Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

6 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Sep 07, 2010

Buy Sara Bareilles Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Kaleidoscope Heart
1. Kaleidoscope Heart
2. Uncharted
3. Gonna Get Over You
4. Hold My Heart
5. King Of Anything
6. Say You’re Sorry
7. The Light
8. Basket Case
9. Let The Rain
10. Machine Gun
11. Not Alone
12. Breathe Again
13. Bluebird
14. Carolina
Digital Booklet – Kaleidoscope Heart
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Sep 07, 2010

Buy Joe Brooks Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Constellation Me
1. World At Our Feet
2. Feel The Sunshine
3. Lead The Crowd
4. Superman
5. Five Days Of Summer
6. Marching Band
7. Hello Mr. Sun
8. Kaleidoscope
9. Rules Of Attraction
10. These Broken Hands Of Mine
11. Voices
12. Apple
Digital Booklet – Constellation Me
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Released: Aug 31, 2010

Buy The Weepies Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Be My Thrill
1. Please Speak Well Of Me
2. When You Go Away
3. Red Red Rose
4. I Was Made For Sunny Days
5. They’re In Love, Where Am I?
6. Add My Effort
7. Be My Thrill
8. Be My Honeypie
9. Hummingbird
10. Hard To Please
11. Not A Lullaby
12. How Do You Get High?
13. Hope Tomorrow
14. Empty Your Hands
15. Red Red Rose (Demo)
16. Hard to Please (Demo)
Digital Booklet – Be My Thrill
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

4 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Techno/Pop
Released: Sep 07, 2010

Buy Robyn Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Body Talk, Pt. 2
1. In My Eyes
2. Include Me Out
3. Hang With Me
4. Love Kills
5. We Dance To The Beat
6. Criminal Intent
7. U Should Know Better
8. Indestructible (Acoustic)
9. Bad Gal (Bonus Track)
Digital Booklet – Body Talk Pt. 2
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

3 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Sep 07, 2010

Buy Brendan James Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Brendan James
1. Nothing For Granted
2. The Fall
3. Anything For You
4. The Lucky Ones
5. Stupid For Your Love
6. Different Kind Of Love
7. Get It Right
8. Changing Us
9. Let It Rain
10. Your Beating Heart
11. Emerald Sky
12. Coming Up
13. Digital Booklet – Brendan James
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

2 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Sep 03, 2010

Buy Katy Perry Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Teenage Dream – Remix
1. Teenage Dream (Vandalism Le Pop Mix)
2. Teenage Dream (Vandalism V8 Vocal Remix)
3. Teenage Dream (Manhattan Clique Remix)
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Nov 20, 2009

Buy Guy Sebastian Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Art Of Love
1. Art Of Love (feat. Jordin Sparks)
2. Ben (Acoustic Version)
3. Man In The Mirror (Acoustic Version)
4. You Are Not Alone (Acoustic Version)
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Released: Jun 29, 2004

Buy Akon Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Trouble
1.1. Locked Up (Explicit)
1.2. Trouble Nobody (Explicit)
1.3. Bananza (Belly Dancer) (12" Version)
1.4. Gangsta (feat. Daddy T, Devyne and Picklehead) (Explicit)
1.5. Ghetto
1.6. Pot Of Gold
1.7. Show Out (Explicit)
1.8. Lonely (Old Version) (Dirty)
1.9. When The Time’s Right (Explicit)
1.10. Journey
1.11. Don’t Let Up (Version Without Sample)
1.12. I Won’t
1.13. Locked Up (Remix) (Dirty)
2.1. Belly Dancer (Bananza Remix) (feat. Kardinal Offishall)
2.2. Gunshot (Fiesta Riddim)
2.3. Senegal
2.4. Keep On Callin’
2.5. Never Gonna Get It
2.6. Miss Melody
2.7. Kill The Dance (Got Something For Ya)
2.8. Find Us (In The Back Of The Club)
2.9. Baby, I’m Back
2.10. Grady Babyz – Yey’
“Like most people, I got my first Akon experience with Bananza (Belly Dancer), a fresh, original dance track with an infectious beat. The next track that grabbed my attention was the unusual sampling of Bobby Vinton’s hit on “Lonely”.

