Track by Track: Midnight Memories

Year: 2013

Artist: One Direction

Label: Columbia, Syco

Here we are at One Direction's third studio album. These poor boys have been put through the ringer, I think the studio is trying to squeeze as much money out of them as they can before they just collapse from exhaustion. 

Besides the interviews, video appearances, music video shoots, and trying to have healthy relationships with friends, family and girlfriends, since their first album dropped in November 2011 Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson have released two follow up albums, "written" two books, released a documentary and a live concert DVD, went on two world tours and are gearing up for a third.

This is a band, the oldest member of which is a mere 21 years old.

Somebody oughta call PETA or something.

But the fact remains that we have a new album out and by George, I'm going to tell you about it.

Track 1: "Best Song Ever"

Far be it from me to say the title isn't accurate, this is one hella catchy song. The (maybe maybe not stolen from The Who) opening riff captures the joyous essence of their concerts and stage presence in a way that none of their albums had fully expressed up to this point. "Best Song Ever" is bottled fun.

Perhaps it's punching that "FUN WE'RE HAVING FUN" button a little too hard, but this is a boy band we're talking about. We have to grade on a curve regarding cheesiness. Anyway I'm not gonna delve too deep into it, this song has been out for eons, I think everybody who cares has already formed a pretty immobile opinion on it.

Best Line: "Said I had a dirty mouth / But she kissed me like she meant it"

Track 2: "Story Of My Life"

The first track on Midnight Memories sees 1D veering off into a radical new direction (maybe there's more than one, hm?), namely the folk rock stylings of the likes of Phillip Phillips and Mumford and Sons. The pounding bass drum, the strumming guitars, and the abstractly sad lyrics would all indicate their influence.

It's certainly predicated on the success of the aforementioned bands as well as The Lumineers and every other freaking band we have that sounds like they're from the nineteenth century. At least the studio executives that own their souls have decided to try something a little different than the bubblegum pop they've been dishing out thus far.

And much to my delight, Louis is turning more and more into their secret weapon. After being largely ignored on their first album, Up All Night, he has slowly been taking the spotlight (vocally) because, out of all the boys, his raspy idiosyncratic voice is the most suited for this new musical style. He also had a hand writing 11 out of the 18 songs on this album (as compared to Liam's 9, Harry's 4, Niall's 2, and Zayn's 1), so I feel completely justified maintaining him as my favourite.

Best Line: "I drive all night to keep her warm and time / Is frozen"

Track 3: "Diana"

This is classic fast-paced quasi-ballad boy band material. A swift catchy beat, some thrown out background riffs, airy instrumentation that floats along like a cloud. And it's the third song in a row that features a heavy Louis portion. Praise!

The most interesting thing about this track is that, for (to my knowledge) the first time in their entire career, there is a specific girl's name mentioned in one of their songs. Their songs usually celebrate the nonspecific traits their nonspecific object of love has (What Makes You Beautiful is notable for only requiring the girl to have hair and smile sometimes) so as to appeal to the broadest audience possible.

Perhaps this specificity is evidence of a less pandering mindset that is evidence of them branching out of the comfort zones, bolstered by the success of, well everything they've done this far. Or they just got bored. Who knows. It's pretty good nonetheless.

Best Line: "I speak a different language / But I still hear your call"

Track 4: "Midnight Memories"

This one is clearly more rock influenced. There's some AC/DC in there, some Bon Jovi, some Bachman Turner Overdrive (wow, really?). And there's definitely some sprinklings of the Beach Boys and the chorus is unavoidably close to "Pour Some Sugar On Me." I know that's not the most hardcore list of rock bands available, but this is light years away from, say "One Thing."

This song is certainly in a hurry to go places. At a swift two minutes 56 seconds, the choruses tumble over one another and the song is over before it gets a chance to breathe. It has a great shoutalong chorus but it is marred by a sense of the boys wanting to do something new and the studios appeasing them but trying to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Also they pretend to say the S-word, but then they stop in the middle oh how edgy. Sorry. I'm being a bitter grandpa. That trick is getting old though.

Best Line: "Now I'm at the age when I know what I need"

Track 5: "You & I"

The first weak spot on a pretty strong pop album. This first ballad on the album can't at all cover the ground of the likes of "Gotta Be You," "Moments," or even the admittedly not stellar "Little Things." Already on this album we've had a song with more emotional impact in "Story of My Life" and this just seems like a bland and dreary star-crossed lovers song.

