Amidst all the many CD releases now available, here are a few I have been listening to these past weeks and which I noticed have something great in common. These are albums without bad cuts. That means no skipping songs which is what we usually do when CDs have only a few good cuts. We skip over the ones we do not like or program the machine to do that for us. No need to do such with these albums. You can play them from start to finish and enjoy every song.
Wonders Of The Younger by Plain White T’s. The album has got me thinking of the Beatles. OK, those boys from Liverpool came out in 1962. That was ages ago. But they remain the biggest influence or inspiration for all boy bands. Plain White T’s is one of them and I was glad to find out that they do the Beatles proud. Just like the Beatles, the songs of PWTs are melodic and filled a sense of wonder that is just delightful.
The album is more pop than their previous releases, Every Second Counts, with the breakthrough hit, Hey There Delilah or Big Bad World which has 1,2,3,4 and Natural Disaster. It makes me wonder. Which would you describe as young? The punk rockers from five years ago or the pop group with the clever lyrics and hummable tunes? I do not really care much for the answer. All I know is that I enjoy listening to the CD and would love to hear more from the Plain White T’s.
Irrational Anthem puts the album in a bright carnival mood. Rhythm Of Love is the first single but I would have preferred Welcome To Mystery, or Cirque Dans La Rue because of its grand, interesting arrangements.
Come Around Sundown by Kings Of Leon. Bright is also how I would describe the follow-up to the Kings’ big selling and Grammy awarded Only By The Night. Fans were actually expecting them to rock darker and harder with the CD. They are after all, older and in the arena rock mode. Still it is not really strange that this should happen after a series of hits by this band. I had long felt that they were moving toward this lighter rock sound for years. Very evident in the Only By The Night album. And I am glad they finally hit the stride in this one. Purists may growl but this music is fun.
The effect is so natural and spontaneous. You can even dance to some cuts. And I am so glad they really concentrated on cohesive writing, precise playing and over-all solid production. These aspects are in excellent form. The Kings of Leon must be one of the best rock bands of this time. There might be fans from the early days, who might complain that they have sold out and are now in commercial pop-rock territory. But that can only mean more listeners, more CD buyers and more freedom later for these talented guys to do what they want.
Best tracks are The Immortals, Radioactive, The End, Mi Amigo and Back Down South. But as fans of the Kings have long known, you can listen to anything by them as long as Caleb Followill of the compelling vocals is singing.
Happiness by Hurts. One of the best perks of writing this column is that I get the chance to listen to the music of new, unknown artists. And after all these years, I still get a thrill when I come across something great. Like the CD Happiness by the Hurts, which I might never have noticed had I been a casual buyer in the stores. Theo Hutchcraft, who does vocals and Adam Anderson who plays the music, are British and one more proof that intelligent, pop music does come from the UK.
Happiness echoes the sound of the Pet Shop Boys. It is clubby electropop that exudes an over-all feel good vibe. The themes of the cuts can at times be dramatic as in Devotion featuring Kylie Minogue, but the music is so much fun, you can listen and just breeze along with the beat. The almost operatic Silver Lining opens the set. Then it is one carefree tune after another. Wonderful Life is the best of the lot but singles do not really matter in this case as the whole package is a complete experience. Makes one wonder what these guys will come up with in their next album.