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Pressparty review Adam Lambert's 'Trespassing'.
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Friday, January 27, 2012 9:55am by Pressparty
Pressparty review Adam Lambert's 'Trespassing'It's been a while since vocal sensation Adam Lambert released his debut album, ‘For Your Entertainment’, but Pressparty were honoured to listen to a private play of tracks from his new album this week, and can reveal that the star is back with an amazing offering that showcases a whole other side of his phenomenal talent.
‘Trespassing’ is the title of the hitmaker’s sophomore record and it doesn’t disappoint. After recruiting a real life dream team – Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly to name but a few – to work with, Lambert pushed himself to be his “bravest and brashest” and has delivered something outstanding to share with his fans.
‘Better Than I Know Myself’, which will act as the album’s lead single, bridges the gap perfectly between the style he introduced on his first record and how his sound has evolved since 2009. The track has strong balladic qualities and is accented by a soaring chorus that boasts a challenging melody. The layered vocal harmonies, which Lambert uses frequently throughout ‘Trespassing’, add serious depth and the slick production contributes to the sense of fullness this song exudes.
'Trespassing’The record’s title track was created with the help of N*E*R*D’s Pharrell Williams and this exciting partnership really smashes down the restraints of genre boundaries. It’s an up-tempo cut that’s fuelled by a driving rhythm (solid drum beats and handclaps) and has a stadium rock edge that is strongly reminiscent of Queen. The fusion of this widely recognised and well-loved style with Pharrell’s fresh and unconventional input sets the song apart from its contemporaries.
Talking about working with Pharrell, Lambert told Pressparty that he “has to be one of the coolest people I've ever met. For the first five minutes I felt like such an unworthy dork. But that was all on me - he didn't act like he was 'the' Pharrell. He was simply ready to create a killer track. We connected intellectually and found common ground in our philosophies.”
‘Cuckoo’Every album has a song that becomes infectious from the first listen and ‘Cuckoo’ is definitely this kind of track. Written with the help of Bonnie McKee (Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘California Gurls’), it’s a pure pop anthem that has been brought to life with an injection of electronica and is perfect for the dance floor.
Lambert also revealed that working with McKee was inspiring because “she dares to keep one foot in mainstream consciousness and one firmly planted outside the box” and this track shows exactly what she’s capable of when working with someone who has such a natural ability to be such a versatile performer.
‘Broken English’A vocal range like Adam’s simply has to be exercised and he works it to his full potential on ‘Broken English’. It’s a slower track, but the verses have progressive, hypnotic qualities that build melodic tension in a really teasing way. Again, this song flirts with the current trend of electronica, but does so in an unexpected manner and the almost metallic surges of sound reinforce the undeniable sensuality of the arrangement.
‘Outlaws Of Love’This offering has already enjoyed its first outing in the public domain after Lambert’s live performances of it were uploaded to YouTube, but the album version is fantastic. There’s a raw characteristic to the vocals that helps highlight the emotive and heartfelt lyrics and there’s an earthy, organic feel to the production, which doesn’t overpower the sincerity of the track’s content.
During our recent interview with the superstar, he admitted that penning a track with a social conscience was important to him as he wanted to make ‘Trespassing’ a more personal record:
“I wrote 'Outlaws' about the many challenges the gay community faces and how hopeless it sometimes makes me feel. After I shared it with friends, it became clear that the lyrics could be interpreted in so many ways. I later visualized it underscoring scenes from 'Bonnie and Clyde', 'Twilight', 'Milk' or even 'The Color Purple'.”
‘Shady’ ft. Nile Rodgers and Sam SparroLambert embraces his dark side on ‘Shady’, which he recently described as sounding like Nine Inch Nails meets Saturday Night Fever, and recruited ‘Black and Gold’ singer Sam Sparro along with Nile Rodgers for the track.
Part of the vocal line at time invokes The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’, but this is a mid-tempo song full of delicious harmonies, thick-layered vocals and suggestive lyrics (“take me underground/deep below the street/way down underneath/’cause I’m feeling so shady lately”).
Lambert’s forthcoming second album showcases seamless – almost effortless – growth and musical maturity, and his bold choice of collaborators really pays off, as ‘Trespassing’ is edgy, incredibly confident and verging on flawless. Every track is infused with a different side of both his personality and musical make up, and it sounds as though there is no limit to what he can achieve with his voice and ability.
Needless to say, Pressparty have given 'Trespassing' a big thumbs-up! Go buy on release, people!
1. 'Better Than I Know Myself' - Claude Kelly. Producers - Lukasz 'Dr. Luke' Gottwald, Circuit, Ammo
2. 'Trespassing' - Pharrell Williams/Adam Lambert
3. 'Cuckoo' - Ollie G, Adam Lambert and Bonnie McKee
4. 'Broken English' - Lester Mendez, Adam Lambert and Sam Sparro
5. 'Outlaws Of Love' - Rune Westerberg, Adam Lambert, BC Jean
6. 'Shady' ft. Nile Rodgers and Sam Sparro. Producers - Lester Mendez and Nile Rodgers, written by Adam Lambert and Sam Sparro
(Links to videos)