Zayn's voice hits the highest note it ever has in the breakdown though, so there's that. That was pretty impressive. And I can see this song eating it up live, but in a recording it just isn't really doing it for me. This is the first song since "Best Song Ever" that had not a single one of the boys credited as composer and it reeks of studio tampering.

Best Line: "Did they ever hold each other tight / Like us?"

Track 6: "Don't Forget Where You Belong"

This song about life on the road is starting to cement in the sound of this album - a lot more rock influences, real instruments, and the increased involvement of the boys in deciding the lyrics they actually want to sing.

It's got a stomp clap beat and some great harmonies that show off the boys' incredible abilities to work together as a unit. Usually in the mastered tracks their voices are dampened in the mix, reducing the unique qualities of each of their singing styles, but this track really shows off how their voices interact with one another.

Best Line: "I'm flicking through the pages / I've written in my memory"

Track 7: "Strong"

Led by a light staccato guitar sting, the song opens thinly but increases in strength with every passing verse until the chorus explodes across the sky. I'd like to think that that progression mirrors the idea of gaining strength from somebody else.

Just like a lot of the songs on this first half so far, it's quite good, but nothing has really stood out as an obvious album best yet. But this song explores an idea that's been on my mind for a while. I've been involved with a lot of feminists and supporters of female independence, which is a cause I wholeheartedly support.

But some people take it too far, to the point of completely denying the possibility of being in love. In my mind, love is about developing yourself as an individual, being completely comfortable and capable of living on your own, and then to be willing to share your carefully cultivated self with somebody else who you trust. It's not a shame to be alone or single or whatever, but I think there's a part of us as humans that craves the feeling of belonging to someone or some group.

Not in the "I'm giving up my entire self to be with you" way but in the "I need to share this experience with somebody" way. Anyway, this song to me is about that shift from independence to a mutually supportive relationship and the hangups with that and I'm almost definitely reading way too much into it, but it's an idea that really intrigues me immensely.

Best Line: "Is it so wrong / That you make me strong?"

Track 8: "Happily"

This is it! Imediately on first listen, this song is the best on the first half of the album. It's always a joy when the Boys' Britishness comes through and this track feels almost like a pop rock Irish drinking song! Instead of feeling like another limp manifestation of the anachronistic folk rock trend of Phillips Phillips et al., this is a perfect synthesis of all the best (and least dreary) parts of those songs.

Also check out that downright filthy Best Line. Them boys are growing up, yo.

Best Line: "And if he feels my traces in your hair / Sorry love, but I don't really care"

Track 9: "Right Now"

Although this song isn't the most compelling lyrically or musically, it's perhaps the most intriguing vocal song the group has ever done. First things first, Louis actually gets to open a song, which up til now has only been a forgotten pipe dream. I'm getting so much Louis love off of this album.

At no point in the song are all the boys singing together. There are a couple harmonies and some cosmic backing vocals, but the track is mostly a showcase for their individual voices, which is something they really needed to avoid amoebeating into one personality-less blob of quiffs and tattoos.

They really get a chance to show off here, especially Zayn who busts out some incredible falsetto that could only be the result of some traumatic vocal cord surgery, it's way too good to be human.

Best Line: "Lights go down / And the night is calling to me"

Track 10: "Little Black Dress"

The most alt rock song in their arsenal so far, this song would be at home on an album by The Strokes, something I never thought I'd say about 1D. The song even has a freaking guitar solo! I hope it's one of the boys playing, cuz if it's just some studio musician that's no fun.

It probably is. Oh well, it's still an invigoratingly different if not particularly envelope pushing in terms of the genre it's trying to access. Another majorly brief song that feels like it just barely squeezed onto the album.

Best Line: "Little black dress / Just walked into the room"

Track 11: "Through the Dark"

OK this one is just Phillip Phillips, I'm sorry to say. Where the other ones have taken him as a strong influence, "Through the Dark" feels like the illegitimate love child of "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" as sung by a pre-pubescent Marcus Mumford.

