Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Posted by: J. Dakar

ALBUM REVIEW: MARSHA AMBROSIUS – LATE NIGHTS & EARLY MORNINGS

It’s been a long time coming for Marsha Ambrosius, the former Floetry songstress who releases her solo debut album, Late Nights & Early Mornings, today.

LISTEN UP:

In the midst of releasing three albums as half of the English R&B duo, Marsha also made dozens of guest appearances on other artists’ tracks. Following a brief stint with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label, she found a home at J Records last year and has been preparing for this moment by showcasing her aural aphrodisiac talents on a number of mixtapes.

Not only is Marsha a gifted singer, she’s also a talented songwriter and producer having written and produced most of the album herself. She shares co-writing credit with Alicia Keys on the smooth, seduction-filled song “With You”, the first track following the introduction, appropriately titled “Anticipation”. Marsha keeps the mood going as she declares it’s gonna be a late night, early morning on the title track layered over a Bobby Z-esque beat (see Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones”) produced by Rich Harrison.


♫ Marshia Ambrosius – Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player)

But things quickly go from grown and sexy to “I hope she cheat on you with a basketball player” with the album’s lead single. Instead of wishing an ex well, Marsha wishes everything that could go wrong for him to actually do so because, as she explained in an interview with Rap-Up, “my ego is bruised and I’m acting out”, a feeling which most people can attest to feeling at some point in their life.

Continue

Posted in ALBUM REVIEW, MUSIC, NEW MUSIC Tagged , ,
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Posted by: J. Dakar

ALBUM REVIEW: ADELE – 21


♫ Adele – Rolling in the Deep

When Adele first hit the scene with “Chasing Pavements” over three years ago, the comparisons quickly came between her and Amy Winehouse. Sure, they’re both English singers/songwriters; both won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist (Amy in 2008, Adele the following year); and their music has helped usher in a new soulful sound. But in a late 2008 interview, Adele was quick to point out, “We’re a gender, not a genre.”

Adele describes her musical style as “heartbroken soul”, which might seem a bit odd for someone approaching the ripe old age of 23, but listening to her debut, 19, is all the proof you need to see just how accurate that description is. Her second album, 21, hitting stores and online retailers in the U.S. and Canada today, follows suit.

The album opens with the bluesy lead single “Rolling in the Deep”, which was released late November and its video less than a week later prompting a countdown of sorts by yours truly. The track is the epitome of a lover scorned with powerful vocals and equally powerful lyrics (Throw your soul through every open door. Count your blessings to find what you look for. Turn my sorrow into treasured gold. You’ll pay me back in kind, and reap just what you’ve sown.) with Adele exclaiming, “We could have had it all!” Continue

Posted in ALBUM REVIEW, MUSIC, NEW MUSIC Tagged , ,
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 Posted by: J. Dakar

ALBUM REVIEW: GINUWINE – ELGIN

Nearly fifteen years ago Ginuwine jumped on the scene with his first single, the overtly sexual “Pony”. Now, the 40-year-old who was once “So Anxious” is older and ready to show his fans the man he’s become on his namesake seventh album, Elgin, available today.

LISTEN UP:

Ginuwine picks things up right where A Man’s Thoughts left off in that it expresses the same maturity…somewhat.

In an interview regarding the new album, Ginuwine explained that he wasn’t trying to get the younger crowd. “I realize where I am in my career, and I realize the age difference and everything. I’m just trying to keep the fans that once knew me back in the day, and I’m just trying to grow with them and have them grow with me.”

The latter may be true, but including the Trina-assisted “Batteries” (which happens to be the album’s only feature) says otherwise about attracting a younger crowd as it cries out as a cheapened attempt of recreating “Bottoms Up” and would be better suited for someone of both lesser caliber and age.

Continue

Posted in ALBUM REVIEW, MUSIC Tagged , ,
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 Posted by: BRIAN

ALBUM REVIEW: KERI HILSON – NO BOYS ALLOWED


♫ Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock

Keri Hilson is ready to take off with her second studio album, No Boys Allowed, IN STORES NOW.

LISTEN UP:

Keri released her debut album, In A Perfect World… just last year. The album spawned many singles, a couple Grammy nominations and solidified Keri with a successful transition from behind the scenes to the forefront.

With the sophomore effort No Boys Allowed, Keri again shows why she was one of the top writers in the game. The album title alone describes the fact that Keri’s dealt with her share of boys, but at this point and time in her life, she’s not even looking for or considering anything except a man. The album opens with the J. Cole-assisted, “Buyou,” and then explores female empowerment (see, “Pretty Girl Rock”), sexuality and, of course, the high and low points of a relationship.

What’s most interesting about No Boys Allowed is the fact that Keri chose to use a series of interludes as a means of creating a seamless flow to the album. The songs all make sense together with the melodic interludes that Hilson created for transition. She fuses soul elements, pop sounds, ’80′s synths and even touches on some reggae all through the album, with great cohesion. This isn’t much of a surprise, considering Keri’s musical versatility and background.

No Boys Allowed shines best on songs like “Toy Soldier” (written by Ester Dean, produced by Danja) and the Timbaland-produced, “Beautiful Mistake.” There’s a great mixture here, which is the best for listening. There’s a mood and sound for everything, with still staying consistent to the concept of the album.

Posted in ALBUM REVIEW, MUSIC Tagged

© '05 - '11 ConcreteLoop Media, LLC

Concrete Loop is a member of BUZZMEDIA Music, a division of BUZZMEDIA