Birdy- Fire Within (2014)

Why did I review the album? Not About Angels and her cover album convinced me to give her original content a chance

Did I like it? Eventually

Will I listen again? To some tracks

The majority of the problems I have with this album are my own and in no way Birdy’s fault. For some reason I was expecting an R&B type album. I didn’t get that, but looking back I shouldn’t have expected it. I believe that’s the issue though. I had preconceived notions that were misguided. Her first album was one based largely off covers of other artists, so I didn’t know what she specialized in.

I’ve found that most albums have a purpose, but I couldn’t find out what Fire Within’s purpose is. So, I felt like I was taking a journey with no end. I was listening to a random collection of songs that did not have a main theme to tie them together.

Despite all that, I still enjoyed the album. Birdy has amazing talent and listening to her sing is a pleasure every time. Add the fact that her songs are not over produced and I’m bound to be pleased. That’s the part I like best concerning this album. Many times when artists are signed to labels they run from the basics and instead opt for over produced beats that interfere with the quality that originally made the artist successful. Birdy doesn’t fall into that trap and the album is better because of that fact. I’d gladly listen to her next album. 

Is it what I envisioned? Not quite. Does that make it bad? Of course not.

If you like great singers and are willing to try something that’s not R&B I’d definitely give Fire Within a listen.

My Favs

3. All About You

2.  No  Angel

1. Strange Birds

Overall Rating: 3/5 Spins

Michael Jackson- Thriller (1983)

Why did I review the album?  Needed something that I knew I would like

Did I like it? Well…Yes

Will I listen again? It’s one of my favorites of all time.

 Thriller is a compact album at nine songs, but it packs as much punch as albums twice its length. Because it’s so short each song carries much more significance. It has something for everyone, There are danceable tracks (Wanna Be Startin Something, P.Y.T.,) creative tracks (Wanna Be Startin Somethin, Thriller) and some really solid pop (Baby Be Mine, P.T.Y.) 

My Favs

3. The Lady in My Life

2.  Thriller

1. Human Nature

Overall Rating: 5/5 Spins

50 Cent- Animal Ambition (2014)

Why did I review the album? It won the poll for August

Did I like it? No

Will I listen again? No

This album has no energy whatsoever. The end result is that he sounded extremely disinterested in the stories he was trying to tell. And, if he doesn’t care about the story, why should I?

I do like the beats on this album. Most of them are chill and toned down, an interesting choice for someone that is an extravagant lyricist. It’s a shame these beats are wasted on bad lyrics and horrifically bad delivery.

My Favs

3. Winning Circle

2. Hustler

1. Twisted

Overall Rating:  2/5 Spins

Common- Nobody's Smiling (2014)

Why did I review the album? I like Common

Did I like it? Indifferent

Will I listen again? No

This is the first time I’ve disliked an album without taking issue with the headlining artist. I take issue with the features on the album. Simply, they aren’t good rappers. Some needed to work on flow, others used chopped rapping which I am not a fan of. If there were only two or three features on this album, I wouldn’t mind, but there are several.   

Common’s formula hasn’t changed much. It works in fine form here. In my opinion it’s the features that destroy the album.

My Favs

3. Young Hearts Run Free

2.  Real

1. Rewind That

Overall Rating: 2/5 Spins

R. Kelly- Black Panties (2013)

Why did I review the album?  I told my friend I would do it, and I am fond of R. Kelly’s music

Did I like it? No

Will I listen again? No

I think this experience was doomed to fail from the onset. My expectation of the album and Kelly’s were clearly different. I expected classic 90’s Kelly or adult R&B that he’s favored in the two previous albums. But, maybe that’s the reason he’s wandered in this direction. Kelly’s been “in the game” for 20 years now, so he’s bound to try other things. He transitioned from R&B to a slightly more mainstream sound. Then experimented with a largely gospel sound that transitioned into adult R&B career. This might be the next phase in Kelly’s career. So, I shouldn’t be angry with him, but I wish I knew his intention beforehand.

In my defense, this album delivers sleaze by the bucket load. If this kind of music you like, then you’ll love this one, but if not, it’ll be a struggle to get through this offering from Kelly.

My Favs

3.  I have no idea (that’s not the name of the song, I seriously couldn’t find a third song)

2. Shut Up  

1. All the way

Overall Rating: 1/5 Spins

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- The Heist (2012)

Why did I review the album? My sister asked me about a song named “Same Love” and I loved it so I listened to the whole album

Did I like it? It’s either my favorite or second favorite album since 2012

Will I listen again? I will listen to this one forever

The two sides of Macklemore the funny guy and serious Mack. Both are on display in this album.

The crowning achievement of this album is Macklemore’s ability to step in the shoes of the person in that situation. He does it multiple times in songs like Same Love, Neon Cathedrals and Wing$. The reason I love JoJo is her ability to accomplish this. It’s also the reason I was somewhat critical of Love Marriage and Divorce, the lyrics were there, but I didn’t feel the emotion that I felt necessary. This is the first time I’ve noticed a rapper achieving the same feat. It makes the music stronger because the audience notices how deeply the artist feels about the issue, so every lyric carries more weight and significance.

I constantly complain that “fun” music tends to force me to “turn my brain off” in order to enjoy it. This isn’t the case with Macklemore. Like Gaga he manages to have fun, but maintain a level of seriousness. Considering the pulverizing nature of some of his other work, it’s interesting that he can pull off “fun” so well. It proves that he is truthfully versatile and can handle both radio worthy tracks and thought provoking material.   

My only complaint is that the track listing could have been organized a bit better. Towards the end, there were about five fun songs in a row without a thought provoking song to balance out the silliness and I found my patience waning. It’s a small complaint and something that would only hurt the album when comparing it to my favorites.

There’s something here for everyone. There’s more than enough “fun” for people to enjoy, but also has some material that might make you think about the stances you hold concerning certain topics. It’s an album that touches on many different topics and shares it’s opinion without apologizing. It’s a versatile album from a strong artist that can hold its own against many of my favorite albums and is one of my favorite albums in recent memory.

My Favs

3.  Thrift Shop

b. Badaboom

2.  Same Love

1. Neon Cathedral

Overall Rating: 5/5 Spins 

Sam Smith- In the Lonely Hour (2014)

Why did I review the album?  Was looking for a new artist

Did I like it? Yes

Will I listen again? Yes

Do I recommend? Yes  

This album started a bit wobbly for me, but by the end I was very happy I decided to take a chance on Sam Smith. My favorite thing about him is his ability to transition from the higher octaves to lower ones seamlessly without the song feeling disjointed.

For me, a first album is supposed to show the person’s skill and leave the audience believing there is room for growth in future work. This album did that for me. The writing for some of the songs (especially in the beginning) need more work, but his voice is definitely a solid one that I want to see evolve as his career progresses. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on his career.

My Favs

3. I’m Not the Only One

2.  I’ve Told You Now

1. Lay Me Down

Overall Rating:  3 out of 5 Spins