Roy Kim - Home

Let's pause today for a gorgeous ballad. Now, when it comes to music, I'm a performance guy. I'm not a fan of the "sittin' in a chair, strumming a guitar" kind of artist. In these instances, it takes a very special voice or special song to keep my attention. Roy Kim is that voice and Home is that song. Not only is this a ballad, but it's a ballad in another language. Honestly, I used to be scared of this combination. But music is a universal language, and you get everything you need from this based on performance and feel alone. Let's say it again: Roy Kim has an AMAZING voice. It's incredibly soothing and evocative and full of emotion. The tone just stops you in your tracks. The song itself is quite sad, though ultimately celebrates the power of coming home to the person or people you love. Without getting too cheesy, it's perfect for this time of year. And one more time... that freaking voice!!! Seriously. It's going to soundtrack my entire winter.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

I See Monstas - Evolution

"I won't regret a single breath I take"

Usually, I try to post only new music, but I can't be everywhere at once so there are always going to be some songs that I miss out on. This track, Evolution by UK group I See Monstas, is one of those gems. It came out last year, but it's just too good not to spotlight today. This song is just massive. Overwhelmingly massive. The group has a great new single out now that I could've posted instead, but I can't get over how tremendous the hook on this one is. Both dubstep and drum and bass are genres that I struggle with a bit. When done well, they can be breathtakingly awesome. Unfortunately, they're also both very overused. Evolution gets everything right. If you need a jolt of energy in your day, fire this up. You'll be on your feet once that chorus kicks in.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

One Direction - Where Do Broken Hearts Go

"It took me some time, but I figured out"

I haven't died! Sorry for the extended break. I had a day of speaking engagements and then some fun dental surgery (luckily in that order), but I'm back now with plenty to post. We'll start today with a track from the new One Direction album. I've been a great admirer of the 80's power-pop sound these guys have been working with, but not as big of a fan of the more folksy leanings they've been developing as of late. So it's no surprise that my biggest standout from the standard edition of the album is the 80's anthem, Where Do Broken Hearts Go. Honestly, I would've liked to have seen this be the lead single. It's very much the sonic successor to Best Song Ever. It has those surging guitars and Bon Jovi-esque, shout-along hooks that I go crazy for. As for the album as a whole, I'm enjoying it but not as much as their past work. Now, it did take a few listens (and a drastic track reshuffling) until I loved Midnight Memories, so this might be the same situation. I hope there are some massive standouts on the deluxe edition. I don't need more ballads.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.