Mario Vazquez - Mario Vazquez (Mp3 Download)

Review by Andy Kellman @ allmusic.com

Despite being an early favorite who made it to the final round of 12 contestants, Mario Vazquez bailed from American Idol's fourth season, citing personal issues as the reason for his exit. Allusions and speculations led to the belief that Vazquez had cold feet about a potentially paralyzing management contract with AI's co-producers, 19 Entertainment, which would've been unavoidable if he had remained in the competition. He hired the lawyer who removed Clay Aiken from 19's grip and, prior to competing, recorded vocals for Worlds of Change, an album by a guitarist named Cesar -- a big AI no-no, even though it was like placing one grain of dirt in the path of a tank. Somewhat ironically, a freed Vazquez wound up signing with Arista, the same label that released the multi-platinum debut from Carrie Underwood, AI's fourth-season winner. Vazquez's own first album seems no more or less autonomous than Kelly Clarkson's Thankful, Ruben Studdard's Soulful, Fantasia's Free Yourself, Justin Guarini's ill-fated debut, or even America Juniors' Kids in America. With the involvement of heavy hitters like Ne-Yo, Stargate, Scott Storch, Sean Garrett, and Johnta Austin, it's clear that Arista controller Clive Davis sees Vazquez as someone who can go far beyond AI. The singer's voice is smooth and attractive, and is boyish while knowing as well -- as he demonstrated during his time on AI, he's a natural entertainer. While there are a few standouts on this album, Vazquez sounds tentative and too conscious about making the right moves, and the variety of material must be an experiment to find out where he fits best, including soppy adult contemporary ("4 the 1," "One Shot"), harmless ska-inflected pop ("Don't Lie"), and marvelously horrible club-oriented garbage ("Cohiba"). To absolutely no surprise, all the highlights fall within the realm of breezy pop-R&B, like "I Bet" and "How We Do It," both of which deserved to be summertime radio staples. The results next time should be significantly improved if Vazquez can work with a smaller team that can give him a more personalized and focused set of songs.

Track Lists
01. Gallery
02. I Bet
03. Cohiba
04. One Shot
05. We Gon' Last
06. Don't Lie
07. Just A Friend
08. Fired Up
09. 4 The 1
10. Eveytime I..
11. How We Do It
12. She Got Me
13. Like It Or Not
14. We Supposed To Be

The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun (Mp3 Download)

Review by MacKenzie Wilson @ allmusic.com
Singer/songwriter Blake Sennett hasn't stopped working since issuing the Elected's debut release, Me First, in 2003. In between writing, recording, and promoting Rilo Kiley's third album, More Adventurous, he created this delightful 14-song set entitled Sun, Sun, Sun. Here, the Elected dress up their breezy soundscapes of lost loves and broken hearts for an enchanting second album. The sunshiny pop of Sun, Sun, Sun is more magical in comparison to Me First. It features some of Sennett's most brilliant work to date, and the band's overall summery sound is much more cohesive here. Sennett, along with Jason Boesel (drums), Daniel Brummel (bass), and Mike Bloom (lap steel/harmonica), flirt with elements of pop and soft rock for their own field of view -- an inquisitive inner spirit that's searching for a new, cozy place to belong. Assorted banjos, horns, and acoustic and electric guitars are nicely layered throughout as Sennett's picturesque reflections tell their own stories. The dreamy opener, "Clouds Parting," just barely establishes the scene of setting out on your own, leaving what is familiar behind, but "Would You Come with Me" immediately picks up the pace with its lazy country drawl. Rilo Kiley songstress Jenny Lewis also makes an appearance here, contributing lyrics to the sunset-soaked "Fireflies in a Steel Mill" and "The Bank and Trust," and adding backing vocals to "It Was Love," an indie rock heartbreaker that could easily be a reflection of their past relationship. The Elected are definitely charming at their most vulnerable; however, it's when they are most passionate that they truly shine. Sennett is a crooner on the brassy, cinematic "Did Me Good." The Elected are definitely dynamic here, but "Not Going Home" is the swan song of Sun, Sun, Sun. The rush of the chorus and the richness of the song's instrumentation make for a hypnotic ebb and flow, rounding out the breadth of this album. Stay up and see the sun; the Elected make it worth it on this one.

Track Lists
01. Clouds Parting
02. Would You Come With Me
03. Fireflies In A Steel Mill
04. Not Going Home
05. It Was Love
06. Sun, Sun, Sun
07. Did Me Good
08. The Bank And Trust
09. Old Times
10. Desiree
11. I'll Be Your Man
12. Beautiful Rainbow
13. Biggest Star

Various Artists - Quiet Days (Mp3 Download)

Review by Bradley Torreano @ allmusic.com

Quiet Days is a collection of slow-paced, relaxing new age instrumentals. Each song is filled with ambient notes, keyboards, nature sound effects, and other staples of the genre. This is actually a very effective album, providing decent music that really does relax the listener. Anyone who does not like this genre will probably not be won over here, but for a peaceful listen, there are a lot worst places to start than here.

Track Lists
01. The Calling - 2002
02. Pastel Reflections - Kevin Kern
03. Pleasant Dreams - Hilary Stagg
04. So Far Away - Michael Hoppe
05. Dark Falls The Night - Tim Weather
06. Love's Story - Paul Machlis
07. Pachelbel Canon In D - Hilary Staff
08. Quiet Days - Benard L'Hoir
09. Realms Of Splendor - 2002
10. Eventide - Michael Hoppe
11. After The Rain - Kevin Kern
12. Reflections Of Love - Hilary Stagg

Europe - Secret Society (Mp3 Download)

Track Lists
01. Secret Society
02. Always The Pretenders
03. Love Is Not The Enemy
04. Wish I Could Believe
05. Let The Children Play
06. Human After All
07. The Getaway Plan
08. A Mothers Son
09. Forever Traveling
10. Brave And Beautiful Soul
11. Devils Sings The Blues