Eric Clapton’s new album is another mixture of new songs and covers of some of his favorite songs. He did the same thing with his previous release (Clapton) in 2010. It is always good to hear Eric Clapton’s voice and his unique guitar sound, but I really wished he would go back to producing a record comprised exclusively of new and original material. He absolutely has the talent to do so, but for some reason has been stuck in this cover phase.
Christian Metal band For Today sound better than ever in their latest album. The vocals remind me somewhat of Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly), but less powerful. It is very interesting to listen to Christian lyrics such as, “I serve King Jesus” or “the righteous will live forever” sung in the guttural style of Thrash Metal.
I was looking forward to The Men’s new album… their previous work showed a substantial improvement over their debut. But this new record failed to convince me that this band is headed toward musical stardom. There are snippets of talent here and there–however, overall I was unimpressed. Not a bad showing, but not a great one either.
Finally a five-star album! Depeche Mode’s latest work is a testament to their legacy of innovation with consistency. Delta Machine combines the successful vocals from Playing The Angel with a modern, contemporary and minimalistic beat that still sounds like the old Depeche Mode. This record is superior to its predecessor (Sounds Of The Universe) in many ways, especially due to the fact that it does not rely as heavily on electronica.
Christian rockers Red have put together a great album that shows tremendous creative power. This genre has a formula, and most bands follow that formula; but Red managed to give their own twist to the songs and make an original record that is powerful, albeit short.
I confess that I was surprised by how good David Bowie’s new album turned out to be. It’s classic Bowie with smart, emotion-drenched lyrics, and musicianship of the highest caliber. He’s been around (and absent!) for so long that it is easy to overlook how talented David Bowie can be — when he is not up to something untried or weird. Well, I guess weirdness is one of his trademarks, and he just can’t stay away from it. I truly enjoyed listening to this one, though, and would dare to place this album among his best.
Charlie Wilson’s new album is more of the same: lame R&B with lyrics that are irritatingly weak. This is probably the last time I will listen to one of his albums.
Shinedown is a Hard Rock band that has released a good and vibrant record. The listening experience is a great contrast with yesterday’s album by My Darkest Days: the lyrics are more robust, the sound is fuller, and the songs are not tiresome. The softer songs sound like Nickelback, and I continue to blame Queensrÿche for all these ballads on Hard Rock albums.
Can you imagine a band that has the lyrics of New Kids On The Block, the vocals of Linkin’ Park, and the rhythm and guitars of Halestorm? Well, that is what My Darkest Days sounds like. This album starts promisingly, but then the lyrics are just too cheesy to warrant any serious consideration of talent. Canada has given us many talented musicians and bands, but this is not among the best.
Lunch To The Sound 