RAPTOR-Day Shock (1996)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: June 3, 2017

Not so shocking that I've breached brand new cultural horizons once again with my music listening! An interesting discovery I've made along my current Eurodance adventure is this Thai teenage pop duo that called itself RAPTOR. And with this discovery, my first time ever hearing music of any variety in the Thai language was had.....although in a bit of a different way than I expected. I'd assumed at the outset that all of the non-English title tracks would be where I'd get all of my Thai exposure; for the most part, I was right on. Though the opener surprised me the instant the wailing, distorted voice of a female house diva is repeating 'can you feel the desire? and can you feel the pain?' before the high-energy rhythm kicks into full throttle, followed by the very familiar wails of the wild 'whoo!' that is so often used on classic Eurodance songs which, by itself, makes it as addicting of an affair as it is! I actually could've taken those wails of 'whoo!' and the dance rhythm as an instrumental-only rave groove, but it was fun hearing that coupled with words from a foreign language that I'm not yet too familiar with. The track right afterwards would give me my second surprise. A major downshift from the energetic Eurodance to the softly jazzed-up and chilled-to-the-bone arrangement for this beautiful slow groove, which starts off with the boys singing in Thai before all of a sudden, I would hear the words changed over to 'if you look in my eyes, you find the feeling I've tried to hide, when I'm close to you, I feel like you love me too'—clearly in English! And just when I had been thinking to myself all throughout up until that point, 'this is feeling like a song I wish I understood the lyrics to'..... Me and my ears were happy after that! As a bonus treat for listeners, there is an alternative 'Friends Version' where it sounds like the boys are performing the song in paired unison. And just when I was wondering that 'Friends' was referring to, I considered both the fact that this is a paired performance and that the lyrics this time were performed entirely in Thai, as if it was meant to appeal to only friends and fans native to the Far East. The remaining selections here on "Day Shock" are performed in pure English, and I must say that every one of them is pleasantly satisfactory. "I'll Never Dance Again", despite the negative title and the accompanying theme, is a very nice and breezy mid-tempo piece full of lush vocals to sink your ears into. I wouldn't declare it definitely until I got to "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", but this RAPTOR duo sure can be charming with their lofty voices on these slowed-down, cuddly love songs that sparkle and glimmer and glide along ever so gracefully. "Oh My Love" is a real keeper; it gets me thinking about any of those fuzzy holiday tunes with only the dreamy backing ambiance wrapping the music up in a warm blanket. I was especially impressed with their mature remake of the tender Johnny Mathis classic, "The Twelfth Of Never"; by then, the boys had demonstrated to me that they can take on any of these golden oldies and make them pop-tastic! If the thrilling Eurodance opener was intended to be a shock to the system, then the pair of "Let's Live For Today" and "Johnny Can't Read" crank that electrifying voltage up a few notches! The former gets me hooked with its groovy electronic Euro-house beat and the catchy chorus, highlighted by the repetitive 'sha la la la la la, live for today'. As for the latter, they tell a down-to-earth story about a guy who never learned any useful skills to get far in life. As bad as it sounds (I wonder if it really was a true story?), I found the song to be quite humorous; them quickly mentioning all of the simple things that Johnny just couldn't grasp the concept of, plus the outrageously supercharged techno/happy hardcore rhythm and the robotic, computerized voice repeating the song title throughout, played a huge role in that:

1. อย่าพูดเลย (Underground version)
2. แรงบันดาลใจ
3. I'll Never Dance Again
4. Let's Live For Today
5. Just Don't Want To Be Lonely
6. Entrance
7. แรงบัลดาลใจ (Friends Version)
8. Oh My Love
9. Johnny Can't Read
10. The Twelfth Of Never
11. แรงบันดาลใจ (Instrumental)

SILENT CIRCLE-Back! (1994)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: June 1, 2017

