Pentatonix
Four years ago, a five-voice a cappella group from Arlington, Texas came out of nowhere (literally, as they had only just formed their group at the time) and entered a televised and semi-popular competition called “The Sing-Off” with some of the best a cappella groups in the nation. They won the competition, narrowly beating out the Dartmouth Aires, and became one of the most famous a cappella groups in the world.
Pentatonix’s talent is undeniable. Their bass singer, Avi, can reach outstandingly low notes and has incredible tone to boot; their beatboxer, Kevin, can be confused for a drum machine at times; the other three singers, Scott, Mitch and Kirstie, are incredible as well. They are all amazing performers, spectacular musicians and captivating to listen to. Since their victory on “The Sing-Off,” they have released three albums of pop covers with a few original songs scattered here and there, along with two albums of Christmas songs, and earlier this month, they released Pentatonix, their first album of entirely original music.
Overall, my first impressions of the album are very positive. I had a very enjoyable time listening through it; the songs are all colorful and fun to listen to. There is also a fair amount of variety in the album, from simple, classic pop arrangements like “Na Na Na,” to jazzy, throwback tracks like “Cracked,” to darker, more emotional cuts like “Light In The Hallway.” All of them are very well executed.
Each and every member of the group can be found at their best on this album. Scott, the baritone lead, has one of the best solos I have ever heard from him at the end of the song “Cracked;” and even Avi, the bass, takes a solo—something he rarely does—on “Light In The Hallway,” and did a wonderful job with it.
The deluxe version of the album, available through Spotify, contains three bonus covers: “Where Are Ü Now” by Justin Bieber, “Cheerleader” by OMI and “Lean On” by Major Lazer. These covers are honestly as great as the originals and meet the high standard of quality that Pentatonix has set for their covers on all of their previous albums. The arrangements manage to retain all of the things that were special about the original songs, yet the group simultaneously manages to put their signature style into the songs, making them their own.
If I had one problem with this album, it would be that Pentatonix seems to be pandering a little bit too much for popularity. They were clearly aiming to play this album on the radio, and it shows in the songs—the arrangements can be a little too “safe” at times, and Pentatonix does not take a lot of risks on the album, which seems to hinder the album from reaching the group’s full potential. However, the album is still a worthwhile listen overall, and I highly recommend it.