Spark the fire...

My summer 2008 project has taken yet another turn! It all started mostly by accident as, while my curiosity had been aroused by music from, inter alia, Sara Bareilles (the album 'Little Voice', which I imported from America on vinyl) it was my niece that really moved this from curiosity status to quest status. I want to acknowledge her for that; it was a very good call indeed and way ahead of its time in the UK.
It has already surpassed all expectations but to receive two wonderful albums, both very different except for the fact that they are both largely unknown in the UK, on successive days is truly remarkable! Some reviewers have said that it sounds like Evanescence. I like Evanescence and have both their studio albums but that is a lazy comparison. The start (in particular) of track 2, Bloom, does however explain why some might have garnered that idea and it is true that Kira Fontana is, like Amy Lee, a pianist first and foremost. There is nothing wrong with the song, nor indeed the others that don't sound remotely like Evanescence. It is fair comment and sensible to say that 'The Inner Revolution' is certainly not the most immediately accessible album that I will tell you about this year; four listens and now I think I like it very much but I'm still really only just getting the measure of it.

On the other hand the US is also now doing catchy electro-pop like we thought it had forgotten all about long ago! Whilst it is in some ways faintly provocative and memorable, neither is it challenging nor entirely vapid, and that is just what pop should be.

This was never the way I planned,
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion

Katy Perry tops the charts in the US and the UK with "I Kissed A Girl".

It is not Perry's fault at all but I can only imagine that this fills Stefy Rae with frustration and regret, and justifiably so, as 2007 single "Chelsea" was in much the same vein but went nowhere by comparison. It will be interesting to see if 'One Of The Boys' (Katy Perry's album, as yet unreleased in the UK) fares better than 'The Orange Album' by Stefy.

The jury is out and the voting may well be too close to call.