Wumbo's Somewhat Informed Opinions on Music

[Wumbo]

Sounds like a jam. I'll do it next week along with OMJ tunes.

[Wumbo]

Here we go. Let's crack into some oldies.

 

Bad Moon Rising - The Reels

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xDCrP6lZy8&feature=player_embedded

 

So here's a couple of lads from Australia who decided to cover Creedence Clearwater Revival's classic song back in 1986. I feel that when reviewing cover songs, it's important to look at the original and compare them.

 

There are actually quite a few Glee-less cover songs better than the original, IMO. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was always done best by Jeff Healey for me, Metallica rocked out "Turn the Page" in a way that Bob Seger didn't quite. And I have to say, this cover is no exception. While the original song is done very well, I'll take New Wave over roots rock any day. And this could have been awful, because the lyrics to "Bad Moon Rising" kind of scream down-to-earth folksy music to me. But The Reels made it work. It's definitely different, but it definitely rocks.

 

10/10

 

Back Into the Land of Light - Freedom Call

 

 

Boy, if you're going to have "power" in your genre name, you'd better mean it. And Freedom Call meet expectations. You can just feel the energy from the start of the song. The band sounds like they're having so much fun.

 

Power metal and hair metal to me have always kind of been to rock what Beastie Boys were to rap. I'm all for deep, soulful stuff in my music, but sometimes it's best to just let loose and rock out, and that's what happens here. Not to say that the lyrics here are particularly silly, but the whole composition seems very Dragonforce-esque to me without the ridiculously fast guitar playing. It's a well played song. Very energetic, very fun to listen to.

 

9.5/10

 

Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel

 

 

Two of the most famous recording artists of the 60's. One went on to become a singing moose.

 

Arthur aside, this is a classic song, and for good reason. It was used in one of the most iconic movies of the 60's, The Graduate. It referenced Joe DiMaggio, at the time one of the big heroic figures. And it's a catchy little tune in its own right. It doesn't really vary, but it doesn't need to. The folksy melody of the song carries throughout it. God bless you please, Simon & Garfunkel.

 

8.5/10

 

Steel Guitar Rag - Kilima Hawaiians

 

 

Hey, an instrumental! A SpongeBob-like instrumental!

 

Or, steel guitar to cure what ails ye. I love the upbeat sound of steel guitar. It's playful, fun, and melodic. Great song, as are many songs using this instrument.

 

9/10

 

It's Gotta Be You - Lesley Gore

 

 

Short and sweet song, it seems. Nothing wrong with that. It's simple, but somewhat elegant. Sometimes the best pop songs are the shortest, little soundbites to get the simple point across. It's gotta be this person, and Lesley knows it.

 

8/10

 

Bonus: Accidental Racist - Brad Paisley ft. LL Cool J

 

 

Kind of an interesting point of view this song takes on. The South is as famous for racism as Limbaugh is for sexism. But rather than tackling the subject in a completely apologetic way, it tackles the subject in a more two-sided way. It's definitely controversial, some of the lyrics. There's still a lot of tension between blacks and whites, especially in that area. And I feel that this song pretty much sums it up.

 

Being from Canada and being born in 1995, I can't pretend that I fully understand the entire history inspired by this song. I see old racist Disney cartoons and hear about how it was back then and it's quite sickening. But as the song says, it's too bad that neither can seem to let go of this history. I'm not saying it's something we should sweep under the rug, but dwelling on the past doesn't solve any kind of problem.

 

...Wow, this is less song review and more social commentary, isn't it? It's only natural that I would go off on tangents when a song deals with subject matter such as this. And really, that's what makes it so great. It's thought-provoking; it's an original concept. Having LL Cool J guest rap was a stroke of genius, displaying the two sides. God bless this song.

 

10/10

[The Crow]

Gotta say, glad somebody else agrees with me in saying The Reels' version is superior to CCR's.

[Wumbo]

Back to your standard Billboard fare.

