Artist
By Artist : Train
From The Album : Save Me, San Francisco
You probably know Train from their famous “Drops of Jupiter.” I remember always never knowing what the song was, or who it was by, but being able to hum effectively every time I heard it in a store, restaurant or on the radio. It makes you LIKE life, in a weird way where you appreciate little things like four hour phone conversations and the best soy lattes.
Well, Train is back, after a 3 year hiding from the world. Their last full release For Me, It’s You is definitely those 3 years away. Their first released single has not actually stopped playing since its download. That’s also given that I’m one of those super repeat songs kind of people. The song is summed up with a Jason Mraz Hawaiian like beat which backs the entire song. Maybe you can’t hear the Train we once knew with the Wallflower-esque songs on the last album, but I think it possibly might be the start of something just as pleasurable. By the time you reach a little after 2 minutes into the song, I’m not sure how you could NOT recognize Train in that section of the song.
It’s catchy- the beat, the lyrics, not to long, not to short. By the end of this review though, I think I’m starting to miss the sounds of Train in songs like “Cab.” Maybe it’s a little too on the upbeat poppy side, or maybe it’s not what I’m used to. Fact of the matter is however, I’m pulled in, ready to see what their new CD has in store.
Listen : Hey, Soul Sister
By Artist : B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
From The Album : Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]
The debut single from rising Atlanta rapper B.o.B. (aka Bobby Ray Simmons), "Nothin' on You," finds its protagonist renouncing the days when he would "chase skirts, live in the summer sun" and deciding that his new love interest is the Wonder Woman to his Mr. Fantastic. Recalling Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar"—especially its feel-good, singalong hook—the song achieves a nice chemistry between featured artist Bruno Mars' delicately delivered melodies and B.o.B.'s Southern twang. B.o.B. tosses a few references that should appeal to younger listeners ("Just like that, girl, you got me froze/ Like a Nintendo 64") while keeping older fans engaged, too ("Baby you the whole package, plus you pay your taxes"). A Southern rap ballad with a radio-friendly beat, "Nothin' on You" provides a solid launching pad for this promising talent.—Evan J. Nabavian
Listen : Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]
By Artist : Rihanna
From The Album : Rated R
Like decorating a birthday cake or planning a big night out, it's easy to over-think things when reviewing a pop single. Take the newbie from Rihanna. On the one hand, 'Rude Boy' can be construed as a winning synthesis of her Island-pop beginnings, the effortless hitmaking of the Good Girl Gone Bad era and the more menacing persona she's unveiled post-Grammygate.
On the other, it's just a damn good tune. Produced by the seemingly unlikely combination of Stargate and Pendulum's Rob Swire, it's the most instantly catchy moment from her Rated R album, a dancehall-inflected delight that takes all of ten seconds to get to the hook. Ri, meanwhile, is the the raciest she's ever been, instructing the titular brute to "give it to me baby like boom boom boom", promising to "turn his body out" and repeatedly inquiring as to whether he's "big enough". Given her current form, the correct answer would be: "Not for you, but I'll give it a go."
Listen : Rihanna Rude Boy