Ryan-O’Neil - Hyphenated & Apostrophed

This whole escapade began like any other night.  I went to sleep at the appropriate time, but shortly thereafter things went awry.  As everyone knows the mind is a very dangerous place, and it often takes you to terrifying places while you are unconscious.  Some call these instances nightmares.  I like to think of these bad dreams as new episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’.  The nightmare I experienced that night took me back to school.  I know…the horror!

“Penfold, have you finished your writing assignment yet?”
“Umm…yes?”  I look down at my desk and see a piece of paper with my writing on it.
“Well hand it to me you insolent brat!”
“All right, jeez.  Here you go.”  The teacher roughly snatched the paper from my hands and began to read.
“Penfold, Penfold, Penfold.  You continually amaze me.  This chicken scratch is some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen!  If it were in my power, I’d have you remanded all the way back to remedial English.  Look at this!?  Your grammar is astoundingly bad, even for a dimwit like you.  Seriously, how do you expect to graduate fifth grade and move onto middle school if you can’t figure out where to put an apostrophe to properly indicate possession?”
“Wait…did you say sixth grade?”
“What’s the matter Penfold?  Is simple addition beyond your grasp too?  I’ll tell you what.  If you can write down five convincing arguments in the next three minutes as to why I shouldn’t fail you right now, I’ll let you graduate.  Sound good?”

I was so emotionally devastated at that moment I couldn’t speak.  My response was limited to a half-hearted nod.  I set about my task with a sense of impending doom.  To my dismay every time I tried to write something my utensil failed.  Pens ran out of ink after one letter, or the ballpoint collapsed in on itself.  Pencils snapped or shattered.  Markers went bone dry.  Crayons dissolved into fine grains.  All the paint tubes around my desk had been squeezed flat and were empty.  When I reached for the watercolors in desperation I was unable to find a water-source, or even manufacture enough spittle to wet the brush.  At the three minute mark I was left with a patchwork of multicolored letters scattered randomly across two sheets of paper.  The teacher triumphantly tore the papers off my desk.

“Let’s see what you’ve come up with Penfold.  Hmmm?  In three minutes time it appears the only thing you can effectively demonstrate is command of less than half of the individual letters of the alphabet.  Truly, I’m in awe of your genius!  Can I have your autograph?  Wait, it doesn’t appear that you know the letter X so it looks like that’s not possible.  Too bad.  But on the positive side, I’ll have all next year to get that autograph because you’re not going anywhere.  Forget graduation.  Be thankful if you only have to repeat fifth grade!”

Waveriders, I’m here to tell you that waking up screaming and flailing your limbs wildly in a cold sweat is never fun.  Thankfully after this particular nightmare I was able to quickly banish all negative thoughts under a deluge of awesome tunes.  What artist provided this elixir you ask?  Why, it’s Ryan-O’Neil with his album Hyphenated and Apostrophed.  How did that work exactly?  Oh that’s easy to explain.  Hyphenated and Apostrophed is a multi-faceted explosion of lyrical goodness that will steer fans of intelligent music from whatever stormy seas they’ve run afoul of back to the calm, placid waters of musical enlightenment!  Pretty cool, huh?

Ryan-O’Neil is a talented emcee born in Jamaica, but who has lived in New York City since early 1994.  His musical education is impressive, boasting a bachelor’s degree in music from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.  You could confidently proclaim that he knows his way around a song’s composition.  Now I know what you’re going to say waveriders.  All the training and accreditations in the world don’t mean a thing if the end product doesn’t measure up.  I agree with that statement wholeheartedly!  And based on his music, Ryan-O’Neil does as well.

I mentioned before that this album is multi-faceted lyrically.  That wasn’t a joke.  With few exceptions, all hip-hop heads can find at least one track off of Hyphenated & Apostrophed that they can really get behind and enjoy.  Are you in the mood for a bouncy, straight up battle rap?  Try album opener “Knock Knock”.  Not your thing?  That’s okay.  Are you more interested in music addressing society’s ills?  Cool!  Just skip to track two, “The Way the World Is”.  Not interested in the big problems?  That’s all right.  I know!  You’re in the mood to hear a sophisticated entreaty towards a prospective love interest.  Great!  Take a listen to “Treat me so Bad”.  Still not finding something that tickles your fancy?  Fine.  I bet you would like to hear a captivating storyline told from multiple angles.  Would that be to your liking?  I thought so.  Listen to the devastating album closer “Perspectives”.  You’re welcome.