Lots of talk of natural elements (fire & water for your love), a smashing bass drum, and a downright medieval atmosphere (When listening, I can't help but feel I'm in a room made entirely of wood. Go on. Tell me I'm wrong.) mean this song isn't even bad but merely too derivative to exist on its own. 

Best Line: "And I remember you laughing / So let's just laugh again"

Track 12: "Something Great"

Harry Styles had a major hand on this song, so perhaps that's the reason it's not my favorite. The beat is plodding and the lyrics are a little too whiny for my tastes. Frankly, I'm a little bored by it. I don't have much to say because I really don't want to listen to it again.

Best Line: "Come on, jump out at me"

Track 13: "Little White Lies"

Although I was secretly hoping for a companion piece to "Little Black Dress," I like what I got instead.   Finally, a throwback to the One Direction of yore (you know, 365 days ago). With a soaring harmonic opening like "Save You Tonight," one of my favorite songs off of Up All Night and an exciting dubstep-influenced beat, "Little White Lies" gives the back half of Midnight Memories some much needed energy and fun.

It's basically early One Direction with more Louis and I'm totally down with that.

Best Line: "If this room was burning / I wouldn't even notice"

Track 14: "Better Than Words"

A more turned down song to close up the album, "Better Than Words" leaves us on a welcome mellow note. More alt rock, a jaunty whistling opening, and Louis rocking it out like he's never done before (I'm aware that there's other members of the band, but save for Niall, they've all had more than their share of limelight, it's my turn now).

For some reason, the lyrics in the verses are almost one hundred percent comprised of the names of other songs like "More Than A Feeling," "Someone Like You," "How Deep Is Your Love," and even "Hips Don't Lie" and two Beyoncé songs. It's clever though and it's a lot of fun and it works.

Best Line: "I don't know how else to sum it up / Cuz words ain't good enough"

Overall: Midnight Memories is a new experience for One Direction fans, and seeing them branch out is a gratifying experience. However, like most of the albums this season, it's just a little less than the band's previous efforts. It's a good listen and the boys' vocals are really improving after a couple years of experience. There's nothing particularly lyrically exciting and listening to the entire album all the way through can be a slog, but there are enough vivacious pop tunes that'll be in circulation on my iPod for a while yet to earn this album my appreciation.

Also Louis.

Ranking:

#14 "Something Great"

#13 "You & I"

#12 "Strong"

#11 "Little Black Dress"

#10 "Better Than Words"

#9 "Midnight Memories"

#8 "Through the Dark"

#7 "Right Now"

#6 "Story of My Life"

#5 "Best Song Ever"

#4 "Diana"

#3 "Little White Lies"

#2 "Don't Forget Where You Belong"

#1 "Happily"

Word Count: 2363

Track by Track: ARTPOP

Year: 2013

Artist: Lady Gaga

Label: Streamline / Interscope

It's finally happening. Lady Gaga's long-awaited third studio album, the much hyped ARTPOP! Since she burst on the scene in 2008, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta has constantly been updating her musical style (and her outfits), progressing from the bouncy dance pop of The Fame to the more experimental and Euro-tinged LP The Fame Monster to the Christian rock opera excess of Born This Way.

For over a year she has been touting this album as a magnum opus - a perfect synthesis of pop music and high art (as evidenced by her album cover - designed by always controversial Jeff Koons with motifs from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus), but now the day has come for us to judge that for ourselves.

Has Lady Gaga produced a masterpiece? Or is she just overhyping a routine pop album with some eccentric influences? Only Track by Track will tell. Let's get started! ART! POP!

Track 1: "Aura"

This one has been floating around for some time now, and let me tell you. I honestly just can't bring myself to enjoy it. I won't go so far as to say it isn't "art," because that's all subjective and whatnot. And I accept that for an artist to be truly experimental and push the boundaries of their previous work, that means they'll have to produce a couple tracks that alienate certain people. Everybody's tastes are different. I get that. I still can't stand "Aura" though.

The problem is, it's actually a pretty great song musically. Starting off with a Middle Eastern / country inflection and sliding into a hip pounding beat and an computerized sonic tidal wave that lead to a soaring pop chorus, this song is decidedly unique and fresh, delivering on Gaga's promise of pushing the envelope of Top 40. It's danceable, dark, and just a little weird.

