Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 2:56:50 GMT -5
CJ Plain @musicgodcjplain
So, my first new REVIEW in a while. Let's talk about the new @adamlambert CD, The Original High!
Adam Lambert – The Original High CD Review www.musicgodcjplain.com/music-reviews/adam-lambert-the-original-high-cd-review/
So, once again I am back writing reviews. I have been off for a while doing other aspects including my radio shows, working on new music that will be recorded for my future solo record, and going to school to learn audio/video engineering.
In my time off, I’ve heard a ton of new music from bands both national and local across all different genres. As a writer and performer, I try to keep an open mind towards new music. I will freely admit though, there are a number of artists that I’m just NOT that fond of though. We won’t name any names, per se, we’ll just say when I hear those artists, I immediately race to change the tune.
When the last Adam Lambert record, Trespassing, was released, I would have counted Adam among those artists. I did listen with an open mind though and was blown away by the record. I ended up becoming somewhat of a fan. I, in no way, would call myself a Glambert, but I do have a much better respect for his music than before.
With that said, Adam is ready to release his new record, The Original High. I find myself once again sitting here listening with an open mind wondering if he will be able to top the last record. Let’s take a musical journey through this record, song by song.
1) Ghost Town: this was the first song released. Upon first hearing it, I absolutely LOVED the opening but HATED the sort of techno style breakdown in the chorus. Upon a few more listens though, it sort of grew on me and I don’t hate it now. Not the direction I would have went, but I can respect it for what it is. The lyrics are great though and Adam’s voice is in fine form.
2) The Original High: The title track. This song immediately grabs you with a sort of funky, electro-rock vibe wrapped in an almost Disco style bounce. Great vocal delivery here that is catchy as hell. The beat really wins for me though. This is infectious.
3) Another Lonely Night: The first of the slower tunes. Restrained vocals to open that launch into a nice subtle beat. The song moves along nicely and is pretty catchy, as well. This would make a great late night cruising tune.
4) Underground: A slower jam that really grabs with a fine vocal performance. A bit more laid back but still very emotional in depth. I dig the more laid back style of this one.
5) There I Said It: wow! What a hammer of a tune! My favorite so far. The emotional depth of his voice and lyrics on this is off the freaking scales! Same kind of impact that Runnin’ had from the last record. This is the kind of song that future singers will be singing in auditions. Worth the price of the record alone.
6) Rumors: This song features the first of two features on the record. This one features Tove Lo singing along side Adam. This is a fun song that is a middle finger to the haters that spread rumors. Their voices work perfectly together and Adam really lets it fly here without sounding all gospel-ish. A great song that I can see getting airplay on R & B radio.
7) Evil In The Night: This tune is another with winner written all over it. An almost Mark Ronson style funky jam with some monster Adam vocals laid over it. The chorus of this one just works as well. I’d love to see a remix of this one featuring Adam and Bruno Mars.
8) Lucy: The second of the feature songs, this one with Brian May of Queen. I dig this, it has an almost Dirt Diana sort of thing going on without copying it in any way. Some pretty big vocals here as well. Brian turns in a big, fat guitar solo as well that puts the song on that next level. A great change of pace for the record.
9) Things I Didn’t Say: A nice electro rocker that comes across as kind of bland in comparison to the earlier songs. Not a bad song, mind you. I’m sure some people will like it, just doesn’t have that same impact the other songs have had so far.
10) The Light: A decent dance style tune that should get people on the floor to dance. Has a good beat and good vocals.
11) Heavy Fire: A good song to end the record on. Nice restrained style vocals with a heavy beat to drive the song home. It has a great fade out as well.
So, what are my finals thoughts?
This is Adam doing what Adam does. The vocals are all over the place but NOT in a bad way. He uses his range and experience to really take you on a roller coaster ride through these songs. He hits all the emotional checkpoints along the way to really make you feel what you’re listening to.
After such a monumental last record, I wasn’t sure he could top it. I think in a lot of ways, he might not of…but again, not in a bad way. This one doesn’t have quite the ‘instant’ feel that the last one had. This one has a bit more depth, both lyrically and musically. It has a monster mix to it that really is great. It sounds like a million bucks on surround sound speakers while having some beautiful, crisp highs and lows in the mix.
I also feel that this one has plenty of room to grow as well. While there’s a couple of the songs toward the end that didn’t blow me away, they weren’t bad songs either. Maybe they’ll grow on me like the first one did. I do know that the trio of the Title track, There I Said It, and Rumors are worth the price alone that you’ll spend on this. All three should be smash hits for Adam and deservedly so.
So, final score. Let’s give this one a 9 out of 10. Things I Didn’t Say and The Light didn’t blow me away but the early songs MORE than make up for that. The mix is crystal clear and sounds really big. Great length for your money without being overly long. This should go a long way to making Adam an even bigger star than he already is.