And I gotta have my Eurodance, too! When I resumed making progress on organizing the 'S' artists in my library, it had occurred to me that I had only listened to one and only album by this German pop trio: 1998's, "Stories 'Bout Love", which was previously featured right here at "The Music Spectrum". Such a great and memorable listen that was; I even helped myself to a replay of my favorite track from that album, "I Need A Woman". So now I've brought SILENT CIRCLE back into my own music circles, looking forward to creating new music memories by going backwards chronologically to their second album. And thus far, I've created at least a few, with the first one being the fourth track, "Egyptian Eyes". Just as I had predicted, a slightly Middle Eastern-inspired chord arrangement allures the senses here, as does the song's smooth, middle-tempo Europop rhythm, which gives way for the totally 'Egyptian-sounding' instrumental during the midway beat drop break. All of it is a perfect backdrop for a song about a man who is dreaming of a woman with Egyptian eyes. The second music memory I created for myself is rather haunting "Hide In Your Shell". Also a middle-tempo Europop delight, I was drawn in by the moody ambiance and the glitzy electronic riffs during the intro, even though it felt like I was being guided into the darkest corners of reality with the chilling screams of the lady in the background. Yet the creepy sound is perfect for projecting the whole hiding-in-desolate-and-lonely-spaces theme offered in the lyrics. The ambiance and instrumental grooves, in fact, evolved as this album's primary attractions for my ears, which isn't what I had expected to be the case. Me getting into the zone right from the opening "Prologue", where one of the SILENT CIRCLE guys speaks with the suggestive, hypnotic words of 'enjoy the silence and listen to the music', was surely a telltale indication of that. Fueling that attraction further were the pair of instrumental-only cuts: "Entrance" (another goodie with a rather haunting, moody ambiance; I wonder if this title was a clever play on the simple phrase 'in trance', as that is exactly what the music builds up) and "Desire" (this one almost has that epic adventure movie soundtrack feeling about it). Everywhere else, then, it is a not-so-silent, SILENT CIRCLE Eurodance affair. That classic 90's Eurodance style—male DJ/female vocalist—is displayed on the high-energy, sunny breeze that is "2night" and on another one of my new-found favorites, "Every Move, Every Touch" (I like the unified lofty voices in the sunny, sing-along chorus, which caused the song to grow on me the more it kept getting repeated). Yet some of these are much more than just a high-energy Eurodance affair: "Take A Chance", with his mellowed, tender words of ' don't wait for long, love can't be wrong '; "Just Another Moment", another one that warms and cuddles with its words; "Tell Me Why", with the theme of risking new love (almost a reprisal of the same idea projected nine tracks before it on "Take A Chance")..... I'll still take them all and their Euro-dancey glitz and spark, of course, as I will with both "Talk Is Cheap" (the part that hooks me on this one is the last line of the chorus that restates the title in bold and clear unison) and "Night After Night" (a high-speed techno rush from start to finish, with minimal vocals and long periods of electronic ambiance mixed in for nice contrast). SILENT CIRCLE—not to be silenced anymore:

1. Prologue
2. 2night
3. Take A Chance
4. Egyptian Eyes
5. Just Another Moment
6. Entrance
7. Talk Is Cheap
8. Hide In Your Shell
9. Desire
10. Every Move, Every Touch
11. Night After Night
12. Tell Me Why

POPSIE-Popsie (1998)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 31, 2017

