Album Review: Katy Perry - Prism

Katy Perry
Prism
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

You can't argue with success. With six tracks from her last record Teenage Dream hitting the Top Ten, with five of said tracks hitting number one (“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”, “Teenage Dream”, “California Gurls”, “Firework”, and “E.T.”), you can slag her off as pop trash, but you have to admit that there has to be something there of some substance. While that is not necessarily her lyrics, which can be ridiculously bad, or her ability to seek out new musical styles, if anything she tends to ride the wake of modern pop trends, it generally comes down to the fact her songs are just damn catchy. A good pop hook is all you need 9 times out of 10, and she usually knows her way around them. Her latest record, Prism is another solid record for Perry, and while it lacks the overall pure sugar rush of Teenage Dream, it is still loaded with a ton of great pop tracks that are sure to be hitting the top of the charts again. Once again, Perry aligns herself with her stock producers, Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Bloodshy, Stargate, and Cirkut, never really straying too far from her tried and true formulas, however, there is a bit of a darker tone to the record, with several songs touching on her failed marriage to Russell Brand and other personal trials, however, never being too specific.

The record is pretty front-loaded with the best tracks, bogging down a little at the end with too many ballads and mid-tempo tracks. But when the record is firing on all cylinders it is formidable pop juggernaut. Lead track and first single "Roar" felt wan and skimpy when it first came out, however, it is a slow-growing song that just gets into your head and never lets go.



"Legendary Lovers" adds some Indian accents to her palate,



while "Birthday" is a frothy pop-funk jam that Prince could toss off in his sleep.



But it is with two tracks where, for Perry, she throws a bit of a curveball. "Walking On Air" draws inspiration from 90's house, with blistering beats, sharp piano chords, and vocal stabs,



and "Dark Horse" finds Perry working her magic over a scintillating trap beat, never feeling like she is a johnny come lately to the genre.



Other killer pop tracks on Prism include the skyscraping "Unconditionally," tender mid-tempo track "Ghost," throbbing electropop of "This Moment," and the gorgeous ballad "Double Rainbow."



But when the album goes off the rails, it really goes off the rails. "This Is How We Do," shows how too many people take what Ke$ha does so easily for granted,



"International Smile" is one of the rare instances where Perry essentially recycles the melody from "Teenage Dream" but somehow makes it devoid of any charm, while treacly ballad "By The Grace of God" would even make Diane Warren want to throw up.



These missteps are not enough to push Perry off her pop royalty throne. There is still enough her to keep even the most jaded pop enthusiast satisfied. From here though, I am wondering where Perry will go. She has a lock on the type of pop music that sells, but there is a nagging sense here that she wants to do something more. The hints from "Walking On Air" and "Dark Horse" are that her sights are set a little bit higher. Whether she does this remains to be seen.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.\

Album Review: Ke$ha - Warrior

Ke$ha
Warrior
Rating: Meh

I get accused all the time of only liking a certain "type" of music and not liking something more mainstream or "pop." What I keep telling people is that yes, I do prefer music that is a little more out there, mainly because I like to be surprised by something new, however, I also like any song if it is a good song, regardless of genre. I like trashy pop just as much as the next guy, but it has to be first and foremost catchy as shit and not just something that is throwaway. The best pop songs over the years all have that certain quality that is almost impossible to calculate and quantify; but overall, they are great because you can feel the joy and love put into them. Which is why with Ke$ha I have never really had any connection to her music, always seemingly calculated for maximum pop impact, without making songs that are fun because they are fun, but songs that are "supposed to be" fun. On her megahit "Tik Tok" she came up with her formula which she has milked to the Nth degree. Seriously, I had no belief she would live past that record, but lo and behold we have the second Ke$ha record, and oddly, I will admit that I don't hate it. It is still not a great pop record, but it shows some willingness to try different things and go out on a limb, which for her is a huge step. But most tellingly, a lot of the tracks are just good, solid pop tracks that don't try to hard to make you like them, existing solely on their own merits.

Working with her usual collaborators, Dr. Luke and Max Martin, Warrior doesn't really leave the template of Animal behind more than just expand on it slightly. Unfortunately, she still attempts to remake "Tik Tok" again, not once, but twice, with title track "Warrior" and on "C'mon," which is almost a carbon copy of her hit.



Then there are the strange attempts of a more "mature" Ke$ha, aping the pop confections of Katy Perry, but lacking her knack for strong songwriting. "Wherever You Are" is merely an ok electro house track, with sentimental, lackluster lyrics,



and "Thinking of You" tries to add a little bite to the proceedings, creating a kiss-off anthem that ends up being more childish than truly cutting.



But when the album stops trying so hard, it is actually an entertaining listen. "Crazy Kids" has Ke$ha actually singing with little affectation, aside from a rap/sing breaks, and adds some needed warmth to her usual robotic delivery;



first single "Die Young" is still a bratty Ke$ha track, but doesn't clunk around like usual;



and shockingly, her collaboration with Iggy Pop "Dirty Love," which almost signaled disaster, is actually a fun romp.



Her collaboration with The Strokes doesn't come off quite as successfully, reverting to Strokes-by-the-numbers and not really capitalizing on what could have been a great track,



while "Love Into The Light" adds some interesting atmosphere into the album, coming off like a measured update of "In The Air Tonight."



Warrior has some really nice pop tracks on it, but overall it still has Ke$ha in a holding pattern, still trying to get blood from the stone of her previous hits. The mistakes on the album actually show her attempts to get away from that, and while they aren't necessarily successful, I do applaud her for doing something different. While it may seem like faint praise, the fact I didn't hate this album outright is a miracle.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.