|
Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Bloomers
Sugar?
Yes please!
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
|
Heartbeat Song a bit too high, but the other scores are basically on point.
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
|
HBS
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 6,144
|
45S should be higher. I'll try and review both Maroon 5 & Björk, she really isn't my cup of tea, but I'll give it a listen.
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
|
Maroon 5 - "Sugar"
Maroon 5's third single from V was co-written by Dr. Luke and Mike Posner, with the latter providing background vocals. Over a slick, funky guitar line, Adam Levine reaches into his falsetto register to let a woman know how much he needs her (and her good lovin'), while metaphorically comparing her love to sugar. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Luke lent the track an indelible chorus that will stick with its listener days at a time. The song will have detractors who deem it too generic to be interesting and lyrically simple, but Maroon 5 have accomplished what they wanted to in this case; another surefire top ten radio smash is under their belt.
4/5
|
|
|
Member Since: 11/9/2011
Posts: 10,037
|
Edit: Wrong topic.
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/24/2012
Posts: 30,779
|
Sugar is this super sweet treat that it makes certain people sick (or pretend to be sick because #mytasteisabovethis), but extremely enjoyable for someone who's in for confections and a good time.
"I gotta be a man, There ain't no other way" always sticks out for me whenever I hear the song, even mindlessly. It's this adorably naive, seemingly boyish resolution of a man that is willing to do do anything for his relationship. Adam Levine's falsetto crooning is very on point in the chorus.
It's my 2nd-most listened song of 2014. I don't really fancy listening to it now, but there was a time that I kept it on constant repeat. Addictiveness level 9000.
Score: 4.5/5
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/15/2012
Posts: 2,344
|
Maroon 5 - Sugar
I honestly don't know why I was so harsh on this during my review of the album V. This isn't a terrible song. It's lead in by a synth line and then the guitars and vocals kick in. Honestly, when this song was first announced as a single, I hated it because I wanted It Was Always You. However, since that's not happening for the 3rd single, I've grown to like this song. A lot. This is easily the best single off of V so far. Animals was just awful after it got overplayed to death, and Maps grew better as it faded into obscurity. The lyrics are sweet and it has a really cute music video. 3/10? Hell no.
9.5/10
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/15/2012
Posts: 6,964
|
Very low for 'FourFiveSeconds', not everything is beats, guys.
Can we do Marilyn Manson's "The Pale Emperor"? I think I might do "Vulnicura".
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
|
Still today and three more for Sugar; 6 days for Bjork.
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
|
Maroon 5 - Sugar
Maroon 5 as they existed in the past, as a band with a soft rock/blue-eyed soul sound, has all but disappeared. Currently, their sound, more or less, is the same sound as whatever is currently dominating the pop charts; mainly because they have consciously decided to work with the producers responsible for shaping the sound of the Top 40. This isn't a bad thing necessarily; although, as I stated in my review of 'V,' the album that was designed to carry Maroon 5's latest batch of singles, Maroon 5 (Adam Levine specifically) doesn't have the charisma or versatility to pull off the majority of the sounds of pop radio, which are best left to the Katy Perrys and Ariana Grandes of the pop world.
Strangely enough, the best 'V' single so far, is the "Birthday" soundalike "Sugar." "Birthday" didn't quite work for Katy; her version of the song offered a more lowkey version of the Katy we're used to, it was a deflated version of the normally colorful singer. Maybe that's why Maroon 5's take on the song works (and for all intents and purposes, "Sugar" basically is the twin of "Birthday"), Maroon 5 are best at selling these lowkey disco-fied songs, and Adam Levine and company are more skilled at handling this kind of lightly funky tune. "Sugar" may not be the most memorable Maroon 5 single (none of their singles post-"Moves Like Jagger" are), but "Sugar" is a song that sticks to Maroon 5's strengths and the group handles the song well. Even if the song just turns out to be just a temporary pop confection to keep Maroon 5's name on the charts, and a quick way get to the next single, "Sugar" hits all the sweet spots for what we could want from present-day Maroon 5.
_________________________________________________
Grade: B
My Reviews
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
|
I'm loving all these reviews for Vulnicura!
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
|
Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
I'm loving all these reviews for Vulnicura!
|
I sense sarcasm...
I would review it if it were on Spotify... But it's not.
|
|
|
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
|
Björk – ‘Vulnicura’ —- (9.7)
Genre: Art Pop | Downtempo | Glitch Pop | Chamber Pop | Ambient Pop
(One Little Indian; January 20th, 2015) //
Leaks are wonderful!… Well, for us, the impatient listener, not for the artist. Most of the time, at least. When this album leaked, about a month ago, her fans were raging with anger about this. The lead single wasn’t even announced, there was no cover, only thing we knew at the time was its tracklist, that Arca and The Haxan Cloak were involved in it, and the name of the album… and, that’s it! But what Björk wanted was something else. She didn’t really care about the leaking of the album, all she cared about was getting it out, just so her fans could enjoy it. And also as a way to “cure her pain”.
