And now for something completely
different! I usually refrain from discussing albums that don’t fall under the
large umbrella of rock/metal on the blog such as, say, a pop or classical
record. They don’t really fit the template of the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. blog
and its readers, but as is the case with anything in life, there are always
exceptions. Such an exception can certainly be made for the Queen of Pop, the
iconic Madonna and her latest release, Confessions
II, which dropped yesterday, just in time for the 4th of July. I
figure there are most likely many of you who are still fans of her music or
that’d be interested in reading about/listening to this particular album.
It’s the spiritual sequel to her
now classic Confessions on a Dance Floor,
released twenty-one years ago and which also happens to be one of my favourite
albums of hers. When I heard a while back that Madonna would be doing Confessions II, I immediately took
notice and made it a point to start following her again. To give you an idea of
where I come from, I’ve been a Madonna fan since I the very beginning of her
career in 1983, at the tender age of 9. Like
a Virgin (1984) is one of the very first tapes my parents ever bought me. My
three favourite LPs of hers are I’m
Breathless - Music from/Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy (1990), Like a Prayer (1989) and Erotica (1992). I got off the Madonna
train and stopped buying her CDs in 2012 with the release of her MDNA album. That album just didn’t do
anything for me. I also found her follow-up, Rebel Heart (2015), quite forgettable and didn’t get past the first
single from Madame X (2019).
But I digress. Back to Confessions II. It’s been seven years
since her last album and from the get-go, I really enjoyed the three singles (“I
Feel So Free”, “Bring Your Love”, and “Love Sensation”) and decided to
pre-order Confessions II on iTunes. I’ve
only had time to listen to it three times since yesterday as it’s a longer LP—16
songs running at 64 minutes—but so far, I really like it and believe it’s her
best album since Hard Candy (2008)
which I absolutely love. So, here are my first impressions. As was the case
with Confessions on a Dance Floor, each
song flows into the next one seamlessly and we get a good balance of dance
tunes as well as softer songs. Aside from the three singles which I feel are
all highlights of the LP, I really dig “Danceteria”, vintage-sounding Madonna
and should be the next single; “Everything”, one of the catchiest tracks on
here; “Bizarre” featuring Martin Garrix, reminds me of something from Hard Candy; “Fragile”, a softer song reminiscent
of the ambiance from her Ray of Light
era; “My Sins Are My Savior” with Belgian sensation Stromae where Madonna
speaks in French; and “L.E.S. Girl” (stands for Lower East Side Girl) gives us a
beautiful stripped-down version of Madonna. The worst track for me is “School”,
an experimental song of sorts which I still dislike after three spins. Some songs
I found average at best were “Love Without Words” and “The Test”, her duet with
her daughter Lola Leon.
In the end, I think Confessions II is a solid Madonna album and a great pop record. Only time will tell if it will become as beloved as its 2005 predecessor, but I believe Madonna fans will love it. If you haven’t listened to/enjoyed Madonna’s last couple of LPs, I think her latest opus will give you something to cheer about. Highly recommended to Madonna and pop music fans as well as old farts like me who used to listen to her tapes and CDs religiously back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. See you in three weeks for the next issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks on July 25th. Till then, enjoy the summer heat and the cool music!