At this point, I’m going to step aside and let the actual lyrics do the talking.  My flattery can only go so far in convincing others of the artistic merit held within these songs.  So without further ado, straight from the artist’s mouth, here is the third verse from the song “The Way the World Is”.

There’s a war going on in a sandbox / Leaders acting like they big dogs, it’s a sandlot / The world’s in a mess but yes we can stop / The hole in the ozone so it ain’t so hot /
No stop I’m not trying to be your next president / Ain’t on the ballot, not quite legit I’m not valid / ‘Cause I wasn’t born in this country / But if I wanna go to war they take me promptly / Situation’s comfy, immigrant’s a scapegoat / If you want a job done but don’t want to pay for it / Why outsource it while we got a source of workhorses / Right here in the workforce? / And it’s growing like moss on the North side of trees / Of course I can see how some folks just can’t cope with ease / Well let’s face it, when we get down to the basics / None of y’all are natives / We all on vacation / I’m wasted /

Pretty slick, eh?  But that’s not all.  How about this smooth first verse from “Treat me so Bad”.

Just to court you, one must first approach you / I had to let you know that I am quite social / So I talk a lot and mingle / Yeah I’m single, see I made you giggle / And I talk in riddles / It’s this thing that I’m into / A fling sounds sinful/ A ring? / It’s much too early / Let’s get to know each other, there’s no need for us to hurry / Baby don’t worry, I’ll cook you curry once I learn it / Stick with me in the kitchen just to make sure I don’t burn it / It’s turning the tide, I can see it in your eyes / You done seen through all these lies, and games played by these guys / And lames they want dimes and dames, I want a lady / We can make war or make babies, yeah / The world’s gone crazy, so maybe I’m an optimist / Once we get together, you know there ain’t no stopping us / Disregard the populous, the majority they hate us / The schemers try to play us, they don’t want us to be greatness.

As impressive as these lyrics are when written out, they are even more so when performed with Ryan-O’Neil’s rhythmically solid lyrical flow.  To put it mildly, this man is a disgustingly entertaining lyricist and performer.  To top it all off, there is no barrier to entry to check out this album.  Yes sir, you can download Hyphenated and Apostrophed for free on either www.freeicecream.net or Ryan-O’Neil’s bandcamp page.  So why are you still here?  Get listening people!

--Penfold

BEAST - Fiction and Fact

BEAST have been on my to-watch list since the day they debuted - make me choose between them and MBLAQ and they win by lightyears. That hasn’t changed - if anything I’ve slowly started giving them my respect - something I haven’t done a lot in k-pop.

This album review includes a companion VLOG - watch it after the cut.



There have been more than a few chances for them to prove themselves, and they’ve taken those chances and delivered solid, verging on outstanding, material and performances. Of course their material has never really gone past “good” or “catchy”, but for a rookie band (which they aren’t anymore) they were one of the best - and they knew who they were musically. That’s a very important part of the equation - their identity.

However the one thing that really set them apart from the very beginning, in my eyes, was the fact that they tried - they pushed themselves and it shows. I mean they aren’t the best singers around, Yoseob is easily trampled on by a lot of other idol singers (with actual talent), but remember that week they performed ‘Easy’ on music shows? They were pulling off 3 or 4-part harmonies. Live. They’re far from DBSK’s level, but the simple fact that they even bothered to try says a lot about their mentality, and will ultimately make them better singers. If an idol group just stays in one place, doing all these simple songs with hardly any melodies, yeah sure their vocals will grow, but at a slower pace compared to if they try new things with what they have, and who they are.

I have a hard time grasping the fact that it’s already been almost 2 years since BEAST debuted, and the fact that they’re a more senior group now. They have the success, the appeal and the wins - from this point on it’s really a matter of building a strong repertoire and getting stature in the industry, assuming that they’re going to stick around. Which they should.

