Ferras - Aliens & Rainbows Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 04.09.2008
Will this Matrix-produced debut turn Ferras into a pop star?
My Story
Is it ever a BAD time to be an up and coming pop star? The latest name to come down the pike is Ferras, a guy who’s had the good fortune of scoring a major label contract AND getting attention from “American Idol” without having the critical stigma of actually appearing on the show. With his debut album finally seeing the light of day, can he rise above the current crop of Justins, Maroon 5s and Colbie Caillats to earn a spot in Top 40 history?
His Story
Ferras Alqaisi was born in 1982 in Gillespie, Illionois, a town notable for its proximity to Lake Gillespie and…not much else. Ferras’ father was Arabian, and when he divorced Ferras’ mother, he secretly fled America with his five-year old son for his native country of Jordan. It was during these three months in Jordan that Ferras first began learning piano.
Ferras’ passion for music grew stronger as he entered high school. His talents were nurtured so well that he was admitted into Berklee College. One year, while on spring break, Ferras made the trip to seek out a record deal. Accompanied only by a piano, Ferras performed one of his originals, “Take My Lips”, for Capitol Records executives. That did the trick.
Later, he was flown to New York City, where he began work on his debut album with The Matrix, a team that cranked out a mass of pop hits in the early part of the decade for folks like Avril Lavigne, Jason Mraz, Christina Aguilera and others.
In February, Ferras made his national TV debut on the Today Show. His debut single, “Hollywood’s Not America”, started getting attention on Adult Contemporary radio (it reached #19 there), as well as video channels like VH1. It was even used briefly on “American Idol” to accompany the contestants who were voted off each week. The album was released digitally in mid-March, accompanied by several dates with A Fine Frenzy.
Media
Ferras – “Hollywood’s Not America” Video
The Album
On April 1, 2008, Capitol Records released Aliens & Rainbows, the debut album by Ferras.
The Band: 8.0
Ferras: vocals
Rarely does a debut album come across this epic, especially in the pop world. Aliens & Rainbows plays like a long lost U2 classic, from the time when the band had just begun to experiment with electronics and studio trickery. You can thank the producers, The Matrix and Gary Clark, for the backdrop here, as each and every song is given a lush arrangement with brilliant attention to detail. Every emotional lyric is accentuated with a swell of strings or angelic background harmonies.
Of course, to give the production all of the credit is to completely ignore Ferras, and that’s completely unfair. The artist has just the type of voice that fans want to hear these days: aching with just a touch of rasp to let you know he’s serious. He’s the obvious next step in the lineage of Elton John and Billy Joel, the next to take the throne in the “piano guy” world. He also sounds damn good with big beats, which should give Maroon 5 a run for their money.
In short, Angels & Rainbows will surprise you. The amount of obvious care given to the set shows a real support from Capitol, a rarity in the majors, who are all too ready to let new guys sink or swim on their own generated underground hype. Given the right amount of attention and a couple of big hits (which are here), this could be a classic.
The Songs: 8.5
1. Liberation Day
2. Aliens & Rainbows
3. Something About You
4. Hollywood’s Not America
5. Everybody Bleeds The Same
6. Rush
7. My Beautiful Life
8. Soul Rock
9. Blame, Blame, Blame
10. Dear God
11. Don’t Give Up
12. Take My Lips
Angels & Rainbows kicks off with “Liberation Day”, a cut that starts false as a piano ballad before building into a bouncy burst of sunshine, complete with a great chorus of “It’s a beautiful day to wake up with nothing to say”. I don’t know if Ferras is into TV ads, but I can think of half a dozen crosspromotional opportunites with that cut. It also has “radio” written all over it.
Other high energy cuts here include the vibey “Don’t Give Up” and the not-to-schmaltzy “Everybody Bleeds The Same”. But Ferras does the ballads well too. As is evident by the gorgeous lead single “Hollywood’s Not America”, the singer knows how to do sad while still being interesting. And you can thank the production team for the epic sprawl of songs like “Hollywood” and the strange, minor-chord trip-out “My Beautiful Life”.
The album ends with “Take My Lips”, which finds Ferras performing solo with just his voice and piano. The scarce production here stands in stark contrast to the rest of the album – hell, it’s almost jarring. But the song, with its personal and pleading lyrics, will grab your heart through the sheer force of Ferras’ emotions. It’s the best indication that, top-shelf producers or not, Ferras is going places.
The 411: Few debut albums get everything right like Ferras’ Aliens & Rainbows. The tracks are gorgeously produced and performed even better. You have upbeat cuts like “Liberation Day”, which is bound to be a hit on some format, as well as larger-than-life ballads like the lead single, “Hollywood’s Not America” and the gorgeous closer “Take My Lips”, a song that screams “cover me on ‘American Idol’!”. This is lush pop at its finest.
