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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 7,689
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Is Carly happening now? Would love for E.MO.TION to be my first review.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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I'll do BIBO and Emotion soon. Can we also do Unbreakable Smile by Tori Kelly? 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Hilary Duff - Breathe In. Breathe Out. - 7/10
Hilary Duff came back with a brand new studio album after a 7-year-long hiatus. Initially planned as a folk-oriented record, after two unsuccessful attempts at launching her new style, Hilary decided to go pure pop on 'Breathe In. Breathe Out.', yet not completely removing the folk part, which can be pleasantly heard on a few tracks.
Overall, the album is extremely cohesive, to the point that some songs might sound too similar to each other. As the album was intended for an early summer release, the producers decided not to go too hard on the songs, making the music sound as light as possible. This method had some amazing results in "Sparks", "Confetti" and "Tattoo", yet made most of the record sound incomplete: the title track, "Brave Heart" and "Belong" all sound like unfinished demos. In addition, all the post-chorus breakdowns seem out of place, and usually have nothing to do with the song.
After the first few plays, the listener will definitely enjoy this fun, light album, but the risk is that it might sound monotonous after a few plays and become tiring too easily.
"Sparks" (9/10)
The whistles, the light beat, the catchy chorus... all factors that make this song a perfect smash hit. I'm still surprised it didn't do very well commercially.
"My Kind" (7.5/10)
The catchy chorus and the good production are what the listener is going to notice about this song. Sadly, I can't say the same about the extremely generic lyrics.
"One in a Million" (9/10)
This song will remind you of Demi Lovato's music because of the powerful chorus and the long notes. Hilary did a great job, as her voice sounds more emotional than in most of the other tracks.
"Confetti" (8/10)
In this song, which is definitely one of the catchiest, many have seen Katy Perry's influence. I can't say that I hear her a lot, but it's definitely smash-worthy.
"Breathe In. Breathe Out." (4/10)
The title track could be a decent song, if it wasn't for the terrible production. The music is too weak, almost non-existent, and the song sounds like an unfinished demo.
"Lies" (6/10)
This song, which could've been used by Hilary in her early career, is "just there" on the album, as its really generic lyrics and predictable sound leave you with nothing in the end.
"Arms Around a Memory" (6/10)
Just like the previous track, this is another song that could've been treated better. The EDM breakdown after the chorus is not just something we've heard a thousand times before... it has nothing to do with the rest of the song! It could've been one of the best songs with a different breakdown.
"Stay in Love" (8/10)
This song offers us good production and a powerful chorus, as well as some of the best vocals on the album.
"Brave Heart" (6.5/10)
Yet another song that sounds incomplete. They should've worked more on the music, maybe making the sound more guitar-driven.
"Tattoo" (10/10)
I usually don't like Ed Sheeran's music. His songs for other artists are often boring and do nothing for the album, but this one definitely stands out. It's perfect for Hilary's voice. It creates a fantastic atmosphere. It's just amazing how it's one of the two folk songs Hilary decided to keep.
"Picture This" (8.5/10)
Hilary's great vocal performance and the different production make this song stand out in the album.
"Night Like This" (5/10)
Kendall Schmidt's vocals sound more impersonal and out of place than ever on this relaxing guitar-driven song that could've featured a better vocalist.
"Belong" (4/10)
The terrible production and the weak music make this track really forgettable. The, let's call it, "hint of breakdown" after the chorus is a tragic 2012 throwback.
"Rebel Hearts" (7.5/10)
This song sounds different from any other song on 'Breathe In. Breathe Out.', and it definitely should've been on the standard edition instead of... several of the standard edition tracks.
"Chasing the Sun" (9/10)
This seasonal buzz single is an adorable bubbly track that gets too much hate undeservedly. It's that type of feel-good song that you love playing in summer while relaxing at the beach or driving with your windows down.