But this song, originally titled "Burqa," (changed presumably due to Muslim backlash) takes heavy damage from tremendously wooden lyrics (check out my "best line") and a bizarre opening that involves Gaga chanting "HA HA HA HA" in a looming monotone. And while I'm a supporter the weird, affected intonation Gaga uses to chant her lines in this song and most of the other tracks on this album (heretofore referred to as "Nutcracker Voice" because whenever she uses it, I imagine her jaw flapping open and shut, mouth gaping like a little wooden man), in this one it's a little bit much.

I just can't get past the HA thing. It's lazy, it's boring, and it's not opening track worthy. Sorry, Gaga.

Best Line: "I hear you screaming / Is it because of pleasure or toil?"

Track 2: "Venus"

This one would have been my pick for opening track. The grinding synths and computerized soundscape recall the better parts of "Aura" but the lyrics are otherworldly and fun, combining Gaga's alien mystique cultivated during "Born This Way" with her newfound obsession with Roman mythology.

Something of a triple entendre, "Venus" combines the idea of an extraterrestrial romance (a concept previously explored in Katy's "E.T") with the Roman goddess of love (based on the Greek Aphrodite, who is also mentioned) into a sensual cocktail of supernaturally fantastic romance. And sex. Lots of sex.

And the breakdown is one to remember. Gaga chants out a list of planets, belts out vocal trills that remind one of Queen's "Flash" theme, and devours the track with electric zeal. It could have gone oh so wrong (consider The Black Eyed Peas listing days of the week in "I Gotta Feeling") but ends up being precisely tuned to the overarching themes of the song and draws you further into the electronic wonderland of Outer Space.

Best Line: "Uranus / DON'T YOU KNOW MY ASS IS FAMOUS?"

Track 3: "G.U.Y."

"Girl Under You." This gender-bending song explores the dynamics of a G.U.Y. wresting control from her beau and blowing his mind with her goddess powers. Yes, we're back to the gods again. This time, they're explicitly Greek though, with references to Aphrodite (always a favorite) and her son Himeros, the god of sexual desire. Also Mars, the Roman god of war. For some reason.

With a background track that recalls the soundtrack to a Pokémon game in the best way possible, Gaga alternately channels Beyoncé and a speaking calculator in an irresistible sing-along track. With her gender bending, the union of widely varied sources, and bringing the ancient Gods of classical art to a modern song of desire, the manifesto of ARTPOP is heard loud and clear.

I dunno if acronymically dubious house music is art, but this track is convincing me to take her word for it.

Best Line: "Touch me, Touch me, Don't be sweet / Love me, Love me, Please retweet"

Track 4: "Sexxx Dreams"

Wow, "Sexxx Dreams" is just all over the place. Part 90's R&B with an 80's bass riff that wouldn't be out of place on a Michael Jackson single and a brief Taylor Swift apostrophe, this relaxed track doesn't benefit from being the third sex-centric song in a row.

And I'm sorry, but you can do better than repeating "making love in my sex dreams" for the chorus. Good enough, but forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

Best Line: "When I lay in bed / I touch myself and I think of you"

Track 5: "Jewels N' Drugs (feat. T.I., Too $hort, and Twista)"

ARTPOP's first foray away from eurodance/house-inspired pop buries Gaga's personality beneath a truckload of the thin clattering beats and tinny blips of Top 40 rap music. I'm glad she's trying something new and exploring other musical styles that inspire her.

But Gaga really isn't as thug as she thinks she is.

This song is too much like every other rap song on the charts right now. It brings nothing new to the genre, which is one I never really liked to begin with. I'm not angry that I spent money on it, but it's not going on my iPod. We'll call this one an well-intentioned misstep.

Best Line: "Slap honey on your pancake / We know how to make a lot of money"

Track 6: "MANiCURE"

Rock guitar! Hand claps! Gaga puts her own paint on the road paved by grrl rock n' rollers like Joan Jett or Pat Benatar. The shoutalong chorus is destined to be mumbled by people who don't quite remember the lyrics but always know exactly when to punch in and scream.

"humma hum bum MANICURE!"

It's peppy and fun, and wouldn't be out of place in a Mean Girls style makeover montage. It's pretty superficial and the least arty/experimental track so far, but it is driven by pure energy and that's never a waste.

