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Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ lacks character

Taylor Swift
“Red” 
(Big Machine Records)

Taylor Swift’s recently released fourth album “Red” is a great buy, if you’re in junior high.

The young country music star has veered away from her country roots into tracks that now have a more of a pop-rock underbelly. However, Swift’s adolescent sounding songs seem as if though they would be the perfect fit for the soundtrack of a teen drama.

The album’s popular chart-topping single, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” brings to mind childish bickering in the hallway involving a group of preteen girls. However, not all the tracks are totally disappointing. The lighthearted melody of “State of Grace” and the nostalgic tone of “The Last Time,” featuring Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, do help redeem the integrity of Red.

With lyrics like “You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to be, but we are never ever ever ever getting back together, like ever,” the album overall lacks songs with any real substance.

(juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

Kendrick Lamar delivers classic rap

Kendrick Lamar
“Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” 
(Interscope Records)

Kendrick Lamar is an up-and-coming rapper hailing from Los Angeles with a reputation already built through the underground scene as one of hip-hop’s best lyricists.

With the backing of Dr. Dre, the socially conscious emcee continues to enhance that stature on “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” a cohesive album filled with classic gems. He takes his storytelling ability to a higher level on his major label debut, a follow-up to his 2011 independent release, “Section.80,” that received positive reviews.

On his new offering, Lamar’s rap cadences are finely in sync with the stellar production by Pharrell, Tha Bizness, Hit-Boy, Just Blaze and others. The album is an open book of soulful stories that are intertwined through entertaining and thought-provoking skits, with Lamar telling several compelling moments of his upbringing in Compton, the gritty city southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Lamar recalls when he was engulfed in a persuasive environment, running the streets with disobedient friends on “The Art of Peer Pressure.” (AP)

Ryan Leslie is top-notch on 1st rap album

Ryan Leslie
``Les Is More‘’ 
(NextSelection Lifestyle Group/BDG/RED Distribution)

Ryan Leslie, whose production credits include Cassie‘s ``Me & U’‘ and Fabolous’ ``You Be Killin Em,‘’ proves he‘s a modern-day maestro with his third album, ``Les Is More.’‘

It’s the follow-up to his Grammy-nominated R&B album, 2009‘s ``Transition,’‘ and it’s a fine demonstration of the singer‘s skills _ his rap skills.

Kicking off with some rock star momentum, Leslie gives us ``Glory,’‘ a humble, but epic track speaking directly to those who underestimate his musical ability. Frankly, he doesn’t care, and it sounds good.

Leslie wrote and produced the entire rap album, which includes high-profile guests like Kanye West and Fabolous, who appears on the remix of the first single, ``Beautiful Lie.‘’ The piano intro is one you could listen to over and over.

As the Harvard graduate gets deeper into his new sound, he doesn‘t hold back on his modesty. On ``5 Minute Freshen Up,’‘ he spits: ``And it feels good, that’s how I know I made it, overpaid at the same time as I‘m underrated.’‘

Another highlight comes from ``Dress You to Undress You,’‘ which samples Sharon ``Terea’‘ Robinson’s ``Pretty Bird.‘’ Leslie‘s sensuous voice accompanied with guitar riffs make a seductive match. (AP)