Love Sux by Avril Lavigne
It may sound wrong to say but Avril Lavigne doing an album like this at 37 is a bit funny. It's easy to think of Lavigne at 17 doing "Sk8er Boi" when you hear this album. The thing is this is not the 17 year old Lavigne, who was always a bit lighthearted and romantic, this is Lavigne as a 37 year old letting all her energy and frustration ride the music for 12 songs. In that sense it works really well. It has a high energy and unlike the younger Lavigne which had a light and romantic heart, this Lavigne seems to have a light heart with no romance left. I will say for the people who grew up with Lavigne I could see where this would be cathartic. It reminds me of how I felt when Gwen Stefani came out with Love Angel Music Baby at age 35. Stefani was going back to musical roots which had obviously had a big influence on her, and me, with that album and if feels that way with this album from Lavigne.
The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears
It's been 18 years since Tears for Fears put out their last album. Now with both members at 60 they have come out with an album that actually feels pretty much like a Tears for Fears album. I find them to be an interesting band. As big of a hit as Songs From the Big Chair was back in 1985 it's an album that struggles for consistency. Don't get me wrong it's by far their best album but my point is that even at their best they are an uneven band with their albums and I would say that is true with this one. Still it's a strong effort and if you are a Tears for Fears fan I would say give it a listen.
What are your favorite Tears for Fears songs? I hated "Shout" but owned their first two albums at some point in my life and would always jump to the songs I liked.
Pale Shelter, Suffer the Children, Watch Me Bleed, Change all on The Hurting. Of course nowadays Mad World is a big one from that album, but I never thought too highly of the original at the time. The Working Hour, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels from Songs From the Big Chair.
How many stars do these albums get?
ReplyDeleteI stopped giving stars, but they'd probably both be a 2 star.
ReplyDeleteI've been snooping around the music that I see/hear my daughter discovering, and one of her current favorites that I enjoy is Samantha Bowers of Derby, Connecticut and her Sammie Rae and the Friends. It's refreshing, in the same way that I found Swing Out Sister to be refreshing in our first semester of college in 1986.
ReplyDeleteToday I'm taking Matthew's advice and listening to "Avalon," by Roxy Music.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great album.
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