Adam Lambert - Trespassing

"Who are you and where are you from?"

Sadly, I've gotta say that I'm not really feeling the new Adam Lambert album (at least not yet). I hate to say it, because I've always thought his potential is just awesome. He remains the single most exciting thing to grace American Idol in its history, though I felt some of that excitement was lost on his all-over-the-place debut album. This new one's much more cohesive, but there are only a couple of tracks that have really stood out for me. The album's opening (and title) track is heads and tails above everything else that follows, which is a problem because it sets the standard too high. Still, on its own, it's everything I would like an Adam Lambert track to be. Trespassing is basically a sequel (almost remake) of Queen's Another One Bites The Dust. This may sound like a complaint, but it's not. It works wonders because no major song that's been released since Dust has sounded anything like it. Lambert's track might be a pastiche, but it's a truly refreshing one. It doesn't conform to any other sound that's on the radio right now, which is something that can't be said about most of the album. Honestly, he could be the next Freddie Mercury if he was given better material. More funky, epic rock and less electro trend-chasing, please.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 20 Albums of 2009: 4-3

4. Cinema Bizarre - Toyz



By far the highest ranking German album on my countdowns ever, this was a real pleasant surprise this year. It’s the longest album on the countdown, so that means there’s a little bit of filler, but all in all this band’s electro/glam makeover was a resounding success, even if it wasn’t met with the sales it deserved. Bounding between dramatic power ballads and dancefloor stompers, it’s an extremely strong set of mainstream pop/rock songs, and the album Tokio Hotel should have released this year. I doubt many people have even heard it, which makes it the perfect recommendation for this catch-up time of year.

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3. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment



The number three spot is split between this album and the entertainment Lambert gave us on Idol this year. It’s impossible to separate the two. Luckily, though, on its own the album doesn’t disappoint. It’s overproduced and overblown, sure, but that’s what this type of pop music should be. More importantly, Lambert’s the first American popstar in a long time to attempt uttering words like “glam rock” in the context of mainstream radio play. For that alone he deserves one of the top spots. There were a couple of potholes on the road to success, but his second single is starting to take off and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.

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Top 50 Singles of 2009: 25-21

25. Erik Hassle - Don’t Bring Flowers



Even better than Hurtful, this straddled the line perfectly between acoustic, electro and pure pop. Puts its American counterparts to shame.

24. Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo



Xenomania proves their worth yet again with this adrenaline-pumping dance track. A new duo couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the charts.

23. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment



Many expected him to go rock, but instead the Idol runner-up released his version of what sounds like a Britney Spears song. The difference is he can sing like nobody’s business.

22. Mika - We Are Golden



The most over-the-top single in a career of over-the-top singles, this annoyed many but delighted me. It’s approaching Freddie Mercury territory.

21. Malena Ernman - La Voix



A perfect melding of opera and dance, this deserved so much better than it received in Eurovision. The chorus is still stirring.