Monday (M)orning Music Review

There isn't a single thing I don't love about this new EP by Sleeping at Last. 

It's called Atlas: Light. Though I also enjoyed Atlas: Darkness, this one is leaps and bounds above the other. Every song of this album has the perfect balance of beautiful melody and captivating lyrics.

Light

My favorite is about the birth of a child. I can't help but think of my son when I listen to this song.

"May these words be the first to find your ears
The world is brighter than the sun now that you're here
Though your eyes will need some time to adjust
to the overwhelming light surrounding us...

'Cause you are loved
You are loved more than you know
I hereby pledge all of my days 
To prove it so
Though your heart is far to young to realize
The unimaginable light you hold inside."


Heirloom

This one has a great folk sound, with a light violin playing in
 the background, but a fast beat. It's a story about passing down characteristics to our children.

"You pressed rewind
for the thousandth time
when the tapes were through.
so you memorized
those unscripted lines
when the scale tipped
when you inherited
a fight that you were born to lose.
It's not your fault, I put this heavy heart in you"


In The Embers

This song is probably the prettiest music, next to "Light".
It begins with just piano and vocal. The lyrics are remarkable.

"May our stories catch fire
and burn bright enough 
to catch God's eye.

May we live and die
a valorous life
may we write it all down
in cursive light."

If you haven't heard any of Sleeping At Last's other stuff, I highly recommend
checking them out on Itunes. They have an entire series called Yearbook
that is phenomenal. The sound they have is between a Keane & Deas Veil.

This week, I'm going to listen to Sara Bareilles' The Blessed Unrest , so that review will be coming up next week!

 If you get a chance to listen to Atlas: Light, let me know what you think!

Monday (M)orning Music Review

This week, I'm reviewing Taylor Swift's RED. 

Say what you will about Taylor, the girl's got passion. And passion is what it takes to make a great album. 

I'm pleasantly surprised. After hearing her very pop-ish, "Call Me Maybe" sounding song on the radio - We Are Never Getting Back Together, I thought I would have to pass on checking this new record out. But, thankfully, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and she didn't disappoint. As we all know, Taylor writes about her own personal struggles, heartaches, and heartbreaks in love. Most people can relate to at least one song she sings. But more than that this time, she combines amazing tunes with amazing words and really knocks it out of the park for me. 

Here are a few of my favorite songs on the record: 

The Last Time (ft. Gary Lightbody)

This doesn't sound like your typical Taylor. In fact, to me, it sounds a lot like a slow Weepies song. The music at the beginning is haunting, and the lyrics are beautiful. 

And you open your eyes into mine

And everything feels better.

I Knew You Were Trouble

I love the sound of this song. The beat is great and you can definitely roll down your windows in the beautiful fall weather and jam to it! It's fun and up-beat, and yet, still has those lyrics from her journal that let you know, another one bites the dust! ha!

Now I heard you moved on from whispers on the street

A new notch in your belt is all I'll ever be

And now I see

He was long gone when he met me

Holy Ground

This is a sweet and lovely little melody. 

Well I guess we fell apart the usual way

And the story's got dust on every page,

Sometimes I wonder how you think about it now.

And I see your face in every crowd. 

Anyway, gotta run, gotta take my little one to music class so that maybe one day he will put out an amazing album about his life and love experiences! ;)

Great job, Taylor. I'm a fan! 

(M)onday Morning Music Review

Just when I was starting to lose faith in the music industry, Tristan Prettyman becomes my hero. Her new album Cedar + Gold was exactly what I needed to start my fall off right. I can't listen to it enough.

I hadn't heard of Tristan until my friend from college, Steve Miller, moved to Los Angeles and started playing with her. Even that didn't make me really seek out her music. But last week when I heard of her new release, I decided to check it out. I'm so glad that I did.

Her sound is like a mix between Sara Bareilles and Missy Higgins. For me, that = love. And not only does she have a fresh, clean, beautiful voice, but I found some of the lyrics on the album to be pretty profound. This is one of those treasures that you can put on repeat, open the windows, and grab a tall cup of coffee and have a lovely morning listening to. In fact, don't mind if I do!

There is one warning, however, an ugly little tune. With an explicit lyric in the song-  "The Rebound". A nasty word. When it comes to the whole album collectively, you might just want to skip this one all together. Not sure why she even bothered putting this one on there. It's a good thing the other songs were so great, or this one would have completely ruined the entire thing.

My favorite songs are:

I Was Gonna Marry You

It starts off with beautiful piano. The chorus is incredibly catchy and heartbreaking all at the same time. As a writer, I can't help but wonder if these are just words she wrote on paper that she thought would sound good in a song ... or if they came from the deepest place of her heart.

