Ok, so a lot of new music has come out recently, but we are going to take a bit of time and talk about two albums that have really stood out to me as amazing. These are Paramore’s new cd “Brand new eyes” and the new Five for Fighting album, “Slice”. Both of these albums bring something special, and here are some brief thoughts on both.

Firstly, Five for Fighting, the one man band of singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, has released another amazing cd with “Slice”. Is it the best he has ever done? Well, lets say that some of the material on it is at least on par with some of the best he has released (100 Years, Superman).

As a whole, this is an album that is very, very listenable - it is touching, it will make you think, and it might even make you cry. If you love Five for Fighting, than this is an album that is a must own for you. John’s ballads of love, life, and reflection are never out of place, and “Slice” is just another chapter in the legacy of a fantastic, gifted songwriter.

Next, what about Paramore’s cd “Brand new eyes”? Well, as hard as it might be to top hits like “Decode” (as made popular by the movie Twilight), “That’s what you get”, and “Misery Business”, I think everyone stopped wondering when “Brick by Boring brick” hit their ears late in the year 2009.

Paramore has released a cd here that is every bit as strong as their last album, and while Hailey Williams is no longer sporting the red hair (it is blond now), there is no doubt here that Paramore has matured into a rock band that the music scene is going to be hearing a lot from. I do not think that Paramore is done, by any stretch of the imagination and I believe that “Brand new Eyes” is proof of this.