Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

British collective Lucky Soul has certainly made quite a raucous in my iTunes over the past week. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with them too once you hear their retro-doo-wop oldies style. Lucky Soul ‘s debut album The Great Unwanted is nothing that is sonically original, but that’s not to disparage what they’ve put forth.

The Great Unwanted is like digitally remastered versions of oldies songs that were never written. The songs are carefully constructed and thoughtfully performed, that it’s hard not to appreciate the result. The lead songstress, Ali Howard, has one of the most enchanting, sweet, and entrancing voices I’ve heard. It’s not quite “cute”, as it retains this sense of power and fortitude. But certainly the songs achieve much of their depth from the vocals. The Great Unwanted is really just a fun album–not necessarily based on its content but rather on the feeling that the arrangements themselves exude. One listen to the piano-trippy, foot-tapping inducing “Get Outta Town!” and you can’t help but sing along. Or you might instantly fall in love with the Grease-like “Struck Dumb”. Really, this album can’t miss.

What are you waiting for? Buy The Great Unwanted.
Listen to “Get Outta Town!” (4.85/5)
Listen to “Add Your Light to Mine, Baby” (4.5/5)

Alright, alright. So I’m not sure what the reaction is going to be like to this post. I want to tell y’all about another singer/songwriter who is huge-to say the least-in the UK. It always seems like any UK artist I hear about is always “huge overseas”. But that’s beside the point.

Mika’s debut Life in Cartoon Motion (release date: March 27 in the US) has gotten mixed reviews so far on this side of the pond, and I figured I’d give my two cents. The first thing that comes to mind upon hearing Mika (pronounced Mee-Ka) is Elton John meets Freddie Mercury. Yea, let’s go with that. Mika has got an incredible voice range, as seen in the song “Grace Kelly” which features him singing in 3 different octaves. And he loves the falsetto.

But as for the actual music itself, Mika’s songwriting spreads the gamut from humor to social commentary. His songs are fun and jumpy, and dare I say, radio friendly. But overlook the overproduction of the album–concentrate on the fact that this guy is way too talented to be disregarded as Top 40 “rubbish”. Upon listening to “Stuck in the Middle”, I’m reminded of “Crocodile Rock”-era Elton John or even a “You Rock my World”-esque Michael Jackson. Pounding piano beats with willowing cheerful vocals does it every time for me I guess. I’m a sucker. And if you’re looking for some good ol’ fun, try “Big Girl You are Beautiful” which is about exactly what you’re thinking.

I’m not going to say that this album is extraordinary, but it is certainly noteworthy. And as I mentioned before, it would be a shame to throw away an album just because it’s popular. So join in on the fun and go get a copy of Life in Cartoon Motion.

Listen to “Stuck in the Middle” (4.7/5)
Listen to “Grace Kelly” (4.2/5) It’s worth it for listening to his range.

Sorry for the lack of postage this past week–I had two midterms and a paper…rough to say the least. But enough with the excuses! I’ve got some great artists to tell y’all about and you’re gonna like ‘em. No choice.
Today I’d like to tell you about James Morrison, who has already skyrocketed in the UK. This brings me to a key point: It’s great to be in to the next best thing, but let’s not disregard something that is a fine piece of work.

That brings me to Mr. Morrison’s debut Undiscovered, which seems more ironic than ever–now that he has topped Bloc Party on the UK charts and all. And for good reason, my friends. Imagine James Blunt without the whininess, Ray Lamontagne’s raspiness, and Jamie Lidell’s pop sensibilities. This is a soulful record, but it’s not soul. Some might call it Top 40, but there’s something about Morrison’s affect that just strikes me as genuine and sincere. Not to mention that he laces some pretty vocals over seriously catchy melodies. Morrison loves to belt it, and he does frequently. And with his sweet raspy voice, it provides for one of the greatest albums I’ve heard so far this year. Note: this could show up as a top 20 pick in December.

Have a listen to “How Come”, which starts out like a regular ol’ pop ballad, but then transforms into a beautiful soul-filled, bluesy chorus that has you swaying every which way until you ask yourself “How Come?”. And perhaps my favorite “Under the Influence” is a strings-filled, piano-pounding, tasty ditty that is sure to please. A must listen.

Go and buy Undiscovered. It will be released on March 12th in the US.
Listen to “How Come” (4.5/5).
Listen to “Under the Influence” (5/5). Wow

Now that the holidays have passed, and we have a whole year to look forward to next December, it’s about time this blog got down to its regular duties. Assume that from here on out there is going to be consistent postage from Patrick and me.

I’d like to tell you about an Scottish singer with Italian roots. On first listen, I didn’t know what to expect–what kind of fusion rock could possibly result from this odd combo. What I discovered was something surprising–an intelligent songwriter with incredible pop sensibilities and a knack for making music that will surely make you groove.

Nutini’s debut album These Streets features a collection of songs that are coherent and fun. These Streets ranges from sunny pop arrangements to heartfelt ballads to great rock songs. Nutini’s doesn’t concoct synthetic sounds–everything is very organic, incredibly natural. Even his voice has this earthy quality to it, despite that it is one of the more beautiful ones I’ve heard in a while. “New Shoes” illustrates his many talents–the ability to create catchy hooks that envelope you in warm guitars and sweet vocals. “Last Request” has Nutini’s quivering vocals singing soulful words in a style that is rock ballad meets R & B. It’s delicious.

Go out and get These Streets. The album has already been released in Europe, but is scheduled for a January 30 release in the US.

Listen to “Last Request” ( 4.5 / 5)
Listen to “New Shoes” ( 5 / 5 )