as "Other Song") that got attention in these parts, pretty much copying Other Song's drum beat and vocal timbre. So in comparing the two, "Make Some Noise" is catchy but Other Song is even catchier, "Make Some Noise" is sweeter and less grating than Other Song but Other Song makes more noise and is more exciting, "Make Some Noise" has vapid "rebellious" lyrics that could fit snugly onto the soundtrack to Camp Rock whereas Other Song tells what's actually an interesting story even if Other Song's singer is so self-consciously, defensively pleased with herself and her own half-assed attitudes that she's managed to irritate the fuck out of everyone hither though not yon. But her song is better than Krystal's.

"Make Some Noise"

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I really like that the whole Krystal Meyers could either be about God or sex, depending on one's POV. If no one had told me she was an Xtian, I never would have clocked it.

[koganbot]

Curious if you'd be willing to reevaluate Other Song, which you once SRSLY demanded that we not tick.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Honestly, no. I have a mild amount of affection for the McFly version of it but otherwise the Other Artist really, really gets up my nose; I also feel Meyers, K. performs the whole thing better; Perry, K. comes across more as a drunken bint shouting in my road than a sort of wild cry to sexual liberation or whatever.

Not to mention the 'It felt so wrong, it felt so right' line REALLY annoys me.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all counts here, and I think "Beautiful Tonight" is the...uh, deeper keeper, even if my personal fave is probably "Feels So Right."

He's like heroin to me

[koganbot]

"I'm guessing this is love/Pumping through my veins/Killing all my pain"

It feels so wrong but feels so right?

My favorites so far are "Beautiful Tonight," "My Freedom," and "Make Some Noise." Overall, I'd say I like everything on here, but beyond those three it rates as "Pretty Good" rather than "Wonderful." I'm not yet really hearing a personality in Krystal (as opposed to Ashlee and Lindsay and What's Her Name whom I recognize within two seconds of their opening their mouths), which isn't necessarily a defect, but she also doesn't have the ability of, say, JoJo to deliver the personality of any song she does even when the totality of the songs doesn't add up to a persona. So far Krystal is a good voice on pretty good material. Also think that some potentially very good tracks like "Your Hands" and "Shine" and "Feels So Right" could have been better if given less middling productions. There's something neutralizing about the surround sound: should have either been more engulfing or should have been abandoned in favor of starkness.

Re: He's like heroin to me

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I think Krystal is benefiting in my estimation by a somewhat weak year for pop albums (if not singles) -- its consistency is part of what keeps me returning to it, even if the highs aren't high enough. Mentally running down a list in my head, I really can't think of a single solo pop record, aside from Ashlee, that I'd rather listen to as a whole than this one. I always skip out on the second half of Mariah, which has grown on me, only like two or three songs from the Annie album, etc. Solange's album is fairly consistent, but I don't think it's quite in the vein I'm thinking of here. (By comparison, the Veronicas are holding up really well -- I might finally decide to include them in '08.)

Re: He's like heroin to me

[(Anonymous)]

I like the song. I probably need a few more listens to really experience it. I was looking over some of your old stuff and saw that you liked Aly & AJ. Have you by any chance seen they're new vlog? It's a doozy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3KiLAfYWMc

Gunpowder and lead

[koganbot]

Surely a tour with Miranda Lambert is just around the corner.