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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Quote:
Originally posted by ClarksonSlays
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Is it that bad of an album? I adored 'Fight Song' and 'Stand By You' as pop pleasures and was gonna purchase the album, I guess I am just gonna stream it now.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mezik
Is it that bad of an album? I adored 'Fight Song' and 'Stand By You' as pop pleasures and was gonna purchase the album, I guess I am just gonna stream it now.
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Yeah, it was a challenge to finish. Fight Song and Stand By You are definitely the best on the album, Hey Hey Hallejulah is kinda cute as well. There are moments/songs that are moderately enjoyable, but it's nothing really worth keeping and something you would feel great about listening to.
Side note: I love the album artwork, it's low-key beautiful
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 23,857
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I've chosen to review the Target Exclusive version since that's the one I own so my review is based on that.
Who would had thought that Troye’s would be releasing more perfection after the flawlessness that was WILD EP. Blue Neighborhood offers a fresh sound in pop with amazing lyrics and a truly relatable experience especially if you’re a young gay male.
Song by Song:
Scores
WILD - 8/10 - basically describe a love story. There are a lot of imagery from “Kissing up on fences” to “White noise in my mind” that practically aid the experience of the song. If there is one thing I would change, it would be to make the chorus more clear.
BITE - 9.5/10 - I just love the way this song sound. I really can’t get over the style of it. And the instrumental sound like some dark christmas song. I think this accurately describe the inner struggle for trying to find love instead of lust.
FOOLS - 7.5/10 - I think this is a cute song mainly for the lyrics. I can’t help not being drawn in to the beginning but the ending could be better.
EASE - 6.5/10 - There’s something about this song that put me off and on at the same time. And tbh I only really like the way the Chorus sounds.
THE QUIET - 5.5/10 - I like the instrumental for the most part. But the way the song is performed put it off for me.
DKLA - 9/10 - This is another flawless song in every area imo. The Intro draw you in. The instrumental keeps you interested. The story of love lost is well told here. And the rap verse only add to this perfection. The outro from Troye was just icing on the cake. Minor issue is that you can’t really hear the “anymore” in the final part of the song.
TALK ME DOWN - 10/10 - I would give this an 11 if I could. Once again the lyrics are just simply amazing. The transition in sound from DKLA it amazing as well.
COOL - 7/10 - The production brings it down for me. The way it shifts in the transition in/out the chorus throw you off and kinda sound like two different songs happening at once. That’s just what I feel like I’m hearing. However the chorus remains this song saving grace.
HEAVEN - 10/10 - okay another one of those ‘11’ song in this album. This song describes inner conflict of being gay. “without losing a piece of me, how do I get to heaven?” Religion describes homosexuality as a sin so it’s basically one of those questions in the back of our head we’re always wondering about. The feature, Betty Who, offers soothing vocals for the second verse. The song builds up to a state of confidence. Easily my favorite song on the album… or is it?
YOUTH - 9/10 - This song is like “explosive” but it gets the job done with a simple declaration, “my youth is yours”.
LOST BOY - 8/10 - This sounds is a bit boring at first but then picks up.
for him. - 9.5/10 - it’s definitely a “stand-out” track. And it would easily be the best song on the album if it wasn’t for one fatal flaw, Allday’s verse. I think the song shifted and paused too much at his part. But it can be ovelooked since it’s only a brief verse. A simple addition like background vocals would’ve aided imo. However this is my favorite song on the album regardless.
SUBURBIA - 5/10 - I honestly question why this is in the main album over the target deluxe Swimming Pools tbh.
TOO GOOD - 8/10 - Troye slows it down and get deeper in singing here. The vocals is simply soothing and the production is just right.
BLUE - 8.5/10 - Transition from TOO GOOD is great soundwise and lyrics-wise. Alex Hope adding his own vocals work well with Troye’s.
WILD XXYYXX Remix - 10/10 - I feel like this remix just took what was good about WILD and made it better with the production. The bass drops just make you want to start dancing hard.
SWIMMING POOLS - 9/10 - Another great song from troye. Imo the Target Exclusive is actually worth it here.
Happy Little Pill (Live) - 9/10 This is the perfect closer to the deluxe album as it basically show how far he had come musically to his fans. It also sounds better than the original version of the song.
