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Jazz has been experiencing a revival lately. Numerous artists are responsible, but none so much as Michael Bublé. The name is likely to be known even among those who do not ordinarily listen to jazz. Bublé’s pop-jazz renditions of the classic standards has reintroduced famous jazz pieces back into the mainstream, and some even bigger than they were back when they first came out.

Call Me Irresponsible (2007) sees a continuation of Michael Bublé’s contemporary renditions of jazz classics. Generally, the album is an excellent demonstration of what makes Bublé so popular. The opening track, a cover of Frank Sinatra’s famous “The Best Is Yet to Come”, is tastefully performed; Bublé’s vocal dynamics, ranging from the soulful opening to the jubilant ending, are skilfully executed. It is evident from the title track - made famous by Frank Sinatra, as well - why Bublé is so popular today: Bublé’s smooth, sultry vocals in “Call Me Irresponsible” with its playful lilts portray the bad-boy persona of the song with finesse, but the upbeat and well-structured instrumentation accompanying him ensures that a young audience which grew up on the likes of Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears are not lost on complex rhythmic changes or lengthy improvised solos. Bublé’s light-hearted rendition of “I’ve Got the World On a String” has got just the right swing feel, and is bound to make anyone happy.

The album, however, is not just about upbeat music. Many of the tracks prove that Michael Bublé is a master at sentimental music too. The more pensive and soulful tracks such as “Me and Mrs Jones” and “Always On My Mind” display an expressive and emotional side to Bublé that is seldom heard in his earlier albums. “Me and Mrs Jones” is movingly rendered; Bublé’s vocals brim with emotions, and show that he has grasped very well the inner turmoil of the song’s persona who is involved in a relationship with a married woman.

“Call Me Irresponsible”, unlike many of Michael Bublé’s previous albums, does not contain solely of covers. There are two original songs in the album, “Everything” and “Lost”, both of which Bublé himself had a part in writing. “Everything”, in my opinion, is the better of the two because its feel-good melody and admittedly sweet lyrics are far more memorable and captivating. That is, of course, not to say that “Lost” is bad; in fact, it is well-composed, and has a set of powerfully heartfelt and emotional lyrics.

Towards, the album lapses into quieter and slower music which may or may not be able to hold the attention of an audience accustomed to a fast-paced, hectic life, but that does not mean that the tracks are not worth a listen, of course. The bonus track, a cover of the classic “Love”, is a great song to end the album with not only because it is a familiar tune, but also because Bublé’s haplessly-in-love rendition of the song is captivating to listen to and creates a happy ending to the album’s musical ups and downs. Overall, Call Me Irresponsible (2007) is a testimony to the talent of Michael Bublé and to his pivotal role in bringing jazz back.

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Since they began in 2004 with their debut album “We all know is falling”, Paramore has recently shot up to fame within the pop rock, Paramore never really got the ball rolling. However, with the 2007 release of their second album “Riot!“, this respectful band has hit the right spot with their audiences, shooting themselves to some fame. Paramore’s music has been noted for it’s rare youthful enthusiasm, the main factor which contributed to their explosive music. It is so apt that their choice of title, “Riot!” itself actually means a sudden outburst of energy or emotion.

Let me admit personally that my first impression of the band was not exactly positive, after listening to their single “Misery Business”, yet I felt that I would not be doing them justice unless I got the entire album to listen to myself. With an entwining mixture of slow paced (such as “When it rains”, “We are broken”, “Let the flames begin”) and fast paced songs (”For a pessimist, I’m pretty Optimistic”, “Born for this”, “Misery Business”), I feel that on a general note, I’m impressed with the album as well as the band as a whole.

After my first run through the entire album, I was actually amazed when I found myself subconsciously repeating after their beats, which are simple, yet fits to the mood of their various songs to a T. Despite being what many would consider “simply yet another pop album”, “Riot!” actually has some redeeming qualities which distinguishes them from the rest.

With incredible catchy choruses, as well as an interestingly unique set of lyrics, courtesy of their lead singer Hayley Williams and backup vocalist Josh Farro, the songs would dance at the tip of your tongues for some time after listening to most of the songs. Paramore tries to be unique in the way that it tries to mix and match some of the monotonous tunes by having a sort of “roller coaster” tempo in some of their songs, for example “Crushcrushcrush”, and it has worked to some extent. Furthermore, Hayley William’s versatile vocals is able to cope and adapt to the changes in tempo and mood of the sings accordingly, while still being able to capture the essence and tone of a teenage pop girl.

