The 50 Albums Project.

[ROC]

I think my main problem with Daughtry is that he seems to come ready to rock...and then goes straight into pretty much a record of ballads. None of the solid lyrical content that would make a record of ballads work is not there. To me, it's just pop that minorly leans to rock, and even an artist like Clarkson can sell pop/rock so much better, just because everything behind her is that much better. In fairness, the best rave I can give to Daughtry is that he has a good voice, but everything else needs work.

[thuganomic]

I think my main problem with Daughtry is that he seems to come ready to rock...and then goes straight into pretty much a record of ballads. None of the solid lyrical content that would make a record of ballads work is not there. To me, it's just pop that minorly leans to rock, and even an artist like Clarkson can sell pop/rock so much better, just because everything behind her is that much better. In fairness, the best rave I can give to Daughtry is that he has a good voice, but everything else needs work.

[ROC]

I think my main problem with Daughtry is that he seems to come ready to rock...and then goes straight into pretty much a record of ballads. None of the solid lyrical content that would make a record of ballads work is not there. To me, it's just pop that minorly leans to rock, and even an artist like Clarkson can sell pop/rock so much better, just because everything behind her is that much better. In fairness, the best rave I can give to Daughtry is that he has a good voice, but everything else needs work.

How much of that is the studio though, and how much of that is Daughtry, remains to be seen. This band was pretty much put together to showcase him and cash in on his popularity following American Idol. Daughtry has always seemed to me like someone who's much more interested in making good music than being at the top of the charts (Hell, that's part of the reason he lost American Idol, as he started singing obscure shit that the public hated). I predict that his next CD will be much better musically and lyrically once he has time to settle down and make a great sophomore follow-up.

[ROC]

3. Akon - Konvicted

Release Date: November 21, 2006

In these dire times when rap appears to be slumping as an art form, major emcees declare an entire genre dead, and the highest you go up on the Billboard chart depends on your latest metaphor for booty, someone great must arise from this mess to save its mainstream appeal. Unfortunately, Akon is not it. Akon is a terrible cross between RnB crooner and foreign emcee. It's something that has gotten him millions of sales, but it's hard to see any talent come out of it.

Akon's second full length Konvicted, begins with the type of opening that incites laughter. There's only so many times you can hear a random guy utter "nigga" and "Konvict" at you before you laugh and press the skip button. And again, this is more the type of affair that the skip button is perfect for. To Akon's credit, barring some insane off-the-wall howling in "The Rain" and well...all of "Don't Matter", the CD isn't as mind-numbingly awful as expected. A cameo from Styles P in "Blown Away" is hardly an album saver, but it's good to see Styles back in the game. However, it is way too formulaic, right down to the 50 Cent-style sex song "I Wanna Love (Fuck) You" and "Smack That" which features a dazed and uncaring Eminem. Maybe if Nate Dogg was in this one, like he was in Em's "Shake That", it wouldn't have sucked as bad. Hell, maybe if Akon just shut his own self up, maybe his album would've been solid. However, the Senegal born man won't quit, and unfortunately, that's not a good thing.

Rating: 4/10

Must Haves: none really, but if you like Styles P, "Blown Away" is good.

And yes, Fitzy, I liked Akon better than Daughtry. I can't say I really give a shit.

[ROC]

4. Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High

Release Date: February 6, 2007

Fall Out Boy is the poster child of the "emo movement" at the moment in music, with catchy songs, wordy song titles, and the appeal that makes 12-year-olds swoon and music purists gag. Yet, despite all of this, they actually do have some good things tucked underneath their weirdly shaped hats, and especially on their latest LP, Infinity on High, which could be defined as the most experimental a pop/punk group on a mainstream record label can be.

The credit that FOB gets for this is that most of this experimentation does manage to work. The lead single "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" has an RnB style that is very off-putting at first, yet manages to work as such a different turn for the boys that it becomes endearing. More touches similar to that make tracks like "The Take Over, The Break's Over" and "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" impressive just for their continued catchiness in the face of doing something completely different. While you can argue that choruses sound similar and lead songwriter Pete Wentz has a tendency to go way too snarky with his lyrics, most of the songs on Infinity succeed due to Wentz's tongue-in-cheek manner (which like From Under The Cork Tree, go right down to the song titles).

In fairness, a four-track stretch of Infinity that comes right after "Arms Race" tries a full-on RnB approach and mostly fails miserably (barring some of "Hum Hallelujah", which is interesting if only for the fact that it is allegedly about a Wentz suicide attempt stopped by listening to Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah"). However, the last half of the album beginning with "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" creates catchy pop/punk without sounding derivative. And this un-derivative nature makes Infinity on High one of the most interesting listens of 2007, even if it won't be the best.

Rating: 7/10

Must Haves: "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave", "I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers", "The Take Over, The Break's Over", "The Carpal Tunnel Of Love"

[GoGo Yubari]

Wait. Fall Out Boy actually has a song titled "The Carpal Tunnel of Love?" Jesus fucking Christ.

[apsham]

Ahuh. And it's pretty good.

