2006 Albums Chatter

So two or three months ago, RCA records had listed (mistakingly) that Clay Aiken's new album was due today, June 20. And we're here now today with still no official news on that project, but I have been listening to some CDs on AOL First Listen, and I really like the new Nelly Furtado CD, Loose, and the new Keane CD, Under the Iron Sea. I tend to like albums that aren't "all sound same" and are fairly eclectic such that the tracks are distinguishable from each other, and both albums definitely fit that bill, although I didn't expect them to. Can't say I'm too impressed with Furtado's live voice, but the beats and melodies on the recording are pretty funky that I would consider picking up her album.

I actually haven't bought a CD all year, although I toyed with getting the Pink album, I'm Not Dead, which is actually a fine album with more solid tracks than most, but unfortunately cursed with an awful album cover and title. Usually at this juncture I would go link the cover art but then I would have to actually go seek it out and I just don't want to because ick. I rarely buy albums that have covers I consider hideous (exception: Evanescence's Fallen, whose booklet I have turned backwards, but I really wanted that album for "My Immortal," and Wind-Up Records does not release albums or singles digitally so I had to get the album) or with dumb titles. I know you shouldn't judge a book (or album) by its cover, but if I have to live with it in my house and look at it from time to time, you bet I'm going to care what the CD art looks like. Plus the politicking Pink does on her album doesn't thrill me either.

I'm a liberal for free speech and all that jazz, but I don't particularly care to have politics mixed in with my music. I have Green Day's American Idiot, but I have to say I pretty much don't listen to the lyrics at all, I just like the guitars and the beat and the vocals. The Dixie Chicks' posturing I don't care for either, but it doesn't really matter affect my buying or not buying their album, since Natalie Maines's voice kind of grates on me after a while. There's a sharpness to her vocal that I can't listen to continuously. I also thought about picking up Jewel's new album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, but again I listened to it and the songs are just a little to same-y between tracks to hold my nanosecond attention span.

Upcoming albums for 2006 that I have an eye on:

Back to Basics by Christina Aguilera, August 15th. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this one. I tend to favor her more pop/rock songs like "Fighter" and 30s/40s soul style music doesn't seem to be really my cup of tea, but her single, "Ain't No Other Man," has really grown on me the more I listen to it. Still not crazy about her image, but I didn't like her Stripped image either. I wish just one of these girl pop stars would have a normal hair color and natural looking makeup instead of looking like a mannequin. She does have a great voice though, probably the strongest of the current female pop artists, though in country there are some superior female voices IMO. LeAnn Rimes and Martina McBride in particular. Unfortunately I don't like country music much (though I like Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban) so I only have LeAnn's inspirational album and Martina's Christmas album, but I guess I am now way off topic. Good thing it's my blog.

The Open Door by Evanescence, October 3rd. I'm pretty curious where they are going to go now that Amy Lee has dumped Ben Moody's "commercial"-loving tendencies. She seems to favor the more inaccessible melodies and their material might be too hard rock from the sounds of it, but no lady out there has a prettier recording voice than Amy Lee, IMO, although some have greater strength, power, and range. Her voice is just so pretty, but there's no point if there aren't pretty ballads to showcase it.

FutureSex/LoveSound (or something like that) by Justin Timberlake, September 12th. I'm not actually considering buying this album in any way shape or form since I can't stand JT's boyband voice, but I do plan to chart watch this album very carefully. He charted four singles in the Top 5 at CHR/Pop (plus whatever rhythmic and urban play that I don't track) with Justified but only sold 3.5 million domestic and 7 million overall worldwide. Not that those are small potatoes numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but considering all that radioplay it's not that great compared to some of his contemporaries who also had substantial heavy airplay. He's been away from the music scene for a long time and also had the Janet Jackson fallout, so it will be very interesting to see how he does.

Untitled by Katharine McPhee, December 2006 (probably). I voted for Katharine all season (except for some clunker performances) on American Idol, although I'm not entirely sold on her future prospects in the industry and may or may not buy her album. If she's going the Celine Dion route, forget about it, because her upper register is completely lacking that kind of strength to belt. I might give it a chance if the songs are mostly in her non-screechy range though. I suspect that like Carrie Underwood she will be better in studio than she was on the show because of the nerves from live performance, but we'll see.

???? by Clay Aiken, "soon." If only national security was as diligent at keeping secrets as Team Clay... I'm still really hoping against hope that the remakes on the album that supposedly constitute the majority are relatively obscure and can become hits associated with CA like "Bless the Broken Road" and "What Hurts the Most" have become for Rascal Flatts, but I don't know if that's in the cards since again the fans know nothing. :P But anyway I just hope the album really showcases Clay's voice in all its many dimensions and backs it up with some eclectic sounds. And world domination wouldn't hurt either. *g* I would love for Clay to break into the international market in a big way with the new album. I believe the pieces are all there, with Aiken's force of personality and incredible voice--it takes something damn special for Clay to have 10K fans in Korea, a country he's never been to and has only had a commercial jingle played on air; I just hope the marketing plans back him up!

Tags: new music, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Evanescence, Justin Timberlake,Clay Aiken, Katharine McPhee, Green Day, Dixie Chicks, Keane, Jewel