Only so much that my heart can take
It doesn’t matter what you say
Wishing for all we could have been

I gotta stay
As far away as I can get
Cause a part of me hasn’t left

Just so you know, just so you know
I never thought you'd let me go
I don’t even know the truth
Yeah we were fine, yeah we were fine
Then all at once you changed your mind

... And I was gonna marry you

Come Clean

For those of you who know me, it's probably no big surprise that my favorite songs on the album are the most "chill" or mellow ones. This one won me over with the sound, but the fact that it's like reading someone's diary doesn't hurt too much either. I'm a fan of real and vulnerable.

Forgive the regrets
When it comes, let it pass
Let the first rain of the season
Wash away our past
I know, I know that we can

When you just wanna scream
At some point we all have to
Come clean

Never Say Never

This one really reminds me of Missy Higgins. It has such a fresh sound. Just start the song, and the background singing will automatically win you over. It's a little haunting. When you get to the bridge, hand your roommate who just got dumped a box of tissues. She'll thank you later.

Now I hear you're back to your old self
And I still can't imagine
Why you take something good, like love, like us
And pretend it never happened
Cause you'll look back one day
And you'll wish we still had that flame
But you can't start a fire in the pouring rain

Like I said in my review of Alanis' new album, stick to the heartbreak. You can never go wrong. Thank you, Tristan. It hurt you, but gave all of us something beautiful.

Monday (M)orning Music Review

Let me just preface this review by saying : I'm team Alanis.

Always have been. I'm not sure how I would have gotten through some of the long rides on the volleyball bus in high school if I didn't have Jagged Little Pill blasting in my headphones. And she has always seemed like a very level headed, kind hearted individual (I mean, you know, other than to the men who have hurt her).

And I'm happy for her. Really, I am. I'm so glad that she has come to a point in her life where she is finally at peace and really happy. Married and a mother. And that IS definitely the most blessed place to be.

But for the sake of her music, I can only wish some rotten man would come along and do her wrong again. It's absolutely vital to the success of her future albums. I mean, look at Adele and Taylor Swift. Why do you think their music sales so well? Because their songs are emotionally charged being full of heartbreak and pain.

Alanis needs some heartache, because this album was awful.

Every song felt pretty much the same with a girl-power inspired electro pop sound. In fact, there isn't a single song where a part of me for even just a second said - "hey, I kinda like this one." Nope, I was utterly disappointed. Even the song about motherhood that I should just automatically love, was such a flop with these lyrics :

"I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian
I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden
I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand
The greatest honor of all, as your guardian"

Really? That's the best you can do about creating a life and the love you feel in your heart? I guess to each his own. But I'm no fan of Havoc and Bright Lights. Sorry, Alanis.  

But know what I am excited about that is released TOMORROW?

My long lost love, Lifehouse. Their last album disappointed me because of the Daughtry sound of it. He helped them with it, and boy could you tell. I'm hoping they can go back to their old sound of the No Name Face Days. We will see. I want to be pleasantly surprised.

Monday (M)orning Music Review

I used to love these guys in college. But to be honest with you, after listening to them again in the last week for this review, I just don't think I'm really into this kind of music anymore. With that being said, here are the songs I DO like.

Ten

Wow. What a deep song. I've never experienced the heartbreak of losing a child, thank God. But I do have a few very close friends who have had miscarriages and so I have seen the pain it has caused them. It is something you will never really get over. This song is so sad in that it addresses that issue, but at the same time it brings something very moving out of such a hurtful experience.

It's absolutely beautiful.  

"... And we would never be the same again.

Since then I often wondered what you might have been like

How it would have felt to hold you

Would you have my eyes?

Don't you think we would have been best friends?

Now I live in a dream where I am

Holding your little hands

I never got to meet you, my best friend.

You would be 10 and I'd be driving you to school

You would tell all your friends that you thought I was cool

 You would be out in the sun until it was gone

You would be watching Star Wars with your pj's on

...and you would have all the love in my heart. "

Fix You

They do a cover on the album of Coldplay's Fix You. Of course, it's not as good as the original, (how can you compete with that?) but I don't think there is anyone who could sing that song that would make me love it any less.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say that this album did not impress. Sorry, Yellowcard.

Coming out tomorrow that I will be checking out -

All I can hope is that it is MORE like Jagged Little Pill  & LESS like Flavors of Entanglement.



Monday (M)orning Music Review

Missy Higgins is one of my favorites. You might know her best for her 2 hits - Warm Whispers & Where I Stood. Not only is she a lyrical genius, but her voice is one of those that can be a little haunting. I love that. In June she dropped her new album, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle. Was it worth the wait? Oh, you bet.

