Susan Boyle - Someone To Watch Over Me

I must admit, Susan Boyle is indeed a sensation of our times. When she burst into the scene with her exceptional performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" by Les Misérables on Britain's Got Talent in 2009 I must say I was blown away. Her powerful voice was disarming to say the least. It drowned her plain ordinary look and turned her into an overnight superstar.

Though I enjoyed her first two albums; "I Dreamed a Dream" and "The Gift", her latest album "Someone to Watch Over Me" is the best of them all. The album is simply a class act. It is one of the few albums that I can just sit back and listen to without skipping a single song. The producer, Steve Mac managed to bring out the power of Boyle's voice without being drowned by accompaniments as in the previous albums. The youthful timbre of her voice is impressive.

The album is has ten wonderful tracks which include classics such as "You have to be there" by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, "Unchained Melody" by Hy Zaret and Alex North, "Enjoy the silence" by Martin Gore and several others. The rendition of "You have to be there" brings a bit of bombast to the album and I really enjoy the track.

In the album Boyle's voice goes from soft to a soaring high in the same breath. She brings out a fresh interpretation to the songs that are indeed breath taking. The songs transcend age and can be enjoyed by almost anyone. She describes situations in her own life in some of the songs to which each one of us can relate to.

The album is generally about life, love and prevailing over obstacles. The loved the song, "Autumn Leaves". It brings out the sadness one experiences when they lose a loved one and gives the reassurance that they those that you love never really leave you.

Boyle's versatility and musical prowess is evident on every song in the album. She has succeeded engaging her audience emotionally in every song. This powerful connection will enable each and every one to find a little bit of themselves in her songs.

The album is one of those you listen to when you want to relax and reflect on life. It is indeed a must have for those who enjoy bluesy, soft music backed by powerful vocals. The song "This Will be the Year", clearly captures the life story of Susan as she proclaims that she is a woman who will always prevail over adversity as she did on that fine night on Britain's Got talent.

I would be the first to admit that "Someone To Watch Over Me" should have been a bit longer. It actually left me yearning for more though I was a bit skeptical about it at first. Boyle has grown in leaps and bounds since 2009 and is surely going places. She has definitely come of age in the industry. "Someone To Watch Over Me" has set her up for further success and I surely hope that we get to see more of her in the coming years.

Aaron Lewis - Town Line

The feel of this solo release by the lead singer of STAIND, Aaron Lewis, is something that has been swirling internally and needed an avenue for escape. The lyrics are personal and introspective of his life at home and on the road. The place he lives and the places he needs to go support where he needs to be. It is the circle of life for musicians who need to spread the word of latest releases and the bug that once on the road takes hold pushing them from town to town.

The line "If I Could Paint a Picture" found within track 2 is exactly what Lewis does throughout this release. "Vicious Circles" holds the line but the picture is drawn on each track giving the release its foundation. This allowed Lewis to bleed his personal thoughts onto paper while the pages become red the weight of having to leave his family for his love of performing fills the music.

"Country Boy" is Aaron's story of what happens to bands when they get to L.A. and find that the suits want to change what artists have built, starting with how you look and talk as well as your physicality. This track features GEORGE JONES, CHARLIE DANIELS and CHRIS YOUNG, where the first two have been around the block with the record companies for so many years and stayed true to who they are while Chris Young has been in the spotlight only 5 years which has been long enough to see what the spotlight can ask of an artist.

Alexa Carter brings hauntingly extraordinary vocals to the background of "Tangled Up in You", a song that is Lewis speaking directly to his wife. The beauty of the song is the simplicity of the music, allowing the lyrics to bring the message. LEON RUSSELL's syntax can be heard as each line begins and occasionally at the end. My only question is can this song also be the handcuffs the music has on drawing him from the love of his life and his children. He seems to be singing as much to his wife as to the music he writes and the road that draws him out to perform them.

"Massachusetts" is clearly the home he treasures where his family and friends greet him not as the famous artist but the guy they have known since his early years. The screaming fans have little place in his life here, the focus is his children as they grow and change during his leave on tour.