Gotta have my Swedish pop! Just as much as I like keeping the boybands of the 90's alive, I love keeping the girl groups from that same era alive as well! So I'm showing some love for this short-lived foursome that called itself POPSIE—a name that totally suits them—and their first and only album, which is an exhilarating forty-five minute thrill ride! They come at your first with the explosive jam of an opener called "Single", where there's a bit of angst hanging on every flaming word as they wonder why, even after all of the mixing and mingling and chasing after the boys, that they're still alone and available for the taking? I had to laugh the first couple of times I heard the one girl screaming 'still single!' to the top of her lungs—yep, she's angry alright. "Single" is then followed-up by the equally-explosive "The Way We Live"; I cite this as the group's in-your-face girl anthem, where they boast that they got it going on and nothing can go wrong. But there are some dynamite bombs that blew me away even more! "Funky" is all about the bombastic beat, plus the snazzy accompanying electronic voice effects and the chilled, suspenseful ambiance behind it all. "I'm Not Your Property" (oooh, I like the attitude of this title!) is back to their brash n' bold and in-your-face style with a touch of hip-hop flavor to it and features one of the best lines on this whole album: ' boys like you I have to disregard, I'm not in love with your credit card. There's also the catchy wads of sweet bubblegum that are "Love Technology" (I'd halfway expected something with a very electronic/techno charge to it, but it's love itself that is the technology the girls speak about here) and "Joyful Life" (a very sunny, upbeat number whose repetitive sing-along of 'na na na na na, yay-e-yeah' delivered in chorus becomes addicting before long). Yet the best of all the 'wow' moments has to be all of the high-energy, mega-groovy Eurodisco jams, starting with "Rough Enough" (the 'da da da da, e-yeah-e-yeah' of the chorus makes it just as much of an addictive sing-along as "Joyful Life"), and ending with the trio of "Latin Lover" (one of the group's most recognizable hits is also a hit with me, of course, given the Spanish flavor and the addicting 'La-la-la-latino lover' that's sung over and over), "Dump The Zero (Get A Hero)" (this one emerged as my #1; loved the title and the tempered attitude put into the words, particularly during the chorus) and "Year 2000" (I suppose there were a lot of artists who wanted to enjoy a pre-celebration of the upcoming Y2K/New Millennium; these POPSIE girls do theirs in festively fabulous fashion!). Disco dance thrills surely make for some exciting ear candy, but even the slowed-down cuts sprinkled throughout this album are something to admire and adore. "24Seven" is the first slow jam whose title had already indicated a tender love song of sorts. I love their collectively caressing voices as they confess their deepest and most intimate thoughts in song. Something about way they sing 'you bring me such delightt' makes you glow. "Coffee Kisses" is an intriguing song where they compare coffee without cream to being a morning caffeine rush without the sweet kisses—a breezy and sensual tune that also makes you glow. And the emotional, mellow treat that is "Sea Of Tears" is well-produced ad well-performed all around—from the gloomy ambiance behind the slow beat setting the mood to the half-spoken rap style of the verses to the seamless flow of the words to the chorus. I had my full servings of Swedish pop here..... and I ate it all up too!

1. Single
2. The Way We Live
3. Joyful Life
4. Rough Enough
5. Funky
6. 24Seven
7. Coffee Kisses
8. Love Technology
9. I'm Not Your Property
10. Sea Of Tears
11. Latin Lover
12. Dump The Zero (Get A Hero)
13. Year 2000

KLYMAXX-One Day (1994)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 29, 2017

