trying to climb but i keep falling farther~

All day I’ve been listening to the three new albums I got yesterday: Kris Allen’s self-titled debut record, OneRepublic’s Waking Up, and John Mayer’s Battle Studies. I don’t ever write album reviews (didn’t even write one for BB D, haha) but I am just loving having so much great new music to listen to, all in the same day that I just have to talk about them all, lol.

EEEE, I am pleasantly surprised at how this album turned out. It’s quite different from his pre-idol music: edgier, harder. Not that his pre-idol album was bad, I just wasn’t too crazy about it. But this one, I am kind of really loving it. It kind of reminds me of The Fray, The Script, and a bit of John Mayer, and some early OneRepublic (meaning the Dreaming Out Loud days, not their new album) in some songs. Which is good, because those are some of my favorite artists. But that doesn’t mean the record sounds like a copy, it still sounds very much like Kris. :) Um, Heartless took a bit of time before I warmed up to it, because I really loved the Idol version and even now I still prefer that over the album version. But it’s grown on me after that initial WUT moment, haha.

Favorite tracks: I Need to Know is a GORGEOUS piano track, I love it so much. Next favorite is The Truth.

This is really different from their first album. FAR edgier, louder, bolder. Honestly when I first heard the lead single off this album, it took some getting used to, but now I really love their new sound. Love the loud drums, and the string ensemble! And there are some really… ~out there effects and things that make me go WUT, but in a good way. I was like, “HEY ONEREPUBLIC, THESE THINGS YOU DID ON YOUR RECORD ARE KIND OF RIDIC, BUT I LOVE IT.” Some of the songs are still reminiscent of their old sound though, except kind of different too, hmm.

Favorite tracks: LOVELOVELOVE All This Time. I am loving Lullaby, Fear and Good Life too. And Waking Up. And I still really love All the Right Moves. Eff, I love the whole thing. Really.

Love the theme he’s got going on. Battle Studies talaga eh, what with songs entitled Heartbreak Warfare, War of My Life and Assassin. A lot of people have been saying this is his best album yet. (LOL after some poking around, apparently a lot of people think it sucks too. Rofl. Whatever, I still like it.) I can’t form a definitive opinion on this because I didn’t use to listen to him extensively until a few months ago, but it is a really good album. Such beautiful songs, OH MY HEART. I think this one is my favorite out of the three albums I’m listening to (but apparently only barely, because I almost doubted this decision when I was listing my favorite OneRepublic tracks and realized that I loved so many).

Favorite tracks: coincidentally, two of the battle-related titles I mentioned are my favorites: Heartbreak Warfare and Assassin. And All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye. I also like Friends, Lovers or Nothing even though I don’t necessarily agree with what it’s saying, hahaha. And um, I kind of love ALL OF IT, really.

In conclusion, YAY NEW MUSIC BRB LISTENING OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Am on my second run through (on all of them), haha.