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Curtis Newart Rock the Chandeliers Review by Gary Hill There is some entertaining music here. Nothing really fails, but this set is very uneven. At it's best the music here has an infectious pop rock vibe. Some of the tunes, though, feel a bit awkward. Beyond that, it seems to lack direction, bouncing from things like alternative rock to EDM (which makes up the majority of this) and more. The vocals are processed pretty much throughout, but there was only one point where I found that distracting. This is aimed at the pop music audience. I don't know how much those people really listen to more than just a song or two. So, for them I'd say this has plenty of music that should really resonate. I think perhaps it would have been a stronger release if more time had been spent fixing up some of the weaker tracks, or if they'd just been left off. Then again, the "album experience" is probably more for an audience that isn't the target for this. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 6. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

Rock the Chandeliers Electronic, high energy and a lot of fun, this is odd, but quite cool. While it's overall set in an EDM kind of sound, there are some tastefully off-kilter and quirky things to it. The dropped back movements are a nice touch. It's just so entertaining, making it a great choice both for first song and title track.

Confetti and Beachballs Piano starts this cut out, feeling more organic than the opener did. It works out from there to another energetic electronically tinged pop rock tune. There are some hints of things like alternative rock built into this. The EDM element is less dominant, too. This has some solid hooks and works very well.

Down the Garden Path Here we have a decidedly EDM based cut. This one doesn't work as well as the two openers. For one thing, the dance concept doesn't hold up as well as the modified version of it that was present on those two tunes. Secondly, there is something that just feels a little "off" about this. Still, it's a decent cut. It just doesn't hold up next to the competition.

Perverse I dig the hard rocking guitar sound that opens this track. The cut has a quirky texture, but is the most mainstream rocker to this point. It's still a pop rocker, too, but there is a lot of alternative rock built into this thing. It's energetic and a good change.

Superhuman We're back fully into the EDM modes, but I love the cool riff that starts this thing. It works out to an effective song structure from there. This is perhaps more mainstream than some of the others, but it's also quite interesting. I like the piano and vocal dropped back movement. It lends some drama and emotion to the number. The cut gets more rocking as it works back out from there.

Lost in Light I like the dance groove on this cut. There is plenty of that EDM element here. This has its moments, but also feels a bit awkward at times. Still, it's pretty effective, and the choruses work well.

Fork in the Outlet More techno than EDM, this is a high energy cut with a real rocking edge. The vocals on this one get a bit too processed for my tastes at times, but this is reasonably effective anyway.

Thru the Keyhole A cool rocking vibe is on display here. This is tastefully quirky and catchy at the same time. This is one of my favorites here.

Man on the Moon Here we get a cover of the REM song. It's an interesting version. It has more of an electronic vibe, but still captures most of the original element of the tune.

Trippin' on the High Horse Another more purely electronic tune, there is a bit of an awkward edge to this. It does have some cool grooves, but perhaps could benefit for a little polishing. I think I would have ended with the previous cut rather than this one, though.

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