And it all starts with this album. I’d hardly call it an album though. 10 tracks? That’s it? Although, if all they were going to put on this album to fill it up were their old hits, I’d rather they didn’t. If the quality of the songs goes down too, maybe 10 is a good number.

The strength of ‘Fiction and Fact’ lies in the melodies - the strong, catchy, and sometimes even stunning melodies are what makes this album a pleasure to listen to. The fact that their focus is now on the melodies says a lot about BEAST vocally - to be able to put out an album with such strong melodies requires them to actually pull them off, which they did. They’re thinking in the right way with this album - a gimmick will give you a hit, but a good melody will give you a classic. Of all the parts of a song that can, and will, transcend time - it’s the melody that people remember the most. When you remix an older song, when you ‘update’ it, so to say, the one part that remains the most in-tact is the melody - that’s your claim to fame in pop. Focusing on that was a very smart move, Cube - I never thought you’d have it in you.

Whoever did the A&R for this is a genius - the material is not only strong, but matches BEAST’s vocals extremely well.

So the album opens up with “The Fact”. The instrumental is rather laid-back - with the guitars and the light drum rolls, which for some unknown reason intrigue me. The melody is It sounds like something straight out of an AC (Adult Contemporary) chart in the early 2000’s, and reminds me a lot of Rain’s “How to Avoid The Sun” - as if they’re trying to be “stylish” or something with this song. I’m not so sure about pursuing this sound, it’s far too tame for them considering their previous singles, but everything works well together, and the song as a whole is well-pulled off. And I actually like it.

I wanted spunk? I got it with “Fiction”. It doesn’t hit you over the head as much as the likes of “Shock” or “Soom”, there are points where it is rather tame, but it’s a nice combination of tame and intense. It’s a different kind of intense, the kind that actually shakes you more than the repetitive, in-your-face, kind. Mainly because the song actually has dynamics, sudden drops and rises, as opposed to being loud for the whole 3 and a half minutes. The piano line is eerie at times, and we’ve heard similar lines in about a dozen other k-pop releases, but it gives the song character, and there’s no doubt that this sounds like a BEAST song through and through. What gives it away? The melody. The gorgeous melody.

The bridges of “Back To You” reminds me a lot of that part of “Soom” when Yoseob goes “I DA NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” - epic. The rest of the song is your standard BEAST midtempo, with all the synths and the heavy instrumentation laced with a repetitive, but melodic, melody.

“You” was the track that went in for the kill in terms of me liking the album - for no other reason than the melody being stunning. It reminds me a lot of the Brit/Euro pop group material I used to listen to, and adore, years ago - Blue, anyone? If I didn’t know better I’d think this was a Maratone/Savan Kotecha creation. And my god do they pull it off well - so much that they not only actually sing it, but go the extra mile and give the song more character, some kick, instead of letting it drone on.

When I first heard those synths at the beginning of “Freeze”, all the way up to just before the start of the chorus, my first reaction was, “Am I listening to the right album? Simon Curtis is that you?” There are points in the song when it does get cheesy, but it’s such a fun song that you eventually overlook that - it’s almost like a song for a summer-themed ad campaign. The fun is reminiscent of Big Bang fun, but the song is all BEAST - it makes you want to jump around and whatnot, but if ever they do perform this they most definitely won’t be running around stage going wild. I think a big part of why their songs have so much identity is because their vocals have identity, they’re distinct, so when you make them sing something it instantly turns into a BEAST song. Of course the dynamics and the hooks are very much them too, but it’s the vocals that give it away.

You’re going from one extreme to another with this album - “Virus” is the complete opposite of “Freeze” sonically. Catchy song, pretty melody, strong at times, but at first listen is seems as if there are stronger songs on the album - and it’s easy for this to get lost in the mix when you give the album a once-over. However, it's the type of song that takes more than 1 or 2 listens to stick to you, but when it does it's gorgeous, and all you want to do is listen to it again.

“불러보지만”, in one word, is stunning. It’s a stunning BEAST song - with as much character as there is grace. It’s not epic, it’s not elaborate, there are no tiny little details here and there - it is what it is, and the simplicity of it is what makes it so stunning. Sweeping melodies, simple piano lines laced with a pretty instrumental that explodes but doesn’t let loose - need I say more?

