By DJ Marc J Cubs
MIKA is back again with another round of whimsical, story telling in his latest album No Place In Heaven. The fourth studio album by the colorful Brit is probably his most open and revealing album to date. From the album’s opening track (and first single) “Last Party” to the album’s finale “Good Guys, Night Time Mix”, the theme throughout the entire album is a bittersweet joy that’ll make you get the feels.
MIKA has a style and way about his music that will take you all over the place… which can be a good thing but only if it is in small doses. One track might make you feel like you’re at Woodstock, while other tracks might have you feel that you are in an underground, disco club. Disappointing to many original MIKA fans, the majority of the album’s songs feel a bit Debby Downer. However, if MIKA’s goal was to make an album that is a bit less Glam-Pop and more lyric driven then he definitely succeeded.
Not that he ever was shy or hid the fact that he was gay, this album is definitely MIKA’s most revealing out of all his previous albums. It’s more mature. The album is laced with tracks yearning for love (“Good Wife”), finding it (“Talk About You”), partying (“Last Party”), acceptance (“All She Wants”), and the struggles of it all especially with being gay. Probably the most discussed song off the album is “Good Guys” which is an open ended question highlighting the lack of gay, male role models around today. I personally don’t get it. With a slew of amazingly talented artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs out there today, any young gay boy can have someone to look up to and be inspired by. Neil Patrick Harris, Ricky Martin, Lee Daniels, Stephen Fry, Ian McKellen, Tom Ford, Anderson Cooper, George Takei, Jason Collins, Gareth Thomas, Bryan Singer, and so many more have all proven that you can be gay AND be successful at what you do. MIKA is included in that list as well! I suppose that there can be more “good guys” out there and maybe that is what MIKA is asking in the song. Out of all of the songs on the album, “Good Guys” is probably the most beautifully written track and definitely the one you’ll play over and over.
On another note, some of the songs on No Place In Heaven do sound very similar to some of MIKA’s past songs. “Oh Girl You’re The Devil” (even though it is probably the most fun song on the album) sounds like his “Popular Song”. Also, the chorus to the album’s title track “No Place In Heaven” sounds extremely similar to The Supremes’ “You Cant Hurry Love”. Another standout track off of the album is the bonus track “Promiseland” which does sound a bit like a knockoff Maroon 5 song but it’s sooooo good!
All in all, No Place In Heaven is a definitely a great album – a tad melancholy but great nonetheless! It’s not as colorful as his past albums but, then again, MIKA is evolving as an artist so it is refreshing to see him try something new and succeed at it. Even though the album doesn’t have that standout runaway hit like “Grace Kelly” or “Love Today”, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this album just as much as you did his first three.
Standout Tracks:
“Promiseland”
“Staring At the Sun”
“Rio”
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