Originally from Senegal, Akon (formerly Aliaune Thiam) blends his heritage, his inherited musical talent and the experiences of a troubled youth, into an exciting debut album of hip hop and R&B.

His strength is in the soulful R&B songs, his unique accent giving the lyrics an extra edge, but his rapping isn’t too bad either.

Despite the x-rated lyrics on Gangsta (featuring Daddy T. Picklehead and Devyne), it has a compelling driving beat, and is one of the better songs on the album. Other picks are “Locked Up”, “Ghetto”, “Pot of Gold”, “Show Out” and “Trouble Nobody”.

The version I have has 15 tracks, corresponding to the listing on the UK album. There are two extra versions of “Locked Up” and the bonus song “Gunshot”, which has a catchy Caribbean style chorus.

An excellent debut album from a young man finally on the right side of the tracks.”
~ By Amanda Richards (2005)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

No Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Nov 06, 2000

Buy Spice Girls Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Forever
1. Holler
2. Tell Me Why
3. Let Love Lead The Way
4. Right Back At Ya
5. Get Down With Me
6. Wasting My Time
7. Weekend Love
8. Time Goes By
9. If You Wanna Have Some Fun
10. Oxygen
11. Goodbye
“When people look back on the biggest popular culture impacts of the 20th Century, they’re gonna remember people like Madonna, Elvis, the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe and the Spice Girls. However, what separates the Spice Girls from those other four is the fact that they had just four years to make a big enough impact on the century for people to remember. As you probably know as you read this, they did more than just that. From their debut album “Spice” in 1996 which sold 25 million copies, to the sponsorship deals with Pepsi/Walkers/Polaroid/Impulse/Sony/Mercedes, to front-page tabloid headlines on a daily basis, it’s not ridiculous to say that they ruled the world. In about the same amount of time as the Beatles, the Spice Girls ripped the world to bits everywhere they went. Not since the Fab Four had the world seen such crazy children, buying everything from lollipops to t-shirts of their idols.

Britney might have sold more records, but she’ll never hold a torch to the phenomenal impact that the Spice Girls had on a world scale. The Spicy fivesome were selling millions of copies of each single they released. That just doesn’t happen with any act. Critics laughed at them, but 1996 and 1997 became the years of Spice. The departure of Geri Halliwell, the lead singer of sorts, on 31st May 1998 threw the record industry into turmoil: Virgin reported losses of $300 million on that day alone. The Girls vowed to carry on, but by the end of the year it was evident that the girls were crumbling. They took all of 1999 off and returned in November 2000 with their third album “Forever.”

Forever is the third and least popular album from the Spice Girls. It barely made a dint on the US charts in comparison to their first two albums which sold more than 10 million copies between them in the States. In the UK it spent just one week in the Top 10 at No.2 – a far cry from the days when their debut spent almost a year in the Top 10. Worst of all, they were beaten to No.1 by Westlife, Ireland’s premier cheesy boyband with about as much talent as Anna Nicole.

“Holler” opens Forever in style. This song became the 9th UK No.1 single for the Spice Girls in October 2000. The production here is high from Darkchild and the girls all have equal vocal contributions. The R’n'B beats are heavy-hitting and the song has just as much melodic excellence that made songs such as “Say You’ll Be There” and “Spice Up Your Life” such popular hits. “Tell Me Why” has a cool Japanese lady speaking, before the funky beats kick in. Victoria starts the singing, and Melanie C’s vocal support the songs foundations. “Let Love Lead The Way” was the other song that joined Holler as a Double A-Side to become No.1. It’s a beautiful ballad that contrasts the other song, but definitely not the best ballad by the girls – those odes belong to 2 Become 1, Too Much and Viva Forever. “Right Back At Ya” has some wonderful computerized effects to begin with and the vocals from Melanie B inparticularly are strong.

