Saying you're disappointed in Susan Boyle's debut album is kind of like complaining to your grandma about how lame you think her local weatherman is. You could do it, but what's the point?
Susan Boyle was not meant for you. Despite racking up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube since April, the infamously dowdy Scottish singer has released a full-length album I Dreamed a Dream that is laser targeted to the over-40 demo. When I unwrapped the disc last week, I have to admit I was excited. I'd heard her cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and I was blown away by the depth of emotion and richness of Boyle's voice.
But by the time I slogged through predictably schmaltzy takes on "How Great Thou Art," the forgettable Madonna tune "You'll See" and — ugh — the Monkees' "Daydream Believer," I began to wonder if mentor Simon Cowell had not missed a grand opportunity.
Susan Boyle was not meant for you. Despite racking up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube since April, the infamously dowdy Scottish singer has released a full-length album I Dreamed a Dream that is laser targeted to the over-40 demo. When I unwrapped the disc last week, I have to admit I was excited. I'd heard her cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and I was blown away by the depth of emotion and richness of Boyle's voice.
But by the time I slogged through predictably schmaltzy takes on "How Great Thou Art," the forgettable Madonna tune "You'll See" and — ugh — the Monkees' "Daydream Believer," I began to wonder if mentor Simon Cowell had not missed a grand opportunity.
- 11/30/2009
- by Gil Kaufman
- MTV Newsroom
X frontman goes clubbing with the Sadies
X always mixed in a little country with its rockabilly punk, but Country Club, a new album with Toronto barnstormers the Sadies, is the first time John Doe devoted himself so completely to the genre, covering songs by Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard—and even X. He’s certainly comfortable with the material, and his worn-leather voice conveys an unexpected tenderness that adds spirited desperation to opener “Stop the World and Let Me Off,” gritty regret to “‘Til I Get It Right,” and aching vulnerability to “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” His only dud is Willie Nelson’s “Night Life,” whose arrangement is so forcefully dramatic that he gets a little lost in the mix. On the whole, though, the Sadies know just when to step forward or back, creating a general bootgazer ambience and re-creating the steely...
X always mixed in a little country with its rockabilly punk, but Country Club, a new album with Toronto barnstormers the Sadies, is the first time John Doe devoted himself so completely to the genre, covering songs by Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard—and even X. He’s certainly comfortable with the material, and his worn-leather voice conveys an unexpected tenderness that adds spirited desperation to opener “Stop the World and Let Me Off,” gritty regret to “‘Til I Get It Right,” and aching vulnerability to “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” His only dud is Willie Nelson’s “Night Life,” whose arrangement is so forcefully dramatic that he gets a little lost in the mix. On the whole, though, the Sadies know just when to step forward or back, creating a general bootgazer ambience and re-creating the steely...
- 5/5/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
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