VCHA - SeVit (New Light)

Release Date:  September 22, 2023

not quite an album, not even a debut yet, but I watched A2K week to week and even kept up with them post-a2k. It's so neat to watch kpop content without the need to read subtitles. 

Review: With that said, I guess I'm invested. There's only 3 songs here, "Y.O.Universe," "Go Getter," and "Know Me Like That." I always had this problem with English phases in kpop because a lot of time, it sounds awkward. Now, the entire song is in English and it can be cheesy, it can be cringe. but the girls are teenagers singing teenager appropriate songs. As a team of 6, i like hearing Savanna's vocals the most, but you can tell that KG is the main flavor of the group. I wish they unleashed Camila more. when i don't know whose voice it is, then it's Kaylee's. that's not an insult, her voice is so stable while the other girls have distinctiveness. anyways, since I'm a native English speakers, it's not hitting me, but i know if it was in korean, i would be bopping it to "go getter"

Summary:  teenagers singing teenager appropriate songs.

Favorite Songs:  Go Getter
Rating: 6/10

Vampire Weekend - Contra

Release Date: 01/11/10
Genre: Indie Rock

I remembered! These guys were huge two years ago. Then they got hated upon. Where was I? Well I loved their first record for being so different from the current batch of 'it' bands. Every song was full of hooks.

Review: So what happens now. Looking at the reviews, I'm super soaking surprised at how well received this album has gotten. Yes their sound didn't disappoint, but as a person, my music taste has really changed in the past two years that hearing this now just doesn't feel fresh anymore. Even their super catchy singles 'Cousins' and 'Giving up the Gun' annoy me. However, it is a strong effort especially the beginning. Hearing them solidifying their sound is interesting. But when it's over, does it still linger with me? Nothing feels like an lasting impression so the replay value is low for me. It's still an easy listen to once it is on.

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Horchata 9/10
2. White Sky 9/10
3. Holiday 8/10
4. California English 7/10
5. Taxi Cab 9/10
6. Run 8/10
7. Cousins 7/10
8. Giving Up the Gun 6/10
9. Diplomat's Son 7/10
10. I Think Ur a Contra 5/10

Summary: It's what I expected, got bored towards the end.

Key Tracks: Horchata, Holiday, Taxi Cab
Rating: 7.4/10

Vienna Teng - Inland Territory

Release Date: 04/07/09
Genre: Piano pop, Folk

Goodjob Internet.  I wish someone had told me the album leaked (released in Germany) back in February.  I discovered her thanks to my Michelle Branch neighbor's on last.fm.  With each subsequental album, I could hear her fading towards more chamber music.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  But I've watched some of her interviews and the way she comes off to me is really humbling.

Review:  Because she could have stayed pop, been a reliable artist, and perhaps been asked to perform on a 12:30 show every now and then.  This is just from memory, but I think she said that she has a hard time with writing music.  It's tough.  And i don't know if her mindset is to not make radio songs, but on her first album, she displayed a great sense of pop sensibility.  Then she moved toward what i call a lounge/poetry corner sound.  On her 4th album, she said Inland Territory was like a Mixtape.  and yeah, that worried me.

I think the two songs the average lids would be drawn to are the two 'A' songs, "Antebellum" and "Augustine."  They have this fantastic blue-green breezy feel to them and you can just feel that they are moving towards something.  I remember her posting the lyrics to Augustine and I was like, "a song that beings with 'oh my god' isn't going to sound good."  But it's good.  "Antebellum" is just asking for a Anime music video.  I haven't checked youtube yet, but it's a guarantee they'll be plenty.  The addition of Alex at the end was great stuff. They should just be a duo.  They seem to compliment each other nicely.

Vienna was right with the mixtape call.  At first, I thought it meant it will be filled with underdeveloped/scattered ideas.  Some tracks don't really feel like they are place correctly.  "White Light" is the real album opener and "The Last Snowfall" sounds like a bonus track at the end of an album.  Both "Grandmother Song" and "Radio" are songs that have no 'brother' tracks.  They are really...out there (in terms of Vienna's catalog) so they do twist the album a bit.  I ended up liking "Grandmother Song" after disliking it.  Because a women isn't just for cooking meals, scrubbing floors, making babies.

There's something about Kansas that I'm connecting with.  That's all I can say at the moment.  It's a smoother song, but not as quiet as "Watershed."  I like "In Another Life" for being like a old movie reel.  It sounds like a silent movie era show tune.  yup.  The rest of the songs are more or less appealing.  Fans should be happy.

Summary: Out of her 4, this ranks 3rd favorite.  Her first two IMO had a great beginning to end flow.  That's really all that's missing here.  The flow of tracks help prepare the mind to embrace the music.  So it can be unflattering at times when her songs jump from pop-rock to folksy classical.  Granted, as much as I like her music, she never felt like a 10/10 artist, but her dedication and her self-awareness is what makes me interested.

