Prism by Katy Perry

7.5/10
Rated: A Kind of Magic

Perhaps not her best but this is a one great pop album. Katy Perry has had something in every album  that make you say 'This song is going to be a hit single' but this new album lacks of it, which could be good, because every song, aside from 'Roar', sound like the non singles from her previous album so it somehow gives more variation and eclecticity to be range of a typical Katy album. Also there are some explorations to new sound, a bit hidden but there's a variety of sounds that are very interesting maybe not new but rather surprising.

This album keeps a bit the vibe of '...The Complete Confection' which was about healing but without being very dramatic. Katy Perry transmits her personal feelings by singing with party mood and sometimes silly songs, so is more cheerful than an Adele or something.The sound is a mix of what is trendy  in many genres , not just in pop so it adds a intriguing sound that is fashionable but is predominantly timeless. Katy gets rid a bit of the 80's influence and goes into this new trend to bring the 90's back, specially  in 'Walking On Air' in  which Katy did a nice work that is an amazing piece of 1990's eurodance revival.Even thought is like an healing album and has few powerful songs it goes more to the corny and romantic way that she found a new love and everything seems bright now etc. so is very cheesy and less fabulous than her previous works but at least it is entertaining and natural. Music helps very much to create this joy and to feel related to it, is more to carry on with old fans rather than make new ones.

Recommended: Roar,Legendary Lovers, Walking On Air,'This Is How We Do,This Moment

Moon Landing by James Blunt

6.5/10
Rated: A Kind of Magic

After his 'retirement' James Blunt is back with his fourth production which is, once again, an attempt to reconnect with that affliction that make him famous. Almost 10 years since we started hearing of him with his first ever single and now James is trying to bring those days back by recruiting one of the producers of his first album ,Tom Rothrock, but unfortunately this album is too lost in trying to be modern and to put something new/fashionable in the industry. It does have a vibe like first two albums which where different but something joins them, this could came in between them if it were not so confusing(messy). But not everything is wrong, the album even comes to be a nice fun, after all ,with a few surprises.

Music saves the record because although it keeps with the beachy-silly vibe of last album on this it gets right. There are many interesting and unexpected sounds that flow natural that may go unnoticed but it is what keeps this album being entertaining. At some point it does get really cheesy and girly but there's a bit of balance with more dramatic music almost like an low budget orchestral thing and James Blunt does that passive-aggressive voice he has already done in previous works ,so theres sort of a relief after many corny stuff .  The mayor problem is that it does sound forced to catch up with many sounds that are trendy this days that it gets weird, if the goal was to make it modern James Blunt should have gone for something more like Ellie Goulding and it would fit perfectly  because it has the base and the potential but just needs to spice up with more electronic music to go into this 'folktronica' synth-dream- pop thingy.

Recommended: Face The Sun, The Only One,Sun On Sunday

Aftershock by Motörhead

8/10
Rated: Music is my Radar  

If getting electro-shocked was fun this is how it would sound. From the beginning to end this album is powerful and it transfer the good classic feeling of the genre. After many years this band is one of the few that still demonstrating that you can release several solid albums without changing drastically and just by upgrading. The album has all the elements of a band that is a milestone and creates classics and is mixed with little bits of modernity and a lot of rhythm so is very attractive for old and new fans. 'Aftershock' is probably one of the most friendly,not as heavy as it could have turned,  albums of the band that still got the essence of the band very marked. It sounds old but modern, experimental/amateur but wise... to be more simple it kick ass and can give a lesson to many dummy bands out there.

The record sounds LIKE being influenced by 90's and early 00's electronic music,more specifically Trance, which gives a very appealing sound/combination to the incredible display of guitars and percussion.The music is simply delightful, it apportions rock and roll and hard rock,once again, and bring an enjoyable heavy metal  .Not  everything is explosions sometimes it is softened with some blues like music that puts balance in between craziness.  A burst of energy to your ears.

Recommend: Keep Your Powder Dry, Dust and Glass, Death Machine, Lost Woman Blues, Coup de Grace

Lightning Bolt by Pearl Jam

7.5/10

Rated:A Kind of Magic

This album might not be surprising but is as good as a Pearl Jam album can get these days. We have to face it, the band will never archive the relevance they got in the 90's but that doesn't mean that they can not do great albums after the breakthrough era.This new album has an old fashioned alternative rock style that is amazing and is a rediscover of many elements of the band ,in their early years, that have been missing in past albums. You can recall ,with many interesting and good beats, why this band was so important in music and why they still are an inspiration for many bands.Those classic 90's rock guitars make this album as good as listen a very thoughtful album from that decade and is not overwhelming or hard as it could turn is very friendly for a big range of listeners. The album doesn't feel forced, it is more natural than previous ones and there's a balance of soft songs and more crazy ones and gets closer to a more rock and roll style, which could be new for the band.                

