Josh Kelley "Almost Honest" (Hollywood Records) Sounds like: John Mayer, but with a little more bubble-gum pop and Five for Fighting's "The Battle For Everything" thrown in. B+
Acoustic guitar in hand, his husky voice crooning songs with southern and between-the-sheets themes, singer/songwriter Josh Kelley fits the mold of most current male musical acts. However, while musically talented, he seems to fall a bit short of John Mayer status.
His sophomore album, "Almost Honest," has a pop sound, mixed with a bit of funk, country and soul. The title track is a beautiful, slow country ballad, thanks to Kelley's sexy, raspy voice.
The album opens with the addictive song "Walk Fast," which has a solid beat and the type of simple lyrics and easy-to-follow tune that gets stuck in one's head. As is the case with most of the songs on his album, the chorus is quite catchy. The CD's general tone is positive and upbeat. Nothing sounds bleak or drags on, which is a nice alternative for those who don't listen to the copious amount of downer music on the charts.
However, Kelley surely saves the best for last. "Lydia" is an extremely sensual, soulful tune about heartache. The song stands out as the best by far - a strange transformation at the end, but it definitely gives the album a nudge up.
While the lyrics are a bit trite, Kelley has a good product. Most of his tunes are solid and would appeal to those who are into the country-pop scene.
-AMANDA GLENSKY
A Perfect Murder "Strength Through Vengeance" (Victory Records) Sounds like: Straight edge - sing-alongs + metal = formulaic mediocrity. C+
When a band's drummer hooks 25 microphones up to his drum kit during recording, there are two possibilities: one, this band has mind-blowing percussive intensity, the likes of which have never before been heard; or two, this band wastes a lot of money on microphones.
Unfortunately for their bank statements, the latter is true for A Perfect Murder. To be fair, there may be valid reasons why they the Quebecois quintet's second release, "Strength Through Vengeance," doesn't rock as hard and heavy as 25 drum kit microphones may imply. Namely, the band has recently experienced serious roster changes, and three members have been replaced.
On this new collection of 11 songs, A Perfect Murder's sound veers dangerously toward tired thrash metal, with chugging guitars only underscoring their apparent fondness for Metallica. Straight-edge sentiment and machismo remain from the band's hardcore days; however, group sing-alongs have been replaced by elaborate metal guitar work.
These changes, in themselves, are not so bad. In fact, A Perfect Murder would be a satisfyingly solid act if it weren't for their substandard literary skills. With track titles like "Wake Up and Die" and "Slay the Masses," prosaic genius would be too much to ask. Nonetheless, with lyrics reading like the half-baked rants of a drunkard, not all the microphones in the world could save them. On "Black Hate Machine," vocalist Kevin Randel barks, "You want respect from me?/You gotta earn it/You wanna disrespect?/How 'bout I break your face?"
A broken face would indeed be unfortunate, but considering A Perfect Murder's second-rate metal melodrama, disrespect on the listener's part seems like the only valid option.
-MIA STEINLE
Various Artists "MINISTRY OF SOUND: THE ANNUAL 2006" (Ministry of Sound) Sounds like: THE BEST HOUSE PARTY (not featuring Kid n' Play) EVER. B
Sometimes everyone needs to dance. Don't fret; there isn't anything wrong with that. The conundrum, though: What will be the soundtrack? The new "NOW Vol. 884,023" is bad news bears. Disco punk has flat-lined. And that "Songs from the O.C." mix is severely lacking in anything but moody yet loveable indie tracks. What to do, what to do?
It just so happens that record label Ministry of Sound has come out with its annual audio review of the best dance tracks of the past year, remixed and featured in "The Annual 2006." As DMX would probably say (most likely with a few dog barks in between each word), "it's time to party up."
While Kanye advocates driving real slow, homey, the Ministry of Sound is all about cranking up the heat, with their mix's average beats-per-minute count remaining in the high 100s. Beginning masterfully with a techno remix of the quintessential song of 2005, "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, disc one is all about two things: house music and house remixes. Not to say that this is a bad thing, because it wouldn't really make sense to have the best in techno featured on this album; one can't do the Charleston or the like to Boards of Canada. Because this is a U.S. edition of "The Annual" (M.o.S. puts out annuals for many different countries), some of the most innovative names in house from around the world don't appear on this mix - no Alan Braxe, no Trentemoller, and no R?yksopp. Even so, there are plenty of tracks that make one jump off the wall and onto the dance floor. Mylo's "In Your Arms" and Bob Sinclair's remix of Zookey's "Lift Your Leg Up" are, in particular, more infectious than that dirty monkey in "Outbreak."
This mix will probably be quite enjoyable to anyone who delights in techno. To its credit, the Ministry of Sound does display some diversity with its house choices. While many would like their dance parties to include some hip-hop, or at the very least "Ignition (Remix)," the Ministry is keen on their techno, and really, they just want you to groove. Display some courtesy please, and do what Madonna would advocate: get into the groove.
-DREW ROSENSWEIG
