Progress: Take That's Comeback Album

Finally the guys of Take That have come a full circle and is back with a new album as well as a newly-rejoined member, Robbie Williams.

I'm glad to say that they have been saying true to their roots and have not swayed in terms of their music styles and tastes.

Their latest offering, Progress, has a total of 10 tracks and the first single, The Flood, gives you an epic feeling when you hear the ethereal and echo-filled song.

The album cover definitely describes their progress in terms of music, with five figures (representing each member) depicting a man moving from a crawling position to a standing position.

My personal favourites off the album has to be the tracks titled SOS and Wait. The former gives you a sense of urgency when you hear it, while the latter gives more boyband vibe with the strong pumping beats in the background.

Other songs include Kidz, Pretty Things, Happy Now, Underground Machine, What Do You Want From Me?, Affirmation and Eight Letters.

Altogether the whole album was good, but not so top-of-the-charts material. But it provides a good listen for those who need to wind down after a long day.

It's great that the guys are finally back together again and hopefully they will continue to produce more inspirational music.

The author was a young girl when she got smitten by the Take That's boys' harmony on Back For Good.

The Band Perry: Country Music's Latest Addition

The latest album on my playlist is The Band Perry's self-titled album, which fulfills the void that I had for country music.

Apart from notable country singers such as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert, I haven't come across any other singers which I had particularly liked in this genre.

The Band Perry consists of three siblings, Kimberly and her two brothers, Reid and Neil.

When I first heard The Band Perry's If I Die Young, I immediately fell in love with it. The song was full of meaning and I could not resist hitting the replay button over and over again.

With lyrics such as "If I die young/bury me in satin/lay me down on a bed of roses/sink me in the river at dawn/send me away with the words of a love song..." the song hit notes with youths who were going through bad times in their lives to the verge of contemplating suicide, and gave them hope not to give up.

My other favourites from the album includes Hip To My Heart, Independence and Quittin' You, which happen to be the more fast-paced tracks.

Other songs on the 12-tracks album are You Lie, All Your Life, Miss You Being Gone, Double Heart, Postcard from Paris, Walk Me Down the Middle, Lasso and Queen Maybelline.

The Band Perry's sound reminds me a lot of Lady Antebellum, since they have a similar make-up of two guys and a girl in a band, but they do have a more country feel as they have more instrumental sounds.

Let's support them in the hope that they would continue to come up with more great records in the future!

The author was touched when she first heard 'If I Die Young' playing on the radio as the lyrics hit a spot of a recent memory.

American Idol Winner Lee Dewyze's Live It Up Album

Having supported Lee Dewyze during the last American Idol season, I definitely have to get my hands on his album, post-Idol.

His latest album release, Live It Up, is mostly driven by his title track with the same name off the album. The song is a cool and mid-tempo track that shows off his husky vocals, perfect for starting off the album.

My personal favourites off the album is Sweet Serendipity and It’s Gotta Be Love, with their upbeat tempo and guitar sounds.

Consisting of 11 songs, other tracks on the album include Dear Isabelle, Beautiful Like You, Stay Here, Me and My Jealousy, Brooklyn Bridge, Weightless, Earth Stood Still, A Song About Love.

While Lee’s album is reflecting on life, his songs are not as dark and depressing as compared to the previous year’s American Idol winner Kris Allen’s post-Idol album.

Lee Dewyze’s songs with his guitar accompaniment definitely a good listen for a relaxing day at home or while driving around town.

The author is a huge fan of American Idol and looks forward to the 2011 season with the new judges’ line-up.

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