AUGUST MUSIC REVIEWS

KELLY CLARKSON Chemistry Atlantic Records

Kelly Clarkson is back belting out ballads on her 10th studio album. Her talents are meticulously produced here by long-standing collaborators

Jesse Shatkin and Jason Halbert, along with newbies Rachel Orscher and Erick Serna. The tracks are grippingly beautiful, describing the heartbreak of her broken marriage with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Two lovers who become strangers while having the shared responsibility of raising children is a shock to the heart and home and the talk-show host is brutally raw with her feelings on the lead single, “Mine”: "Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine/ So unkind/ Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind/ Oh, love is blind/ Why am I missin' you tonight?/ Was it all a lie?/ Someone's gonna show you how a heart can be used/ Like you did mine.” The album's not entirely sorrow-filled, though, with “Favorite Kind of High” delivering a pretty, addictive pop beat. The first American Idol winner continues to prove her prowess over 20 years later. -

Marisa Patwa

RITA ORA You & I BMG

Rita Ora has been on the music scene delivering pop hits for over 10 years. Rather than popping out albums every year or two like many artists, she takes her time. The slow-burn has paid off on You & I, her third studio release. Standouts include “You Only Love Me” and “Praising You,” featuring Fatboy Slim. “Don’t Think Twice” is an energetic, electro-dance track accompanied by a video that looks like an impromptu dance party in the Mystic Falls woods. “Girl In the Mirror” is laden with the message to learn to love yourself again. “Notting Hill” is a sweet homage to her life there away from the fame and glamour of her public life while “Look At Me Now” displays the beautiful strength of a broken woman who built herself back up again. Rita’s songs are sweet, sensitive, spunky and sensational and that's what makes her a superstar.-

Marisa

Patwa

JASON MRAZ Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride Interrabang/BMG

Our favorite ukulele player Jason Mraz is granting us perfect beach vibes on his eighth studio album. His music is light and airy, as evidenced by the singles “Pancakes & Butter” and “I Feel Like Dancing.” Mraz took inspiration

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from Michael Jackson, Donna Summer and the Bee Gees for his eclectic and electric new album, and the influence glows like a giant lit-up dance floor from Saturday Night Fever. Infused with dance and disco-pop, the songs are the perfect playlist for a road trip to your vacation Airbnb as his vocals soothe and scintillate. The gorgeous use of instruments is also a knockout, from cello and electric guitar to violin and trombone, each enhancing Mraz’s musicality. My favorite tracks include “Disco Son,” “Lovesick Romeo,” and “You Might Like It.” Mraz used to think he would be done releasing music when he turned 40, but at 46, he's showing that his music has aged like a fine wine. -

Marisa Patwa

Half Moon Run

Imagine: Three talented multi-instrumentalist Canadian Indie rockers formed a band and ostensibly pulled inspiration from My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, and Paul Simon. Imagine a silky-voiced singer with the confidence and pop sensibility of Harry Styles. Rest your imagination by listening to this record. Describing it too much would spoil the surprising yet comfortably familiar textures these three have assembled for you. Their indie rock vibe is a galloping, danceable string of bops, intact even through the breathers like the classical guitar track, "Crawl Back In," that literally brought tears to my eyes. Road tripworthy jams, a song with a 9/8 time signature, and a couple of ballads make this album a classic. Encompassing piano, strings, electric and acoustic guitars, killer grooves, and timelessly emotive vocals, Half Moon Run’s Salt deserves a shake.

- Lindsey Williams

NITA STRAUSS The Call of the Void Sumerian Records

Nita Strauss is well-known in rock and metal circles for her virtuoso guitar work. The distant relative of Austrian composer Johann Strauss, Nita has the pedigree, the chops, and most importantly, an inexhaustible work ethic. Pulling double-duty as lead guitarist for Demi Lovato and Alice Cooper, it’s hard to believe she found time to release yet another a solo album. The Call of the Void is just what you’d expect from the former Iron Maidens’ shredder. It's blistering fast and intricate solos accentuate melodic and thoughtful compositions, with just a dash of snarl and fury. In “The Wolf you Feed” she brings in Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, and the results are one of the most heavy and menacing songs I’ve ever heard. Check out the video, you’ll see what I mean! Other standouts are “Victorious” with Dorothy Martin on vocals and “Dead Inside” with Disturbed frontman David Draiman. The album also features several instrumentals, the format in which Strauss really shines - Matt Alschbach