Review: Annie - Don't Stop

The long-anticipated "Don't Stop", Annie' sophomore album finally made it to she shelves after numerous delays, a label transition and legal disputes. "Don't Stop" has gone through more changes than Lady GaGa's concert outfits. Annie had to push the release date more often than Amy Whinehouse had to go to rehab. After her debut "Anniemal" was positively received by both fans and critics, it meant that any next releases would be met with high expectations. Despite all the tension that surrounded the production of "Don't Stop", it most certainly secures the young Norwegian singer a high-level position in the electronic world.

If "Anniemal" could be described as a bold synth-driven debut with a handful of the 80s, "Don't Stop" explores various fields of electronica going from French electro through Scandinavian electro-pop to catchy American synth-pop. This is mainly due to the presence of several prominent producers among who British production house Xenomania that has worked for Kylie Minogue, Sugababes and Pet Shop Boys among others. "Don't Stop" easily satisfies everyone with a good taste in pop music, especially those who are already overwhelmed with Britney's dubious electronic throw-ups.

"Don't Stop" is a classy and non-pretentious album that proves how outstanding and vibrant the Scandinavian pop scene can be. Annie has outdone herself, leading you into a colorful world of her own backed by clever lyrics and up-beat tunes. Definitely one of the best pop releases for 2009!

*Have in mind that there is an additional bonus CD "All Night EP" that has five songs not included on "Don't Stop".

Songs to hear: "I Don't Like Your Band", "Loco", "Don't Stop" and "My Love Is Better"

Rating: 8/10

Review: La Roux - La Roux

Lucky me! June is my pop month and a few new releases made it exceptionally good. After the amazing debut by English singer-songwriter Little Boots, on my door was already knocking another UK-export: La Roux. Behind the duo are vocalist Elly Jackson and the producer/songwriter Ben Langmaid, who have been cooking new material for almost an year now. Their eponymous debut album could easily pass as the most mature and elaborate pop release of the first half of 2009 and I am certainly not joking nor exaggerating. The Britons have done a great job and an album like "La Roux" is a must-hear in this year's album list!

Drawing inspiration from 80s new wave bands like The Human League and Yazoo, La Roux have their own visions and rely entirely on their very own originality not annoyingly being dependent on good old stuff, which supposedly should do them a few tricks. No, not at all, cause Jackson/Langmaid obviously know how to use the security of the old sound being given a few new improvements. La Roux are far from the idea of being copycats, but let's say that they didn't just discover America, but might leave you with the impression that you just learned about the island of Cuba. Backing themselves on the security of the numerously tried out formula for an electronic act, their debut effort is not a pathetic attempt to bring together loads of memories under the same roof, but an intelligent music provocation that explores new depths and tangles some old stuff with a gentle touch.

"La Roux" surprises abit with the balanced integrity it demonstrates, although at some points you might lose yourself somewhere in between the classy synthpop sound and the rough electronic experiments that are patched together in a rather crude manner. Fillers are virtually left out of the album, which gives an additional exceptionable quality of the product and a definite two-thumbs-up praise for the duo itself. Lyrical themes variate from personal hardships, through finding the meaning of life, to messing around on the battlefield called love. I have to say that I am bored to death to listen to love mishaps and broken hearts, but Elly Jackson with her distinctive quirky voice knows how to tell stories in a way that makes you stay till the end of the track.

Songs to hear: "In for the Kill", "Bulletproof", "Colourless Colour" and "Quicksand"

Rating: 8/10

Review: Hande Yener - Hayrola?

Everything alright? If feeling bored, lonely tonight or just not in the mood Hande Yener has something for you! You might not know even a single word in Turkish, but I can assure you that "Hayrola?" goes over any language barriers. Hande Yener is one of the biggest names in Turkish pop music and one of the few on the Balkans to develop in the electropop genre.

"Hayrola?" (in English "Everything alright") is all about the positive mood, about enjoying life the way it is and face every frustration with a strong smile. Yener knows good electronica and if you have doubts about the quality of Balkan music it's because you still haven't stumbled upon her stuff. Actually, Hande started as a regular pop singer, but luckily she changed course and gave electronic music a try, which made her success inevitable. "Hayrola?" is her fourth in a successful row electro album and her seventh proper studio release, which had the difficult task to surpass "Nasıl Delirdim?", which shot her straight to fame. Despite every effort "Hayrola?" is no match to Yener's breakthrough album, which was a passionately explosive combination between dance music and witty lyrics. This time the balance just went to hell and the structure is rather crude as if Hande was desperately trying to stay sober in the middle of a drunk party.