Best Line: "Touch me in the dark / Put your hands all over my body parts"

Track 7: "Do What U Want (feat. R. Kelly)"

Lady Gaga has always had a rocky relationship with feminism, so when she announcing you could "do what U want with [her] body," it was hard not to cringe. Although upon closer inspection the lyrics are much less rapey than they originally seemed.

It's more about control issues and fear of commitment. Gaga doesn't want to give her heart to this man (R. Kelly? Yeah, why would you?), so she just resigns herself to just having awesome sex. Which I guess isn't the worst possible outcome.

The track itself is inoffensive, with an opening that sounds a lot like late 80's Depeche Mode. I'm so glad the 80's are coming back, I missed them so.

I have no idea why the "U" isn't spelled out though. That one's gonna bother me.

Best Line: "You can't have my heart and / You won't use my mind but / Do what U want with my body"

Track 8: "ARTPOP"

"ARTPOP" sounds like an alien transmission from beyond Pluto. That is a compliment. The Nutcracker Voice makes its triumphant return, having taken a brief hiatus after wearing itself out on "G.U.Y."

So far, the strongest tracks on the album are the more standard house-inspired Euro tracks that Gaga has proven herself so adept at producing. It isn't exactly breaking brand new ground, but they are always a welcome presence.

Although this song bears more than a passing resemblance to Selena Gomez's "Love You Like a Love Song," it is a return to form for the album which has proven so far to be very pleasing if not infinitely mind-blowing.

Best Line: "My ARTPOP could mean anything"

Track 9: "Swine"

The first time I heard "Swine" was during Gaga's performance at the iTunes music festival (available for free on iTunes, if you want to check it out) and it absolutely blew my mind. Gaga throws herself body and soul into this hate song (rumored to be written about Perez Hilton and it's easy to believe).

Energy! Such energy! Gaga squeals and growls and belts a roaring one word chorus that short circuits the brain's pleasure centers. She screeches and wails her way into an orgasmic dubstep drop that's going to absolutely murder at the clubs.

I love "Swine." It's an impassioned track, a rage anthem for the masses, and the most personality-filled track on what was already a very personal album for Gaga.

Best Line: "SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE / SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE"

Track 10: "Donatella"

Although this peppy ode to the good life would feel more at home on The Fame (there's shades of "Money Honey" and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" as well as "Fashion," which only ever was released on the Confessions of a Shopaholic soundtrack and was originally written for Heidi Montag. Gaga had some growing pains apparently), it's a nice reprieve from her more challenging tracks.

Dubstep bleats are laid alongside a lively piano, which hasn't taken center stage at all yet during this album. "Donatella" is basically The Devil Wears Prada distilled into a pop track as heard through an Icona Pop filter. It's pretty great. Who doesn't love all of those things? 

Best Line: "Cause she walks so bad / Like you feel so good"

Track 11: "Fashion!"

A little confusing, given that she already has a song titled "Fashion," but we'll let it slide just this once.

The piano's back in full force, guys!  Gaga's talents on keyboard are unmatched in the pop scene today, so it's always a gift when she gets a chance to show off. This isn't exactly a heavy piano song, even, it's just nice to hear that she hasn't forgotten where she came from.

Unfortunately, "Fashion!" doesn't rise above the level of aggressively bland pop fare. It's not bad, but merely unmemorable and uninspired. Completely out of place alongside even the worst of ARTPOP's other tracks, "Fashion!" feels like a demo track from her pre-"Just Dance" days.

Not like "Just Dance" was even a pillar of pop originality.

It's not great, guys. I honestly don't know how this song ended up on here.

Best Line: "Looking good and feeling fine / Slay, slay"

Track 12: "Mary Jane Holland"

This plodding dubstep crooner goes hand in hand with "Fashion!" as a track that really in no way deserves to be on the album. Rather than having an excitingly cluttered soundscape like the earlier ARTPOP tracks, "Mary Jane Holland" just feels overproduced and sloppy.

If it weren't for the sprightly breakdown, this track could barely even be considered bonus track material. Although if it was a bonus track, I suppose I'd feel less animosity toward it.

One of the few tracks on the album that doesn't require a second listen.

