Waiting, watching the clock, breathing like I'm gonna stop

Out of all the albums I've listened to and expected to grow on me, Lee Ryan's self-titled debut album was not one of them. The first time I heard the singles off of it, I thought they were (to be honest) boring. Though "When I Think Of You" got better with a couple of listens, back in August I was still calling for the whole album, except one or two tracks, to be reworked (I was a big fan of the radio edit of "Real Love," though). I'm still not going to say I listen to every song on the album, but enough songs have grown on me (and those songs that have grown on me have grown on me a lot) for me to hope he gets to release another album. I'm still surprised that I can say that, but it's true--the album may not be full of uptempo stormers (it does have a pretty consistently slow pace, and it might be nice to have that varied up a bit on the next album), but it does have some really pretty songs on it.

When I Think Of You--Lee's third single. It might be mid-tempo, but probably not--it's got a very slow, almost jammish or crooning feel to it. It feels like a Sunday morning song (as does much of the album), made for just staying in bed or sipping coffee on the couch. The switchup in the bridge is surprising (the melody really changes, and the syllables get really dragged out and become sort of up-and-down), but it works and, despite not being that fast, helps prevent the song from fading into the background.

Turn Your Car Around--Lee's second single. It entered the UK chart at #12, which I think was an undeservedly low placing, at least in comparison to the higher charting (#3) of his debut solo single "Army Of Lovers" (which I like much less). It's a little faster than "When I Think Of You" (especially the lyrics in the verses). His album, as shown by this song, uses these little beeps or electronic swirls--I'm not really sure what to call them--really well, and you can hear them in the chorus here; they really help elevate the song, both in the sense of making it better and and also giving it an "elevated," sort of floating feel.

Parking--not a single, but it should have been. "Parking" is a really pretty song--I might even go so far as to say gorgeous. It's sweet, sad, and wistful all at once (even if, based on its subject, it might arguably have no reason to be wistful). The bridge here might be the best part. Lee's voice works really well for this style of music and so, though my natural inclination (based on personal preference) is to hear him do songs with more energy and speed, this style suits him so well--it might just not suit a radio- and singles-oriented market. That, however, does not make the songs any less good--it just makes it a better idea to buy the album or listen to the songs on one's own.

To buy Lee Ryan's debut album, Lee Ryan, go here (physical) or here (digital).

In other news, Anthony Callea's new single "Live For Love" comes out today (buy it here). The boy seems to have gotten slightly obsessed with love (pretty par for the pop course), as the B-side is called "Meant For Love." The press release compares it to "Rain;" I'd say it's sort of mid- to up-tempo (it might have some hints of ballad elements, but, despite what I've heard of the lyrics, it seems really upbeat), from what I've heard of it, but it's more pop than "Live For Love," and it definitely sounds catchy and good--if "Meant For Love" didn't make the cut for the album, the album must be excellent (not that I ever really doubted that). I'm really thrilled--songs like this are a fantastic direction for Anthony to go in, and, from a really biased perspective, perfect for my taste in music. You can listen to a clip of it here (which I can't get to work, but I think that's just my computer) or by going to the Australian iTunes store. Speaking of love, I will love forever anyone who can tell me where I can buy/get it--I'm pretty sure the only place it's being sold is on iTunes, which means no one outside of Australia can buy it, and it's not going to be on the album. I'm more than willing to pay for it...I just don't know if there's any way I can buy it, which is a shame; as I've said, it sounds fantastic.

Next up: I've written about "Real Love" before, but my number of posts about Lee Ryan will probably hit at least three at some point, since "Jump" is also good. That's a little ways away, though--tomorrow might be sort of rock-ish music, or a girl from Australia.