Samantha Newark’s "Somethin’ Good" is Somethin’ Great

Samantha Newark may have gained fame—and an international fan base—as the speaking voice of animated ‘80s icon Jem from Jem and the Holograms, but her latest album, Sumethin’ Good proves that Newark is more than truly outrageous.

Though Somethin’ Good is a stylistic change from her 2008 self-titled alt-rock debut, Newark’s recent run of appearances as the featured vocalist for a number of dance tracks make her latest electro-influenced effort feel like the natural evolution of an amazing artist.

From upbeat radio-friendly tracks like “I Got Everything” to the scandalous “Hands On Me” and even the ethereal “Blue Sea,” the album covers a wide range of electronic styles and human emotion—something rarely heard in the parade of manufactured music currently being pumped through the airwaves.

Even more refreshing is fact that Newark’s vocals haven’t been Auto-Tuned to death. Instead her uncommonly beautiful voice is allowed to shine naturally, providing emotional depth to every one of album’s songs.

With each track written by Newark herself, Somethin’ Good also boasts another element sorely missing from music today—sincerity.

More than catchy hooks and shimmery sounds, Newark’s lyrics contain a direct and obvious honesty and demonstrate the singer’s artistic range, not only as a singer/songwriter, but as a storyteller as well.

Playful, vulnerable and sultry, Somethin’ Good is an absolute joy for any fan of synth-pop—or lover of great music for that matter.

Though some may find the album as a whole a bit short on running time, the overall strength of Newark’s latest musical endeavor eclipses any issues caused by the length of individual songs.

Expressive, cleaver and compulsively catchy, Somethin’ Good is everything a great pop album should be.

Somethin' Good is available on iTuens and at samanthanewark.com.