The Sound Radar Music reviews, news and previews

After a four year hiatus having babies and the like, Christina Aguilera released her eagerly anticipated fourth full-length English studio album on Monday 7th June. Following on from the moderate worldwide success of the lead single; "Not Myself Tonight", Xtina let us in gently with that as first single choice as the rest of the record is slightly more obscure, creative and futuristic sounding. This record takes a clear move away from the previous album, Back to Basics, which can only be a good thing!

On with the tracks...

1. Bionic - Almost sounding like merely an intro track for the album in the first minute, this title track then kicks off into a full blown chorus and turns into a "proper" track. The verses continue to sound a little like album breaks, but the chorus and chorus buildups propel the track straight into the 22nd century, or at least what I can imagine the 22nd century may sound like...? A hard, constant beat ensures the track doesn't lose its direction and overall this works as a great album opener! 8/10

2. Not Myself Tonight - Previously mentioned as this campaigns lead single, Not Myself Tonight marked a return to form for Xtina in my opinion, although the track only received moderate success worldwide. This is one of the higher tempo tracks on the album and is an instant club stomper. The urban beats, catchy chorus and memorable "Christina" style middle eight makes this a classic. 10/10

3. Woohoo - This is the next (second) single from the Bionic campaign and i'm not sure how it is going to be received. The suggestive lyrics are a little cliche and feel a bit dated. I can imagine remixes sounding immense in clubs though, so this should lend itself to a good few of those. Production is a little lacking in this track and a lot of the time you are listening to just a beat and vocals. Also the phone in "featuring artist"; Nicki Minaj, manages to deliver a rap break down which is almost incomprehensible at times (more so than most rap breaks!). Might want to re-think the second single choice Xtina and co. 5/10

4. Elastic Love - The future sounding, robotic sound of Elastic Love doesn't lend itself to Christina's vocals all that well, and sounds quite similar to the re-produced or extra tracks off of her Keeps Gettin' Better - A Decade of Hits compilation. Saying that, the lyrics a quite clever and well written and the production values are high here, even if they are a little bland. The catchy chorus redeems the track a bit and ensures this track doesn't get too "future electro" for it's own good. 6/10

5. Desnudate - A return to the higher tempto sounds here, this track plays with the theme of nudity and is a little racey - which works here. Latin ad-libs, a little brass and sensual moans add that sassy feel to the track and Christina's vocals often belt out to remind us of what she is capable of. A fast drum line keeps the track dancable and overall creates quite a feel good sound. More of this please! 9/10

6. Love & Glamour (Intro) - Vocal album interlude. Christina...where did you pull this little speach from as it sounds very familiar(!)

7. Glam - Following the theme of high fashion and glamour from the previous interlude, this track is all about superficial glamour and love of clothes. Unfortunately, the track isn't overly glamourous and just feels boring. It is also a break from the overly futuristic sounding tracks so far. A boring beat, unmemorable lyrics and pretentious sounding attitude of the track just add to the dislike. A bit of a skipper for me! 3/10

8. Prima Donna -  Turn your subwoofers up, the bass in this track is a little immense! A distinctly hip-hop sounding beat, this almost sounds like it was taken from Rihanna's "Rated R". That isn't a bad thing though, and works well with the theme of the track and aggression in Xtina's vocals. What propels this track from quite good to amazing is the synth sample of the Jackson 5's "Can You Feel It", a nod at the late king of pop I'd imagine. Nice one Christina! 10/10

9. Morning Desert (Intro) - Another album interlude. This sounds less fake than the previous one though, and marks another switch of theme for the coming tracks...

10. Sex For Breakfast - The pace is slowed down here, for a bit of soul and chilled beats. Christina's voice sounds raw and top form here. The lyrics are a play on food and sex and follow on from the previous interlude. Production is minimal here and the slow beat, piano backing track and whispered lines make this good ambient background music material, especially if you're looking to get some Sex for Breakfast yourself. If not, maybe look elsewhere for your mood creating music as the lyrics get a little explicit even if it isn't glaringlu obvious. 6/10

 11. Lift Me Up - Another slow tempo ballad-like track, this doesn't really fit with the sound of the album even if there is an interlude to break this section up. The lyrics are inspiring and well performed by Xtina, although this doesn't really excuse the track from breaking the coherrent sound offered here so far. If this was on her 2002 album Stripped then this would have worked as the track itself is nice. But it doesn't belong here! 4/10

12. My Heart (Intro) - Yet another album interlude performed by Christina's bundle of joy, her son Max. This also sounds very out of place after Xtina just spent the first half of this album performing tracks about sex, nudity, glamour and other adult material.

