Tag: music review

Music Review >> Yellowcard – “For You, And Your Denial”

It’s been four years since Yellowcard released their last album, Paper Walls, and this spring the band (Ryan Key, Sean Mackin, Longineu “LP” Parsons, Ryan Mendez, and Sean O’Donnell) are releasing When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. Key said that taking a break before releasing this album was, “absolutely the best possible choice we could have made as a band.”

“The fact that we had that time to refocus and recharge individually made working together for the first time in two years so much more exciting. The possibilities were endless again,” he said.

The band signed with Hopeless Records last fall, before heading into the studio to record with Neal Avron, whom Key referred to as the sixth member of the band while putting together an album.

The result of Yellowcard’s hard work is their forthcoming fifth studio album which features the band’s latest single, “For You, And Your Denial.”

The track has a familiarity about it. The guitar work has similarities to the band’s huge hit, “Ocean Avenue,” which to my ears isn’t a bad thing. I definitely think taking a part of what made your original hit big and building on it from there is what makes this new song work.

“For You, And Your Denial” is upbeat and catchy, which makes you want to listen to the track over and over again. Musically, the band sounds fantastic and Key’s voice sounds stronger than ever. Overall, I think that the song is a great re-introduction to Yellowcard and their music.

“For You, And Your Denial” is available on iTunes and Amazon now. When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes is due out March 11.

For more information on Yellowcard, check out their official website.

Originally posted on BlogCritics.

Ear Candy: David Archuleta — “Senseless”

Earlier this week, a new David Archuleta track hit the internets called, “Senseless.”

Take a listen!

I have to say, I like it! I really dig the r&b vibe meshed with Archie’s voice. I think it suits him really well. I don’t think it would have fit in well with the songs on The Other Side of Down. However, it would have fit in with the mix of music on his self-titled debut. This track actually reminds me of “Desperate,” which was one of my favorite tracks from his first album.

Maybe it’s just me, but I kind of prefer him doing more r&b style music. He has the vocal chops, he would just need a good pop/r&b producer. Not that his producers aren’t great now, I love the songs Eman has worked with David on. I just think that maybe for his third album he should bring back a little bit more of this type of sound.

So what did y’all think of “Senseless”?

Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman

Music Review >> Music From ‘Glee,’ Episode 2×8, “Furt”

The four songs from the unofficial tribute to Bruno Mars episode of Glee continue the trend of great song choices.

Guest star Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) sing “Ohio” from Welcome Home. Carol Burnett sounds pretty good on the track. Lynch sounds alright. She’s definitely not a singer, but I can appreciate that she steps up to bat for the show.

Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) steps into the spotlight singing Michael Buble’s “Sway.” Morrison’s vocals are a great fit for this song – and really that whole genre of music. He’s got the swagger that really is needed for this vocal, and he pulls it off nicely.

I really like that Morrison is being highlighted musically more this season. He was a relatively untapped resource last season, so it’s nice to hear more from him.

Glee seems to be on quite the Bruno Mars kick this year covering not one, but two of his songs this episode, as well as covering “Billionaire” earlier this season.

The first of Mars’ songs that the cast takes on is “Marry You.” It’s a fun ensemble number which is reminiscent of the Journey To Regionals version of “Don’t Stop Believing” where all the couples within Glee Club were the highlighted singers. Cory Monteith (Finn) and Lea Michele (Rachel) kick off the song strong. Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) then take the lead with their part of the song. Their vocals together sound pretty decent.

I can only imagine that it is quite the task to find a song that the Glee cast will all sound good singing, but whoever did the music selection for “Furt” did a really good job. “Marry You” allows the cast to show that they can sing current songs and make them just as good of a listen as the original.

I had to raise an eyebrow at Monteith covering Mars’ current big hit, “Just The Way You Are.” Monteith’s solos this season have been pretty hit or miss, but “Just The Way You Are” is definitely a hit. I find that Monteith’s voice hits it’s sweet spot when he’s singing pop music, and I hope that Glee realizes that this is his singing genre.

The music from “Furt” is a pretty good listen. Young fans of the show will appreciate the current hits being covered. Glee should probably not cover any more Bruno Mars music for the remainder of the season. Three songs in eight episodes is quite enough.

Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Originally posted on BlogCritics.