Lewis did what few artists in a band can do on a solo record. He stayed true to one sound, giving the recording a complete feel. Letting the lyrics come from a more personal place makes the listener wish he could have delivered more than the 5 tracks. It is clear after finishing the CD that he is the driver behind STAIND. This is in no way negating the band as a whole, just stating who puts the pedal to the metal.

Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

Chicago native Andrew Bird's latest offering "Break it Yourself" stays true to the clever wit and one-of-a-kind whimsy that fans have come to expect from his music.

As a master of blending virtuoso violin playing and a signature whistling style that's seemless in its own right (among other delightful flourishes), Bird manages to always effortlessly maintain a pop sensibility that warrants repeat playing without becoming too dull. It's no different this time around.

On "Desperation Breeds", the album's opener, Bird delicately ruminates on the world's bee shortage before slowly breaking into a high pitched violin squeal that dips into a mad frenzy of his trademark fingering skills. It almost literally seems to channel the frustration and confusion of the bees themselves.

"Eyeoneye", a track that manages to correlate heartbreak and the complications of a tumor called a teratoma is as catchy as anything he's done in the past, if not more so. The driving force of the melody makes vulnerability seem like a fun experience that no one should miss out on. This is especially clear towards the end when he sings/chants "Go ahead and defibrillate yourself" before the pounding drums build to a crescendo... and then fizzle with, of course, a light whistle; as if we just ran a hardcore marathon like it was nothing. Exhaustion doesn't exist here, but exultation.

The hearbreak theme continues in "Near Death Experience Experience", where the happiness of surviving a plane crash is dancing "... like cancer survivors... grateful simply to be alive". But don't let the dark subject matter fool you. The carefree mood of the song is so happy it's like skipping down a sidewalk under a row of apple trees. Only when the apples hit your head do you realize the power conveyed in the lyrics of triumph over pain.

Who knew the subject of conquering fear and doubt could be so purely gorgeous? Take "Fatal Shore", where a mellow Mr. Bird meditates on the subject as quietly subdued as ever, but no less emotionally powerful as some of his best tracks. The drums gently tap along with the guitar and bass like a gentle stroke on an aching back as Bird and vocalist Nora O'Connor harmonize beautifully while repeating such lyrics as "You never know any doubt like we who breathe in and out".

A welcome comeback since 2009's "Noble Beast", we get a record not quite as immediately accessible or endlessly playful, but one that still stands as strong as most of his best work does. The details become more apparent with each listen, and that's when the realization sets in: "Break it Yourself" isn't just an album about a break-up. It's actually a complete, beating entity, not too unlike a heart with its own love to give.

I personally wouldn't want to break this kind of heart by myself. That's where you, the listener, comes in... to feel the joy of heartbreak. An oxymoron that only makes sense in Andrew Bird's world.

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Bruce Springsteen - The Wild The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle

Bruce Springsteen's latest release hits the needle with its opening number being an amplitude of ear candy. Unlike his debut release, this is a musical genre-clashing experience. There are jazz guitar flavored elixirs layered over rock beats. The bass lines are animated junctures of which the mission is to connect the dots. Jazz, Rock, Blues and folk blend well as used by Springsteen.

The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle is not in disguise but rolls out the red carpet for some of the old time blues. On "Wild Billy's Circus Story", he uses the tuba less like a circus instrument; it is more introspective of New Orleans jazz when it was spelled 'Jass.' The music of the 20's and Bix Beiderbecke's coronet would filter over subtle beats and tuba pumped swing. The energy that blew through some of those old recordings are whisked into the sounds of Springsteen's music today.

On The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle Springsteen wants to take all the music that has ever influenced him and montage it in each track except "Rosalita." This song is a rock anthem of which the theme has been used by songwriters for years. Who would not want to get the rich contract & the girl? Every guitar-toting songwriter. They are not the ones gonna get the girl when Springsteen comes to town. The guitar rhythm has a lot in common with THE DOOBIE BROTHERS "China Grove" from their latest release The Captain and Me, but it is one of the few times this year that Springsteen seems influenced by any music being recorded.