Best Line: "But our truffles are the most / Mad-magical in Amsterdam"

Track 13: "Dope"

We're almost to the end, and this is the first actual ballad we've come across. It's a shame, because it's a darn good one. A slow and powerful piano melody full of regret and heartbreak, Gaga's voice is shattering. Although I was initially wary of the seemingly pandering title, this track is solid and heartfelt.

It's like a more cohesive, less self-indulgent iteration of "Yoü and I." It's so so much better than that track, which is one that I really loved off Born This Way. "Dope" is one of those songs that absolutely deserves the massive ballyhoo that Gaga raised over the release of this album.

Best Line: "Been hurting low / From living high for so long"

Track 14: "Gypsy"

The only other ballady track on the album is for some reason shoved ceremoniously right behind "Dope" like sardines. I was apprehensive during the slow opening because there's no way another straight ballad could have held up while following that heart-wrenching track, but a tempo change at the chorus sends "Gypsy" spiraling over the moon.

A thrilling revelation, "Gypsy" is this album's "Edge of Glory" and it is fabulous. Gaga busts out the hard drums, name drops "Scheiße," and hits the 80's influences harder than she ever has. It's joyful and glides effortlessly above the world, taking its strength from a repetitive chorus that's so captivating it's impossible to notice the lyrical shortcomings.

This song is basically like running stark naked through a field of daisies, a sparkler in each hand. A totally exhilarating and liberating experience.

Best Line: "Thought that I would be alone forever / But I won't be tonight"

Track 15: "Applause"

"Applause" is what every lead single off an experimental album is: safe. It's a diluted introduction to the themes and musicality of the album to come. The Nutcracker Voice makes its appearance, Gaga does some self analysis and name drops Jeff Koons, but only the self consciously arty video reveals the album's true intentions.

Nevertheless, "Applause" is a solid pop track, perhaps the most dance friendly on the entire album. If it's good enough for the exercise hamsters, it's good enough for me.

Best Line: "If only fame had an IV / Baby, could I bear"

Overall: ARTPOP hits more than it misses. Although it doesn't exactly live up to its enthusiastically bombastic hype, what album possibly could? Although her lyrics are uncharacteristically weak, she more than makes up for it with solid house and 80's-inspired backing tracks that revel in their extravagance.

It briefly sags in the middle but the opening and especially the closing sets are strong, occasionally grazing the perfect synthesis of high art and pop that Gaga wants this junior album to be. Regardless of its shortcomings, Gaga is still a pop queen and at least four of these tracks are likely to wind up on my top 50 of the year, maybe even the top 20. "Swine" and "Gypsy" are definitely in my top 10.

Ranking:

#15 "Fashion!"

#14 "Mary Jane Holland"

#13 "Jewels N' Drugs (feat. T.I, Too $hort, & Twista)"

#12 "Aura"

#11 "Do What U Want (feat. R. Kelly)"

#10 "Sexxx Dreams"

#9 "ARTPOP"

#8 "G.U.Y."

#7 "MANiCURE"

#6 "Applause"

#5 "Donatella"

#4 "Venus"

#3 "Dope"

#2 "Gypsy"

#1 "Swine"

Word Count: 2493

Track by Track: PRISM

Year: 2013

Artist: Katy Perry

Label: Capitol

Welcome to my new feature where I break down recently released albums track by track! I'm gonna review each song on Katy Perry's new album individually and rank them as well. Let's try this out. (And if you like it, remember ARTPOP comes this November!)

Track 1: "Roar"

Just like all lead singles on a pop album where the artist is trying to go in a new direction, "Roar" plays it very safe. It's mainly just a diluted retread of the themes in "Firework" that, while catchy and bouncy, is rather unadventurous.

Best Line: "I stood for nothing / So I fell for everything"

Track 2: "Legendary Lovers"

Now that's more like it! "Legendary Lovers" is different from anything Katy has done before, taking its cues from Indian musical stylings with heavy sitar, syncopated rhythm, and lyrical references galore to cultural touchstones like third eyes, lotus blossoms, and karma. She speed talks her way into a chorus that soars over dark hip hop fusion beats. Her breathy falsetto voice isn't quite unleashed to its full potential yet but reveals an early glimpse of what she's trained it to do since Teenage Dream.

