Album Review - Devil's Music

I know this album has 'been out' for over a year now, but it only recently was released in the US, which is all I care to blog about. The album features an array of guests and talent, with featuring artists appearing on roughly 3/4 of the tracks. Some of the guests I know, others I don't, but what I am certain of is this album is amazing.

 

The album is full of guest appearances. The Teddybears are mainly producers, and rarely sing themselves, so much like David Guetta, they get stars to come in an sing for them. A rather novel idea that might lead to one saying that they are piggybacking off of the artists they get to sing for them, but it's no better than Lady Gaga harmonizing "Red One" and "Cherry Cherry Boom Boom" into her songs so you know they were involved. Honestly, I like the idea of having a compilation of music produced by the same people but with different vocalists.

There are a number of very strong tracks. "Rocket Scientist" featuring Eve gets you right into the groove of things. It has a very 70's feel mixed with the current state of pop music. Eve has a very harsh voice making the juxtaposition quite amusing in the song. They lyrics (as you will find with a lot of Teddybears songs) are nonsensical for the most part. Not being a fan of Eve coming into the situation, I had no idea what to expect, but I ended up looking up (and buying!?) some of her stuff. Talented lady, I'd say.

My two favorite tracks on the album are actually two of the most opposite songs. "Cho Cha" is Cee Lo Green spinning a tale about a girl he is crazy about. The music sounds like the soundtrack to a late 70s grindhouse exploitation film. Accompanying Cee Lo is one of my favorite groups of all time -- The B-52s.  They aren't in the song all that much, but hearing Fred Schneider ramble off a couple of amusing lines towards the end completely made the song. It also is a good excuse if your co-workers hear you saying "meow". You could say "Oh yeah, I just got that Cee Lo Green tune stuck up in my head."

"Crystal Meth Christian" is easily the best track on the album. I fell for this song the moment I heard it. The Flaming Lips have always been a hard sell for me. I have to be in the perfect mood to listen to them, but this song is so laid back and relaxing while keeping my attention. Plus, the title is hilarious... and there go all my Christian readers... Wait. Why did I have any to begin with. Anyway, the slightly off vocals create a very different kind of song, one that I can enjoy any time.

For the US release of the album, some of the more obscure artists have been replaced. Seeing as I've had this album for a while, I was a bit distraught. I mean B.O.B.? Really? I knew to expect Robyn on "Cardiac Arrest" due to the single released months ago, but B.O.B.? Uhg. Now that I've mad an ass out of myself, let me state that the song actually is a bit better with the rapper in it, despite me not being too big of a fan of his. Cardiac Arrest, on the other hand, suffers a bit. The feel of the song was so raw with Maipei. Robyn sounds really strained and makes the song less enjoyable to those who have heard the original. I'm not sure why they changed up the featured artist on the song "Get Fresh With You", as the song remains mainly the same.

This brings me to the title track. "Devil's Music" definitely isn't the best song on the album. The fast paced vocals are hard to follow and there is so much going on musically. Despite all of this, I can't bring myself to dislike the song in the least. Its really catchy and a song that will grow on you with each listen. It also embodies the theme of the album, which is quite nice. I've been told time and time again I listen to the Devil's music, so why not give them the satisfaction of knowing that it is now true? Almost makes me want to take the time to find more music by this ADL guy. Almost.

The tracks that have no artists featured are instrumental tracks. I have to wonder if they ran out of money to get more people aboard the project, or if they just wanted to showcase their musical abilities without being masked by a celebrity. Either way, the songs fail to hold my attention too long. They would be great to dance to, but I have to have some lyrics to hold me to the song.

The album has a lot going for it. They took a year, refined something already well done, and released it in a new market. While not flawless, I certainly think its worth ten bucks on iTunes. Plus, these make some killer partying tracks to shake up your usual Britney and Gaga mixes. Give them (and their featured artists) a chance. You may just like it.