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Music Review: Paramore maturing on new disc
JOHN KOSIK
Associated Press Writer

Paramore, "brand new eyes" (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)

Grammy-nominated upstarts Paramore have been labeled everything from punk to emo since their breakout 2007 disc "Riot."

Labels seem to miss the point entirely with Paramore. They just make good music — and their third effort, "brand new eyes," is another burst of youthful energy and infectious to the core.

Lead singer Haley Williams — a mere 20 years old — has a Gwen Stefani-like charisma and she carries the band by being everything Kelly Clarkson is trying to be and Stefani used to be. And she can sing, too.

Josh Farro (guitar/vocals), Zac Farro (drums), Jeremy Davis (bass) and Taylor York (guitar) play with reckless energy and set a great tone for Williams' sassy lyrics.

The disc opens on a nice 1-2 punch with "Careful," where Williams shouts "The truth never set me free/So I did it myself," and lead single "Ignorance," which is already climbing the charts.

Soaring tracks dominate here, including a crowd-ready "Brick By Boring Brick" and the unapologetic fist-pumpers "Feeling Sorry" and "Where The Lines Overlap."

But it's the lighter moments that showcase Paramore's emerging diversity. "Playing God" is a dose of pop-rock bliss, and the acoustic ballads "Exception" and "Misguided Ghosts" prove that Williams can do a lot more than simply wail.

Paramore is confidently maturing, and it shows on "brand new eyes."

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Williams proclaims "We're just getting started" on the aptly titled rocker "Looking Up." With a record this fun, here's to hoping she's not kidding.

Music Review: Carey's 'Imperfect Angel' is perfect
MESFIN FEKADU,Associated Press Writer

Mariah Carey, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" (Def Jam)

"I should crack you right in your forehead," Mariah Carey sings on the breakup tune "It's a Wrap."

The song, on her latest CD, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," finds a hungover Carey kicking her lover to the curb with particularly harsh words.

"Another early morning, and you walk in like it's nothing ... ain't no doughnuts, ain't coffee," she sings with attitude in her signature high-pitch tone. "Let me take a breath and regain my composure, told you more time, if you (expletive) up it's over."

But even though she's spitting venom, Carey's cooing on the doo-wop sounding song is so sensuous and sweet, even the song's intended target will remain under her spell — as will her listeners.

"Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" is an exceptional album that is about love — being in it, out of it, over it and trying to reach it. While the subjects are tried and true, they are never tired, thanks to Carey's approach, which mixes a good dose of humor and wit with her multi-octave voice.

"Betcha Gon' Know," the disc's opening track, sets the tone as Carey compares the seriousness of her broken heart to news programs like "60 Minutes," ''20/20" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Carey produced and wrote the majority of the album with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash — and those hitmakers add their own touch to "Imperfect Angel" without overdoing it.

"Ribbon," which bumps with southern flavor, is radio-friendly, showcasing The-Dream and Tricky's signature sound. As does "Standing O," with its addictive hook.

Other notables tunes include "H.A.T.E.U." ("Having a Typical Emotional Upset"), a beautiful heartbreak ballad, and the top-notch "Candy Bling," a teenage love affair tune that finds Carey so in love she "can't delete your picture from my mind."

Some of the tracks use samples: "Inseparable" interpolates Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and "The Impossible" finds Carey "layin' in the bed bumpin' Jodeci." The latter samples the R&B group's hit song "Forever My Lady."

"Imperfect Angel," though helmed by The-Dream and Tricky, still maintains a classic Mariah sound — especially on the soothing "Angels Cry" and its accompanying prelude, and the personal "Languishing," highlighted by a piano.

No one is perfect — that's obvious. This CD is — that's obvious too.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "It's a Wrap" joins tracks like "Vision of Love," ''Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" as a classic Mariah song.