Last Week in Free MP3s 8-11

“Be Alright (Featuring George Lynch)”  – Kristine W.

The sweet guitar riff from George Lynch in the beginning of this track gets you on your feet and moving.  Then the vocals and mediocre lyrics get in the way of an otherwise amazing dance track.  While W.’s voice is solid it intrudes on this rock out melody.  What could have been a great crossover track, has instead become something that you can barely listen to.

“Weightless” – All Time Low

“Weightless” from the album Nothing Personal sounds ordinary, but then the explosion of a guitar lick bursts this track wide open.  You become so involved with the lyrics and musicianship that you don’t realize the song is over.  No wonder this album made it to number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart (week of 7/26).  Download this track while it’s still free.

“Undone” – Medeski, Martin & Wood

There is some interesting experimentation with sound that this band has going on.  The jazz-rock-new age fusion sounds as if it is attempting to redefine how genres in music are perceived – one where influences overlap and each type of sound is distinguishable, yet effortlessly blends together.  Well worth a listen.

“Cloud Nine” – Ben Howard

Ben Howard has a Howard Jones/Simply Red style of singing.  His acoustic guitar and stripped down musical sound enhances the straight forward lyrics.  This is definitely a thinking man’s song that will impact your senses and emotions.  With its challenging theme you will feel compelled to put this track on a continuous loop.

“Smashing the Opponent (Album Version)”  – Infected Mushroom

Listening to this track leads one to question: who can dance to this?  Infected Mushroom is known for their danceable, computer-synthesized infused songs.  However, they have missed the mark with a mind-numbing melody and overly simplistic lyrics.  Skip it.

“Soap on a Rope” –  Chickenfoot

There are some songs that are only downloaded when they are free.  This is not one of them.  The guitar licks from Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony alongside the syncopated drumming of Chad Smith combined with the in-your-face lyrics sung by Sammy Hagar, makes this track a fun, all out rock song.  You’ll stop what you’re doing to do your best air guitar.

“Rosa (Live)” – Tosca

The psychedelic sound on this track is interesting on first listen.  However, its melody is repeated as if on a loop, making the song uneventful and monotonous.  After a while you forget that you’re listening to actual music and begin to wonder: “What’s that noise”?