Album- Night Shades
Artist- Cobra
Starship
American dance pop band Cobra Starship have created a
powerful pop sound for themselves that is vibrant and catchy, with band making
the mainstream with their 2007 hit “Good Girls Go Bad (featuring Leighton
Meester). Their latest album brings their most commercial sound, but according
to lead singer Gabe Saporta, their most honest. And the band has also said to have
strengthened their sound and grown, with the album having something for
everyone. But does what they say really match up with the sound of the songs
and the record as a whole?
Track 1- You Belong
to Me
The album opens with an upbeat ballad number in which the
band meld clunky piano melodies with a delicate kind of vocal as Saporta sings
to this girl and tells her that even if she is feeling band she will be ok
because she belongs to him. The chorus maintains a strong hook driven
catchiness, but the verses are a little bland in terms of the imagery used, as
it feels too stereotypical for this kind of a track. However Saporta’s light
vocals cover up the blandness of the lyrics a little, having a cool delicacy to
them but also still maintain the upbeat energy of the track, and the
harmonization of the chorus is catchy. The production of the track is
definitely the best component, with the clattering drum beats and pop rock vibe
being melded together nicely with electronic beats and making for a light and
fresh track that is quite enjoyable.
3/5
Track 2- You Make Me
Feel … (featuring Sabi)
An upbeat number and the lead single off the record, this is
the only track not too be co-written by the band. However the dance pop energy
of the track definitely makes it feel like a Cobra Starship track, and the
lyrical quality is similar to their own work. The song finds Saporta singing
about finding the girl he is missing that can make him feel so…, while Sabi
fills that role as the girl who is “the baddest baby in the atmosphere”. The
song is powerfully hook driven and the male female vocal play off is extremely
catchy, making for a fun and vibrant track. The production of the track is also
really strong, featuring a simple but propulsive beat that is intermingled with
a cool synth arrangement and which as a whole just sounds light but powerful,
making for an attention grabbing sound. The only problem with this track is the
vocals of both artists, as they play off each other well but both are Auto
Tuned and sound a little bit lifeless in places, so the track loses a little of
it’s zest and is knocked down a bit from pop brilliance.
4/5
Track 3- #1Nite (One
Night)
Keeping with the up tempo, just have fun vibe of the
previous track, this song finds Saporta basically telling you how great this
night is and how you have to just live for it, a message that is a bit bland in
today’s pop world where live your life to the full dominates many artists
music, but the track is saved by the catchy chorus and powerful hook that will
definitely get stuck in your head. The production is also another factor that
stops the track from being a bland piece of dance pop as the forceful
electronic beats and clattering bass make for a great up tempo sound that
matches the carefree ideology of the track powerfully. The song also really
works well in the way that it builds, with the bridge being a great stopping
moment before the big finish. Again the only real issue is the vocals, as
Saporta draws a fine line between annoying and catchy in terms of his processed
vocal. I would recommend listening to
the single version of the track that features My Name Is Kay, as she
brings a playful and light tone to the track that gives it a little bit more
appeal.
3.5/5
Track 4- Fool Like Me
(featuring the Plastiscines)
Fool Like Me has more of a slowed down, laid back rhythm
with a small soulful feel and more story based lyrics. The song finds Saporta
singing to this girl and telling her about how people have told her to stay
away, particularly her mother and father, because he is a fool, and the verses
give us examples of how much of a fool he is. The vocals from Saporta are
stronger than the previous offerings, featuring less vocal distortion and so
sounding fresher. The rhythm of the track also really suits the lightness of
the song, and the small featured moments of the high pitched Plasticines
compliment his vocals nicely. The lyrical content is still hook driven but as a
whole feels a little bit more polished, with the clichés being ok as they suit
the laidback vibe of the track. Production wise the song features a nice,
electronic based keyboard sound that is accompanied by simple hand clapping
beats and has a cool kind of sweet and organic feel that is a nice change of
pace.
3.5/5
Track 5- Anything For
Love
A throwback sound can be exhibited from the very beginning
of this track which features the use of a heavily synthesised production as a
nod to 1980’s new wave. The disco groove of the track has a summer tinge and
still keeps a laidback kind of energy going within the record. The message of
the track is very much summed up in the title as Saporta slowly things of his
wish and need for this thing that is called love, with the “all I need” hook
summing up his desperation. The lyrics have a cool laidback groove that is
really fitted with the sound, although the synthesised beats are definitely the
centrepiece of the tracks as they create a great dance vibe that is so 1980’s
and deliciously cool. The synthesised energy also really matches Saporta’s
vocal tone, with the laidback vibe allowing for him to sit in a comfortable
vocal groove and enhance the vibe of the track by placing slow lyrical stresses
on what he is singing, particularly in terms of the catchy title.