 

Come & Get It - Selena Gomez

 

 

Between "Heart Attack" and this song, it looks like the Disney stars of yesteryear are taking risks and it's paying off. I have to say though, I was a little skeptical of this one to begin with. It seemed to me that the change from simple drums to straight-up synthpop was far too abrupt. But as the song progressed, I could see that the combination worked. I do have a bit of a quibble with Selena Gomez pushing her voice to its limits, because the bridge just did not work for me. If you're going to push it to the limits, your limits shouldn't be so... limited. Lovato did this right, Gomez did not. Heck, it just sounds like her voice through the rest of the song, only louder and overly dramatic.

 

Lyrically, eh... it's nothing special. They're not awful lyrics, but they do get repetitive at times, particularly the chorus. So while I was amazed by "Heart Attack", this was just okay for me with a few weak areas.

 

7/10

 

I Love It - Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX

 

 

Well, speaking of repetitiveness... this song.

 

I don't think I've ever...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKlLZlbQZo

 

Okay, never mind. There are definitely more repetitive songs. But this one is up there. Some of the lyrics don't even make any sense.

 

 

I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone.

I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn.

I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs.

I crashed my car into the bridge.

 

I don't care

 

What? Why would you crash your car into a bridge? Is this even a breakup song, or just a series of unfortunate yet deliberate events that happen while the guy is at work?

 

Ehh, as the song progresses it seems like a breakup song, but it's a pretty stupid one. I still don't get what crashing her car into a bridge has to do with anything. Is it... symbolic? Help me.

 

But other than stupid lyrics and repetitiveness, it's not too bad of a song. At worst, it's just a stupid dance song that still makes you want to dance. It's got a fun atmosphere, and I wouldn't object to it being played in a club. It's a good song if you don't stop to think about it.

 

7/10

 

Cruise - Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly

 

 

Okay, so what we have here is a remix of a country song that gained popularity in 2012. I don't know if I ever reviewed this one, but as far as country songs go, it's pretty okay. Some of the lyrics are a little dopey, but that's country music for you.

 

And as big a distaste I have for country music, this remix loses something, at least during Florida Georgia Line's parts. It becomes very generic, and loses some of that country twang.

 

But it's not a total loss. Nelly's part allows for a breakup in the slightly repetitive song, and works with the remix. Overall, is it an improvement on the original? I'm gonna safely say "no". While I did like Nelly's part, this song is obviously meant to stay country, and the remix kind of makes it lose that flavour.

 

Original song: 7.5/10

Remix: 7/10

 

The Way - Ariana Grande ft. Mac Miller

 

 

Holy crap, she sounds like Mariah Carey!

 

This is definitely not the voice you'd expect from this little girl. And dear God, I absolutely love it. In fact, everything about this seems like this century's

for me. So many parallels, between the powerful voice, lyrical content, and guest rapper. I mean, Mac Miller is no Ol' Dirty Bastard, but his part isn't awful, just kind of generic. It's Ariana Grande who steals the show anyway. Such a great voice. Say what you will about those teeny-bop shows, but they have the potential to score some really great rising stars.

 

9.5/10

 

Get Lucky - Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams

 

 

Daft Punk is back on the charts with their lead-off single! And I could not be happier with America right now. Daft Punk have always been great dance artists, always straying just a little from the norm. Collaborating with Pharrell Williams, a guy with a great voice, definitely worked. This new Daft Punk song is probably one of their catchiest. It's a lot more consistently uptempo than some of their

hits, and it's definitely a new sound for them, while still retaining their original sound. There isn't a thing to dislike about this.

 

10/10

[Sweat]

Your welcome. BTW, Daft Punk is awful. All it is is just techno trash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JK, Daft Punk is amazing.

[Wumbo]

Not your style of music, I presume?

[Sweat]

Not your style of music, I presume?

Read the fine print of that post, bro.

[Wumbo]

Don't scare me like that.

[Wumbo]

Sorry for the lateness, but new laptop wooo! Today, we'll see if hashtags in the title are the golden ticket to a great song.

 

Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell

 

 

Is this... is this a serious song? I honestly can't tell.

