Pink - Beautiful Trauma
FIVE years after the release of The Truth About Love, Pink has returned with Beautiful Trauma. There is no new sound here – it is very much a continuance from what came before. But then if it's not broken, there's nothing there to fix. The lead track is a classic Pink song, catchy pop, with strong, heartfelt lyrics. Revenge is a cookie cutter, almost Afroman Because I Got High, pop song, but then the ballads begin. Pink is lyrically at her best during Barbies, the emotion drips from her broken notes, evoking images of childhood and longing for a simpler time. What Pink has done is grow with her lyrical choices, still as no-nonsense, especially in Better Life. Like her fans, she has matured, but isn't taking it easy, doing it her way. This is an album for the old faithfuls and those looking for chilled-out rich vocals with some edgy ideas.
8/10
Dolly Parton - I Believe In You
SHE'S penned some of the biggest hits in the world and is famous enough to need only one moniker. You don't even need to add the Parton bit to Dolly, because everyone knows there's only one Dolly, really. Given that she's been making music for more than 50 years, what could she possibly sing that she hasn't sung? But that's the magic of Dolly Parton.
Her latest venture is a children's album, called I Believe In You, and all of the profits go to her non-profit charity the Imagination Library, which promotes literacy in children. The songs are catchy, so don't be surprised if you catch yourself singing I Am A Rainbow under your breath. They're also educational and inspirational if you listen closely to the knowledge Dolly is imparting. So, there's no doubt she's about to win herself an entirely new legion of fans from the younger generation.
8/10
Beck - Colors
IN THE wake of his sumptuous, brooding and frankly brilliant 2014 record Morning Phase, fans might have been forgiven for expecting a quieter Beck as he approaches his 50s. Not so with Colors, which dives straight in with a pop stomper in the form of its title track and rarely drops its pace henceforth. There's no doubting the fact this is a party album. The problem is, it's too often just that bit naff. First he takes on Phoenix-style indie – not awful, but teetering dangerously on landfill. But worst is the perplexing Wow, which sounds a bit like a white guy called Norman trying his hand at trap music. Single Dear Life is a fairly charming McCartney-esque jaunt and closer Fix Me has a slow-burning energy to it but, all in all, Colors a forgettable effort that lacks the guile and wit many of us love Beck so much for.
4/10
St Vincent - Masseduction
IF DAVID Bowie was the King of Odd Pop, then St Vincent is most definitely the Queen and if the spectacular achievement that is Masseduction is anything to go by then long may she reign. Ten years ago she released her debut album Marry Me. These days we're greeted with sharp, snappy pop delights, but the trademark fuzzy guitar is still present and there are still few slow spells of malaise adding a poignancy to her offerings. Singles New York and Los Ageless are a great indicator of what's on offer but they are just the tip of the iceberg. "How could anybody have you and lose you and not lose their mind" is a prime example of how lyrics are where Annie Clark's strength truly lies. Her assessment of the digital age and consumerism gives the big picture, but the songs zoom in on specific situations and the human elements of existing in among these great influences.
St Vincent has made an album that is consistently great throughout and no song feels out of place. It's catchy, it's clever, it's honest, it's emotional, and you must buy it. You must.
9/10