Best Line: "Take me down to the river / Underneath the blood orange sun / Say my name like a scripture / Keep my heart beating like a drum"

Track 3: "Birthday"

"Birthday" occupies something of a middle ground between Katy's New Direction vision and standard Top 40 pop. Sexy birthday metaphors aren't exactly breaking new ground, but luckily she mostly reigns it in to just a few lines (one of them is absolutely stellar piece of bubblegum pop smut). It's peppy and fun with a funky groove that makes it sound something like a cross between Karmin and Earth, Wind, & Fire.

Best Line: "So let me get you in your birthday suit / It's time to bring out the big balloons"

Track 4: "Walking On Air"

Something like what EDM would sound like if it was invented in the 70's. Another fun and bouncy track, "Walking On Air" draws its strength from a gospel charged closing chorus that stems from Katy's roots in Christian music in a totally natural and enervating way. Let's keep our fingers crossed that she keeps it this light on her more obviously religious songs down the road.

Best Line: "You're reading me like erotica / Boy, you make me feel exotic, yeah"

Track 5: "Unconditionally"

Here we are at Prism's first ballad! "Unconditionally" gives us a chance to sit back and see how far Katy has come from the young vixen who kissed a girl and liked it. She's seen a few heartbreaks, sang a few love songs, shot whipped cream out of a few bras, and now she's ready to show off her new mature voice. This song has heart, and I can totally see teen girls belting this with their friends at karaoke bars twenty years from now.

Best Line: "Acceptance is the key to be / To be truly free / Will you do the same for me?"

Track 6: "Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J)"

"Dark Horse" is Katy's most deviant track yet with a revolving hip hop club beat, husky vocals, and a hazy atmosphere driven by percussive snaps. I welcome Katy trying something new and the hippity hoppity is certainly that, but the song suffers from a weak drop (an anemic and tinny thing that does not maintain the energy of its buildup at all) and a truly atrocious guest appearance by Juicy J, a studio-inserted guest rapper who chimes in with such instant classic lines as "Shawty's heart was on steroids cuz her love is so strong" and "She can be my Sleeping Beauty, I'm gon' put her in a coma". I don't even know what he's trying to say with that last one. I don't think I want to.

Best Line: "Once you're mine / There's no going back"

Track 7: "This Is How We Do"

"This Is How We Do" is another hip hop influenced song that takes itself much less seriously than "Dark Horse" and fares way better for having done so. Katy sing talks her way through a dynamic paean to getting ratchet. It's hard not to compare it to early Ke$ha, but Katy makes it her own. With its unabashed frivolity, this song is great for driving down the freeway with the top down.

Best Line: "Day drinking at the Wildcats / Sucking real bad at Mariah karaoke"

Track 8: "International Smile"

"International Smile" is spunky, but it's rather shallow and the least daring song on the album so far. There's a cool dubstep breakdown before the last chorus that would redeem the song exponentially if it weren't a nearly exact copy of the sizzling and invigorating wubs from Ke$ha's "Thinking Of You." Nevertheless, it's impossible not to dance along. 

Best Line: "She's got that je ne sais quoi / You know it"

Track 9: "Ghost"

I was hoping this would be a "banging a ghost" song along the lines of "E.T." or Ke$ha's "Supernatural," but instead it's just a Russell Brand song. This is the first song obviously informed by her divorce (check out the best line - definitely RB) which is odd because I was expecting a lot more heartbreak out of this album. This song is basically a Prismified "Wide Awake" or "The One That Got Away" with a clacking drum beat, a sedate verse, and an admittedly good chorus that doesn't do anything to raise it above its predecessors.

Best Line: "You sent a text / It's like the wind changed your mind"

Track 10: "Love Me"

A down tempo self-empowerment anthem that's raw and sweet, "Love Me" strips away the layers of pomp and metaphor from the likes of "Firework," "Pearl," and "Roar" to tell her story of finding herself in the midst of heartbreak. This second half of the album so far is a lot more Russell Brandified, which is to its credit. "Ghost" didn't really do it for me, but Katy harnesses her power in this song and her straightforward but heartfelt lyrics float through a universe of electro-drums, soft synths, and the more organic side of computer instrumentation and vocal manipulation.

