JUKEBOX (24/5/2010)
S.Indra Sathiabalan
MY BEST DAYs
Danny Gokey
Sony Music
THIS bespectacled soul-man who was a frontrunner on the eighth (arguably the best season) of American Idol who eventually came in third overall, surprised a lot of people by going country.
The good news is, he is in his element singing in this genre and this album is a testament to that.
My Best Days has an interesting combination of country, rock and soul influences, making him stand out from most other country singers.
Artists like Rascal Flatts seems to have influenced him a great deal too. Gokey sings My Best Days, his first single, with his deep soulful vocals. His vocals are the biggest-selling point here as he is able to carry even the simplest songs with the necessary emotion.
When you listen to love songs such as I Still Believe, the ballad Tiny Life and the hard-luck story in It’s Only, you realise how versatile he is. He is also in true form singing funky tracks such as Get Away and Like That’s a Bad Thing.
Overall, Gokey seems to have made a good move going country and, hopefully, there is more good things to come.
WEST SIDE STORY
The new broadway cast recording
 | Sony Music
YOU just do not get albums like this any more, where emphasis is put into each instrumental piece and song, evoking the many moods of the broadway play by just the music alone.
The modern classic elements of Leonard Bernstein’s masterpiece is once again brought to life in this recording. Right from the Prologue and The Rumble, you know you are in familiar territory. Of course, who can forget those beautiful songs that his play (and movie) became so famous for and which have been rerecorded by so many artistes.
Listening to the urgency in Something’s Coming (Matt Cavenaugh), the classic ballad Maria (Cavenaugh), the thrilling enthusiasm of Tonight (Josefina Scaglione); and of course that evergreen love ballad Somewhere (Cavenaugh and Scaglione) make you drift away. For some extra pizzazz, there is the fun-filled America sung with much aplomb and the right touch of sarcasm by Jennifer Sanchez.
A lovely album if you are a huge fan of this musical, which has somehow withstood the test of time with its Romeo-and-Juliet storyline and brilliant soundtrack brought together by Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
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