Today's featured shit

I sure am reviewing a lot of timeless superstars this week. Imogen Heap sounds as good as she always have. Leadoff track “First Train Home” has the same breezy feel that she’s long been famous for. The music is a lot like what Kate Bush has been doing her whole career, although the voices are obviously nothing alike.
The syncopation in “Earth” makes it a standout track. I can’t help but worry, though, that it is something my mom would listen to. “Swoon” has more of a modern feel, but by that I mean not the 1980s. This song could be a B-side of “I’m Too Sexy.” It’s really a great song. The percussion is similar to Cause & Effect’s “You Think You Know Her.”
“Bad Body Double” is a little peppier as far as Imogen Heap songs go. It’s a fun little number. “Aha!” would be good for driving in traffic. The violins are lane changes.
“Half Life” has nothing to do with Jahi, but it’s a great way to end the album. A little more piano shows up on this one, and it sounds great. No real surprises on this album, but there’s no need for it, either.

This has an early-’90s pop sensibility, like Kirsty MacColl’s Walking Down Madison, Juliana Hatfield’s Hey Babe or old Sixpence None the Richer. I really like this a lot. “Charming Sexy” packs a power-pop punch, cliche as it sounds. “Superhero” is a bit overproduced but still great to listen to. In addition, the chorus has the same melody as “All 4 Love” by Color Me Badd.
“Please!” reminds me of a less-pretentious Pipettes. Maybe this is because there’s just Eva, and she has no need to compete with two others for attention. All I know is that I have a sudden urge to don a jean jacket.
“Life Still Goes On” is a ballad and makes me glad I am not still in junior high school. Having to dance to “Angel” by Aerosmith was bad enough. “The Spell” is one of the best tracks on the album, musically. It’s nice sometimes to hear some female-led pop music with no edge. Just because you want to rock doesn’t mean you have to kick ass and take names, too. That said, the lyrics are so corporate that it detracts from the song. “Move forward” does not belong in a pop song, period.

For nearly 15 years have I believed the Hope. I have no idea what she looks like, but I’ve always been in love with her. The Warm Inventions are like 10 dudes (mostly dudes), and they provide all the musical accompaniment so Sandoval can do her thing. Pablo may be my favorite baseball player, but Hope is my favorite Sandoval.
“Blanchard” is as good as any other track. It just happens to be first. Sandoval has never been one to mess with success, so it’s actually a hard album review to write. You already know whether you’re going to like it, and you better, or I will pour maple syrup in your gas tank.
“For the Rest of Your Life” has haunting, ethereal instrumentation and sounds like it would fit right in on a Twin Peaks soundtrack. Julee Cruise wishes she were this good.
The 1980s was the decade that broke New Age, and George Winston became a household name. All that Windham Hill hoohah has inspired in some unusual places, and when you listen to “Thinking Like That,” it is hard not to hear the same musical stylings that once featured music videos of lush landscapes and rolling hills.

You pretty much know what you’re getting with Shonen Knife, a trio of Japanese women who sing in English as best they can. They’ve been doing it to it for 27 years, and this is their 14th album. “Deer Biscuits” is sillier, and that’s what you want with your Knife. This is not a band that takes itself seriously, and that’s why it works.
“Na Na Na” has lots of fun real-life-in-Japan samples and is also a fun one. If you want a more serious track, try “Your Guitar,” but really, why would you want to do that?
“Super Group” and “Evil Birds” are the two end pieces on this loaf of french bread. They do an excellent job of getting it started and finishing it off, respectively. But such references should be reserved for a Cibo Matto review. Are they even still around?