Cauldron

Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Life in Cartoon Motion: Mika

Pop music has a bad rep in the States. A genre equivalent to bubble-gum and Britney Spears, modern pop is best left to middle school dances and iPods belonging to the musically challenged. At least, that's generally the opinion of this critic.

But Lebanese-born and London-bred Mika, proud creator of the recently released "Life in Cartoon Motion," is no ordinary pop star. Not by American standards anyway.

Mika's sound is eclectic, clearly influenced by more artists than could be listed here. His vocals range from smooth to almost irritatingly screeching, but it works. Live drums, piano and guitar come together to create an orchestra of sound that is refreshingly retro but still modern enough to warrant radio play.

The lyrics are fun and, the man is not afraid to broach controversial topics. "Billy Brown" is about a married man who engages in a homosexual affair. Definitely one of the album's standout tracks, it is very Beatles-esque, a difficult achievement in and of itself.

The radio single, "Grace Kelly," is almost reminiscent of a Broadway show tune, but with a little more bounce. It's likeable but by no means the best track Mika has to offer. Rumors that the tune is a shout-out to American Idol mean guy Simon Cowell are perhaps its greatest quality. (Speculation is that after being repeatedly rejected by producer Cowell, Mika wrote the song as an attack on the mogul-you've got to love that cheeky attitude.)

Best song of the album has got to be "Love Today," which, if you've ever seen a preview for an MTV reality show, you've already heard. It's one of those songs you want to set on repeat. It just makes you happy-definite theme song material for the next feel-good film of the year, or your life.

Another theme-worthy song is "Big Girl (You are Beautiful)." An anthem to the plus-size community, lyrics like "a whole lotta woman needs a whole lot more" make this track the musical equivalent of a self-help book. It would make anyone feel better about themselves, regardless of their jean size.

Second best would still have to go to "Relax (Take it Easy)." Probably the most Scissor Sisters-influenced track, Mika's vocals are on point in this one. Just when you think it's too falsetto, he switches things up and goes soft and smooth. The electro sound is perfect dance-floor music, so expect to be hearing it at the local hipster bar sometime in the near future.

Overall, the album does its job. It's fun, it's enjoyable, and true to pop music form, it's infectious. A few plays and you'll be humming it to yourself for the rest of the day. Still a young artist, Mika will likely come a long way and his next album will be bigger and better. But this one is still very listener-friendly-a great transitional choice for the musically challenged.

Congratulations, Mika- you've done pop music proud.

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