Deconstructed

       Ke$ha's latest EP, Deconstructed, was released the same date that her last album, Warrior, was released (December 4th), but it was not released digitally (iTunes/Amazon) until February 5th. Her last (full-length) album was amazing, and you should have realized that she was going to stick around after her music video release of "Take It Off" back in 2010 (with all of that glitter, color, and shine) but, if you were still unsure about her ability to be a "great" artist, this album should alleviate any of those doubts. Deconstructed manages to show an even more vulnerable (and artistic) side of Ke$ha than Warrior (or any of her previous albums) did.

       "Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle to You" is a cover of an old Dolly Parton song, written by Ke$ha's mother (Pebe Sebert). I prefer Ke$ha's vocals over Parton's so, to my ears, this is one of few covers that is actually better than the original.

       "Blow" seems like the weirdest song to choose for this EP, but it sounds kind of great this way. A song which continually states "this place about to blow" suddenly turns into a really great song with lines like "it's time to kill the lights and shut the DJ down" and "it's time to lose your mind and let the crazy out" sounding pretty and poetic in a way which they have not been featured before.

       "The Harold Song" has always been amazing and is one of her best, but the acoustic version does a better job of capturing the pain that comes with baring your fears, thoughts, and past mistakes to a worldwide audience. The song becomes eerily vulnerable in a really great and heartbreaking way with lyrics like "and this is so hard that I didn't see, that you were the love of my life and it kills me" and "drunk off of nothing but each other till the sunrise" becoming so much more amazing than they ever were that it's almost hard to not tear up (just a little bit).

       "Die Young", Ke$ha's first single from Warrior, still has that fun sound which surrounds its entire essence, but it offers the listener a chance to hear Ke$ha's actual voice; and her voice sounds really great with only a piano to back it. Lines like "young hearts, out our minds" and that ever-repeating "we're gonna die young" become so much better when they're slowed down, featuring nothing more than good vocals and great lyrics.

       "Supernatural" already has one of the best beginnings of any song from 2012 but, after all of that glitter and shine (bass and auto-tune) is stripped away, it sounds even more powerful. 

       When all other aspects of the song are gone and the only thing left is Ke$ha's vocals (with just a few backing instruments), it becomes so much easier to focus on, and appreciate, how great her lyrics are in each song she writes.

- E