Thursday 23 May
 
 

Iron Aidan

Aidan Carroll Quartet
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab
100 E. Fifth, Edmond
ucojazzlab.com
359-7989
$5-$7
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Beat street

Lucky Date with Kids at the Bar and Crystal Vision
9 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
Kamps 1310 Lounge
1310 N.W. 25th
kamps1310lounge.com
819-6004
$20
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Sun rises

Sunny Side Up with The Last Slice and Classy San Diego
8 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$8
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

God bless metal

Becoming the Archetype with Bermuda, The Burial, Horror Cosmic and Veil of Suffering
6 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$12-$14
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Here for the party

Gretchen Wilson with Outlaw Son
6 p.m. Thursday
Newcastle Casino
2457 U.S. 62, Newcastle
mynewcastlecasino.com
387-6013
free
05/15/2013 | Comments 0
Home · Articles · CDs · Pop · Lenka — Two
Pop

Lenka — Two


Pleasant pop songs that don't ask too much of you

Stephen Carradini April 6th, 2011

Lenka’s “Two” is a pleasant little release that doesn’t ruffle any feathers and may produce a couple of radio hits.

Lenka

The Australian pop ingénue caught my ear with “Roll with the Punches,” a tune that would be at home having a tea party with She and Him, Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor. The plucky vocal stylings of Spektor meets the faux vintage sound of She and Him while the exuberant arrangements of Michaelson cap the song. There are horns, strings and a choir. It is impossible to dislike, for real.

But, as is the case with many singles on straight pop albums these days, there’s nothing on “Two” that can match the exuberant blast of “Roll with the Punches,” much less top it. Second single “My Heart Skips a Beat” features Lenka’s vocals more prominently and the arrangement less than the first single. The tune is sleeker, and it’s a nice, mature offering.

The rest of “Two” splits time between the two camps. “Everything at Once” is a nice pared-down tune, featuring a relatively aggressive vocal performance (although not nearly as vicious as Spektor can get). “Shocked Me Into Love” is a foot-tapping, ‘80s-pool-party throwback that’s could hit mixtapes like crazy this summer. “End of the World” is one of the only tunes that re-uses the faux vintage that helped make “Roll with the Punches” rule, and as a result it’s a highlight. Other numbers show her in ballad mood or faux-disco mood, which doesn’t work as well as the other fake vintage sound she appropriates.

Buy “Roll with the Punches” from iTunes, stat, no matter who you are. If you like it a lot, move on to “My Heart Skips a Beat.” Proceed in this fashion until you dislike a track or you have completed the album, which comes out the 19th. No worries, though; even if you dislike it, it won’t ask too much of you. —Stephen Carradini

 
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