Title: "Unplugged"

Artist: Alicia Keys

Label: J-Records

Staff rating: A

Alicia Keys takes her sound from the studio to the club with her first live album "Unplugged". Fusing jazz to her sound of soul and R&B, Keys creates an amazing album which puts you right in the club with her.

"Unplugged" features the best of Keys' old songs, like "Fallin' " and "If I Ain't Got You", new songs like "Unbreakable", and even a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses."

"Unplugged" brings an intimate vibe that a studio record can't create. Keys' forte with the piano plays perfectly for a live album, showcasing her natural style which no studio mixer or synthesizer could ever duplicate.

The first single on the record, "Unbreakable", is vintage Keys, coupling her great voice with a sound that you can't help feel the beat and move to.

Though "Unplugged" features many old songs, Keys changes the flow and sound to her hits giving them a new feel and a new way to enjoy them.

On "Fallin,'" Keys shows that her sound is meant to be heard live. There is a freedom because her songs don't have to fit in any set format; they aren't made for the radio but for the soul.

"Wild Horses" shows Keys taking a daring chance collaborating with rocker Adam Levine of Maroon 5. But the duet pays off and produces a haunting harmony as both voices surprisingly complement each other perfectly.

"Unplugged" fuses the best of jazz, poetry, soul but most importantly it brings to life Keys' raw talent without restrictions.

--TB

Title: "In the Wake of Determination"

Artist: Story of the Year

Label: Maverick

Staff rating: C-

Although Story of the Year's debut, 2003's "Page Avenue," wasn't exactly a revelation or even worth getting up in arms about, it was a fun, albeit over-polished, burst of metallic punk.

"In the Wake of Determination" shows virtually no progression from its predecessor, unless the presence of a single guitar solo counts (and it doesn't).

The most noticeable difference is that the distortion on the guitars is chunkier and headier this time around, but don't mistake that for the band getting 'heavier' - there's nothing here that recalls the pummeling intro of "In the Shadows," the heaviest song on the band's debut.

There's also more emphasis placed on guitarist Phil Sneed's shared harmonies with vocalist Dan Marsala, something that the band has cultivated in its live show.

Lyrically, the album is awash in the same "life is tough" and "girls are tough" sentiments as before. There's also a standard "take the reins of your life and overcome your opposition!" hardcore style song ("Our Time Is Now") that wouldn't be out of place in tone on a Hatebreed album.

Perhaps the most overwrought moment is on "Stereo" when Marsala screams "We've all been bought and sold!," which is followed by the all-too-expected chugga-chugga metalcore breakdown that even the spin-kicking kids have to be weary of by now.

Overall, "In the Wake of Determination" ends up having less character than "Page Avenue," and doesn't have the muscle, grit or originality to stand out.

--CS
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