cm7com's Track by Track Reviews

[maine]

Aight I'm going to do some reviews, the unprofessional way. I will be doing some track-by-track reviews of albums that I dig or don't dig. I'm about to run this sh*t.

[maine]

First review will be for Tove Lo's Queen of the Clouds (obviously). I'll do it tomorrow. I'll probably do a bunch of them in the next week, then start to spread them out. 

[Flip]

Queen of the clouds

[maine]

Tove Lo | Queen of the Clouds
Released: September 30, 2014 (US)
Genre: Pop, indie pop, 'rock'
Rating: 8.2/10
Recommended tracks: "Habits (Stay High)", "Thousand Miles", "Not On Drugs", "Timebomb"

Tove Lo is an upcoming singer/songwriter from Sweden ready to take the pop world by storm. With heartfelt lyrics and booming productions, Tove Lo is looking to make herself a main force in the pop industry. After releasing her critically acclaimed EP, Truth Serum, back in March 2014, she is looking to strike for more gold with her debut album, Queen of the Clouds. She is coming off red-hot from her smash "Habits (Stay High)" (top 40 hit in numerous countries), along with the remix by Hippie Sabotage that has hit the Top 3 in 5 countries (#1 in the Netherlands). With the right steps, Tove Lo could make herself the queen of the clouds, having her name up there with pop superstars like Katy Perry, Rihanna, and more.


Track by track:

1. "The Sex" - Due to this being just an excerpt, I will not give this, along with "The Love" and "The Pain" a rating, or review. N/A/10

2. "My Gun" - Starting off with haunting "ooohs", "My Gun" turns into a nice clap beat with a solid drum track along with an on-point use of gun shots in the beat through the verses. The repeating of the lines "that's my gun, that's my gun" throughout each verse make the song a little less desirable. Though, the melody and production are great on this. The album starts off with a little bang, but enough to keep you intrigued to listen to more. 7.6/10

3. "Like 'Em Young" - Tove Lo likes 'em young. The lyrics talk about Tove Lo's desire to have a younger guy versus the older guy that some women like to go for. The beat is simple, but works. With lyrics like: "Hey girl, why you judging me when your, your guy's turning 53? I like 'em young." or "I don't know what really gets you more. Is it that my guy's gonna live out yours? I like 'em young". It keeps you listening. The song, like the last one, is a little underwhelming and not the best of starts to a debut album (where everything is far more critical), but it's after this the album gets good. 7.4/10

4. "Talking Body" - The first good song, and the real start to the album starts here. The chorus is infectious, flirty, naughty, and so many things that would make you love it. The chorus is one of the most memorable ones on the album, and the lyrics stay stuck in your head. "If you love me right, we f*ck for life" is undoubtedly my favorite line of the whole album. The production on the song sets the mood perfectly. When I first listened to this, I thought it was better suited for a male R&B singer, but this song is what makes Tove Lo shine above the rest of the bunch. She can sing about sex all she wants, and still sound great. 8.8/10

5. "Timebomb" - This one gets off to a confusing start. The verses are way too wordy, like a rap without a melody, but it grows on future listens. Going into the pre-chorus is where the song gets sunny and explodes. The vocals on the chorus are very reminiscent of Florence + The Machine, and work beautifully. The drum track on this song is flawless, it really accompanies her vocals perfectly. A song that starts off on an odd foot, turns into a major highlight. The pre-chorus and chorus combination turns this song into a dime, but the verses weight it down, but not that much after awhile as you grow immune to it. 9.4/10

6. "The Love" - Second part of the album. N/A/10

7. "Moments" - A song about her few 'flaws'. In the song, she talks about growing up wealthy and talking about guys being better than she is. In the chorus she sings the flaws of
herself, such as her not being "the prettiest you've ever seen" or being "the flawless one", but says that she could be a whole lot of fun and "charming as f*ck". The lyrics make her sound like a normal human like the rest of us, instead of a publicized musician that is perfect in every way shape and form that the media seems to say. This one doesn't soar like the previous two, but doesn't get lost in the rubble like the first two, but it stays right in the middle and a solid song on the album. 8.2/10

8. "The Way That I Am" - This song contains the best vocals of the whole album. Sung with a lot of emotion and vulnerability, the song sets itself apart from others. Like the previous one, it's about her flaws, but hoping her significant other would love her just the way she is. While the vocals and production are great, they don't go so well together. The beat makes the song too upbeat, where it seems to take away the beauty of the lyrics. Still a highlight off of the album, it could have been among the top had it been a power ballad. 8.8/10

