Sugababes 'Freedom'

I don't see this on the Radio 1 or Capital FM playlists. What a shame. The single is out next week, and I actually think it's not bad, but without any airplay, I wonder how it will do.

This and That

Sugababes' 7th album Sweet 7 came out yesterday, and its looking to be the first Sugababes album I don't buy. The reviews are not great, the singles have been ho-hum--they aren't what they used to be--quite literally actually. Such a shame. Last week walking home one day I was listening to their 2003 album, Three, and thinking about how many great album tracks it had that would have been great singles--"Million Different Ways," "Conversation's Over," "Whatever Makes You Happy." How far they have fallen.

Making up for this bit of sadness are the tracks I've heard from Goldfrapp's new album out next week, Head First. I'm really enjoying what I hear, and I think this will make up for Seventh Tree, which was okay, but not as good as any of their prior albums.

Apparently, "Talk Me Down," isn't going to be Westlife's next single. Too bad. There isn't anything on the new release calendar from that at the moment. This is very strange. "What About Now" was a #2 hit and hang around the chart for quite awhile. So why isn't their album being promoted?

Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted" just entered the pop radio top 50. I was concerned it was going to flop, as I'd have expected it to show up by now. My fears are thankfully for naught, as it rockets up from #82 to #50. Should be in the top 40 next week.

Sugababes "Wear My Kiss"

Here's the new Sugababes single, "Wear My Kiss." Sounds a lot like Lady GaGa and the lyrics remind me a bit of Madonna's "Dress You Up." Sounds like it fits comfortably in the current RedOne/J.R. Rotem/Tinchy Stryder sound. One of them may have even produced it (don't know yet).

November New Releases

The usual autumn glut of big-name releases continues. In particular, I'm quite excited about Robbie Williams' new album, which I hope will be excellent. I'm also hopeful that Leona Lewis, like Kelly Clarkson, will really shine on her second outing. Rihanna's promised a racy fourth album. And then there's Glee...swoon. What a month!

Highlights

Robbie Williams - Reality Killed the Video Star (Nov. 9). Robbie Williams returns after a 3-year absence with his 8th studio album. It's produced by Trevor Horn, formerly of the Bubbles (from whom the title comes, a reference to their MTV classic "Video Killed the Radio Star"), who also produced the last Pet Shop Boys album (and the Pet Shop Boys in turn appeared on Robbie's last album Rudebox--see the connections?). Back in the mix this time as songwriter is Guy Chambers, the longtime Williams collaborator who did not appear on Rudebox or Intensive Care. First single "Bodies" is already an international smash.

Rihanna - Rated R (Nov. 23). Rihanna returns with her fourth studio album, following up the massively successful Good Girl Gone Bad that produced three US #1 hits and four other top 40 singles. Dark first single "Russian Roulette" is co-written with Ne-Yo, whose said the album overall is edgier than her previous work. Justin Timberlake, The Dream, and Tricky Stewart also collaborated with the Barbadian singer.

Leona Lewis - Echo (Nov. 16). The 2006 X Factor winner, who became the first British reality-TV-launched artist to crack the US (as well as the rest of the world) with massive hit "Bleeding Love," returns with her second album. Expect more finely crafted pop from all the industry's biggest craftsmen--Simon Cowell, Clive Davis, Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Xenomania, Etc. First single "Happy" was released in the US weeks ago.

Glee: The Music Volume (Nov. 3). Anybody who loves pop music, musicals, high school romance, teacher feuds, and is gay (or has plenty of gay friends) should be watching Glee. It's fall's best new show. I'm absolutely infatuated with this show (and the hot teacher, played by Matthew Morrison). The hit mash-ups are missing, but all the show's other major musical moments are here, such as the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin," and memorable fall moments like "Somebody to Love," "No Air," "Gold Digger," "Keep Holding On" and "Bust a Move."

Norah Jones - The Fall (Nov. 17). For her fourth album, Norah Jones has reportedly taken a new direction. How far she'll stray from her winning formula of jazz-influenced pop/folk is anybody's guess. First single "Chasing Pirates" has a bit of an '80s feel to it I think. However she swings it, Grammy nominations will undoubtedly follow next year.

John Mayer - Battle Studies (Nov. 17). Yet another Grammy favorite releases his fourth album. Mayer's last album, Continuum, was a contender for Album of the Year, so expectations are high for Battle Studies, which the singer has said will take a new direction (see a trend?). The album's first single, "Who Says" is off to a good start at iTunes.

Carrie Underwood - Play On (Nov. 2/3). The former American Idol turned major country star releases her third album featuring first single "Cowboy Casanova." Most of the album is produced by Mark Bright, with one track from Swedish pop producer extraordinaire Max Martin. Pop songwriters Kara DioGuardi and Chantal Kreviazuk also lend a hand.

Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment (Nov. 24). Last season's American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is expected to release his debut this month. Lambert's latest single, "Time for Miracles," will reportedly not appear on the album (its from the dreadful looking film 2012). Given the relative mystery and lack of first single, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets pushed back to next year (despite certain record company pressure to get this in stores for the holidays).

Other releases

Nov. 2/3

Amerie - In Love & War. The R&B singer puts out her fourth album.

Weezer - Raditude. Weezer's not very hot at the moment, but they have a new album.

Nov. 9/10

JLS - JLS. The X Factor contestants release their debut album featuring #1 hit "Beat Again" and new single "Everybody in Love."

Britney Spears - The Singles Collection. Britney Spears releases a career-spanning greatest hits collection, featuring all her major hits plus new single "3," which recently topped the US singles chart.

Snow Patrol - Up to Now. Snow Patrol releases its greatest hits, featuring new single "Just Say Yes" plus hits like "Chasing Cars," "Run," and "Take Back the City."

Bon Jovi - The Circle. The famous '80s "hair" band releases its 11th album.

Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions. Scottish band releases its fifth album.


Nov. 16/17

Janet Jackson - Number Ones/The Best. Janet Jackson releases a 2-CD career-spanning greatest collection, uniting her singles under A&M, Virgin and Island Records. Includes 33 hits plus new single "Make Me."

Will Young - The Hits. Will Young collects his 12 biggest hits plus two new songs including current single "Hopes and Fears."

Kris Allen - Kris Allen. This year's American Idol winner releases his debut album featuring first single "Live Like We're Dying," not to be confused with Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying."

Stereophonics - Keep Calm and Carry On. British rock band known for hits like "Dakota" and "Handbags and Gladrags" releases their 7th studio album. First single is "Innocent."

Nov. 23/24

Timbaland - Shock Value 2. This was slated for release months ago, then it vanished, and now it's back on the docket. Expect a similar slate of high-profile guests such as Justin Timberlake (of course), Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Keri Hilson, Chris Brown, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, Drake, and Brandy.

Sugababes - Sweet 7. The decade's ruling girlgroup (well, tied with Girls Aloud in any case) releases their 7th album. Not bad for a pop act whose first album scored only one top 10 hit. The hits don't seem to be coming as easily these days--their last two albums scored only one top 10 hit each. This album was rush re-recorded to replace departing member Keisha Buchanan's vocals with those of new member Jade Ewen (except for "Get Sexy," which had already been released).

Jay Sean - All or Nothing. British R&B artists releases his third album, which is also his American debut, featuring US #1 hit "Down."

Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster. Lady GaGa re-releases her mega-successful album with new material.

Mary J. Blige - Stronger. R&B singer releases her ninth album.

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct. It really will be a miracle of this gets releases before his career implodes. Talk about self-fulfilling prophecy (note: When I started drafting this article a couple of weeks ago, the release date was Nov. 2, note the 3 week slip...already.)

Nov. 30

Westlife - Where We Are. The Irish boyband has been together 10 years now. Unlike other boybands, they've never needed a comeback, because they've never gone away. This year Westlife releases its 10th album. First single is the Daughtry remake "What About Now."

The Bravery - Stir the Blood. New York band releases its third album.

Best of 2000s: Other albums 2003-2005

Because I couldn't narrow it down to just 10, here are 12 other notable albums from 2003 through 2005:

Evanescence - Fallen
With its dark, but accessible tones, the gothic yet top 40 friendly Evanescence struck a chord in 2003 with its hit single "Bring Me to Life." Better yet was their gorgeous third single "My Immortal." I remember particularly enjoying this album walking around the city on cold but sunny winter days that year. Essential: My Immortal

Innocent Eyes - Delta Goodrem
Australian Delta Goodrem's debut showcased the pop singer as a classy act, as adept in front of the piano as she was in front of the microphone. Sadly, her tabloid romance with former Westlifer Brian McKnight seems to have completely eclipsed her musical career, but back in 2003, she looked on course to become the next Celine Dion. Essential: Lost Without You

Dido - Life for Rent
Dido's second album was almost as good as her first, continuing in the electronic adult pop vein with songs like "White Flag" and "Don't Leave Home"--the latter of which was about drug abuse but mistakenly assumed to be a love song and played at weddings (according to Dido, who told this story during her 2004 concert tour). Essential: White Flag

Sugababes - Three
Three was the Sugababes last great album. Although it lacked singles as good as its predecessor, the other tracks were more consistently good, such as the slamming "Whatever Makes You Happy" and cool "Conversations Over." It was with this album that the group tried but failed to break into the US market. Essential: Hole in the Head

Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys' albums haven't quite lived up to their hype, but this, her second, was the best of the trio. I love its old school flair, and there are a lot of great moments here (like the spoken word confession of the diner waitress on "You Don't Know My Name"). Essential: If I Ain't Got You

Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin
Avril Lavigne's second album largely avoided the punky/pop sound she cultivated on debut Let Go. Pity it didn't work out for her, for I actually think this is by far her best album, with darker more mature themes. Essential: Together

Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
As a stepping stone between their indie roots and their recent, more mainstream Under the Blacklight (which I'll be featuring later), More Adventurous effectively shows off both sides of the band. Essential: I Never

Gwen Stefani - Love.Angel.Music.Baby
Breaking from No Doubt in the mid 2000s, Gwen Stefani released two stylized dance pop albums. This, the first and better received of the two, showcased the singer's taste for fashion, dance, hip-hop and '80s synths. Essential: Cool

Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
After seeing the quality of her albums decline from Daydream through Rainbow (and hitting rock bottom with Glitter and Charmbracelet), Mariah Carey reinvented herself with The Emancipation of Mimi, a winning set of modern R&B with a retro sensibility. Essential: We Belong Together

Gorillaz - Demon Days
With Demon Days, Gorillaz, the cartoon band side-project from Blur's Damon Albarn stepped off the page to become a legitimate musical act ("Feel Good Inc." was a much bigger hit than anything Blur's released in years). Essential: Feel Good Inc.

Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
The playful debut from the Kaiser Chiefs was upbeat and fun, with nods to punk and '80s new wave similar to that of the Killers (who broke out at about the same time). Essential: I Predict a Riot

James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
Earnest, acoustic male pop singers proliferated this decade (see John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Daniel Powter, etc.). While I'm generally not into this kind of thing, I rather liked James Blunt's 2005 debut. Essential: You're Beautiful

Album Review: Sugababes - Catfights and Spotlights (4/5)

The Spice Girls continue to remembered as the royalty of British pop girl groups, a shame really, when you consider that the Spices were active for only 4 years, and the Sugababes have been going strong for twice that time now. Lately their star is in danger of being eclipsed by Girls Aloud, who have gotten better (and now have more top 10 hits), while the Sugababes' latest albums haven't been their best.

But Catfights and Spotlights, the group's sixth album and second with latest member Amelle Berrabah is a decent outing. Even if it doesn't reach the heights of their 2002 album Angels with Dirty Faces or their 2003 work Three, it is their best work since then.

Catfights immediately jumps on a retro soul bandwagon recently popularized by Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and others. "Girls," the fantastic first single, is a throttling, horn-drenched affair. "You on a Good Day" gives us a good dose of soulful '60s girlgroup swing. "No Can Do" skips to the next decade, for a funkier but equally upbeat sound. It's a got a cool vocal and horn breakdown about 2 minutes in. I think this will be the second single, and it's a good choice. "Hanging on a Star" continues in the '70s vein, adding a disco stomp and mixing sung and spoken vocal delivery.

Then the album takes a bit of a dip with "Side Chick," a sudden shift from the retro pop to contemporary urban stylings. It's a good but not great track, with decent vocal harmonizing and a darker style reminiscent of the group's early days. The Max Martin-penned "Unbreakable Heart" shimmers with vibrating guitars and a repetitive piano riff. These songs are good, but not as good as the four tracks that open the album.

The album recovers with the next two tracks, which are both excellent. "Sunday Rain" is the first ballad, and it's the most obvious step in the Amy Winehouse direction, employing a big '60s-ish wall-of-sound production of strings, brass, and keyboards. The track was co-written by Steve Booker who worked with Duffy to write her hits "Mercy" and "Stepping Stone." The result is quite satisfying, and the girls sound particularly good here. Even better is "Every Heart Broken," an earnest, powerful ballad that starts with a bare vocal and piano and builds to a big string-backed chorus. The blend of the classical stylings of the strings and modern beats is well done, and I would expect this to be a future hit.

The album's last act is its weakest, which has generally been the case for all of the group's albums, but it still reveals some interesting work. It opens with "Beware," a rather unusual track, with a darker sound and an unusual (but interesting) verse-to-chorus transition. "Nothing's as Good as You" is rather slight, definitely my least favorite track on the album. "Sound of Goodbye" is a delightfully melodramatic breakup song, with a heavy piano, strings, and bass production. It's the best of the last four tracks. "Can We Call a Truce" has a repetitive string melody that's too reminiscent of Pachelbel's Canon.

There's two bonus tracks here also, which are worth mentioning. First is an acoustic piano version of "About You Now," popularized over the summer when it aired during a funeral scene in the British soap opera Hollyoaks. "About You Now" was as frothy and upbeat as any Sugababes single, so it's remarkable how well it translates to a stripped down ballad (the girls performed it in this manner on Radio 1's Live Lounge). Then there's a version of Taio Cruz's recent hit "She's Like a Star," which here also includes the 'Babes.