Key Tracks: Antebellum, Grandmother Song, No Gringo
Rating: 7/10

The Vincent Black Shadow - El Monstruo

Release Date: 09/15/08
Genre: Alternative Rock

I like that song "Metro."

Review: So the first 5 tracks are fairly entertaining hearing. It's kinda like No Doubt if they were less ska and more ...um, alternative? Lead singer, Cassandra Ford has that quick witty voice so it's pretty bouncy, but a little too pitchy. I can live with it. But then the second half is so dull.

"The Taste of Copper" sounds awful with that male vocalist joining her. The following tracks just felt like it lost its edge and I just couldn't dig into it. It drifts towards eerie vampire territory. What does that even mean? It's just uninteresting.

Summary: They know how to make good music, they just need to make a full album worth.

Key Tracks: Stupid Intruders, Last Few Minutes
Rating: 5/10

Valencia - We All Need A Reason To Believe

Release Date: 08/26/08
Genre: Pop Punk

So listen up, listen up so we both know.

Review: I'm sure everybody knows what pop punk is. Well this is pop punk done right. All you really need to know is that this is catchy as fuck. Only time will tell if i get sick of this, but all i want to do now is scream (internally) along with the songs. Great 40 minutes of my life.

Summary: Catchy as fuck

Key Tracks: Holiday, Where Did You Go?, Listen Up
Rating: 7/10

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Release Date: 01/29/08
Genre: Indie Rock

Thank you NPR for introducing this band to me.

Review: Overrated comes to mind. I bet this band will be one of those overrated bands by the end of the year, but as of now, I really enjoy this album for some reason. The music is a bit different. It's raggae in some areas, maybe a feel of the Caribbeans. Like it's beach music, but not for surfing.

The first track is the start of 11 amazing tracks. Yeah, but it's a short album so nothing gets old. Each song is different enough to tell them apart even at the first listen. My favorite track goes to "M79," for it's use of the violin giving it a unique feel.

Summary: I've been listening to this album for the past month thinking it was just my flavor of the month, but I haven't got sick of them yet. As of now, they are my album of the year.

Key Tracks: Oxford Comma, M79, Campus
Rating: 8/10

Vanessa Carlton - Heroes & Thieves

Release Date: 10/09/07
Genre: Piano Pop

Her second Album, "Harmonium" only had 2 good songs. I tried to convince myself that there were more, but I couldn't find myself listening to much. She said that her third album was her "best batch of songs," and of course, many artists have said that when releasing a new album. However, I have to agree with her. Heroes & Thieves is her best completed album.

Review: The first track, "Nolita Fairytale," which is also the first single is a bit 'stand out.' I liked it, but I'm always careful with singles because they tend to be different from the rest of the album's tone. But "Hands on Me" follows the uplifting spirit and the background singing of 'Hands on me" echoing is crazy delicious.

I'm glad "Heroes & Thieves" shares the name with the album title because it's the best song on the album musically. So it's not a letdown at all. For the most part, all the other tracks are solid Carlton music. She does well in her quieter moments as in "My Best" and "Home." I enjoy the strings in her music too.

Summary: She's 27, but I get the sense that she's still floating for experience. I can't really comment on any bad songs because there isn't one, but not all of the songs are excellent either. Once you get comfortable with her, all of her songs are familiar even if you never heard them before, which is what I like. She's not annoying, so she's a respectable musician. It's her best album so far, and I hope continues to makes more.

Key Tracks: Hands on Me, Heroes & Thieves, Home
Rating: 7/10

Vienna Teng - Warm Strangers

Release Date: 02/24/04
Genre: Piano Pop, Easy Listening

I learned of Vienna Teng from Last.fm and I clicked on her first because of her pretty picture, so her voice has to be good. And it is. She's a engineer turned singer/songwriter. It's funny how she slip passed me under the radar all these years. She's not radio friendly catchy, but she is easy listening melodic jazzy classical piano catchy.

Review: The first three tracks just showed me that she was easy to listen to, but not too impressive, but track 4, the ballad "Shine" made me take a step back. It's heavenly in song, and gloomy in words. It's very gentle and the sight hint of background strings are amazing. After that, I realized she was special. I just wanted to hear her voice to give me comfort. "My Medea" has the epic feel to it with the strings moving in closer in the middle.

Tracks 7 and beyond are the strongest. Catchy yes, but mainly beautiful piano plus vocals working well. "Anna Rose" is very heartfelt, "how it grows, heaven knows, Anna Rose." She does a vocals only song in "Passage." The story it tells is pretty sad.

Summary: Mandy Moore's new stuff is trying to sound like artists like Vienna, except Vienna is naturally herself. I like to listen to Vienna to go to sleep. It's peaceful and restoring. She's not a rockstar, and that's one of the cool traits about her.

Key Tracks: Shine, Anna Rose
Rating: 7/10