Artist: Sky Ferreira
Album: AS IF!
Release: March 22
Label: Capitol
Grade: C+
Brace-faced teeny boppers nationwide will drool over the first EP of up-and-coming 18-year-old pop sensation Sky Ferreira.
AS IF! offers a variety of sounds comparable to the playful style of Cobra Starship meets 1980s synth-pop beats. With songs like opener "Sex Rules" and "Haters Anonymous," Ferreira is like a younger version of Ke$ha.
Ferreira's spunky personality oozes through "Sex Rules" as it loudly rings in with pop-reeking synthesizer chord progressions followed by a smooth and mature alto voice. Though the rhythm and melody is mindlessly catchy, the lyrics in the chorus are a bit strange. Ferreira blends the popular slogan of Mr. T with teenage wisdom.
"I pity the fools/ Who realize too late/ Love, sex, and God are great," sings Ferreira.
The second track, "Traces," slows down the dance-trance pace with a chiming of dramatic piano and a crescendo of strings to deliver a perfectly cliché break-up song.
The five-song EP kicks back into party gear with "Haters Anonymous," an attitude-infused track bound to become an anthem for frustrated high school girls. With a sassy "whatever" echoing throughout the track, Ferreira performs a form of spoken word against rumors and "posting" gossip anonymously.
The album ends with the poppy "108" that sounds a bit Lily Allen-esque with the use of voice dubbing threaded over exhausted beats.
Though the album is a small collection of decently catchy tunes, it is not anything new or unique that the mainstream scene hasn't already digested. Ferreira's mature voice awkwardly overpowers her teenage messages and antics. Perhaps with experience and cultivation, a potential following album will sound more polished and less cliché, allowing Ferreira to move forward in her singing career.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
