Album Review: Ferras – ‘Aliens and Rainbows’

By M&C News Apr 11, 2008, 11:50 GMT

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“It’s a beautiful day to wake up with nothing to say.”  Not if you have to write a review, my friend.  A delicious combination of the pounding piano of Elton John and vocal prowess of David Bowie makes a concoction that this critic enjoyed devouring. 

Ferras has earned a high spot on ye olde review desk in that he goes into a pile that I keep separate from the rest so that they’re easily handy to listen to again and again (next to Bowie his-self and The Feeling). 

Ferras says that the album is about the place you go in your mind to escape.  He’s had ample opportunity to visit that place as when he was five he was kidnapped by his Arab father and spirited away (him telling him that they were going to Disneyland!) to Amman, Jordan where he took solace in a Casio keyboard and traces that as the beginning of his songwriting career.

He’s a little older than five now, only spent three months in Amman, and his career is poised to take off as he’s appearing on American Idol and other media outlets.  His debut album is a stunner.

I had no idea what was in store for me from the album cover that brought to mind Munch’s The Scream as interpreted by Warhol.  The opening of ‘Liberation Day’ makes it sound like its going to be from a high stepping Broadway musical, but he soon gets down to a joyous, pounding tune with some shoutouts to the Beatles. 

The entire album is a liberation, though I tended to like the upbeat tunes rather than some of the slower ones, but found them all grand.  It’s a beautiful day to have this CD in my player.