Still, if you are up for an intelligent electronic album with a good load of entertainment and rhythm "Hayrola?" may be your answer. Probably, right now, I should be writing a review about an intriguing Bulgarian album, but nationalism plays no importance when it comes to actual quality. For the rest, you have yourselves Morandi, Despina Vandi and similar, but I assure you that once Yener records her much anticipated English debut, once again you will turn your heads to the Balkans and the diverse music we have to offer you...after all we are not constantly in war, CNN!

Songs to hear: "Hayrola?", "Arsiz", "Narsist" and "Siz"

Rating: 7/10

Review: a-ha - Foot of the Mountain

a-ha is on of the those bands that everyone has heard of, but few can really remember what music they actually played. And that is a pity, because their newest release "Foot of the Mountain" proves that new wave music is still live and kicking, despite all the heavy breathing and the gray hair. Although some people were not satisfied with the eponymous pilot single I still was convinced that this album deserved a full listen...and I am not sorry at all.

"Foot of the Mountain" is a-ha's ninth proper studio album and comes after four years of silence, but I guess it was all worth the waiting. Going back and forth between the new wave features, the dreampop influences and the electropop smooth beats, a-ha are anything but out of ideas. Even after almost three decades of bringing quality pop music to the world they still have a few tricks in the bag and without the whole Depeche Mode glamor and hysteria have recorded an exquisite electronic delight for late night emotional endeavors or a mid-day indulgence into the pastoral little world far there at the foot of the mountain.

Marking a return to their original synthpop sound after the successful more rock-orientated album "Analogue", "Foot of the Mountain" has a few fine surprises for a-ha true electronic fans, and still will be no total disappointment to their guitar-loving supporters. However, the album is milder, more mellow and self-introverted, exploring desires and regrets, reflecting the uncertainties of the future and the hardships of the past. There is a fine emotional structure that keeps all the tracks together and without being an actual concept album it does tell a story...but the rest I leave solely to you.

Songs to hear: "The Bandstand", "What There Is", "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" and "Mother Nature Goes To Heaven"

Personal rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Fischerspooner - Entertainment

Electroclash is not dead or at least is still on systems awaiting the last minutes of existence! As many of the electronic children electroclash is subject to eminent "painful death" and its creators are leaving it to parish in dust. Fischerspooner being among the most prominent names in this scene have moved on offering an entirely electropop entertainment. I know, I know, it's not such a big deal...but first Ladytron, after that Peaches and know them...a funeral is on its way. However, I shouldn't be that harsh toward Fischer and Spooner, who haven't left the realms of the electronic music just show us are a new face, which is actually quite appealing.

"Entertainment" may not be the top electropop album of the year, but has plenty of good tracks, which prove once again that Fischerspooner is a criminally underestimated project. Perhaps the songs are no club anthems or dance floor breakers as they are not made to be and still have carry the atmosphere of an electro-club. To be precise the duo has never created your typical dance songs, although remixed the tracks can really squeeze the sweat out of you.

"Entertainment" may not be the most entertaining electronic album of the year, but Fischer and Spooner offer a great deal of electropop, mixed with alternative dance and indietronica. If you are not used to the singing of Casey Spooner most probably you'll find the vocals tedious and monotonous from time to time, but that as a whole is part of Fischerspooner's charm. "Entertainment" is the kind of records that the more you listen to the more you discover its quality and find ruby after ruby hidden among the track-list.

Songs to hear: "Money Can't Dance", "We Are Electric", "Infidels of the World Unite" and "Danse en France"

Personal rating: 7 out of 10

Discoveries: Little Boots & La Roux

New music! Yay! This time I am posting three of my newest discoveries, which I hope will soon grow on me. They are both British, both female and both are promising.

Little Boots

Little Boots is the stage name of Victoria Hesketh, a British electronica musician born 1984. Her music career began at the age of 18, when she took part in Pop Idol, but never made it through round 4. After that she formed a jazz trio, toured Europe and afterward formed the electro-pop all-girl band Dead Disco. She was named Little Boots after watching "Caligula", which is little boots in English. Hesketh has worked with the British band Hot Chip. In January 2009 she won the BBC Sound of 2009 award, which had previously been granted to Adele, Mika, Keane and others.



La Roux

La Roux is not your typical synth duo as it actually isn't a duo, but the collaborative work between singer and synthesizer player Elly Jackson and the co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. La Roux is French for "red-haired one" and it is a direct reference to Jackson's typical hair style, thus the projects name. They draw inspirations from such bands as Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Eurythmics and The Human League, interpreting the music of the 80s in the electronic world of the 00s. La Roux is expected to release an album in June on Polydor, although an EP has already been made available.

Embedding has been disabled, which is why I am posting only the links:
Quicksand
In For the Kill