This is a brand new, weekly feature here at Bloody-Disgusting Music. It is a review, or roundup if you will, of the week’s new singles. On this week’s agenda, we have new music from Marilyn Manson, Slash, The Pretty Reckless, Brad, Norah Jones, ALX, and Cavo, as well as the latest from Korn, and Adelitas Way. Each song enters and gets a review but only one will emerge as the clear winner!
Which song did I pick for my “single of the week”? Find out after the jump!
The first single off of Marilyn Manson’s upcoming album “Born Villain”, is a pounding, danceable track that perfectly showcases Manson, and the rest of the band’s talents. It’s not trying to do anything that Manson hasn’t already done before, but it is without a doubt one of the best songs that he has put out in years. It is also in many ways, the perfect starter song for people new to the band’s music, in that it is pretty much signature Manson in every single way. From Marilyn’s razor sharp vocals, to Chris Vrenna’s incredibly danceable drum beats, to Twiggy’s unbeatable guitar riffing and Fred Sablan’s drum complimentary bass, this is a standout in Manson’s discography, and will go down in history as being one of the band’s best songs. Also worth noting, is the top notch production. Industrialized synths abound, giving the song an extremely eerie atmosphere. The bottom line is, whether you are a casual fan, a diehard fan, or someone just getting into the action, listen to this song immediately!
The first single off of former Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s upcoming sophomore album, is on one hand better than anything on his first solo album. On the other hand, however, it is still a little bit disappointing when compared to his other work. The upcoming album sees Slash teaming up with Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge, on vocals, as opposed to collaborating with a new vocalist on every song. First off, I think it’s fair to say that as great of a guitarist as Slash is, when he is the main creative force on a project, it is not as good. Look at Slash’s Snakepit, his debut solo album “Slash”, and now his latest single (even though it is significantly better than the other two aforementioned projects). However, I think that the main reason why this song is so much better than anything on his last solo album, is because of the fact that this time around he had a constant singer/lyricist, who’s opinion was probably considered extremely valid during the album making process. That being said, Myles Kennedy is definitely no musical genius, and in my opinion has a tough time writing unique and catchy material. So with all of this going on behind the scenes, what we are left with is “You’re A Lie”, a fun slice of Rock that you’ll be tapping your foot to while it’s playing, and forgetting all about it when it’s over.
Taylor Momsen has stated in many interviews that she is a Chris Cornell fan. Heck, she’s even covered Audioslave’s “Like A Stone” during her concerts, so it is only fitting that her latest release “Hit Me Like A Man”, (from her latest ep of the same name), sounds almost exactly like it could have been an unreleased Audioslave song. Its got everything. From the Jazz influenced bass playing, to the bluesy guitar riffs, to the muscular vocals, it sounds like Audioslave’s kid sister. And that’s not to say that the song isn’t its own animal (it most certainly is), its creators just opted to pay homage to one of their favorite bands, and there is nothing wrong with that (especially when your song turns out to be so good). Ms. Momsen, you have taste AND talent!
The second single (following the phenomenal “Thick As Thieves”), from Cavo’s upcoming sophomore album is here, and boy is it disappointing. The song is about all of the bad things/excesses that come with being a celebrity. Always an interesting subject. Unfortunately Cavo have opted to create an extremely UNinteresting and bland song out of the subject. It’s not that the song is bad per se (it’s not), it’s just that it is so damn generic, that you’ll forget what it sounded like five seconds after you’re done listening to it. A far cry from “Thick As Thieves”.
The debut single of Allie Hughes, (who goes by the stage name ALX), is a huge throwback to pop acts of the 80s, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you were to combine Blondie’s pop sensibilities with Depeche Mode’s driving synths, and then update the resulting sound for a modern audience, you might end up with something close to what you can expect out of this dance-floor ready, pop gem. Oh, and did I mention that the song has a video in which the songstress gets it on with a mannequin? Exactly, check it out!
Well, the new song from Stone Gossard’s (Pearl Jam) “other” band is here, and unfortunately it kind of sucks due to singer/songwriter Shawn Smith’s annoyingly gratuitous note holding during the verses, as well as a completely forgettable chorus. This is a shame, especially considering how amazing their previous single, “Waters Deep” was. Oh well, at least there’s hope for the rest of the album, which will be released on April 24th.
Norah Jones is well known for her low key, folk ballads. But on her newest release, (which is produced by none other than the always incredible Danger Mouse), Norah opts for a more pop oriented approach to her material. Lyrically the song doesn’t break any new ground when compared to the rest of Norah’s discography, but go figure, Danger Mouse keeps this track from becoming anything like her other releases. The song is based around Danger Mouse’ signature Blues-Pop production, along with his oddly distorted, yet comforting lullaby-esque humming in the background of the song’s chorus. Strangely though, the song is very upbeat even though it’s about a girl breaking up with a guy, and it isn’t until Norah sings “With you gone/I’m alive/Makes me feel like I took happy pills/And time stands still”, during the second verse, that you realize why it’s so upbeat. This is a perfect example of what a great producer can do with an otherwise ordinary track, and Danger Mouse should (as always), be commended for his astounding work. Norah, you should probably consider letting him produce the whole of your future discography.
The third single off of Korn’s tenth studio album, “The Path Of Totality”, is, like the rest of the album, fantastic. Also like the rest of the album, it finds Korn melding their sound with the sound of some of today’s biggest “Dubstep” acts. This particular song features 12th Planet, Flinch, and Downlink, and is actually one of the least radio friendly songs on the album, which is why I find it odd that it was released as a single. Nevertheless, the song is awesome and shows off Korn’s versatility more than any other track on the album. It starts off with some relaxing synths before suddenly evolving into what can only be described as the sound of a very large robot moving its limbs around. Not long after, Jonathan Davis comes in with his signature nutty croon, only for that to evolve into a growling yell, which leads into a very mellow chorus. And that all happens within the first minute and a half of the song. So is it radio friendly? NO. Is it a fantastic tune? YES!
The third single off of last year’s “Home School Valedictorian”, “Criticize” is a catchy, sarcastic romp about a situation that just about everyone has gone through. Being at that point in a relationship where just about everything your partner does annoys you, and everything that you DIDN’T do for your partner because of it, annoys your partner. The song’s energetic verses, combined with its hooky chorus’ make for an instant crowd pleaser. Also, beware of the kickass bridge into the final chorus, as you might find yourself barreling down the freeway at ungodly speeds.
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