Skip to main content

Killers, Kanye and Nelly Furtado Album Reviews

A couple of "anxiously awaited" albums came out this week. Overall...not so much impressed. BUT! New music is new music. So. Let's just get right into it.



Nelly Furtado - The Spirit Indestructible

Remember when Nelly Furtado was a folk singer ("I'm Like a Bird," etc)? Then she blew everyone's mind switching to hip-pop with the help of Timbaland? Well, she's sitting pretty in the same genre and, in my opinion, the transitioned should have continued. At this point her time in party bangers is spent and it's just becoming annoying. There are other, less talented artists filling the pop/party space. Pull out the "spirit indestructible" you claim and give us an album with feeling. (Harsh, right? Sorry. Just how I feel.)


'Battle Born' finally dropped! I've been listening to the single 'Runaways' and watching the trailer for centuries it seems! The album is high quality; a great listen. It may be me, but I got a real 80's vibe for this. I should mention that I watched 'Take Me Home Tonight' right before listening to the album for the first time. (Guilty. Don't judge me. #Netflix).
I think the problem is me. I miss old the Killers. The Killers that released 'Hot Fuss'. I want to know what Mr. Brightside is up to these days.  Apparently he's dealing with more mature things than I am, considering the grown-up lyrics an well-thought out arrangements in 'Battle Born'. One day I'll grow up and really take this album for the work of art it is. For now, I'm gearing up for Vegas and listening to...

THIS!!! BEEN WAITING SO LONG! Kanye West presents G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer!
The biggest complaint I've heard about this album is that it's disjointed. It doesn't "flow" or "tell a story". Keep in mind that this is NOT a Kanye West album, this is a G.O.O.D. Music album. It's a compilation piece, a collaboration of match-ups and singles. It's not meant to tell a story, it's meant to be a buffet of jams.
Hopefully in about a year, Kanye will release his next album. It will no doubt be a fluid piece as that's what we're used to hearing from him. Hell, his last album flowed so well he was able to create a short film with it.
So take this album for what it is and I promise you'll love it a little more. And, if not just think: what was the last album you were able to listen to from Track 1 to the end without skipping or repeating?  it's just a reminder that the days of the album are a beloved memory. Singles rule the day.

That's all for now. Happy listening!!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cold War Kids iHeart Radio Album Release Party - My Quick Opinions

I've seen the Cold War Kids twice now, and my favorite thing about seeing them is they love to let people see them for free in Los Angeles. A free show is always the right idea. This time I got to see them at the iHeart Radio stage in Burbank, California. It's a very cool space, and the staff is super nice. Part of this iHeart Radio streaming party was a line of questioning from iHeart Radio personality. It was cool to hear lead singer Nathan Willett talk about his love for Los Angeles and desire to use their new album, LA Divine,  to set the record straight about the city's perception. He told Billboard the album is "the best version of what [they've] always done," and I agree. There's nothing particularly outstanding about the new album. There's no new, adventurous sound. The freshest thing about LA Divine is the effect the tumultuous year that was 2016 had on the lyrics. For example, Nathan told an amazing story about an art piece in New ...

Mrs. without the "r."

Of course I'm a feminist. Not that that needs explaining, but I absolutely believe in equal treatment and opportunities for both sexes.  But being a feminist doesn't mean I burn bras every Tuesday night. I still adhere to a number of not-so-feminist-friendly traditions. For example, I hate taking the trash out. That's a "man's" job. I take the trash out when I must, but if I can ask Jersey Mike to do it , well that's just 10 times better. Typically, for me, a man's job is any job I don't want to do.  Maybe that's not quite a tradition (more me leaning on societal norms to feed my laziness). But there's one tradition that, growing up, I always thought I'd be fine:  Taking my husband's last name.  My mother kept her maiden name when she married my father. She was born a Shute and felt that shouldn't have to change just because she found a cool guy to spend her life with. Growing up it wasn't confusing for me u...

The music died with Prince today

Today I had a breakdown at work. Like a damn fool.  I had a horrible night, woke up exhausted, and decided to remain unplugged until I got to work. I wanted to take the morning slowly.  I arrived at the office, sat down in my first meeting and heard "I'm just so sad about the news. We're going to write a few things about Prince today, Doriean are you able to do that?"  So I'm sitting there like a dumbass asking "What happened?" Then it hit me. Maybe that wasn't the flu that caused Prince's plane to land suddenly last week. Maybe something was really wrong.  Because he's gone.  So then I'm listening to my assignments, trying to wrap my brain around selecting the best Prince songs (impossible). I'm talking like nothing is happening but tears are streaming. My editor asks if I need a minute and I run to the bathroom and bawl like an infant.  I've been trying to listen to music all day. But nothing compa...