Lahey Talks: The Review Page - Posey's Poll Up!

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

...featuring Tyler Posey



...and more, but not too many spoilers.

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

Okay, here's the lowdown on the schedule for my review page:

• Mondays Across The Pond: I give the lowdown on the current releases in the UK. Give my commentary on the songs and then rate them. A lot of these are probably already released in the US but idgaf.
• Tuesday's Album of the Week: Each Tuesday has a new album out, so I get to review an alum. Could be old, could be new, could be any country, any genre.
• Wild N'Out Wednesdays: What's the cool new jams? You tell me. Give me something new to review and your request might just be on here. Limit to three songs to review since I'm a busy man.
• #ThrowbackThursdays: I pick a random song from a random year, probably from one of the NOW CDs. UK or US. The songs are at least two years old.
• Posey's Weekend Poll: Two songs battle it out, only one gets a review by me. A.K.A. I get to question why you guys like (insert song here) so much.

[Flip]

That schedule looks great. Excited for the reviews :)

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

I'm gonna start with my #ThrowbackThursday pick:

#ThrowbackThursday Pick: Spice Girls - "Holler"



Album: Forever
Year Released: 2000
Country of Origin: UK

The second single released without Geri Halliwell, and one of the lead singles from their third album, Forever. Had that kind of R&B production that was gradually increasing in popularity at the time, which made it perfect for the girls to gain their 9th #1. So what was part of the appeal?

I have a small confession: I actually did hear this song on a compilation CD as a kid, but I never really knew what the song was... particularly for two reasons. One, because there was no such thing as a Shazam or an iTunes and it would have been tedious to research otherwise, and two, I didn't have that kind of musical interest 14 years ago. Go figure. So listening to this song now did give me a bit of nostalgia and a kind of "eureka" moment. While I do agree with critical responses that the song does take some influences from Destiny's Child, part of me kinda expected that from a Darkchild-produced track, not gonna lie. The intro following with the "I wanna make you holler" like was executed so perfectly, and the girls' solos were also on point for the most part: Mel B's is definitely my favorite, especially with that "fantasy room" bit. Emma and Victoria's are pretty interesting as well. For me, this is probably their sexiest single in their discography.

Another interesting fact about this song: this was the eleventh UK #1 for Sporty Spice, Mel C as a songwriter, considering the remaining Spice Girls co-wrote this.

Rating: 9.4/10. Not exactly the song I stan for by them (that would be "Wannabe", forever and always), but DAMN this is a good song to choreograph a hip-hop dance to.

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

First Posey's Poll is up now! Deadline to vote is Sunday at 9:00 PM WST/12:00 EST. Vote maybe?

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

And the Posey's Poll winner is...

Oliver Heldens - "Koala"



Year Released: 2014
Artist Country of Origin: Netherlands

Oliver Heldens made it big by teaming up with The Voice UK alum Becky Hill and forming the massive dance smash "Gecko (Overdrive)", and I thought that was pretty infectious. With that kind of professional sound, it's hard to think that he's only 19 (let alone shares a birthday with Harry Styles ). His follow-up is no exception. With a nice stable rhythm and just-as-mesmerizing synth melody, it sounds like the backings of a pop-dance single. One that could work the clubs. I may be crazy, but maybe it's because the drop sounds a bit like this?:



Maybe. Not a bad fit.

He recently recorded a vocal mix on this like he did with "Gecko (Overdrive)"; however, the vocals sound a bit distracting. The point: it sounds flawless as the original, which is what I reviewed in the first place, so... win!

Score: 9.5/10

Reaction gifs:

[Mikey]

YASSS HELDENS!!!

Why don't you give it a 10 out of 10 ? It's very very flawless :)

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

UK Releases Review: 10/13

Last week, Meghan Trainor secures another week at #1 with "All About That Bass". Will any of these singles replace her this time?

1.) Charli XCX – Break The Rules



She's fresh off of "Boom Clap" and "Fancy", both radio chart-toppers stateside, and Sucker is one of the most highly-anticipated albums for me. "Break The Rules" is infectious, rebellious, and just about everything needed in a teenage anthem. She draws from an electro punk influence for this one, which kinda gives it that Marina & the Diamonds feel... Huh... Guess that's why I'm still not burnt out on it...
Score: 10/10
Hit Potential: Very high, both UK and US. She's coming off of an international hit, so why not?

