Review Summary: Post Art Pop Depression
During her cerulean days with "The Fame", Gaga’s tender voice was the brilliant change of pace, change of tone, change of breathy beauty that gorgeously delivered emotional and dramatic moments. The artist was at its greatest when everyone’s singular traits were called upon for equally behaviour and freak style moments that couldn’t be matched by anyone else. Gaga’s unapologetic charism – her fragile delivery, her channeling of fresh mainstream music, her groundbreaking attack on traditions and new videos – were always intriguing and provocative, let alone our best expectations. On " Atpop" she flashed stellar pose with reluctant songwriting and now on her last effort “Joanne” Gaga may have just created one of the most intelligent albums of current decade.
While Gaga’s voice isn’t nearly as outlandish as some of her counterparts, it’s definitely a wise blend of idle acoustic wonders and with songs like “Perfect Illusion,” she was able to get wrapped up in the blissful phase of instruments around her. While "Born This Way" had songs with subtle touches like “The Edge of Glory,” on new "Joanne" Lady Gaga combines the darkness of her tone and star experience with compositions that feature equally strong concept to render an album that is easily one of the best of 2016.
Here the music that Gaga has crafted is defined by its ability at constructing driving chords of affectionate composure. On second single “Million Reasons” the retro country-pop ballad is able to see underneath Lady Gaga’s vocal as she sings about tranquility and hope of her current relationships and moving into a new luminous mood, which is territory of comfort for the artist; while the music adds layers of perspicacious emotional texture around her, the same swirling melody encompasses the walls of the song.
Although one of the most iridescent moments of the album has just passed (“Grigio Girls”), there’s a mellifluous fusion of Lady Gaga's acoustic music happening throughout. There’s percussion and there’s also the unsettling strings that support Gaga’s voice as it ranges from highs to lows with calming ease. She wants to catch everyone from Alanis Morissette to Joni Mitchell with decisive and smart proficiency. Speaking of the gezellig tile track, on “Joanne” the noble epythymy of the sounds and how the melody is foreshadowed in Gaga’s old-fashioned tones before the choir of bellows comes at the end is something to behold.
What beyond doubt makes everything on the acoustic record resonate with prominent impact is Lady Gaga’s outstanding civil and political positions. Sincerely poignant and dynamically full of range, it’s definitely her change as truth speaker that commands the most attention and thus, is the most proper speaker of the show. On “A-Yo” she backs her own leading dependable tune with harmonies sung by her voice and backed by a sole lonely country guitar, Gaga's careful cadence and strong presence creates a chilling mood swing. But even at her sharpest, the ensuing “Hey Girl” shakes the balance up with stubborn, choir-like chants that sly, tough with sublime tones. "Come to Mama"' takes shape around her family affairs and sometimes the Christmas type melody swells into thick losses through the bittersweet composure of the track.
For some reasons, Lady Gaga hasn’t sounded so intelligible a while, for others, she sounds the best we’ve ever heard her. On final song “Just Another Day” she sings: “Think of different ways to keep my spirits up,” with respectable fortitude and as the music travels through the instrumental breakdown, it serves as one of “Joanne“ defining elements.
