Usually when I hear something by Katy Perry I instinctively head to the nearest fire exit, and believe that it should be banished to the graveyard of forgettable pop music.
Although on her new album Prism, there are certainly some tolerable moments. Once you've waded through the typical dance-pop mediocrity, there are certainly the odd, catchy hooks through the veneer of blandness. At times there does seem to be some diversity, albeit in a very minor and subtle way.
'Walking On Air' has heavy acid-house influences, and that retro nod sounds welcoming amongst the predictable electro-pop, and the chorus hook certainly captures the exuberance of the track's title. There are some surprising Chiptune arrangements on 'This Is How We Do', which act as an excellent contrast to the vocals. 'By The Grace Of God' is a well-crafted ballad, and builds up to a highly-rousing chorus.
However, many of the tracks do not live up to their expectations. 'Roar' is too dull in it's arrangement and repetitive, and is in need of an intelligent hook to take it to acceptable listening. 'Birthday' is so super glossy and overproduced, resulting in an extremely clinical sound. 'Unconditionally' sounds like a Katy Perry track of the past, and again offers little innovation or development in musical ability. It appears that much of the material is over-engineered, with the vocals autotuned to death. Many of the tracks are extremely formulaic, and often use one or two unsatisfactory hooks that are made to sound better than they actually are, by applying a huge amount of backing to the chorus for greater impact. You don't fool me, Katy Perry.
So how would I sum up this album? It's essentially an album with two or three singles nestling amongst a collection of poor tracks, pumped up to the max by indulgent production trickery.
Rating - 4/10
https://myspace.com/katyperry/music/album/prism-19255384
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