2.) Eminem feat. Sia – Guts Over Fear



I dunno... I was completely expecting this to grow on me a lot after "Chandelier" did just that, but outside of Sia, it seems a little... flat. The production gives off "I Need A Doctor" teas (then again, every post-Recovery ballad did just that), so that kinda gave it an advantage, and I like Sia's chorus. Eminem's verse just seems forgettable.
Score: 6.4/10
Hit Potential: High in the UK, not so much here.

3.) Krishane feat. Melissa Steel – Drunk And Incapable



I expected deep house and what I got was a Sean Kingston wannabe meets Jacob Latimore and I'm just... no. It's pretty catchy, but kinda overdone at this point. Melissa Steel is a phenomenal vocalist though. If they come up with a killer bootleg for this, it can grow on me.
Score: 6.7/10
Hit Potential: Moderate. Think in between "Kisses For Breakfast" and "Unmissable".

4.) Nicole Scherzinger – On The Rocks



Yes, it is a ballad. Yes, Nicole is very big in the UK. No, that doesn't guarantee her a hit if it comes off too slow. I dunno... Nothing about this song pulls me in. It sounds like a typical pop diva ballad. I will admit one thing though: the Wideboys remix is AMAZING.
Score: 6.6/10. The Wideboys remix is about an 8/10.
Hit Potential: Could range from moderate to not at all.

5.) One Direction – Steal My Girl



I love One Direction. I love everything about them. I love Niall Horan. Their songs just seem to click with me. "Steal My Girl" builds off from the maturity of their sound, which got them pretty far with "Story Of My Life" (one of my faves from them). That said, this has to be my least favorite of their lead singles. The reason? It sounds like they're growing up too fast: I needed an *NSYNC-like lead single, not 98 Degrees meets Incubus. It still has elements of the typical 1D song: anonymous love interest, the guitar, year. If they were to combine this with the sound from "Best Song Ever", this probably would have been a 10/10.
Score: 8.5/10
Hit Potential: VERY high. This is ONE F*CKING DIRECTION we're talking about. If this can make top 20 on Billboard, surely it can make top 3 in the UK.

6.) The Vamps - Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)



The video shows the Shawn Mendes version, which is better in most ways, I guess. It's interesting how they release an oldies cover as a fifth single, given that traditionally they don't perform as well as the others. It's pretty decent, a little slow for me, but it's a grower. Hopefully Shawn's inclusion will help the song worldwide.
Score: 7.9/10
Hit Potential: Moderate. They should be working on a new album already. "Can We Dance" came out last year...

7.) Watermat – Bullit



The quantity on this song really got me thinking - it's actually pretty good, when you look through things the musical way. I dunno... I could probably thank flip, but y'know, my lack of impact... This song is definitely agreed a grower.
Score: 7.7/10
Hit Potential: Moderately high. Deep house craze - top 20 already.

8.) Wilkinson feat. Talay Riley - Dirty Love



Two things Cher Lloyd and Wilkinson have in common: similar name titles and similar production influences. Love Talay Riley's inclusion throughout the song, and I feel as though she's gonna be an amazing dance vocalist when she goes solo.
Score: 8.9/10
Hit Potential: Moderate. Idk how this will do given that Talay Riley had a huge feature just last week and "Half Light" was dead on arrival there.

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

Album of the Week in the morning, plus send me your new music requests!

.indulgecountry Juan Carlos @jf816 Zeebz Flip popstop Daniel Collins Geometrical SuperLaLaLa~ Green Baron H. DJDaveMick69 Mr. Thonk Eyes surfy Disco🌶️📖 Albie Mikey josh Clauss The Homie Ginger Spice ♛ The Manticore ☯ @spiritanimal nick64 @drag27 hitseeker.

[Mikey]

Calvin Harris - "Slow Acid"

From all the songs that you have reviewed, i really wanted watermat to debut at No.1, but i guess it is impossible :)

[H.]

Album
Metallica - Metallica

Single
Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

Oct 15, 2014 6:14:09 GMT -5 Mikey said:

From all the songs that you have reviewed, i really wanted watermat to debut at No.1, but i guess it is impossible :)

I think with Meghan and Taylor holding strong with sales and 1D debuting there it is kinda impossible

[Mikey]

Oct 15, 2014 9:03:42 GMT -5 Lahey's Lucky Star said:

Oct 15, 2014 6:14:09 GMT -5 Mikey said:

From all the songs that you have reviewed, i really wanted watermat to debut at No.1, but i guess it is impossible :)

I think with Meghan and Taylor holding strong with sales and 1D debuting there it is kinda impossible

Going deep FTWWWWWWW!!! 