Score: 83
It’s a good album to listen to. Most of the songs are good or great. Even if you don’t like the sound, you’d have to admire the lyrics put into here and the relatability of many of these songs. There are quite a few areas that Troye and his crew can improve on but if he can continue his upward course musically, we might actually witness the evolution of a major pop icon.
This is my first review so I hope I did everything right
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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I think we should really review the Bowie album. Like, we really should.
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
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Leavin' Troye's blue neighbourhood...
| The latest most important release was probably Troye Sivan's debut studio album named "Blue Neighbourhood" which is yet another fictive world created by a young new musician in order to put his body of work sound more artistic, not that this is something bad. The album is a continuation of his "tease" EP released earlier in 2015, "Wild" which includes the first six tracks found on the album.
The album has many memorable songs and is definitely a catchy piece of work, but in the end it feels a bit boring. Among the producer names on this album we see features from Broods, Betty Who, Allday and Tkay Maidza, the latter two being totally unneeded as they mostly leave behind the idea of a pure indie pop-mainstream type of record. On the writers and producers list we see: Alex Hope, Pip Norman, Brett McLaughlin, Bram Inscore, Allie X, Emile Hayne, Jack Antonoff, Dann Hume, Jean Capotorto & Grimes and, despite of so many names, Troye still managed to convince them to make a cohesive record which sounds complete from start to finish.
The album is definitely full of synths, but that is also not a bad thing, all those synths did contribute to an excellent dream pop album. As a central theme of the album we see homophobia and a second place goes to the youth and the mixture of events that happen at this age and Troye's soft, childish voice makes an outstanding contribution at describing the two themes mentioned above. An important word is definitely taken by "him" as Troye, fearlessly declares his lover since the first part of the album. It's good that the pace is relatively slow, although in songs like "Wild" and "Youth" it goes a bit more uptempo. Sonically it sounds like a perfect blend between a more Taylor/Carly-esque sound with some that we see in our indie pop favourites, like Lana, for example.
As a conclusion, I enjoyed the album a lot, but there were some really low moments as I think that Troye tried to impress more with his singles (and videos) that with the entire body of work which, even if cohesive, sounds terribly long in the end. I would still say it is not an album to miss as there are some extremely high moments on it and some songs you definitely don't want to miss.
Recommended for the listeners of: Thomston, Tove Lo, Melanie Martinez, Broods, Lorde (as suggested by last.fm) |
Score: 7.3/10
Track by Track review
1.WILD - easily my favourite track of the album; the announcement of the name of the album is heard here as the singer easily sets us into his "blue neighbourhood"
2.BITE - i understand that this song starts acapella, but, in the end, it just feels like it gets nowhere, the sound remains the same, despite of some more screamed "bite"'s
3.FOOLS - he declares emotionally that he has been a fool for falling in love with him; sounds amazing sonically
4.EASE - Broods could have done a much better job, judging by their previous songs, at least it sounds better than a big part of the album
5.THE QUIET - another piece that falls in the slow paced category of songs; I admire the simplicity by which the songs flow on the album at this point, but it still seems too...quiet
6.DKLA - a forgettable track, sadly and Tkay doesn't do much to it
7.TALK ME DOWN - a great, well, love song that perfectly expresses the feeling of desire that every teenager feels at one point in their life |
8.COOL - a very laid-back disco-ish tracks, but sadly it doesn't do much to me
9.HEAVEN - an amazing transition from "COOL" and Betty's vocals definitely add to the emotion of the song
10.YOUTH - a recall of another theme on the album, the desire and this desire is both to be young, but also to have a life with a lover of its own
11.LOST BOY - another song speaking of the teenage worries which could easily be chart-friendly, yet not more than the three singles already released from the album
12.for him. - sadly this is more of a filler, despite of a title which screams of, for example, a sort of dedication
13.SUBURBIA - not an extremely catchy song, yet the "suburbia" word remains stuck in your head
14.TOO GOOD - it only gets interesting near the end, but even then it's not such an attention worthy track |
15.BLUE - yet another track speaking of his missing desired lover, but sadly probably the least catchy out of those that have the same theme. Other reviews
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Member Since: 4/6/2014
Posts: 549
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request: blackstar by david bowie
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 16,101
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Quote:
Originally posted by ClarksonSlays
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Ruthless.
I think I'll write up my Wildfire review later today. Then I'll do Untamed next. I'm going to pass on Blue Neighborhood, because I really don't have much to say about it.
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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I'll be Blackstar's third request, thanks.
