Cautionary Wife Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN A NEW FLAMBOYANT FREDDIE Mika's debut album hits high note By Justine Fields Ithaca, New York Thurs, March 8, 2007 Deckhead: Mika’s debut album hits high note Life in Cartoon Motion is a brilliant pop album by the eccentric Mika Penniman. On his debut album, Mika (Mee-ka) brings Freddie Mercury back to life while intertwining the familiar sounds of pop music’s greatest musicians in every note. In doing so he has created pop compositions that are, at the same time, like everything the world has heard before and nothing like what the world has heard before. The single “Grace Kelly†screams of Queen as Mika’s voice hits a high note and the bridge enters the chorus  he sings, “I try to be like Grace Kelly/ But all her looks were too sad/ so I try a little Freddie/ I’ve gone identity mad!†Identity mad is just the expression to describe this album, which is worthy of comparisons to the songs of Elton John, Freddie Mercury and even the Beatles. Evident musical influences continue straight into the second track, but transgress from ’70s rock to ’80s pop. “Lollipop†is reminiscent of the Jackson Five with a simplified base beat and a young child singing one of the verses as if to honor the band’s youthfulness. A song with children singing about lollipops on an album that has a cover of psychedelic colors gives one the feel of being in the Big Rock Candy Mountain. In fact, Mika wrote the song for his younger sister. But, the youthful, dance party, sing-a-long feeling of the second track quickly comes to a halt as the alternative piano piece “My Interpretation†takes over. One of the few tracks that seem truly original, with the exception of the hints of the Bee Gees in the chorus, this song is a nice touch to show off the extent of Mika’s multiple genre talent. As a boy he performed in the chorus line of a Strauss opera at the Royal Opera House, and as an adult he attended the Royal College of Music in London. Despite his inability to read music due to dyslexia, Mika’s comprehension of all different genres of music is continuously apparent from track to track. Despite the lack of exposure of Life in Cartoon Motion, most people are bound to recognize the opening five seconds of the fourth track “Love Today,†since it was sampled and featured in the background of every commercial for The Hills on MTV. In an interview on his website, Mika described the origin of those familiar opening vocal notes, “Because I don’t really know how to play many instruments, I compensate by doing a lot of strange things with my voice.†Beyond the introduction Da’s and Do’s, Mika’s high-pitched voice constantly reminds the listener of Freddie Mercury in this upbeat optimistic song about loving to be happy. The same hopeful attitude carries on into the dance track “Relax, Take it Easy,†which helped Mika break it big in the U.K. late last year. The CD comes to a pause of optimism with the orchestral ballad “Any Other World,†which Mika has described as a song about readjusting your life to changes in the world. The break in liveliness is followed by the crux of the album composed of “Billy Brown†and “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful).†On a first listen to these two songs anybody remotely familiar with rock will recognize a modern day “Penny Lane†and “Fat Bottom Girls.†On “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)†with lyrics such as “Walks in to the room/ feels like a big balloon/ I said hey girl you are beautiful†and “You take your girl and multiply about four/ Now a whole lot of woman needs a whole lot more,†I wouldn’t be surprised if Mika outdid Queen’s video of fat bottomed girls on bicycles. “Billy Brown†and “Big Girl†truly show Mika’s talent in taking the influential sounds of the rock gods and creating novel pop music. With trite lyrics and an Elton John-like piano arrangement, the following track titled “Stuck in the Middle†could be the weakest song on the album. But the close of the album redeems itself with “Happy Ending,†a song on which Mika’s vocal abilities gleam from the most average of octaves to ones that only those possessing true talent can sing with grace. The vocal beauty continues onto lullaby-esque bonus track “Ring Ring.†Beirut born, Paris and London raised, Mika brings something fresh yet so aged to the pop scene. He is an overly cheerful, tall, dark and handsome man that still lives in the basement of his parents’ home. He even featured two of the old ladies that hang out at his home in his video for “Grace Kelly.†But after one listen to Life in Cartoon Motion, none of this comes as a surprise. Although some may disapprove, most most are bound to find much enjoyment in this modern flamboyant Freddie. --- CW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Great stuff , thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemmalee Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 THE CORNELL DAILY SUNA NEW FLAMBOYANT FREDDIE Mika's debut album hits high note By Justine Fields Ithaca, New York Thurs, March 8, 2007 With trite lyrics and an Elton John-like piano arrangement, the following track titled “Stuck in the Middle†could be the weakest song on the album. --- CW. I know that everyone is entitled to there opinion but no way is "stuck" the weakest song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I know that everyone is entitled to there opinion but no way is "stuck" the weakest song! Yeh I voted it my fav song!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbagirl Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Yay! a great review!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatagordinha Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I know that everyone is entitled to there opinion but no way is "stuck" the weakest song! Have to agree, no way is SITM the weakest track. A nice, fair-minded review, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esperia75 Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I know that everyone is entitled to there opinion but no way is "stuck" the weakest song! I agree. The review is great, except for "Stuck in the Middle", that I adore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lylemma Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Well basically there are NO weak track on Mika's album ! It is a pure jewel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel_tinydancer Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 i love stuck in the middle!! there is no such thing as a weak mika song... no such thing. good article though, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean_Fairy Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Nah stuck is def not the weakest song, none of them are weak to me,all of them brilliant in their own way. Great article thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chance72399 Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Great review...i love that song "stuck in the middle" I think he's wrong about that comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my_rainbow_radio Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Funny, I read in a different review that it was one of the best songs on the album. Well everyone has an opinion. 100TH POST, BABY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 lovely review, 'Identity mad is just the expression to describe this album,' he does not like being compared, esp since his own musical taste is very cosmopolitan 'He even featured two of the old ladies that hang out at his home in his video for “Grace Kelly.†But after one listen to Life in Cartoon Motion, none of this comes as a surprise.' What a gentleman, he has high regard for a family unit, I noticed this in earlier interviews:wink2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Funny, I read in a different review that it was one of the best songs on the album. Well everyone has an opinion. 100TH POST, BABY! Yes how true , it done well in the poll as well , I think its the best song , in my opnion and voted it such , suppose everyone has different "likes" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xMariax Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine931 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 great article, thx for posting... and I agree, there is no such thing as a weak Mika song ! ... although I understand that everybody's entitled to their own opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tantastic Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I think it's not the weakest but one of the weakest. Not that I'm saying it's a bad one, though:wink2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kath Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 I agree everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is a very good in depth review.....but when all is said and done........we people on here are never going to agree that ANY of Mika's tracks are weak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siarai Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Grr. Stuck in the middle is not weak. I love that song..That person is deaf or something. The arrangement to that song is brilliant..and his range is beautiful. Maybe we should buy him hearing aids. Siarai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Grr. Stuck in the middle is not weak. I love that song..That person is deaf or something.The arrangement to that song is brilliant..and his range is beautiful. Maybe we should buy him hearing aids. Siarai :roftl: true! , its a great song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siarai Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 a really great song. : ) One of my favorites besides My interpretation actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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