NU LOOK: The official KOMPA MAGAZINE song by song CD REVIEW!
*NU LOOK'S TIME: The kickoff track starts off like an old school type of song. Arly going on about why he made the move to the front of the band, and the odds that were stacked against him and the band by most people. He sends the message that he is never looking for favors or pity, and that he will be judged based on his musical work. WHO IS HE TALKING TO about LE YAP TANDE PALE W ...FE W SANBLE SE INNOCENT...KINBEL POU MOUN KI PA KONEN W YO. LIV SA WAP LI A....SE MWEN KI EKRI LI. Basically an anthem for the Nu Look hardcores, and in this song he comes on strong in terms of the MESSAGE SENDING....FIRING SHOTS as they say. It even has a line that I like very much...OU FE M TOUNIN W PROBLEM!
It is along the same lines as "I ain't got no worries" from their previous CD; even though I prefer "Worries" more than this one; THIS TRACK will do the job that it has been given. Will get the fans going LIVE, will also get the attention on radios/DJs as well. Memorable call/chant...WHAT TIME IS IT...NU LOOK's TIME.
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*UNTIL WHEN: Like I said in my PREVIEW before the cd came out, this song is destined to be a huge hit for the group. Arly Lariviere "Formula" that has been proven time and time again. Very memorable choruses that are easy to sing for the fans. The text/lyrics are on point for the "tugging at the heart" lovers. THIS IS THE SONG THAT THE NU LOOK FANS have been instructed to push by Arly Lariviere "first", so that there are no "confusions", or songs battling each other.
If this song does not become another huge hit in the Nu Look catalog, I WILL BE VERY SHOCKED. That "MIN LI PAPA...WA DEGAJE W" keyboard is INSANEEEEE and will do the job on the dance floor and more. MIZIK SA TOU GOL....and I am not the only one who thinks that in terms of a few musicians who have spoken to me. "Ou humilie m...Ou meprizem...kote w jwenn kouraj pou trete m konsa".....Right down the "PLENYEN" lovers lane....and THEY WILL EAT THAT UP. Add this one as another entry in a future edition of Arly Lariviere's greatest hits.
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*M BEZWEN YON ZANMI: Strong words/lyrics on FRIENDSHIP on this song. It takes awhile to get going after Arly sings the song's message...about 3/4 of the way when that nice SIWEL sound gets in there. I suspect that they will try to push that on the bal scene....but I might be wrong; but I don't see this song going further than that. It is an admirable tribute from Arly to his closest "friends" who have been there and supported him through thick and thin during his Nu Look adventure.
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*C'EST COMPLIQUE: A "MUSICIAN'S SONG". The type of song that brilliantly gives an example into the work of the musician's genius. He has you on the edge of your seat in the way that he is telling the story (Don't want to spoil it for those who have yet to listen to it) SE PA TOUT MOUN KAP KONPRANN MIZIK SA...but if you are a LOVER OF GREAT MUSIC....MIZIK SA AP RIVE SOU OU VIT. Nice danceable DANCE FLOOR DANSE KOLE "Certified" track. It does NOT have that easy memorable CHORUS like some other songs on the CD; but that does NOT have a major impact in terms of you appreciating and bopping your body to the song....as you listen to the story develop. The kind of song that TOP MUSIC PRODUCERS/EXPERTS will give Lariviere "Props" for. NICE GUITAR at the end...which I wished they had done much earlier in the song; but I suspect YO KINBE GROOVE GITA SA POU BAL. BRAVO...BRAVO...BRAVO!
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*APPARENCES TROMPEUSES: The song features KASSAV legend Jean Phillippe Marthelly. Strong message in terms of NOT reading a book by its cover. A fun catchy song with one of the best voices in the game....a Haitian favorite Jean Philippe; and Arly Lariviere also holds his own in the vocals department on this song....considering who is singing this duet with him. Very Cool track.
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*RIEN QUE TOI: MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE CD. The song that I immediately told Arly Lariviere COULD be a major hit song for him on the CD, and STRONGLY URGED HIM to release as the first single off the CD...even though I suspected that he favored "Until When". A different formula for Arly in terms of the MOOD in the lyrics. HE IS HAPPY just like he was in "Ame Soeur" from the last CD...a song that he chose NOT to push, which in my opinion was a mistake....but the difference between THIS SONG and "Ame Soeur" is that IT'S MORE COMMERCIAL.
IF ARLY LARIVIERE IGNORES THIS SONG ON THIS CD AND DOES NOT PUSH IT RIGHT AWAY....IT WILL BE ONE OF THE WORST DECISIONS THAT HE MAKES IN HIS MUSIC CAREER AS AN ARTIST. Everything about this song screams HIT SONG...CATCHY MUSIC/CHORUS, Lyrics that are fun to sing to....easy on the lips. CATCHY KEYBOARDS, Danceable groove...the whole nine yards.
