Friday, June 9, 2017

Report to the Dance Floor : Katy Perry's "Witness"



I don't think I have been closeted about my love of pop music. Ms. Perry is mainstream, but so is Depeche Mode. She fits in the electronic music I cover here. The album opens with a pop take on house music. I am sure a remix of this will be huge in the gay clubs, the song doesn't have the kick I want from her. Her voice sounds very mature and she has grown into an almost more r&b rooted pop sound holding her own against her peers here vocally. I am not going to claim she is the greatest singer.Nor am I going to say that I don't like looking at her more than Taylor Swift whose music I respect more. I am going to need to give this album another listen through head phones as there is not enough bass to "Hey Hey Hey" . The vocal melodies don't do wonders for me and I expect a lot from her when it comes to pop music because she has busted at songs like "Dark Horse".

In many ways it remind me of my initial listen to "Prism" that had at  the singles grow on me.
least. "Roulette" works more for me. There is almost a new wave like slickness to the synth lines and the vocal lines are stronger. 'Swish Swish" feels like typical gay house even with the rap interlude and doesn't wow me. "Deja Vu" feels like Euro house and the lyrics are a little awkward, but it's better than "Swish Swish" despite leaning more towards filler. "Power" is more soulful pop like something you would expect on a Beyonce album. I was hoping "Mind Maze" would make more sense on my second listen. The track is a little minimalist, though layers do get added. The ballad "Miss You More" is much more fully formed, hell, It's a good fucking song.

I think I was already sold on "Chained to the Rhythm" . The vocals on the verses pretty much seal the deal, I could do without the Marley spawn on the track. "Tsunami" is a pretty chill track, Which is also a nice way of saying there is not a helluva lot to it. "Bon Appetit" is one of the album's stronger songs, it reminds me a little of the second Dee-Lite album. The track even with head phones is dependent on the plastic beats , but her vocals do most of the heavy lifting with the phrasing. "Bigger Than Me" is produced like a Future track. I would not be surprised if I found Metro Boomin did the beats for this album. The chorus kicks in a little more than some of the other songs, but I am I not really blown away by it. She plays it safe not just with this song but most. The beginning of "Save as Draft" could be a Sigur Rios song. This song has the dynamics I have wanted out of most the songs that have kinds breezed by me. I can hear where Bjork was an influence on her.

Then "Pendulum"  reminds me a little of Peter Gabriel's poppier moments. The synths build like "Abacab" Genesis. The album closes with "Into Me You See" which is piano ballad that I should have seen coming. She floats up into her head register. I think "Miss You More" is a better ballad. It doesn't  build the way I want it to and flats a little flat.  I'll give this an 8 and see how it grows on me. I think "Teenage Dream" is looking like her high point as this one is decent , but we know she can write as good of a pop song as anyone when she really tries , but it feels like she might be into being a celebrity more than a singer, which is why I tend to not cover these sort of things, guess my lesson is learned til Tayor Swift puts out a new one, but I won't subject you to Chris Stapleton . This is better than what I have heard thus far from Miley Cyrus .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/eighteen-visions-xviii.html

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