Since t.a.t.U. Been Gone

Listened to the new Kelly Clarkson last night and this morning -- yeah, it's probably a winter album. Or a cold fall album (feels like My October, really). Which is strange, because its intensity analogue (in terms of demanding that you think about it on its terms, establishing those terms, confounding those terms, all at the same time) is probably Autobiography, which is the ultimate Walking Around on a Great Summer Day album. If you're me. [EDIT: I am me! Didn't even catch that one somehow...]

Complaints: A couple edges are rounded. This isn't a huge complaint in the scheme o' things, though, because generally this album is rough. I hope that it's mixed well and not as harshly [EDIT: I think what I mean is something more like "hard"?] as Breakaway, which was very much a modern pop album in the mix -- everything up front. I want Kelly's voice to get lost in the fold in this one and I already get a sense that it does, but the nuance is missing because of the poor quality of the rip I have. Does give me a reason to go buy the thing when it comes out, though.

Best songs: So far the big rockers scorch, demolish. "Hole" and "Judas" are incredible; the update of "Maybe" doesn't really do justice to the (rougher) version they could have recorded but still burns decently well. Too much low-key acoustic guitar strummery [Along with the dirty acoustic strum like on first half of "Maybe"] -- I [also] want electric shocks to the brain [but more of them]. "Sober" is gorgeous, reminds me of Radiohead!

All just preliminary commentary because, most important tick in the PRO category is that this is very apparently even on first listen a huge grower. You're supposed to get inside this thing, figure it out. She's forcing you to, and she's not even playful about it like Ashlee (which is potentially a mark against her -- there's no flirting on this album, it's all head-against-the-wall). Combine Miranda Lambert's sharp sense of humor and Kelly's ability to completely, uncompromisingly pulverize you (if you let her) and you'd probably have my artist and album of the decade, but I don't think this person (or album) really exists.

Anyway, also thinking/listening to Dangerous and Moving, dubbed "the most unnecessary album of the year" in 2005 by the Onion but in truth would make my top ten now. There's something so gorgeous and haunting about it. It kind of makes me want to cry. Surprisingly, their first album doesn't do this for me at all. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the Mischa Barton movie about t.A.T.u.