AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend

AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016)

Genre: Art Pop, Electropop

This Norwegian singer turned some heads in her native country, as well as some other European countries with the release of her debut EP back in 2015 and some well received singles leading up to this album. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

As with a lot of young female artists to come out with a pop record these days, I was initially very indifferent about this one, but that has since changed after a few replays. For one, I have to point out that AURORA has a great voice, and she lends herself well with not only the more laid-back slow songs, but also tracks like Conqueror and Runaway, where she shows off some commendable range. The former song happens to be my favorite, with its tastefully upbeat chorus. 

As an art pop record, there isn't much innovation here. AURORA seems to play it very safe and relies heavily on her voice to drive most of these songs forward, as most are founded on simple, but catchy piano melodies/chords and some heavy beats. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I did enjoy most of the songs here. In particular, I absolutely love how prominent her voice sounds in I Went Too Far. There's a fine line between her normal singing voice and her falsetto that is really pleasant and enjoyable. 

It's really hard to not consistently talk about anything other than her voice, believe it or not. I keep reminding myself of other tracks where she really shows off. Home features an incredibly haunting chorus, that often reminds me of Gregorian chants, if the music hadn't been there. AURORA surely shows promise as a singer, and it would be great to hear her branch out in the future with some more ambitious compositions. As it stands right now, this album doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it's an overall fun, often beautiful record.

A-

Favorite Tracks: Runaway, Conqueror, I Went too Far, Warrior, Home, Black Water Lilies

Least Favorite Track: Through the Eyes of a Child

Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation

Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation (2016)

Genre: Electropop, J-Pop, Synth-pop, Bitpop, Japanese Hip-Hop, Bubblegum Bass

After the meme sensation that was their song Flamingo back in 2014, which admittedly had me intrigued, this indie pop trio released their first proper studio album in 2016. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

I instinctively put off on listening to this album for a while. Reason being, I really dislike most of the J-Pop I've been exposed too. Yes, this is an English group, but if Flamingo was any indication of what to expect sonically, then I had mixed feelings. As I mentioned previously, Flamingo was an interesting song, quite catchy. However, I didn't expect anything else they release to match its charm and upbeat catchiness. I can finally admit with relief, that I was very wrong. This has to be one of the most refreshing modern pop records I've heard in a while.

There's an overwhelming sense of girly pep on this record which some people who prefer more serious songwriting and musical structure may not be a fan of, partly because of Sarah Bonito's cutesy vocal performances, in which she sings "Engrish" and the occasional Japanese phrases about such mundane topics as being too lazy to wake up (Waking Up), and graduating from an institution in which you feel like you learned nothing at all (Graduation). The whole record plays out like some sort of statement on the conscious state of most teens and young adults in this modern age. It's incredibly silly at times, but oh so catchy. 

Try Me is a great example of the comedic irony that this group has established. In it, this young character decides to basically lie on their resume and ends up admitting that they can't do anything. I know I keep making light of this, but it really is such a quirky album, that I find it hard to not be engrossed by the simplicity of its themes mixed in with such fun electro-pop and J-pop influences. Every song on this record has charisma and humor (even if subtle at times). Most importantly, they were all pretty catchy. If you don't consider yourself easily amused by J-Pop, I urge you to still give this a try. You may come away pleasantly surprised like I did.

A+

Favorite Tracks: Waking Up, Heard a Song, Graduation, Fishbowl, Lipslap, Try Me, Paintbrush, Trampoline

Least Favorite Track: Big City