When I first heard “비가 오는 날엔”, I wasn’t all over it - I didn’t like it at all. But hearing it now, in relation to the rest of the album - it makes sense. “How to Avoid the Sun” references aside, the middle 8 is gorgeous and it’s a pretty song. Pretty melody, pretty instrumental, pretty this and that - but the song does have dimension. Even so, if they don’t perform this live and blow me away, it’s probably another song I’ll forget about in a few months.

“Lightless” was one of those songs I completely forgot about during their “Lights Go On Again” period, mainly because I was hardly paying attention to them during that time. I do remember liking it though - for the melody. This unplugged version (It actually sounds like an unplugged version! FINALLY K-POP, YOU GET YOUR JARGON RIGHT!) really lets the melody stand out - and I like the little tweaks they made to the chorus. This is what I like about BEAST - you take out the elaborate instrumentals but they find a way to give a song character anyway.

I was a bit skeptical when I saw “orchestra version” on the tracklisting, because k-pop has a way of screwing up terms like that. I thought at best it would be the track itself, with a string second slapped on top. Apparently not, because they actually didn’t screw up the orchestra part! Of course it’s not a full, real, orchestra, but close enough for now. String section, check, piano, check, but what surprised me was the winds section. Interesting.

There are a lot of songs, and sometimes even full albums that I never want to listen after I’ve reviewed them and listened to each song several times in a row - ‘Fiction and Fact’ is the complete opposite. I just want to keep this album on loop the whole day - everything, from start to finish - because after all the technicalities and nitty gritty, I genuinely enjoyed listening to it, because it’s such a good album.

4.7/5

Robinson - England’s Bleeding

The bastard great grandson of Lord Burgess is England’s conscience. He attempts to prove it with his debut album “England’s Bleeding.”

I’m making somebody really rich

While he pays me peanuts

Well, ain’t it a bitch.

I’ve got to get out of here.

-  a verse from the track “Forget About It All.”

Andy Robinson, also known simply as “Robinson” expertly blends disparate musical styles - Klezmer, Folk, Jazz, Blues, Country, Alternative Rock - as he plays clarinet, saxophone, guitar, banjo, glockenspiel, accordion and percussion. Yet, what could have been a cacaphony of harmonies is a smooth and successful combination of melodies all for one purpose - to make you think about the human condition.

Always talk to strangers

Because they are always lonelier than you

Always talk to strangers

Because you never know when you’ll need a friend

- chorus form the track “Always Talk To Strangers.”

This son of a son of a son of a bastard knows what he wants and is not shy about telling us what it is.

Some people just want some money.

They believe it’s going to make them happy

I can understand but it’s not what I need,

What I need is much cheaper than this

I want a place by the sea with a record player

and an old beaten up guitar

with a pub down below

Just to stumble back home

and that’s all that I really want

and that’s all that I really want

and that’s all I thats all I really want

Some people just want a woman

And some kids just want a baby

They both bel;ieve that family’s the answer

But for me I want simplier than this

I want good clean fresh air and brand new cigarettes

A good pair of shoes and a comfortable bed

Girls come and go but this smile remains

and that’s all that I really want

and that’s all that I really want

and that’s all I thats all I really want

    - excerpt from the track “That’s All I Really Want.”

Robinson is the whole package.  He can play, arrange and write.  He is from coal mining stock and echos British working class indignation.  

Hip hip hooray for our new Governor

England’s joy is MacDonald’s big brother,

I don’t care for one or the other

In the pocket of America’s mother.

Our children are pregnant and drunk

Our fathers are useless scraps of junk

Johnny Rotten who sang without a key

Is nothing but a sold-out punk.

England’s bleeding now

England’s bleeding now

England’s bleedng everywhere

    - excerpt from the track “England’s Bleeding.”

He writes folk songs like Bob Dylan.  A faint echo of “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” can be heard in Robinson’s track “Stuck In Town.”  Yet, his approach is never as raw as Dylan’s approach.  It is polished and it sparkles with Robinson’s emotive voice.  It is the perfect combination for love songs such as “Dance,” “In A Whisper,” “Little Ms. Darling” and the album’s poppy “First Time.”

