Review: Jeffree Star - Beauty Killer

Jeffree Star - Beauty Killer
2009, Popsicle Records

Jeffree Star started out as a model and makeup artist with an obsessive love of music. His early attempts at songwriting were more of an offhand experimentation than a serious attempt at song craft, but Star has a certain flair for the dramatic that comes through in his music. Working with various Los Angeles producers, including Lester Mendez (Shakira, Jessica Simpson, Nelly Furtado) and Luke Walker (Alkaline Trio, Elliott Yamin); Jeffree Star has created Beauty Killer; a collection of twelve highly danceable songs full of pathos and promise.

Beauty Killer opens with Get Away With Murder, a musical promise or threat from a narrator who is imbalanced and pathologically unable to maintain relationships. Set to a killer dance beat, I suspect this tune will be huge on the club scene. The first single, Prisoner, received upwards of 500,000 streams its first weekend on MySpace and seems certain to propel the initial sales of Beauty Killer to stratospheric heights. It's heavy Rock/Electronica that's certain to make an impact on the dance charts and in the clubs. Louis Vuitton Body Bag features Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba helping out on vocals, and stands out as perhaps the best dance track on the album in spite of the dark content. Electric Sugar Pop slows the tempo down a bit but not the infectious nature of the song. This is bubblegum pop for the electronic music age, but it's very good by both accounts and may have the biggest potential as a Pop single of anything on the disc.

B!tch, Please is one of those songs where fame or infamy is the ultimate question (and ultimately, are they different?). Pat Robertson had a tremor when this song was first written and had no idea why. Lollipop Luxury (with Nicki Manaj) and Get Physical stay on pretty much the same course, whereas Fame & Riches, Rehab B!tches brings a little bit of emo/hardcore scream into the dance realm and features Breathe Carolina. Star closes out Beauty Killer with a pair of add-on tracks, Fresh Meat and Queen Of The Club Scene. Both have the feel of filler as they lack the intensity of much of the album.

Jeffree Star's Beauty Killer will be a big winner on the club scene; likely to be more popular in Europe than in the US. The material is somewhat one dimensional like a lot of pure Dance/Pop, but will score points for shock value on some songs for folks who prize that sort of thing in their music. I thought it was a decent listen; not something I'd feel compelled to spin again personally, but I can see the draw for the clubbers.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jeffree Star at www.myspace.com/jeffreestar. You can purchase Beauty Killer at Star’s web store, or you can download it through iTunes. If you purchase the CD, you’ll get a signed poster from Star while supplies last.

Review: Elliott Yamin - Fight For Love

Elliott Yamin - Fight For Love
2009, Hickory Records

American Idol fans will remember Elliott Yamin from his 3rd place finish in Season 5 of American Idol, coming in behind Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. Yamin’s self-titled debut album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart in 2007 and reached #3 on the list of top 200 albums at one point that year. Yamin’s latest album, Fight For Love is available as of today, May 5, 2009.

Fight For Love opens with Let Love Be, an electronic based R&B jam that showcases Yamin's impressive voice over a forgettable arrangement. The net effect is to make Yamin look very good as he carries a sub par song further than it has any business going. Know Better runs much the same path, with an arrangement that is passable but a strong showing from Yamin on vocals. The title track, Fight For Love, finds Yamin sounding like late Peter Cetera Chicago if they'd been performing in a 21st Century R&B style (and perhaps an octave lower). Listen to the harmonies and the chorus in particular and you'll hear what I'm talking about.

You is an interesting entry on Fight For Love. The melody and structure are more engaging than the material that comes before, and Yamin sounds a bit earthier here. You is a potential big time ballad, although it does sound like some effects were added to the lead vocal, which is always a bit disturbing; particularly from a vocalist with a voice like Yamin's. Much of the album is pedestrian R&B/Pop, where the more dance oriented Don't Be Afraid and You Say or the slower jams Apart From Me or How Do I Know. Cold Heart stands out as highly enjoyable with its funk base and vibrant vocal line. Yamin sounds like he had fun with this one, and the energy is a bit infectious. This Step Alone is also a standout track as Yamin commits heart and soul to the message. The album closes out with Someday, a commercially consumable but not highly memorable pop tune that sums up the general vibe of the album.

I was disappointed with this album, but not with Elliott Yamin's performance. The former American Idol contestant gives all he's got vocally on material that just isn't up to his level. Some of the songs presented here have real promise, but the production relies on cookie-cutter R&B/Pop arrangements cooked up in an electronic kitchen. I have no doubt Elliott Yamin will chart a few songs from Fight For Love and move some units, particular amongst Idol fans, but with a voice like his you're right to expect a bit more. Yamin's performance here is consistent with the excellence of his voice, but the material leaves a lot to be desired.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Elliott Yamin at http://www.officialelliottyamin.com/ or www.myspace.com/elliottyamin. You can purchase a copy of Fight For Love at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold. The album can also be downloaded through iTunes.