The Chainsmokers - Memories... Do Not Open

The Chainsmokers - Memories... Do Not Open (2017)

Genre: Electropop, Trap, Synth-pop, Tropical House

Infamous for being known as the duo to only be able to write "one song," I just had to give their debut a shot. Oh boy... 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.

When I'm listening to a record, I try to keep track of all the songs that stick with me, the ones I was especially fond of. Two songs into this record, I had already forgotten what the first one sounded like. This is literally how the entire thing played out for me. Upon finishing, I had no recollection of any songs. Everyone of them just seemed to bleed into each other, and so I now understand what people mean by The Chainsmokers only being capable of writing one song.

As a result, I can't even comment on individual tracks on here, because they're all pretty similar. If I had to comment on some positives, it would be that the female guest singers do liven up the record, just a tiny bit. The music itself is uninspired, all throughout. This duo seems to rely on very generic, basic piano chords that do nothing to spice up the tired four chord pop formula. And if the music itself is very basic and bland, I would at least expect some interesting lyrics, but there's none to be found here either. This is a collection of generic love/heartbreak songs that lend themselves well as modern radio muzak. 

Taggart does not have an unappealing voice by no means, but he's incredibly devoid of much charisma, and while the guests aren't really doing much to improve the quality of this record, I would have disliked this album much more than I already did if every song was sung purely by him. In conclusion, as I'm sure many have already made light of such a pun, do not open the contents of this album. This is generic, lazy songwriting that had no right to get much attention. While the music wasn't unpleasant, per se, it was certainly putting me to sleep. I wish I could flesh out this review some more, but there really isn't more to say when there's so little going on here.

D-

Favorite Tracks: The One, Wake Up Alone (If I had to pick)

Least Favorite Track: Pretty much all of them.

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