During the process of…uh…legally acquiring…a pre-release copy of Mariah Carey’s latest, E=MC2, this reviewer was waiting anxiously to hate all over the CD. Hopes were not squashed when the album’s opening track, Migrate, began with Carey’s trademark high wail. Not good for one very hungover boy. Anger. Rising.

Then the CD got a fair spin, and you know what? It’s not that bad. Really. Sure, it’s not great, and some of the tracks, like I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time, are perilously titled, but come on, it’s way, way better than anything that ever had to do with Glitter.

The most confusing part of the album is its assembly. Half the tracks feature Mariah wailing about grinding on dudes in a club or bedroom. The other half is soulful songs about loss and grief. Go figure. Either way, it left us feeling dirty all over—it’s up to you to decide whether or not that’s a bad thing.

Download:
I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time, Side Effects, Touch My Body

Sounds like:
Schizophrenia at its finest, so, Mariah Carey.

Listen to it when:
You are not hungover, it will make your face hurt less.