I've featured them once, and now the ladies who had the 80's hits "I'd Still Say Yes", "I Miss You" and "Sexy" (I had to treat myself to that wonderful throwback after thinking about it too much!) are back for one more day here at "The Music Spectrum". The funky, divalicious KLYMAXX crew made it to 1994 with this sixth and final studio album, which I'd like to share while my mind and ears are still very much embedded in the old school, new jack swing sounds of the mid-90's. Funky is right—they establish that loud and clear with the opening title track, where they boldly proclaim that there'll be some day when they won't love the man back and won't need him for anything at all; the catchy part is hearing the male DJ throughout busting through with his announcements of 'hear the drama, get wicked!'. "Code Bleu" is one of those typically 90's house-party jams that's got that distinctive synthesized siren wailing and record-scratching thing going on. I like the theme of this song—a lady in need of some sexual healing and wanting her man, the doctor, to report to the operating room, as the one rapping offers up during the fresh rap break. That same magical, dreamy ballad production that I loved so much and still remember well about "I'd Still Say Yes" and "I Miss You" is first present on "All I Think About You", then arises again with the subsequent "Every Heart Needs Love" (such a sunny song, this one is, with its beautiful calypso beat beneath the groove words that fill you up with gladness: 'every star needs a fan, every one is a jewel and precious pearl'.....) and "Here It Come From You" (they demand that the real truth be told on this touching piece). Showing off some of that divalicious KLYMAXX attitude is the fifth track, "4 The Ole Dawg N U". I like how the lead lady talks about all of the different kinds of dogs all throughout, particularly the part where she says 'woof woof', in reference to how some 'dawgs' make her wanna howl and sing. And it's just the KLYMAXX style to do a sultry remake of the Chaka Khan classic, "Ain't Nobody"; that had been a 'Music Surprise Of The Day' moment for me the first time I heard them delivering the memorable words from the chorus that goes ' ain't nobody, loves me better, makes me happy, makes me feel this way '. The forever jazz music lover in me must give mention to the two-minute instrumental piece, the "Klymaxx Supper Club" interlude. Nothing but the sounds of the elegant piano and the trumpets set the ultra-chilled, nighttime mood here; someone's definitely showing off some cool skills here! Then ending "One Day" on fine note (quite literally, in fact!) is the acoustic piano piece, "Once Before You Go", whose title seemed to have been directed to the listener as a personal message, as if to say 'here's one more selection just for you before you turn off the record'. The preceding jazzy instrumental would have led into this one nicely, but it's impressive on the ears regardless of the track order:

1. One Day
2. Code Bleu
3. All I Think About Is You
4. Every Heart Needs Love
5. 4 The Ole Dawg N U
6. Dear John
7. This Doesn't Feel Like Love Anymore
8. This Time
9. Ain't Nobody
10. The Night Moves
11. Hear It Come From You
12. Not Gonna Stop Lovin' You
13. Klymaxx Supper Club (Interlude)
14. All I Think (Reprise)
15. Once Before You Go

BLUE NILE-Peace At Last (1996)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 28, 2017

Peace at last indeed—that is how I often feel whenever I get to sit back on a quiet night and chill to some good, east-listening music. I went back to my past list of recommendations to redirect my attention back to the Scottish sophisti-pop group with whom I've had a bit of unfinished business: THE BLUE NILE. Having previously enjoyed the fruits of their two 80's albums— "Hats" and "A Walk Across The Rooftops"—it was time for me to finally progress forward with their music into the 90's. And what I would find really did give me peace—for forty-five minutes in the virtual digital world, at least, but I'll gladly take that short break from reality. I felt that the songs here were speaking to me personally at times, particularly the opening gem called "Happiness", where the group's lead man is in direct dialogue with Jesus Christ and wonders if he has truly found that happiness, wondering if it's even real and if it'll last forever. Happiness and peace—two intangibles that I speak of having and giving all the time and I can definitely appreciate. The song floats along as a slow, ambient/acoustic piece before the it suddenly wakes up with the soulful backing choir turning it into an epic spectacle! I only wish the song could've gone on for another couple of minutes with the choir chanting 'happiness' beneath the equally soulful and soaring vocals of THE BLUE NILE's frontman but I'm happy to have heard the marvelous four-and-a-half minutes of it all the same. When I heard the next offering, "Tomorrow Morning", I got the sense that this album's theme revolved around a sense of serenity and religious spirituality. From a musical standpoint, I love the acoustic guitar sound before the ambient rhythm sweeps in, particularly when the volume of the music picks up and the instrumentals take over for a spell. The music getting better as the song progresses—that's also a defining characteristic of the songs on this album that I took notice of when "Sentimental Man" moved from its slightly trippy funk rhythm into a lively pop affair. "Love Came Down" is one of those where it's just fun basking in the good groove of the music, taking in the lead man's soaring vocals and that oh so lovely solo guitar picking near the closing movements. "Body And Soul" is simply epic‐from the deep soul-searching going on in the lyrics about loving until the day he dies to the scintillating, cinematic orchestrals! "Family Life", a light acoustic piano ballad that evolves into an amazing violin showcase of movie soundtrack proportions, touched me in pretty much the same way that "Happiness" did, the idea of no more shouting and no more fighting striking a chord with me as it further supports the finding-peace-at-last theme. If you needed any more of a clearer indication of the spiritual overtones of this album, offerings like the haunting "Holy Love" (the Gregorian-style chant beneath the beat is quite nice) and "God Bless You Kid" (one I personally praise because of the striking production and its dizzying display of different musical textures) will remind you of exactly that. Then serving as a perfect bookend to it all is the concluding piece simply entitled "Soon". The opening church organ sets the peaceful mood on this graceful tune where the songwriter seems to long for that very same happy, peaceful moment that he asks Jesus about at the outset. I would have added an ellipsis to make the song title be read as 'Soon...' because the direction and flow of the song seems to leave you wondering just how soon it will be before love and happiness is found.....