DO YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT I REALLY LOVE THIS SONG "yet"? ANMWEYYYYYYY....ANMWEYYYYYY....ANMWEYYYYY. The stats for this song on our KM Soundcloud reflect that I am NOT the only one who loves this song, as it has the most LISTENS of any other song ever since it came out. THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST PICK FOR MUSIC VIDEO just to give the fans a different side of Lariviere in the music visual department.
"SI M TA DI W KIJANM SANTI M..CHAK FWA M KONEN PRAL RENKONTRE W...si m ta di w kijanm santim HEUREUX chak fwa m kinbe w nan bra m"......WOW...WOW...WOW...WOW...WOW! "U MAKE MY LIFE COMPLETE"
This just might be one of his best ever compositions. LI DIFERAN DE TOUT LOT YO.
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THE SWITCH: Interesting approach on the topic. SYSTEME DE DEFENSE POU COEUR. What would really happen if we all had an "ON/OFF" Switch for affairs of the heart? HMM...Just THAT topic alone will make it a favorite for many. The guitar on this song is FIYAHHHHHHHH. I like the way the song is developed. This will be a LIVE favorite if they decide to play it on a regular basis. GADE GROOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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*DADDY'S GIRL: Beautiful song, and an even more beautiful topic. I don't think I ever heard a group tackle this particular subject honestly; at least NOT in this manner. A Dad having a bit of a hard time letting go of his girl as she is apparently about to get married after her future husband comes and asks the father for his daughter's hand. PROTECTIVE DAD role played brilliantly by Lariviere as he expresses the concerns by all the fathers in the same situation. I actually misunderstood it the "Pa rule l Papi" line when I heard it in the studio....NOW having heard the full song, I understand it better.
THIS will be the favorite of many on the CD. TOUT PAPA KI GIN PITIT FI....PRAL REJWENN YO ANPIIIIIIIL NAN MIZIK SA, and no need to tell you how protective DADS are of their daughters. BEAUTIFUL SONG/BEAUTIFUL LYRICS. YON MIZIK KI ELEVE VALEUR ARTISTIC YON CD. One of my favorites.
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PA SWETE MALE YON LOT: Track features popular DJ Tony Mix on there. A much needed uptempo entry on this CD. Interesting message on there about KARMA and what goes around comes around. "FE CHENET" skit has potential to work LIVE at parties. OU PANDE M PAT PARE....PENSE W TE FINN BON....SHOTS FIRED...but WHO is he talking to? I will wait to see how they perform this one LIVE in order to be MORE CONVINCED about this track.
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*THAT GIRL (Featuring 5 LAN): This song apparently features his son on there. FUTURE STAR in the making? A Suivre. Nice hype by by DJ 5 Etwal as Nu Look travels down the Zouk Love/GOUYAD VILLE route for clubs. GOUYAD HEAVEN once they let the music do the talking. DJS will love this to play in the clubs and at parties. Should we expect Mister Lariviere to bring his son on stage to perform this song? MIN DEFI POU MAESTRO A....LOL. Nice/Fun song. BAY 5 ETWAL SA KI POU LI A...He is an expert...top expert in the GOUYALOGY department....and he comes through with flying colors on this track with Lariviere.
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*HAITI QUEL ESPOIR: I liked this song on the first listen when Arly made me listen to it at his studio before the CD came out. Strong message about making Haiti work again...but hard to do with all that always goes on. BON JAN COMPAS WILL HELP SELL THE MESSAGE...GREAT STRATEGY. One of my favorites from the CD. Very danceable....kinda weird WAP DANSE YON MIZIK KAP PALE DE ANPIL PWOBLEM NAN PEYI A.....but you can't help it because of the music. BRASS SECTION IN TOP FORM on this song. DEJEAN and DOBAL...BON BAGAY!!!!
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*TON ANNIVERSAIRE: Mid-tempo celebration track. Made for playing on the LIVE circuit. I LOOOOOOOOVE THE GUITAR on this song....apparently by Disip guitarist MACKENSON as stated by Arly Lariviere on the song. Listen to the PERCUSSION IN THE BACKGROUND on this song. Horn section on point again....I just don't like the way the song ends, apart from that GREAT "GWOG" SONG at Nu Look parties if you catch my drift.