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 16,101
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I'm down for the Bowie album, too, but maybe we should wait until we finish these 3 on hand.
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Mezik's Album Review ATRL Top Critic
25 | Rachel Platten - 'Wildfire'
Rachel Platten can be arguably be named the new 'it-girl' of 2015. With 'Fight Song' becoming a sleeper hit, and 'Stand by You' slowly growing. With a strong desire and work-ethic, Rachel has been all over the media claiming she spent years to get where she is and this album was her pride and joy. However, a strong work-ethic can only do so much when the entirety of the album is sub-par.
One of the biggest issues with this album is the amount of cliches, and all-around cheesiness that makes the album almost sound as if it was written from a fourteen year-old-girl who just started writing her first diary entry. Lyrics such as "cause you make me speechless / you quiet my demons" on the track 'Speechless', and "and I hold my favourite thing / I hold the love that you bring" on 'Better Place' are just down-right embarrassing and are lyrics that you would not expect a 34-year-old women to be writing. There's a way to use cliches in a sense that the songs work, and everything flows nicely. Pop artists such as Katy Perry and Taylor Swift (pop-songs) are examples of artists who use cliches to their advantage, and although they may write their songs simple they are able to be witty and clever at the same time. Furthermore, when an album's general theme is self-empowerment almost every song sounds the same. No, it's not wrong to want to record a feel-good song that will be an anthem for the next six months it's played on radio but it becomes an issue when almost every song on the album has the same old 'I'm a strong independent individual' or 'We are in this together, forever' message associated with it, you are left with an overall empty album that really has no meaning. Now, today's pop artists are often manufactured and one-dimensional in terms of voice and emotion and unfortunately Rachel falls into this category as most of her songs she sounds like she's lacking the emotion needed to sound confident or has no emotion what so ever. On the awfully, awkward 'Hey Hey Hallelujah' -a song that one can assume is meant to be an upbeat, thrilling song- Rachel sounds like that member of the choir who is so monotone when they think they are singing with a voice-range like Beyonce. Although there are a lot of bad things going on with the album credit must be given to the two singles, 'Fight Song' and 'Stand By You', for being the least cheesiest of the album and at least being catchy, along with 'Astronauts' for having a semi-different sound compared to the rest of the album.
The future is not bright if this is the work Rachel has to offer. It may be time she either grows up and starts writing songs as a 34 year-old, or face the reality that those 12 year-old fans that she has are going to grow up and leave her career in the same empty void that the majority of her lyrics currently are staying in after listening to the album.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Drag IT You picked out the tolerable songs as well, though HHH is kinda cute.
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Quote:
Originally posted by ClarksonSlays
Drag IT You picked out the tolerable songs as well, though HHH is kinda cute.
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It was so awful.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mezik
It was so awful.
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I know, take a good long break and blast Something In the Water to clean out your ears
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Quote:
Originally posted by ClarksonSlays
I know, take a good long break and blast Something In the Water to clean out your ears
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I'm actually listening to 'Run, Run, Run' as I type this.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mezik
I'm actually listening to 'Run, Run, Run' as I type this.
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Even better
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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I'm doing Untamed and Wildfire today. Maybe I'll do Blue Neighborhood too if I get to give it another listen.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Cam
Untamed
9/10
Cam might share her name with a children's store we have here in Italy, but there's nothing childish or immature about her second album (and first under her stage name). She's truly the female voice that country music needed. A more polished Dolly Parton, a less nasal Miranda Lambert.
Untamed is packaged with ballads about heartbreak and empowerment mid and uptempos. The writing is extremely witty and well done (most of the work done by Cam herself), especially on songs like "Mayday", where she develops the nautical metaphor of a sinking relationship, or in the lead single, "Burning House", which made all the country music listeners fall in love with this country girl from California.
