Okay, Mariah again...
Upon several repeated listening, I'd put her new album E=MC^2 on par with Daydream (also a follow up album to a HUGE hit "Music Box") may be a tad better- definitely better uptempo song, and variety of color. Butterfly is still THE album of her career to me (It's been 10 yrs, and I still listen to it- especially The Roof, Breakdown, Babydoll, and Close My Eyes) followed closely by Emancipation of Mimi. Good album. Still. Not her best.
I already said that I LOVE all the mid-up tempo songs. Now onto her slow stuff. I don't like her second single "Bye Bye" so much. It's one of those songs that pretty much spell everything out for you: "this is for my people who just lost somebody" (granted it's part of the intro blab, like a preview of what's coming, and not a verse in my book of songwriting, but still...).
She's very "wordy" in this album, and not enough melody... at certain times it almost feels like I'm listening to book on CD (sung, of course) with music in the background.
My favorite is "Love Story" - it has this Before Sunrise/Before Sunset kind of thing going: former lovers reunite kinda deal.
"Thanx 4 Nothin" has the most catchy chorus of all the slow song IMO. Otherwise, the song is kinda interesting with her singing against the beat and such.
The first time I heard "For the Record" I thought "Man, this song will make a great music for a commercial". Well, it already was- for her "M" perfume last year. Duh.
Here's a 30 sec clips of "Love Story/Thanx 4 Nothin" - acoustic version for her MTV 52/52 thingy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_q8drL69ec
Gosh, if she's released this acoustic version as singles, she'll get all her "adult contemporary cred" (if there's such thing) back in a heartbeat. I'm not so fond of her whispery style of singing, but against a lone guitar or piano it is pretty good.
I already said that I LOVE all the mid-up tempo songs. Now onto her slow stuff. I don't like her second single "Bye Bye" so much. It's one of those songs that pretty much spell everything out for you: "this is for my people who just lost somebody" (granted it's part of the intro blab, like a preview of what's coming, and not a verse in my book of songwriting, but still...).
She's very "wordy" in this album, and not enough melody... at certain times it almost feels like I'm listening to book on CD (sung, of course) with music in the background.
My favorite is "Love Story" - it has this Before Sunrise/Before Sunset kind of thing going: former lovers reunite kinda deal.
"Thanx 4 Nothin" has the most catchy chorus of all the slow song IMO. Otherwise, the song is kinda interesting with her singing against the beat and such.
The first time I heard "For the Record" I thought "Man, this song will make a great music for a commercial". Well, it already was- for her "M" perfume last year. Duh.
Here's a 30 sec clips of "Love Story/Thanx 4 Nothin" - acoustic version for her MTV 52/52 thingy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_q8drL69ec
Gosh, if she's released this acoustic version as singles, she'll get all her "adult contemporary cred" (if there's such thing) back in a heartbeat. I'm not so fond of her whispery style of singing, but against a lone guitar or piano it is pretty good.