Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion

Genre pop Publisher Universal Republic External Links Official Mika Website Official Universal Republic Website

It's hardly a surprise that singer-songwriter Mika Penniman is the biggest non-Arctic Monkeys-related artist in the UK today; after all, he channels many of the country's most popular acts, both past and present, mimicking the likes of Queen, Elton John, the Scissor Sisters, and Robbie Williams. It's a good idea, as that kind of gregariousness and flamboyance seems to be lacking more and more among contemporary pop musicians, but our boy Mika has forgotten that well-timed subtlety is as important as pomposity, as his debut album so belligerently attempts to win us over, that after 50 minutes, we're sick to death of the guy.

Life in Cartoon Motion's dozen songs are relentless, clobbering us with cloyingly drippy sentiment, saccharine overproduction, campy arrangements, and worst of all, Mika's own smarmy personality, which overwhelms nearly every track. Simply put, he's too much of a ham, and despite possessing the unmistakable ability to come up with a relentlessly catchy pop hook, he overplays his hand constantly. Take the worldwide smash single "Grace Kelly", for instance. No question, it's an irresistible tune that boasts arguably the most ebullient chorus of the year, but Mika puts on so many different masks in the three minute song ("I've gone identity mad!" he says at one point), from a grating falsetto to a blatant Freddie Mercury voice, that by the time he ends the song with a wince-inducing, "cha-ching!" he's gone from curiously likeable to just plain annoying.

Enduring the ludicrous, tasteless urban sing-along of the double-entendre-laced "Lollipop" is a challenge many will not be up for, while "Billy Brown" tries vainly to be a Song With a Message, but for all the "Penny Lane" style adornments and Mika's gay protagonist, it's merely a bland character sketch that in the end doesn't tell us anything. "Big Girl (You are Beautiful)" is even worse; instead of channeling the tacky joy of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls", the song reads like a backhanded compliment, comparing his protagonist to "a big balloon". "Happy Ending" is ruined by a ubiquitous gospel choir, while "Relax (Take it Easy)" hijacks the synth line from Cutting Crew's "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight", turning it into an awful Scissor Sisters knock-off that lacks any of the charm of that band. And speaking of nauseating Scissor Sisters knock-offs, the less said about "Love Today", the better.

Mika does come close on occasion, offering us glimpses of what he could become if he ever grows up. "My Interpretation" is a rote ballad, but a good one, thanks to his (comparatively) mannered vocal performance and his solid piano hook, while the strings-laden "Any Other World" makes tasteful use of Mika's vocal skill. Unfortunately, Life in Cartoon Motion is far too over the top, like a belligerent child hollering at us, demanding that we love them. "Why don't you love me? Why don't you love me?" cries Mika on "Grace Kelly". Suffering through this CD, it quickly becomes clear why we don't.