SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

LIBERATION – CHRISTINA AGUILERA

★★★★★ CHRISTINA AGUILERA’S first record in six years, is right on time with its focus on female empowerment.

Punctuated with her staple interludes, the album is a melting pot of old-school Aguilera and some fresher sounds.

Twice and Masochist hark back to Aguilera’s earlier days, as does the feisty Sick Of Sittin’. Then there are the more modern-sounding tracks, like the punchy Deserve and feminist anthem Fall In Line with Demi Lovato, which show how the star has dabbled with styles apt for 2018 while staying true to her original vibe. Another highlight is Maria, where a young Michael Jackson’s voice is cleverly sampled with her own striking vocals.

A comeback worth the wait.

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER – YOUNGBLOOD

★★★★★ THE title belies the confidence behind the album’s strong, anthemlike tracks. The young NME Awardwinning band, have cemented their place as the definitive pop-rock band of recent years.

Breaking out with the energetic and upbeat title single Youngblood, the 13-song offering (plus three bonus tracks on the deluxe) is packed with summery riffs and chant-like choruses that have a timelessness about them. As expected from the Sydney band, the unmistakably pop album is suitably edgy and reflective in parts, while explosive vocals in Moving Along and a rock-sounding More ensure the band doesn’t stray too far from the alternative pop sound they have become known for.

JOHNNY MARR – CALL THE COMET

★★★★★ EVERYTHING this legendary guitarist touches becomes effortlessly cool. It’s an anthemic LP, packed with ethereal synth, fast energetic drum beats and driving basslines hidden underneath a dark, grungy veneer. The songs distort their way through Marr’s signature chime-like guitar riffs, like a hazy kaleidoscope changing quickly from one melody to the next.

A timeless album that’s somehow grounded in the 80s and highlights Marr’s stamp on the world. But what makes Call The Comet so unputdownable is Marr’s surprising vocal talents, echoing and subtle, weaving through the tracklist. It seals the album as intense and dark, yet brings bags of attitude.