Artist: John Mayer
Label: Columbia, Sony Music
Released: May 22, 2012
Peak chart position/sales: (AUS) #1 (US) #1 (CAN) #1 (NZ) #1 (UK) #4 (IRE) #14
RATING: 3.5/5 stars
Within a week of its release, Mayer's latest album had already accumulated a startlingly amount of praise before it rocketed up the charts. Deservedly so. The wholesome collection that is Born and Raised oozes country cool with a hint of folk and more than one infectious groove, every tune standing firm in its own masterfully crafted melody in Mayer's trademark simple-but-effective style. Pleasantly catchy yet gently unobtrusive tunes float along in a wash of intimate vocals, delicately jangling guitars, crisp drum work and of course some gritty grooves ala "Crossroads". Mayer sings of his usual topics - love, love lost and love that does your head in - but this time carries it off with an unmistakable maturity that makes this a refreshingly solid listen.
Album: So Beautiful or So What
Artist: Paul Simon
Label: Hear Music
Released: April 8, 2011
Peak chart position/sales: (US) #4 (UK) #6 (IRE) #7
RATING: 2/5 stars
I don't understand how this album can have been created by the same man who wrote Graceland. Sure, the 80's hit was always going to be his masterpiece, but the mundane guitar chugging, thin percussion and tired poetry that continuously falls on its face is not what I expected of Paul Simon's latest release. Not one song presents a catchy singalong opportunity or a beautiful eyes-closed-listening moment, and the melodic structure borders on misguided as Simon weaves his trademark free-verse through often confusingly chaotic guitar leads with far less grace than fans have come to expect. There's a distinct country vibe to this one too - but rather than channeling some laid-back rural cool, it's the irritating old-man-wailing sort. Disappointment abounds.
Album: Kisses On The Bottom
Artist: Paul McCartney
Label: Hear Music
Released: February 6, 2012
Peak chart position/sales: (UK) #3 (FRA) #4 (US) #5 (AUS) #15
RATING: 3/5 stars
Speaking of musicians who don't age well, let us not forget the dubious anatomical associations of Paul McCartney's nose-thumbing gesture to the industry. Yet, behind the crude title lie 15 old-school covers of songs from McCartney's boyhood, plus original single "My Valentine". The incongruence is only slightly less appalling when we realise the collection takes its title from an out-of-context lyric...
True to McCartney's reputation, the original track is the best in the collection. The standard arrangements don't breathe new life into old songs and McCartney's ageing vocal chords fail to spice things up as well. While it's not exactly a flop, it's not revolutionary either. And I prefer the originals.
Album: Nightflight
Label: Sony Music Entertainment Australia
Released: April 13, 2012
Peak chart position/sales: (AUS) #2
Oh my gosh....I'd give you my opinion, but I'm saving this one for a full review ;) Stay tuned!
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