Of Note: ‘What A Day’ by Fantine feat. Wyclef Jean and El Cata

Of Note: ‘What A Day’ by Fantine 

feat. Wyclef Jean and El Cata

I loathed Mariah Carey’s whole rapid-fire sex-kitten murmur thing.  It powered a lot of her post-‘Glitter’-breakdown hits.  I’m not sure why I disliked it.  The style simply annoyed me.  Like she was getting away with something, given that she once possessed one of the most amazing voices on the planet and had somehow managed to ravage it.  I assumed her vocal deterioration was from deepthroating one too many, if you know what I mean – but maybe it was all that Cristal.

So why did I fall instantly in love with Fantine’s latest, which is similarly powered?

What A Day: Fantine 

feat. Wyclef Jean and El Cata

I think it has to do with the subject material.  And, perhaps, vocal authenticity.

I mean, how can you hate a woman who is out there ‘working for a dollar’? Now, I must confess, initially I thought Ms. Fantine was a respectable working-class gal, putting up with the daily nonsense one does when working for a living.  But upon closer inspection, it would seem that she may, in fact, be just another pole dancing hoochie mama.  Something that disappoints this listener, but sure to inspire many others.

Fantine is a Russian-born Australian currently living in Miami.  She’s been active since 2010, employing a sweet blend of soulful jazz.  Her second album was produced by Emilio Estefan (Gloria Estefan) and released in 2013. 

Her latest is a collaboration with Emilio, Wyclef Jean and El Cata. 

I love it.  From beat one.  Even the rap sections are first rate.  By the time this diva in the making gets to moaning “Oh what a day, what day, what a crazy day” - I am SO sold.  I’m all “I know the feeling, honey”. 

‘What A Day’ is the perfect song for that ride home after a hard day at the office (a sentiment that should clue you into a little of what ‘moi’ has to put up with on a daily basis making my own damn dollar). 

Yeah, in a way, we are all pole dancers. 

   

Of Note: ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ by Calvin Harris and Disciples

Of Note: ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ 

by Calvin Harris and Disciples

Calvin Harris.

Calvin Harris.

Say it softly and it’s almost like praying.  The sound of music… indeed.

I don’t know what to make of Mr. Harris.  He’s a vapor.  A cipher.  An enigma.  He simply fails to register with me.

I bought his first album, ‘I Created Disco’ because I had heard good things and thought; perhaps, this signaled the new direction of dance music.  It was a tad disappointing.  It felt slight, under-cooked and cribbed (mainly from the early 1980’s or the ‘haties’, as I like to call them).  With that in mind, I assumed nothing would come of Mr. Harris and his dance floor aspirations.

I was so wrong!

The man is on a wave of success.  Yes, still churning out slight, under-cooked, and cribbed material, but somewhere between his first and second album, the stars aligned and Calvin became a Top 40 ‘It’ boy.

The mad thing is: I keep buying his singles.  They are catchy.  He has a knack for picking just the right collaborators.  And his stuff?  It does sound good on the radio.

Take his latest soon-to-be Top 40 hit, ‘How Deep Is Your Love’.  It’s infectious; an ear worm thick with hooks and modern day pop smarts. 

To be honest, upon first listen, I hated it (a reaction that is pretty consistent when I initially hear any of his songs), but with repeated listens, it grew on me until the morning came when I woke up and it was the song that accompanied my bed-fogged brain to the bathroom.  As I stood before the mirror, toothbrush tucked in cheek, it played over and over again in my dream-mulled head.

I was stupefied.

Sometimes, I think I end up purchasing Calvin’s stuff simply because there is nothing out there more of interest.  He’s my go to artist for fluffy filler. 

Okay, on the plus side, ‘How Deep’ has some interesting lyrics that frequently don’t quite make sense, but that is, in fact, what makes them interesting.  The vocals by Ina Wroldsen, from the trio Disciples, upon first listen, struck me as most annoying.  But, hey, that changed and now it is in heavy rotation on my car stereo.

Will it also find its way into heavy rotation on the airwaves?  Well, they are playing it quite a bit on our local gay radio station, Pride 96.7.  In fact, that is where I first heard it.  So, there is hope that it will break through to a wider audience. 

‘How Deep Is Your Love’ is currently residing at #69 in its third week in the Top 100, having previously peaked at #60. 

And, yeah, The Bee Gees, blah, blah, blah.

 

Photo Op: For Those Who Are Unsure

Photo Op: For Those Who Are Unsure

Like I need help with the math?

I typically know when we're good to go.

But, I suppose... for those who want to be sure.

As far as I'm concerned, if it's hard, it's all good.

Of Note: ‘Cool For The Summer’ by Demi Lovato

 

Of Note: ‘Cool For The Summer’ by Demi Lovato

With Autumn right around the corner, it seems a little late in the season to be trumpeting a song about summer… but I do believe that Demi Lovato’s latest is the song of the summer. 

It is the best Katy Perry wanna-be song since Jessie J.’s ‘Domino’.

Written by Lovato, Alexander Erik Kronlund, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami and frequent Perry collaborator Max Martin, ‘Cool’ is, for all intents and purposes, a Katy Perry song.  It’s structurally similar to many of Perry’s works – the chorus soars, there is that little false stop, that quiet bridge.  Then it’s a matter of the slower beat, the titillating lyrics and the subject matter (‘Kissed A Girl’).  Close your eyes and one can easily imagine Perry doing this song.

But my issues with the song don’t stop there.

There’s the overall production – it feels muted and I’m not sure why.  I simply wish it were as sharp and crisp as, say, a Katy Perry song.  It’s like the entire song is being played from another dimension, one close to the one I’m in, but not truly ‘here’. Take those guitars, for example.  I want them to rip and snarl, instead, they come off as rather polite.

And what’s up with that brilliantly-colored cover photo?  Yes, it’s very adult.  In fact, sadly, it’s almost downright matronly, making Demi look decades older than her years.  I think it’s the hair that throws it off.  Or maybe the whole pose; a kind of homage – Vargas Girl meets 80’s Nagel Woman.  But I don’t think it flatters Demi as much as intended.

Perhaps, ‘all the above’ is why the single is having trouble gaining traction on the chart.  After debuting at #36, it hit #28 before dropping dramatically.  It currently resides outside the Top 40 and is definitely deserving of more.

Okay, okay.  Enough negativity.

Bottom line?  ‘Cool’ is rather irresistible.   That chorus gets in your head, it’s fun deciphering the lyrics and Demi’s vocals are spot-on, avoiding the shrillness of some her other singles.

Plus, Demi has been a staunch LGBT ally, and I am in her corner.  So, regardless of my many reservations, I still have to declare ‘Cool’ the summer sweepstake winner.

Let’s hope it finds its footing soon.