I’’ve Been Played: Alysha Umpress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz – Alysha Umpress – Yup, there is nothing like the real thing and here the star of “On The Town” sings actor-composer Jeff Blumenkrantz own songs and his arrangements of mid-levelish Broadway songs. Consistently first rate though the problem is an old one for cabaret, the songs aren’t quite there – B
Die Another Day – Beatrice Ali – Stocholm, Sweden 27 year old writes fair to middling Swede pop over manufactured beats – B-
Worth Fighting For – Brian Courtney wilson – “Does it ever occur to you that nothing occurs to God” -once these Gospel cats start to think, they get lost in contradictions and this guy is found in his. Imagine John Hammond with a weaker voice and weaker songs, and a big chorus behind him – C
The Balcony – Catfish And The Bottlemen – Plod rocking indie guys from Wales signed to a major. Were Universal dumping this album or looking for a window of opportunity? Either way, this is the poster boy for rock as mediocre whatever – C
Coasts – Coasts – UK Rockers: “Citing Foals and Arctic Monkeys as their current favourite bands, COASTS’ anthem Oceans has now had over 3 million+ plays on Soundcloud and their next step is world domination – their way! Catch them at a small venue while you still can…” You have been warned – C-
1017 Mafia – Gucci Mane – This guy never recovered from two stints in jail, here he sounds like Waka Waka Flame and for good reason: that’s Waka Waka Flame on three tracks – C-
Evermotion – Guster – Around forever, knocking at the door marked pop rockers with soul, but nobody home. The performances are excellent, check out the guitar on “Lazy Love”, the songs not so much – C+
Infected Mushroom – Big in Israel, this is the trance album to beat in 2015… of course the year couldn’t be much earlier. At the third way mark, they veer towards song and at the homestretch mix reggae for ping pong beats and take it home like its 2001, The remixes are OK as well – B
iworship Now – Various Artist – first check out the album name, that should be warning enough. If it isn’t, well every single thing that scares you about Christian Contemporary Music is fulfilled here. For some reason, listening to never was rockers like Lincoln Brewster singing “God you reign, God you reign, forever and ever, God you reign” is scary enough but if the chorus is meant to be over the top, the verse goes “You move the mountains with the words that you say”. But it could be worse , it could be the shimmering “Strong God”… Just awful, inexcusable, weak minded, antithetical rubbish – D
Onwards And Sideways – Joshua Radin – Singer songwriter from L.A., please tell him to stop – D
Sremmlife – Rae Sremmurd – You’d think after Bobby Schmurda they’d be a moratorium on Murd in rappers name, but no. “Up Like Trump” was pretty good, the Nicki Minaj-Young Thug collab is alright, and he sounds like he comes from Atlanta though he is really from Mississippi – B-
The Planet – Young Ejecta – electronic pop singer songwriter dream stuff and really pretty, “Into Your Heart” lives up to its name and the other songs are like states of intense beauty. The duo responsible dubbed Ejecta an “embodiment of universal longing and loss”. Sure, if they want- ALBUM OF THE WEEK B+
