Loreen brings us some healing with Euphoria and more on her first album...

I have received my Loreen album yesterday and it's been a pleasure to religiously listen to it while reading to the credit notes from the booklet, although there are no lyrics and only strange close-up photos of her in black and white. Since her victory at this year's Eurovision contest with Euphoria, I was waiting for her full album with much anticipation. The lady took her time but it's a pleasure to finally have it between my hands.

Born in Sweden 29 years ago, from moroccan descent, she came fourth in Swedish Idol 2004 TV show and didn't launch herself as a recording artist quickly ; after a featuring for Rob'N'Raz just after the show, it took her six years to finally release her first solo single, My heart is refusing me, which was a Top ten in Sweden after being presented in the Melodifestivalen, and then another one, more underground, Sober. Her next step was for the better as Euphoria qualified to represent her country in the ESC and made her win. She didn't rush-released her album and took some more time to re-record her first single with more songs but just in time before the Christmas rush, Heal has been released and little by little must be imported by every euro fan into their personal discothèque.

As with its cover, all severe and dark with the photograph of her face in black and white, Loreen's music is not our typical pop/dance number. It is more chill-out, more progressive and takes more time to get into, but it has the power to invade your mind and heart to heal it for sure, and the album's title couldn't be more appropriated.

The album starts with electronical loops and strings, next with Loreen's vocals, warm and touching, slowly building up the tension into In my head's first chorus. Only after that comes a real beat to give the song a proper rhythm to lead it into a trance inspired pop/dance anthem that gives you the need to close your eyes and simply let yourself be invaded by the trance Loreen's voice puts you into. The song has been co-written with the same team who worked on her first single that comes next, but all reproduced by RedOne collaborators.

My heart is refusing me has been revamped into a full electronic pop/dance bit of energy where Loreen's vocals shine loud and strong, while the original was more of a dance single. You can still hear some oriental inspiration that gives some space to the song and make it breezy and really joyful. This version is her second international single and has a real strong chorus.

Everytime sounds all intimate and delicate, with its intro only displaying the singer's voice with some tiny bits of piano. But soon reverberated arrangements echo and give depth to that midtempo song written and produced by Espen Berg with Simen Eriksrud.

It is the ideal transition song to make way for the next one, the hit song that opens with a long orchestral intro before the electro elements slowly built their pace until final explosion with the extra powerful chorus. I think I could never get bored of Euphoria ! Its song's structure is really extraordinary, with these slow and low-toned verses, nearly silencious pauses, then the uptempo and anthemic chorus. I nearly regret an acoustic version of the song hasn't been included at the end of the album as a bonus, or at least a remix ...even though the original version by Peter Boström can not be bettered.

Next track is her new single in Sweden, and it relies on the same slow-building up tempo type of song than the previous one, even though Crying out your name adds some drum'n'bass rhythm to the chorus, while the verses are less powerful and more melancholic. The SeventyEight team has successfully made an electronic wall of sound to make it all  sound good and nearly matching Euphoria's perfection. In fact the production team did co-produce her Eurovision entry so it is only fair I hear some kind of magical touch there again.

Do we even matter is once again a song co-written by Loreen and her initial partners, Moh Denebi, Björn Djupström and Mohito, while the production duties are taken by Tortugo with Ollie Olson. This is another midtempo where we can really hear Loreen sing her heart out with her beautiful voice. A slow beat gives a nearly religious atmosphere to this song that I imagine  could be illustrated by a video filmed in a monastery where she could have been hiding after some heartbreak affair. I doubt it could be released as a single though.

Sidewalk has more potential and more rhythm too, once again in the kind of dubstep territory. It mixes fragility and powerness in Loreen's voice and at bits makes me think of Kim Wilde, because it is really expressive.

Now comes the time for Sober, which has been re-recorded too by new producers to give it a more matching sound to Loreen's mysteriously muffled though powerful sound design. The original was more a full dance/trance anthem.

A sad orchestral interlude serves as intro to If she's the one to make a transition to this new song that starts all slowly before a lightful chorus comes with Loreen's angelic and cristalline vocals like coming straight from heaven. This less dance orientated song could easily be chosen as a further single because its chorus is really addictive and memorable while you can't help but love the song's immediate appeal.

Breaking robot is one more song like its predecessor co-written by Loreen and her team, and that's what makes this album a very cohesive effort : every song on it fits in the same atmosphere to make it a full auditive experience not to be missed. This one includes vocoder effects and sounds more electro/trance, but still a nice vehicle for the singer's clear and beautiful vocals. And they haven't tried to make a string of hit singles compiled one after the other here : this album must be seen (listened) as a whole. The songs are growers, starting slowly, building up little by little to cheer you up.

See you again may be an exception though. This one, co-written and produced by another duo, JMike & MadMax, from the first notes till the end, sounds like a full blasting hit single ! It screams to get released to radios... I feel some kind of Katy Perry touches on it, with its anthemic powerful chorus. The rhythm is bouncing and Loreen is surprising joyful on this one ; no darkness here, just lightful and optimistic poppy moments she shares with us. This song could be her breakthrough hit to crossover on the international scene, with the right video, but maybe that wouldn't belong to what Loreen wants to be known for when we hear the rest of the album ?

The title track for the album, featuring and produced by Blanks (who?), sees her take a plunge back into gloomy and sad deepness of the broken heart. That kind of atmosphere suits her voice really well, because it can really express the pain and sadness in her wailings and whispers, but Heal ends the album with her most depressive track and a bonus wouldn't have been out of place...