 

The lyrics ("What rhymes with hug me?") combined with this beat is so ridiculous that I'm inclined to say so. And I hope so, because while it doesn't work for me as either, it doesn't work slightly less as a purposely bad song than an unintentionally bad song.

 

But if they were trying to make a comically bad song, it needs work. The oddball lyrics at some points aren't funny, just stupid, and Robin Thicke does know what a key is, right? And how to stay on one?

 

This entire song just rubs me the wrong way. It's like your 50-year-old uncle trying to emulate The Lonely Island. Just cut him off after the second martini next time.

 

4/10

 

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) - Fall Out Boy

 

 

Hey, Fall Out Boy is back! But is it for better or for worse? I'm gonna just put it out there: This is their greatest song.

 

I mean, it's hard to believe that this is the same band who did catchy little tunes like "Dance, Dance" and "Sugar, We're Going Down". And while those songs are great, this is evolution. This song has a darker feel than most of their other songs, punctuated by the pounding of drums and accompanied by the harsh chords on the guitar. It's also pretty dark lyric-wise.

 

Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes

 

Everything? I love? Wow.

 

It's still recognizably Fall Out Boy, but it's better Fall Out Boy. Light 'em up (light what up, anyway? the songs?)

 

10/10

 

Boys 'Round Here - Blake Shelton ft. Pistol Annies and Friends

 

 

Red, red, red, red, redneck

 

Hello country, my old friend.

 

This song's just too goofy for me to grade it too harshly. I mean, one of the lyrics is "Chew tobacco chew tobacco chew tobacco spit". What does one say to that? I'm glad you've got the nuances of chewing tobacco down pat?

 

The rest of the song teaches us that Blake Shelton can't do the Dougie (which is really kind of pathetic, since it's the easiest dance move ever) and he spends his time talkin' bout girls and one of my favourite subjects in country music, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YfNFR6gh2E. So, a pretty generic country song, with just enough goofiness for me to not dislike it.

 

6.5/10

 

#thatPOWER - will.i.am ft. Justin Bieber

 

 

After struggling to get a hit without his Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am finally had one with "Scream and Shout", featuring Britney Spears. Don't ask me, I don't know how it happened. But here's a hit that makes a lot more sense, because it features everyone's favourite knucklehead, Bieber.

 

You know, i'm trying to appreciate will.i.am's solo career on different levels. I appreciated "T.H.E." as one of the most ridiculously bad collaborations in music history (bear in mind this is a world where Ozzy Osbourne collaborated with Miss Piggy), and I actually non-ironically enjoyed "This is Love", but I couldn't enjoy "Scream and Shout" on any sort of level, and if I ever get to it, you'll have one whopper of a review. Now we have this.

 

...will.i.am, you're being outperformed by Justin Bieber. I don't know if you've noticed this, but usually the guest voice shouldn't overtake the original performer... if you can call what you're doing performing. Yet again, it's will.i.am singing/rapping (Autotune can make it so difficult to tell sometimes) about how great he is. I don't want to hear about how great you are. I want to hear you be great. And you're not, will.i.am, you're not. Remember when I aid Autotune can be used advantageously? Well, will.i.am absolutely blows it here. He sounds like he's 55 and just underwent a cyborg transformation in order to desperately connect with the young, hip listeners today. Moreover, the lyrics:

 

Whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger

 

Lord. Can we ban this exhausted cliché from songs forever?

 

They call me will-A

 

...no, nobody calls you that. When has anybody ever called you that? Oh, you had to rhyme with... chillay. Never mind.

 

Ever since Boom Boom Pow, will.i.am has gone through long bouts of not trying, with the very

good

that first one has more to do with Fergie anyway). I mean, listen to the beat on #thatPOWER (what a fucking stupid title to appeal to the stupid masses, btw). It's sleep-inducing.

 

So, no. hashtags in the title do not make a good song. When Justin Bieber is your saving grace, you're in trouble. Deep trouble. will.i.am, go hard or go home.