13. All I Need - Yaaaawn. Another ballad this time all about Christina's feelings towards her son. This is very similar to Britneys' "My Baby", although Britney pulls it off better (only slightly though!). Again this track DOES NOT WORK in this album. It is distracting, breaks the flow, the themes and the sound. Typical slow drum beat, piano backing and vocals make this track up. Skip skip skip please. 1/10

14. I Am - More sentimental, self indulgent ballad material can found here. If you've not given up on the album at this point, well done to you and there's just one more to endure before getting back to the good stuff! There isn't much else to say about this that wasn't said for the previous track. Nice vocals from Christina though, now put them to a nice track and we'll be getting somwhere! 2/10

15. You Lost Me - The title of this track is almost what can be explained for the amount of people maybe pressing the stop buttons on their music players by now. You lost them! Who ever decided to put this vast amount of ballads together needs firing immediately! I don't care if it's a "section" or "theme" for this part of the album. It's not nesessary and definitely not enjoyable. SKIP. 1/10

16. I Hate Boys - No interlude to mark the end of the last five tracks of dull listening, I Hate Boys brings that futuristic pop sound back. This sounds a little like Christina's 2008 track; "Keeps Gettin' Better". The lyrics are fun and the high production values make a welcome re-appearence. The track is a little short at just over two minutes and feels like it's over too quickly, but lukily things are not slowed down again for a while now. Thank you Christina and co! 8/10

17.  My Girls - The track starts off a little funky and almost Goldfrapp sounding, then breaks into a catchy, chanty chorus. This is a song about power to Christina's girls, running the show apparently. The lyrics feel a little over-used but the funky beats and fun nature of the track make this an enjoyable listen. No futuristic sounding production here though, just typical pop sounds. 7/10

18. Vanity - Christina opens this song with a teasy one liner, then the synthy beats kick in and playful verses start. The track is themed around self loving, vain, pretentious thoughts about yourself but works to its advantage as listening to it almost makes you believe the lyrics. Or is that just me...? Anyway, the chorus is a little weak and the production sounds unfinished and lacking in any "oomph" but then Christina belts out with her signature yell which I know i've missed, and all feels right in the world. 7/10

19. Monday Morning - This track manages to sound extremely vintage yet incredibly current at the same time. Funky disco beats, futuristic synths and retro claps create a very interesting sound, and a track that doesn't sound like a Christina track at all, which may have something to do with her weak vocal perfomance here! Still, this is definitely one of the albums highlights and brings the records coherrent sound back in place. 8/10

20. Bobblehead - As much as the "Wah Wah's" in this track may annoy you, Bobblehead is borderline amazing! Clever lyrics (although slightly Ke$ha!), anthemic production, various dance breakdowns and vocal chants, this is a track you can go crazy to! It reminds me of a Basement Jaxx track, which is totally a good thing. I look forward to hearing this in a club and letting loose! 9/10

21. Birds Of Prey - Drawing the album to a close slowly, the track opens with synthetic sounds and vocal chanting. The feel of this track returns to the chilled sound of "Sex for Breakfast", just without the sex, or a morning meal for that matter. Whilst this one isn't single material at all, it makes for a good album track and if interludes or slower tempo tracks had to be used earlier to to break things up, this could have been one of them and worked a lot better. The lyrics are very creative and imaginative and the production screams of Ladytron, who did in fact produce this track. Pleasent, but nothing exciting. 6/10

22. Stronger Than Ever - Another ballad just had to be plonked in here didn't it. At least with this one the production values are a bit better, and Christina gives a very strong vocal delivery. It manages to still sound quite futristic with its heavier drum beat, spacey breaks and echoing guitar riffs. I'll let this one off...just this one. 4/10

23. I Am (Stripped) - This is a stripped down version of the previous, same titled track "I Am". The same comments apply, but the track works a little better in this stripped form and is quite a nice listen. If this track just HAD to be used, this version should have made it alone instead. 3/10

 24. Little Dreamer - The final track on this slightly over-lenghty album, Little Dreamer sounds like another snooze fest but is actually an electro gem hidden away at the end of a long road. Sentimental lyrics, electro pop beats and a strong vocal performance make this a very good way to end the album, reminding us of its prime sounds and Christina's awesome voice. Had this album been 8 tracks or so shorter, this would have rounded things off nicely. 6/10

Overall rating: 6.5/10

What should have marked an epic return to form in Christuna Aguilera's carrer actually felt a little too crafted, too long lived and actually lacking a lot of punch when it mattered. The four year break clearly built up a lot of material in Xtina's catalogue to use and a lot of it is awesome, but a lot of it is definitely not so awesome and it seems, for some reason, like the powers that be selected one too many not so awesome tracks to make up this record. When the concise theme and sound hit the mark, it worked really well but unfortunately there are too many breaks from this sound and into ballad territory. Maybe the regular edition doesn't drag as much, but also lacks some great bonus tracks that the deluxe edition (reviewed here) offers. Still, if you are a fan of Christina's voice itself, you may be able to overlook the ballad heavy second section of the album and appreciate the record more. I tried, I really did, and I'm no ballad hater, but only the crazy uptempo tracks seemed to be worth a listen here. It will be interesting to see which tracks are selected as singles in the future as I can't see that many featured here prime for a single release...

