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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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(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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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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(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
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The British singer with the towering, distinctive beehive hairdo brought home the biggest haul from the recent prestigious Grammy Awards 2008. She matched the record previously set by world-class artistes like Alicia Keys and Norah Jones by winning five Grammy Awards - Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. She is now the only British singer to record as many as five awards in one night.

Amy Jade Winehouse was born in 1983 in London and established her career in the R&B and soul music industry. Her debut album named ‘Frank’ was released in 2003 in Britain and earned her rave reviews from peers and critics. ‘Frank’ was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize, the annual prize for the best music album in the United Kingdom. Her sophomore album brought about even more stellar results - six Grammy nominations and five wins, a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist and two Ivor Novello Awards.

‘Back To Black‘ is a delightful mix of soul, jazz and modern ‘pop-py’ R&B with, more often than not, dark lyrical content. It is an artistic blend of the evergreen ’60s retro and modern-day pop engineered to near perfection by Amy Winehouse and producer Mark Rhonson. Her album has drawn much comparison to Lily Allen and Macy Gray; however, Amy Winehouse’s sounds appear darker and more mature, as opposed to Lily Allen’s hip-hop and reggae-like style. Her smash single ‘Rehab’ is a cynical insight into her alcoholic and drug addiction and rehabilitation. ‘Rehab’, I feel, is actually representative of her transition from her debut to sophomore albums - from Frank’s jazzy blues ballads to Back To Black’s more commercial and preppy feel. Yet, Winehouse manages to retain that retro groove and vintage style.

She is endowed with a husky, mellow voice that manages to bring out fully that distinctive Amy-Winehouse-retro sound. Her powerful vocals create soulful ballads, transforming her own experiences into powerful heart-wrenching statements. Her album is also laden with playful and cheeky tracks like ‘Me And Mr Jones’ which is full of profanities. This obvious clash of old-school classy vintage retro and brash, modern pop is what appeals to me the most. She manages to incorporate both successfully, giving her modern songs that popular nostalgic theme.

Evidently, ‘Back To Black‘ is intended for mature audiences. Profanities aside, tracks deal with very mature themes. In ‘Just Friends’, she croons about trying to break off from an illicit relationship and part of it goes ‘…the guilt will kill you, if she don’t first…’ The soulful fusion of Mariah Carey-crooning, Alicia Keys-R&B and Aretha Franklin-retro will guarantee great songs. This album will definitely yank at your heartstrings with the borderline-seductive ‘Just Friends’ or the somber ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ coupled with Winehouse’s naturally-bleak vocals. This album was rated by her fellow artistes to be worthy of five Grammy Awards. This fact by itself already speaks volumes about the quality of her work.

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(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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The name “Simple Plan” is almost synonymous with the punk rock genre of music. Formed almost a decade ago in 1999, Simple Plan has had major successes world wide. Releasing “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls” back in 2002 and then “Still not getting any…” in 2004. Both albums achieved double and single platinum in the United States respectively as well as quadruple platinum in Canada. Just recently (a week ago as a matter of fact), they released their 3rd studio album, simply titled “Simple Plan” (no pun intended).

However, the standard of this album falls far behind that of the other 2 albums in my opinion. The most popular song in this album, Your Love is a Lie, as well as I Can Wait Forever remind me of the boy bands of the 1990s (ala Backstreet Boys/Westlife), especially the chorus. Not to mention Take My Hand sounds like an oddly “cheerful” song (S Club 7?) and The End is practically indistinguishable from all the other punk rock songs (Yellowcard, Good Charlotte… take your pick) as do Generation and Time to Say Goodbye (both sound like Bowling for Soup, and the latter is just irritating me by repeating the song title over and over again in the song itself). Save You almost sounds like a boy band singing along to rock music in the background (ie. completely weird).

The only songs in the album which I can bring myself to remotely like are When I’m Gone, Holding On, No Love and What If (ironically the first song and the last 3 songs). Yet, even then, there isn’t anything completely unique about these songs that sets them apart from all the other punk rock songs out there, including Simple Plan’s own songs from previous albums. In my opinion, the music found in Simple Plan (I’m referring to the album here) simply hasn’t evolved much over the years.

In fact, I loved Simple Plan’s debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls and Still Not Getting Any… When it comes to the punk rock genre, I’ve always enjoyed their songs, unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about this new self-titled album of theirs. Honestly, these type of songs were fresh when they first appeared a few years back in their earlier albums, but it’s time they injected something new into their songs. I don’t know what that secret ingredient is, all I know is that it’s missing from this album.

All in all, I expected better from a band of this standard and am pretty disappointed by this album (I’m not alone). Simple Plan’s plan for this album was perhaps a little too simple (pun intended this time).

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(8 votes, average: 4.13 out of 5)
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