As a conclusion, Heal, just like Euphoria was, is not your typical pop album : it needs more attention and courage to get into. The songs are not designed for instant appeal ; instead, they grow up inside your heart with each new listen to embark you into a journey into the deepest emotions Loreen's music make you feel. But it is worth it ! Check by yourself...

NRGetic Pop from Carly Rae Jepsen on her album KISS

It's been a while since I've bought Kiss, the second album from the canadian artist Carly Rae Jepsen, a 27 year old woman, even if she looks like a teenager and has hit the top of the charts worldwide with her two latest singles, Call me maybe, the hit of the summer here in France, and Good time, with Owl City, both made of pure candy pop.

In fact, she's released her first album, Tug of war, some years ago, and it was all country inspired pop/folk, and she didn't make it big with that kind of songs. Maybe Katy Perry's success in pop has given her the idea to brighten up her image and sound to get the votes from teenagers on iTunes, but this whole album still has signs of her previous sound, and that is where it bores me a little, so that is why it's taken me some time to finally post about her Kiss. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not ; truth is I like the pop side of it, and as it is really good, I have wanted to name the goods & the bads ; you'll see the balance is on the right side...

The album starts with Tiny little bows, co-written and produced by Dallas Austin. I remember the name of this US producer notably for his work with TLC or several R&B girlsbands but this song is all teenpop mixed with dance beats from today's sound that invades the radios, and it's catchy, ecxept for the spooky strangely sung interlude in the middle of the song. People who liked Call me maybe won't be surprised by this album's start.

This kiss follows and this new single, co-produced by one half of LMFAO, follows the path with an energetic beat made of synthés with an upbeat chorus that makes you want to sing along. After her two previous hitsongs, This kiss sounds just like what she needed to make her stay at the top of charts last a little more time, even though until now this single hasn't really matched the success of its predecessors. On this one, Carly Rae Jepsen does really sound inspired by Katy Perry so could this be what has put this song down from the radios' airplay's lists ? Some new Seamus Haji and Digital Dog remixes have just been commissioned to help it crossover to the dance addicts so its chart carreer ain't over yet !

Her superhit Call me maybe is next and even though everybody must have heard it a thousand times or two since its release, still it doesn't bore despite its really repetitive chorus. This song is a hit, no matter what. Now a wordwide smash is a song everybody covers in a youtube video and Call me maybe must have ranked over the previous Born this way/Umbrella quotas ! Even Katy Perry has posted a video of her fooling around with her friends lip-syncing to it ! Her record company has had the unashamed position to have it remixed by the ultra-camp english remix team from Almighty Records, assuming it to be some glorious slice of cheesy pop.

Track #4, Curiosity, was featured along Call me maybe on her Curiosity EP, released before the album to make her fans wait for it while her single exploded in everywhere's charts, and the original version has been slightly remixed by Dallas Austin & co to match the dance/pop sound of her hits. The song lacks a strong chorus line though and it hasn't been the follow-up to Call me maybe Carly Rae Jepsen must have intended when she wrote it with original producer Ryan Stewart and started promoted it as a single.

Good time, the single that Owl City invited Carly to sing as a duet, is featured here next, making the start of the album a nearly singles-only succession. I've said it all already on my Owl City post so I won't repeat that I like it a lot with its feel good and happy joyful feeling... I'll just add it is nice to see it feature on both the artists' albums, even though I did buy both !

More than a memory starts with all electronic beats and synthpop effects to offer us another upbeat teenpop glorious moment. The chorus is particularly lightful and catchy so it could easily be picked up as a further single and extend the singles accumulation on the CD's first part.

Turn me up is the same, even though it has more laidback trancey arrangements, but the intro, first verse and pre-chorus all build it up to the final real chorus' power, except it is not strong enough for the anticipation the song put us under, if you know what I mean. I don't say it is a bad song, just that this one would not fit in the radio appeal's single potential, but it is a good album track, not a filler ! Hurt so good is made of the same teenpop appeal with electronic dance arrangements, but with a chorus not catchy enough to be something else than a strong album moment.

That is everything better and more than what follows and looks like a surefire single, but not because of the song's quality and strong appeal, but all because of the featuring... This Toby Gad song sees second verse's vocals be taken by teens' sensation Justin Bieber so the duet of these male and female heartthrobs is a match made in heaven on paper, except this song, called Beautiful, sounds as if it had been recorded for Carly's previous album : it is all accoustic, downtempo, really country sounding, pop/folk with guitar, everything I dislike ! Because of it, I fear Carly's heart still belongs to the lil' country girl that recorded Tug of war.

Tonight I'm gettin' over you, co-written and produced by Max Martin, sounds like some David Guetta production, with a light intro and first verse that errupts into a strong dirty chorus with a phatt devastating beat, and it's a pleasurable return to form after that boring duet. Maybe the beat is a little too raw, it takes the girl away from her usual polished dance/pop sound, but it is interesting enough to see her in this territory.

Call me maybe's team wrote and produced its part II with Guitar string / wedding ring and its repetitive chorus. The song sounds like a mix between Carly's two worlds : teenpop/dance and guitar-led pop/rock, but this time, the catchiness of the song is enough to make me like it, and I even dream it could get released as a further single. The chorus line, seeing the girl want her lover to use a piece of guitar string as a wedding ring on her finger, is inventive enough in its imagery and addictive as hell to make it find a place in the radios' playlists for sure !