9. "Got Love" - This one is not that memorable, but not bad at all. The chorus is great on this, catchy and lyrics that speak of being on top of the world in a relationship. The production is solid, but nothing too interesting. The verses are catchy as well, and bring a different sound to the song. While Tove Lo sounds great on this, something in the production makes this a missed opportunity to be better. 7.8/10

10. "Not On Drugs" - The second single off of the album and one of two tracks from her EP, Truth Serum. This one brings a trippy, euphoric sound to it that sets it apart from anything else on the album. This one is the perfect climax to the album. The production on this is easily the best on the album, with the perfect bass drops that accompany Tove Lo's emotional vocals so perfectly. This is among the Top 3 on the album, and really make it a standout song in all of music for 2014. 10/10

11. "The Sex" - Third part of the album. N/A/10

12. "Thousand Miles" - Probably my second favorite on the whole album, and it would probably be my favorite had this been my first time listening to the album. The production is great on this once again, coming from one of my favorite artist (Talay Riley)'s brother, Scribz Riley. The song talks about hoping to make a broken relationship work, and seeing a potential light at the end of the tunnel. The vocals are great along with memorable verses, and great chorus. The emotion that Tove Lo puts forth in the song really gives this song a different feeling. The second verse is among my favorites, with the lines of: "Wrapped around your fingers. Let you dive into my low. You remember all my triggers, the physical and stuff." gives it the sexiness that was featured in the first part of the album. 10/10

13. "Habits (Stay High)" - The lead single and breakout hit from the album. This one is different than other songs on the record. It has a certain vulnerability about it that is similar to tracks like "Moments" and "The Way That I Am", but in a different approach. Talking about having to use drugs as a getaway from the pain she is suffering from her breakup. Everything about this song make this a step up from everything on the record. Everything is just brought upon in a different, effective way. Easily my favorite on the album. 10/10

14. "This Time Around" - After 3 straight perfect scores (excluding "The Sex"), the streak comes to a screaming halt. In my opinion, this is the most forgettable one on the album, and really doesn't do much. The lyrics are good as usual, but her vocals seem uninspired, while the production is stale. 6.8/10

15. "Run On Love (QOTC Edit)" - This one is a remix to an older song that Tove Lo featured on with Lucas Nord, and it serves as an underwhelming closer to a great album. While the song is not bad at all, the original is many steps ahead of this new mix. This 'edit' takes away a lot of what was so great about the original. The beat isn't as hard hitting, and the drop is fairly underwhelming. While I wouldn't write this one off as bad, I just think it doesn't do any justice to a great original. I'd check out the original if I were you. 7.4/10

Bonus Tracks:
16. "Habits (Stay High)" [Hippie Sabotage Remix] - This remix is really what started it all for Tove Lo's success. Through different forms of social media, this seemed to catch on and become a viral hit. In my opinion though, compared to the perfect original, this brings down the song so many notches. The effect used on her vocals make her sound like a chipmunk, and take away her beautiful voice. The verses on this are just the bridge repeated, and the chorus is just "you're gone and I gotta stay high, all the time, to keep you off my mind" repeated. It totally strips away what was so great about the original. The beat is nice, but is nothing compared to the original. 7/10

17. "Love Ballad" - The first Tove Lo song in existence, the one that started it all. The whole song is a satire on love songs that say that the singer will do anything for their significant other, even if they have to face death. The lyrics remind me of Wallpaper. (who satirize pop music in general), and the beat is decent. Definitely not a huge highlight, but a nice addition to see where Tove Lo started from. 7.3/10

18. "Crave" - The only 'new' one in the deluxe edition. This starts off slow, with quiet vocals and a downtempo beat, but then turns into this soaring vocal and huge dubstep track.
The song transitions itself perfectly throughout the whole song, going fast-slow-fast...etc. This would have been a better choice as a song on the standard edition, and steps up from some of the other tracks. 8.6/10

19. "Not On Drugs" (Ali Payami Remix) - A remix that tarnishes the original song. This is ruins the original more than the Hippie Sabotage remix of "Habits (Stay High)" did. It falls victim to the same faults in the former. Pitch changes like the original, except the other way around, deeper... Unlike Hippie Sabotage's remix, the beat is nothing good. It stays the same throughout the whole track, and you wonder why this was even made into a thing. 5.9/10

Full rating: 8.2/10

The songwriting is what makes this album soar. Every song's lyrics are beautifully crafted and have the right amount of emotion in them. The production is another high quality on the album, but a little inconsistent. While there are songs whose productions make the song, there's some that hurt the song. There are some missteps along the way, but nonetheless it is a very strong debut for Tove Lo. There's a great amount of potential in her to become the next pop superstar, and I'm certain this will be the start of a beautiful career for her.

