Andrew W.K.
I Get Wet
Def Jam
3/5
"Saving rock 'n roll" is, admittedly, the job of the music press. Without a savior a month, there'd be nothing to write about. Right now it seems that Andrew W.K. is filling those shoes - the question is, can he?
I Get Wet is a resounding "yes," something completely unexpected in the current music maelstrom of realness vs. fakeness. On his Def Jam debut, the Detroit Rock City native gives us a throwback to the days of yore, to the roots of metal and glam-rock. There are shouted, sometimes ridiculously trite lyrics (and titles like "She is beautiful," "I Love NYC"), abrasive guitars, and solid drumbeats. While the album often pushes the pop-punk border, its message is always the same: "Party Hard!" That song, the album's single, sums up W.K.: pleasurably poppy and intertwined melodies, head-banging rhythm, sing-along lyrics. It's an invitation for the listener to abandon his/her inhibitions and stresses, with W.K. leading the way.
The only danger W.K. faces is getting caught up in his own party: after a few songs, the novelty wears off.
- Rob Bellinger
Kylie Minogue
Fever
Capitol Records
2.5/5
Dance that's sultry, sexy, and cheap. All the right ingredients do not make for brilliant music. Considered scientifically, Kylie Minogue should be embarrassingly successful: she's got a good voice, catchy (and danceable) beats, sexy lyrics, and a hot body. The cross-pollination between pop and techno should even ensure her a broad audience, as remixes of her songs abound.
But examined artistically, the whole mess stinks. Minogue may get all the success that her formula should demand, but this is cheesy dance-pop at its cheesiest. It's got the sex, it's got the beats, it's got a hot singer unashamed to show off her body; what it doesn't have is any integrity or soul.
Of course, one-night stands don't require either one. Fever