“Get Down With Me” is just so damn funky. You just wanna bang your head so hard when Darkchild starts whispering in tune to the beat, and Melanie B’s voice complements him well. “Wasting My Time” is an extremely classy song with some posh instruments and sunlit vocals from Emma. “Weekend Love” is the first mid-tempo song of its kind on the album. For about the first two minutes and 40 seconds it’s a rather slow song, then Mel B lets rip with her true feelings! “Time Goes By” is another ballad, while “If You Wanna Have Some Fun” remains my favourite song on the whole album. This shows how the Spice Girls can produce such catchy and melodic pop hits with such simplicity. They don’t need that many producers or writers – they can do it themselves. “Oxygen” is a gorgeous ballad, which is followed by the Spice Girls’ 8th UK No.1, “Goodbye.” This topped the charts for Christmas 1998 and was the Spice Girls’ third consecutive Christmas No.1 after Too Much in 1997 and 2 Become 1 in 1996. It’s such a gorgeous ballad and obviously about Geri leaving.

OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

Geri Halliwell leaving the Spice Girls caused the downfall of the biggest girl band in the history of music. No, not TLC or Destiny’s Child had as big an impact on the world as the Spice Girls! They shifted almost 50 million albums in four years and produced some of the biggest hits in history. People may diss them now, but people will still be dancing to the likes of Wannabe and Stop at Christmas parties in ten years’ time. I’d give Forever three stars because it has lost the traditional pop edge of their last two albums which hold so much memories for me, but I’d definitely give it five stars for the production values as an album on its own, which averages this album out at four stars. If you’ve got their first two albums, just give this one a go. It’s pretty damn good.”
~ By Busy Body (2003)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 7th September 2010

No Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Nov 03, 1997

Buy Spice Girls Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Spice World
1. Spice Up Your Life
2. Stop
3. Too Much
4. Saturday Night Divas
5. Never Give Up On the Good Times
6. Move Over
7. Do It
8. Denying
9. Viva Forever
10. The Lady Is A Vamp
“Spice World is the second album from the girls, a follow up to their 1997 smash hit Spice. This one is still undeniably dancy pop, but the music is notably a lot more mature and the production is a lot more smoother as well.

My favourite tracks are “Too Much”, “Saturday Night Divas”, “Move Over” (which is a little bit too short) and “Denying”.

I recommend getting the Japanese version of this album as it includes “Step To Me” as an extra track – though I must say it is slightly weird listening to “Step To Me” on this album because it was actually performed when their first album was released.

Overall, this is not a serious album to get yourself worked up over. It was great at the time when it was released and it’s still nice to listen to it now and then to remember those days of platform boots, pig tails and Girl Power!”
~ By Lina (2006)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

No Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Rock
Released: Aug 27, 2010

Buy The Goo Goo Dolls Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Something For The Rest Of Us
1. Sweetest Lie
2. As I Am
3. Home
4. Notbroken
5. One Night
6. Nothing Is Real
7. Now I Hear
8. Still Your Song
9. Something For The Rest Of Us
10. Say You’re Free
11. Hey Ya
12. Soldier
13. Postcards from Paradise (Bonus Track)
14. Rough Boys (Bonus Track)
15. Home (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)
“The sound and scope of “Something for the Rest of Us” evidence the Goo-Goo Dolls to be in tight shape and high spirits. Playing with the ferocity of a younger band with something to prove, they have more than enough sparkly, shining tunes to please listeners on all levels of interest.

Lead single “Home” benefits from a soaring melody, sharp, pulsing guitars, a tastefully polished sheen and, of course, Johnny Rzeznik’s throaty, authoritative vocals.

Opener “Sweetest Lie,” which rocks with high-octane intensity, heavy melody, poetic lyrics and longing vocals, as well the arresting, lyrically dense “Notbroken,” a potential radio hit that would not ware out its welcome on the hundredth play, are among other highlights which prove “Home” is no Trojan horse to lead listeners unsuspectingly into an otherwise poor album.

There are the requisite lesser tracks, of course, such as the earnest yet repetitive “Hey Ya” (thankfully not a cover of the Outkast hit) and the well-meaning yet weak-pulsed title track, which is only partially redeemed by carefully chosen lyrics (“black streaks of Maybelline run down your cheeks”) which show dexterous attention to detail. Rubbing against the stronger material, however, they cannot topple over.