1. Happiness
2. Tomorrow Morning
3. Sentimental Man
4. Love Came Down
5. Body And Soul
6. Holy Love
7. Family Life
8. War Is Love
9. God Bless You Kid
10. Soon

Wendy Matthews-Emigré (1990)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 28, 2017

There have been so many wonderful artists who have emerged from The Land Down Under, and I'm happy to have gotten acquainted with more than just a few them in my music-listening lifetime. The delightful folk/alternative pop singer Wendy Matthews is one of them, and it's with great pleasure today that I share her marvelous solo debut! The first thing you'll notice about "Emigré" is the abstract, intriguing titles chosen for these eleven songs, then Wendy's elegant, soulful voice delivering the even more abstract lyrics while a diverse range of instrumentals and production arrangements please the easy-listening music lover's ear. The opening track called "Token Angels" is the mood-setter—a haunting tune built around a cooled ambiance and the gloomy lyrics that speak about angels falling from the sky and a world that's crashing down. You immediately get treated to her high rising voice (one of the aspects of her singing talents that I really like) when the chorus plays. "As We Speak" stirs up those fond feel-good memories of the 80's with its lively mainstream pop beat which, in my first time listening, was basically all I needed to enjoy this song; the double-layered voice effect (first featured in the opening chorus) and the terrific saxophone beak give it extra bonus points. "Won't Let Me Be (Georgia's Song)": this one's a rather funky pop/rock affair, and it's the second place where you get to take in her impressively soaring, wailing voice (when she delivers the title lyrcs in the chorus). "Taking My Heart Around" appeals right in the opening movement when she confesses the irony that love is so cold, but wants a love that burns so bright, then has a way of sticking with you in the closing movements when the backup singers join in and keep repeating the title lyrics during the extended closing instrumental. "Square Moon": I really like this title and gets the mind thinking. Usually, the 'blue mood' signifies an odd event taking place, but in Wendy's world, it's the geometric quadrilateral that she uses to describe the strange thing going on between the guy and herself. The best part about this song: it's a slow and sensually jazzy piano piece. Ahhh—just my type of music! One of the more colorful selections offered up on this album is "Woman's Gotta Have It". I like how this song skips and swings along, with that 'double voice' chirping 'gotta make her feel it' and ' what you're trying to say girl? '. This song is a real lesson for all the men out there, as her words instruct that women need a solid foundation and need to feel like they're truly appreciated. "Goin' Back To My Roots" is 6+ minutes of good ole down-to-earth folk where Wendy is all attitude and is determined to return to the life that she comes from. A second helping of sweet jazz springs up on "State Of Mind". Well, you get the jazz in combination with a lively pop/rock rhythm, with Wendy telling us that the key to happiness is just where your head is—something that we can all relate to. Then a second helping of haunt sweep in on "Doomsday Lullaby". I like the contrasting irony of the title—a lullaby usually being innocent and comforting while a doomsday is marked by darkness and strife—and the gloomy lyrics of each story clip (which require a very close listen for complete understanding) and the sunny ambiance of the music totally showcase that irony perfectly. "Long Way From Home": a stilled, ambient acoustic piece that serves as an excellent place to relax and take in her elegant vocals. But the song that thrills me the most is also the concluding track: "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)". Now THIS is how you end an album with a loud bang! An energetic celebration of love erupts on this lively feel-gooder of a jam that ignites and sparks the senses! A song that, in my own words, boldly states, ' let's show off to the world how much we're in love, baby!' and ' let's kiss like we really mean it! ' could not be produced nor performed in any other way! Guaranteed, it'll become your new favorite to add to your pop music playlist!