Toby Gad is back on board for another ballad, Your heart is a muscle, but this one is piano-led and that changes everything in my ears. The melody is delicate and strong, especially on the chorus line, where Carly Rae Jepsen's vocals show its raw range, really sounding like a country songstress to me, but I still like it, although it is the slowest song of the album. And that is the final track to the standard blue edition of Kiss.

But if you know me well, you'd guess I had bought the Deluxe edition, covered in pink like the candy pop it is made of, and we've got four more songs for nearly the same price, and the first one is Drive, another one by Dallas Austin. Upbeat and catchy, it is a nice bonus, one more to mix her dance/pop actual sound with previous pop/rock with guitars, but another one I like. It is time for me to give one more precious information about the lady : she co-wrote all 16 songs on my CD but both collaborations (with Owl City and Justin Bieber), and for some kind of a new artist, that proves something and makes a difference...

Wrong feels so right is another collaboration track with LMFAO's Redfoo and a nice electro pop/dance anthem that would have nicely fitted in the standard edition album if you want my opinion. After first chorus it has club beats that give it a more punchy appeal but in the same league, Tonight I'm gettin' over you was better. It is as if Carly had written a pop/folk song and that she recorded it in an electro/club form so sometimes it sounds out of place, sometimes it sounds right...

Sweetie, despite the name, is no cute ballad, but a retro uptempo produced by Klas Ahlund. Nice and fresh, with a pulsating rhythm, it's a good album track, and I think the bonuses could have made the standard without condition !

I know you have a girlfriend is another song co-written with Matthew Koma, who co-wrote and produced songs  #2, 6 + 8. It includes electronical arrangements, but more in the synthpop retro sounds this time, along a 60's vibe and singalong melody, like some cover of an old upbeat song that would have been produced with nowadays' studio techniques, except it is a new song penned by both of them... and a way to finish the album with a timeless affair.

Except nowadays, even Deluxe editions doesn't have it all, and iTunes includes another bonus song called Almost said it. For having heard it from the site, it is not one I miss as it is a Beautiful clone, all country sounding with acoustic guitar and at a slow pace, like an excerpt from her first album. At 2'28, it sounds like an Encore the girl could sing at the end of a concert with just a guitarist behind her, but that ain't my cup of tea !

Japan benefits from a better bonus with Melt with you, which is another strong upbeat electronic pop/dance moment that extends the journey into Carly Rae Jepsen's bright and shiny little world. I wish it was included on the international Deluxe edition I have bought !

So all in all, there hasn't been so many lame moments or pop/folk boring tracks, and my first impression was due to the fact my attention was cristallised on her Justin Bieber duet for sure ! I still think the girl's voice and heart belong to the country side of pop but her actual teenpop/dance just suits my tastes and I'll follow her as long as she sticks to it. Just a quick listening back to her Curiosity EP that included four other recordings after Call me maybe and the title track proved at that moment she didn't know which direction she should take : Picture, Talk to me, Just a step away and the Joni Mitchell's cover Both sides now sounded all the more pop/rock than electro pop to me, even though the production did test some synthés touches in bits and pieces.

Françoise Hardy, 50 ans de carrière et au meilleur de sa forme...

L'amour fou, le vingt-septième album studio de Françoise Hardy, fait renaître la chanteuse idole des années 60 au meilleur de sa forme. Court mais excellent, cet album de dix titres s'écoute d'une traite comme une bulle de poésie musicale, délicate et tristement romantique, nostalgique peut-être, et mélancolique, beaucoup, mais captivante surtout.
Cela faisait très longtemps que la chanteuse ne m'avait charmé à ce point. En fait, il me faut remonter aux années 80, aux temps de Partir quand même, Fais-moi une place et La sieste ou éventuellement de son duo de 1992 avec feu Alain Lubrano, Si ça fait mal. Mais là, les titres de L'amour fou s'égrainent et s'enfilent comme des perles les unes à la suite des autres sans que l'on puisse se distancer de la voix doucement berçante de la chanteuse intemporelle.

