Korn/The Nothing

Jason Savio

Jonathan Davis delivers one of the best lyrics of any Korn song ever when he sings, “God is making fun of me/He’s laughing up there, I can see,” over the demented carousel-ride riff in “Idiosyncrasy,” off the band’s new album The Nothing.

Those words of paranoia and pain might sound like nothing new to the hardened Korn fan, but on The Nothing they come from a different place as Davis sorts through his complex feelings over the death of his wife.

The Nothing is one of Korn’s darkest records, from the heavy and unforgiving guitars to the deeply personal lyrical content. “Cold” features a pre-chorus that is the tightest and meanest bit the Bakersfield boys have put on tape and also comes complete with old-school Korn vibes courtesy of Fieldy’s bass.

“H@rd3r” lives up to its name with a glass-shattering crescendo. The heart and soul of The Nothing is Davis. He battles his sorrow over his wife’s passing on “Can You Hear Me” when he sings, “It walks with me, it takes its time/It sinks its teeth in one at a time.” He seems to come to terms with his grief on the second to last song “This Loss,” singing, “This is plain to see/Been holding on too long to this tragedy/And it’s time to be free,” but his doubt lingers on the final song, “Surrender to Failure”. He says “I’ve failed” over and over again to close out the album.

The Nothing is everything you could ask for in a Korn album. It’s unsettling and headbanging with a trace of honest tears – and it’s the band’s best work since their hallmark album Follow the Leader.

For more information visit: kornofficial.com.

Mika/My Name Is Michael Holbrook

Mike Wood

He may not be known stateside like he is across the pond, but Mika is worth a listen for anyone who considers pop their jam. His fifth studio album is like a whimsical musing on how things could be, should be or might be—if his idea of the world came to be. It’s a beautiful, lyrical journey that only grows on you with repeat listens. We suggest digesting the album as a whole—its eponymous title is the story of Mika’s (full name Michael Holbrook Penniman, Jr.) life—the warts, heartbreak, joy, loss and love, and all the messiness that comes along with the journey.

Rather than jumping through tracks as we so often do in this age of iTunes and Spotify, take it all in, because like all the best albums, there’s a story being told, and skipping songs just means you’ve opted for the Cliffs Notes. There are gorgeous, intimate ballads backed by piano, bass-rich club thumpers and a fair share of disco-inspired pop with synth undertones—something for everyone—and the varying musical embellishments make for a fun, colorful and irreverent listening party.

Album opener “Tiny Love” offers up Mika with tinges of Freddie Mercury and Elton John, where showmanship and flamboyance are meet face-to-face with buoyancy and balladry and sheer happiness. Through the thirteen tracks, Mika isn’t afraid to turn the microscope on himself and explore darker depths, like in the ballad “I Went To Hell Last Night”. Self-discovery is clearly the mission on Michael Holbrook and Mika hits all the different emotions because, well, isn’t that life? It’s not all rainbows and bunny rabbits. Sometimes shit hits the fan, too. He’s singing his truth, and as default, universal truth.

For more information, please visit mikasounds.com.

Idina Menzel/Christmas: A Season of Love

Jennifer Russo

I thought I might get on the wintery bandwagon and review a Christmas album and lucky for me…Idina Menzel’s new one just hit iTunes recently. Idina, who is well known for her roles as Elphaba in the musical Wicked, for which she won a Tony Award, and as the voice of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, showcases her impressive range and ability to belt out across many genres by singing some of the season’s favorite feel good songs.

I was happy to hear that she didn’t really stray from the traditional sound in some well-loved songs like “Sleigh Ride”, “We Need a Little Christmas” and “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, but was equally as pleased to hear twists throughout the album like the super jazzy version of “I Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”.

Then there were some songs I had never heard before, including “A Hand for Mrs. Claus”, with Ariana Grande, encouraging people to celebrate the woman behind the man in the red suit, who clearly keeps the show running. And I absolutely loved the “We Wish You the Merriest”, a song that reunites Menzel with Josh Gad (who voiced Olaf, the snowman in Frozen) for a fun, fast, feel-good song that can’t help but put you in a great mood.

There are also medley combinations of songs that are done exceptionally well. Her version of “O Holy Night”, one of my favorite holiday songs and an extremely difficult one to sing, is combined with “Ave Maria”. It is absolutely beautiful. And “Winter Wonderland” is combined with “Baby, Please Come Home” (a song which I fell in love with when Tia Mowry sang it some years ago in the movie The Mistle-Tones ) and it makes you want to surround yourself with bright lights and shop for presents.

For those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, she didn’t leave you out of this album. A cute recording of her son Walker singing a Hanukkah song and a song in Spanish called “Ocho Kandelikas (8 Little Candles)” also grace the album. There is also a solo rendition of “Seasons of Love”, from the musical Rent, which made her famous.

For more information please visit: idinamenzel.com.