[Flip]

Album: tyDi - Redefined
Song: Broiler - Rays of Light

[Albie]

Oct 15, 2014 3:49:57 GMT -5 Lahey's Lucky Star said:

UK Releases Review: 10/13


8.) Wilkinson feat. Talay Riley - Dirty Love

Two things Cher Lloyd and Wilkinson have in common: similar name titles and similar production influences. Love Talay Riley's inclusion throughout the song, and I feel as though she's gonna be an amazing dance vocalist when she goes solo.
Score: 8.9/10
Hit Potential: Moderate. Idk how this will do given that Talay Riley had a huge feature just last week and "Half Light" was dead on arrival there.

Nice job Lahey!  I'm with you for the most part.  I too was disappointed by "Drunk and Incapable" and "Guts Over Fear".  YAS Wideboys remix of "On The Rocks" does wonders for the otherwise unremarkable song.

Regarding "Dirty Love", who are you talking about in the bolded part?  Talay Riley is a guy and Cher Lloyd is already solo, so I got a bit lost at the end there.

[maine]

Oct 15, 2014 3:49:57 GMT -5 Lahey's Lucky Star said:

8.) Wilkinson feat. Talay Riley - Dirty Love



Two things Cher Lloyd and Wilkinson have in common: similar name titles and similar production influences. Love Talay Riley's inclusion throughout the song, and I feel as though she's gonna be an amazing dance vocalist when she goes solo.
Score: 8.9/10
Hit Potential: Moderate. Idk how this will do given that Talay Riley had a huge feature just last week and "Half Light" was dead on arrival there.

Yesss Talay getting more recognition! By the way, Talay is a guy... If the bolded was about him, he is a solo act lol. 

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

UGH

idk Talay Riley so I'll probably just repost that entire review section before I get into my next few reviews

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

Album Of The Week: Jessie J - Sweet Talker

Let me start off by saying that I love Jessie J and all that she does. She has a stellar voice and a killer personality (and I wish she would have stayed in The Voice UK but at least we have Rita Ora). That said, I think what this third album does is take elements from her other two albums and combine them into the Jessie we love. Though my fave songs from her ever still exist in her slower and harder songs ("Do It Like A Dude", "Thunder"), this definitely gives us the best of both worlds, some light and fluffy ballads, and some of her harder songs that show off her voice.

Let's get to the track listing.

1.) "Ain't Been Done": It's the self-check of the album, really giving off a Karmin-does-"Do It Like A Dude" vibe with the production and that fast rapping part (which I'm surprised she nailed btw). It's such an amazing opening to the album and brings us back to her debut, which is kinda refreshing because it says "I'm Jessie J and this is who I am" rather than "this is my most popular single hehe by my album on iTunes". I always love it when an album opens with something new.
Score: 9.1/10.

2.) "Burnin' Up (feat. 2 Chainz)": Easily one of the BEST on the album. At first, when I saw the news on it while browsing through Capital FM's website, I thought it was gonna be more urban like "Do It Like A Dude" was. Instead, it was - no pun intended - muy caliente! The song has the perfect mix of flawless production, Jessie showing off her amazing range (and homage to Michael Jackson, I always love that), and an infectious chorus. It could be the perfect summer song, but as of now it's gonna be a hot frat party/sorority party anthem. 2 Chainz is like the toppings of a sundae: not really necessary but it does give that extra zing. I expect big things from this single.

Also, JORDAN PARRISH



Walkin' through the firrrrrreeeeeeee, please don't let me gooooooo, take me to the riverrrrrrrr, I need you to knoooooooowwwww...
I'M BURNIN' UP

Score: 10/10   

3.) "Sweet Talker": She continues the sexy urban flair, but I feel like this is a re-hash of "Talk Dirty" mixed with something from her past album (maybe "Wild). Upon hearing this song, I pictured a hot dance number a la Step Up from that. It's good, but I feel like there's something missing. Maybe the production needs to go a little harder than just being reminiscent of 2002 J. Lo? Other than that, love it when her voice gets gritty.
Score: 8.3/10

4.) "Bang Bang (with Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj)": To start off:



THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS ALBUM. I am not joking. It's the "Lady Marmalade" of the 2010's with blending in girl power with some amazing and hard voices and a rap that completes this one-two combo. This also happens to be on Ariana's album My Everything, though I don't really think she commands the song. I think each artist has their own attribute that makes this song as great as it is: Jessie with her killer vocal prowess, Nicki with her rapping and whimsical yet hard nature, and Ariana... well, she always kills it.

