Album Review: Quick Update/The 80's Reborn???

Okay my many followers (LOL!!), I'm dying to write an article about next years Grammy's and who I think will be nominated and who I think should be nominated. However, this summer and beginning of Fall has been filled with alot of music I've yet to review. I have about 13 albums I want to review, and in trying to power-through I'm gonna do just a quick/SUPER-quick recap of what I've been listening to.
Note: I'm gonna use a rating system on this and future album posts, but I might not stick with that style of rating so just know that it might change (probably next year)
So I'm gonna power-through and get these quick reviews done, than I have to post about the Grammy's and than I have an updated Top 25 Favorite Artists of All Time to post. The Grammy nominations are announced in December so expect an article about that, and than ofcourse we'll have our big Year-End post which will be better than the excellent one last year.

So let's start with the reviews!
Devo "Something for Everybody"

The New Wave Kings Devo return after 20 years with an album that actually does in fact feel like a true return to form, and feels like the classic Devo the world fell in love with in the 80's. And the group actually does this in a way that doesn't feel forced, which is one good thing about the album. Tracks like "What We Do" and first single "Fresh" are fun and full of "pep" like their 1980 "Freedom of Choice" album and more of their more commercial outings in the 80's. However the album falters because there's no sense of experimentation or them trying anything new which is the best thing about their early music. Still a fun listen overall.

Rating: Three Stars
Best: "What We Do" "Fresh""Later is Now"


Prince "20Ten"

This album was actually released only in the UK, and for Free in their Weekend Edition newspaper. I'm not in London and I don't subscribe to that paper but thank god for the internet. This album finds Prince giving sonic homages to his work in the 80's, but as always he mixes those sounds with more contemporary elements. The overall feel of the album is not much different from the vibe of his 2009 3 Disc outing, there's Funk ("Act of God"), there's Pop/Rock (the pretty awful "Everybody Loves Me") and there's wannabe-Hip Hop ("Laydown"). The highlights of the album are clearly the slower tempo R&B songs "Walk in the Sand" and "Future Soul Song", and even those come off sounding a little dated for him. It's time for Prince to either bring in some new Producers to get a fresh perspective or just take more time off in between albums. The album on the whole is enjoyable, but like Devo there's just a bit o originality lacking.

Rating: Three Stars
Best: "Future Soul Song" "Sticky Like Glue" "Walk in the Sand"