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This Week In ReviewsJulia Volkova - Haunted - AlbumIt's safe to say that the last few years have been dominated in Vampire propaganda, thanks to movies like Twilight and Underworld and in shows like The Vampire Diaries or True Blood. You couldn't walk down the street without hearing about Edward and Bella, Damon and Elena or my personal favorite, the Count on Sesame Street. Julia Volkova took advantage of this and through inspiration from one of my personal favorite vampire movies, Underworld, she created an album so riveting and twisted, you won't think twice before looking her way again, not that the sexy rocker doesn't already have oogling eyes on her all the time. This served as her second studio album, the first which achieved high success as her first time releasing a record solo, she proved she didn't need anyone else to make her insane, she was doing fine on her own. You know how I am with albums, always judging them when I first see them and so far Julia's score is a 10, let's see if she can maintain it. 'Haunted'First track always has to make an impression, give me a reason to keep listening to this album, right? So throughout the entire album, we follow Carly, a young female who apparently has a lot of issues since, you know all females have issues, and it's the beginning of a story. The first note on the piano is a dreary one, really sets the tone for the entire song, with the mixture of piano and the solid drum beat, Julia's vocals are added and she bares a high tone of pitch as compared to her raspy, husky voice we're used to hearing. The drums seem to get more elaborate further into the song as she sings about being haunted by something or someone from her past. It's a beautiful melody and dark at the same time, a similar theme we'll hear in the rest of the album most likely. This will definitely make you want to keep listening and you can't hear the story and not finish it, that would be rude. The overall theme is fear; not being able to escape from something and it taunts you for the rest of your life. Doesn't that sound so delightful?
7/10'Tonight I gave up'Just like that, Julia switches it up on us with Tonight I gave up, a very rock inspired track that allows us to dig deeper into the tale of Carly. This is the moment when she finally gives in to Marico, aww. You can picture this just as it all takes place, this song in the background with its heavy drums and her husky voice come together to make a post-grunge inspired sound. There are strong and distorted guitar riffs entrancing the beat, with distorted violins also being heard. As she continues to sing, her rhythm gets slower and slower, almost like she is being drained right before our very...ears. Most of the song she sounds intolerant and lazy, as if she can't be bothered to continue singing but thankfully, she does. For all you song interpreters, the lyrics can pull the double meaning trick. You can either a). Interpret it as being meant to be about unable to deny something/someone or you can go with option 2). This being tempted to do something that you secretly wanted in the first place. Option c sounds sexier, she just wanted him all on her.
8/10 'The Bite featuring James Urie'The first single from the album featuring the poster boy for rock music right now, James Urie. At first, I heard about this collaboration and I thought, 'No, this will never do'. Turns out, I was wrong, that's rare! This happens to be one of the stand out tracks on the album, progressing the story even further now of Carly, our newly vampire. This is when Carly first gets bitten and turns, yes finally, into what we've all been waiting for, the music is the soundtrack so picturing Carly all alone, getting bitten, waking up, no sparkling in the sun, and then all of a sudden, this single starts pounding into our minds. Let me take a minute to describe this beat, because it's fucking insane first of all. Second of all, it reminds me of something out of a horror movie which I love, love, love, and third of all? I couldn't begin to compare this song to any other on the radio right now. It's got this new wave/synthpop/gothic rock feel to it and then adds in some electronic and ambient sound effects, you would think there would be so much going on with the song but it feels original and orgasmic to the ears. Then let's talk about the sexy lyrics. All in favor who wouldn't object to being bitten by Marcio, please say aye, because I would not mind turning for him. They really leave nothing to the imagination in this song and I love it, she takes a risk and it became a hit. Suck on that you Pop do gooders! Lyrical theme of this song should not be hard to learn at all; Julia's very insane in the sheets.
10/10'Damned'Hands up if the movie Queen of the Damned has appeared in your mind at least once while playing this album and now because of this song title. I know I'm not the only one! So now we move 5 years into the future with Carly after being bitten. This industrial rock influenced beat makes me tingle all over because anyone who knows me, knows that me and Industrial music are like twins, we connect, and very few artists even get to incorporate this into their music. A bigger bonus is that this would so fit into the soundtrack of Queen of the Damned, just saying. Julia once again returns to her low, hypnotic-like vocals as the addicting beat is playing in the background. You can feel the confused state of mind that Carly is in now because she doesn't know what to believe in or who tot rust anymore. She almost feels forgotten and lost in the world now. This message is something people can relate to, not the whole vampire thing unless you really believe in that, but everyone has felt lost some point in their life. Julia is no stranger to these trance like vocals, really emphasizing the rock with the guitar riffs and electronic beat. Carly feels damned, as if she needs someone to bring her from that darkness and tell her that it's okay, a deeper meaning rather than just being a careless vampire. This is another stand out track on the album.