 

5/10

 

#Beautiful - Mariah Carey ft. Miguel

 

 

And just like that, here we go with another hashtag in the tile. Let's see if we can get something good. And I WILL WATCH THIS ENTIRE VIDEO IF I HAVE TO!

 

Yeah, Mariah Carey's still as hot as ever. But is her music? Well... it's not quite on the same level as her early stuff, but it's still pretty good. Both her and Miguel have good voices that carry the simple love/sex song, but the giggling from Mariah Carey becomes obnoxious quickly, especially when you remember that she's like 42. Come on, Mariah.

 

But it's a good song. Not great, far from perfect, but good.

 

8/10

 

Bonus: Ready Aim Fire - Imagine Dragons (suggested by jjs)

 

 

We've got ourselves a song from Iron Man 3. It had better be epic. And Imagine Dragons haven't disappointed me yet.

 

And count me not disappointed once again. This is exactly the song you need to be on the soundtrack for a superhero movie. Powerful on all accounts. Looks like indie rock is finding its way into everything now, and I can safely say that I approve. I mean, they're just picking the perfect songs for these movies...

 

 

...

 

Well, maybe I have to watch it.

 

9/10

[Wumbo]

Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker

 

 

Hey, it's that Hootie & the Blowfish guy!

 

 

Hootie & the Blowfish were one of the top easy rock bands back in the day. Appearing on Sesame Street and Billboard charts alike, they had great presence through the mid-90's. They stayed together until 2008, when Darius Rucker announced he would be leaving to pursue... *shudder* country music.

 

Unfortunately, that genre has the tendency to genericize even the most talented artists. I'm told genericize isn't a word, but god damn it, I'm making it one! It's the perfect example of what country music did to Darius Rucker, or maybe what Rucker did for country music, which isn't a heck of a lot. I mean, listen to the difference. If I didn't know better, I would never have associated the two acts in the first place. I mean, country music is such a bland genre that

has more edge. Now, there's a place in music for softer stuff. But soft doesn't always have to be boring. I mean, this song just barely makes me want to care, and I mean that in the most respectful way. It's not really the lyrics that are the problem here. There's a story, he's heading down south. But it's the bland, uninspired way they're presented that puts me to sleep.

 

I know, it's not my style of music and I'm starting to beat a dead horse once again. But even the worst of genres have http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pojL_35QlSI. A lot of country music bores me, but it's not totally the genre's fault. It's like blaming no-talents like Pitbull on rap. It's what one can do with country music that makes it bearable or interesting, and unfortunately Rucker fails to deliver for me here. Still love Hootie & the Blowfish, but that was a past time.

5/10 3:

 

Power Trip - J. Cole ft. Miguel

 

 

Jay-Z? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUbpGmR1-QM? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwXeN2FsE7w? No, this is J. Cole. Ever since his 2011 single https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PN78PS_QsM, he's been moderately successful on the charts. And he's a good artist, if this song is any indication. Not excellent, but it least this song makes me care about J. Cole's troubles a little bit. He gets the message of having a longtime crush across in a way where he comes off as sympathetic and even a little humble. Humility: Now there's something a few rappers can learn.

 

8/10

 

Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift

 

 

Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift, huh? I guess once one writes a song about the other, the duet is inevitable.

 

Say what you will about Taylor Swift's questionable lyrical skills, but at least she has a good voice. An awful personality, but a good voice. And the song's great, because she's not put in charge of the creative writing process. My problem is the video. I mean, what? What's with the "don't text and drive" message that the video suddenly takes a turn for? Um, the highway don't care, but you do? Well that's too bad, she's kind of fucking dead.

 

I wish the video was different, because it doesn't fit the song well beyond... I guess she's driving down the highway? But if i'm judging  only the song, it's definitely a top-notch country song, capturing the soul that good country music is meant to have.

