The young, the hot and the restless

You peruse the publicity material the recording companies hand out, and week after week, you’re besieged by their latest version of the artist or band to watch out for, the next big thing, and/or the one who’ll redefine pop or rock. Well, here are two debut CDs by acts that look like they have the "legs" to stay in the race for the long haul, and the latest CD by a band that seems to have undergone "rebirth", in a good way!

Alright, Still - Lily Allen (EMI)

With Smile cruising at the top spot of the UK charts, Lily Allen has served notice she is more than the daughter of renowned British comedian Keith Allen. With ska and reggae influences swirling all over the CD, this is bright summer pop music with lyrics that really surprise. They surprise, because they’re so sharp, they could cut the toughest steak. For a young 21-year-old, Lily comes across as streetwise and cynical, while maintaining a sunny disposition. Some songs have that Bananarama feel to them, but one that‘s more contemporary and with "street cred".

A song to a brother, Alfie, has him smoking weed with reckless disregard. The calypso, summer carnival ditty, LDN has lines like "A fella lookin" dapper and he’s sitting with a slapper, Then I see it‘s a pimp and his crack whore‘, and further on, she sings of alfresco dining while some old woman is being mugged and left for dead. Unwanted pregnancies, cheating on your boyfriend, and doing very fine after your boyfriend has left you – they all form the subject matter of the lyrics Lily churns out with precocious abandon. Incisive and witty, these songs are like confections of sugar and caramel, but with hot chili hiding inside!

How to Save a Life - The Fray (Sony/Epic)

You may have heard The Fray without quite knowing it was them. ER fans would be familiar with Over My Head (Cable Car) and Grey‘s Anantomy took the title track of this first album, and used it for the program‘s promos and soundtrack. A Denver band that specializes in mid-tempo, radio-friendly soft rock, The Fray are serving notice that they know what kind of music will garner countless fans without losing all credibility. Reminiscent of Counting Crows and Wallflowers, with piano driven tunes that also brought Bruce Hornsby and Coldplay to mind, The Fray seem to have hit on the right mix of pop and emo.

Besides the above mentioned tracks, I‘d go to Look After You and Dead Wrong as the standout tracks. Some tunes seem to meander, and if I had to be critical, I‘ll confess there‘s a suspicious "sameness" to the tunes. But by and large, you can‘t fault the band for the musical maturity evident throughout the CD. It may not be earth-shaking music, but The Fray may very well be this year‘s Maroon 5 story.

Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (MCA)

Snow Patrol and their singer/lyricist Gary Lightbody have always been simmering "under the radar." Hugely popular in Europe, they‘ve never quite broken into the mainstream of American rock consciousness. Hopefully, their new CD, Eyes Open, will change all that. It’s muscular, guitar-laden rock with a lot of radio/video sensibilities thrown in – anthems for the 21st century. At times reminding us of good bands that never quite hit the big time like the Gin Blossoms, and at other times, paying reverential nods to bands like Big Country and U2, this Scottish/Irish band have what it takes to finally cross over to mainstream popularity.

Hands Open sounds very much like a single made for the upper echeleons of our music charts, as does You’re All I Have. The U2 influence comes to the fore in such tracks as It‘s Beginning to Get to Me and Headlights on Dark Roads. Showing a surprisingly effective tender side is You Could Be Happy. There’s musical versatility and solid songwritng prowress, giving this CD a consistently strong feel. Other CDs will have standout tracks surrounded by a filler. This is happily not the case with Eyes Open. Here, there’s an avalanche of really excellent Snow Patrol tunes. Along with The Fray, this CD of Snow Patrol is getting constant play on my car’s CD player.