[Green Baron]

maine post this on Sputnik

[maine]

Oct 8, 2014 20:58:25 GMT -5 Green Baron said:

maine post this on Sputnik

Track by tracks get hated on on Sputnik lol. So I'll pass haha.

What did you think though? This is probably my first review that I have done before.

[Green Baron]

Oct 8, 2014 21:13:50 GMT -5 maine said:

Oct 8, 2014 20:58:25 GMT -5 Green Baron said:

maine post this on Sputnik

Track by tracks get hated on Sputnik lol. So I'll pass haha.

What did you think though? This is probably my first review that I have done before.

dammit you saw through my ruse

[maine]

Oct 8, 2014 21:15:01 GMT -5 Green Baron said:

Oct 8, 2014 21:13:50 GMT -5 maine said:

Track by tracks get hated on Sputnik lol. So I'll pass haha.

What did you think though? This is probably my first review that I have done before.

dammit you saw through my ruse

Meany... :(

[Green Baron]

Oct 8, 2014 21:15:47 GMT -5 maine said:

Oct 8, 2014 21:15:01 GMT -5 Green Baron said:

dammit you saw through my ruse

Meany... :(

you never know, maybe they'll like it.

[nick64]

Great review! Not only do I agree with most of your comments, but you managed to get your points across in a very effective way that doesn't try too hard, but doesn't say too little either. Very professional sounding review, and I love that you do track-by-tracks. Definitely bookmarking this thread! :)

[Flip]

Great review and a great rating for a great album

[Mikey]

Nice review !! Agree with (nearly) all of them, and i like how you use the words, because it is like the professionals !!

Great Job !!

[maine]

Thanks nick64, Flip, and Mikey for the nice comments!

I plan on doing another one fairly soon. I got quite a bit of ones that I want to do. I think for now, I'll do reviews to whatever I want, but then I'll start to do it with new releases or albums I want to listen to. So it'll be kind of random when I do a review. With older releases, I'll do them on their anniversary dates. 

Plans:
Luke James - Luke James (possibly next)
Alex & Sierra - It's About Us
Dirty Heads - Sound of Change
Maroon 5 - V

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

On "Talking Body":

Oct 8, 2014 20:31:09 GMT -5 maine said:

When I first listened to this, I thought it was better suited for a male R&B singer

It sounds like "Undressed" by Kim Cesarion.

[maine]

Oct 10, 2014 16:09:19 GMT -5 Lahey's Lucky Star said:

On "Talking Body":

Oct 8, 2014 20:31:09 GMT -5 maine said:

When I first listened to this, I thought it was better suited for a male R&B singer

It sounds like "Undressed" by Kim Cesarion.

Not to me lol.  

Someone like him could have sang that though.

[maine]

Luke James | Luke James

Released: September 23, 2014 (US)

Genre: R&B/Soul, neo soul

Rating: 8.2/10

Recommended tracks: "Dancing in the Dark", "Exit Wounds", "Options" (both versions), "I Want You", "Exposé", "Stay With Me"

Luke James is a R&B singer hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana. After writing songs for music stars such as Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and more, a Grammy-nominated song, and being hand-selected by Beyoncé to open for her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, Luke James has come a long way before his debut album was able to see the light of day. After signing with Island Records back in 2011, it took two pre-albums, many buzz singles, and numerous amounts of delays until his debut album came on September 23, 2014. His long road is very similar to R&B superstar Miguel. It took Miguel awhile to gain popularity in the R&B world. It took each act 3 years to release their debut albums, numerous delays on their albums, songwriting for popular artists, opening for big acts, and minimal promotion from their record labels. Miguel's debut, All I Want Is You, became a huge sleeper hit and led on to huge fame, Luke James will also hope to have that happen to him.