After much hype, Lady GaGa finally premiered her latest music video epic for the single Alejandro today. Following suit from the ten minute video for her previous single, Telephone, this one weighs in at just over eight minutes.

I'm not quite sure of the concept or story behind this one as of yet, I need to give it a few more watches. All I can say is there are a fair few dancers, men in fishnet tights and heels and GaGa's costumes are increasingly morbid. GaGa does show off a few more complex dance moves than before though, which is nice to see!

Let me know what you think the usual way...

As the release date to Kylie Minogues' latest album release; Aphrodite, draws closer, fans are clearly getting increasingly excited for the release and a chance to hear the record in full.

Just as a teaser, this megamix preview of some of the tracks has hit the internet and I am going to be the first to say THIS SOUNDS AMAZING! A coherent, polished album with a definitive sound to it. This is going to be one of Kylie's best from the sounds of it.

So without further blabbing, take a listen to the megamix below and let me know what you think!

American rock pop band Selena Gomez & The Scene, whos lead singer is Selena Gomez of Disneys Wizards of Waverly Place fame, released their debut album in the UK on 19th April 2010. After the success of the lead single 'Naturally' in the UK, reaching number 7, the album entered the UK album charts at number 12 - a fairly commendable placing for a new and largely un-promoted band in the UK. The album steers towards the teen rock theme fairly heavily but sets a good footing for forming a future fan base.

1. Kiss & Tell - The albums title track, this starts things off upbeat and funky. Selenas vocals are strong and production values are high. The verses are almost chanted in a very high-school sounding way and the chorus is catchy and loud. The drum beats are also fun and contributes to the chanting style of the vocal delivery. I'd like to see this a future single as it's one of the albums highlights for sure. 8/10

2. I Won't Apologise - The opening to this track almost sounds like it could belong to Kelly Clarkson, which isn't particularly a bad thing but also sounds a little too familiar. The typical teen rock formula is followed here which should keep the main target audience listening. Whilst there is nothing new or revolutionary to be found here, it makes for a pleasent listen none the less and Selena has writing credits on this track, making it sound a little more personal. 6/10

3. Falling Down - This was the albums lead single in the US. It has a similar sound to Kiss & Tell, with almost chanty styled verses. The chorus is strong although not overly catchy, but well produced. This track wasn't a major success overseas and the team probably made a good choice not to release this as the lead single in the UK and Europe. Selena delivers some great sounding vocals on this track though and it is still one of the records better moments. 7/10

4. I Promise You - Things are slowed down a little for a rocky balad with this track. Out comes the teen rock pop formula again, and whilst the guitar riffs are pleasing the theme of the track treads over the typical "girl in love" theme. The vocals aren't overly exciting and all in all the track plods along at a decent pace but doesn't get anywhere at the end. 4/10

5. Crush - Attitude and teen defiance seep all over this track. The problem is that the attitude sounds a little forced and Selena sounds a little bored pulling it off. The chorus is particularly dull and the track is only pulled up slightly by the marginally better verses. The track is guitar heavy to attempt to add to the attitude yet unfortunately there is nothing here which sticks in your head, is particularly memorable or catchy and after initial listens becomes very skippable. 3/10

6. Naturally - The album takes a completely different direction with this track and I only wish there was more of this to be found. Naturally is a rocky, electro-pop stomper which stands high above the other tracks in terms of quality, production and replayability. This was the UK lead single for the album and has been met with fairly decent success, reaching number 7 in the UK singles charts. The production and effects found here are similar to what can be found in Miley Cyrus' later tracks, which have also been her more successful. Selenas vocals are distinctive and theres even some love towards the other members of the band who provide backing vocals. Catchy, upbeat and almost anthemic this is the direction I hope the band sticks with as I'd love to hear more. 10/10

7. The Way I loved You - Just as things really kicked off with the previous joy to the ears, the pace of the album flops back down again with another ballad. This track sound incredibly Disney, incredibly teen and unfortunately, incredibly borning. Production is kept to a low to try and provide intimacy for the track but Selena doesn't really have the voice, the passion or the experience to pull it off. Even with the violins, pianos, cymbal crashes and guitar buildups, the result is a resounding no. Let me skip back to Naturally please... 1/10

