The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 -- 7A
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The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September19, 2012 - 7A
Cute, lyrical 'Kiss'
Jepsen establishes
herself beyond
'Call Me Maybe'
By GREGORY HICKS
Daily Arts Writer
Carly Rae Jepsen's debut as a
relevant artist has managed to
put the "bubblegum" back in pop
music, and all it
took was atweet ****
from the Biebs
about his dis- Carly Rae
covery of a song
called "Call
Me Maybe." Kiss
Even with an
abundance of Polydar
producers col-
laborating on the album, the simi-
larity in instrumentation brings
each track together as part of the
same Carly Rae family.
The beats might be thump-
ing in Kiss, but additional light-
hearted, high-pitched melodies
in tracks like the album's second
single, "This Kiss," allow for cute,
girly music that listeners can still
bust a move to.
Though Jepsen is a recent hit,
longtime artists like Jennifer
Lopez and Christina Aguilera
could learn from her. These art-
ists let electronic music domi-
nate their sound, rather then
letting their sound dominate
the instrumentation. By sticking
with high-toned synths and all
the other bells and whistles -
pun intended - Jepsen embraces
computer-driven production as a
complement to her style, rather
than defining it. Examples of
this are heavy in the record's
first track, "Tiny Little Bows,"
which is well-placed in the
tracklist, immediately preparing
the listener to expect a playful,
lovestruck, juvenile girl. Admit
it - Jepsen is fairly immature for
a 26-year-old woman.
Still, the beat to each track
'Battle Born'shows hints of
the Killers'past greatness
By CHLOE STACHOWIAK class and you stayed at home
DailyMusic Editor listening to sad music instead of
talking to him about it.
When The Killers released Hot Fuss carved itself into
Hot Fuss eight years ago, there's our memoryscapes with every
no way the Las Vegas band could energetic twist and turn that
have antici- The Killers delivered - unfor-
pated the tidal tunately for today's younger
wave of popu- crowd, their newest album
larity it would isn't quite as memorable. The
generate from first break in the band's silence
a younger gen- Battle Born since the 2008, Battle Born lacks VERTIGO
eration of lis- the addictive melodies and
teners. What Vertigo star-studded track listing of its than "Somebody Told Me" ever
started out predecessor: It may sparkle in could.
unassuming enough - a baby places, but unlike the band's But even with showstop-
faced singer, guitars and some past work, this album doesn't pers like "Flesh and Bone" and
dance beats - stole the eyes and shine all the way through. "Runaways," Battle Born doesn't
Call me, maybe at1616.443.6902.
could use some variety. The sandy
kick-clap gets dull after the ten
songs it's featured in. This will
most likely go unnoticed though,
seeing as it's not a huge contribu-
tion to the music and most Carly
Rae enthusiasts are casual music
listeners.
There are two collaborations
on the album, both a perfect fit
for the demographic. Owl City,
the male parallel to Jepsen's
sweet, innocent, synth-pop style
is featured on their Top-10 song
"Good Time," while her Cana-
dian partner-in-crime, Justin
Bieber, is found on the track
"Beautiful." This adds an extra
cuteness factor since Bieber is
responsible for Jepsen's rise to
fame. Directioners (One Direc-
tion fans) be warned, there is
some lyrical familiarity in the
Canadian pop stars' duet, with
the phrase "what makes you
beautiful, is you don't know how
beautiful you are." Prepare for a
plagiarism war waged between
15-year-old girls everywhere.
Above all, it's about time a
pop artist started putting a hint
of effort into their lyrics. Jep-
sen's lyrics don't always flow too
well, but she does use vocabu-
lary that goes beyond describing
what takes place in a Las Vegas
strip club. The world has waited
far too long for a song like "Call
Me Maybe," a song that's iconic
enough for people to incessantly
annoy their friends with, to a
degree almost beyond the Britney
classics.
There's even amusing lyrical
content in songs that aren't as
single-worthy. "Your Heart Is a
Muscle" cleverly mixes the figu-
rative and literal in portraying
the heart (love) as being a muscle
that needs to be exercised. In the
bonus track, "Sweetie," Jepsen
refers to her love interest as an
"eighth-world wonder." A little
effort goes a long way in shift-
ing the listener's attention from
music to lyrics.
Nobody can say that something
sounds like a Katy Perry, Britney
Spears or Jennifer Lopez song
because nobody really knows
what that sounds like anymore.
But now that Ms. Jepsen has
proven herself as being more than
a one-hit wonder, people will soon
begin to hear colorful, comput-
erized bubblegum pop and say,
"This sounds like a Carly Rae Jep-
sen song!"
ears of tweens and teens every-
where, and it wasn't long before
the band's hits blasted from as
many radio stations as it did
speakers at high school dances.
Hot Fuss was an album of easy
rhythms and untamed energy,
one that could define an entire
generation with its simple lyrics
about being in love and having
fun.
