Katy Perry//One Of The Boys

The first review goes like this...

I don't listen to the radio much at all.  This blog is meant to point to the reasons I don't.  Katy Perry is the reason I should.  Fortunately, just a few weeks ago I sat down in a local barber shop for a trim.  Her latest single "I Kissed A Girl" came pouring out the house speakers.  My head was bobbing in no time... much to the inconvenience of my friendly barber.

I had no idea what the song was or who was singing it, but I desperately wished I would remember it so I could ease my curiosity with a quick Google later on.  My desperation was unfounded; that voice was singing in my head all day and I had no choice in the matter.

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Katy Perry brings something so tangible to the female-fronted pop/rock act.  Her melodies are unavoidable.  When I first sat down to hear One Of The Boys in its entirety, I was soothed by its listenability.  It was as if I could finish the melodies she began without having heard any but two of her songs, those being "I Kissed A Girl" and "UR So Gay."

The second of these two songs is one of a rare few songs I really couldn't care less about.  While "UR So Gay" ventures into more creative musical landscapes and preserves the attitude of the album, it just doesn't captivate me for one reason or another.  The hook is insufficient.

As it happened, most every track had me singing along in a flash.  My favorites in addition to "I Kissed A Girl" include "Waking Up In Vegas," wit-ridden "Mannequin," "Thinking Of You," and desperate love anthem "Self Inflicted."  The truth is that song after song, every chorus is so brilliantly constructed, every line so well executed it is hard to dislike any lengthy part of this album.

The musical arrangement is typical, 'overproduced' some may say.  I personally don't use the word because I think there's no such thing--but that's a different discussion altogether.  What I mean is that musicianship and production are well-built for this album.  They aren't out of the ordinary or special in any way.  It is the voice that needs to shine, and it does indeed.  Katy Perry has such character and emotional expression in her voice that the spotlight was on her the minute I pressed play.  This is the mark of an artist who has the talent to venture into deeper and more rewarding projects.

* * *

Overall, the album is a joy to hear top-to-bottom.  Its accessibility is undeniable though I would hesitate to say it has great lasting appeal: it's pop at its best.

B+

Rules To Break

First, this blog will initially contain three main categories: 

• Album Reviews: self-explanatory
• Features: this might be where a lesser-known act is profiled, a one-off song is reviewed or something like that.
• General: a place for me to address the blog topic openly without a particular musical muse

These aren't set-in-stone.  Here's to hoping they multiply.

Second, the few of you reading this blog have something to say.  Please comment.  On a related subject, I don't read a lot of professional critiques.  I come from an artist/producer background; my vision might indicate this.  If you have something to say about the blog, please do.

Finally, bookmark me.  This rule is set-in-stone.

The First Blog

Hi, friend.  This is my first ever blog on my first ever blog.  It seems lately I have become increasingly concerned with the way music is being written, produced, sold, and heard.  I need an outlet; will you be mine if I promise to share unabashedly?

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Good.  So let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I am a student... and a professional... but mostly a professional student, I'd say.  Music has been my dream career since a very young age, and so I've made it my purpose to approach it.  I've developed strong tastes and opinions over the years, for better or worse.  For better, because without such a sensitivity to sweet and sour I'd have no reason for this blog.  And for worse, because a thought or feeling left uncovered is a dangerous device of self-destruction.  I need an outlet.

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The music I prefer is true.  It's believable, loud, honest, and pure.  I like drama.  Lyrics are crucial.  The voice is the most important element of a song.  If a song doesn't say something and say it well, it is better left unsaid.  This blog is about popular music.  It's about songs that are--or should be--on any music lover's radar.  Of course, this is a matter of opinion.  But that's the beauty of a blog: I'm right and you might be too... but it's my blog.