Madonna | Rebel Heart

Whether we believe her songs were leaked by some nefarious naysayer or as a meticulous, pre-planned act of self-promotion for Madonna’s plan to take over the world, the Material Girl of 2015 is still savvy and sharp when it comes to what we want to hear. Nineteen songs rich – with more hits than misses – Rebel Heart feels fresh, yet faithful to her classic songs from the better albums in her nearly four-decades-long repertoire and is a return to a Madonna who feels authentic and true to herself. She’s not impersonating anyone – I hate to give credence to so many who have dismissed “Living For Love” as adult contemporary chart schlock – which is what she did on her last couple of albums: try too hard to be what she thought people wanted to hear. With this, her 13th album, Madonna proves she’s back in the game on her own terms without trying to stumble after the current trends. This pop album is hers, and it’s a good one.

The infectious promise of Rebel Heart’s first song and single, “Living For Love,” sets the tone for an album that lets Madonna’s ceaseless energy effortlessly get your body moving. And even if all the songs are not the high-energy, raise-the-roof, dance-anthem pop of “Living” or “Illuminati,” there are other, quieter entries, like “HeartBreakCity” and “Best Night,” that deserve a listen. Plus, if there’s anyone who has earned the badge to boldly title a song “B*tch I’m Madonna,” it’s her. Well played, M. Well played.

For more information, visit Madonna.com

By Michael Wood

Crash Midnight | Lost In The City

“Welcome to Boston/We’re waiting in the streets,” sings Shaun Soho on the track “Welcome To Boston,” setting the fast-paced bravado and tone of Crash Midnight’s debut album, Lost In The City. As far as hometown anthems go, it hits a chord that enlivens the listener and lets it be known loud and clear what Lost In The City entails.

Whatever swagger and attitude that may have arguably gone missing from the local and national music scenes in recent years, it’s about to make a resurgence, thanks to the rock of Crash Midnight. Taking all the right cues from similar bands that have come before it, the local act has put together a hard-hitting collection of rock songs that walk the line of vintage and modern. The lyrics Soho sings cover all the themes you would want in your late-night escapades: drinking, promiscuous women and all of the other devils that dwell in the cracks of the city’s streets.

Comparisons to Guns N’ Roses may sound absurd, given that group’s rare spark, but comparisons between the two groups are almost unavoidable. Like Guns N’ Roses, Crash Midnight embodies a sense of controlled chaos while staying surprisingly loose. “151” is an example of this classic hybrid DNA, as is the thump and swing of “Diamond Boulevard.”

Lost In The City is an exciting and welcome debut, particularly for those into the kind of brash rock that was thought to be extinct. Crash Midnight looks to bring back that swagger, and Lost In The City is the perfect start.

For more, visit crashmidnight.com

By Jason Savio

The Gentle Storm | The Diary

When an album opens with sounds of a storm, Gregorian chanting and a layering of varied instruments, I am hooked immediately. There is just something about that gothic sound that just makes my ears perk up. Add a beautiful soprano voice, and hello … ready for full album listening.

What makes this album completely unique is its two-albums-in-one style. The “gentle” disc is full of orchestral sounds (piano, violin, French horn, etc.), and the “storm” disc holds the same songs with a more rocked-out kick (electric guitar, heavy rhythm). I can’t imagine how much work went into recording each of the 11 songs twice, but what a gift for the listeners.

The Gentle Storm takes two of Holland’s most famed musicians, composer and multi-instrument musician Arjen Lucassen and vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen, and puts them together so they complement each other every step of the way and do not outshine one another. Each song is beautifully balanced.

On the “gentle” album, “Endless Sea” is my clear favorite. The instrumental almost has an Arabian feel, with visions of a caravan crossing the desert. On the “storm” album, “The Moment” left me speechless, with music and vocals that are staggeringly beautiful.

“New Horizons” is the track that I think would be the most mainstream, and I use that term loosely because there is nothing mainstream about this album at all. It is for the listener who truly appreciates music in all of its glory. With the use of more than 40 instruments across the album, it’s a true music-lover’s album. Brilliant is the word that encompasses my attitude towards this one.

Learn more at arjenlucassen.com and annekevangiersbergen.com

By Jennifer Russo