Album Review: ‘PTX, Vol. 2’ by Pentatonix
If there were ever a greater success to emerge from an NBC singing competition than “The Sing-Off” 3 winners Pentatonix, then you can call me Uncle Dillyham. The five-piece ensemble has completely and utterly blown the cap off of modern-day group a cappella and has effectively brought the style to tremendous heights since their 2011 victory. The group, consisting of Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan, and Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, has arguably taken the world by storm unlike any winner of a reality singing competition ever has, and they have done it all from a homegrown direction, offering fans a reason to keep their YouTube accounts active to keep up with what may be their next great reveal and major viral hit. Now, they’re back with a new release on iTunes in the form of “PTX, Vol. 2” for just $7.99, which is sure to excite their millions of fans. The question is, with so much success already on their shoulders, has the pressure put on the group downgraded their work in any which-way, or is “Vol. 2” yet another well-deserved installment into their portfolio of hits, not misses?
Like “Vol. 1” before it, “PTX, Vol. 2” contains a healthy mix of original tracks and covers of pop hits in the now. The group opens the album with a creative performance of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s “Can’t Hold Us”, flexing their surprisingly competent rap muscles whilst offering up a lush arrangement that is truly brought to new heights by beatboxer Olusola and bassman Kaplan. From “Can’t Hold Us”, it’s so far, so good- and thankfully, it only gets better from there. “Natural Disaster” proves above all else that the group has become increasingly more proficient at developing a competent original work, with this song in particular having the ability to be, quite frankly, a “natural hit” in the pop marketplace.
As always, Pentatonix push their own boundaries and excel to even greater heights. Some years of professional experience in the music industry sounds good on them as each individual member of the group has very obviously improved in some way or another since their last release, and especially since their debut on “The Sing-Off” that was already awe-inspiring and groundbreaking in and of itself in many regards. Their harmonies have become tighter and their arrangements have become more teeming with depth and intricate as a result of many separate factors that all come together to provide to the world what is the next evolutionary step in the history of a world-sweeping sensation that has already evolved the idea of where music can go just by the natural sound of one’s own voice time and time again. “PTX, Vol. 2” is a must-have release for any fan of Pentatonix, and through it, it can only be rightfully argued that they will gain many more along the way.
Rating: 5/5
Make sure to keep up with Pentatonix over Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all of the latest! Also make sure to check out the official Yahoo! review of Scott Hoying’s own “Waiting” right here.