1. Token Angels
2. As We Speak
3. Won't Let Me Be (Georgia's Song)
4. Taking My Heart Around
5. Square Moon
6. Woman's Gotta Have It
7. State Of Mind
8. Doomsday Lullaby
9. Goin' Back To My Roots
10. Long Way From Home
11. Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)

SWV-It's About Time (1992)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 26, 2017

Yeah, it is about time! I knew that eventually, my musical joyride back into my middle school years of the early 90's would lead me to dredge up some old memorable favorites. But besides that, a nice long listen to the all-female r&b; troupe that stylistically called itself 'Sisters With Voices' was long overdue for me anyways. Once again, I proved to myself why it's always a good idea to dig up these throwback goodies every so often—if not to relive the feel-good magic of hearing those familiar hits again, then to get into a song or two that was maybe missed the first time you heard it. Both were the case as I went into taking in the opening track, "Anything"—a delightful jazzed-up slow groove that serves primarily as an introductory piece to show that these lovely ladies really do have some great voices! Then right after that, it was time for me to get locked in to the jam that, today, remains as my #1 SWV favorite of all time: "I'm So Into You". Talk about being taken back to yesterday! I will always remember this one well, particularly the swing beat and the unforgettable chorus ( ' I'm so into you, I don't know what I'm gonna do ' plays over and over in my head), plus the parts where they sing ' you're not mine '. I'll also forever remember the classic slow jam that continually gets high praises and ample replay on the quiet storm r&b; radio channels: "Weak". It's a great song with a marvelous flow to it ('I get so weak in the knees...' ), even though it had taken a while before it grew on me; now it seems that an SWV joyride can't be complete without it. Then there's "Downtown", which is one I never recall until I hear the chorus and how they sing sing 'you gotta go down downtown' and 'take you round and round' with that sultry, spicy purr being put on every word. There's some mighty soaring vocals by the lead girl on this one; that, plus the crisp, bounce to the beat and the overall ride-around-town-under-the-city-lights vibe make this one a definite keeper! The rest of this album, in contrast, was like completely new to me, although I feel like "Right Here" (another terrific upbeat jam!) is one that I should've remembered well, considering that the 'Human Nature Remix' samples the familiar chords to the timeless Michael Jackson hit by the same title. In fact, it felt like all of the upbeat jams had at least a smidgen of familiarity to it; regardless, I acquired new-found favorites in "Give It To Me" (an instant catch that definitely has the new jack swing groove going on, plus more of the dazzling vocals highlighted by the lead girl's fluttery cheer of 'give it to me') and "Think You'e Gonna Like It" (I just love how they sing the title lyrics, especially the lusciously harmonious 'boy' at the end of every other line). Besides "Anything" and "Weak", there's a trio of other fine slowed-down moments that make for delicious ear candy: "You're Always On My Mind" (such sweet, luscious collective voices when they deliver the title lyrics in intro movement; the whole song flows like a heavenly dream), "That's What I Need" ('someone who treats me right and makes sweet love all through the night'—we all need that special someone in our life) and the title track itself. It wouldn't be old-school r&b; without at least a couple of funky hip-hop cuts. There's "Blak Pudd'n" (I like the intentional stylized misspelling of 'black' and fits the funky/hip-hop theme of the music and the song), which makes intelligent use of things like a Slinky, a cream-filled Twinkie and the great Bill Cosby (these kinds of old hip-hop jams with the colorful flow of the lyrics are always fun), then the trio's in-your-face anthem, "SWV (In The House)", where they boldly and proudly proclaim that they got a record deal (back then in 1992) and are coming on strong.....and still are, as time has shown:

