My subject this time is Rihanna, and her new album 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' Before I start any of my detailed analysis, there are some facts about Rihanna that you must know. Her voice is a bit whiny, and it will grate on your nerves at some point. I was told by a vocal major that her voice is incredibly 'nasal;' a trait shared by most pop singers, but Rihanna has a particularly bad case of it. I knew something was wrong, but I needed my friend and her years of voice training to help me put a name on it. She also mentioned some stuff about 'chest voice' and 'head voice' that messed my hair up as it flew over my head at an incredible rate of speed.
The first track, and first single 'Umbrella' is a very heartfelt track about standing by your friends in times of need. I've been a friend in need the past few months, so I was able to really relate with this song. The opening by the always awesome Jay-Z was well done, but not over done. The guitar riffs blended very well with the electronic/beat machine elements. Overall, this is my second favorite track on the album, and one of my favorite pop tracks of the year.
'Shut Up And Drive' is my personal number one on 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' It's incredibly sexually suggestive, not something I'm usually a big fan of, but I liked this song the same way I enjoyed R. Kelly's 'Ignition.' 'Shut Up And Drive' is, again, more rock oriented with heavy use of guitars, has a very quick tempo, and is just really fun to listen to. You'll be hearing it on pop radio soon if you haven't already, because it's the second single.

Sometime in the past three years since 'Breakaway,' someone really pissed Kelly off, and it shows in her music. Big time. Almost every track is negative in content, often angry, but it's never depressing. On the contrary, it's more of an album about self empowerment; learning from mistakes, righting previous wrongs, and just flat letting people know about themselves.
Usually, I start off with the negatives of an album, but there's not much to talk about on that side of the fence. The second track, 'One Minute,' seems just a touch out of place, but it's not 'bad.' The electronic effects just seemed to contrast with the rest of of the disc, and sounded like something I'd hear on one of Lindsay Lohan's CDs (which aren't quite as bad as you'd think).
The good? Well, I could write another 2,000 words on that, as I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of the album. Everyone has probably heard the lead single, 'Never Again,' and that sound is very indicative of what you'll hear out of most of the other 13 tracks.
'Sober' is certainly one of the best examples of a song about self improvement, despite the pain you may cause yourself. It's a slower song, more of a ballad (and therefor likely to be a single), but even it really picks up the pace at the end. Clarkson's vocals are so strong when she really starts belting it, and you can truly feel the emotive qualities of the song. That's a sign of a maturing artist that is honing her craft.
'Be Still' is the slowest, most low key track, and her voice is incredibly soft, sultry, and seductive. Moving away from 'rock' a bit, this song touches on R&B and blues. Almost Nora Jones-esque. 'Irvine,' the last track, has that feel too, but is a very spiritual song from the viewpoint of a person on the edge reaching out to God. At the conclusion of 'Irvine.' another acoustic track awaits those who are patient enough; the song I assume is named 'Chivas' starts up at about the 5:20 mark after some dead air.
'Judas' is a great one, probably my personal favorite, though it's for personal reasons, so you my not agree. 'Haunted' is a track that could've easily found itself on an Evanscence album, that could be about a relationship gone wrong, but can easily touch on the topic of death at the same time.
After that, just take your pick. There's not one track that I'd skip on a regular basis; it's just stupid good from top to bottom. Kelly has really earned this blogger's respect with 'My December.' I'm already wanting more. Go buy it and enjoy it!

Linkin Park fans, whether you're going to like this CD or not is going to depend on one factor; are you a fan of the lyrical content of their music, or the sound/style of their music. 'Minutes to Midnight' brings with it a dramatic shift in the composure of Linkin's tunes.
On a whole, I enjoyed the CD, minus one track, 'Given Up.' The track comes off a bit to harsh and dark for me, especially when it's compared to the rest of the compilation. Some will find meaning and comfort in it I suppose, but I think after the average listeners first run through of the CD, this will be the disc's most skipped track.
In contrast, my favorite track is 'Hands Held High.' I'm glad to see, arguably, the most popular band in the world taking on politics in their music, and speaking out for and against things they believe in. This track appears to me to be written from the view point of young people during war time situations, American or not. Might it be a bash on President Bush? Possibly. But a song like this will have the ability to stand up through the ages, because it speaks in general terms of the disconnect between politicians and the people they serve. The closing track, 'The Little Things Give You Away' casts the government's handling of the Hurricane Katrina crisis in a very damning light. Not just government, but the people of this country in general. I tend to agree with some of the points made in this song, and disagree with others, but I applaud they used their pulpit to express ideals on important topics, rather than saying how G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S they are.
Other notables include the lead single 'What I've Done,' 'Bleed It Out,' and 'No More Sorrow.' The whole CD is worth listening to though, some of it political, spiritual, and a track or two commenting on death. Linkin Park, as all great bands have to do at some point, has let their music mature with them as they've grown in this business. This disc shows that very clearly, and I give it a solid recommendation. (Parents of younger fans may be interested in an edited version.

Has it really been five years since Matchbox Twenty released any new material? I suppose with lead singer Rob Thomas' solo album bridging the gap it didn't seem that long, but gosh. Here's hoping for a shorter length of time between 'Exile On Mainstream' and their next true major release.
'True major release?' Yeah, this isn't a full album of new tunes. You could call it a greatest hits package with several new tracks, or a new EP with all their old hits bundled in for good measure. Six new tracks is a lot for a 'Hits' album, and all the of older tracks make it an awfully large EP. So take your pick on what you wish to call it. The new material was great; innovative, but still Matchbox Twenty. They're still cool enough for teens, but not too cool for their parents to listen to. They may be the best in the music industry at walking this line, posting more #1 hits, and more time spent at #1 than any other artist in the history of the Adult Top 40 charts. That is a nice feather to stick in your cap. Regardless of all that, I'm just happy to see them recording as a band again, and that Rob didn't pull a Beyonce.
If you just became a fan of Rob Thomas, or only caught on to the band after the release of their last album, this compilation is a must have. My younger readers, trust me when I tell you Matchbox Twenty's music is fairly timeless, and you're going to like it. They blazed the trail for Maroon 5 and Fallout Boy, and they did it better. If you try it and don't enjoy your listening experience, rip me in the comments. I'm that confident in this recommendation.