"All About You" (8.5/10)
It's a fun song that, instead of being the lead single of the original folk-inspired album Hilary had planned, doesn't even appear on the deluxe edition of 'Breathe In. Breathe Out.'. Too bad.
"Outlaw" (9/10)
This song is fresher and more fun than most of the standard edition tracks. Despite following the style of the other songs, it sounds different: the music is louder, the production is better, and Hilary sounds more excited.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by TheEdgeOfGaga
Is Carly happening now?
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Yes
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Everything will be reviewable until July 4.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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By the way, Pretty Girls' score was 66 overall (8 reviews).
1 Top Critic = 75
7 Members = 64
The images that the mods gave me (green square and green circle background, + atrlcritic logo) aren't working anymore. 
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Let's do Nate Ruess' fantabulous album.
Sucks that Carly's isn't being released in the U.S. until August... 
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Quote:
Originally posted by chilicheese01
Let's do Nate Ruess' fantabulous album.
Sucks that Carly's isn't being released in the U.S. until August... |
I agree. With Nate and the Carly thing.
August is too long to wait and I don't like to listen to leaks/downloads 
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bloomers
I agree. With Nate and the Carly thing.
August is too long to wait and I don't like to listen to leaks/downloads |
+1. I usually just use Spotify. Finding a good download link and everything can be such a pain.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Carly Rae Jepsen (IE "that Call Me Maybe girl") has released her second mainstream Pop album: Emotion. After almost 3 years of working, "Emotion" enters the world with every track being written by Jepsen, as well writers like Sia making an appearance. Preceded by the lead single I Really Like You which has moved about 1,000,000 copies worldwide, "Emotion" is ready to capture the attention of pop-fanatics.
Run Away With Me: It's unlikely to turn into a hit, but it's still the best pop song of the year, as well as the song that puts I Really Like You to shame. If anyone could do it, it would be Carly. 10/10
Emotion: A groovy, guitar driven track that shows some production restraint, something unlike past Carly works. The biggest and most genius part of the song? The hook being taken not by Carly's vocal, but by a lone electric guitar. That being said, it's still pulled off remarkably well. 9.5/10
I Really Like You: Should've been the song of the summer. Light, fun, ridiculously catchy, Carly just waltzes over the drum beats and synths like a true pro. All of that makes the couplet "Who gave you eyes like that? Said you could keep them?" over-lookable. 10/10
Gimme Love: A stripped back, sultry ballad. A pleading Carly groans over a lone guitar riff before growing into a chorus of backing vocals. Simple, but effective. Likely a track most will pass over. 8/10
All That: And the lights in the club are dimmed for this (shockingly) slow song. "Show me if you want me, if I'm all that" sounds strangely seductive yet heartbreaking, an effective combination. It drags on a bit too long, but if you give this song a chance to hold your attention, it's worth it. 8/10
Boy Problems: A La Roux inspired 80's pop track that just so happens to have been penned by none other than Sia. It's so close to being worth a drive down the beach with the top down, but the song just sounds too timid. Its siblings and neighbors are just too much to compete with. On an album like this, a song this good is just not enough. 7.5/10
Making the Most of the Night: The album has been throwing out some triples, but at this point we're back to home runs. Groovy, head-bobbing greatness with a chorus that masterfully blends darkness with light. 9.5/10
Your Type: The lyrics are uncharacteristically bland for Carly, chucked full of cliches. Easily overlookable, but still not that bad. 6/10
Let's Get Lost: Another home run. A cute and quaint little song that's just utterly charming. 9/10
LA Hallucinations: A sassy offbeat driven track that sounds somewhat similar to Taylor Swift's Bad Blood. Not the best track on the album, but it's worth the listen just for the change of pace and sound. 7/10