Track by track:

1. "Love XYZ": Starting off with a futuristic beat and a mysterious female voice, Luke comes in with fading vocals. After the one-minute mark, the track goes into full kick. Luke's soothing voice and superb falsetto are all over the track. The song is very unique and is unlike anything else out right now. The song is a very good intro, but really nothing else after that. 7/10

2. "Dancing in the Dark: Falsetto just oozes from this track. Through the verses, chorus, everywhere. The chorus is catchy, with the repeating lines: "Cause we're dancing in the dark again, in the dark again" along with others, but still retains the R&B sound. The track talks about the girl that he is with being insecure about her body, and only able to do the nasty with the lights off. Luke sings about 'loving her down' and wanting to see her 'parts'. This track is a major standout, and could be a huge Urban hit. 8.8/10

3. "Don't Do It" (Interlude) - The production on this is simple, yet unique. Mainly just being a beatbox beat with a repeating vocal track that says: "Don't do it, pretty girls will put you through it" in a pitch and style that sounds like a character off of Sesame Street. The lone verse is him rapping about a girl he sees walking past him, and after talking to het and getting with her, he realized it was all for nothing really. Though just being an interlude, it still gives you the satisfactory of a full length track. 8.1/10

4. "Trouble" - The lyrics are simple, talking about a girl that put Luke through trouble. He realizes he is much better off without her. The vocals are the major standout on the track, his signature falsetto through the chorus and rap-signing through the verses. The vocals save this track, but the beat and lyrics are fairly simple, where this track seems to just be good as an album track. 7.5/10

5. "The Run" - Through a thick bassline, and a pitched "ooh" as the verses' beat, and a piano for the chorus, the Danja-produced beat strikes gold. The vocals are great on the track, going with the same falsetto through the chorus that seems to work every time. The lyrics are simple, but still work on the track. But everything
seems to work well with each other. 7.8/10

6. "Glass House" - The haunting beat on this accompanies Luke's great vocals perfectly. It sets the mood correctly and makes this a very interesting track. Mainly a falsetto track, the vocals aren't as well as the other tracks, but the way that they are used on this makes them great. It keeps into the haunting theme on the track. The chorus is one that'll keep staying in your head, despite being fairly simple: "Throwing rocks at a glass house, like it wasn't gonna break". The whole 'rocks at a glass house' is a metaphor on the girl he fell for playing with his heart and ultimately breaking it. 8/10

7. "Exit Wounds" - After feeling so heartbroken through the first verse, you start to think this would be a sappy break-up song about wanting the girl back, but then it takes a sudden turn. After another falsetto-laced chorus through a piano beat, the last part of it starts with a sudden "f*ck you" and then turns into a hip-hop beat and it transforms the whole entire song into a whole different dimension. Now he is starting to realize how much better off he is and that his new girl blows his previous out of the water. Definitely a standout track, and probably one of the top breakup songs of the year. 9/10

8. "TimeX" (Interlude) - With Luke's "ooh, aah"'s and a snap as the beat, it takes you back to the first interlude "Don't Do It". This one is more R&B than the previous, and this one is not nearly as infectious. The vocals through the verse aren't too great, but the chorus brings Luke's vocals front and center and are very good. The one odd factor in this, is the harmonica that comes in randomly and stays for the last minute of the song with "time" repeated 12 times. The one is 2:40 in length, longer than a usual interlude, but it was probably dubbed as an interlude considering how forgettable the track is. 6.6/10

9. "Options" (feat. Rick Ross) - The first official single off of the album. The lyrics on this are undoubtedly the best on the album, and very well written. The track is about a relationship that is starting to fade, but Luke wants to stay in it to see what happens, but have options. This one seems to be the one that Island thought would be a huge hit. It's a very hip-hop beat and of course, includes a pointless inclusion of Rick Ross who supplies nothing to the song. The chorus surprisingly do not contain falsetto, the first track that doesn't. Despite that, Luke's vocals are still on-point with tremendous amounts of emotion that fit perfectly on the track. 9.2/10

10. "Insane" / "Bombin' Out" (Interlude) - The first track in this double feature is "Insane". The track has a R&B/hip hop beat together, and keeps the track up. The vocals on this aren't as great on the track, and arguably the worst on the album. The chorus is not memorable, with seemingly unenthused vocals coming from Luke. The lyrics surprisingly save this track, while the vocals aren't up to par, which has been vice versa throughout the whole album. Though the bridge's vocals are back to Luke's par. The second track is the interlude "Bombin' Out". The track is fairly simple, with nothing very memorable about it. Though for some reason, the "bombin' out" stays in your head. Both tracks aren't very memorable, and for being a nearly 7 minute track, this really is only one you listen to when you're listening to the whole album. 6.4/10