9/10'Some things you cannot deny'The title explains it all; there are some things you cannot deny and Carly cannot deny two things; she is in love with Joesph, woo woo, and she's a vampire, triple woo, so instead of whining about it, she actually embraces it. This is a hard rock track, simple and probably the most upbeat song in the whole album. It has a regular structure predictable on rock songs. The chorus of the song is the highlight of it, it becomes louder and harder but nothing compared to previous track on the album. She has an ironic tone to her voice as she proclaims her freedom of being a a strong, sexy vampire. She's an inspiration to the rest of us wannabe bloodsuckers. This was strategically placed as the fifth song because now we're halfway into it and it's a turning point. Volkova's known for her dark, depressing lyrics but now that she sings about some sort of comfort, she has to snatch it away and get back into her habitat of mystique. Maybe it was a little too laid back but it wasn't one of the better tracks on the album although it is still an amazing track.
7/10'Looking for you'Starting the next track on the album is a slowed down rock melody with Julia's crispy vocals. It is an alternative rock melody, thrashing guitars and oh-so smoky vocals. There are hooks, emotion, thought-provoking lyrics and they are all topped off with a monstrous chorus that brings plenty of teenaged angst to proceedings. The song starts off with an acoustic guitar riff start and it grows to a heavy rock chorus mixed with violins and Julia’s husky vocals, it comes back to a slow down melody when it comes to the second verse, but still is bigger than its start. It’s not a change on the album’s sounding style so far, the sound of guitars and Julia’s vocal intonation are still the same from previous songs in the album, but now she’s singing more dramatically and it almost could turn into a ballad because of its violins and slow tempo drums sequence. When she gets into the bridge, the beat is slowed down and her vocals are louder. The song talks of looking for something that is already there but not being able to see it anymore, perhaps a former lover? Friend? It ties in with the first track of her being haunted, really neat way to make the album flow nicely. This is probably the best slow tempo song on the album, based on beat alone.
9/10
'Killing me from inside'
Welcome to the world of ska, can you take my order?! I am LOVING this change up from dark to reggae feel, it's genius in my eyes. The song has an alternative pop rock structure with drums guitars and bass, also Julia’s vocals are clean and loud. There are also the additions of backing vocals and an emotional crying intonation on Julia’s vocals. The chorus of the song received influences of Ska and also additional percussion. It reminds you of a Latin lover you left back home in Mexico but he couldn't get over the border so you wept because your love was lost. But in this song, it's about Carly and her loosing Thomas and Joseph, it's like a mini soap opera! In the break down moment of the song there’s a Latin acoustic guitar melody. The beat then picks back up with Julia's pleading vocals as you're swaying to the beautiful song. The end of the song is marked by Julia’s emotional breakdown as she drives the melodies of the song with her vocals, sometimes singing lyrics other times just vocalizing. Another stand out track on the album because it's a break from the expected following the first few tracks.
8/10
'How much I hate you'
Talk about completely going down to 'Weepingville' and buying all the tissues there. The heaviest folk influence song in the album. This track drives us to Julia’s very first debut album, it has acoustic guitar, flutes, emotional vocals and an even more emotional lyric. The song is a slow tempo one with influences of folk music and alternative rock, it has a flute which is played in the end of the song and it comes just like a follow up to the depressed lyrics of the track. Julia's soft yet raspy voice stands out above the instruments because it sounds innocent and pure, really full of emotions. This is the point in the story where betrayal often sidetracks us. Carly loses love all over again, it's just not fair! She deserves to win in this battle of herself. Julia reaches high notes that send a shiver up your spine, if you turn the volume all the way up, proving she has the capacity that most don't count her for. The stand out instrument on this track? The flutes of course! I feel like I'm chilling in a Japanese garden after finding out I was cheated on, sipping on Green Tea and feeling relaxed that I slapped the bitch, but Julia pulls it all together with this song, one of my favorites and I would say the second best melancholy song on the album.
9/10
'What If...'