L'album commence avec un piano/voix très en avant qui pose les bases de tout l'album, porté aussi de très belles cordes, et cet étrange morceau qui donne son nom à l'album alterne chant et conversations empreintes de romantisme en voix parlée à la manière de Message personnel. A 2'31, le titre s'arrête bien trop vite ! Les fous de Bassan suit et prolonge le lent tempo en faisant la part plus belle encore aux orchestrations ouatées, et l'on s'imagine isolé dans une bulle de torpeur au milieu de la lande battue par les vents et le froid à regarder les éléments se déchaîner, la mer se fracasser contre les rochers et les oiseaux tourner dans le ciel. Surtout, l'écriture de Françoise Hardy se redécouvre si poétique qu'on pourrait se méprendre à croire ce titre être une mise en musique d'un poème de quelque autre auteur connu. Ce n'est pas -encore- le cas mais cela viendra bientôt...
Mal au coeur prend la relève avec un rythme plus chaloupé jazzy toujours donné par un piano très présent derrière la voix de Françoise. Vrai potentiel de single pour ce titre aux rimes presque toujours en "-eur", ce qui ajoute à son effet addictif. Si vous n'avez rien à me dire... est la chanson suivante et c'est là bel et bien une mise en musique d'un poème de Victor Hugo. Intense, prenante, et agréablement lancinante, cette version nous prend par la main et nous emmène avec elle pour suivre l'histoire contée par la toujours douce voix de cette grande dame de la chanson française. Deuxième et seul autre titre de l'album où Françoise Hardy n'a pas posé sa plume, Normandia est une chanson plus pop écrite et composée par Julien Doré, qui relève un peu le rythme de l'album, même si le refrain au piano bien appuyé reste encore du domaine du mid-tempo. C'est aussi la chanson la plus longue de l'album puisqu'elle s'étire quasiment jusqu'à cinq minutes, et c'en est presque trop en comparaison.
Piano-bar voit Alain Lanty prendre le rôle du pianiste compositeur pour une ambiance justement de piano bar enfumé aux lumières tamisées. Bien sûr, on n'imagine pas derrière son micro Françoise en robe lamée à paillettes échancrée dans le dos, mais plutôt juchée sur un tabouret haut près du piano, pour chantonner sa douce mélancolie aux convives. Pourquoi vous?  offre cette fois la partition à Calogero et la mélodie des couplets, très sautillante, sonne comme si l'on connaissait déjà la chanson, comme inspirée du patrimoine de Barbara. Le refrain, par contre, nous en éloigne en longues envolées planantes aux cordes sirupeuses et, encore une fois, le piano omniprésent confère à ce premier extrait en single une intensité et une proximité qui ne peut que nous toucher, au plus profond de nos émotions, à l'écoute de ce petit bijou.
Soie et fourrures s'éloigne quelque peu de l'ambiance globale du début de l'album pour donner un peu plus de corps à l'habillage sonore de ce nouveau titre de Thierry Stremler, à l'instar de L'amour fou et Mal au coeur. Le piano se fond plus dans la masse des cordes pour une orchestration plus musclée à soutenir la voix de Françoise Hardy sur un titre en effet plus enlevé. L'enfer et le paradis est le fruit d'une collaboration de Françoise avec Benoît Carré, et il me semble là bien reconnaître la moitié masculine du duo Lilicub (souvenez-vous, Voyage en Italie en 1996), et il plane comme une douce nostalgie, une mélancolie pétillante, sur ce titre, que je verrais bien illustrer à son tour l'album en radio. Mais c'est déjà l'heure de la fin avec le dixième titre Rendez-vous dans une autre vie, dont le texte justement est un clin d'oeil aux adieux. Musicalement, c'est le plus uptempo de l'album, avec une mélodie du refrain très accrocheuse qui nous donne envie de fredonner en choeur avec elle pour accompagner Françoise Hardy dans son titre au-revoir.

En conclusion, s'il peut paraître étrange de me voir m'exclamer sur un album de chanson française et aux BPM bien plus ralentis que d'ordinaire, je vous avoue que j'ai été le premier surpris : même s'il est vrai que j'ai toujours eu un faible pour elle, j'ai écouté les extraits de ce nouvel album juste par curiosité, mais sans m'attendre à en acheter le CD, d'autant que 10 titres, c'est plutôt court, surtout si l'on retire les titres plus faiblards d'un album pour n'en garder le meilleur, mieux vaut en avoir pas mal au départ... mais là, rien à jeter ! Tout l'album est en étroite cohésion. C'est un tout, un ensemble comme un condensé de que qu'est Françoise Hardy, sa carrière, sa vie, sa poésie. Car pour évoquer cet album ne me viennent que quelques mots encore et encore : délicat, poésie, doux, mélancolique. Ce CD est une petite oeuvre d'art à garder au creux de sa main de peur qu'on ne nous le vole, à moins de le faire partager, et c'est ici mon choix : tendez-lui une oreille et dites-moi s'il n'a pas un goût de revenez-y !

Alex Kassel follows the steps of David Guetta with his first album

It is while I was looking at the new CD releases at my local FNAC record shop yesterday that I've been attracted by a name I thought I was remembering. The name is Alex Kassel and even though he is not much hyped, this french blue-eyed boy can be the future of the international dancefloor music made in France. I remember last year having bought on download his first single with community record company MyMajorCompany, Chasing the dream, so I thought he had finally made it on CD and I have given it a go by listening to it to check if the style was what I liked on all the 11 tracks of the album ; I stopped the preview at #7 to grab my CD and leave to pay for it, along the two others I had come there first, Kylie's Abbey road sessions and Sandra's comeback in 80's style album. Along the Way sounded just right like I was dreaming it would be, electro house styled vocal dance music and full albums are too rare in that style to be snobbed. Since yesterday, I've already listened to it five times and it keeps bringing me back to it so as there seems to be little info on the net for this release, I have decided to put my own little brick to Alex Kassel's soon to be whole wall of fame.

The album starts with No love left, one of the 5 songs that features lead vocals by american boy Adam Joseph. He co-wrote even more songs with Alex and is, with producer/mixer Maxime Desprez, the dominant collaborator for Alex Kassel who co-produce and co-write nearly everything here. No love left incorporates disco inspirations but is a full joyful & uplifting house anthem, in the oldschool style that never sounds -nor will sound- dated. Adam Joseph vocals are reminiscent of those by Chris Willis on first David Guetta's works and in truth, their partnership really makes sense in some kind of an heritage kind of thing with this other DJ/producer & lead vocalist on feature. Alex has even more charisma and goodlooking image than the DJ superstar, kind of mix between Gilles Luka and Bob Sinclar with this semi-longhaired look. The CD booklet doesn't rely on this blue-eyed look enough if you want my opinion... When the song ends, you keep on hearing its chorus line "'cause there's no love left here for you anymore" in your head and if it doesn't become a single, it'll be pure waste !