The storyteller that lurks inside explodes in the lyrics of "4th of July Asbury Park" as his ability to transpose visuals with this composition can make the listener feel as if they can reach out and touch the characters he is singing about. You can feel the carnival of fireworks displayed before your eyes while the beach smell consumes your senses. Then "Kitty's Back" at times could be a Broadway musical extravaganza with characters running to and from every crevice of the stage with elements of "West Side Story." Could this have been the combo that made him pen this song?

The best thing about his vocal styling is that each word is accented for understanding and not camouflaged in fear of being ridiculed with misunderstanding. His lines are at time almost full sentences, still allowing each listener to interpret the song to their own personal life. The "Incident on 57th Street" songwriting is spread with Lou Reed-like approaches to the architecture of a song.

The lengthy "New York City Serenade" brings the record to a close with some incredible piano artwork that is so New York it screams "play me." Although it is conclusively about a man and woman hooking up to meet each other's needs with potential to do destructive things along the way, it gives strong vibes to the days of Cab Calloway. Also known as The Reaper man which was a song about those who favor marijuana, Calloway was not afraid to tell his tale and was loved New York. The Cotton Club was the foremost jazz venue in Harlem and when he secured a nightly spot on stage when Duke Ellington was touring, there was no other place to be. Springsteen is able to emulate all the feelings of New York from the 20's right up to present day.

As with his first release, Springsteen stays with one preferred name to inject into each and every song. Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. had Sandy, now it is Jane. Who his muse will be next time, only time will tell. These last two releases came in quick succession so strong, touring while spreading the word should keep him far from the studio for some time.
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Pentatonix - That's Christmas To Me

Pentatonix is one of my mom's favorite bands, so I've been exposed to their music quite a bit, especially over the Christmas season. Not that I'm complaining -- acapella music is a vastly overlooked genre, albeit one growing more in popularity since the "Pitch Perfect" movies and "The Sing-Off." And while not all of Pentatonix's songs are acapella, they've helped breathe new life into the genre, updating it for modern audiences and giving their music a sense of pep and playfulness that I enjoy. I ended up purchasing their Christmas album for my mom as a birthday present, but was also able to nab a copy for myself. What can I say, they're addicting.

While not every song on this album can strictly classify as a Christmas song, it's a beautiful album that hits the right balance between upbeat and soulful, and is destined to be a holiday classic.

It's hard to pick a favorite song on this album, as each song has something fun to offer. Their version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" gives a classic Christmas carol a funky gospel flavor, while "Sleigh Ride" makes for a bubbly and playful twist on the song. Their mash-up of "Winter Wonderland" and "Don't Worry, Be Happy" doesn't seem like it should work at first glance, but they make the two songs mesh almost perfectly. "That's Christmas To Me" is far more laid-back, but still lovely and warm, and their version of "Mary, Did You Know?" is beautiful and haunting. "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" turns a classic "Nutcracker" orchestral number into something funky and unique, and I love their takes on "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Santa Claus is Coming To Town," and "Silent Night."

Two songs on this album aren't exactly Christmas songs, but seem to be included simply because they discuss wintery topics -- "White Winter Hymnal," a Fleet Foxes song, and "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen." While I wouldn't classify either of these as Christmas songs, they wouldn't be the first songs that don't talk about Christmas but have been appropriated as Christmas songs simply because they're about winter (just listen to songs like "Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" -- none of them mention Christmas but are considered Christmas classics). And while I love the original versions of both songs, Pentatonix still does a good job of adapting these songs and putting their own signature on them.

And the extra tracks included in the deluxe edition are a delicious bonus -- "Joy to the World," "The First Noel," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," another version of "Mary, Did You Know?", and "Just For Now" (best recognizable as a track on "The Holiday"). These, as well as the poster included with the physical CD version of the album, make the deluxe edition of the album worth it, even if you already own the original version.

A beautiful, upbeat, and just plain fun Christmas album, this earns a place among my favorite Christmas albums. Keep up the good work, Pentatonix.

Kenya Starflight