Also note: If you wanna work out to Jessie J, I strongly recommend this song.
Score: 10/10 

5.) "Fire": Is Jessie trying to be a firebender with these titles? First "Thunder"... Anyway, this is the first ballad of the album, and it's really dramatic, and I mean extremely. While it seems like she's trying too hard to replicate "Thunder" or an Adele song, it has an amazing orchestral background production, and I would kill to be a cellist in that orchestra. Also... wait - what is it doing... it's fading out?!



Score: 8.7/10

6.) "Personal": Or as I like to call it:

 

This is just so sexy that sexiness is not even an option. Once again, I see this in a dance movie, but GOD DAMN I want to body roll and grind on the floor with this one. That is all.

Score: 9.6/10

7.) "Masterpiece": It's kinda cute. Kinda underwhelming for me, mainly because it seems formulaic, but I'd wanna work out to it. I feel like she was taking cues from Danny O'Donoghue or something because this is giving me The Script vibes... For me, this is basically "Who You Are" in 2014 form.
Score: 7.8/10

8.) "Seal Me With A Kiss (feat. De La Soul)": If anything on this album is going to give me J. Lo teas, it's THIS ONE. It's so funky and cute and reminds me of a date on the pier and all of a sudden a flash mob comes along and dances to this song. I love the late 90's influence on the production, and finally I get to hear a verse from De La Soul since "Feel Good Inc.". This is hot.
Score: 9.4/10

9.) "Said Too Much": The production reminds me of Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted"... I also see this in a dance movie, but more like Dirty Dancing or something of that caliber. I predict that some jazz team somewhere in the world will end up dancing to this song to some dramatic choreography. Makes me wanna dance like I'm in a musical with tights and everything. I don't have the legs for it though... For this album, this is kinda middle-of-the-road. Not bad, but something's missing from this song to make it the best it can be.
Score: 8.8/10

10.) "Loud (feat. Lindsey Stirling)": LINDSEY STIRLING OMG. The production is kinda glorious, but at this point, it already sounds like every other Jessie J song, just with Lindsey Stirling.
Score: 8.2/10

11.) "Keep Us Together": This actually sounds pretty cool for being one of the last tracks. It also gives me late 90's teas like "Seal Me With A Kiss", but in more of an R&B side than pop.
Score: 8.8/10

12.) "Get Away": This kinda sounds like "Impossible" by Shontelle in the beginning...? The message is strong, though. It's one of those "I'm too bad for you so I'm letting you go for your own good" songs. Mainly filler, but I love how strong and controlled her voice sounds in this. It sounds more natural than the typical pop ballad.
Score: 9/10

13.) "Your Loss I'm Found": Also gives me throwback teas, but since this is a bonus track... idk where I was going with that. It sounds like the sadder moments of a chick flick. I'm actually kinda glad that this is both filler and a bonus track because it doesn't cloud the judgement of the album as a whole.
Score: 7.4/10

14.) "Strip": This song is so cute! Despite the hidden innuendo and less-than-stellar vocals, I envision some 11-year-old playing this at a sleepover. The production is literally that cute. I wanna dance in my room in just my underwear with this one. Love it.
Score: 8.7/10

15.) "You Don't Really Know Me": Part of me wants to see this as filler, but the other part of me wanted this to be on the actual album because it's one of those songs that can easily be critically acclaimed with the Jessie's vocal control, the colorful lyrics, and the acoustic guitar... It's like watching a chick flick again. I really want to see covers of this song everywhere, because IMO this song would be the perfect song to cover.
Score: 8.8/10

Overall: This seems on par with her other albums, except with the quality of the songs in the beginning, especially the singles. Jessie always seems to kill it with her albums as a whole, and that's one thing I really like about her artistry. This should age well for me as one of the better albums of 2014.
Overall Score: 8.3/10


Now I wanna hear from you: what did you think of Sweet Talker?

[Mikey]

Lahey pls review Robin Schulz's "Sun Goes Down" as it is going to be released in the UK this week :)

[H.]

Album: Neil Young - Re-ac-tor

Song: Supertramp - Breakfast In America