Kimbra - Vows

A young woman from New Zealand is thrust into the spotlight due to the helping hand she lent for Gotye. Kimbra is not a poor wayfaring stranger and very much somebody that you are going to know!. :P I know, lame joke. But seriously, this woman can sing and its a breath of fresh air compaired to the stuff I normally hear on the radio. With Vows we are treated to a throwback to some motown, soul infulenced tunes. We get a nice start with "Settle Down" is a little treat that Kimbra shows her vocal style. "Cameo Lover" sounds like a euro soul song that I feel I could dance to on American Bandstand. I absolutely love this song. It's fun, upbeat. Try not bopping your head along. "Old Flame" is an odd track but has that landscape of 80's etherialness to it. Makes it special to have it on the album. All these tunes have an old time sound to them that just works. Esp for her. "Withdrawl" is incredibly sexy and what a head turner. She sings with an elegance that is held by some great soul singers. I think Kimbra is best when singing songs such as "Withdrawl". I like to combine listening to this album along with Little Jackie's "The Stoop", another great throwback to soul and funk music. I think the best tracks are "Settle Down", "Good Intent", "Withdrawl" and "Call Me" but you all go ahead and be the judge! So I challenge people to listen and hold Kimbra's "Vows" to your heart. This is an album that is a great listen with lots of fun upbeat tracks to the slow, ready for love tracks. Her videos are great too. Check out on Youtube videos for "Settle Down" and "Good Intent".

Love Is Dead

Some might say that Kerli sounds like the same pop stars of today singing about losing in love and hating the world. I don't think so. She made this album about coming out of that hate/depression and seeing everything for what its really worth: and I like that. It's a breath of fresh air. She is a gothic pop rocker who invokes a bit of bjork in her voice and the familiarity of something yet to come. Not all the songs seem that dark and sad but she does leave you with a sense of pride and self reliance when she is singing about being strong and not giving into all that dark stuff. That is shown in the song "The Creationist" when you need to know that the sun will come out and to make the best of what you have. Don't be afraid to outshine others. But let's not jump to far into the album, let me start with the opening song and single "Love Is Dead" which tells you the harsh reality that hits when someone just isn't in love with you. Sort of in your face during the chorus "Love is dead, love is gone, love don't live here anymore" but also she sounds so sincere when singing something that can be sad and angry at the same time.

"Walking On Air" brings about a darkness but fun to sing along to. Vivid imagery. Light string arrangement in the song makes the song feel floaty even with the pop beats and synth bass, which I absolutely love. Near the end of the song at the bridge, she shows her bjorkness. :P

One song I haven't made heads or tails of is "Up,Up,Up" which has a strange whispered voice repeating the lyrics Kerli has sung. I think it's a beautiful song. I really don't know if it's supposed to have that affect; may not be her strongest and bit out of place on this album. I really don't care, I still enjoy this song.

"Beautiful Day" sounds like it could have been produced by Timbaland, you know that signature sound of his. Radio friendly hit right here folks. This should get some airplay to propel this fantastic artist from Estonia. Speaking of Estonia, you get to know Kerli more by listening to "Creepshow" which is my least liked song. Not that its bad, it just starts to get on my nerves. Maybe it will grow on me the more I listen. I think of Siouxsie Sioux when I hear the song.

"Hurt Me" has a awesome drum beat that I wish I could play. An angry song with a killer chours. This is a song that's worth hearing in concert to jump and pump your fist to. Someone out there,please make a remix of this song!

"Strange Boy" is another drum song. I think this song could have made it on a Inxs album. There is just something about the instrumentation that makes me feel that it would be a song fit for them. I wish we still had Michael Hutchinson with us so I could hear him and the boys rock a song like this.

The one thing that would have made this album even better is the song "She's In Parties" which was released on her E.P."Kerli", please everyone go out and find this song and support this girl. It is too cool and a crazy Kerli song which fun. She really must be a new generation Bjork for the kids these days. I sure hope she makes more music like this. This is what she is good at and makes it her own. She writes all of her music which is a plus.

Kerli from Estonia, please don't be sad anymore, we love you. :)

a-ha: 2000 and Beyond

A lot of people know this group for one major hit. A-ha found fame with a song called "Take On Me" and a catchy video for it as the video alone propelled them to stardom."Take On Me" was the hit in America that sold them as stars and the second single "The Sun Always Shines On TV" followed. But it was the other way round for the Brits and the rest of Europe.
After that success, they had a lot to do to make a even successful second album. Not many people were forgiving - mostly the US and that's when A-ha saw their demise of pop icon status. People started to look to grunge and rock during the early '90's.

So it wasn't until 5 years ago, I heard a song that had a voice soothe my soul. It was soft and tender and I thought the voice sounded familiar but I brushed it off figuring I would never hear the song again and if I had found an album by this mystery voice, I'd most likely shelve it fast after the novelity of my soothing song. Fast forward to this year and my interest in
A-ha's whereabouts spiked when I realized I missed out on their very first album and the other songs it had to offer. What were they doing? Are they still together? I searched the internet and Yes, they were still together. After a hiatus in the mid '90s; I found they had released a new album in 2005, which was a 3 year gap between their last album in 2002. Well, they had been busy also with touring. Curiosity got the best of me and I hunted down a song or two. Which ended up with me buying their 2000 and 2005 releases.

I will start here with their 2000 release "Minor Earth, Major Sky," and it was the song "Velvet" that I had heard 5 years ago tug at my heart. A-ha's lead singer Morten Harket never sounded better and had aged gracefully, all of the members in fact. The album is pop and a chart topper at that. The album has more slower songs, but don't let that detier you from listening. "Velvet" was a song that was written by A-ha's guitarist Pal Waaktaar and with his wife Lauren Savoy for their band Savoy. The song serenades you about a woman who is like velvet, everything about her is velvet. The part that would be a chorus is not Morten singing, but the humming of the song's melody from a woman. Another song that is pure bliss is "I Wish I Cared" which was a internet only single the first of its kind. The song slowly creeps in and is slowly moving around you with a wish to be floating on clouds. The video is shot kind of like a ipod commercial with a shadow of Morten walking around a pink backround with a female presence. The beat is nice with the introduction of acoustic guitars during the chorus. The upbeat songs to hear are "Minor Earth, Major Sky". During the chours, the song gives you an emptiness wondering when you are going to touch down on earth, but end up with your feet on ground again with the reassureance of the guitars and drums breaking in again. The lyrics are simple but strong. "The Sun Never Shone That Day" sounds like it steals the drum beat of The Clash's 'Train in Vain', which makes it a classic song in my book. The title sounds sad, but it it guarantees you to keep smiling and tapping your foot along. Overall, this album is good and maybe to simple sounding to some, but it sure made them winners in Great Britian and even in The Guinness Book of World Records. Check out the song
"Summer Moved On" to hear Morten hold a note for 20.2 seconds!


2005 found them releasing "Analogue" which sounded much darker in comparison to "Minor Earth, Major Sky." The first single "Celice" talks lines of love that hurts, esp, with Mortens fallsetto during the chorus. The video for the song was shot in a bordello, making it be banned for the content. They really take advantage of the guitars for leading the way throughout the album unlike the drums and bass for the previous albums. The song that steals the album for me is a slower one, "Holy Ground" is compelling with a piano speaking from the gound up to the sky. The song was written by Magne Furuholmen, A-ha's keyboardist/guitarist a song about going your way and following your path where-ever it takes you. But the single "Analogue" shows that A-ha is truly here to stay and at the top of their game. It is the "Take On Me" of 2005. I think most
A-ha fans will agree with me.