Turn it up – Bright Eyes, The People’s Key, Saddle Creek Records
Love him or hate him, it’s hard to deny Bright Eyes’ frontman Connor Oberst is one of the better songwriters in America right now. After all, the guy’s shared the stage with greats like Lou Reed and Bruce Springsteen. Oberst’s fan base of mostly teenaged girls with way too much eyeliner and black hair-dye widened in 2005, when he surprised critics and fans by penning 2005’s beautiful country-flavored “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning.”
Bright Eyes’ first release in three years, The People’s Key, is a nice blend of all flavors of Bright Eyes. You can hear a lot of the band’s history in this album, from the moody teen-angst of Fevers and Mirrors to the more self-realized Cassadaga. But one of the real heroes in The People’s Key’s success is producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis, who again does a great job of dressing up Oberst’s melodies and progressions in layers of synthesizers and chiming guitars. The album comes out Feb. 15, but you can stream it now at NPR’s website.
Turn it down – Ricky Martin, “Mas” (from the album Musica Alma Sexo)
I know, it’s a low blow, an easy pick. Anyone that lived through the nineties could have told me what would happen if I cracked open the latest Ricky Martin album. But it has been at least a decade since my ears had been bludgeoned with “Livin’ la Vida Loca.” I mean, maybe Martin’s new album Musica Alma Sexo (Music, Soul, Sex, if you opted out of Spanish courses here) could be a change of pace, a new page for Martin. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
I would be lying if I told you I intended to only review one song from Martin’s most recent release. The first song, “Mas,” brings back so many terrible memories from the ‘90s, I hardly finished it. “Mas” sounds just like what it is – a popular singer that’s down on his luck. The guy’s voice still sounds decent, and you can tell he’s working hard. But, he’s still churning out crap that sounds like it was produced in the mid ‘90s, and it definitely has no chance of keeping up with the fast-paced bumping of today’s modern pop.
Local song of the week
Luke Jackson – “Live Loud”
Luke Jackson is a singer/songwriter from Ann Arbor. For an up-and-coming guy who doesn’t really have his name out there yet, his latest album, the Luke Jackson LP, is polished – almost too polished. “Live Loud” showcases modern pop-rock hooks fancied up with shimmering U2-style guitar sounds and an unexpected electronic bridge. Jackson can be seen at the Blind Pig on Feb. 9 and “Live Loud” can be heard at myspace.com/lukejacksonlp