8. More - The electro rock theme is revived a little here but not quite to the epicness of Naturally. The track is interesting if a little jumbled sounding. By the time the chorus kicks in second time around you can get a feel for the track but it is rather unrelatable with regards to the lyrics. Then just as you get into the track, it suddenly finishes. 6/10

9. As A Blonde - Back to the rockier sounding material with this one. As A Blonde should have been on the first half of the album to keep the pace going, as there is a chance listeners may have given up by now. Funky, catchy, noisy and extremely fun sounding, this track sounds a bit Avril Lavigne, a bit Demi Lovato and a bit Miley Cryus - however it is a cover of a Fefe Dobson track. The pace is carried by the strong guitar riffs and Selenas more convincing sounding vocals to provide attitude. After the middle eight slows things down a little, theres a key change and the track smashes its way to its final seconds. 9/10

10. I Don't Miss You At All - The last forray into the electro rock genre, this sounds extremely like something The Veronicas would pull out the bag. Upbeat and full of claps and synths, this is more of what Selena seems to do best, if only they did it more often. Selena sounds sincere in her delivery of the vocals and creates an effective upbeat break-up tune. 8/10

11. Stop & Erase - Another teen sounding rock track here, but decent enough to stand out. The chorus is catchy but Selenas vocals sound a little overpowered by the production and backing vocals. A lot of the same attitude and production that has been heard in the earlier tracks can be found here which detracts from the song which is a shame as it's one of the better teen rock sounding tracks on offer on the album. 6/10

12. I Got You - Mellow pop rock can describe this track. The verses are nothing to get excited about but the chorus is very pleasent and winds down the album nicely. Again, no fancy production here just guitars, drums and vocals. Selena even manages to sound a little like Joss Stone towards the end of the track, although that may be the over-powering backing vocalists again. 5/10

13.  Tell Me Something I Don't Know - This was originally recorded for the soundtrack for Disneys' Another Cinderalla Story in which Selena Gomez stars. For this album version though, the track has been re-worked to fit with the albums "sound" more. The track is a bit boring, has been heard before and tacked onto the end of the album. There is a little solo from one of the band members though, which is nice to hear. The track isn't particularly rocky, isn't really electro and falls into the forgettable pop category. A bit of a un-needed addition. 4/10

Overall rating: 6.5/10

An album which may just suffer from the band trying to find their feet in the industry, a lot of the tracks follow the same formula which gets a bit repetitive and dull. There are some incredibly fun moments to be found though, and Naturally is one of my tracks of the year. Depending on where you picked up your copy of the album you will get a remix to either Falling Down or Naturally, both are pretty decent but the Naturally remix stands out for me. Selena provides some great vocals and has potential to carve a pop career for herself similar to Miley Cyrus, she justs need to experiment a bit more with genres next time. Hint...more of the electro pop goodness of Naturally please!

Kylie Minogue, the iconic Australian singer / songwriter / actress (and OBE too!) is preparing to launch her latest album campaign, Aphrodite and debut single All The Lovers. For this album, her 11th studio record, she has teamed up with the likes of Nerina Pallot, Scissor Sisters, Calvin Harris, RedOne and Xenomania to hopefully re-ignite her relevance and reclaim her positions in the charts.

The album, due to be released on the 5th July 2010, is apparently a return to the dance-pop genre that Kylie knows and does best. The album artwork has been released so check it out below:

Also, a short snippet of "All The Lovers", the only 100% confirmed track from the album and also the launch single has surfaced from Kylies' label to help build some hype. It sounds like an upbeat, alternate version of "Slow" and whilst the clip only features part of the instrumental it built enough of a rush over at her official website yesterday that her whole site crashed!

Check the snippet out below and let me know what you think!

The Scissor Sisters, triple BRIT award-winning, pop/disco/glam rock group from the US have finally given fans a sneak preview to their upcoming album, Night Work. This takes the form of an entire track playing in the background of their official website; www.scissorsisters.com.

The track is called Invisible Light and is the final track to feature on the record. I would describe it as chilled, electro pop with a distinct 80's feel to it. It feels very "Pet Shop Boys" yet remains very Scissor Sisters, with Jake Shears distinct vocals layered on to make sure of that! I can imagine this will be the perfect wind down from the album, which promises to showcase the bands progression onto more stylised glam pop. As the icing on the cake, Sir Ian McKellen makes an appearance towards the end of the track to lay a very Lord of the Rings sounding speech onto the closing few minutes.

Epic!

Take a listen at the official site HERE...