I have no idea what would distinguish Katharine from any other white girl pop singer whose name isn't Kelly, but I'll give her this- it's produced right. It's not over the top with Timbaland beats and pop excess. It's more adult contemporary pop. A song co-written by McPhee even has a Alicia Keys feel (missing some soulful vocal). "Surrender" would not be out of place thematically from my own Xmas release.
There's lots of piano, acoustic guitar, some light strings. Decibels rarely exceed balladry. The songwriting quality varies. A good minor chord riff in "Faultline" gives us an achy chorus, but then is immediately followed by the rudimentary "Anybody's Heart". "Lifetime" is trying to be cute and Feist-y, but ends up sounding silly with the breathy hook and the repetitive word verses.
I had to listen to something. It could have been worse (2 of 5 stars)
While the playlist above says 1-10, it's actually in "Countdown" order, so that the best song is last. Also, it's important to note that KISS is stingy with their on-line finds, so just know that "I'm An Animal" should be on this list too. Let's begin. (song titles link to lyrics / artist links to awesome youtube videos)
10. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I - Them Crooked Vultures The first of FIVE side-projects on the list. This one is by far the dirtiest. The tale of emotionless people having selfish filthy baseless sex. Full of clever entendres- single, double, and the rare trois entendre, the main draw is the full stoner jam. If you're not convinced at first, stick around to around till the end for the song to really deliver the full fist.
9. I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson I stopped being embarrassed of my love for Kelly a couple of albums ago. And its hard not to agree with me once you realize that she is singing directly to me on this one. Someone who will nurse this poor boy back to health from the mess left by the others before her. Perfect for a victim-card-playing drama queen like myself. Plus, how do you escape that hook?
8. Future In The Past - Chickenfoot A real "kitchen sink" song. The last track on an awesome album, they really just tackle what the hadn't already on the rest. But like the rest of the album, the song is very cohesive. All parts moving equally. Sammy doesn't over-yelp, Joe doesn't over-shred, etc. It's got a really early '70s vibe, like Mountain or Cream. The track starts off with a near-ripoff of "Thank You" before quickly jumping to a swamp blues riff. Next movement goes into some middle east jungle boogie before ending on a huge arena-rock jam. It's simple- the points are not deep, but I still get the goose bumps.
7. Cornerstone - Arctic Monkeys A pathetic story really. Rock star gets all the tail in the world and always blows it by asking if he can call them your name. We all have our days of pining and shouldn't be especially proud of it, but Alex Turner has a real way of describing his surroundings that brings a realness to the tale.
6. A Whole Lot Better - Brendan Benson Simple pop awesomeness. I actually was not impressed with Brendan's album in whole, but this first song sticks in my head in a way that Paul McCartney was always trying to do in Wings, but failed. Plus, I like the indecisiveness of the song's protagonist. "I fell in love with you and out of love with you and back in love with you all in the same day" Exactly. Us crazies gotta stick together.
5. Peacemaker - Green Day I thought in general, that Green Day's latest album was an attempt to capitalize on the stupid crazy huge (and deserved) success of American Idiot. It's still about youthful alienation and government control. Fine. But it's not as cohesive or hooky and there was just not enough reason to continue down the EXACT same path. Having said that, "Peacemaker" is high water mark in Green Day's creativity. Still tip-tapping on their punk roots but adding what, samba? I'm surprised Ennio Morricone is not a co-writer.
4. 15- Marilyn Manson No I'm not kidding. Manson very famously got dumped by Evan Rachel Wood in 2008. A so he makes an album filled with anger and disappointment. Typical. Then- he caps it off by ending with the most depressive thing this side of Joy Division. It's not "childish", but it is completely regressive of a dude with a broken heart. It's when a man really starts to admit that he needs things. Then he gets particularly stalky and dark. It's probably the best song of his career.
3. White Shoes - Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band No real band on this one, but that's the official album artist. It's hard to say why I love this song so much. I generally like songs that mean specific things to me. This one, with its oblique lyrics and loose folk strumming can take me in a different direction each time I hear it. When Conor returns to the quote, "Anything you wanna do" I get to pretend. Even though I do have that desperation, I get to pretend that I have the commitment to follow through with such a request.
2. Hang You From The Heavens - The Dead Weather This one is straight up about one of the most awesome drum licks in the history of rock. Jack White rarely misses his mark and this is no exception. Power and thick sticky goo all over this riff. The singer Alison, often left me not believing her on the album. But on this song, even though I really don't like any pain in my pleasure, I'd still let her drag me by the hair anywhere.
1. Aeon - Antony & the Johnsons If the voice doesn't break your heart while at the same time bringing you a spiritual awakening, then I can't help you. Let's do something differently. Let's take our power back.
The moniker "return of KC", as this is being dubbed, is lost on me. I was actually a big fan of My December- as dark and loud as it was. So, as the cover suggests, Kelly gets back to the light bright side of town and sings more upbeat songs. The first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" is a shameless copy of "Since U Been Gone", but is still good enough. "I Do Not Hook Up"would be a better example of a familiar sound to Kelly-ites while not being so samey-same.
The highlight times-ten, though, is the punk-pop perfection of "Whyyawannabringmedown". A cover by a dude group called Aranda that I just heard and Kelly was VERY faithful to. (hear the versions played together here.) Sounds better coming from my girlfriend's lungs though. Speaking of Kelly's lungs, she should totally take her shirt off.
It took me a 2nd and 3rd listen though to appreciate much of the rest of the album, but now that I have, I can definitely embrace this as easily as I did Breakaway. I would advise her, though, to follow her own heart, commercial success or not. (4 of5 stars)
How committed am I to this concept of listening to a newly released album every week? Enough to have to choose between some rapper's back-up singer, a New Zealand hardcore band, or this - an American Idol cast-off.