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*HIT SONGS: In my opinion, I would put my money on "UNTIL WHEN", "RIEN QUE TOI", and "HAITI QUEL ESPOIR". Also if "THE SWITCH" gets a fair chance....it "can" make noise. I know that Arly will try to push "NU LOOK'S TIME" non-stop to the fans...so who knows in regards to that one. I also think that it can do damage on the radio and at parties. The BEST UPTEMPO track on the CD by a mile. I consider "THE SWITCH" and "HAITI QUEL ESPOIR" as a MID-TEMPO songs.
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*BEST SONGS IN TERMS OF COMPOSER/PRODUCER ON THE CD: In my opinion they are "DADDY'S GIRL", "C'EST COMPLIQUE", and "RIEN QUE TOI".
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*MY FAVORITE SONG is "RIEN QUE TOI". followed in no particular order by "Haiti Quel Espoir", "Until When", "The Switch"
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*I DID NOT LIKE:
A) The song order on the CD was NOT the best. In my opinion, it was NOT well put together. NO WAY that the song "Bezwen Yon Zanmi" should be put all the way up at the precious number 3 spot. There are MORE DESERVING SONGS. Why on earth is "Haiti Quel Espoir" all the way down there in the CD order is beyond me. It would have fit perfectly at the number 3 spot....after "Until When". Also "Rien Que Toi" should have been right there at number 4...deserving more of the spot than the brilliant but LESS CATCHY "C'est Complique".
B) The UPTEMPO SONGS on the last CD in my opinion were BETTER than the ones that are here on this CD..WITH THE EXCEPTION OF "NU LOOK'S TIME". "Got No Worries", "Motivation", and "Trip Map Trip" are in my opinion superior than "Pa Swete Male Yon Lot". Having said that...I suspect that "NU LOOK'S TIME" can do damage.
C) I WANT MORE OF MY LAPORTE FIX ON CD: Mwen pa oblije al nan BAL pou m enjoy GROOVE GITA LAPORTE yo non. I wish we had more of it on the studio songs; but at the same time, I understand if the maestro has moved on from that style of Nu Look music to another. HE REPRESENTED WELL on "THE SWITCH" the most....unless it's RAY doing it. LOL.
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*SOME OBSERVATIONS
*FORCING A SONG AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER POTENTIAL HIT: The way that ARLY has apparently instructed the NU LOOK hardcore to PUSH the song "UNTIL WHEN", to force it down people's throats...AT THE EXPENSE of the very popular/capable "RIEN QUE TOI". Aly and Nu Look fans, "Until When' already has all the ingredients to make it become a hit...let nature take its course...LAP PASSE...but DON'T IGNORE "Rien Que Toi" because you might end up losing on a potential major hit with the campaign that you guys are doing in the process.
*THE "I TOLD U SO" effect: NU LOOK without a doubt is one of the top 2 hottest/most popular bands in the HMI as of right now. There is no need to keep trying to tell your critics that you proved them wrong. "No Worries" addressed that issue on the last CD, and you come back at it again with "Nu Look's Time". It's as if you still don't believe that you proved it. Aly Lariviere, IT'S CLEAR that you have proven your critics wrong. You stepped up to the challenge and Nu Look is standing in a good spot in the HMI ladder today...so CHILL... LOL. We clearly understand that "U got this" papa. LOOOOOOOL.
*SONG STORY DEVELOPMENT: The way that he develops the songs is one of the best traits of Arly Lariviere as a composer. Brilliantly displayed in the songs "Daddy's girl", "C'est Complique", "Appearance Trompeuses" and others. Absolutely brilliant. It's like you are reading a book, and you can't wait to turn the page to read what happens next.
*MAESTRO goes "DIRECT" ...Pa gin route pa bwa: In a song like "NU LOOK's Time", the maestro is going DIRECT....seeking confrontation/showdown with direct messages at some people. Li pa nan voye woch kache main non la. GNB STYLEEEEE wi. Different than the Arly from many years ago. OH OH...Mwen sezi.
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All in all NU LOOK DELIVERS on this CD. KILL THAT NOISE that you hear out there from polemic soldiers whose only/sole agenda is to put down at the expense of their bands. I do respect and understand that certain people might not find this CD to their liking....but it has to be for the right reasons. THIS CD IN MY OPINION HAS ALL THE INGREDIENTS TO KEEP NU LOOK AS A DRIVING FORCE ON THE HMI LADDER until the next CD rolls around. I HAVE NO DOUBTS ABOUT THAT.
They have HITS, potential hits, tracks to appeal to different fanbases, and they have the experience on the market to make it work for them. Like I said before, with the exception of the song order, I enjoyed this NU LOOK CD a lot. It's another chapter to add in the illustrious career of this band and their maestro. CONGRATS ON THE CD....
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