[ROC]

5. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

Release Date: September 12, 2006

Probably the most successful male artist of the past year, Justin Timberlake is everywhere. You see him in movies (mostly stumbles like Alpha Dog and Black Snake Moan), on TV (that damn Grammy thing he did), and even on PitchforkMedia.com (who, of all sites, named "My Love" as the top song of 2006). So, he's definitely not going away. And to his credit, FutureSex has one positive going out of the gate. It appears Timbaland fucked around and decided to create a record that literally can only work with Timberlake and otherwise would be an out and out mistake (hell, he even learned that the hard way when he took the Timberlake-esque beats and put them on Shock Value).

But give credit to Timberlake mostly for making FutureSex work. He manages to make silly lines make sense and turn what sounds like tired pickup lines ("I'm bringing sexy back." for one) and spin them into something cool. Perhaps that could be part of the mockery in the fact that his lyrics are hardly dense, but the guy has a soulful voice and does manage to make most of FS/LS work. It especially stands out in one of the finer stretches of tracks in recent pop music ("My Love", "Love Stoned", "What Goes Around...Comes Around"), where Timberlake manages to make friends with techno beats, acoustic guitars, and...acoustic guitars and techno beats. Other songs on the record manage to both sound like something entirely different, yet fit into the record's flow ("Chop Me Up", "Damn Girl"). The finale is a bit stale, but this is fine, fine music. It harks back to a different time and yet manages to feel very modern, and the record fits to Timberlake like a white glove to a hand.

Rating: 7/10

Must Haves: "Love Stoned", "Damn Girl", "What Goes Around...Comes Around", "Summer Love"

So yes, roughly three for five on mainstream records. Hoping for good things for Robin Thicke, but I can't say I wanna do another hour-long RnB record again.

[ROC]

6. Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke

Release Date: October 3, 2006

When Evolution first came out in the US, it seemed like the type of record that'd nuzzle a few lovers, but nothing really rocking the Billboard charts. Zoom to six months later, when Robin Thicke has now become the best-selling project of Pharrell Williams's Star Trak label since Clipse in '02. Moreso, he has become a titan in modern RnB with "Lost Without U" a solid hit on the charts as well. Give credit to Thicke himself (and maybe the "Shooter" video with Lil' Wayne, which in my dream world, inspired everyone to go buy Evolution, Tha Carter II, and turn the song into an actual hit), that and the calm nature of Evolution.

The title actually seems to fit well here, as Thicke goes from some mediocre early tracks ("Got 2 Be Down", "Complicated") to a consistent spring of solid songs, most of which involve Thicke just playing a simple acoustic guitar along with his voice. Admittedly, there are points where his voice just gets annoying, like on "Wanna Love U Girl", which has a ridiculous amount of repetition in Thicke saying just the song's title for the chorus. The album also sort of goes through a strange period around tracks 11-13. The aforementioned "Shooter" is on here, but since no "Explicit" version of the CD has been released, the version here is edited (and makes it more worthwhile to just get Carter II if you really love that song). "Can U Believe" and "Cocaine" aren't awful, but they really wane in quality. That said, the album once again springs into solid territory on the final tracks. "2 The Sky" and "Angels" are both excellent.

Ultimately, Evolution is sort of like an odd evolution from mediocre paint-by-numbers RnB, to guitar serenades, to almost funk-like energy, to the balladeer that Thicke does have a talent in being. While it definitely could've served to cut down its own 73 minute length at least by a good 20 minutes, Evolution is a pleasant RnB record that is forgettable, but not regrettable.

Rating: 6/10

Must Haves: "Would That Make U Love Me", "Angels", "Everything I Can't Have", "2 The Sky"

[ROC]

7. Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae

Release Date: June 20, 2006

For all the homogenized pop stars of the world, there are the few major bright spots that really surprise you. In the similar word-of-mouth style that turned Norah Jones from lounge lizard to million-selling artist, Corinne Bailey Rae manages to create an album that makes no bones about what it is, feels very stripped down, and you can buy as genuine. Similar to Norah or even KT Tunstall, her songs work because they are soft efforts. Even as a person who loves a lot of heavy and loud music, it is a cool change to go to a calm album, yet one that doesn't bore.

The album's leadoff "Like A Star" is the type of song that will make AC radio interesting, a song with a very low sound but yet her voice is not boring. It's actually very hard to pick best songs because the whole album is pleasant in its nature, though, "Put Your Records On" probably stands out as my favorite. Obviously, a simple sopul record will not be to everyone's taste, but if you love Norah Jones, you should check this out. Just a pure voice, a solid record, and something not overproduced for a change.

Rating: 7.5/10

Must Haves: Just listen to the whole CD, lazy bum.

Nickelback will probably not be up tonight, but I swear I will catch up on that and...eugh...the Dreamgirls soundtrack tomorrow.

[ROC]

8. Nickelback - All The Right Reasons

Release Date: October 4, 2005

Oh, Nickelback. What could I possibly say about you that hasn't already been said by the entire world? Well, since it's better to leave cheap shots out of the proceedings, lemme just move on to the album review.