My top 3 favorite songs are:

Everyone's Waiting

The beginning of this song tricks you a bit. With the harmony, it sounds completely different from the power she gets into a few lines in. I love the way she sings the chorus. In fact, it makes the song. I always want this track to last longer than it does. Thank goodness for REPEAT.

"And everyone’s waiting

But it’s getting harder to hear what my heart is saying"

Tricks

This song is fun. One of the more up-beat tracks on the album. She is so honest and it feels like the outer layers are completely stripped away, all while keeping a great beat.

"I’m done with smoke screens

and fancy veils

I’m done with all this petty decorating of myself

Guess you should want me the way I am

Truth is I want to be more than that"

Sweet Arms Of A Tune

I'm not even sure what to say about this song. It's gut wrenching. It's beautiful. I hate it and love it all at the same time. This is what I mean when I say HAUNTING. Hmm, what lyrics do I not love?

"He told her when she played,

Wings sprouted from her shoulder blades

And every bone inside her seemed to change.

So on her fingers moved, over notes she hoped would soothe,

His jagged soul caressing every groove.

Oh and how she longed to say, that she'd missed his troubled ways,

And if she could she'd do it all again."

With all of that said, this one gets



I hadn't heard of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals until recently, but it seems they've been around for quite some time. And now, I'm completely regretting not discovering them sooner. Grace definitely has amazing vocal abilities, and there are those certain tracks that get stuck in your head the entire day. Here are my favorites.

Never Go Back

Who doesn't want to sing along when you hear this song? It's one of those that you can put on and do just about anything to. And by the end, if you aren't aware that your foot is tapping or your head is nodding, I'd say you might just lack a pulse.

"I can’t take it no more, this

Scratches on my soul

I can’t, and I’ll never let you near my heart again

Oh no, oh no

I’ll never go back there no more"

The Lion The Beast The Beat

I definitely know why this is the title track. And why "THE BEAT" is included. This song has beat for sure. I mean, granted, the lyrics on this one aren't all that clever, but maybe it has some hidden meaning that I'm not getting. Either way, its a drive with your windows down kind of song.

"Life is a record, playing on repeat"

Stars

By far, my favorite on the album. If this isn't an instant radio hit, then I would be very surprised. The first line completely pulls you in and you can't help but love it the whole way through. Thank you Grace Potter, for this little treasure of a song.

"I lit a fire with the love you left behind

And it burned wild and crept up the mountainside...

... I can't look at the stars

They make me wonder where you are"

And for next week? I'll be listening to one of my favorites from college that just released a new album to let you know what I think ...

                                                                                                         

Monday (M)orning Music Review

Phenomenal.

Sleeperstar : Just Another Ghost.

Not only is the music amazing, but the lead singer has one nice set of pipes on him.

I have so many favorites on this album that it is hard to decide what order I would rank them in. But I will try. Here are my top five.

To listen to these songs, click HERE in a new tab.

1. Everything Must Find Its Place

This is an incredibly beautiful song. From the piano in the opening, to the very end where they play their hearts out as he yells "Let it be my fault." ahh... awesome.

Favorite Line: "All of this is wrong. All of this I now regret. The lonely never sleep. She's always in my head."

2. The Journey

"And I don't count the distance, 'cause the thought of you will carry me there."

3. Texas Rain

"What is this that makes us feel alone?"

4. I was Wrong

It is kinda hypnotizing when you get to the chorus. "And I saw what it was ...that I had done."

5. Can't Escape Your Eyes
and ..... SafetySuit : Life Left To Go Such an amazing album. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. To listen to these songs, click HERE in a new tab. 1. Life Left To Go The bridge of this song gives me serious chills. Favorite Line: "And the pages you write in your journal each night are your only release, and the mask you put on, it's like words in a song, but there's more to be seen....and a fear comes alive like you'll never be free, but there's no pain you feel that I know love can't heal here at all." 2. Anywhere But Here
Absolutely Gorgeous.
"Cause you are ... beautiful inside, so lovely and I can't see why I do anything without you ... and I'd rather be anywhere but here without you." 3. Annie
"Annie, you are the one sight my eyes never tire of, it's like I cannot get enough of you...Annie, you are the one song left in my symphony, like you were made for me."
4. ApologyThis one is just kind of fun.

5. Gone Away

"I think about love, and oh what a beautiful song. And oh how it needs to be sung here. Sing it so loud all the world can hear." To sum it up... two Brilliant Bands that you really need to listen to.

Monday (M)orning Music Review

I was so excited when I heard that Switchfoot was coming out with a new album. I have not really been thrilled with any of their stuff since Beautiful Letdown came out and I was hoping that they would win my heart over again.

