Ana’s Choice- listen – The Kooks Release- Sept. 2

What Abbey Said-

Starting off on the right foot– or rather, track– the Kook’s new album “Listen” brings back a classic hip hop-era feel. The album’s opener, “Around Town,” incorporates a mob of catchy beats and a slick funk-rock groove. With jamming baselines, the pitter-patter of drumsticks and even a few jazzed up piano instrumentals, “Listen” sews together a variety of styles and sounds into one jam packed album. The classic style of the album is refreshing, but also a bit monotonous at times. Quite a few of the tracks that share soul or gospel characteristics can get to sound a bit like background music, but good background music at that. My favorite track of the album “See Me Now,” includes a soulful piano ballad dedicated to lead singer Luke Pritchard’s father, who passed early on in his life. The heart wrenching lyrics, “If you could see me now, see your little boy, would you be proud?” take a real hit to the listener’s emotions. Both great and terrible feelings are evoked in “Listen”, indeed making it a great listen.

Stars- 4

What Ana Said-

Those who know and are familiar with the Kooks and their usual sound would be surprised to hear what became of the British band. The lead singer Luke Pritchard has down-to-earth lyrics about what’s really going on these days- they’re not really what you’d expect. In their new single “Down,” the main chorus line is “Down down diggy de down” repeated about several times. The band is attempting to sound urban and “hip” with their instrumentals. Although the chorus lacked some creativity with lyrics, they did an exceptional job at making this single seem like a great song for the soundtrack of life. They’re amazing at creating that classic garage-band-sound that focuses upon sex, drugs and rock and roll. The band also intertwines some jazz and gospel instrumentals. The guitar riffs are a bit jagged, but it adds personality to the entire composition of the album. The Kooks composed a piece that brings individuals down to earth about what’s really going on. It wasn’t what was expected from them as a band, but it did provide listeners with music to keep us pumped throughout the day.

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Abbey’s Choice- Maroon 5 “V” Release- Sept.2

What Abbey Said-

Maroon 5’s newest album “V”, is a must-listen for pop culture fanatics everywhere. Making pop records actually “pop” is an artform that Maroon 5 has down pat. Accented with mellow beats and instrumentals, lead singer Adam Levine’s voice is smooth and melodic, making it especially easy to string together each line of lyrics. The album begins with “V’s” hit single, “Maps,” where Lavine’s voice drips with nostalgia and longing for the girl he lost along with his path. By the second track, the atmosphere of the album flips from “fleeing prey” to “hungry predator” with  my personal favorite of the album, “Animal.”  Hitting on the topic of lost love, Lavigne sings to the beat of a pounding baseline, “Yeah you can start over you can run free/ you can find other fish in the sea/ you can pretend it’s meant to be/but you can’t stay away from me.” Maroon 5’s “V” is vulgar and spontaneous, but also meaningful and profound in ways that most pop artists aspire to reach.

Stars- 5

What Ana said-

Let’s just start by saying that Maroon 5 is now popular among people for the wrong reasons. Adam Levine’s body does not make up for their musical ability. Thus, this album may seem overrated, but it’s the opposite. It’s underrated; some people assume it’s great just because it’s Maroon 5. The band is known for creating unique music that brings something new to the table. This album, however has not done that. Adam’s vocals are both unique and irritating. It can sometimes be a hard to understand what he’s saying during some of the songs. Most of Maroon 5’s music is distinctive, but this album sounds like something that every other artist is releasing these days. The instruments  in this album lack musical experimentation. The bass, electric guitar, keyboard and drums have all limited themselves to the same chords and beats throughout. Adam Levine has usually been pretty original with his songwriting, but this album, especially in “Sugar,” his music is reminiscent of songs, such as “Birthday” by Katy Perry and “Dancing in September” by Earth Wind and Fire. So while this album is popular and catchy, it isn’t anything new. In fact, it is repetitive and unoriginal at some points.

Stars- 3