Put your money where your mouth is is next and sounds as if it had the same single potential even if the vocalist has changed. This time, it is Mani Hoffman, the man that was behind the Supermen Lovers' mega hit Starlight and leads now his own pop/rock band Mani on the same label. Once again, it is a full powerful house anthem that pays tribute to Mani's first house previous hit and belongs to that french touch sound.

Turn it up brings back Adam Joseph on lead vocals but I wonder if the french lyrics in this new song that has been chosen as the new single could be sung by Axel Kassel hilmself. The english/french mix should help this single to be playlisted by dance radios for french quotas, and it reminds me of Benjamin Braxton's recent outputs, or even more Gilles Luka. The sound is more electro/dance and the repetitive beat and chorus makes it the ideal single to launch the album and invade the club and charts. Fact is you can't stop yourself from moving your feat to the rhythm of Turn it up that is a pure club anthem made for our saturday nights.

Music in my mind sees the beat lose their electro/dance part to sound vocal house back again. The surprise comes from the female vocal lead this time, belonging to miss Dawn Tallman, and her beautiful pipes all shine bright and loud on the chorus, that brings back today's electro sounds, while the intro had made me thought it was all oldschool style again... I wish the song could have lasted just a little bit longer as the end comes too soon. Notice it is Adam Joseph that co-wrote this diva anthem with Axel, co-producer with Maxime Desprez, who mixes all the album, and, I remember him, was the man behind Quentin Mosimann's whole album Exhibition.

Retro house time on track #5 as it is time to treat ourselves with Axel Kassel's first single, Chasing the dream, and first with Adam Joseph on vocals. And the feeling is the same as on its initial release back in summer 2010 : it all sounds like a David Guetta / Chris Willis collaboration from the 2004/2006 era : funky beat, house anthemic and powerful colours with a strong soulful vocal and electro loops. This song really deserved to be a hit ; it's a shame MyMajorCompany doesn't put more promotion time and money on him because Axel Kassel really has the potential to break it BIG time worldwide !

Another Adam Joseph collaboration with next track, Live love, and it is more laid back and breezy, even though when the chorus comes, the song loses a little its lightful appeal to become more anthemic. I really like this dual visage to the song, and its nearly trance inspiration to lift the verses and pre-chorus into the full blasting chorus. This one belongs to the Ibiza dreamy scene to me, made for beach house parties under the sun, all feeling friendly and happy with hands in the air and feet hardly touching the ground. For me, the end of the song, with its piano solo, is a total tribute to Guetta's When love takes over and I can't get enough of that song !

While Live love was the longest track of all at 4'25, All my people is the shortest with 2'39 but it is just right because it is a little too repetitive and the sound's too dark and raw on this "All my people say yeah" chorus line looped up to death. It is the last song to feature Adam Joseph's lead vocals, even if he co-wrote three other songs afterward.

Along the way, title track of the album sees Axel Kassel himself take the microphone and even if his voice has less soul than Adam's, he doesn't have to be ashamed at all : he does the job pretty good, but it shows the man knows how to make his music sound at its best : with soulful vocals, his house anthems sounds better and he kept this dreamy one for himself where his white voice suits it well. The song seems to be personal too, like a love song he wrote for someone and for his fans who put money on his project on MyMajorCompany too maybe. Sometimes songs can have several readings... I found it rather interesting to read on background vocals a trace of a man I haven't heard of since his soul/R&B french album's release in 2000, that includes the beautiful L'amour a eu raison de moi and Victime du temps, as well as his adaptation of Brenda Russell's Get here into Tu m'as tout donné, and his name is Omar Chakil. I didn't really recognize his warm vocals in the mix although the song features soulful wailings near the end that shall belong to him.

No credits for So sexy's lead vocals nor the female backing vocals but the song has been co-written with Adam Joseph so maybe he took the duty or shared it with Axel ? The song is the second after Turn it up to be co-produced with Trak Invaders and it does still sound very electro and into today's sounds. It has less single potential to me though.

Move on up is next with vocals by J-Reid (who?) but it all belongs to the same soulful male touch that on previous tracks and by the video that has been made for it, I suppose it was the second single after Chasing the dream. The song's melody is really catchy and I hope it has been a club hit somewhere... The video is nice and inventive, without any big budget like american MTV clips, and it shows Axel's evident appeal for the camera.

Last track on the album, Sweep me away features another lady on lead vocals, called Dagmara, and even if she doesn't have the same depth as Jocelyn Brown or Dawn Tallman, after the verses, the girl shows she can really sing it out when the chorus comes. It is not the best song of the album though, only a strong album track that I wouldn't see take the crowd on a dancefloor like other here could, but it is a nice way to come to the end.

Now let yourself give this man a chance by clicking to his MyMajorCompany page http://www.mymajorcompany.com/projects/alex-kassel or directly to iTunes to have a preview (or more) : https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/along-the-way/id568901597

Danish electro duo samples again !

The danish electro/pop duo Electric Lady Lab does it again with their brand new  single, Alive, teaming up with DJ producer Kato : they're sampling an old club hit and build up a new song all around it. After Snap!'s Rhythm is a dancer for You and me and A-ha's Take on me for Touch me, this time, it is Right Said Fred's I'm too sexy that leads to their new single Alive, which have a killer chorus btw, and inspiration for the video that showcases young androgyne cover model boys walking the catwalk along the singer, whose look still puts me down since their previous video with her half shaved head... But who cares the look when the music is good?

Zillions of new CDs for Christmas rush...

