In A Perfect World…‘s production never lets up— “Get Your Money Up” and “Turnin’ Me On” are blazing and ready to take over the club, while numbers like “Knock You Down” and “Alienated” are more relaxed, but just as entertaining. Every beat is layered with hyperactive drum patterns that never fall flat, and this doesn’t come as a surprise since every track has credits from the likes of Danja, Timbaland, and Polow da Don.

It should be noted that Ms Hilson has heavy writing credits throughout the album, but that’s just the icing on the cake— Keri could hum the alphabet over these beats and they would still be worth listening to.In fact, most voices would get lost somewhere between In A Perfect World…‘s bone crushing bass and frantic hi-hats, but Keri’s voice soars over every song— This is possibly her biggest advantage over her competition.

A simple side by side comparison of Keri Hilson and Keyshia Cole’s verses on “Get Your Money Up” makes Keri’s superiority over her most immediate competitors obvious: Keri opens and closes the track with a bullet-proof attitude that accentuates the track’s hip-rocking arrangement, while Keyshia struggles to sound strong and keep her voice from being upstaged by the track’s busy arrangement.

But as I mentioned before, not every song on In A Perfect World… is hard-hitting. Tracks like “Intuition“, “Knock You Down“, and “Alienated” are unexpectedly smooth, sweet, and unique— with a special thank you to “Intuition” for giving Timbaland a chance to show off his more quirky, creative side.

Noticeably absent from this record are the clichéd, condescending, uplifting ballads that plague the last few yards of most R&B albums. Instead, Keri makes the smart choice to replace them with sultry slow jams that show her voice off without compromising In A Perfect World…‘s alluring swagger— But this comes as no surprise seeing as In A Perfect World… is the product of an endless string of intelligent choices.

GRADE: A

KEEPERS: “Turnin’ Me On”, “Get Your Money Up”, “Return The Favor”, “Knock You Down”, “Slow Dance”, “Intuition”, “Alienated”, “Energy”

When BoA‘s production is on, it’s on. With pulsing beats and distinctive arrangements, tracks like “Hypnotic Dancefloor“, “I Did It For Love“, and “Eat You Up” are bound to appear on playlists across the country. In fact, these tracks are so sexy, they’re too sexy for BoA herself. Her bright, pure, crystal clear voice sounds like the call of a lost fifteen year old girl when placed over the record’s onslaught of sweeping basslines and hard-hitting drums. Not sultry in the slightest, her voice was clearly destined for something more innocent.

This is why more cutesy numbers like “Look Who’s Talking“, “Did Ya“, and “Girls On Top“, sound natural and comfortable for her. Unfortunately, these tracks are severely lacking from head to toe. The lyrics are cheap, aching to immaturely sassy licks that Britney Spears might have been willing to sing back in ’00, but now even she has evolved beyond lines such as “This song is all about me / Damn right, it’s all about me.” And if only to compliment the lyrics, the beats they are placed over are just as dull. “Did Ya” is a mere recycling of “Buddha’s Delight” from the Music & Lyrics Soundtrack– sadly, the original is better.

BoA is a purely average record from start to finish- It provides some obvious potential hits and some obvious immediate failures. It is passable and would leave BoA to be long forgotten if it weren’t for her success in other countries. In fact, instead of even previewing this record, listen to The Face instead. It doesn’t take a familiarity with the Japanese language to recognize that it is a better album.

GRADE: C

KEEPERS: “I Did It For Love”, “Energetic”, “Eat You Up”, “Obsessed”, “Hypnotic Dancefloor”

There’s something to be admired about an artist who experiences complete failure, and is then brave enough to try again. However, there is also something to be wary of over an artist who just doesn’t know when to give up. Thankfully, Utada is not the latter. Where Exodus came off as self-indulgent, shallow, and somewhat embarrassing, This Is The One shines and positions Utada for success.

Well aware of who she is musically, Utada sticks mainly to mid-tempos and does them well. Tracks like “This One (Crying Like A Child)“, “Apple And Cinnamon“, and “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI” mark Utada’s territory. She doesn’t stray far from the formula that made her notable overseas, but she still manages to dress her songs appropriately for American ears; the tunes are catchy without being overly-complex, the lyrics are worth recognizing without being cryptic, and the luster of the songs does not wear off after repeated listens.