Warm Blood: A definite standout. Somehow the wallowing synth sounds strangely blood like. This song sounds much like a hallucination than its predecessor, almost to the point of being psychedelic. Just lay back and let Warm Blood course through your veins. 9/10
When I Needed You: The end of the standard edition of Emotion. This new wave doesn't sound like any typical album closer, but somehow When I Needed You manages to let the credits roll, but also be worthy of some attention, but not that much. 7/10
Black Heart: An 8-bit intro, a confident entry from Carly, why did this miss the standard edition? It's perfectly cohesive with the rest of the album, but also different enough to add some variation. Very few singers could pull-off robotic without sounding emotionless, but Carly manages to do it exceptionally well. 10/10
I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance: The epitome of the groovy dance track you would hear at a trendy clothing store. And it's perfectly addictive. 9.5/10
Favourite Color: "Color" sounds much more like an interlude than a full length track, and it should've been one. 5/10
Never Get to Hold You: It's nice, but it's the first track that doesn't bring a new sound or idea to the table. It's an adequate album filler, which is fine for a Japanese only bonus track. 6/10
Love Again: Another Japanese bonus track, but one that has more value than being just a space filler. A great message and way to close out this specific edition of Emotion, and would've worked well as the overall closer as well. 7.5/10
Where Emotion stumbles, it merely wobbles, never falling completely out of line. The albums tracks all speak to the message of "Emotion," and while there were moments on Carly's previous album Kiss where it felt as if every song was a Call Me Maybe rehash, "Emotion" moves out of that song's shadow, and each new song offers something new and exciting. This album is destined to join Kiss as a Pop standard just outside of the mainstream.
Overall: 8.5/10
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Quote:
Originally posted by chilicheese01
+1. I usually just use Spotify. Finding a good download link and everything can be such a pain.
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YouTube is the way!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Reviews for Tori Kelly's album yet?
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Hilary Duff - Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Hilary Duff's first new album is eight years is an earworm at best and an unremarkable dud at worst. The pop scene has changed a lot during that timespan, but that doesn't make it any more difficult to predict the type of music being served on Breathe In. Breathe Out. The album is a typical amalgamation of all the current trends in pop music, watered down to the point where most songs flow in one ear and out the other with less viscosity than water itself. There are piles of synths, basic dance-pop beats, and a couple guitar flourishes here and there.
Unfortunately for Hilary, the album is a mixed bag of hits and misses. There a moments of pop radio brilliance and others of utter boredom. "My Kind" is an obvious single choice; it sounds ready for both clubs and radio with its indelible hooks and bouncy production. Lead single "Sparks," which jumps on the whistle bandwagon, is similarly buoyant. "Lies" doesn't feature the best lyricism ("I'm done with your lies/La-la-la-la-lie, la-la-la-la-lies"), but it at least features Duff singing with some defiance, backed by brass instruments. "Brave Heart" is somewhat creatively built around the ticking of a clock, and the peppy Ed Sheeran co-write "Tattoo" lends the back half of the album some catchiness and life.
The bad: Tove Lo's contribution "One in a Million" suffers from being too grandiose for its own good, and you're lying if you say those echoed vocals don't annoy you. "Stay in Love," with its underlying synths and pestering drums, sounds unsure of whether it wants to be a club hit or an adult contemporary snooze. "Picture This" contains the blandest cluster of hand claps, guitar strumming, and whistling that hardly meld to form a song at all. By the time "Night Like This" rolls around, even Hilary sounds bored with the music.
Fans of the star will be excited for her to be back, but for others, this album will go unnoticed. She might be able to snatch a couple of hits from this project, but she (her label, actually) need to set their priorities straight first; if they want "My Kind," with its bubbly production, or "Confetti", with its layered electronic pulses, to be hits at all, they need to be sent to radio first.
