CD Review

Title: Heartbreak On Vinyl

Artist: Blake Lewis

Label: TommyBoy Records

Released: October 6th, 2009

Reviewed By: Max Specht (London)

As far as American Idol alumni are concerned it’s really hit or miss success-wise. You can either become one of the biggest artists in the country (see: Kelly Clarkson), or fade into obscurity after your label drops you (see: Taylor Hicks). Thankfully the latter wasn’t the case for Blake Lewis, the runner up during season six of American Idol. With some of the best arrangements fused with his love of beat boxing he became of the most innovative and creative contestants to appear on the show, showing limitless potential for his career after idol. His first album received lukewarm response, but now he’s back! With a new label, a new album and a new style with his sophomore release Heartbreak On Vinyl, he’s positioned to find superstardom on the dance-floor as well as the charts.

The album opens up with the title track “Heartbreak On Vinyl” and immediately this is unlike any other post-Idol release, it explodes with a strong techno beat as Lewis croons along with the beat at a perfect pace. It seems Lewis has been digging through crates of old 80’s dark pop because that’s where he’s found himself on this album.

The next songs “Binary Love” and “Freak” are songs that deserve to be played as loud as possible at the club down the street. They are fast paced and bubble with sensuality and catchy hooks. The following track is the first single “Sad Song”, and while the length of it might scare itself out of the charts, it is a song that catches the ear and pulls you into Blake’s world.

Heartbreak On Vinyl bounces from sad (“Our Rapture of Love”) to standard hot club fare (“The Remedy”) to classic pop stylings (“Left My Baby For You”) all the way to his traditional beatbox style (“SuperScratchVocalistTurntableLicious”) This album is a melting pot of styles that really sums up the kind of artist Blake Lewis is, he’s all over the place yet centered all at once.  He’s an homage as much as he is a trailblazer in pop music, and this album will help find him fans with commuters blasting the radio, to night owls dancing the night away in crowded clubs down main street.

Track Listing:

1. Heartbreak On Vinyl

2. Binary love

3. Freak

4. Sad Song

5. Rhythm Of My Heart

6. Afraid

7. Left My Baby For You

8. Rebel Without A Cause

9. SuperScratchVocalistTurntableLicious

10. Our Rapture Of Love

11. The Point

12. The Remedy

13. Love Or Torture (Please Don’t Stop)