 

9.5/10

 

Next to Me - Emeli Sande

 

 

 

Ellie Goulding redux. It took too long for this artist to cross into the American mainstream, but it was well worth it when she did. I wouldn't mind if we had one of these every year, tbh. One Direction can collectively kiss me ass, sometimes an artist is like a bottle of wine, needing time to ripen and become popular. Not to say this song wasn't great to begin with,  but for one reason or another, it took until this year for it to succeed in the Billboard world, despite the fact that it's been a single since February of last year.

 

Whatever. Better late than never, and this girl has soul, coming through in her voice and her lyrics. Together, they make you believe the artist and respect the artist.

 

10/10

 

Clouds - Zach Sobiech

 

 

Let's start things off here: RIP.

 

 

Zach Sobiech recently lost his life to cancer. This song was released in December of 2012, and became viral on YouTube soon after.

 

Obviously, it's tragic and kind of terrifying (he was born the same year as me). But the question still remains on whether the song is any good. Well, it's sad, but he plays it so beautifully and... upbeat. It's kind of a bittersweet song, maybe even optimistic. He's got a very positive outlook on death, going up in the clouds. I suppose if you're inflicted with cancer, music is a great way to overcome your struggles. This song and I'm sure many others will give Sobiech a lasting legacy that he deserves. And it's not even that he lived the experience; if anyone wrote this song, it would be beautiful. But it's Zach's predicament that admittedly pushes it that extra mile into somber beauty. RIP Zach. Great song.

 

10/10

[Shark Tale]

Clouds - Zach Sobiech

 

 

Let's start things off here: RIP.

 

 

Zach Sobiech recently lost his life to cancer. This song was released in December of 2012, and became viral on YouTube soon after.

 

Obviously, it's tragic and kind of terrifying (he was born the same year as me). But the question still remains on whether the song is any good. Well, it's sad, but he plays it so beautifully and... upbeat. It's kind of a bittersweet song, maybe even optimistic. He's got a very positive outlook on death, going up in the clouds. I suppose if you're inflicted with cancer, music is a great way to overcome your struggles. This song and I'm sure many others will give Sobiech a lasting legacy that he deserves. And it's not even that he lived the experience; if anyone wrote this song, it would be beautiful. But it's Zach's predicament that admittedly pushes it that extra mile into somber beauty. RIP Zach. Great song.

 

10/10

 

What a coincidence! My English teacher showed us one of his "My Last Day" videos yesterday, the same day you posted that.

Seriously though, that was my first time hearing of it, such a sad story, and great song. RIP.

[Wumbo]

We Own It (Fast & Furious) - 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-8EQHaMKfA

 

You know, I wasn't expecting much from Wiz and 2 Chainz, especially since songs released for movies usually aren't an artist's greatest. But I was pleasantly surprised here. I became convinced that 2 Chainz actually knows what rapping is. The chorus worked. Wiz's rapping... didn't totally suck.

 

This doesn't sound very nice, but I'm just kind of in shock right now. How can two artists of negative caliber make a song like this? Maybe movies turn bad artists into good ones. Maybe Justin Lin took Wiz aside and told him, "I swear, if you make this about your car, weed or basketball skills, I'll have your head." Whatever it was, the song works for the most part. Wiz is still not a good rapper to me, but he wasn't awful here. 2 Chainz impressed me here though, I'll admit. After guest verses where he urges Nicki Minaj to put his dick in her kidney, he actually seemed competent here and reminded me slightly of - dare I say it? - Jay-Z.

 

I mean, it's not perfect. There's this weird whooping thing going on, and the lyrics tend to lose focus, but it's better than having a bad focus to begin with. Overall, a good song worthy of being the soundtrack for Fast & Furious, a franchise I've never seen, but bear with me.

 

8/10

 

Treasure - Bruno Mars

 

 

Baby squirrel, you’s a sexy mother fucker

 

 

I... yep, that's the opening line. What the hell? Keep your bestiality tendencies to yourself, Mars.

 

The rest of the song is passable, but only passable. I'm told that the beat is sampled from Breakbot's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahdH8eTydWY. And I have to say, that song is way better. This is just kind of a second-rate version of that song, honestly. She's your treasure, Bruno? Wow, it takes an ingenious mind to come up with that.

