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Music Review >> Patrick Stump – ‘Soul Punk’

Last month, Patrick Stump (formerly of pop-punk band Fall Out Boy) debuted Soul Punk, his first full-length solo endeavor. This record taps into a much funkier side of Stump than what fans are accustomed to hearing from the singer.

In an interview with Alternative Press, Stump was candid about the music he made with Fall Out Boy and other collaborators. “At no point in any of this has it been my thing,” he stated. “I’ve never had my thing. I wanted to do my thing, and I wanted to do it my way… I wanted to set the tone for the future. [Soul Punk is] kind of like a calling card.”

Take one listen to Soul Punk’s opening track, “Explode,” and you will at once realize that this is not the Stump we all knew from Fall Out Boy. Rather, he’s emerged here as a pop/R&B/hip-hop dynamo to reignite appreciation for the art of music.

Really putting a stamp on his identity as an artist, Stump wrote and produced the entire record. He also played every instrument, including drums, bass, guitar, analog synth, piano, percussion, trumpet, saxophone, and mandolin — just to name a few.

Channeling his musical influences throughout the record — among them Prince, David Bowie and, obviously, Michael Jackson — Stump successfully manages to cross multiple genres. There’s hip-hop, R&B, and a little bit of rock thrown in that creates a record that the singer described as “hopefully smart pop” to Virgin.com’s Red Room.

“I wrote a lot of songs that on the surface sound like they’re very vapid and, you know, silly songs,” he explained. “But then I subverted in them a lot of meanings and a lot of things. It’s a very political record, but I disguised them as drinking songs or sexy R&B songs.”

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Music Review >> Glee Cast – “Pot O’ Gold”

Glee returns this week with its latest episode, “Pot O’ Gold.” The episode features five tracks, two of which are sung by one of the winners of The Glee Project, Damian McGinty, who is making his official debut on Glee as Rory Flanagan.

Naya Rivera (Santana) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) take on Christina Aguilera’s hit “Candyman” this week. It’s definitely a song that allows Rivera and Riley to showcase their vocals, being that they both have big voices with great range. I love this song because it’s so fun and bubbly, but when it comes down to it I would rather listen to Aguilera’s original. I don’t feel like either Glee singer brings anything new to it to distinguish it from the original. And let’s be real: no one can hit that last big note like Aguilera can.

Just when I had finally gotten Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” out of my head, Darren Criss (Blaine) manages to drill it back into my brain. Glee really doesn’t divert from the original track, but having a guy take on the lead vocal breathes new life into the song. Criss is an excellent choice to take the reins on this one, because not only does he have the most pop voice out of all the guys in the cast; he’s got a great track record of turning Perry’s songs into Glee hits. His cover of “Teenage Dream” went on to be Glee’s biggest-selling song last season. I can only imagine how long it will take for this latest track to become the show’s next big top seller. Continue reading Music Review >> Glee Cast – “Pot O’ Gold”

Music Review >> Kelly Clarkson – ‘Stronger’

Multiplatinum artist Kelly Clarkson unleashed her fifth studio album, Stronger, as a special Monday release on October 24. Known for her incredibly powerful and soulful vocal prowess and her unabashedly honest lyrics, Clarkson is showcased on Stronger at her all-time best.

“What separates this album are the vocals,” Clarkson said in a press release. “They sound richer and fuller, and, for the first time, how I sound when I’m performing live. The producers I worked with just let me sing and be me. They didn’t strip away the personality.”

“And it was one of those things where if the people I’m working with have confidence in me, I have more confidence in myself and that changed everything. I can’t wait to perform these songs on tour. I think that’s the best way to get to know an artist, and where you get to see actual personality, because we can’t hide much onstage.”

Clarkson co-wrote five of the 13 tracks on Stronger, which was produced by heavy hitters Rodney Jerkins, Greg Kurstin, Josh Abraham, and Toby Gad.

With the high energy dance-pop title track, “What Only Kills You (Stronger),” Clarkson belts out an empowerment anthem about not allowing the end of a relationship to be the end of her.

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Music Review >> Scotty McCreery – ‘Clear As Day’

This past May, Scotty McCreery was announced the winner of American Idol season 10 and five months later, the now 18-year-old singer has released his debut album, Clear As Day. McCreery worked on the album this past summer while headlining the American Idols Live! tour, which took him all over the U.S., Canada, and the Philippines.