Christmas times are coming soon and the end of the year's rush release schedule is over booked in my own lil' music world : too many releases that interest me so some I will postpone the buying and others I will not be able to do without as soon as they get released ; just see for yourself :

22/10
DELTA GOODREM Children Of The Universe
We've waited for her fourth album since 2008 and I've liked her latest single so I may buy it on australian import, I suppose
LAWSON Chapman Square
new english boysband that sounds just as good as The Wanted's first album, solid pop/rock with dance appeal
LEMAR Invincible
my CD is already on its delivery way; the first single was so damn good, despite a low chart placing in the UK, that I've bought it with eyes closed
THE OVERTONES  Higher
The quintet has just released his second album of vocal harmonies mixed with retro pop

29/10
CALVIN HARRIS 18 Months
good singles but I'm not sure about a full album yet
KYLIE MINOGUE The Abbey Road Sessions
I CAN'T WAIT !!!! all her hits in strings/orchestral new versions... the only question is which version shall I buy and from where ? the Australian and Japanese Cds will have one different bonus track... but they may be a lot more expensive than the standard international one...
MATT CARDLE The Fire
That UK X-Factor man has spread his wings and fly now away from the SyCo standards : I'll check how it sounds before thinking of buying it for sure...
NE-YO R.E.D.
That man has good singles and knows how to write a song but I don't own a full album by him. This new one is said to be a sort of piece of art : I'll check it first !
PETER ANDRE Angels & Demons
I can't believe this man still releases music : I'll check it for a laugh but really doubt to buy it. I don't even remember why I have bought two Cds of him : Ah Yes, he used to work with Phil Harding & Ian Curnow of their PWL fame...
SANDRA Stay In Touch
Comeback of the century : the german songstress releases good ol' fashioned pop made by Blank & Jones that should sound as if it was 1988 again ...I can't wait !

2 or 5/11
ANASTACIA It's A Man's World
an album of male cover versions produced by Glen Ballard... i'm afraid she'll have too much testosterone in her voice for me on that one. I'd rather wait for her next forthcoming album of new material, scheduled for 2013...
BRIAN McFADDEN The Irish Connection
I have adored his third electro/pop album but that ex-Westlife boy seems to have gone back to pop/rock music... Have to check it first...
CELINE DION Sans attendre
it's been a long time our beloved Celine hasn't released some CD in french so I guess I'll buy it, listen to it and then give it to my mom :)
CIRCUS Circus
The new group of Calogero with Stanislas & Co should release his longplayer including some writing work from none other than Jean-Jacques Goldman...
JLS Evolutionthe X-Factor boys seem to have gone back to their R&B/soul roots : i'm afraid without the pop/dance appeal, they'll not win my buy but the single Hottest girl in the world is addictive though ; I'll have to check it to be sure : I own their 3 previous CDs...
ROBBIE WILLIAMS Take The Crown
I can't help myself : even if Robbie's music is not one I listen a lot : I'll buy it as I've done with all his studio albums : I like the man behind the artist and there's always enough good hits on each of his records to be worth the buy

12/11
CHRISTINA AGUILERA Lotus
The first single and cover artwork are enough to win my pennies on her comeback album ; I hope I won't be deceived as I've been with Bionic...
ONE DIRECTION Take Me Home
The boysband phenomenum irrites me but the boys sing good entertaining upbeat tunes so I guess I'll buy it when i see it at a nice price...
STEPS Light Up The WorldThe UK superstar band has reunited and they'll get my support, even if it's a Christmas themed album... the first single doesn't sound that festive after all : I only hope all the tracks are not ballads...
WHITNEY HOUSTON I Will Always Love You : The Best OfI already have one of her previous Greatest Hits collection, but just for one new unreleased song and the beautigul & magnificent cover, I'll buy this !

19/11
GENERATION GOLDMAN
a compilation tribute album to the songs by Jean-Jacques Goldman of the 80's sung by the boys & girls of the new singin' generation : I will sure not miss this opportunity and buy it ASAP !
GIRLS ALOUD Ten
With one crazy new single and three more new songs on it, this new Greatest Hits from the UK greatest girlsband since the Spice Girls is sure to have my vote !
KELLY CLARKSON Greatest Hits : Chapter 1
This first US pop Idol star isn't big here in France but she's recorded some great tunes and a Best Of is just what I need to have her in my CDtheque
LITTLE MIX DNA
this new UK girlsband from last X-Factor season sounds like Girls Aloud lil' sisters so I'll first lend an ear then maybe buy it
STOOSHE Stooshe
another Uk new girls band, more street/R&B maybe for my tastes, but their cover versions of TLC's Waterfall is great and brings back good memories so maybe I'll buy it if it's cheap and nice after checkin' it

26/11
ALICIA KEYS Girl On Fire
I am not a fan but wanted to talk about it as she is a good singer
OLLY MURS Right Place Right Time
Another UK X-Factor boy with his third album : I'll check if it's more to my tastes than his last one : I like his attitude and swing but it lacks some more dance/pop to really get me

3/12
KE$HA Warrior
I hope she hasn't gone too rocky so I may still buy it when it gets a re-release with added bonus tracks, as always...
MYLENE FARMER Monkey Me
I have already made an appointment with myself to go buy it straight after work on its day of release, for sure !!!!

