Sound Check
Music Reviews by Paul McGee
Thrive Mix presents DA2/Mixed by Jason Nevins
Thrive Records
The 2008 edition of the Thrivemix Dance Anthems series is a powerful, high-energy set of engaging club tracks. Though some of the artists featured on Dance Anthems 2 are unknown beyond the club scene, DA2 includes exclusive remixes by some of pop's biggest stars — including Jennifer Lopez, Kristine W, Seal, Nelly Furtado and Britney Spears. More often than not, dance compilations feature songs that are on every other collection on the market. DA2 , mixed by Jason Nevins, truly strives to be unique.
This is the only place you will find the rare promo-only mixes of Evanescence (Johnny Vicious mix), Chris Brown (Ashanti Boys mix), Good Charlotte (Nevins Exclusive mix) and Avril Lavigne (Junkie XL mix) songs. This is peak-hour club material, mixed to perfection with great transitions, audio levels and near-perfect EQ. Evanescence's "Call Me When You’re Sober" gets one fierce full vocal makeover, and makes this set a musthave. Nevins has done a fantastic job on this new set, one of his best to date. Perfecto! (A)
Leona Lewis: Spirit
j Records
The next "household name" artist has arrived. Actually, there has been a huge buzz on Leona Lewis for quite some time. Her voice has taken the UK by storm, with Spirit taking over the album charts, entering at the No. 1 position — becoming Britain's fastest selling female artist debut of all time. Here in the states it looks like repeated success, with Spirit also debuting at No. 1. Her fans watched her journey to stardom each week on X-Factor, the British talent show produced by Simon Cowell. She won the 2006 competition, even stunning the notoriously critical Cowell into near silence. "I think she's one of the best singers we've seen in this country for a long, long time,” Cowell said.
Winning several talent contests as a teen encouraged Lewis. She then went on to working part-time jobs to pay for studio time. On Spirit you will hear why Lewis proudly proclaims, "It's always been my passion to be a singer and songwriter." This is one powerhouse collection, with plenty of follow-up hit single candidates including "Better In Time" and "Forgive Me," which both bring to mind Christina Aguilera. Two exceptional ballads close up the set: "Footprints In The Sand," and the Mariah-esque "Here I Am." Sure, Lewis has evoked comparisons to Mariah Carey, Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston and others — but her style is all her own. Leona Lewis has undeniable talent, and is an inspiration to all who encounter her magic. (B+)
Mariah Carey: E=MC2
Island Def Jam Records
In 2005 with the release of The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah took her sound into new directions, leaning toward a more urban sound than ever before. On the new disc E=MC2, she takes things further down the same avenue. The golden-throated diva discovered Mimi's formula works, and the sound brought back many longtime fans that had written her off as adult contemporary fodder.
On the boards for E=MC2 are well known producers Stargate, Jermaine Dupri and Scott Storch. E=MC2 adds up to an aural success, a smart collection with plenty of variety. The tempos on the new album are rather laid back, with the fastest track "I'm That Chick" at 115 BPM (Beats Per Minute). There's a good bit of this material that's begging for a house remix.
Mariah and company have strategized to have the original versions listener-friendly for the pop/urban and video markets. They later release remix singles for the clubs, such as the new mixes of "Touch My Body" that have taken the beats from 79 BPM (original E=MC2 mix) to a peak-hour 130 BPM (Subkulcha, Craig C, Seamus Haji mixes — out now).
So you may be wondering what new directions did Carey take on E=MC2. On "Cruise Control," a dancehall-flavored slice of pop, Mariah is joined by Damian Marley. On "Migrate," a street-smart ditty, Miss Carey is joined by T-Pain ("Bartender") for one of her hippest crossover hits to date. Ditto for "Side Effects," featuring rapper Young Jeezy. The song is anchored by hip-hop beats that still showcase Mariah's powerful vocals.
E=MC2 is a warm collection that keeps up with today's sounds, while letting Mariah's beauty shine through without being overproduced. It’s the perfect summer poolside album. (B-)
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