Other tracks such as “As I Am” and “One Night” check all the boxes and sound radio-ready, with great playing and Rzeznik’s ever-harrowing vocals leading the way, yet they are also rather unimaginative in the lyrics department. They would sound great gracing the airwaves of your local Hot A/C station, but they might disappoint fans looking for the lyrical depth of past albums. It is unquestionably a matter of taste.

By contrast, “Say You’re Free” has a meaty, substantial lyric and empassioned vocals but does not fulfill the promise of its first 30 seconds due to lack of a solid hook.

“Still Your Song” shows off the upper and lower parts of Rzeznik’s vocal range, with the mercurial, restless melody accenting the sadness and urgency of the lyrics well. “Soldier” works similarly, underscoring the distressing, conflicted era that has continued onward from the late 2000s. Through the distress, however, there is still a glimmer of light.

“I know things change, but you’re living like a soldier who’s caught in the fray,” sings Rzeznik with resolute compassion. “Don’t lose your faith. It’s not too cold. It’s not too late.”

Some will be pleased with “Something for the Rest of Us” and some will not, but those in the latter will surely appreciate its professional and passionate execution.”
~ By Rudy Palma (2010)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: R&B/Soul
Released: Nov 21, 2008

Buy Craig David Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Greatest Hits
1. Fill Me In
2. 7 Days
3. Rise & Fall (feat. Sting)
4. Insomnia
5. What’s Your Flava? (Radio Edit)
6. Walking Away
7. Where’s Your Love (feat. Tinchy Stryder)
8. You Don’t Miss Your Water (‘Til The Well Runs Dry)
9. Rendezvous
10. Spanish
11. All The Way
12. Just My Imagination
13. World Filled With Love
14. Don’t Love You No More (I’m Sorry)
15. 6 Of 1 Thing
16. Hidden Agenda
17. This Is The Girl (With Kano)
18. Rewind
19. Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)
“This CD is phenominal!!! If you are a fan of Craig David it’s a must! Older songs with new ones! It’s the perfect mix!” ~ By J. Carlson (2010)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

2 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: R&B/Soul
Released: Nov 12, 2007

Buy Craig David Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Trust Me
1. Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)
2. 6 Of 1 Thing
3. Friday Night
4. Awkward
5. Just A Reminder
6. Officially Yours
7. Kinda Girl For Me
8. She’s On Fire
9. Don’t Play With Our Love
10. Top Of The Hill
11. This Is The Girl
“Great Album and Fresh Material, BUT… Craig David need’s to lose the rap/hip-hop element and stick to what made him a great artist in the first place. A great voice, great looks, and very personable. Don’t be a trend follower, be a trend setter. “ ~ By R. Conway (2008)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Mar 15, 2009

Buy Ronan Keating Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Songs For My Mother
1. Time After Time
2. Make You Feel My Love
3. Both Sides Now
4. Vincent
5. Carrickfergus
6. I Believe I Can Fly
7. Mama’s Arms
8. The Wild Mountain Thyme
9. Suspicious Minds
10. This Is Your Song
Digital Booklet – Songs For My Mother
“I lost my mother nearly ten years ago and not a day goes by without her crossing my mind. When I heard about this album, I just bought it blindly. Incredible! The album comforts, mourns and celebrates Ronan’s mother but is universal has provided me with some comfort. “Mama’s Arms” is heartbreaking but captures the feelings of losing a mother. His rendition of “Time After Time” is as good as I have ever heard. Great album and I am glad to have encountered it and the peace it has provided.” ~ By Kenneth (2009)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Nov 17, 2003

Buy Ronan Keating Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Turn It On
1. Turn It On Again
2. Lost For Words
3. She Gets Me Inside
4. First Time
5. Last Thing On My Mind
6. Let Her Down Easy
7. Back In The Day
8. She Believes (In Me)
9. On My Way
10. The Best Of Me
11. Hold You Now
12. This Is Your Song
13. I Wouldn’t Change A Thing
14. Give You What You Want
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 6th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Oct 29, 2002

