110 June 2014 www.bahrainthismonth.com Johnny Cash Out Among the Stars What’s the story? Another posthumous release, this album is a collection of songs from lost ‘80s sessions found by his son in 2012. The songs are amongst Cash’s more light-hearted, but they still retain his strong bass-baritone voice and meaningful lyrics. The whole album is in his most-suited country style and for the most part is upbeat with a fairly quick tempo. It was recorded while he was battling drug addiction, though his singing was sober, powerful and emotional. Worth a listen? The majority of the album is (by Cash standards) lively and fun with clear, catchy lyrics. There are some tracks with a more ‘bluesy’ feel to them. They are great in their own way, but the upbeat country tracks will have you foot-tapping before you’re even aware of it! The bouncy style of tracks like If I Told You Who It Was and I’m Movin’ On give the album an easy-listening happy feel. The duets have a certain country charm that is rarely heard these days. The album is made better due to it being a collection of a variety of Cash’s different styles. There's a bravely delightful exercise in black humour, I Drove Her Out of My Mind, and the religious song, I Came to Believe, which he wrote in rehab. Best of all, there are two versions of the pained and superbly sung She Used to Love Me A Lot. VERDICT: It’s a genuinely enjoyable album from one of the true music greats. Top Track: If I Told You Who It Was and I’m Movin’ On Green Day have released their fourth compilation album. It is made up of 18 demo tracks taken from their album trilogy ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! The songs are in Green Day’s best upbeat, heavy-on-the-guitar style, reminiscent of Dookie and Warning. An alternative version of "Stay the Night" is perhaps the most entertaining song in the collection, as it features a solo Billie Joe Armstrong performing alongside the delicate backing of melodic acoustic guitar. This two-part album from hiphop duo Mobb Deep is a real hit. The first disc is all-new music, whereas the second consists of unreleased tracks from recording sessions in 1995. This is old-school hiphop as raw as it comes and is a must-buy for existing Mobb Deep fans. Recess is a surprising album from Skrillex. It is more diverse, with some tracks being quite playful and sounding like dance music — something unusual for Skrillex, but also welcome. It makes for a more fun and easylistening album than previous efforts. ALBUM OF THE MONTH America’s Finest This month, we listen to an eclectic collection of albums from some of America’s greatest bands and artists. Green Day Demolicious music Mobb Deep The Infamous Mobb Deep Skrillex Recess
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