Beyonce soars on latest pop fiesta album

It must have been a daunting task for Beyoncé and her producers to choose the first single for her new album, "B'day." All pop records need that upbeat first single to drive album sales, and in "B'day"'s case, any of 10 tracks would have been sufficient. They're that good. If Columbia Records is smart they'll milk the album for all it's worth, releasing single after single after single.\nThe album begins with "Déjà Vu," with Beyoncé singing "bass" (enter bass) then "high-hat" (cue a nifty little high-hat shuffle) followed by collaborator/boyfriend Jay-Z. Soon Beyoncé's off, away with the blaring trumpets that have come to fit her musical style so well. Next up is "Get Me Bodied" which uses the album's common formula: some clapping, a voice in the background shouting "hey" and Beyoncé's voice accompanying an infectious beat while singing some form of "ohhh, ohhh" repeatedly. It's a set-up that sounds bad on paper, but works extremely well when heard.\nThe song (and several others) features intensely heavy bass. Even after turning the bass setting down to -8, my speakers were still pounding. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the sound may be better suited for large entertainment systems rather than home devices.\nBeyoncé continues with some old school funk on "Suga Mamma" before suddenly getting pissed on "Ring the Alarm." The album's second single is unusually angry territory for the often timid Ms. Knowles, but is the actual alarm really necessary?\nOn "Kitty Kat," B, as she refers to herself, blurts "I'm not feelin' it." I'd have to agree. The song is by no means bad, but it can't keep up with the expeditious pace of the other tracks. Beyoncé lets women know the best way to grab a guy's attention is to wear a hot outfit on "Freakum Dress." The song works in the same way as this so called "Freakum Dress," commanding the room, asserting the principal characters, showcasing Beyoncé's dominance.\nBeyoncé decides to end the album on a slower note with two exceptional ballads, "Irreplaceable" and "Resentment." The somber songs wonderfully capture the emotion of ending a relationship with simultaneous anger, sadness and empowerment. "Irreplaceable" includes a welcome, soothing acoustic guitar, an instrument absent from the rest of the album. "Resentment" sounds like it could've been sung by her old group, Destiny's Child, due to its background female harmony.\nFor some reason the album contains only 10 tracks. Beyoncé, who co-wrote all the songs with several other writers, probably could've turned out more, but, fortunately, if the listener waits a few seconds after the end of "Resentment" there's a bonus track, "Listen," from her upcoming film "Dreamgirls." The song is a powerhouse number that is good news for the film. Based on the hit Broadway show, if all the film's performances are this show-stopping, it should be damn entertaining. "Listen" is an original song that wasn't in the show, and with it Beyoncé has pretty much secured a win for the Best Original Song Oscar next year. On the tracks she belts "I don't know where I belong/I'll be moving on/now I've got to find my own." Trust us B, with "B'day," you've found your perfect place. Don't move on from there.