1. Anything
2. I'm So Into You
3. Right Here
4. Weak
5. You're Always On My Mind
6. Downtown
7. Coming Home
8. Give It To Me
9. Blak Pudd'n
10. It's About Time
11. Think You're Gonna Like It
12. That's What I Need
13. SWV (In The House)
14. Weak (A Cappella)
15. Right Here (Human Nature Remix)

AFTERSHOCK-Aftershock (1990)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: May 25, 2017

Not so shocking that I have another throwback goodie from the 90's to share! I can't recall when I first became aware of this r&b;/hip-hop troupe that called itself AFTERSHOCK, but it sure felt nice to get reacquainted with them and their music when I took their self-titled debut out for an evening joyride, considering the nostalgic mood that I've been in lately for all things old-school. The jazzed-up opening cut—also called "Aftershock", which serves as an anthem of sorts to their name, I'd say—formally introduces you to their light, easy-going pop-rap style, the gritty, dynamite voice of the lead man and their knack for the killer new jack swing beats, which are heard on just about every one of the jams thereafter. "Cindy, Cindy", a song about a lady whom the songwriter can't seem to get over, is one I really like. It had grown on me during my first time listening to it, particularly when they keep repeating the catchy 'Cindy, Cindy' throughout and the backing orchestral accompaniment slides into the music in later movements. But it's this one I like even more: "The Ballad Of Hotel Jerome". Ironically, this one is not a ballad; instead, it's a breezy, upbeat groove with an alluring suspenseful rhythm and a chilled ambiance, with the story about somebody always playing and living at this 'Hotel Jerome' coming off as being rather haunting. Sometimes it's just fun to sit back and hear these jams that keep it simple while entertaining you with the various musical textures. On "Always Thinking", it's that jazzy saxophone that keeps me tuned in while "Because", "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not", "Sincerely Yours" (beautifully performed as a duet with a guest female vocalist) and "Don't Stop" (I dig the way the backup vocals slide and glide with the 'ooh-ahhh-ooooo' all throughout) are all about the beat! There was the 80's comedy movie (and the song on its accompanying soundtrack by the same name) called "Moving Violations", and then there's this AFTERSHOCK-penned jam that went by the same name as well. The theme on this one—wondering why the lady is in such a rush and making every night of love-making a one-night stand—is totally like the bubblegum pop that I sorely miss about my favorite decade; extra points for the lively instrumental funky party at the end. Of course, I have to give mention to every song I come across that has the important message for all of humanity to embrace; this time, it's "Plastic Finger" that I point to, which talks about people who need to care more instead of doing things that are destructive. My favorite lyrics on this album are right here on this song: 'wish I had a life like "The Cosby Show" '. Two marvelous slow jams round out this AFTERSHOCK joyride: "Going Through The Motions" (this one had grown on me, too; the earnest plea to the lady to do more than just try to show love had lasting impressions) and "Give Her My Love", which blossoms into a moving, epic adventure, thanks to the thunderous production and the voices of everyone that shine all around. You may want to exercise some caution before you decide to tune in yourself because, as they explicitly say on the opening cut, you'll be feeling the aftershock pretty soon:

1. Aftershock
2. Cindy, Cindy
3. Always Thinking
4. Going Through The Motions
5. The Ballad Of Hotel Jerome
6. Plastic Finger
7. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
8. Because
9. Sincerely Yours
10. Don't Stop
11. Moving Violations
12. Give Her My Love
13. Aftershock (Reprise)