Lily Allen, Bobby Valentino, Morrissey, Ryan Leslie and The Lonely Island
the music press
thu 2/19/2009
- U.K. pop phenom Lily Allen is back with It's Not Me, It's You, a "pop album brave enough to have a go at defining the times," according to The Guardian. The British paper says Lily Allen is "the perfect pop star for these crumbling times, and this album is the proof." The Los Angeles Times agrees: "She's mischievous, sweet as powdered sugar, backstabbing at her worst and absolutely irrepressible."
- Ludacris-backed R&B singer Bobby Valentino is back with his third album, Rebirth. "He displays his typical naughty side on 'Butterfly Tattoo,' though for the most part, he strays from the usual playboy persona displayed on previous efforts," observes the Associated Press. Valentino "builds on his past successes while also offering some richer instrumentation and some grown-up lyrics," writes Metromix, while The Coolest Out blog wonders: "Oh my, poor Bobby V, what happened to you? You are but a pale image of the smash hits 'Tell Me' & 'Slow Down' that I remember from 2005."
- Former The Smiths frontman Morrissey releases his tenth studio album, Years of Refusal. "Age can undermine lesser rockers. But time's cruel toll just validates Morrissey's morbid drama-queen spiels — to paraphrase a lyric from his old band the Smiths, he has earned it, baby," chides Rolling Stone. "Morrissey 2009 isn't always as exciting as the Morrissey of old, but despite his focus on mortality and aging the time around, the guy is far from dead," proclaims Stereogum.
- Washington R&B producer-singer Ryan Leslie drops his self-titled debut. Despite calling him a "competent vocalist at best," Entertainment Weekly says it's "a testament to Leslie's extraordinary melodic instincts that the disc has as much replay value as it does." Vibe Magazine calls it a "project heavy in power production, but skim on memorable showmanship." Billboard digs it: "What took Universal Motown so long to release this attractive body of work? That's the question R&B aficionados may find themselves asking after one listen to Leslie's much-delayed self-titled album."
- The Lonely Island, the comedy trio behind "D**k in a Box" and "J**z In My Pants," releases its debut, Incredibad. Led by Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg, the group is joined by guests like T-Pain, E-40 and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. "[I]f you didn’t know they were spouting jokes, you might mistake this for the hottest rap record in 2009," predicts Review Chicago. "[T]he surprise is how good the music is, how pitch-perfect the style parodies and production for them are, how much this isn't just a collection of random tracks with a few intermittent laughs," writes Paste Magazine.
Bobby Valentino, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Prodigy, The Clientele and Björk
the music press
tue 5/8/2007
- Ludacris protégé Bobby Valentino's second album, Special Occasion, contains “heartfelt ballads and midtempo tunes full of superlative production,” according to Billboard.com. HM Blog is impressed by the Atlanta-bred sanger, who “doesn’t just go for whatever sound is trendy.”
- Veteran gangsta rappers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are back as a trio after a five-year absence with Strength and Loyalty. Nobody’s Smiling affirms that despite the loss of two members, “the remaining three warriors hold it down hard for the legacy.” The UCSD Guardian laments that Strength is "burdened by lackluster guest showings," and "[w]hile the old flavor hasn't dried, it hasn't managed to evolve."
- New York rapper Prodigy bounces back to form after Mobb Deep's disappointing 2006 release Blood Money, with a solo album, Return of the Mac. Prodigy "employs his language like his trusty boxcutter, a little unusual, but highly effective,” gushes Stylus Magazine. Webzine Prefixmag is thrilled with the P's performance on the Alchemist-produced album: "[Prodigy] sounds excited to be rapping again.”
- English indie rockers The Clientele also return with their fourth release, God Save The Clientele. Their “60’s influenced pop tunes are tighter and even smoother on the ears” according to Each Note Secure. Obscure Sound lovingly appraises the London-based foursome, underscoring that “each song is graceful, memorable, and touching in its own right, making this The Clientele’s most successful effort yet.”
- Björk's new album, Volta, is described by Rolling Stone as her “loosest" record even though it's "not as gripping or coherent as her best stuff.” Drowned in Sound insists that Volta “takes one step back to fly a dozen forward, and leaves the listener bewildered at its incredible execution.”
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