Add to this already busy release schedule albums that have already been released in their nordik home countries but can be expected soon on an international level, or else, I'll grab them on import :

AGNES Veritas
ALPHABEAT Express Non Stop
LOREEN Heal

And I don't even mention Taylor Swift's Red, Nolwenn Leroy, Patricia Kaas, Kaas Chante Piaf, Johnny Hallyday or Susan Boyle's fourth album, Standing ovation, similar in concept to MELANIE C's latest Stages musicals cover versions... ALIZÉE's 5th album has been postponed to be released in 2013 and a new AMEL BENT album should come one day or another too...

What would be your best wish to find under the Christmas tree ? If I'd have to pick just one, it'll be really hard...

Mylène Farmer revient... comme si elle ne nous avait jamais quittés !

Alors que Madonna s'est quelque peu vautrée cette année, musicalement encore une fois en cherchant à surfer la vague, et médiatiquement avec ses retouches plastiques et ses mini-concerts pour s'en mettre plein les fouilles, notre icone francophone Mylène Farmer nous revient en cette fin d'année et période préférée avec son nouveau single A l'ombre annonciateur de son nouvel et neuvième album studio, Monkey me, dans les bacs le 3 Décembre prochain, pile à l'heure pour le rush des sorties de CDs avant les fêtes. Et après s'être évadée avec Moby, Archive ou RedOne, A l'ombre annonce un retour aux fondamentaux avec Laurent Boutonnat à la composition/réalisation et toujours Mylène aux textes bien sûr.
Qu'en dire ? J'adore, évidemment ; c'est du pur jus Farmer-ien. Sonorités pop/dance un rien datées, les années 90s/2000 ne sont pas si loin, rythmique binaire à vous faire avoir une crise cardiaque dans votre salon, voix planante et haut perchée tout en restant compréhensible pour ses détracteurs, couplets typiques du meilleur Boutonnat, avec envol vers le refrain chuchoté, et surtout, un refrain IMPARABLE qui se vrille dans votre tête et ne vous quitte plus ...AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! Je défaille, je m'époumonne en choeurs, je virevolte, je bas des ailes, je tape des pieds, je clique iTunes, je participe à ce nouveau N°1 du classement du site de téléchargements et c'est Pascal Nègre qui applaudit à deux mains, et c'est Mylène qui dodeline de la tête en appréçiant que ses fans l'aime toujours quand elle garde le cap et ne déraille pas de sa voie Farmer.

Juste en aparté, la pochette, franchement, c'est dans le style de ces dernières années, mais c'est un rien tristounet et cheap, non? M'enfin, depuis qu'elle a perdu de son nez, remonté les pommettes et farci les lèvres, y'a longtemps que ce n'est plus à ses photos que j'apprécie le mieux ma Mylène, celle qui nous priait qu'elles soient douces et jouait de sa voix enfantine, cristalline dans les neiges des pays de l'Est. C'est dans sa musique qu'on la retrouve inchangée, intemporelle, face à ses peurs et là, de la mort, de tomber dans l'oubli, de disparaître... Vu les jalons musicals qu'elle a plantés depuis le début de sa carrière, pas de risque qu'elle s'efface de nos mémoires, la Mylène ! Même en pleine crise du disque, elle est toujours une magnifique locomotive XXL à vendre de la musique pour Universal, et c'est tant mieux pour tout le monde :)

Mylène Farmer - À L'Ombre Vidéo Mylene-Farmer-clip sélectionnée dans Musique

Girls Aloud are back with "Something new"

UK's finest girlsband since the Spice Girls are back with a brand new single from a forthcoming new Best Of titled Ten that should celebrate their ten years in the business since they hum... - lost - the Popstars the rivals series... Something new just sounds as fresh and Girls Aloud as when they parted to go solo. Cheryl has released 3 albums, Nadine has flopped with hers and Nicola got good reviews but poor sales, while the two remaining ones only had featurings.

Now they've recorded four new songs to fill in a new compilation and the first one, written and produced as most of their material by Brian Higgins and his Xenomania team is just a smash you can't snob ! At first listen, there's too much rap and strange changing rhythms but as always with Xenomania, it is as if 3 different songs had been mixed into one another to only keep the best out of them and Something new is really addictive as hell ! I can't stop singing one of its chorus line since I have heard it first yesterday : "All I want is something new, something I could hold on to..."

Sure the girls have a new UK number one in their hands and I can't wait for the official release. I will buy me their new 2CD limited edition without a doubt. May I relate a bunch of remixes have been commissionned and while Julian Gingell & Barry Stone (of their PWL Jewels & Stone fame) have supplied a radio and an extended The Alias trendy remix, Fred Falke has destructured the song into a dreamy trance-ish epic mix. Jim Eliot, Manhattan Clique and Seamus Haji have worked on it too, but I suspect the original version will be the one I like best as it sounds just perfect, full of energy and positivity and attitude ! Check by yourself...

Usher proves he knows how to dance in his latest video

I've been so impressed by the choregraphy in Usher's latest video for his new single Numb, co-written and produced by the Swedish House Mafia men, that I've decided to feature it on my blog ; I really like his dancing in a crystal box et the final part where he breaks one of its wall with his arms. I wouldn't have minded if the video hadn't include other images of good & tough times in life but it gives some more intensity to this uplifting and dreamy track, perfect follow-up to David Guetta's collaboration Without you in my book.