“Inotxicated, emancipated, unapologetic’s what I am tonight”

She does sink her teeth into some danceable tracks as well, but the up-tempo numbers are more hit-and-miss than the others. “On And On” and “Dirty Desire” (leaving its tragic first verse out of the picture) will get heads bobbing and remind listeners that Utada definitely knows how to have a good time. However, tracks like “Automatic Part II” and “Poppin’” may leave listeners with a bitter taste in their mouth. The lyrics and melodies are awkward and quirky beyond comfort at parts, showing that she isn’t completely immune to repeating the mistakes of her past.

Replacing the remixes at the end with actual songs would have helped this record sound more complete, but with all things considered This Is The One is a solid Pop/R&B record that should receive a warmer reception than Exodus. Utada does her thing without turning the people around her off. This is good news for her loyal fans and new listeners, alike.

GRADE: B

KEEPERS: “On and On”, “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI”, “Apple And Cinnamon”, “Taking My Money Back”, “This One (Crying Like a Child)”, “Dirty Desire”

After being offline for a little over a year, The Armored Stereo has hit the airwaves once again and will be working 24/7 to provide readers with the nicest reviews around.

Things may start slow, but expect The Armored Stereo to return to its usual fashion of releasing quality reviews at a steady pace.

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Though in a class of her own, Kerli is destined to attract comparisons to Björk; most obviously, because of their similar accents, but also because both artists have things to offer that are truly unique and won’t leave you dissapointed.

“Walking On Air“, which is the album’s first single, is a fitting demonstration of just how wide the emotional scope of Love Is Dead is.

Eerie verses that talk of a “little creepy girl” living in a creepy universe transition to a chorus made up of inspirational lyrics, urging one to follow their dreams. This kind of polarity is what makes Love Is Dead such an interesting record, but, moreover, makes Kerli such an interesting lyricist.

“I’ll keep walking when skies are grey / Whatever happens was meant that way”

It’s easy to believe that these songs are remnants of past stages in her life, as well as enticing accounts of sitiuations she is currently facing.

The emotion that is so present in Kerli’s vocals is equally matched in her lyrics when she reminds a lover that she’s not bulletproof or even when she sings of a beautiful day in which the sun shines bright and everything she’s dreamed of is in her grasp. And, with a debut this strong, Kerli may have countless beautiful days ahead of her.

SCORE: A

KEEPERS: “Love Is Dead”, “Walking On Air”, “The Creationist”, “I Want Nothing”, “Up Up Up”, “Bulletproof”, “Beautiful Day”, “Hurt Me”, “Butterfly Cry”, “Strange Boy”, “Fragile”

Hudgens’ sophomore effort is noticeably energetic and G-rated. But, even more so, it’s bland, confused, and far too easy to walk away from.

The playful vibe of “Last Night” shows Vanessa delivering on her promise of funky, fun content. The beat is bouncy, her voice is big, and the mood is just right. Unfortunately, that didn’t carry over into the rest of the album.

“Hook It Up” sounds like an accident, but the rest of the tracks are either just short of entertaining, or not fitting for the artist.

It’s obvious that she was built for tracks like “Last Night” and “Don’t Leave“, where she really gets a chance to sing out and flood the speakers with her vocals, but most of Identified shows a girl who is still exploring and terribly lost.

A narrowed musical scope would greatly benefit Hudgens, but her hardcore fans are bound to enjoy the album, regardless of its many faults.

SCORE: D

KEEPERS: “Last Night”, “Don’t Leave”

Some songs seem to be all right, like “Don’t Leave,” and “Last Night,” but most sound like accidents; especially, “Hook It Up.” Somebody, please, tell me that song is a joke.

Luckily, for Hudgens, first impressions aren’t everything. I’ll have an official review and final verdict only after hearing the album in its entirety. You can preview it for yourself with the link below.

PREVIEW IDENTIFIED

Girlicious performed at the 2008 Much Music Video Awards in Canada this past weekend and the performance was, just, alright. Very little of the singing was actually live, but the dancing was good, and the girls looked great.  

There is even a surprise toward the end of the song. I think you’ll all enjoy it.

Watch the performance after the jump…

Preview A Couple of Their New Songs

• G.I.R.L.I.C.I.O.U.S
• Problem

Keri Hilson

Ironically, on her debut single, “Energy,” Keri had no role in the creation of the track and has left all of the heavy-lifting to the Runawayz. It irks me that someone capable of doing for themselve is having other people work for them, but the song is good, regardless, so, I forgive.

“Energy” isn’t life changing, but it’s a sweet mid-tempo that seems to be just shy of being a chart-topper. The heavy synths and emotional lyrics are there, and Keri’s voice is on point, as usual, but the song sounds a bit hollow; all fingers pointing toward the instrumental bridge.

SCORE: B

KEEPERS: Energy