Björk’s eighth album, ‘Vulnicura’ is about the healing of the wounds – literally! Vulnus means “wound” and cura means “healing” in Latin. After breaking up with Matthew Barney, her partner for over a decade, the album is obviously about the loss of love and the sadness and desperation that comes after it. Yes, this is essentially a break-up album. But don’t expect her to go in the route of Taylor Swift-like lyrics – this is not only about a break-up, but also about the moments before a break-up, how it affects all the people that surround you, and its lyrics are as complex as always from Björk.
"Stonemilker" is the song that is responsible for the opening of the album, and is also one of the most honest in it, in which she desperately asks for some kind gesture of her partner, or some “emotional respect”. There are lots of strings in that song… well, actually the whole album is based around strings, but I love that. The next track, "Lionsong" continues with the theme of care and respect in a couple, but in the chorus (“Maybe he will come out of this, loving me / Maybe he won’t / Somehow I’m not to bothered “), she also shows a bit of disinterest, as if she was tired of all that.
"History of Touches" is almost an interlude due to its length - but it is one of the songs that show the most emotion in ‘Vulnicura’. The instrumental sounds like something that could have come from an Oneohtrix Point Never album, and its lyrics are about trying to remember all of the beautiful stuff in a relationship, every single touch, every single time they had sex, every single time they were happy together, as if those moments were slowly fading.
But it’s only a prequel to the saddest song on the album, "Black Lake", which is 10 minutes long. It’s an odyssey of desperation and feelings, like watching quietly as everything you know slowly falls apart. Björk sings about her spirit being broken, comparing her relationship to Barney to a “womb” which kept her protected, and accusing him of abandoning his “sacred mutual mission”. If you don’t feel anything while listening to this lyrics, you might not even have a soul. Just saying.
"Family" is more or less a continuation of the previous song. It was the only song co-produced by The Haxan Cloak, and in the first 2 or 3 minutes it really sounds like something that could’ve come from ‘Excavation’, and yeah, it’s actually quite scary. The lyrics are about how their break-up affects her family (and her daughter), and how the triangle of love between the mother, the father and the child is now destroyed. But after the first half, which sounds tense and angry, the ending is actually calm, soothing and beautiful, almost heavenly.
The sixth track in the album, "NotGet", the closest Björk will ever get to make a twerk anthem. Except not really. The beats in it sound like Arca’s “Thievery” or something else that could have come from ‘Xen’, and Björk sings powerful lyrics like, “Don’t remove my pain / it is my chance to heal”. "Atom Dance" is a duet with Antony from Antony and the Johnsons, and their voices complement each other just like they did in their previous collaborations. Also the second half of the track is just gorgeous.
If “NotGet” sounded like something that could have come from Arca’s ‘Xen’, "Mouth Mantra" sounds like his mixtape ‘&&&&&’, or like one of his collaborations with FKA twigs. That’s obviously a great thing, the production in the song is really detailed and beautiful. And finally, the closing track, "Quicksand" is a breath of fresh air after the tension of the other 8 tracks in the album, and while I feel like it is not a really great song to close the album, the lyrics have some sort of feeling of closure.
Björk has always reinvented herself, every album is different than the other. And while this is no exception, I feel like she tried to mix the sounds of previous albums like ‘Homogenic’ (my personal favorite of hers), ‘Vespertine’, and her previous album ‘Biophilia’ into something really personal. And this is a way of reinventing yourself too. That’s why I always believed that she’s is a modern-day genius, she brings together many concepts and she pulls it off on a really original way.
Highlights: “Lionsong”, “History of Touches”, “Black Lake”, “Family”, “NotGet”, “Mouth Mantra”
You’ll like it if you like: Björk’s ‘Homogenic’, ‘Vespertine’ and ‘Biophilia’, The Knife’s ‘Shaking the Habitual’, FKA twigs’ collaborations with Arca
Honestly, TRF.
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 13,055
|
Maroon 5 - "Sugar"
Maroon 5's new single is one of the best songs on the record. When they officially announced it as a single I was surprised because I never thought they'd release it but I was happy. This song has a retro vibe that I always enjoy in songs. Adam Levine's vocals make it even better. The lyrics are a bit cheesy but that doesn't make the song any less good because it fits the theme perfectly. Levine's seductive voice and the catchy rhythm helps the song become an instant hit.
The album "V" is certainly not their best, but it has songs like this one and "It Was Always You" that makes you still want to enjoy Maroon 5. It's pretty clear that they never fail to deliver good music.
