Grammy-winning a cappella vocal standouts Pentatonix return with another consistent, enjoyable set of covers on ‘PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1.’

Absolutely killer, savagely awesome a cappella group Pentatonix are back with a new album!  While Avi Kaplan has moved on, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, and Kevin Olusola,with the addition of Matt Sallee continue to ‘hold the fort’ down.  Their latest album, PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1, has a simple premise; it covers some of the biggest hits in contemporary pop music.  All in all, the results are consistent and enjoyable.

“Attention”

Opener “Attention” served as the third single released from PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1. Vocal chemistry is the biggest selling point of this Charlie Puth cover, not to mention Pentatonix in general. The arrangement is the crowning achievement.  Kevin and Matt do a fantastic job laying down the foundation – the bass and drums.  In the original, the bass line – particularly that chromatic moment – and groove are arguably most distinct, notable part of the record. PTX carries this over to their take. Scott, Kirstin, and Mitch superbly handle the melody and harmonies that sit atop that groovy foundation. PTX stays true to the original, but also incorporate jazzier, harmonic moments.

“Finesse” reproduces the signature New Jack Swing-styled drums of the Bruno Mars 24K Magic hit. Pleasant, the vocal harmonies shine, the groove is sick, and the momentum continues without a hitch. Indeed, the finesseis real.

“New Rules x Are You That Somebody?”

The mash-up of old and new works absolutely brilliantly on “New Rules x Are You That Somebody?”. “New Rules” (Dua Lipa) was among the best songs of 2017, while “Are You That Somebody,” the foundation of this mash-up (handled by Matt and Kevin), was Aaliyah at her best. The vocal reproduction of the signature Timbaland production work is nothing short of awesome.  At times, Mitch and Kirstin are firmly part of the Dua Lipa camp, while at others, they play a role in the Aaliyah camp. Scott handles lead vocal duties, killing it as always.

In the hands of Pentatonix, there’s room for more musicalityon “Havana” compared to the original by Camila Cabello.  Obviously, beat boxing and colorful vocal effects is a starting place when comparing this cover to the original. One of the more unique moments by Kevin comes towards the end as he creates a trumpet sound vocally. Beyond that, there’s the stellar contrast between the lower, more robust vocals of Scott and higher vocals by Mitch and Kirstin.  Grassi naturally incorporates his skillful falsetto into the mix.  As always, the blend is amazing.

“Perfect” 

“Perfect” breaks from the a cappella script, incorporating strings (cello in particular) into the mix. Pentatonix deliver an emotional, rousing rendition of the Ed Sheeran gem. Scott masterfully hands lead vocal duties, while the supporting vocal harmonies are chilling and lushly executed. Surprisingly, Zedd & Alessia Cara get the PTX treatment on another Top Pop pleasantry, “Stay.” In addition to Scott, Kirstin and Mitch also share lead vocal duties.  Fittingly, the flawless light-lyric tenor of Mitch dominates an on-point cover of the Grammy-winning Portugal. The Man gem, “Feel It Still.”

“Despacito x Shape of You”

Sometimes, an issue with cover albums is that the songs are incredibly familiar, and don’t always generate the same excitement that a thrilling original.  While the covers that precede “Despacito x Shape of You”are great, they aren’t necessarily innovative.  “Despacito x Shape of You” is ‘next level’ because it successfully mashes up two extremely popular records without being predictable.  Like “New Rules x Are You That Somebody?” “Despacito x Shape of You” ranks among the crowning achievement of PTX Presents: Top Pop Vol. 1. Julia Michaels cover “Issues” naturally has a hard act to follow but is as soundly executed as everything else.

PTX Presents: Top Pop Vol. 1closes out strong with two, big-voiced, female pop gems.  The first is the stirring “Praying” which may not have quite the same oomph as the original by Kesha, but still delivers the goods.  The fun, unapologetic Demi Lovato gem “Sorry Not Sorry” concludes on a high note, even if Pentatonix had to provide some lyrical censorship (“Now payback is the baddest/ And baby I’m the baddest ”).

Final Thoughts

Once again, Pentatonix delivers an enjoyable, well-crafted, and well-rounded set of covers.  At 35 minutes, PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 has just the right amount of songs – it’s short and incredibly sweet.  No, the quintet doesn’t reinvent the wheel or vastly contrast what they’ve done up to this point in their career, but the flex is real and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Gems: “Attention,” “New Rules x Are You That Somebody?” “Havana,” “Perfect” & “Despacito x Shape of You”

Pentatonix • PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I • RCA • Release: 4.13.18

Photo Credit: RCA