11. "I Want You" - This Grammy-nominated track was a surprising inclusion. Originally released as the album's lead single back in 2011. The vocals on this soar above all the other records, going onto a whole 'nother level that puts Luke at the top of the R&B game. The falsetto on this is so perfectly done, I don't think anyone in the industry has strong enough vocals to hit the notes that he is able to. The verses are memorable, lyrics and vocals. Everything about this track is amazingly done. I'm surprised this couldn't pick up the Grammy (lost to Usher's "Climax"). This is easily the top track of the album, and could even be the top R&B of this century... 10/10

12. "Exposé" - Starting with a woman saying, "tell me something I don't know", this track turns into a funky production. The beat on this is something that sounds like it came out of Pharrell's songbook (produced by The Alliance). The track is very different from anything on the album, seemingly more pop than everything else. Though being sort of poppy, it still sticks to the album's R&B flow. The vocals are great on this as well. I think this could be a potential single, and have a great shot at CHR radio. 8.9/10

Bonus tracks:
13. "Make Love to Me" - Another surprising inclusion given its release date was in 2012, though it is only a bonus track. To be honest, I would have gone with "I.O.U." as the old buzz single to include on the album. This track is fairly boring. The beat is simple, the vocals are good, but not great, but the lyrics are fairly good. It's just a forgettable song and it's pretty obvious why it wasn't included on the standard edition. 6.6/10

14. "Options" (Wolfjames Version) - This one is just the solo version of "Options", dubbed as the "Wolfjames Version". Despite Rick Ross seeming like a pointless inclusion, when you listen to this, you actually get a feel of how well Rick Ross supplied the original. The Rick Ross verse is replaced with Luke's falsetto (something that was missing from the original) and emotional vocals that still give you a similar feeling of the original. The transition from the chorus to the new bridge is poorly done though. The beats don't lead into 
one another, it just seemed kind of thrown in. Though both versions are great, I have to say they are equal. If they were to choose between one or the other to release as the single, it could have gone either way. 9.2/10

15. "Stay With Me" (Sam Smith cover) - The last track of the deluxe is a cover of Sam Smith's superhit, "Stay With Me". These two both possess stellar vocals that are way better than anyone else at the moment. Luke's cover is all acapella, with the beat having him repeat "hey ho". Luke brings a lot of originality to the track and his vocals are in a different register, but work amazingly as Sam's does. Luke makes this track his own, some people probably wouldn't even realize it was a cover. 9.6/10

Full rating: 8.2/10

The vocals on the album really sets the album up for praise. Luke's vocals are undeniably amazing and it's truly believable that he possesses the best vocals in the industry right now. The songwriting isn't the best in the world, especially when Miguel (whose a great songwriter) is a very similar artist. The production sometimes came as lazy, and in others it was really great. Though there are some tracks that are completely forgettable, there are also tracks that are amazing and Grammy-worthy. I wouldn't count this out for a Grammy next year in the R&B category. My prediction is that Luke will find his niche somewhere in this album and start riding a road to fame similar to Miguel.

[maine]

Oct 10, 2014 15:40:39 GMT -5 maine said:

Thanks nick64, Flip, and Mikey for the nice comments!

I plan on doing another one fairly soon. I got quite a bit of ones that I want to do. I think for now, I'll do reviews to whatever I want, but then I'll start to do it with new releases or albums I want to listen to. So it'll be kind of random when I do a review. With older releases, I'll do them on their anniversary dates. 

Plans:
Luke James - Luke James (possibly next)
Alex & Sierra - It's About Us
Dirty Heads - Sound of Change
Maroon 5 - V

So I did Luke James' album. I plan on doing a lot this month. I will probably be reviewing the new Foo Fighters and Nickelback albums a few days after their release (to soak em in). I plan on doing a Nickelback week lol. I will review Dark Horse on the 18th, and Here and Now on the 21st for the anniversaries. No Fixed Address should fall between them. I won't do Dirty Heads like previously thought, and I haven't gotten around to Alex & Sierra's album yet. I might still do V, but I don't even know. My next review will more than likely be Cold War Kids' latest album, Hold My Home. I might do that next week. I got a lot going on this week, so I don't think I'll be able to do anything. Stay tuned!

PS: You can forget about me trying to sit through Taylor Swift's new album lol.

[maine]

I think I might just retire this page lol. The reviews are too damn tedious and I don't have all that much time on my hands at the moment. I may or may not do a review for No Fixed Address, but for now, I'm not going to put anything on the board. I may post reviews from time to time of albums that I know I can spend an hour or two writing on. Just for now, I don't have the time. :(