However, at the same time, their experimenting with this technique has caused some songs(in my personal choice, “Misery Business”) to have some difficulties to flow. Yet, I feel that Paramore has already made up for it plus interest with the rest of their tracks. For pop enthusiasts out there looking for something new to sample, “Riot! (2007)” is a gem that gleams slightly brighter than the other albums out there. Injecting old ideas from fresh perspectives, their sounds would be stuck in your mind for ages. Another young prospect to look out for in the near future.

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21 years after the destruction of the Death Star II in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the New Republic (free and democratic successor of the corrupt and authoritarian Empire) faces a new and fearsome threat - invasion of a species alien to the galaxy. Set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, The New Jedi Order is a series of 27 books detailing this crisis and the events that unfold after the invasion.

After the collapse of the Empire with the death of Emperor Palpatine and the destruction of the Death Star II, the New Republic was born. This democratic and free society of planetary systems was headed by the heroes of the Rebel Alliance, like Leia Organa. Luke Skywalker then strived to rebuild the Jedi Order, basing a temple on the moon of planet Yavin. After years of hard work, the New Republic prospered and enjoyed peace, safeguarded by the growing ranks of new Jedi Knights. However, this peace was shattered with the discovery of a sudden invasion of this galaxy by an alien warrior race from another galaxy called the Yuuzhan Vong.

This was the first adversity that called upon the new order of Jedi Knights, however, during the first few waves of skirmishes the Jedi Knights were slaughtered. It soon dawned that the Yuuzhan Vong was devoid of the ‘Force’, an energy field that binds all living organisms in the galaxy, a source of the Jedi Knights’ power. The Yuuzhan Vong were formidable foes - their entire society is made up of numerous warrior clans and they see death in battle as honour to their clans. Planet after planet fell to the onslaught, with populations wiped out. Heroes from the old Rebel Alliance like Han Solo, Chewbacca and Wedge Antilles took to arms again and seek to repel the attacks. New heroes were introduced, namely Anakin, Jacen and Jaina Solo (the children of Leia and Han); and Ganner Rhysode, a Jedi Knight.

During the course of the stories, several key characters were killed in battle. Chewbacca, a prolific character from the original six episodes and Han Solo’s loyal companion, was killed in battle early in the stages of the invasion. Anakin Solo was also killed in combat; he single-handedly fought off thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors to aid the escape of his siblings and friends, and was later consumed by the Force. Ganner Rhysode also martyred himself in battle, holding back wave after wave of enemies to allow the captured Jacen Solo to flee.

This New Jedi Order series of novels was eagerly anticipated by Star Wars fans as it continued the Star Wars saga after the original sexology of movies. Fans gleefully waited to see how the newly-rebuilt Jedi Order would withstand against malicious threats like the Yuuzhan Vong. Each of the books features one, if not numerous, epic battle scenes. You can expect large scale battles for planetary control between the two warring factions - expect starfighter battles, Jedi melee combat and even ground assaults. The battle scenes are described to the usual fantastic Star Wars detail and never fail to leave Star Wars fans like myself craving for more. In particular, the scene which Anakin Solo martyred himself was outstanding.

Despite the abruptness of an out-of-the-blue invasion of an alien species, the plot was intriguing. The Yuuzhan Vong made use various methods of subversion, espionage and brute military might to cripple the New Republic. I respect the authors for taking the time to brainstorm, coming up with such intricate and meticulous details. War was not fought only on the military front with issues like internal conflict and unrest, and this gave a realistic feel of warfare in the series. Towards the end of the series, the novels left me with very uplifting spirits, seeing how the Jedi Knights and other heroes bonded and worked together to repel the threat of the Yuuzhan Vong.

It was a huge pity that key characters of the Star Wars franchise had to die, but still, this added to the ‘dark’ nature of The New Jedi Order series and this is the very fact that makes this series of novels a very compelling read.

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P.S. I Love You is a book that has drawn a variety of comments. This debut novel by Cecelia Ahern has won over many sentimental readers, drawing rave reviews; it has also drawn flak from critics who think that her work is amateurish.

The story revolves around a couple Holly and Gerry living in Ireland. They lead a happily married life and were madly in love with each other, treasuring each other’s companionship. They always joked that Holly would not be able to cope if Gerry departed first, Holly being so dependent on Gerry. The solution was to come up with a ‘List’ of instructions to teach Holly what exactly to do in the event of that. However, neither of them expected to part so prematurely, when Gerry was diagnosed with brain cancer and shortly passed on.

In the months that followed Gerry’s demise, Holly became self-absorbed, brooding at home. She became a depressed wreck, unable to cope with the massive loss of her beloved spouse. Despite her family’s and friends’ best attempts to console and cheer her up, she remained despondent. It is at this juncture that Holly’s mother mentions to her about a parcel addressed to Holly with the word ‘List’ on it. Reluctantly, Holly agrees to take a look at the parcel and finds a letter from Gerry together with 10 sets of envelopes. It dawned onto her that Gerry, acutely aware of his impending demise, forced himself to pen a whole series of written instructions for her, to help her cope with his departure.