To say that All The Right Reasons is a muddled mess would hardly cover the confusing amount of subject matters plastered onto the album. I mean, sure, I expect songs to address different subjects, but there's a lot of confusion as to why an album would have overt songs like "Fight For All The Wrong Reasons", "Next Contestant", and "Animals" on the same CD as tender ballads like "Photograph", "Far Away", and "If Everyone Cared". The Kroeger's songwriting has continued to wear thin, going for the obvious rhymes, obvious reasons, and cliche ways to tell the album's "stories" of sorts. In fairness, "Follow You Home" and "Fight" both have catchy riffs and "Side of a Bullet" is a solid tribute to Dimebag Darrell. However, there's too much of a mix of sex and fun with the type of ballads preaching "worldwide change". It's this inconsistency and mishmash of the commercial songs and the joy ride songs (well, other than the fact that they still can't do a solid rock song or write decent music) that wrecks ATRR and once again proves the fall for Nickelback.

Of course, knowing America, they'll still buy the shit regardless.

Rating: 3/10

Must Haves: Well...nothing...but "Side of a Bullet" was good.

[Guest REENGAYLAND!!!]

Poor ROC. I pity you.

[Vendetta]

Nickelback's first album was far better.

[GoGo Yubari]

Nickelback's first album was far better.

In the same way that stepping on a tack is better than stepping on a nail.

[Lowerdeck]

I'm not going to say that Nickelback is the greatest thing in the world, far far from it. However, it's not the worst thing in the world either.

I think some of their songs are somewhat enjoyable. As said, nothing outstanding but nothing terrible.

[Draevyn]

I know I'm not going to like this list when Corinne Bailey Rae and Fallout Boy score higher than both Daughtry and Nickelback....

[ROC]

9. Dreamgirls Soundtrack

Release Date: December 5, 2006

Musicals. Remember when every other movie was a musical? Oh wait, none of us were born during that time. Well, in the lovely new age of Hollywood, it seems any play with musical ties is getting the greenlight. During the mega play-greenlighting frenzy that occurred, Bill Condon decided to follow his frankly overrated Chicago with another Oscar-baiting project, Dreamgirls. And in fairness, Condon got most of what he was biting for. The movie was a massive success and this soundtrack managed to go gold in a music age where soundtracks are lucky enough to sell 100,00 copies.

Of course, this leads to the review of the CD. Well, there isn't much I really can review without having an extremely biased opinion (yes, I realize my reviews have a fair amount of bias, but you maybe get the picture). I don't like musicals, and this soundtrack hardly has any of the elements that will stir me up to enjoy musicals. That said, it does its job, gives Beyonce her Whitney Houston moment with "Listen", and showcases an on fire Jennifer Hudson, who does make her solo efforts on the album shine. Really, I have a very indifferent opinion here, so might as well give the indifferent grade...

Rating: 5/10

Must Haves: "I Am Changing" (Jennifer Hudson), "One Night Only" (Jennifer Hudson)

EDIT: And yes, Enforker, I hardly expect you'll like the list since I gave Corinne and FOB a higher grade than Nickelback and Daughtry.

Edited May 9, 2007 by ROC

[ROC]

10. Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts

Release Date: November 15, 2005

As American Idol continues to be a nationwide phenomenon, its contestants prove that no matter how "diverse" a person's vocal stylings or instincts are, they are just two steps away from the poppy manufactured center that drives the show's success. In the case of Carrie Underwood, the theory appears to work in spades as her country could well be confused for any other artist's dispensable and often dull music but her attractiveness continues to get people's attention. Underwood is doing nothing new here. In fact, she seems to be going on the formula that made Idol contestant Kelly Clarkson a huge success.

Too bad Some Hearts is more in the vein of Thankful, Kelly's first and more forgettable CD, than Breakaway. However, the country twang makes nothing better here. To Underwood's credit, she has some great pipes, but generic tunes about drinking ("Wasted"), Christian girl car crashing ("Jesus, Take The Wheel"), and cheating ("Before He Cheats") do not make those pipes sound better. Everything around her seems meticulously plotted out by the label right down to the album cover, which sports a beauteous Underwood in a gorgeous black dress. However, while this is the formula for boffo album sales (this album has sold around 4 million copies to date), it's exactly the type of album that snooty music listeners will not get into. As much as I would hope fans would want to see a modern incarnation of a Dolly Parton or Patsy Cline in modern country, this mainstream-filtered record is exactly the type of thing that sells right now...quite a shame.

Rating: 2/10

Must Haves: Nothing. Literally nothing. The only thing involving this record maybe worth looking at is the album cover.

Oh, I shall give the Loose review at the latest Monday. Gotta go on a trip and I don't know if I will be able to put one up within the three day period...but if I do, you will see it.

Edited May 10, 2007 by ROC

[YI]

"I'm carrying underwood right now. It's funny because it's true."

I haven't really read these in a while. So I'll have a proper read tomorrow. You're still going strong. Which is good.

[Guest Dukes JR(ingo)]

Carrie Underwood's hot.