Category | Arts & Living

Battle Of The Female Vocalists

Published on February 26, 2008 by The Sentinel

CD Review

Paramore “RIOT!”
    For some bands, there is one single member that really “makes” the band.  For Paramore, that person is Hayley Williams.  There is no doubt that the band has music that will make you want to move, but without the powerful vocals of this little Tennessee girl, they would not be the noted band that they are today.  Their newest (but not first) release, RIOT!, is an endless amalgam of pounding drums and body-moving music.  The enormous MTV popularity of the band has tainted their name while at the same time giving them that shove into the spotlight that every band hopes for.  The production value for this record is amazing, and the result is a really good, clean sounding record that many bands strive for.  The riffs are hard hitting and Mrs. Williams lungs power quite a machine.  This CD is really a guilty pleasure for me, I guess.  Paramore have become one of those overplayed band that 99% of people know and the same 99 percent start to hate after awhile.  Maybe they are MTV’s flavor of the week, but I know that I can pop this CD in my car to get a good burst of energy and to practice singing like a girl…..wait, I didn’t really mean that last part.

Standout Track: “Hallelujah”  (prepare your ears for gorgeous, soaring vocals)

Sara Bareilles “Little Voice”
    Ok, I have to admit that I was really excited to listen to and review this record.  I mean, there have been advertisements for it everywhere, so I thought there was maybe something special about it.  Solo female artists are definitely few and far between nowadays (and I DO NOT MEAN the pop stars and all that crap) so to see a singer/songwritess is refreshing.  However, this record doesn’t really stick out in my mind as profound.  I’ve heard the jazzy piano and whispery clear vocals from Fiona Apple and the big choruses from about every other mainstream band out there.  The record is good, don’t get me wrong, but if you are looking for the next big thing, then you aren’t looking in the right place.  If you are looking for something that you can easily listen to and melodies you will find yourself unconsciously humming at work, then this will be perfect for you.  The song structures are simple and inviting, the vocals are basic, the lyrics are somewhat risqué, but in more of a playful manner than shocking, and the rest of the music seems produced just to carry the rhythm.  It is apparent that everything is built to focus on Bareilles’s talents than any other part of the entire construct. 

Standout Track: “Love Song” (okay, I know it’s the single, but its also the only song that really stands out on the whole record)