CD reviews

Alizée
Psychedelices
*** out of *****




Half Kylie Minogue, half Madonna, and half French sex appeal (just making sure you’re awake), Alizée’s new album, Psychedelices, is a party necessity. Not to be mistaken for Alizé, the lavish drink, this Corsican singer goes down just as smoothly.
Sung entirely in French, lack of comprehension falls by the wayside as the smooth dialect glides over techno beats and alternative guitars, swelling with feminine confidence. While alternating her voice between a steady low and dainty high, Alizée’s album appeals to the electronica side of Europe and the electric rock influences of America.
Cole’s Picks: “Lilly Town” and “Mon Taxi Driver”
— By Cole Cheney


Bow Wow and Omarion
Face Off
*** out of *****



According to the title track Face Off, there’s about to be some “mass hysteria.” They may be right. Rapper Bow Wow and R&B singer Omarion first collaborated in 2005, when Omarion added vocals to Bow Wow’s “Let Me Hold You” — and the rest is history.
After years of friendship, the pair decided to merge their musical styles together — hoping the combination would lead to greater success for each. The hip-hop beats and catchy lyrics make an interesting, yet pleasing combination. Face Off, the finished product, is definitely one for the charts. In fact, “Girlfriend,” the previously released single, already climbed to the past the half-way mark.
The rumor that this collaboration may be one of the best this year may be a bit overstated, but not far from the truth. In time, these young musicians are bound to please the masses, as they might say.
Lauren’s picks: “Face Off” and “Take Your Clothes Off”
— By Lauren Matovina