Think about it: There's a
pretty good chance you lis-
tened to "Somebody Told Me"
while you got ready for a foot-
ball game your first year of high
school, pumping yourself up
with the song's aggressive cho-
rus before you nervously pushed
through the crowd of bleating
band instruments and cheering
strangers. You may have played
"All These Things That I've
Done" on a mix CD your first
time behind the wheel of a car,
finding some kind of strength
and reassurance by screaming
"I got soul but I'm not a soldier"
into the dashboard. And you
may have even found comfort in
"Mr. Brightside" during periods
of emotional turmoil - like that
time youthoughtyour boyfriend
was into the girl in your math
O1
sid
hav
"Fle.
album
start -
its'80s
into mu
track,
Brando
the icy
effects
they've
sound
The
aways'
taking
cal po
and ta
and se
swear c
child"
an oth
the son
like m
the hs
ics wil
live up to the Hot Fuss hype. It's
not that the songs are musically,
1+ the bright offensive - it's easy to listen
to every drum crash and elec-
e w a1 tric melody without pressing
ew always "skip" - but somewhere after
re 'H ot Fuss' the fourth synth breakdown
and fifth song about unrequited
love, things take a turn for the
boring. Tracks like "Miss Atom-
sh and Bone" kicks the it Bomb" and "Be Still" are fine,
off to a promising enough but nothing more. Battle Born
the song is captivating as fades into a pleasant but under-
-style synth line explodes whelming drone, not the punchy
usical chaos. It's a chilling list of singles the band is capable
especially when vocalist of producing.
in Flowers cries out into People probably won't be
drumbeat and keyboard talking about Battle Born eight
The Killers are as catchy years from now. They won't
always been, but they catch themselves humming its
more grown up than ever. melodies while they get ready
breathtaking "Run- for work and they won't asso-
also bleeds maturity, ciate its words with reckless
what would be a typi- memories from when they were
p song about young love younger. It's a decent album
ngling it with nostalgia that's downright stunning at
riousness. Lines like "I times, but it's not worth forever
on the head of our unborn holding onto - instead, it's a
add more dimension to signal to thank The Killers for
serwise upbeat melody; everything they've done, listen
g will linger in your head to their older music when the
ost of the band's hits, yet moment is right and invite a
auntingly personal lyr- new band to define generations
I claw their way deeper to come.
TVREs
Needs more 'Practice'
By RADHIKA MENON
Daily Arts Writer
You would think a veterinary
sitcom featuring a cute, cuddly
monkey would jumpstart the
hearts of every
viewer. Dr.
Rizzo (Crystal
the Monkey, Animal
"The Hangover
Part II") does
just that, but Pilot
"Animal Prac-
tice" flat-lines Wednesdays
in most other of 8 p.m.
aspects. NBC
Justin Kirk
("Weeds") stars as Dr. George
Coleman, a veterinary sur-
geon who bonds easily with his
patients, but despises their own-
ers. Unfortunately for him, the
human counterparts become a
permanent problem after the
arrival of new management at
the animal hospital in the form of
Dorothy (JoAnna Garcia Swisher,
"Reba"), his ex-girlfriend.
Dorothy's arrival squelch-
es the chaos of Crane Animal
Hospital, organizing both the
overflowing waiting room and
the zany doctors. Her changes
don't sit well with George, who
fights her every step of the way.
However, his constant disobedi-
ence works against him instead
of allowing him to take back the
hospital as he plans - Dorothy
fires him.
The problem is that there's no
tension in this; the series doesn't
exist without our main character
operating within the walls of the
hospital, and we feel no urgency
in his departure. His journey
back is equally uninspired - it
mostly feels as though he never
left, quietly continuing to oper-
ate his backroom animal betting
games, constantly lowering Dor-
othy's authority.
George's compatriots cover
the spectrum, from creepy and
awkward Angela (Betsy Sodaro,
"This Show Will Get You High")
to semi-normal Dr. Doug Jackson
(Tyler Labine, "Tucker and Dale
vs Evil"). These oddballs occupy
the periphery, offering their oft-
misguided wisdom during the
transition period. However, they
toe the line between endear-
NBC
They're betting on how many people will call that phone number ... and turtles.
ing an
towar
too br
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Jackso
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standa
The t
d irritating, leaning more' attractive, but don't have enough
ds the latter. Angela hints onscreen chemistry together to
oadly at George and Doro- hold the audience's attention.
sexual tension, while Dr. "Animal Practice" tries too
)n pathetically searches for hard to establish itself amidst a
every crevice of his life. menagerie of hospital sitcoms,
mostly attempting to be a vet-
erinary version of the hit show
a monkey is "Scrubs" while employing a
"House"-esque main charac-
arrying the ter. But the other characters at
Crane Animal Hospital range too
low yikes. much between bland and exorbi-
tant as compared to the band of
lovable weirdos at Sacred Heart
on "Scrubs."
rge and Dorothy's Where the writers were hop-
ice is told explicitly and ing for giant laughs, they only
rather uninspiring fash- receive a few measly awkward
ithin a matter of min- chuckles. Save for the monkey,
we know everything we "Animal Practice" has no char-
to about their past, but acter worth investing in, and the
invested in seeing their pilot did little to set up a long-
As the story goes, George term storyline worth following.
ided to Dorothy's "I love However, there is consider-
confession with a simple able writing and producing tal-
ome," prompting her to ent attached in the form of new
ut on him. Five years later, showrunner Marco Pennette,
ack and it's clear that they who has hit dramas "Ugly Betty"
t over each other; the fol- and "Desperate Housewives
episodes will undoubt- under his belt, as well as execu-
onsist of a tired, back and tive producer Scot Armstrong,
will-they-won't-they sto- who wrote both "Old School"
and "The Hangover Part H."
k's acting chops are wasted Their involvement means that
ale that doesn't allow him the series just may develop into
nything more than moody exactly the quirky show it is
incooperative. Where he aspiring to be.
1 as a secondarycharacter All things considered, "A11
eeds," he simply flickers mal Practice" will probably put
flagship role in "Animal you in a boredom coma before
ce." Garcia is equally bor- makingyoulaugh. Judging solely
inging nothing new to the on the quality of the pilot, NBC
rd television ex-girlfriend. should pull the plug sooner rath-
wo leads are physically er than later.
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