We smoke cigarettes,

We drink in the park

We always go out after it gets dark

We drink until three

She’s smiling at me

With her red wine lips

And her sweet french kiss

Yeah, I’m so happy I can almost cry

I don’t want this feeling to fade, Oh no

Maybe this could be the first time

Maybe this could be the first time

Maybe this could be the first time

I felt love

- first verse and chorus from the track “First Time.”

For Robinson it is all about the message.  Whether the topic is a melancholy story about an on and off romance, such as the track “In A Whisper,” or a soul-searching exposition on life, such as the track “Happiness,”  Robinson’s choice of syntax and cadence are used as formidable weapons.

I want something else

I want something else

Happiness should be caressed, not depressed by the sorrow

Happiness should be caressed, not depressed by the sorrow

Fat cats rule

While us dogs drool

And we bark at each move they make

They think that we’re small

That we don’t care

But I can tell you that our eyes are more open than theirs

I want something else

I want something else

Happiness should be caressed, not depressed by the sorrow

Happiness should be caressed, not depressed by the sorrow

- excerpt from the track “Happiness.”

Robinson ends England’s Bleeding with an introspective look at what he hopes the future holds. “Someday, Somewhere.” is a sweet  ethereal nursery rhyme but is the least enjoyable song of the whole lot.  That may be by design.. Robinson rails against the present but ends it all with a hope for a better future.  

The album is music-based poetry with a message.  It is a viseral and formidable debut effort. It will make you think. Turn it on, turn it up and listen.


- Old School

Year of the Goat - Lucem Ferre

To the Chinese, this may be the Year of the Rabbit . . . for the rest of us, let’s make this the Year of the Goat!

When I received this promo, all I saw was something describing Year of the Goat as pagan metal. Not very descriptive, but enough to conjure images of blast beats, howling and screeching vocals, and walls of distorted guitars to purvey the darkened angst of a small band of face painted musicians. Well . . . paint me corrected. Year of the Goat may fall into that pagan metal category, and by falling into that category, they’re also tearing down the walls that confine the genre.

What we have with Lucem Ferre is an album, albeit four songs long, that is made up of complicated moods, dark and morose, at times delicate and somber, but complimented with huge movements of power and aggression. Imagine the goth-metal soundings of Katatonia played by Thin Lizzy. There’s this old school, 70’s rock vibe underlying the whole thing, but it’s so immensely dark and foreboding, overwhelming in emotional weight, and textured with elegance. One might even conceivably lump this Lucem Ferre in with the whole doom rock movement, but enough with the categorization! This is a brilliantly executed EP that begs, nay . . . demands to be embraced!

The record opens with “Of Darkness” and is layered with textures of infinite sadness, immediately hurling the listener into a darkened pit of melancholy. Lyrically, the song is all about Satan and his followers, sung with heightened emotion and passion. Now, I’ve never been one to buy into the whole rocking for Satan cause, it’s always felt campy and cheap. Year of the Goat make the subject much more compelling! This is the first time that I’ve heard music that captures the full on essence of the despair one should feel when paying homage to the Prince of Darkness. Listening to this song is damn near depressing if it wasn’t littered with so many magical moments of intrigue. The guitar work is something straight out of 1970’s England, one guitar soloing, then suddenly accompanied by a second, and then a third . . . all instruments harmonizing so fluidly that the comparisons to Thin Lizzy have to be on the forefront of everyone’s mind! The production is a little on the rough side, there’s a haziness over the whole recording, but the performances more than make up for any production deficiencies. In fact, this is one of those cases where a polished product would completely ruin to overall moodiness of the music. The vocals harmonies at the chorus are fantastic, the guitar work stunning, the composition intriguing, the emotion . . . otherworldly.

