Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Michael Hensley has taken electronic music back to pop with his new album Fire Behind Me. Using personal lyrics and a LOT of synthesizer, Hensley has created a semi-interesting and well-produced album. Several of the songs on Fire Behind Me are catchy, especially This Machine, Totally Gone and Take Me Away. This Machine is the first track on this album, a great introduction. Hensley sings, "Beat/bass/horn/snare/high-hat/vocal chord/this machine will make you feel good/this machine will make you feel", which most likely refers to the machine/s that he has used to create the music for this album. Moreover, sometimes this is indeed feel good music or music that makes you feel. The problem is that sometimes this music makes me feel indifferent and annoyed.

Don't get me wrong, Michael Hensley is definitely a knowledgeable and talented musician. He knows how to create songs that are melodic and layered with interesting sounds. He also knows how to convey his personal feelings with lyrics that are relatable. Fire Behind Me really starts out as promising but I found that I just wasn't enjoying it after a while.

It was hard to pinpoint why I wasn't having fun listening. However, I've narrowed it down and I do have a few qualms with this album. After a while, I feel like Hensley's combination of electronic and pop become stale for a few reasons. After a few listens the music just sounds like a series of bleeps and bloops that don't say anything new. This combination has been done before, after all. If I were out dancing, I would enjoy hearing a few Michael Hensley songs. But if I heard the whole album at once, I would probably leave the club. This music keeps me wanting something more. It sounds to me like the first 4 1/2 songs were material for a good album but the rest starts to blend and sound whiney.

I also wasn't thrilled about was Hensley's delivery. He doesn't have a great voice. It sounds lifeless a lot of the time. He also annunciates EVERYTHING, which sounds a bit awkward on a few of the more emotional songs. Sometimes the robotic sound of his voice goes with the feeling of the music like in This Machine. In Cold, the lyrics are about faking life when you're not happy. He intentionally sings in that "cold" demeanor: "I don't want to be cold but it's all that I know". But frankly he sounds creepy and I don't feel sorry for him because he's writing songs that are too sad for the beats behind them. It's as if the sadder songs on this album don't differ enough from the angry or happy ones. When Moby writes sad songs, they are a little more interesting, usually atmospheric and sung with interesting and beautiful voices. Something is missing in Fire Behind Me.

Maybe it's just a matter of taste. This collection of songs might resonate with some other people. There are a few gems on this album but I wasn't thrilled with it overall. It was often boring to me. Hensley has the talent to impress me but I hope he harnesses it better in the future and pushes to bring something different to the scene.