 | Mika Life in Cartoon Motion
3.1
good
| Ranking: #175 for 2007 | |
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| | Full Review | Ratings (218) |
Give your Rating |
| 3.0 good | Tyler EMERITUS | March 15th 07 |
Mika is kind of annoying, but he's also kind of talented, and he's more aware of this than anyone. Therein lies the crux of the album. He has the striking ability to write a charming, bubbly dance-pop song and then ruin it by showing us how high his voice can go.
Employing a sort of "look what I can do!" way of thinking, Mika grabs my interest then seems to see how quickly he can lose it. I want to like this, and I think I do. But it's tracks like Grace Kelley that keep me guessing. While it's arguably the catchiest and most well rounded song on the album, it's also one of the worst. And that's the thing with the album. I have such a difficult time thinking about whether I enjoy it or not that it distracts from the music itself.
When I really sit down and listen, I realize this is an all around good album. Sure, it's not without camp, and that spawns from his past writing jingles. Life in Cartoon Motion bottles down to a strong pop album with some good songs and some shitty ones. It has it's moments, but I can't see myself listening to this all that often.
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | charlopiano | March 14th 22 |
This album is a mess. Some huge bangers, and some annoyingly disappointing tracks, making for such a mixed bag
Bump |
| 3.0 good | MaggieG | September 11th 14 |
Mika is something I'd definitely consider a guilty pleasure. He's definitely talented and his vocal range is solid and all with some ideal Freddie Mercury influences in his voice and compared to many pop artists today, he's one of the few that I can consider listenable. The problem is that his music is borderline cheesy and not what I'd consider musical genius but at the same time, I just can't hate it. It's harmless pop rock that puts a smile on my face whenever I listen to it.
Bump |
| 2.0 poor | AtavanHalen | March 18th 10 |
Nobody's saying that kitschy, camp pop can't be fun and likable. When it's done like this, however, in full spirit-finger form, it eventually makes one stabby. Away from the Queen-aping "Grace Kelly" and the charming "My Interpretation", you're left with MOR dross ("Relax, Take It Easy") and overly-boppy driving music ("Love Today"). Potential shown, but rarely impacted upon. Approach with caution.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | Enotron | October 21st 09 |
I know it seems ridiculous that I gave this a 3, especially next to the mars volta. But this album is infectiously catchy. lots of fun sing a long moments, whether it be the vocals or instrument or a sound. however this album at times can be infectiously annoying.
Bump |
| 1.5 very poor | Iai EMERITUS | March 19th 08 |
In short: really, really bad. Quite apart from being a shameless rip of the Scissor Sisters that fails entirely to capture what made them good, Life in Cartoon Motion is packed front to back with the kind of songs capable of making you abandon music forever. "Lollipop", "Love Today", "Billy Brown", and "Fat Chick (You Are Hideous)" are the worst offenders, but there's very little good to be said about "Grace Kelly" or "Relax" either, and they can legitimately be considered the album's strong points. The chorus of "My Happy Ending" is the album's only redeeming feature, and I'm still certain that he's ripped it off from somewhere. 1.5 is being generous.
Bump |
| 2.5 average | Gvictor | March 19th 08 |
Dear god, this man's annoying. Here he comes, in the middle of a music scene taking itself all too seriously, where every rawk geetarist considers himself an artist, and thinks he can just "lighten things up" by making this silly, campy but ultimately catchy and FUN pop album. Well he's fucking wrong. It comes off as annoying most of the time. He does have his great moments, like "Grace Kelly", in which he manages to work the kitsch in his favor (I actually saw him playing that song on TV way before he released his album and got famous). Others, like "Love Today", are so infuriatingly annoying you'll want to wipe his smile off with a cheese slicer.
Still, some seem to like this sugar-coated piece of manufactured joy, so I suppose it has some worth to it. Buy at your own risk.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | Zac124 | April 21st 20 |
| 3.0 good | Lucman | February 15th 20 |
| 2.0 poor | fog CONTRIBUTOR | June 14th 19 |
| 3.5 great | maxer | August 25th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Ben STAFF | April 16th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Xinlo | July 21st 16 |
| 3.0 good | Agonba | January 25th 16 |
| 1.0 awful | kroglor | November 27th 15 |
| 3.5 great | Tom Read CONTRIBUTOR | September 1st 15 |
| 2.5 average | Veldin | April 2nd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | gematria | February 25th 15 |
| 3.5 great | Pels0 | January 26th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Haunt | September 7th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | sashlon | July 27th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Chosen | July 17th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | miyo | May 4th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | arf | March 22nd 13 |
| 3.5 great | Lobber | February 4th 13 |
| 2.5 average | Zainish | January 30th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | CutMan | January 23rd 13 |
| 3.5 great | Scyner | December 6th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | SiBille | June 21st 12 |
| 3.0 good | vivapo | December 12th 11 |
| 3.5 great | mvood | November 3rd 11 |
| 1.5 very poor | Ignored | November 1st 11 |
| 2.5 average | Aids | August 24th 11 |
| 3.0 good | Prae | June 30th 11 |
| 3.5 great | lynit | March 20th 11 |
| 3.5 great | whoaoh | December 28th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | LevL6 | November 22nd 10 |
| 3.5 great | Irving EMERITUS | October 25th 10 |
| 2.5 average | Pigmi | July 22nd 10 |
| 3.5 great | mss71 | June 25th 10 |
| 3.5 great | mppwns | June 11th 10 |
| 2.0 poor | Thef | June 1st 10 |
| 2.0 poor | qwe3 | February 28th 10 |
| 1.0 awful | Distile | December 15th 09 |
| 2.0 poor | mareep | October 19th 09 |
| 1.5 very poor | Phantom | October 10th 09 |
| 2.5 average | Rudy K. EMERITUS | September 24th 09 |
| 2.5 average | MrChuck | August 25th 09 |
| 1.0 awful | rav3 | August 9th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | Tom2704 | November 12th 08 |
| 3.0 good | Kakz | November 11th 08 |
| 2.0 poor | BSX | March 3rd 08 |
| 2.0 poor | sgrevs | February 6th 08 |
| 2.5 average | RJayZ | January 22nd 08 |
| 3.0 good | CloLS | January 19th 08 |
| 1.0 awful | Oskorei | December 19th 07 |
| 2.5 average | Ramambo | December 9th 07 |
| 2.5 average | Kuukkis | September 6th 07 |
| 3.5 great | JTV | August 24th 07 |
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