3.5/5
Track 6- Middle
Finger (featuring Mac Miller)
The records second single has been describe as “just a fun
song” by Saporta and is produced by the massive Swedish production duo Stargate.
Lyrically we find Saporta getting over a former beau by just getting drunk and
express your happiness in a screw you kind of way. Vocally Saporta is strong,
with the vocal distortion in the chorus actually being catchy for once and
nicely minimal so as to not make an annoying record. The Miller rap feature
also brings some cool swag energy to the track with fast paced lyrical raps
that complement the sing along chorus nicely. Stargate bring some good
production to the electro pop track with an incessant rock tinged back beat
coupled with clattering electro beats that make for a light and reckless kind
of persona to be discovered in the track.
3.5/5
Track 7- Don’t Blame
the World, It’s the DJ’s Fault
The band provide another dance floor ready number in this
simple electro pop number where Saporta sings to this girl about how she is
searching for herself and should just get herself on the dance floor and lose
herself cause that’s the best place. The lyrical content doesn’t really leave a
big impression, with the hook being very repetitive and so quickly becomes
annoying. Sonically the track feels a little lacklustre, with the electronic
beats sounding good in the frenzied beats and having a cool stop and start
rhythm in places, but mostly just sounding typical of this dance pop genre.
Saporta is also quite bland vocally, not giving the song any personality and
sounding to Auto Tuned.
2/5
Track 8- Fucked In
Love
This track starts off in a synth based way that sounds like
they are going for a cool throwback sound again, but then the booming drum
beats and even stronger electo beats kick in to make for a forceful and catchy
energy to the track. The forceful energy matches the lyrical content of the
track powerfully in which Saporta sings of this terrible relationship that has
been completely messed up by him, but he is still so in love with her even
though the relationship is over. The heartbreak ideology of the number works
with Saporta’s voice and sounds quite truthful, with the hook still retaining a
catchy feel. However vocally Saporta is really distorted and so the whole power
of the track is lost a bit and just becomes annoying. The pause between the
bridge and final chorus makes for a big finish and the synth based sound is
definitely better than the previous number, with the twinkling outro making for
an almost sweet end, but unfortunately Saporta becomes over powered by the
sound.
3/5
Track 9- Disaster Boy
The more alternative sensibilities of the band come out
prominently within this track which is still a kind of commercial affair but in
terms of lyrics sounds cooler and is also given more power by the female male
vocal call and response that is employed. The track begins a bit boring but the
pace picks up as the vocals begin, as the band depict this relationship in
which things just go wrong cause this guy is one big disaster, but this girl
still has really potent feeling about him. The storytelling lyrics are better
than some of the other songs, although the track lacks a tight hook. And the
disco based production with the light synths and cool electronic bass makes for
a strong, carefree sound. However the track suffers in terms of the vocal.
Saporta is okay but here appears less prominently in this track, and instead
the vocals of keytarist Victoria Asher are the more prominent feature. And this
is really bad because the girl just can’t sing, which makes for a really
annoying listen.
2/5
Track 10- Shwick
(featuring Jump Into the Gospel)
Ending the record is a angst fuelled number which lyrically
finds Saporta singing about how he just can’t believe in all the crap that is
attached to the idea of love, and in turn doesn’t want to believe in love. The
track is frenzied in terms of the production which is another synth based piece
that has a bit of a throwback feel and is accompanied by some strong vocal
distortion. The vocals are strong in the middle section with auto tune being
employed to good effect, and the 80’s disco beat of this section are also
catchy. However as a whole Saporta isn’t strong in his vocal performance, with
the chorus sounding like he is yelling a bit more than singing and lacking
personality. The track is also missing a great hook, but the record is saved a
little at the end by the frenzied disco outro that inspires you to have fun and
dance.
3/5
Final Review
When you listen to this album as a whole you can definitely
get the sense that this has a commercial feel, as it combines modern
sensibilities with a little bit of a throwback feel, something which is popular
in today’s music market. Yet whilst it is more commercial, this is something
that also makes it a bad record, which is sad as sometimes commercial records
can be really good. Cobra Starship can craft a well-rounded pop song that has a
catchy feel, but when they create an album there isn’t enough variation and at
a certain point you get tired of hearing the same kind of sentimentality in
sound. Also, vocally Saporta really needs to get to know his voice more and tone
down the auto tune and heavy synthesisers, as it is very easily too much. More
like a step back than a step forward for the group.
4.5/10
Best Track- You Make
Me Feel… (featuring Sabi)
Worst Track- Disaster
Boy
No comments:
Post a Comment