Clear As Day producer Mark Bright had nothing but praise for the singer. “His voice is shockingly great,” he said in a press release. “Everybody knows Scotty has a deep voice, but what a lot of people don’t know is that he has a pretty high range. His listeners will get to hear the nuances, emotions, and actual range of his voice.”

Clear As Day kicks off with “Out of Summertime,” which was originally slated to be McCreery’s Idol coronation single. It’s a sweet, uptempo number in which the singer looks back on a summer love. Truth be told, I think it would have made an excellent follow-up single to McCreery’s first one, “I Love You This Big.” Nevertheless, McCreery’s second single, “The Trouble With Girls,” is quite charming. His voice combined with the song’s lyrics (“They smile that smile, they bat those eyes, they steal you with hello, they kill you with goodbye”) have the ability to make any girl swoon. Continue reading

Music Review >> Tim Halperin – ‘Rise and Fall’

The day after his American Idol contract was up, season 10 alum Tim Halperin released his debut full-length album, Rise and Fall, on September 27.

Halperin began working on the album prior to his Idol journey in August of 2010. Working with producer, Jordan Critz, Halperin selected 13 tracks that he felt gave a well-rounded representation of himself.

“With this record, because it’s my first full-length album, I wanted to make sure that it was the most me. That it had songs on it that I felt like best represented who I am, not only as a songwriter, but as a person,” he explained to me during our interview earlier this week.

I think Halperin definitely accomplished that goal. Rise and Fall is comprised of songs about life, love, and heartbreak.

His first single, “The Last Song,” is currently in the top ten on the Singer/Songwriters Songs chart on iTunes. Halperin told me this past June that the tune was one of the first songs recorded for Rise and Fall about a year and a half ago.

“It just turned out really well, and I think that that song gives people a good picture of who I am, and also that my music is very honest and straightforward. I like to throw all my emotions on the table, because I think people can relate best to honest music,” he said.

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Music Review >> Glee Cast – “The Purple Piano Project”

Season three of Glee kicked off last week, which means my love for Gleeked out cover songs is on like Donkey Kong!

The music from the season premiere, “The Purple Piano Project,” included songs from The Go-Go’s, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, and Hairspray.

The Go-Go’s’ “We Got The Beat” features Lea Michele (Rachel), Naya Rivera (Santana), and Heather Morris (Brittany) on lead vocals. All of the ladies sound pretty fantastic. As much as I enjoy Michele’s voice. It was nice to hear her share the vocal spotlight with Rivera and Morris. Overall, what I really enjoy about this track is that it feels that Glee is going back to basics with this season’s music by making songs from the 1980s staples in our iTunes playlists.

Keepin’ it real, I have to admit that I did not watch much of The Glee Project this summer. I maybe caught about four episodes, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I had no idea what to expect when Lindsay Pearce (Harmony) took her turn in the spotlight this week.

Pearce took on a mash-up of “Anything Goes”/“Anything You Can Do” from Anything Goes and Annie Get Your Gun. Oh my gosh. I truly hope this isn’t the last we hear from Pearce this season, because her voice is phenomenal! The closing notes on the song give me chills just thinking about it. Definitely check out her track this week.

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Music Review >> Gavin DeGraw – ‘Sweeter’

Proving to be at the top of his game, Gavin DeGraw returns this week with his fourth studio album, Sweeter.

On this new album, DeGraw worked with esteemed producers Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles), Ron Aniello (Matt Nathanson), and Butch Walker (Weezer). The singer-songwriter sought to expand and experiment with his sound this time around. He decided to change it up by working with co-writers for the first time.

“I was happy with the way the writing was going. I just felt like I needed someone to rattle my cage and try different things,” DeGraw told me last week during our interview.

He reached out to fellow songwriters that he had wanted to work with, Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic) and Andrew Frampton (The Script). DeGraw’s latest hit, “Not Over You,” is the result of his collaboration with Tedder.

“I really felt strongly that it was a nice blend of what both of us kind of do musically,” DeGraw said of his lead single from Sweeter.

Tedder also contributed to the title track, “Sweeter,” which has a pop-funk kind of vibe, which I thought was a great way to kick off the album. The guitar in the beginning gets in your head to the point that you cannot help, but groove along to it throughout the song. There’s a confident, yet sexy swagger to the track, as DeGraw sings about wanting to get with another guy’s girl.