 

Okay, the original song doesn't exactly have stellar lyrics either. But Bruno, man. You can do better than ripping off someone else's beat and coming up with lyrics like this:

 

You're wonderful, flawless, ooh you're a sexy lady

 

Whatever. This is a very "whatever" song, especially from one of my top current artists. I'm really disappointed.

 

6/10

 

Cups (Pitch Perfect's When I'm Gone) - Anna Kendrick

 

 

Recently saw Pitch Perfect, actually. Absolutely loved it, anyone who hasn't seen it should.

 

Okay, this doesn't exactly have anything to do with the song, but I love playing with cups. I also like watching people do it, it's so much fun. Okay, the song.

 

I do like the interesting percussion made by the cups, and Anna Kendrick has a good voice. It's an okay song. As far as Pitch Perfect goes, there are covers of songs I prefer from it. The lyrics don't do much for me, but I guess it's not really a lyrically driven song. I like it, but I don't love it.

 

7/10

 

Clarity - Zedd ft. Foxes

 

 

Electronica music is actually really interesting to me, because it's a mixed bag. I either love it or I absolutely hate how annoying it is. There's also the *Guetta* stuff in *Guetta* between that *Guetta* bores me. But it's probably the genre that I have the most mixed opinions on at the moment. It's usually the breath of fresh air in the pop charts nowadays, with rock and non-shit rap taking a backseat.

 

So what do I think of this? Love it! It's upbeat, interesting and beautiful. Everything I want from an electronica song. Just keep doing this, Zedd, and you'll be just fine in my books.

 

10/10

 

The Other Side - JAY! son Deroooolo

 

 

Wait. Wait. Is this Jason Derulo? He didn't say his name at the beginning of the song! How can I be sure?

 

It's not completely awful, either! Are we sure this is Derulo?

 

That's not to say that it's not without its faults. The chorus is auto-tuned to shit, and what I mean by that is the auto-tune sounds like shit. Also, what's with the chanting at the end of the second and third choruses? It sounds just as bad as it did in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RnPB76mjxI. But it's not awful, either. The verses sound pretty okay. Lyrically, it's kind of cheesy and clichéd, but not too bad. A passable song.

 

6.5/10

[Clappy]

 

Clarity - Zedd ft. Foxes

 

 

Electronica music is actually really interesting to me, because it's a mixed bag. I either love it or I absolutely hate how annoying it is. There's also the *Guetta* stuff in *Guetta* between that *Guetta* bores me. But it's probably the genre that I have the most mixed opinions on at the moment. It's usually the breath of fresh air in the pop charts nowadays, with rock and non-shit rap taking a backseat.

 

So what do I think of this? Love it! It's upbeat, interesting and beautiful. Everything I want from an electronica song. Just keep doing this, Zedd, and you'll be just fine in my books.

 

10/10

 

 

"If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?" is a meaningless sentence.  Just saying.

 

Otherwise, this song is pretty meh.

[Wumbo]

I'd challenge you on that. It's contrasting the ideas of chaos and order in love.

[SG19]

Hey Wumbo, have these songs been reviewed yet?:

 

 

 

 

 

[Wumbo]

The Bon Jovi and Matchbox 20 ones have not. The other two ended up in my Top 10 best of 2012, so there you go.

[Sweat]

Review A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. Please.

[Wumbo]

IF I COULD FALL

 

INTO THE SKY

 

Looks like it's All-Request Week next week.

[Wumbo]

One Billboard song and 4 requests.

 

We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus

 

 

Hey guys, remember when Miley Cyrus was relevant?