Buy Ronan Keating Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Destination
1. I Love It When We Do
2. Love Won’t Work (If We Don’t Try)
3. If Tomorrow Never Comes
4. Come Be My Baby
5. Lovin’ Each Day
6. My One Thing That’s Real
7. Time For Love
8. Blown Away
9. As Much As I Can Give You Girl
10. Pickin’ Me Up
11. Joy And Pain
12. We’ve Got Tonight
13. The Long Goodbye
14. I Got My Heart On You (Bonus Track)
“Hi everyone…if you are thinking of getting this CD…you should not hesitate. Compared to his first solo album, this one is more upbeat thanks to the great lyrics of Gregg Alexander (of the New Radicals). There are great songs to sing to while driving and, of course, the requisite Ronan ballads! He has a beautiful and soulful voice! This CD is a must purchase!!!!” ~ By Susan Moffat (2002)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 5th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: R&B/Soul
Released: Aug 31, 2010

Buy Lyfe Jennings Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
I Still Believe
1. Statistics
2. Love
3. It Coulda Been Worse
4. Spotlight
5. Busy
6. Whatever She Wants
7. Mama
8. Hero
9. I Still Believe
10. Learn From This
11. Done Crying
12. If I Knew Then, What I Know Now
13. If Tomorrow Never Comes
14. Learn From This (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)
15. Done Crying (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)
16. If I Knew Then, What I Know Now (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)
Digital Booklet – I Still Believe
“Lyfe Jennings has sadly called I Still Believe, his fourth LP his final album. It is a sad day because I Still Believe may just be his valedictory effort. Even if calling it `his bet yet’ is a bit lofty, it is `heads-n-tails’ above Lyfe’s previous effort, 2008′s Lyfe Change. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Lyfe Change, but it lacked the grandeur of previous efforts 2004′s Lyfe 268-192 and 2006′s Phoenix. Lyfe’s purported final effort ‘I Still Believe’ restores that grandeur in a fine closing chapter to a great, if underrated recording career. All Lyfe fans hope that this is not Jennings’ final album ever – I know I sincerely hope!!!

“Statistics” is a smart opening cut for this effort, much better than “Keep on Dreaming” from ‘Lyfe Change’. “Statistics” creatively uses `statistics’ as the basis of its lyrics creating one of the more creative R&B songs I’ve heard in years. Maybe its not revolutionary only because Lyfe is now an established artist, but it is one of his best songs, easily. “Love” doesn’t possess the same potency as “Statistics”, but it is definitely another strong cut. On “Love,” Jennings favors more contemporary R&B production as opposed to the more adult R&B leaning production work of “Statistics.” While the more neo-soul leaning productions throughout this album better represent Lyfe Jennings as an artists, there is not the least bit of shame in a fine cut like “Love”.

“It Coulda Been Worse” gives “Statistics” a run for its money as the valedictory cut from I Still Believe. The production work is old-fashioned, but smartly so as it brings out the best in Jennings’ raspy, soulful vocals. The songwriting is superb and Jennings’ performance is one of the best of his career in my opinion. “Spotlight” has hard shoes to fill following “It Coulda Been Worse” and while it is eclipsed, it is still a solid contemporary R&B cut, if a shade shy of the grandeur of say “Love”. “Busy” resurrects any notion of lost momentum serving as another standout cut, if less appealing than “Statistics” or “It Coulda Been Worse”. If nothing else, the use of the `busy’ signal from a phone makes “Busy” worthwhile.

“Whatever She Wants” is solid, though not revolutionary. Better is the well written, if too short duet “Mama”, which features soul standout Anthony Hamilton. It is tracks like “Mama” where Jennings shines best. “Hero” is solid, even if it feels like a semi-rewrite of Jennings’ “Ghetto Superman” from The Phoenix. “I Still Believe” is another sound, uplifting cut, fitting the uplifting sense given off by this album. “Learn From This” is solid, though not stellar. Its follow-up “Done Crying” fairs similarly, but as I have emphasized constantly, both are still worthy of a couple of spins. “If I Knew Then, What I Know Now” and “If Tomorrow Never Comes” serve as great closing tracks, returning any lost momentum to the finely crafted ‘I Still Believe.’