Skip to: "Sparks," "My Kind," "Confetti," "Tattoo"
Skip: "One in a Million," "Stay in Love," "Picture This," "Night Like This"
2.5/5
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Member Since: 8/17/2013
Posts: 5,341
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[Obsession Reviews:] Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TIONThe tragedy of Carly Rae Jepsen’s career thus far is that her most ubiquitous song is not even the best song on the album from which it came. “Call Me Maybe” saw the Canadian pop star burst onto the scene out of nowhere but while that song undeniably became Song of the Summer, the same couldn’t be said for her album. The success of her single didn’t translate into good sales for her album, but still Kiss arguably garnered positive acclaim as a genuine pop masterpiece. Miraculously, those low sales didn’t impede the chance of a follow-up album bringing us to the cusp of her present release, E•MO•TION.
E•MO•TION proves itself to be a well-developed follow-up to Kiss, expanding on the 80s influences of that album and updating that sound with much success. Whereas Kiss flaunted an obvious urge to please fans of mainstream pop music, E•MO•TION never takes great pains to go to such lengths. While Kiss was still a solid release, Carly has mostly eschewed the idea of pandering with E•MO•TION. Despite this, there’s never a dull moment on Carly’s latest release and every song sounds like a potential hit in some way. The album’s opener “Run Away With Me” is set to be the album’s second single and with good reason, as it quickly proves itself to be an obvious hit that boasts sax – however, unlike Dr. Luke productions such as Birthday, Sugar and Last Friday Night, this single actually immerses the sax as part of the actual song rather than a show pony being trotted out. The title track boasts the overarching theme of 80s influence in a very similar manner to much of Haim’s work on Days Are Gone. “I Really Like You” is the most jarring for the album’s cohesion, which implies good things for the album as the track plays out as an updated Wilson-Phillips hit. Thus it remains fairly in keeping with the album’s themes while still providing a great potential follow-up to Call Me Maybe. “Gimmie Love” seems tailored more for sweaty nights on the gay ballroom scene rather than the lighthearted teen-pop offered by Katy and Taylor. “All That” goes for the 80s take on the slow jam while “Boy Problems” goes for a funk influence, both coming off as fresh takes on past sounds and resulting in some of the album’s strongest tracks.
“Making The Most of the Night” plays itself off as a natural evolution of Phil Collins’s past work – but Carly’s Robyn influence shows itself brazenly on “Your Type”, which plays out as a slower take of Robyn’s own 80’s dance outing “Dancing on My Own”. “Let’s Get Lost” is a fun track that doesn’t take itself as seriously as other songs but never strays from the album’s mandated 80s agenda. “LA Hallucinations” is a trippy track that churns in similar fashion to recent hits (Sledgehammer, Style, Love Me Harder) but displays straight attitude. “Warm Blood” ends up as one of the album’s most experimental tracks, exuding the vibes of early Madonna and boasting a bass-heavy chorus. “When I Needed You” sees Carly return to the Phil Collins playbook of 80s pop with an anthemic chorus and unique drum programming.
For the most part, it is somewhat apparent why the bonus tracks on E•MO•TION were excluded and by no means, is it because they are weaker tracks. These tracks seem to fit the E•MO•TION manifesto less rigidly by exploring other aspects of 80s pop or not fully developing from the Kiss sound. “Black Heart” is an eccentric electropop track that works mostly as a call-out to Bjork, if anything. “I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance” is a straight up deep-house styled jam, played off with a flirty edge. “Favourite Colour” is an indulgent love song that treads more familiar territory as far as Kiss goes, but even here this bonus track plays out so perfectly, its inclusion on Kiss would have made it one of the strongest tracks on that effort. “Never Get to Hold You” is also guilty of holding onto the Kiss sound but similarly, it’s still an improvement on the blueprints that album laid out. “Love Again” is actually one of the tracks that seems mind-boggling in its placement on the deluxe track – perhaps because it hits a slightly similar note to that of “I Really Like You” – but it’s a strong track for the album.