9.5/10
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/29/2012
Posts: 15,977
|
We should do "What Kinda Man" by Florence + The Machine
---
Maroon 5 - Sugar
Sugar is Maroon 5' s latest and the third run off the mill single from their album V. While the song works as a fun retro throwback song there really is nothing outstanding or interesting about it that makes one keep coming back to it. The lyrics are cheesy and the production is very reminiscent of Katy Perry's Birthday which was equally as boring.
Final Say: Maroon 5 continue their path which leads them through more simple radio filler melodies and they never seem to dare to take a 'wrong turn' which might lead them to some experimentation or anything even remotely gripping.
2,5/10
Björk - Vulnicura
Ambition.In a solo career lasting multiple decades ambition has almost become a synonym for the word Björk.Whether it is an app accompanying her previous avant-garde album Biophilia,making an album with almost nothing but human voices like Medúlla or using simply mindspinning beats on Homogenic, Björk has never been shy to excercise her artistic ambitions.
Vulnicura opens up with heavy strings and Björk sounds as unique and strangely powerful as ever.The first two songs instantely reveal that the songwriting on this albums is much more personal than the lyrics for her previous record Biophilia which in many ways seemed somewhat distant.Ultimately her latest release is a break up album but the stunning thing is the fact that in the booklet the songs have subtitles like "9 months before" or "5 months before" signifying the how long before the break up each song was written. This gives lyrics like Maybe he will come out this/Maybe he won't/Somehow I'm not too bothered either way and Moments of clarity are so rare/I better document this an oddly scary but also an even more emotionally complex depth. Björk continues to explore relationships and break-ups throughout the whole record and her lyrics are perfectly complemented by Arca's production who was involved in most of the tracks. Arca absolutely understands when to leave Björk's voice naked and alone and when to drop beats to push a song forward. The centerpiece of the album is Black Lake, which clocks in with a little more than 10 minutes and is therefore the longest song in Björk's discography.The song finds Björk at her most vunerable, helplessly singing Our love was my womb/But our bond has broken/My shield is gone/My protection is taken.
With merely 9 songs the album is short in tracks but long in execution since bar 2 tracks each song is longer than 6 minutes.
Final Say: Vulnicura is another worthy edition to Björk's excelent discography. People who didn't like her before will hardly find this to be a turning point but everyone who appreciates [I]Björk's [/I ]music or is fascinated by experimental pop music will definitely find the album to be a rewarding listen, even though it can overwhelm at times.
8/10
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
|
^ i'm not crazy about sugar either, but it's clearly designed as a whimsical pop track. it (+ maroon 5) aren't trying to be experimental or gripping. i think you're looking at this wrong.
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/29/2012
Posts: 15,977
|
Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
^ i'm not crazy about sugar either, but it's clearly designed as a whimsical pop track. it (+ maroon 5) aren't trying to be experimental or gripping. i think you're looking at this wrong.
|
I'M no expecting an experimental album just anything away from the basic forumla they've applied for their past two albums.
And how can an artists not try to be gripping?Isn't that what you want your music to do?
To make your music grip people,keep them coming back and listen to the song over and over again?
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
|
The Lowdown: Harmless pop track is guilty-pleasure fun if it's treated as such.
Maroon 5's latest single, Sugar, is a great piece of generic fluffy pop that, although famously sounding similar to Katy Perry's Birthday, is markedly better. A synth not unlike the one that is prevalent in album track and should-be fourth single It Was Always You kicks off the song, and as soon as the drum machine kicks in and frontman Adam Levine begins his ode to his love, a decidedly fun, playful atmosphere is set. The lyrics aren't fresh ( "I need you love and / Love and I need it now"), but they're fun to sing along to and fit the mood of the song well. The band does not try to make Sugar seem serious at all (which kinda happened with half-sexy, half-cringeworthy second single Animals), which makes its replay value high for me and also makes it a guilty-pleasure track.
As soon as the Birthday guitar comes in for the prechorus, I'm sold. I'm subconsciously bobbing my head and whistling the tune, and the over-the-top chorus with Levine's long falsetto notes and the incredibly catchy Maroon 5 melodies we've come to know and love over the past few years is excellent. The bridge is well done, as it departs from the verses enough to not seem like a waste of time and also integrates the instrumental for the second half. The final chorus drags on for a bit too long, but it works as a kind of drawn-out happy ending.
For the past few weeks, I've continually found myself playing Sugar and being less and less surprised each time I do so to the point where the fact that it's #3 on my most played of 2015 is unremarkable. It's definitely a grower, and just a fun song to be completely honest. When I first reviewed V, I don't remember singling out Sugar as a good song. But I was treating it like it was supposed to be a serious song like Animals, not the innocent, fun track it really is. Do I want to hear it again now? Yes please.
Reviews:
|
|
|
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
|
There are like 10 reviews for Sugar and only one for Vulnicura. Please.
Also, yes, we should definitely do What Kind of Man!
Honestly, TRF.
|
|
|
|
|