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Music Review >> Jack and White – ‘Gemini’ EP

In the vein of old school 1970s duo of Buckingham/Nicks and the more modern pairing of She and Him come the pairing of Brooke White and Jack Matranga as Jack and White.

Initially coming together to work on a song for White’s follow-up album to 2009’s High Hopes and Heartbreak, the pair found themselves hitting it off creatively from the start.

“When I sat down with Brooke, it was clear from the beginning that all we cared about was creating awesome music and nothing else,” Matranga said in a press release.

“Songwriting can be labor at times, but we were creating so quickly, because we didn’t need to force anything.”

Their co-write turned into six distinctive songs that make up their new release, Gemini.

The EP kicks off with the title track, “Gemini.” What I appreciate about this song is that it’s pretty contemporary in comparison to the rest of the album. It’s a little bit different from what White’s fans are used to hearing from her and to be perfectly honest, that makes listening to Gemini exciting.

“Telephone Games” is a definite standout on the EP. The way White utilizes her voice while in her upper register really elevates the overall emotion to the song. The harmonies between White and Matranga on this track are simply fantastic. The contrast between their voices in higher and lower register create something special when combined.

Another standout track is “Smoke and Mirrors.” I like this track so much, because it has a bit of an attitude to it. There’s an assertiveness to how the notes are hit in the chorus, which really drives home the overall message of the song of knowing when somebody is not what they’re claiming to be.

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Music Review >> Trevor Hall – ‘Everything Everytime Everywhere’

Everything Everytime Everywhere, the latest album from Vanguard Records recording artist, Trevor Hall is set to be released this week.

The 11-track album was produced by Jimmy Messer and boasts such musicians as Aaron Dugan, who has longtime played for Matisyahu (guitar), Brian Lang (bass), and Aaron Sterling (drums).

Influenced by his musical heroes Ben Harper and Bob Marley, Hall showcases his ability to write songs about life, love and community set to pop/rock/reggae beats that should appeal to the masses.

Everything Everytime Everywhere is the follow-up to Hall’s self-titled album, which was released back in 2009.

“With the last album, I was exploring more,” Hall said in a press release. “I was going through a struggle with myself, and all that grittiness came out. With this one, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had much greater conviction.”

Look no further than Hall’s lead single, “Brand New Day,” to find the conviction he speaks of. The pop-rock anthemic tune speaks of letting go and embracing the present. The uplifting song is a great track to lead off with, because it paves the way for Hall’s lyrics to leave their musical message.

Standout tracks on Everything Everytime Everywhere include “Fire,” “Te Amo, and my personal favorite, “Dr. Suess.” What I like in particular about these three tracks is that they highlight the the vocal versatility of Hall’s voice. There’s a unique quality to his voice that truly separates him from other male singers today.

“Fire” is one of those tracks that as soon as you turn it on, it’s gonna make you want to move. The overall feel to the track is rock with reggae flavor thrown in for good measure. Cherine Anderson lends her voice as she throws down an impressive lyrical flow.

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Music Review >> Glee Cast – ‘Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack)’

What’s better than listening to your favorite Glee hits? Listening to live performances of your favorite Glee hits, of course!

Earlier this week the Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released, and the album contains 23 tracks from the upcoming Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, which is out this Friday, August 12.

I like that Glee released the live tracks from the movie, because it gives the fans a chance to not only sing along to their favorite songs, but also appreciate the cast of Glee for their tremendous live vocals.

Lea Michele (Rachel) is the star of this collection by far. From her chill-inducing duet with Chris Colfer (Kurt) on the classic “Happy Days Are Here Again”/“Get Happy” and her standout solo of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” to the bubbly “Loser Like Me,” Michele proves she has the vocal capability of singing just about anything.

And speaking of Chris Colfer, his live rendition of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is simply moving. His performance of the song during the “Grilled Cheesus” episode of Glee was very touching, and hearing the performance live, you truly get a sense of the emotion he’s projecting.

I have to give props to Cory Monteith (Finn). I feel that his vocal ability is often underrated, which is unfortunate, because he truly has a great natural voice. Singing his solo number “Jessie’s Girl” along with his lead verses on “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Loser Like Me,” Monteith’s soft, raspy-yet-quality pop vocals add to the unique blend of voices that make up the cast of Glee. Even live, he and Michele’s voice complement each other perfectly.

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