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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Album Review: Bruno Mars "Doo-Wops & Hooligans"


  It is no secret that I have a soft spot in my heart for this artist since I first heard him on the smash hit single "Billionaire". I could not help but to try to find more about the guy who features his vocals on such an incredibly addictive chorus. That artist, of course, is Bruno Mars and he is about to irrupt in the music industry with his debut album, "Doo Wops & Hooligans". This album is, in this day and age, a rare gem filled with potential hit singles and no filler songs. Everything in this record, from the minimalist album cover, to the tracklist order and the quality of the songs is incredibly accurate. The album starts with its best track, "Grenade", a pop song with dark lyrics about a non-reciprocal love affair in which Mars unleashes all his vocal power while singing with both passion and desperation. (You can listen to it here)



  Next track on the album is number one hit single "Just the way you are" and from that moment on, it is a non-stop succession of soulful music that includes a wide range of pop goodness. Even though there are only ten songs on the record, variety is the key word to describe it, as it features influences from pop-rock ("The Other Side"), Rock & Roll ("Runaway Baby"), RnB ("Our first time"), Reggae ("Liquor Store Blues", "The lazy song"), and even some dreamy laid-back singer-songwriter summer tunes ("Count on me"). The big power ballad, "Talking to the moon", showcases the most nostalgic side of Mars, while "Our first time" is a baby-making mid-tempo delicate song, remiscent of the good old days of Janet Jackson. "Marry you" is sure to become a fan-favourite as it combines uplifting melodicism and sense of humour with Bruno singing about eloping to the girl he loves.



  Truth is, comparisons aside, this record consolidates Bruno Mars as an artist in his own right. Without a doubt, this is the music you would want on your cd collection. The fact that the album only features two guest vocalists is also a plus, in a music world saturated by rappers featuring on every top ten single out there. "Doo-wops & Hooligans" drops October 5th. You can listen to "Marry you", an  uplifting up-tempo song taken from his forthcoming album, below. Are you into Bruno Mars? Express your thoughts in the comments!





Update: Turns out "Runaway" is a non-album track (not to be confused with "Runaway Baby" which does appear in the album) so I substituted that streaming song for another of my favourites, "Marry you". If you guys would like me to re-upload the other song, just say so and I'll do my best. Thanks for reading!

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