Spencer's quest for Pop made in 90's at PWL

I told you weeks ago Spencer's latest single The quest for pop (it's what I love) was released and available at his site's shop (

www.SpencerOfficial.com) as a preview from a new self produced album dedicated to the sound of 90's pop. I've ordered it myself and have received it a couple of weeks ago. Now I have made my mind up to what I wanted to share with you about this PWL fan album. I didn't want to post a review if it were to be negative and that was the initial reason why Spencer hasn't landed on my blog earlier ; I have needed a couple more listens to know what to say and how to say it and still ask other PWL fans out there reading to buy it. It is not that it is a bad album. In fact, it has glorious moments and the first single produced by Pete Hammond is one of them, but that special teaser has raised the bar very high and the album can only deceive from that high start on as there are no other song produced by Pete Hammond or Matt Pop for example, and most of the album tracks could have shined brighter for sure if they had been given the chance to get better production. The one produced by the Hit Factory forum Steen Ulrich sound closer to the Hammond level I must say, but nearly all others, produced by Leonie Polley with Clive Knightley, suffer from a lack of something sparkling that could have given the original songs written by Spencer Mackrill some extra attraction power. All in all, thou shall not forget this is only a fanmade album, recorded and produced independently and, with that in mind, it is a really strong effort that should be supported by buying it.

The album start with The quest for pop (it's what I love) that is produced & mixed by Pete Hammond and is a full retro PWL pop gemm with addictive rhythm and nice melody. I especially like the bridge where Spencer goes namedropping the 80's/90's artists he likes and he took inspiration from. The video is extra value too and as a fan product, you should keep in mind that Spencer's record should be considered as a whole thing, music & image. Spencer knows damn well this album starter is the highlight of his CD as he has placed the full Pete Hammond extended mix at the end as an extra.

Second track is a cover version of Giorgio Moroder & Philip Oakey's single Together in electric dreams produced by the duo responsible for most of the production on the album. It is nice to re-discover this song but I think the magic is missing to make it a possible pick by radios. Maybe one of the downpoint is that Spencer's voice is just one boy next door's type and it doesn't add some colour to the song...

Next track, I'm here, gets me right from the start with its pulsating intro and it is the first of the Steen Ulrich productions, co-written by himself too this time, and sure he has made a good job on this one, except I don't memorize a particular chorus line and that makes it a good album track but without what it needs to be a good single. You're the one has an attractive beat and somehow a seemingly catchier chorus, except that it doesn't grab me ; the production as the vocals sound too lame to make the difference.

On the contrary In my dreams has all it takes to get us back on our feet : it has a PWL inspired beat and a very melodic song structure, all from Steen Ulrich's mind, music, lyrics & production. On this one, I have found what's missing to give it a glitterin' touch : female backing vocals, because when Spencer's vocals are added in the background, it gives the song some deepness and female vocalist would have enlighten it some more. The bridge is especially wellmade with some vocal samples that really pay tribute to earlier SAW productions. I really like this one !!

This fool sees Spencer get back in the hands of the production duo that mixes his voice a little too in the front I think, with less music to give it the power it lacks. The song is good though and this one makes me think of Jason Donovan, who is one of Spencer's major inspiration, as his previous cover versions She's in love with you and When I get you alone on his first album What have I done? proved it. This time, he's made his the album track Change your mind, another Stock/Aitken/Waterman song, all with once again a winning Steen Ulrich production, not that retro oriented this time, but they've kept the "ch-ch-ch-change your mind" part in the chorus and in the bridge HURRAH ! I have always been a fan of this Jason song and their version is a nice tribute that is the new single : Spencer must realize some of his personal material is not strong enough to make people lend an ear to his music but with a SAW cover song, he sure finds a way to make other fans talk about him.

The next song is another self-written number, and one that has the strongest chorus of the album I think, as this King of the castle really stay in the head, but once more, it is the production that is a little too new wave-ish for me when it would have sounded nearly perfect with some extra pop value from Matt Pop for example. Quest for love follows and I must say it is a little redundant on the same CD to have a song called The quest for pop and another called Quest for love. The production on this one really sounds home-made (maybe it is the case) but is rather good. Catchier is the following track Love is blind that has got what I would call a Dieter Bohlen beat, with nice verses and good chorus. The bridge is another attempt to relive the PWL years with a "Wohoho" directly coming from Kylie and another vocal sampling. The song is credited to "Dowdall" and I don't know if it is a cover or an original song given to Spencer... ?

Next one is the last original song, called It's over, and if the verses make it only an album track, the chorus is catchy with the title line repeated enough to make me sing along. The Polley/Knightley production tries to make it sound like PWL I think but only Steen Ulrich succeeded here to follow the Pete Hammond steps ! It would be interesting to hear what It's over would have sounded if it had been produced by him... Spencer teams up again with some Superbackings production like on his first album for a mash-up version of Somewhere over the rainbow / What a wonderful world but don't expect a NRGized galloping version ; it is all warm and sweet with a reggae beat : nice but strange.

It is followed by the extended mix of Pete Hammond's The quest for pop (it's what I love) and a new version (the Encore mix) of She's in love with you and the new production by Steen Ulrich shines on this Jason Donovan SAW song : this time it pays tribute to the PWL sound of 1990 and it is a must-have !

So in conclusion, yes it is a mixed album, with some tracks very professional and others more home-made and sounding less powerful, but just for the tracks that try to match the PWL standards, every SAW fan should give Spencer a thank you by buying it : he keeps on working on his dream and every penny given to his music will be helpful to make this dream last a little longer and each time it makes us dream we could be the one singing this tribute to the good old PWL days ! This is what Spencer achieves : he helps us think everybody can make his dream a reality and we can be part of it... Just for £5.99 : you should not pass on it !

http://www.spencerofficial.com/shop.cfm