| 1. Untamed
The album opens with a completely perfect classic country track. Catchy, full of life, lyrics telling a story, that country accent... it definitely makes the listener want to go on. 10/10
2. Hungover on Heartache
Cam downplays her heartache with a rather uptempo chorus, yet being able to deliver her emotions through her voice which is, to my surprise, much more expressive than I thought. 7.5/10
3. Mayday
Cam asks for help on this slower and extremely well written ballad. The nautical metaphor is used throughout the song with intelligence. 7/10
4. Burning House
This slow ballad is the song that put Cam on the scene. Another time, amazing lyrics and a great use of her voice. 9.5/10
5. Cold in California
"If you're feeling cold in California, those L.A. stars just don't shine bright enough for you. "This song totally sounds like something Taylor Swift would've put on her Red album. A truly amazing song about missing someone that's now far. 10/10
6. My Mistake
After a streak of ballads, here's the more fun and less slow second single off the album. It's basically the story about the night before Carrie Underwood's "Last Name". 9/10
7. Runaway Train
This uptempo song with a pressing rhythm is a nice effort, but nothing outstanding compared to the rest of the album. 6/10
8. Half Broke Heart
The piano at the beginning, the relaxing music, and the "my heart is broken but I don't give a ****" voice make this song one of the most special on the record. 10/10
9. Want It All
Cam sounds relaxed and serves vocals on this anthem about living your life with no regrets and taking risks. 10/10
10. Country Ain't Never Been Pretty
The classy version of Gretchen Wilson's "Gretchen Woman" doesn't come off as sassy, powerful and iconic as the song it's clearly inspired by. 6/10
11. Village
Another splendidly written song which tells a story. I love how Cam talks in second person to a girl, Claire, making it sound even more personal. 8/10 |
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Rachel Platten
Wildfire
3/10
This album is basically the result of a car crash between Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Rachel took the worst from both and mixed it into a collection of impersonal, bland, forgettable songs that are supposed to be the work of several years, but that don't even manage to sound better than a rushed album recorded in three months. I don't exactly understand what Rachel is trying to convey to the listener with these songs, but it certainly left me with nothing. It was a rather boring experience, you know. The lyrics are also pretty bad on most songs, with an abuse of clichés (something Katy Perry and Taylor Swift do too, but they use the clichés in a smart way). But now let's move on to the positive things about the album. The cover.
| 1. Stand by You
It's overall a good song, but it's badly written. I don't understand how anticipating a random word from the upcoming line is a good lyrical and artistic choice. The chorus is catchy, but completely impersonal. The thing I enjoyed about this song is how she uses a lower voice in the first verse and she goes higher in the second one. 7.5/10
2. Hey Hey Hallelujah
Everything about this song is wrong in every way. The way she tries to be sexual in the verses and then says "hey hey hallelujah" (wtf?!), the weak chorus, Andy Grammer's useless presence. 0/10
3. Speechless
Another mess. The verses are very good (nice voice, great music). Then, there's that forgettable ass chorus with a completely different base followed by an overly annoying "come on baby make me speechless". Stop the song already if you're so speechless! 1.5/10
4. Beating Me Up
Lyrics aside (I've lost my hope already), it's a pretty good song. Good production, even though the chorus could've been done better: the "beating me up woah oh oh" part is quite disappointing. Another quite annoying part is the last ten seconds, no thanks to those random sounds. 6/10
5. Fight Song
Fight song? More like death lament. It's an empowerment song that's not powerful at all. Rachel sounds breathless on it with her weak voice, and the music completely overshadows her. 2/10
6. Better Place
Probably one of the worst ballads I've ever heard. Rachel sounds nice despite making a blatantly fake and pitched voice, but it's still too weak for the music. 3/10
7. Lone Ranger
The country-influenced verses are very good, but once again, the chorus is the problem. Forgettable, lazy, and all the other things I've said about the other songs, no need to repeat myself. 5/10
8. You Don't Know My Heart
The moment when she has an actually catchy song which suits her voice, the lyrics ruin it. I'll just listen to it pretending I don't understand English from now on. 7/10
9. Angels in Chelsea
As soon as I heard the intro, I wanted to give this song a 0 and skip it. But as I went on listening, I realized I should've stopped after the first five seconds. She likes it so much that it's the longest song on the album, nearly four minutes of pain and torture. Everywhere she looks tonight she sees angels in Chelsea? Seriously? I'm sticking with the dark side, thank you. 0/10
10. Astronauts
Her writing is so predictable that I could literally guess most of the forced rhymes in the umpteenth boring and forgettable song on this boring and forgettable album. The last thirty seconds feature a stronger music which is quite enjoyable, thus making the song deserve at least half a point. 0.5/10
11. Congratulations
A decent production can't save an entire song when it's boring as death, sorry. 3.5/10
12. Superman
You don't have to be Superman, but you have to be a good singer with a decent writing ability and a nice team. Not Rachel's case, unfortunately. 2/10 |
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Wildfire getting its LASHINGS
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 57,339
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If we do Blackstar, I might do a review for once.
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