There are some acts that I quite like and enjoy their music on a regular basis. Then there are other acts who I like some of their songs but don't go out of my way to track down. And then of course there are acts who I absolutely adore and remain incredibly loyal to, following through thick and thin, hunting down rare recordings, b-sides, alternate versions, etc. My obsessions. Today's onslaught of delicious new music comes from these latter acts. Be prepared for a rather gushing, biased review on each and every one...
Maroon 5 ft Wiz Khalifa ~ Payphone:
Premiered on The Voice USA last night (which already makes it infinitely more entertaining than the yawnsville UK version), Adam LeFine and the boys are back with perhaps their most poppy new single to date. It definitely carries on the perky sound of megahit Moves Like Jagger, but lets not forget that Maroon 5 have dabbled their toes in pop waters before (Makes Me Wonder, This Love, Misery all have poptastic hooks and bouyant melodies)... Payphone, in essence, is an accomplished boy band song sung by one of my favourite pop-rock groups. What the group has always done best is fuse elements of pop, r'n'b, funk, rock and even dance into their tunes to varying degrees and Payphone is a new mixture of some of those genres. It's repetitive drum beat is soon a compulsive giddly pleasure, while the soaring falsetto chorus has you hooked after it's first go round. What I do love about the song is how the "well fuck you then bitch" vitrolic lyrics are a direct juxtaposition with that chirpy chirpy pop tune - it's dressed as a boy band song but it's really the antithesis with a bit of bite to it. Adam delivers his cutting lyrics so well that you can't help but think you don't want to get read by this dude :) All in all it's a giddy heady pop tune and I need more. Cannot wait for the Max Martin produced album in June. Hurrah. (PS, I'm not overly enamoured of the rap so far, a nice guest female vocal would've been much preferred at this point)...
Jason Mraz ~ Everything Is Sound:
Over the years, Jason has developed his niche from modern day poet of the people (years before Ed Sheeran got in on the act) to optimistic troubadour. Frankly I love it when he's all life affirming and uplifting - see Life Is Wonderful, I'm Yours, Live High, World As I See It et al. His lead single from his fourth album was I Won't Give Up which has been hovvering in the UK top twenty for weeks now with it's unassuming, charming vibe. Everything Is Sound is musically a more playful affair that celebrates the ways love can make even the toughest of times entirely bearable. It has this adorable la-la-la refrain running through the chorus which creates an incredibly convivial atmosphere, drawing the listener fully into the song and making them a part of it. It's all very joyous and designed to make you feel rather spiffy - and this is where it absolutely succeeds. The song also presents some lovely layered beach boys-esque harmonies and has this really neat trick of fading out to what sounds like a Mraz-only jam session. It's as if he can't stop singing about love and is a delicious end to a delightful song. Je t'adore.
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