Best Line: "I lost myself / In fear of losing you"

Track 11: "This Moment"

The 80's are back, folks! Opening with a chuckling bass and a breezy synth drumset, this song calls to mind Depeche Mode or the Human League in a very good way (at least for me). Katy synthesizes the modern trend of nihilistic YOLO-ing prevalent in songs like "Give Me Everything," "Feel This Moment," and "Die Young" with a pronounced retro feel. Katy's voice does acrobatics above a track that sweeps you away, shifting subtly from 80's electrobeats to an instrumental quotation of "Teenage Dream" and back, subliminally reminding us of just how far Katy has come better than any track on the decidedly more mature Prism has up to this point.

Best Line: "And we pop what is prescribed / If it gets us first prize"

Track 12: "Double Rainbow"

Unfortunately, "Double Rainbow" really isn't as fun as its title would suggest. It's just a plodding love song that doesn't land the camp value inherent in its title and pales in the wake of the magnificent "This Moment." This song makes the same missteps as "Roar," dropping lyrical clichés like breadcrumbs. The chorus overpowers the lackluster verses, much like Ke$ha's "Love Into the Light," but what makes that song a masterpiece is not present here at all.

Best Line: "The two of us together make everything glitter"

Track 13: "By The Grace Of God"

Katy's voice is tremendous, but she can't lift this unimaginative ballad up on vocal strength alone. The longest song on the album at four and a half minutes, this overtly religious self-empowerment/post-divorce piano track is too overstuffed to definitively decide what it wants to be. It lacks the spiritual joy of the likes of "Walking On Air" and is due to alienate most of her secular fanbase. It's absolutely not a fault that she's accessing her religion for a personal song, but it just doesn't resonate. It's too swallowed by everything else in the song.

Best Line: "We were living on a fault line / And I felt the fault was all mine"

Track 14: "Spiritual" (Bonus Track)

It's trying to be "Like a Prayer" but it sounds more like the closing credits song to a Twilight movie. Like all the songs on Prism, "Spiritual" is objectively good, but it just can't compare with the likes of "This Moment" or "Walking On Air." It definitely feels like a bonus track.

Best Line: "Your electric lips have got me speaking in tongues"

Track 15: "It Takes Two" (Bonus Track)

A heartfelt apology song about learning that you're not always the protagonist in your story of love. Again, Katy shows off her more mature voice both in songwriting and belting. But still, it just doesn't have that spark that the main album has. Another overlong and unimpressive bonus track.

Best Line: "Is Mercury in retrograde / Or is that the excuse I've always made"

Track 16: "Choose Your Battles" (Bonus Track)

This is what a bonus track should be! Perhaps not as polished as the main album but delightful and experimental. Katy shifts rapidly between her sing talking and sinewy trills within the verse itself before slamming into a house inspired chorus underlaid with crashing war drums and grinding dubstep blasts. A great slow jam.

Best Line: "You are my hurt locker lover / Keep me walking on a wire"

Overall: Prism is a solid effort. Katy has taken a big leap away from the pervasive Top 40 jams of Teenage Dream, and she's found herself in unfamiliar territory. She fumbles now and then as she tweaks her sound to fit her more mature voice and worldview but this album feels like an important stepping stone to an out and out experiential pop masterpiece of a fourth album.

She's taking a lot of pages out of Ke$ha's songbook, which is absolutely not a detraction considering that Warrior is possibly the most experimental and exciting pop album of 2012. Although her lyrics occasionally leave something to be desired, her exploratory forays into EDM, world music, retro, and hip hop (mostly in the first half of the album) are generally her strongest tracks. 

Each song is great, but the back half suffers somewhat from a lack of brevity despite stronger themes. All in all, it's a stellar third album so any complaints I may have are just minor nitpicks but I need something to write about, don't I?

You go Katy. I can't wait for whatever's on the horizon. 

Ranking:

# 16 "By The Grace Of God"

# 15 "Double Rainbow"

# 14 "Spiritual"

# 13 "It Takes Two"

# 12 "Ghost"

# 11 "Choose Your Battles"

# 10 "Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J)"

# 9 "Roar"

# 8 "Unconditionally"

# 7 "International Smile"

# 6 "This Is How We Do"

# 5 "Love Me"

# 4 "Walking On Air"

# 3 "Birthday"

# 2 "This Moment"

# 1 "Legendary Lovers"

Word Count: 1846