In my opinion, ‘I Still Believe’ is an `A’ affair with no outright bad cuts. Jennings sounds his most refined and polished here, putting together a much more cohesive set than 2008′s ‘Lyfe Change.’ Let’s hope this isn’t his final album fans. 4 stars.”
~ By Michael Brent Faulkner, Jr. (2010)

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 5th September 2010

3 Comments

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Alternative
Released: Aug 17, 2010

Buy Hey Monday Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Beneath It All
1. Wish You Were Here
2. Wondergirl
3. I Don’t Wanna Dance
4. Hangover
5. Mr. Pushover
6. Where Is My Head
7. Fall Into Me
Digital Booklet – Beneath It All
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 5th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Dance
Released: May 17, 2008

Buy David Guetta Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Gettin’ Over You
1. Gettin’ Over You
2. Gettin’ Over You (Extended Version)
3. Gettin’ Over You (Sidney Samson Remix)
4. Gettin’ Over You (Avicii’s Vocal Mix At Night)
5. Gettin’ Over You (Thomas Gold Remix)
~

Tags:

Author: paco


Posted on: 5th September 2010

1 Comment

Category: iTunes Plus M4A

Genre: Pop
Released: Mar 11, 2008

Buy Ferras Album @
Amazon | Walmart | iTunes

Read more…
Aliens & Rainbows
1. Liberation Day
2. Aliens & Rainbows
3. Something About You
4. Hollywood’s Not America
5. Everybody Bleeds The Same
6. Rush
7. My Beautiful Life
8. Soul Rock
9. Blame, Blame, Blame
10. Dear God
11. Don’t Give Up
12. Take My Lips
“Ferras (Alquasi) has quite a challenge before him in trying not to become a one-hit wonder. Earlier this year he was exposed to millions with his single “Hollywood’s Not America,” as it was played night after night during “Hollywood Week” of American Idol’s Season 7 cast-offs. So this American wonders is there more from Ferras that is worth listening to?

Twenty-Five year old Ferras gets his strikingly dark brooding looks from his Arab American father and European American mother. Born in southern Illinois, Ferras had to first overcome the break up of his parents at a young age, a kidnapping from his estranged Father who whisked him off to a foreign land, and his mother having to abduct him back into the USA. This was all very traumatic for a young half Mid-Eastern kid growing up in a mostly-white small town, he felt alienated and started creating his own world with music on a Casio keyboard. Ferras and his mother eventually settled in Santa Barbara, California. While hunting and auditioning for record deals he caught the ear of Limp Bizkit front-man Fred Durst who lead him to Capitol Music. Alquasi was discovered.

Ferras debut “Aliens and Rainbows” is a self exploration filled with his own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. His sound doesn’t really fit into any one category. Though aimed at pop audiences there is a deeper path to his sound as he draws from various 70′s British influences blending with the emo-esque tones of modern day storytellers. With a strong ferocious conviction he pounds eloquently on the piano through each track, with adequate string accompaniment, at times sounding exhausted in delivery but reeking all along with such overwhelming passion.

The opener “Liberation Day” (what a wonderful thing to throw your illusions away-it’s Liberation day) is an anthem for any oppressed race, culture, or group. He then follows this with the title track that deals with his feelings of isolation, rebelling in lyric, that he would rather be alone with Aliens and Rainbows, than to conform to what is expected of him. The third cut in, “Something About You,” sets the tone for the remainder of the set and feels as if it was lifted from a “Coldplay” outtake session, but Ferras’s vocal quickly reminds you that it’s not them and reels you back into his story.

My favorite track is “My Beautiful Life,” which begins with dialog over light instruments. (When I’m up in the air, When I’m down on the floor, I could use a sharper knife, Is there anything else, Is there anything more, This is my beautiful life, And the poetry’s crushing me) It’s a dark tune, but as a songwriter, he goes back and forth in moods ranging from happy to sad, and many times this is felt within each individual song. “Aliens and Rainbows” is a very strong professional debut. I recommend it highly to anyone who likes to listen while reading the lyrics and become transported into the mind of an artist.”
~ By Robert Lawrence (2008)

Tags: