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: Brother Lou - As Good As You Want

Brother Lou - As Good As You Want
2008, Hollywood ACSEP

Brother Lou goes to work 9-5 every day to pay the bills. The newlywed Miami resident has more than enough on his plate, but still finds time to write, record and co-produce his own songs, not to mention performing live. Those of you in the Miami area might know Brother Lou as the host of Luna Star Cafe's bi-monthly Open Mike night. He's also been on various local radio shows in the Miami/Jacksonville region, but is just starting to make a push into the rest of the Southeast United States. Brother Lou's latest CD, As Good As You Want, gives the sonic picture of a singer/songwriter with roots that straddle the line between 1960's folk icons and Country/Rock/Americana artists of today.

Brother Lou's voice is deep and full and reminiscent of another era. I've spent a couple of days now trying to figure out who he sounds like and I finally figured it out. In the deeper elements of his voice Brother Lou sounds strangely like Jim Morrison, but never completely and never for long. This familiarity combined with strong songwriting and an easy presentation style makes for a highly accessible album in As Good As You Want. Brother Lou opens with Nothing In The Sky, a look back at the days after the September 11 attacks on the United States. The song questions the actions that people take on behalf of God and expresses a low simmering anger that will never go away. Let Go is the recognition that sometimes a relationship reaches a point where nothing you do is going to save it. Brother Lou's vocal delivery is full and rich and sprinkled with wit, creating a highly listenable and enjoyable experience. Hey Jesus is an energetic Folk/Rock song is about hypocrisy and religion; taking to task those who profess belief in God and Jesus yet act in ways that seem contradictory ("With the God they've conjured up what do they need the Devil for?"). Brother Lou mentions such public figures as Paula White, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and "Kennedy" in a scathing and witty diatribe you won't want to miss.

As Good As You Want has an almost Celtic flavor to it and reminds listeners that life is what you make of it. Elizabeth is a beautiful and highly personal song about the letting go that needs to occur when someone you love passes on. Brother Lou conveys the emotion and depth of feeling you might expect on this subject without sounding trite. Rain takes on the political campaign process and the shallow nature of both politics and its practitioners. Wit tempers vitriol in what turns out to be a highly intelligent and descriptive song that should be a primer for political science classes everywhere. As Good As You Want closes out with Black And White Kisses, a song about revisiting a lost love from film that's left behind. This is something of a tearjerker about someone who maybe appreciates his lost love more now than when she was alive.

Brother Lou is highly personal in his songwriting. Lyrically he's highly descriptive; this can be both a blessing and a curse at times, but Lou's unadorned arrangements and honest, everyman delivery makes it work. As Good As You Want is the sort of album that should do very well in folk circles and I wouldn't be surprised a few years down the line to see Brother Lou become a staple on the folk circuit. Brother Lou has a lot to say and a lot of stories to tell. Take some time to listen; it'll be As Good As You Want.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Brother Lou at http://www.brotherlou.com/. You can purchase a copy of As Good As You Want at www.cdbaby.com/cd/brotherlou, or you can download the album from iTunes.