“Vermillion Clouds” starts off so quiet and serene, again with a dark hue cast over the song, but very somber. The guitar work at the intro of this one is so textured and brimming with an emotional burden that the sadness washes over the soul like so many ocean waves on a desolate and rocky shore. The music gets a tad heavier, pulsing with modern sensibility but still keeping one foot firmly planted in yesterdays rock classics. The vocal performance is beautiful. The singer does a remarkable job of building the emotion of his voice with the lyrical content and the rising tempo of the music, marrying all of these elements to convey a truly special movement. The vocals never go over the top and this singer never tried to do too much with his approach to the songs, and that’s welcome. The guitar work reminds me at times of early, very early Scorpions and by the time the song gets to the mid section and the band starts rocking out in earnest, the riff reminds of something from Steppenwolf. Clocking in at over eight minutes long, “Vermillion Clouds” probably constitutes as the albums “epic” track, and the band does a great job of changing up the dynamics enough to keep the song interesting, but never get up their own asses with this quasi-proggy moment. Well crafted and just one of four gems on this record!

“Dark Lord” is, well . . . about Satan. By the time I get to this portion of the EP, I realize that Year of the Goat, stylistically, is essentially any of the classic rock bands that I grew up listening to playing the absolute darkest music of all time. I’m not talking Sabbath in heaviness . . . I’m thinking more along the lines of Steppenwolf, Thin Lizzy, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple . . . all paying homage to the Dark One and rocking out in their fuzzed out guitar tones, composing rock songs that have movement to them, and blowing my mind the entire time! Again, the vocal performance on this track is adrenalized and filled with an emotional energy that brings Jim Morrison to mind.

And then there’s the instrumental title track. Ambient, atmospheric, and filled with more textural brilliance . . . Year of the Goat has crafted an elegant passage of darkness laced with rays of hope. This EP is immaculate in composition. The musical execution by the various performers has raised the bar in my mind of what I’m looking for in any kind of dark metal, goth-metal, folk metal, pagan metal, ambient metal . . . whatever! Hands down an early contender for my Album of the Year! Lucem Ferre is the perfect album at the perfect time . . . though my only complaint is that it isn’t longer. But as an introduction to Year of the Goat, Lucem Ferre couldn’t be much better. Of further note, this record is being released through in early May through VÁN Records, and I’ll be honest, I’m surprised the guys at Prophecy didn’t have their claws dug deep into this one. So . . . VÁN Records . . . I’ll be keeping an eye on you!

-- Pope

http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_bio/artist_1447272

http://www.van-records.de/index.php

Ripple Music Update! Lots of Killer Stuff Coming!

Lots of great stuff to tell you about.

Heavy Ripples, the double 7" gatefold release with Stone Axe, Sun Gods in Exile, Grifter, and Mighty High is out and getting killer reviews.  We're in the planning stages for Heavy Ripples vol. 2, so you may expect Mos Generator and Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned, and a couple more to be named.  Any suggestions?

The new Iron Claw album, first major release by the 70's underground doom/raw blues legends, is in the final mixing/mastering stages by none other than Tony Reed, as is the brand spanking new Grifter full-length.  Expect both those out this summer!

Mighty High is rounding up their stuff also for a summer release of frenzied stoner punk.

Songs are coming in for Stone Axe III and we're planning a Deluxe Collectors Edition of Stone Axe II just like we did with Stone Axe I, which (hopefully) will feature an entire live disc recorded on their most recent tour.   That Stone Axe I reissue is buzzing out the doors, so if you're interested, you may want to stop by Ripple and pick one up.

10 year anniversary issue of the first Mos Generator coming out on vinyl soon and hopefully some new stuff to follow.

And we got a total redesign, remaster, with new songs of the latest Poobah album, Peace Farmers in the works.  Our vinyl/CD reissue of Poobah's second album, US Rock is slated for 2012, which will be another 2xLP freakout of Poobah rock.  First pressing of Poobah's Let Me In already sold out so we've gone back to press to keep up with the demand.

Finally, for prog fans, Fen is opening up for Blackfield at the end of this month, and we're planning on following that up with a vinyl edition of their critically acclaimed, "rails out of Gloom.


Working overtime here at Ripple Central to bring you guys some killer music.  And folks, we really appreciate all your support.