I'm sensing a pattern here, the ending of the story is really going to suck right? Everyone will probably be bawling by the end of this album, you really feel a sense of the characters and just how much hell Carly's been though to get to this point. The love of her life is dead yet she's still alive, hoping to reunite with him again. Titanic sank and you guys cried so you better be flooding in tears for this! It’s a piano ballad song with other acoustic instruments such as guitar and drums. The song is hardly different from the first lead single of Julia’s upcoming album and according to the set list of her album it comes at number 9, almost closing the album. Is this song about Julia and Katie Coyle because methinkso. I mean of course she was devastated by the break up, so it would make sense but for now, we'll just go with Carly on this one. She is almost at her breaking point, saddened and feeling lonely. Because of its fragility and simplicity, there’s no much to talk about the arrangements of the song then just that it is composed by piano, acoustic guitar and drums, Julia’s vocal’s range is very clear and thin, also its high at some points of the song and there’s a dramatic intonation on Julia’s singing style. This is a tear-jerker, don't say I didn't warn you!
7/10
'Suicide'
Sadly, it's the end of the album. Judging by the title, it's not going to end pretty. We saw Carly be a human, get bite, fall in love, feel betrayed, feel lonely, this chick went through a lot and so she is my hero! The last song in the album is the most intimate and introspective song of it. It has an acoustic guitar melody with some other strings instruments and percussion. Julia sounds tired and sad, she sings it quilt simply and as if she's worn out. It all came down to this moment right here. Carly has decided her fate in life and decides she can't live on further anymore, BOO, and commits suicide, that's NEVER the answer! You could have sparkled Carly, you could have sparkled. More to the point, I would say even though the lyrics are simple and relaxed, the message is quite universal, so I'm calling this my favorite song on the album. I can play this over and over and still fall in love with Julia's voice. It's so crisp and beautiful, yet haunting and lost. She loved and lost but in the end, Joseph was the one she could not live without.
10/10
So ends the tale of Carly and her crazy ways. If there was an award for best concept album that I stayed awake for and actually remember what each song was talking about, Julia would win. As far as sophomore albums go, I say this was better than her first, a huge improvement. There was a story and she executed it all the way through, taking no shortcuts. You felt the character's tears and love, you felt her happiness, you sometimes wanted to be her so it was the BEST love story I have heard on an album, even if they both ended up dead. It's like I always quote; "What's love without tragedy?" Overall, I say this album was magnificent and definitely going on my favorite albums of the year. Fuck you Pop monsters, Rock is back with another female tugging it's ropes!
Honor rates 'Haunted' 8.4/10
SYNCO - Never Really Mattered - Single
Alright, so lately girls have been dominating the charts and the music industry but when it comes to groups, guys somehow come out on top. It shouldn't be a mystery really, I mean girls hate each other so why the hell would they want to split their money with each other? Nevertheless, SYNCO managed to slither their way in underneath the care of Weekend. Now, you can love them or hate them but they have been very successful with their careers, shining the lights away from their weird and sometimes overbearing personal lives, they have been on a rocket to the moon. Can SYNCO be the 'female Weekend?' I really pray they aren't. I don't believe in making a copy of a group into another group, so hopefully they can actually be different than other girl groups too. They recently released a new single by debuting it on the grandest stage of them all, Chaos Awards, where they showed off their inner Disney love and proceeded to pay a sort of homage to Alice In Wonderland. The song is really interesting in that it makes you feel a certain way. You think 'It's their third single, they must be doing something right, right?' Well, you might be wrong. Usually when a new kid on the block arrives in music, you think that if their debut single wasn't really impressive that they can improve but for some reason, SYNCO seems to be getting worse. Let's analyze the song. I admit, the beat is infectious and catchy, it makes you totally think of drinking tea, I don't know why, it just does. I don't fault them for that at all. Lyrically, the song is supposedly about not caring or getting over someone, that's all find and dandy, no problem there.
It's just the fact that there are like 8 different words in the song. We get it, it doesn't matter, you're not sorry, but maybe you could've expanded on what the hell you're even talking about? Not all Pop music has to be mindless lyrics with catchy beats, hell if Rihanna can do it, why can't you? And she's high half the time! Maybe you guys need some of that inspiration she's burning. So far, they have crushed my hopes and dreams with them for being different and not a female version of Weekend. I like the boys, and I don't really know the girls either but I think they should spend less time, mostly Layla, fan girling over their bosses and trying to write some meaningful music. It's a tough industry out there girls and if you want to have longevitity, you might want to look at some of the big wigs in music, not just 5 guys who just arrived on the scene not even 2 years ago. Again, the beat is fine, lyrics need improvement, not really a second-listen kind of song but it was a mediocre effort in a third single try.
Honor rates 'Never Really Mattered' 2.5/5 |
