Cinema Bizarre - I Don't Wanna Know (If U Got Laid)

"Once upon a time there was love in your eyes"

For all of the A-list releases 2009 has seen so far, there's been a certain type of album missing. I call it the underdog album, a release by a group that's been on my radar but never been a huge interest to me before. The best surprise is when one such group releases a follow-up that totally blows me away. Laakso did it a couple of years ago, as did Delays. This year it's Cinema Bizarre. The German pop/rock/glam band always seemed to have the goods, but I couldn't fully commit until now. Their new album Toyz is an absolute masterpiece and in serious contention for album of the year. They've upped the poppiness, working with RedOne for their single and adding layers of electronica and dance, and Strify's vocals are much poppier, sounding a lot like BWO throughout. In fact, the track I'm posting today could easily be mistaken for a slightly rocky BWO. The melody is pure perfection. The album's long at 18 tracks, but amazingly doesn't suffer from the lengthiness. It's remarkably consistent, and feels like a real statement of the band's new sound. In fact, it was hard to post a single track today. I would have also liked to share the beautiful Blasphemy, which certainly should be a single (and rallying cry). Go listen to this album. I couldn't recommend it more.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)