In conclusion, E•MO•TION sees Carly perfect an already tight formula established on Kiss. She matures her sound and presents a fresh take pop music has been lacking. From beginning to end, E•MO•TION is an onslaught of pop mastery with very little room left to wobble or meander. The album commits itself more readily to the 80s genre than other contemporaries such as Taylor Swift’s 1989 with better results. Chalk it up to Carly having much less to lose than Taylor but by playing the pop game with a sense of risk, she winds up with what could end up being the best pop album of the year.
NECESSARY CUTS: Warm Blood, Gimmie Love, Run Away With Me, All That, Your Type, Making The Most of the Night
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Hilary Duff - Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Pop music is a genre in which personality reigns supreme. That makes sense as so much "pop" is designed and put together by a relatively small group of producers and artists. Pop by nature runs the risk of being painfully generic, bland, and derivative for this reason; not to mention the structure of a pop song has to more or less follow a formula to not go off the beaten path too much and become unaccessible which does more or less limit what a pop artist can do. So, of course for an artist to be successful in the genre, he or she would need some type of personality or creative voice to, well, "pop," and elevate his or her music beyond the generic and bland.
Breathe In. Breathe Out. Hilary Duff's "comeback album" really does not do very much to establish a creative voice for the pop singer that happened to release this album. Hilary comes off as vaguely likeable and girlish on the album, but that is more or less the only personality the album offers (besides serving as a low key promo opportunity for the good people at Tinder). Breathe In. Breathe Out. is a very dull, uninspired, and bland collection of songs; any of which could be performed, and more memorably, by the majority of today's pop stars not named "Hilary Duff". It's a well-produced album, but that's pretty much the only positive here. Take Sparks, the current single: It's dancey and fizzy, letting a grating whistled hook and a steady dance groove carry the song; it's a song that approaches fun, but lacks personality and energy, coming off as derivative of a number of Kylie Minogue hits than anything new and original; and things drop off precipitously from there. Maybe Hilary is aiming for something more mature in sound (and that is possibly why she chose to release an informomercial for a dating app, instead of a traditional music video for Sparks) and is looking to establish a more mature voice, but that does not excuse the album for being as uninspired and dull as it is as there really aren't any highlights or interesting sounds besides that generic effervescent pop atmosphere that buoys the album and keeps it from being a complete slog. There's really not much here though to offer except to die hard Hilary Duff fans or those that prefer their music fizzy, forgettable, and anonymous. Breathe In. Breathe Out. does not develop Hilary beyond a vague sketch (similar to the artwork on the album cover) and does not provide the color and depth that makes, or at least allows for, good pop music.
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Grade: D
 My Reviews
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Selena Gomez feat. A$AP Rocky - "Good for You" --- 7.5/10
Genre: Alternative R&B, Electropop, Cloud Rap
I think it's brave for Selena to do something that's not generic kid-friendly dance-pop, and to be honest, this song pulls the "Alternative R&B" card people like Kelela, FKA twigs and early The Weeknd have done, in an obviously more mainstream way, better than "The Heart..." did. Hell, the video version is even more minimal and smooth! Probably not as potent as "Come & Get It", but that's not what the song is aiming for, anyways.
The A$AP Rocky verse is kinda useless, but not bad either. It's just... fine. But then again, his rapping + the smooth production = kind of reminds me of his 'LOVE.LIVE.A$AP' mixtape, and that's... definitely something cool.
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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I'll try to do Good For You before I go to sleep.
Alex, can we save Carly Rae until the album's out in the US. There's no legit, easy way for me to listen until then. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I'm incapable of ending any of these until at least July 13, and I'll keep them open longer than that.
Quote:
Originally posted by JakeKills
I'll try to do Good For You before I go to sleep.
Alex, can we save Carly Rae until the album's out in the US. There's no legit, easy way for me to listen until then. |
Yes, absolutely.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Ok so I'm going to end Good For You and Hilary tomorrow (Wed) night. This is your 1 DAY NOTICE.
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atrlcritic turned 1 year old today! Thanks to everyone who has participated since I took over as host. I'm looking forward to another great year!
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