Peace

JoJo - The Other Chick

I've made it no secret that JoJo was the very reason why I got so addicted to pop music - she was why I watched the local music channel, why I'd go to record stores almost every day, and ultimately led me to discovering so many other acts. She's the reason why I've gotten so far, and why I'm still in music - I've been waiting for her for 5 years. Yeah sure she had a mixtape out last year, and it was really good, but for the first time in a long time I will be holding my breath, waiting for a chart position - waiting for her to succeed. And of course, waiting for the album.


This will be the first Western-style full promotion cycle I'll be watching over in years. And it only makes sense that it's of the act who started everything.

Like I said, it's been 5 years since "The High Road" in 2006 - obviously a lot of things will change, and a lot did. JoJo was 16 when THR was released - now she's 21 - her voice will have obviously changed a hell of a lot. Funny how even if I didn't have solid opinions in place, I still managed to be able to "invest" on acts who eventually really matured well vocally. Her smooth, silky voice is still there, but it's matured - she's obviously picked up technique over the years, but her voice itself has really grown. The squeaky-ness of her voice back then has been replaced by a gorgeous, deep timbre and her high notes have more body, more punch.

And that's utilized very well on the song. The song's SO SO SO JoJo - I heard the first line and it sounded like my childhood. Literally. Instead of being confused by entering the industry at such a young age, JoJo took advantage of it - "JoJo" taught her the ropes and by "The High Road" she knew who she was, and when that happens it's hard to ever let go of it. Of course the song sounds different from everything else she's put out, but that spark she had back then - it never disappeared.

We've heard those synths before, we've seen those dynamics so many times already, and the melodies are nothing new - the song is so familiar yet so fresh. She's matured but she hasn't lost what made her, her.

The verses start out strong, they're very packed, then slowly the song escalates at the bridge - you'd expect the chorus to explode, but all the explosions are on the melody/vocals side. The middle 8 is strong - it didn't blow me away, but it fits the song and it's a very logical middle 8. A melody like that would tend to make the vocals scream-y and shrill, but on this they're not - because this is JoJo we're talking about, the girl knows how to SING her head off properly. Not scream - SING. Her voice is melodic and deep, but it can and will go up if it needs to.

I must say, this whole pop/rock thing is working for her, and her vocals. The song is very punchy, somewhat choppy - but her smooth vocals give it the needed contrast and smoothen everything out - it allows her to let loose, but not loose it. There's something like a harmonious contrast going on, and it works. Very well.

Words cannot express how much I adore the instrumental arrangement of this. Everything is sharp and smooth but with conviction - the drums are stunning, the synths are appropriate and give the song color, and everything thrown together is mind-blowing. You know how I call Korean production a chocolate chip cookie with nuts and Japanese production a cheesecake - this is a cross between the two, and my god does it make me want to faint. Stunning.

She's back. Truly. BRING ON THE ALBUM!

Listen to the song here.

5/5

Free Album Cornucopia!! Check out the Vault Full of Killer Free Music

Over here at the Ripple, we love giving away free (legal) music.  Spread the word.  Help the bands.  The problem is that so much free music comes in, we don't have enough time to post it all.

Enter Ripple Facebook.  Pop on over and "like" the Ripple Effect page, and stay tuned in to the best free songs, EP's, and Album downloads that bands, labels and PR companies send our way.

Here's a sampler of what you can find there right now:

10 free downloadable tracks that sample their catalogue. The Tsurumi Sampler will be available for free until the release of their 5th album Last Chance Summer Dance by latest label signee Fonzarelli. 

 

 

 

The Soda Shop have their excellent free compilation with such bands as Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Venomin James, Gozu, and Lo-Pan. Seriously amazing . . .

 

 

 

The good folk at Exploding in Sound are releasing their 9th  free compilation, featuring such artists as ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, J Mascis, Steve Brodsky, Marnie Stern, Bad Books, Guards, Adebisi Shank, Bunny's A Swine, Mini Mansions, Hammer No More The Fingers, Tijuana Panthers, Crystal Antlers, Weekend, Tidal Arms, Hawk Eyes (aka Chickenhawk) and more!

 

 

And much, much more.  Go to Ripple Facebook, become a friend and get the inside line on tons of free music.