Review: Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl

Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl
2009, Tommy Boy Records

Blake Lewis got his big break on season six of American Idol, finishing as runner-up to winner Jordin Sparks. Fans of the show continue to argue whether it was talent or gimmicky that advanced Lewis that far; he appeared to be on his way to an earlier exit from the show until he surprised the audience with beat-box style performances. The novelty of this performance (and several to follow) carried Lewis into the final. His 2007 debut album, Audio Day Dream, has sold 350,000 copies to date, and Lewis has maintained a high profile since his days on Idol. On October 6, 2009, Lewis returns with Heartbreak On Vinyl, influenced by 1980's Electropop and Dance music and current trends in electronic music. Lewis had help from such folks as S*A*M & Sluggo (Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco); Dave Aude (Pussycat Dolls); Rodney Jerkins (Lady Gaga, Britney Spears) and Jean Baptiste (Will.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas).

Lewis opens with the title track, a song inspired by the closing of both his favorite record store in his home town and the closing of the Virgin Mega Store in Times Square in New York City. The song is a decent listen with a good dance beat. Lewis' voice is affable without bowling you over. Binary Love and Freak are pure Dance Pop tunes; not much on thought required as long as you keep moving. Voices and lyrics are essentially interchangeable in such songs as the rhythm is ultimately all that matters. Sad Song is the single from the album; full of electronic effects and even vocal effects; the song is perhaps the least impressive song on the disc both musically and vocally. Lewis returns to pure dance pop on the mediocre Afraid, but does a bit better with Left My Baby For You, crafting a melody and rhythm that suggests there's real pop musicality to be found if you dig for it.

SuperScratchaVocalisticTurnatableLicious is a minute of turntable tricks, sampling and looping of Lewis' beat-box style. This was entertaining to listen to, but would work better if he actually crafted a whole song from vocal sounds rather than just a brief sample. Lewis is at his best on The Point, which starts out as a quietly dramatic tune that builds in intensity and in sound, if slowly. Lewis' voice is decent and he builds the song well. The Remedy kicks back into Dance Pop mode and is probably the most successful overall track on the disc. Lewis says goodnight with Love Or Torture (Please Don't Stop), a catchy but mindless tune perfect for the clubs.

Blake Lewis continues down the path he began on American Idol, creating Pop, Electronic kid music that plays well to those who want little more out of music than a good beat. Heartbreak On Vinyl isn't a bad effort, containing several songs with real chart potential. I suspect Heartbreak On Vinyl will be a big success for Lewis.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blake Lewis at http://www.blakelewisofficial.com/ or www.myspace.com/blakelewis. Heartbreak On Vinyl drops October 6, 2009. You can pre-order a copy from Amazon.com. Expect wide distribution in both real and virtual formats.

Cosmo Jarvis - Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch)

Cosmo Jarvis - Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch)
2009, Cosmo Jarvis

Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis was born in New Jersey to an American/Armenian mom and a British dad. Jarvis has found his way back to his father's homeland (Newton Ferrers), where he has written over 250 songs at the tender age of nineteen. With over 100 songs recorded (and self-produced), Jarvis' recording studio is his bedroom. Jarvis even went so far as to displace his bed to the hall in order to fit all of the recording equipment in his room. Jarvis also makes, directs and stars in short films (over 40!). This prodigious level of production apparently does signify over-extension as an artist, at least to judge by the music on Jarvis self-titled album, alternately titled Hum As You Hitch/Son Of A B!tch, due out on November 3, 2009 in the UK. Cosmo Jarvis is revelatory.

Opening with Crazy Screwed Up Lady, Jarvis displays a musicality and presence that is beyond his years. His voice is somewhat anachronistic, but works perfectly amidst inspired Folk/Pop arrangements driven with hints of punk energy. Wild Humans is a humorous ditty that takes accessory pricing to a whole new level. The song is highly entertaining and active. Jessica Alba's Number is an entertaining fan-boy song and tribute all rolled into one. Featured dream girls include Alba, Jessica Simpson, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, and Beyonce Knowles, Kate Nash, Jennifer Lopez and The Pussycat Dolls. The Royal F**k Up is a humorous but angry written from the perspective of an every day person who resents the views that the rich and powerful have of everyone else; in this particular case the target appears to be the British Monarchy, but the theme is a universal one. The song is tongue-in-cheek but full of the hyperbolic, repressed rage that fuels eventual social change. Sort Yourself Out is mix-tape material of another sort. Everyone knows someone they'd love to dedicate this tune to; an angry and pointed calling out and dressing down of someone who tends to have no regard for others. Jarvis closes with Mummy’s Been Drinking; another deeply angry song done as a rap that calls out a mother for hiding from responsibility/reality. The song is entertaining with a bit of the car crash mentality in there for good measure.

Cosmo Jarvis is an absolute breath of fresh air, blowing up the conceptions of traditional pop music with flair and a distinct sense for good musical decisions. Jarvis is an all-around entertainer who can write very well and hits on some real musical magic on Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch). Jarvis' wit is prodigious on his debut album, but there's no air of novelty to the songs. This is a serious collection dished out with healthy doses of humor, impatience, anger, vitriol and ultimately a maturity that's beyond his years. Cosmo Jarvis is very much worth getting to know!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cosmo Jarvis at www.myspace.com/cosmojarvis or http://www.cosmojarvis.com/. Cosmo Jarvis (Hum As You Hitch / Son Of A B!tch) drops on November 3, 2009. You can pre-order the album through Amazon.com as a pricey import, or you can pick it up a bit cheaper by going to Play.com and simply paying the exchange rate here in the US. If you’re buying from the UK it’s much cheaper.