Finally Pearl Jam putted rhythm to their music and make it sort of more dance-able, the songs are more catchy and there's more cheerfulness from the band which is always good,let's say is more pop but not cheesy.Unfortunately not everything is good there are bits where the bands attempt to be more modern and the sound is very similar to Maximo Park in their beginnings which is good but is not very Pearl Jam , also the music is perfect in every song, closest to 1990's, in so long, but voice and lyrics are on a different road and crash in moments which leads to a messy mix.Another weird thing is that is too 2000-2004 movie theme rock music and Nickelback comes to mind easily which is not very flattery.But with a little time the songs and the album start to get better and the songs with problems ,of wanting to be modern, are forgettable or rather say the songs that don't aim for too much are the ones that shape the album and revive those glorious days of the band.In general is good as is a way to reconnect with the band but is not something astonishing or to talk about it for long time.  

Recommended:  Future Days,Sleeping By Myself,Pendulum,Sirens, My Father’s Son

Melophobia by Cage the Elephant

7.5/10 
Rated:A Kind of Magic

Two years after the release of 'Thank You, Happy Birthday' the band is back with their third album that is slightly different from the "grunge revival" sound that we are used to. With first single 'Come A Little Closer', which is beautiful, it does seemed to be that the band would take a new direction but not this one. Although it is good the sound is not very defining it sounds like MGMT trying to do britpop in a OK GO way. There's nothing really new but at least they are doing a great job at what many bands do average these days. What happens is that the band essence is there but some elements that shaped it are not, so it is a bit disconcerting.The good thing is that they still sound like The Beatles in a super modern quirky rave form.

The album is enjoyable and has more crazy and 'party' songs than mellow cheesy ones, which is very CTE,  but it doesn't reach the looseness the first 2 albums had. It flows well and maybe is far too much worked for being a Cage The Elephant record and unlike the band past works it follows a trend so the music is somehow catchy and have sounds that we commonly hear these days. The punk is almost gone and the wildness attitude is a bit lost into many layers of pop.The album is exploring new sounds, which is brilliant, and sound more immature than previous ones which is kind of good that the band is not just doing the same over again so that makes the album good what bothers is maybe that we know it could have been better. Even though it is a bit hard to find it the band's style is there and the work and effort is nice, just I would like it to be more messy and less think but hopefully live it will be amazing and a new less posh album will come fast mixing the past with the new.

Recommended:COME A LITTLE CLOSER,  HYPOCRITE

Bangerz by Miley Cyrus

6.5/10 
Rated: (I can't get no) Satisfaction/We're Not Gonna Take it 

Well, around this album the buzz has been huge and apparently it shouldn't be quite close to Hanna Montana stuff but it is closest than her last two albums. Aside from the singles already released the album is a mess of synths and mix of many sounds which sometimes work for good (is interesting) and sometimes don't.The Album is modern with pop trendy sounds very similar to Kesha, Selena Gomez and Britney last album. Music is nothing but pop sometimes it tries to venture in other genres (hip-hop mostly) and produces this messy 80's style. Miley's voice is annoying when she effort too much to not sound like what we are used to ["innocent Miley"] but when she chills and  it harmonies with the music the mix is kind of good. Music is dramatic ,in someway, mixed with 'underground music' but in its most bubblegum pop sound possible.

There's certainly more fun or more looseness than in her last album, that's was pretending to be mature and wanted to catch  a grown up audience, that make it  feel more likable but the this album still tries so hard to not be the kid's pop star. Miley's fans that has grown with her will be pleased because it is not remotely different from ANY of her albums is a ,nice follow up, some songs can even fit for a Hannah Montana 2nd movie. The good thing is that she's still young and the album has a vibe like Britney Spears' first record which was loaded with beachy and girly sounds so it's a bit entertaining but nothing that is really unique it is very generic and the only thing that will make it transcendental is all the things we are saying about Miley behavior during this stage.

Recommended:We Can’t Stop, Wrecking Ball, Do My Thang

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! by Panic At The Disco

4/10
Rated: Enjoy the Silence 

We know this band is in decline but this album is outrageous. They are trying to be so popular and cool to compite with Maroon 5or something, it sounds really annoying like The Wanted doing alternative music .Fortunately songs are very short and end before it turns duller because this album lacks of feeling and is another plastic over-produced pop record that we can hear anywhere .It is too repetitive and the absence of innovation is incredible, it is even worse than last album that was so forgettable.The album has a peculiar hidden vegas sound that is the last remaining thing of the band that was compared once with The Killers.

The album is full of synths and don't know if it is on purpose but it gives the idea that it is a failed attempt to be tacky 80's music. It is just really messy cos there's a bunch of ideas that are trendy nowadays but  poorly executed.It doesn't even work as satiric if that was the idea, Cobra Starship at least have made this catchy and have an idea of what they're doing but sadly Panic At The Disco remains try so hard and eventually buried they "career", not that it have been great but at least they had have some good songs.This record sounds like it was inspired by Bowling for Soup's 1985 which could have turned interesting but the desire to be fashionable kills everything. And if you liked the first album,unfortunately,the fake drama is back! and now mixed with more cheesiness.