Each of the 10 envelopes is to be opened on the first day of every month, and each letter tasks Holly to do something to help her regain her confidence and step out of the shadow of the tragedy. The types of tasks range from amusing to quirky to touching - Gerry instructs Holly to go on a much-needed vacation with her buddies, to buy a new dress for herself and start dolling up and so on. Holly follows the instructions to the letter, as a form of tribute to her late husband. Where her eccentric family members and best friends failed, Gerry manages to gradually help Holly out of her plight even when death claimed him. Amidst worries that the letters might cause Holly to cling on to the past and exacerbate the situation, Holly actually starts to find her life moving forward and slowly accepts her new lease of life.

This is a romantic tale of loss, hurt and learning to cope with it; it is a very heartwarming story. On one side, we can see how deeply Gerry cared for and understand Holly that he could predict what would happen to her in the event of his death. He forced himself through the draining task of writing the whole set of letters just to make sure that Holly would be alright. Holly is a largely naïve and slightly immature woman, who has a strong bond and dependency on her husband. Reading her struggle to put behind the love they shared and then the love that she lost certainly does pain me at times. Cecelia Ahern does manage to communicate the grief felt by Holly and the reluctance to let go of something so dear.

Critics found Cecelia Ahern’s style of writing amateurish, that she does not have sufficient experience to write about something as drastic and somber as death and rehabilitation of grief. I felt that this novel was conflicting as Cecelia Ahern seemed to be using light-hearted language and style which was not appropriate at times, especially during Gerry’s death. However, this does not fault the creativity in coming up with such a remarkable plot and storyline. It is a very captivating read; Cecelia Ahern makes you want to continue reading to find out what happens next in Holly’s rehabilitation process. At times, the story is absolutely heart-wrenching and embarrassed as I am to say this, but it is difficult to remain dry-eyed after this read.

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American Idol has already spawned so many Idols and created so many seasons. Yet the only Idol that we can fairly call a ’success’ is the first American Idol Kelly Clarkson. Winners of the following seasons have faded into oblivion after one or two singles, including the likes of Ruben Studdard. It seems that the trend is showing us that Idol participants who do not go on to win are able to perform to greater success in their careers. Clay Aiken was one, and now Chris Daughtry is proving to be another post-Idol success story.

Being ousted from the semi-finals in the fifth season of American Idol did not stop Chris Daughtry from being hastily signed by RCA Records and 19 Entertainment. He eventually teamed up with his former band, humbly named ‘Daughtry’, to record a debut rock band album. This debut self-titled album ‘Daughtry’ recorded phenomenal success within weeks of release in November 2006. In the space of 5 weeks, the album sold 1 million copies and made it to #1 on the Billboard charts on its ninth week. This was the fastest selling album by an American Idol contestant since Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Thankful’.

Daughtry’s distinctively gruff vocals are a perfect front for his band’s pop-rock tunes. His throaty, mellow voice however has a surprisingly large vocal range. In songs like ‘Over You’ we can hear him belting out and maintaining high pitches without much problem. Daughtry’s very first single, titled ‘It’s Not Over’, is a remarkable rock track that is catchy yet not preppy. The tune is catchy and it does resemble a decent authentic rock song, unlike most of Simple Plan’s songs despite their claims. Although reminiscent of Nickelback, many of Daughtry’s songs are mainstream-oriented and are inclined more towards pop-rock than Nickelback’s brand of emo-rock. Rock ballads such as ‘It Feels Like Tonight’ and ‘Breakdown’ show off Chris Daughtry’s crooning side, starting soft and building up to a all-rock yelling climax, and he does a commendable job for a singer on his debut album, with his popular trademark growl.

Despite the pleasant-sounding tracks, you cannot help but observe that majority of Daughtry’s tracks sound similar. There was one instance, after listening to the CD on repeat for an hour or so, that I subconsciously mistook ‘Over You’ for another track. I felt that Daughtry has built his own style of singing and created a distinctive sound for their music, but each song was not unique on its own. The album felt more or less like the songs were produced with reference to a model, before making subtle changes to each of them.

All in all, this record is still something I would recommend to rock fans. Be sure to listen to ‘Over You’ and ‘Home’, two of my favourite tracks. ‘Chris Daughtry is a man. Daughtry - like Van Halen and Bon Jovi - is a band.’ A band that has proven that it is capable of making some pretty damn good music.

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