I'm pleased to say that Catfights and Spotlights is an improvement their last album Change, which became their first since their debut to net them no more than one top 10 hit, and more consistent than Taller in More Ways, which had a great first half and pretty unmemorable second one. There were posters for Catfights all over London last week (especially in the tube), so of course, I had to buy it, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the album offered more treats than just "Girls." The question now is whether the upcoming releases from Girls Aloud and new girl group The Saturdays can top this.

Best: Girls, No Can Do, Every Heart Broken, Sunday Rain, You on a Good Day, Hanging on a Star, Sound of Goodbye

Fall Music Preview - October

Album of the Month: Keane - Perfect Symmetry (10/13) They've been around since just 2004 and already Keane are poised to release their third album. They fell prey a bit to the dreaded sophomore slump for Under the Iron Sea--great album, but not as successful as the band's debut Hopes and Fears, the UK's second best-selling album of 2004. Known for their piano-backed guitarless pop/rock, the first singles from this album, "Spiralling" and "The Lovers Are Losing," already point to a new and exciting direction, heavy with synths and even featuring electric guitar.

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul (10/6) Oasis's career has been a bit rollercoaster. Lately its been on the up though, so I'm hopeful this, their seventh album, will be really great. Last album, Don't Believe the Truth, gave us the great singles "Lyla," "The Importance of Being Idle," and "Let There Be Love," and this new album has already produced an upbeat first single, "The Shock of the Lightning" and the dark album cut currently offered by iTunes "Falling Down."

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns (10/27) Until 2004, Snow Patrol were a little-known band. Then their third album Final Straw produced a major UK hit, "Run," and then their fourth album Eyes Open, which was the best-selling album in the UK in 2006, produced an even bigger international smash, "Chasing Cars." The album's first single, "Take Back the City," gets its UK radio premiere next week.

Kaiser Chiefs - Off with Their Heads (10/13) Another band that had a bit of a sophomore slump (although they did hit #1 with "Ruby") is back for album number three. This time they've enlisted hot retro soul producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) to steer their sound in a new direction. First single "Never Miss a Beat" is a great start.

Pink - Funhouse (10/27) Pink is back with her fifth album. It's first single "So What" finds the singer in her usual punkish pop/rock vein, and already it's a massive hit, debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Australian ARIA chart this week. Max Martin, who helmed her last album's two major hits "U + UR Hand" and "Who Knew" produces the track.

Chris Cornell - Scream (10/14) Timbaland produced--no joke. First single "Long Gone" is, as expected, a bit reminiscent of OneRepublic's "Apologize" from last year. From Nelly Furtado, to Justin Timberlake, to Madonna, Timbaland is positively the hottest producer in popular music right now, if not this whole decade. Struggling has-beens everywhere are selling their souls to have him produce their next hit, although he doesn't seem to be as good at launching new artists (see Nicole Scherzinger).

Bloc Party - Intimacy (10/27) The British indie band offers their third album. Already available as a download, the CD gets its release in late October with a few bonus tracks. First track "Mercury" sounds a lot like their previous stuff.

High School Musical 3 Soundtrack (10/20) With the Disney gang hitting the big screen for outing #3, this is sure to be one of the best-sellers of the year, considering that HSM1 was the best-selling album in the US for 2006 and HSM2 was #2 for 2007.

Sugababes - TBD (10/20) The 'babes stumbled a bit with their fifth album Change, which scored only one major hit (the #1 "About You Now") and became their first album not to have a fourth single. The jury's still out on first single "Girls," which features a lot of horns.

John Legend - Evolver (10/28) Soulful R&B singer John Legend puts out his third album. First single "Green Light" finds him teamed with Outkast's Andre 3000, exploring a more modern sound than we've heard from him before. Then there's the more traditional "If You're Out There," which he performed at the Democratic National Convention.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - TBD (10/27) Her fourth album, with songs produced by Calvin Harris (including the Cathy Dennis-penned first single "Off and On," which is on her myspace page) and Freemasons. After the underwhelming performance of her third album, Sophie needs a hit.

Peter Bjorn & John - Seaside Rock (10/6) Swedish Indie band that had a hit last year with "Young Folks" offers their fourth album.

Razorlight - TBD (10/27) Not much info on this yet, other than it's possibly coming in October.

Other:

Anastacia - Heavy Rotation (10/27)
Ludacris - Theater of the Mind (10/21)
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (10/6)
Hoobastank - Untitled (10/14)
Boyzone - Greatest Hits (10/13)
Jennifer Lopez - Greatest Hits (10/27)
Sarah McLachlan - Closer (greatest hits) (10/7)
Katie Melua - The Collection (10/27)