Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Dragonette – ‘Bodyparts’

By: Ben Norman
Man, was the wait for Bodyparts a nerve-wracking experience… The history of Dragonette left the future style of the band in a lurch. Galore was full of glam electro-pop tracks, while the follow-up album Fixin to Thrill channeled more of a punk rock vibe, going for rougher edges than the smooth stylings Galore offered. The group released a couple of new tracks on their remix album Mixin to Thrill, each track going a different direction than the last. So with the band’s sudden mainstream exposure with a plethora of featured spots on tracks from Kaskade, Don Diablo, and most famously Martin Solveig, it was anyone’s guess what Bodyparts would offer. Then “Let It Go” dropped, and it seemed that the group was intent on riding the dance wave that brought them so much recent attention. They deserved every bit of that attention, and “Let It Go” maintained the fun, funky spirit that fans have come to know with Dragonette while also diving headfirst into the sound that is oh-so-hot right now. But would Bodyparts be that same sound across the board, or would Dragonette pump out more of their signature tracks?

REVIEW: Owl City – ‘The Midsummer Station’

By: Ben Norman

Owl City, a.k.a. Adam Young, has made the leap. The running start he gained with his debut track, “Fireflies,” had primed him for the kind of stardom that few in his position achieve. Think about it. Male pop stardom is usually achieved at a young age, after acquiring “heartthrob” status. Hair trends, public attention to your relationship status, dance moves… all these factor highly into single male pop stars’ resumes. And yet, here is Owl City, a soft-voiced synth pop artist with longing in his heart and vulnerability in his music, launching his name beyond one-hit wonder status and possibly into the list of artists that define this musical era (or have been defined by it). So what exactly has Owl City got going for himself that others don’t?

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REVIEW: Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart

By: Ben Norman

When Marina Diamandis arrived on the scene, her music moniker Marina & the Diamonds had much the same effect as Florence & the Machine. Who was Marina? Was this a band? Who were the Diamonds? This would all be settled with a simple explanation of Marina’s Greek surname, and the potential group became a one-woman show. Her 2012 album Electra Heart is the most recent offering from a singer who has been incredibly active since her first EP in 2007. But it wouldn’t be until her first charting single in 2010, “Hollywood,” that the world would begin to pay attention. Still, her style was fragmented and her messages were skewed. Tracks like “Shampain” and “Oh No!” hinted at greatness and the artists who influenced her, but at the time others were doing the same thing she was and, frankly, doing it better. Skip ahead to March of 2012 and the release of the instant classic “Primadonna.” Marina’s style was smoothed out and polished up, but her social commentary, something that was always at the core of prior tracks, was still there and the teeth hadn’t been dulled in the slightest. Electra Heart, complete with teaser videos of future songs, was shaping up to be quite an adventure.
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