 

 

Well, she's back! And just as tedious as before. Not as annoying, but holds just as little relevance to my music taste as before. This might be one of the most plain party songs I've ever heard. Am I supposed to be excited about this party? Because she sure isn't showing it with this boring drawl. Hell, "Party in the USA", while annoying as all fuck, at least sounded like Miley Cyrus was having a good time. This just sounds like she's one of will.i.am's cyborgs programmed to make boring, meaningless music. I swear to God, if someone rhymes "hands in the air" with "don't care" one more time, I will be convinced that will.i.am, or somebody with a small amount of musical originality, is controlling the masses. God, these lyrics:

 

It’s our party we can do what we want to

It’s our house we can love who we want to

It’s our song we can sing if we want to

It’s my mouth I can say what I want to

 

It’s my mouth I can say what I want to

 

I... something just really bothers me about this line. Really. This isn't something that anyone has said, ever. We go from the biggest party song clichés to that? Stick to the clichés.

 

And everyone in line in the bathroom

Trying to get a line in the bathroom

 

And they walk up to the bathroom

Gettin' closer to the bathroom

Now they're at the bathroom

Now they're opening the door to the bathroom

 

 

Everything else is just clichéd, annoying partying jibber-jabber.This song is so damned boring. The bad lyrics and the awful music makes this sound like the worst party in the world. With Cyrus singing about it, it doesn't surprise me.

 

3/10

 

Because We Can - Bon Jovi

 

 

Hey guys, remember when Bon Jovi was relevant?

 

 

...Actually, that's not really fair to say. Bon Jovi have maintained a steady fanbase for a couple decades now. And rightly deserved. Their switch from hair metal to easy rock like this was a decently plotted segue, and hey. At 50, you gotta settle down somehow.

 

You know, I really like this song. I'll concede that there's nothing outstanding about it, but it's soft rock. There's a place for feel-good tunes in the industry. Not everything has to blow me away. Unfortunately, because it doesn't blow me away, I can't give it too high of a grade. But it is a song that gets you to sing along, or at least gets your toe tapping.

 

I'd also like to compare this with the atrocity of that Cyrus song. These guys sound like they're having fun. Cyrus sounds like she's about to pass out from the al-key-hol. Jon Bon Jovi ain't just another wave in the ocean.

 

8/10 - because I can

 

Our Song - Matchbox Twenty

 

 

I've always liked Matchbox Twenty. Nowadays, they're very good at these upbeat, whimsical if generic tunes. It's a lot like the Bon Jovi song. They're not really outstanding anymore, but this is another toe-tapper at least.

 

However, my favourite Matchbox Twenty album will always be Yourself Or Someone Like You. They just don't do those http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5Dr-uFVGw, slow tunes like they did in the past. And that's a shame, because that's Matchbox Twenty at their best. So, what changed? Well, the party attitude of teens today definitely has something to do with it. But I have this theory that when Rob Thomas left the band, something changed right there. For shame, Rob. For shame.

 

Oh well. This is still a good song.

 

8/10

 

Overjoyed - Matchbox Twenty

 

 

Okay, I'll tell you what this sounds like to me: This sounds like solo Rob Thomas.

 

 

Like, a lot, man.

 

Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with this. Rob Thomas's voice can carry upbeat and slow songs alike. But this isn't exactly what I mean by the slow songs that Matchbox Twenty used to do. The former songs had a certain edge to them. Everyone here hates everyone here, and all that. This song lacks that edge. Actually, it's kind of funny to me. For a song called "Overjoyed", he sure sounds blue.

 

Okay, it's a nice tune. I don't hate it, but at the same time it's such a shadow of what Matchbox Twenty used to be. Therefore, I find it disappointing in a sense. From a soft rock artist, or even Rob Thomas solo, this would be great. From Matchbox Twenty? Eh...

 

7.5/10

 

A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton

 

 

If I could fall

Into the sky

Do you think time

Would pass me by

 

 

Nah, I'd be a cold-blooded liar if I said I didn't have a soft spot for this song. At its worst, it's cute. This song came out in 2002, round about the time everyone was settling down from Limp Bizkit and Korn. It helps to define a generation of music. With artists like this and Michelle Branch tearing up the charts, we were in for some easy pop-rock. I prefer Michelle Branch to this, who I think had at least some kind of an edge. But I grew up with this song, and it remains a part of me. Hm, that is as pathetic as it sounded in my head.

 

8/10

[Sweat]

Review In the End by Linkin Park.