Sad to say,

They didn't.

I my opinion, Hello Hurricane is a total flop. Ok, well not a TOTAL flop, there is one good song on the album. The track "Your Love is a Song" is a mix between a U2 ballad and a typical Switchfoot jam. The lyrics really aren't anything too clever, but the music and the way he sings is what makes the song so great. I could listen to it over and over. But I'm glad that I didn't buy the entire cd from I-tunes, or I might just have to listen to that one song... over and over and over. Bummer.

I give Hello Hurricane a ...

Flyleaf on the other hand, continues to go strong. I fell in love with the track "So I Thought" back in 2006 when I was living in Dallas. My brother introduced me to the band and once I heard that angelic voice over such heavy guitar, I knew I was hooked. This month they came out with their new album, Momento Mori.

My 3 favorite songs on the album are:

1. Treasure

This song is brilliant. It is a story of new beginnings, and of how she went from being nothing to being treasured over all the earth.

"Bearing the gift of a new heart, Patience ablaze... I'm slowly burning"

2. Again

This song is a lot heavier than Treasure, but once again, it is the lyrics that win me over. It is basically a letter to someone who needs to realize that there is someone much greater than them in control of things.

"I love the way your heart breaks
With every injustice and deadly fate, Praying it all be new, And living like it all depends on you"

3. Arise

Lacey has such a comforting voice in this song of positivity and encouragement.

"Arise and be all that you dreamed."

Thank you again, Flyleaf.

And last ... and definitely least...

You guys, have SO let me down.
Dashboard Confessional came out with After the Ending. I am sad to say, I do not like ONE song on this album. Not one. And I am a big fan of Dashboard, so this is super disappointing to me. Sure, I liked the sound of "Belle of the Boulevard", but once I read the lyrics, I was done. Just a little too Emo for me guys. [I know.. right?, imagine that.]

and so it hurts me, but I have to...

...so what album am I MOST looking forward to this Holiday Season??

The New Lifehouse, Smoke and Mirrors, hitting stores on December 8th.

I'm expecting great things.

Monday (m)orning Music Review

The new Mae album is here, and I must say... they have totally redeemed themselves.

Finally.

After The Everglow was released, I thought that Mae's music could only get better. But that was not the case. Singularity (released in 2007) was, in my opinion, a complete flop. They lost their incredible sound that made me love them so much in the first place. Besides the ballad "Reflections" , this entire album was sounding a little too much like Relient K to separate the two.

But with the new album, (m)orning, they have come back to their original sound and creativity. The first and last song on the cd are strictly instrumental, which I adore.

My 3 favorite songs :

The Fisherman Song
This song is 8 minutes and 39 seconds long. It tells an inspirational story and is one of those songs where you truly have to "wait for it" to get to the beauty of it. Around the 6th minute, the story begins to come to a close and the musician knows what to do ...
"I knew what he was talking about. I knew how to finish my song."
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Two Birds
I am in love with the flute in this song. It really does make me feel like I am listening to a love story between birds. This is definitely creative and original. Completely instrumental, but powerful, nonetheless.

A Melody, the Memory
This song reminds me of the love songs from The Everglow. The guitar in it is too fast to make it a "sappy slow song", however, the words pull on your heart strings.
"Rewind and Play. Time to go backwards again. And I'm moved by the way."

So what do I give this new release from Mae?
Thumbs Up.


...I am also really liking Ocean Eyes from Owl City.

It sounds like a mix between the Postal Service and A Rocket to The Moon. Apparently, this guy (Adam Young is a one man band) has been around for a while, but is just now hitting it big. The newest album, Ocean Eyes, caught the right persons' attention I suppose.

My 3 favorite songs:

Vanilla Twilight
It is definitely less electronic sounding than the majority of the cd, but the lyrics are what sold me on this song and are too incredible to not mention.
"The stars lean down to kiss you, and I lie awake and miss you. ..'Cuz I'll dose off safe and soundly, but I'll miss your arms around me."

Cave In
Such a cool beat of drum looping and a digital symphony. This song definitely reminds me of Death Cab for Cutie and leaves you wanting more of the album. Lucky for you, this is the first song on the album so you've got plenty more to keep you satisfied.
"and I've had just about enough of quote "diamonds in the rough", and my backbone is paper thin."

Meteor Shower
By far the most beautiful song on the album. Besides it's clever title that has nothing to do with the lyrics, this song makes me wonder exactly what he is talking about or who he is talking to.

So I give this Owl City album...

Thumbs Up.


and ... drum roll please ....

The New Album I'm looking forward to??




The new Dashboard Confessional.

Coming out November 10th.