A career in flames, but they still lack a clue
I wish Fall Out Boy could see just how far they’ve fallen since their career crashed and burned with the collapse of Folie a Deux. Unfortunately they think that a dash of Maroon 5 mock-swagger plus Bruno Mars-esque backdrop hooks equals a whole lot of Fun. And it’s not. Not by a long shot. “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” merely showcases a band whose career long ago went up in smoke attempting to create a pop juggernaut while playing by the old rules, figuring we’re all so desperate for a radio earworm we’ll gladly submit our brains for their control.
While once a powerful fixture in the world of top 40 hitmaking, Infinity On High marked their peak, and the five-year absence after “hits” like “America’s Suiteheart” failed to exceed trainwreck status suggests a total lack of direction. It’s been a long slow slide, and worse yet, they think they can Save Rock and Roll with their absurdly titled sixth studio album, due out in April. If this single is the best they can do, I think rock and roll would rather die a slow painful death than to submit to Patrick Stump and Co. as its savior. Sorry boys … the fall-out shall be swift: This critic knows what your songs did during the hiatus, and he’s not buying. Here’s hoping the rest of America follows suit.
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February 17, 2013 | Categories: Commentary, Featured Songs, Music | Tags: America's Suitehearts, commentary, Fall Out Boy, featured songs, Folie A Deux, Infinity On High, music, My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up), Patrick Stump, pop, Save Rock And Roll, top 40 | 8 Comments »
http://soundcloud.com/mandybarry/second-to-breathe
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Though I aim for this site to cover all forms of pop music, sometimes I let real guilty-pleasure bubblegum too easily slip through the cracks. Mandy Barry’s music clearly aims for the top 40 radio aesthetic, with a sound akin to early Rihanna, before “Umbrella” made her a household name. Having heard two of Barry’s songs (the other being the four-to-the-floor Britney-esque club track “Girl Break Up”) it’s clear she’s got an ear for hooks.
What she doesn’t have is a producer with a deft touch. It’s a shame “Second to Breathe,” which overall is her strongest single, doesn’t take its own title’s advice. The overwhelming mix drowns a hook-laden, keyboard-heavy hook in tribal percussion and broadly-defined synth touches — the song, though solid, can’t completely shine through the mess. There’s a great deal of pop potential here if she takes the time to focus on stripping these pop tracks down to their strongest elements. Each track is worth a listen to hear what pop hit-makers sound like before they get their big break and the studio opportunities and advice which frequently come with such. Mandy Barry’s not all the way there yet, but I like her chances.
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November 12, 2012 | Categories: Artists To Watch, Featured Songs, Music | Tags: artists to watch, Britney Spears, featured songs, Girl Break Up, Mandy Barry, music, pop, Rihanna, Second to Breathe, top 40 | Leave A Comment »
Fall Out Boy knows what we did in the dark but hasn’t figured out it’s been six years since their relevance expired
A career in flames, but they still lack a clue
I wish Fall Out Boy could see just how far they’ve fallen since their career crashed and burned with the collapse of Folie a Deux. Unfortunately they think that a dash of Maroon 5 mock-swagger plus Bruno Mars-esque backdrop hooks equals a whole lot of Fun. And it’s not. Not by a long shot. “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” merely showcases a band whose career long ago went up in smoke attempting to create a pop juggernaut while playing by the old rules, figuring we’re all so desperate for a radio earworm we’ll gladly submit our brains for their control.
While once a powerful fixture in the world of top 40 hitmaking, Infinity On High marked their peak, and the five-year absence after “hits” like “America’s Suiteheart” failed to exceed trainwreck status suggests a total lack of direction. It’s been a long slow slide, and worse yet, they think they can Save Rock and Roll with their absurdly titled sixth studio album, due out in April. If this single is the best they can do, I think rock and roll would rather die a slow painful death than to submit to Patrick Stump and Co. as its savior. Sorry boys … the fall-out shall be swift: This critic knows what your songs did during the hiatus, and he’s not buying. Here’s hoping the rest of America follows suit.
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February 17, 2013 | Categories: Commentary, Featured Songs, Music | Tags: America's Suitehearts, commentary, Fall Out Boy, featured songs, Folie A Deux, Infinity On High, music, My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up), Patrick Stump, pop, Save Rock And Roll, top 40 | 8 Comments »