One of the more successful graduates of “American Idol,” Locke makes her eagerly awaited return with a more urban turn than 2003 pop smash “8th World Wonder” and follow-up adult contemporary hits “Better Than This” and “I Could.” Still in force are her supercharged chops, perfectly suited to this robust anthem attesting to the inherent […]
After a four-year hiatus, platinum R&B female trio 3LW returns with an old-school midtempo groove confirming that these 3 Little Women are all grown up, some six years after global hit “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right).” Trade-off lead vocals and creamy harmonies continue to be the group’s strong suit, with a fortuitous background rap […]
Adult contemporary radio has readily embraced Lionel Richie’s “I Call It Love” — and it has nothing to do with fond reminiscence. The lovelorn midtempo track is fresh, crisp and more relevant than the enduring singer has sounded in years. (Interestingly, he neither wrote nor produced the track.) With one format in the bag, Island […]
Country artist Vassar follows poignant hit “The Last Day of My Life” with another impressive single. Vassar’s strong suit as a writer is his ability to be the voice of the common man. He’s done that in numerous previous hits like “Just Another Day in Paradise” and yes, even that hot-tub song. He does it […]
Virgin Records is getting into the screamo game with the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, a group whose songs make better sense than its name. “Face Down” is a treatise on physical abuse. The punk/rock style is a great vehicle for the storyteller’s frustration in watching the sad cycle, with singer Ronnie Winter passionately bellowing, “One day […]
This delightful “dramma eroicomico” (”heroic-comic drama”—a made-up phrase brimming with irony) tells the story of the noble knight Orlando, who goes mad being torn between duty and love, his love, Angelica, who actually wants Medoro, and Alcina, an evil sorceress out to get Orlando, and turns it into a type of farce, with great results. […]
Soul Asylum gave us the big “I Love the ’90s” set piece “Runaway Train,” even performing it at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, only to disappear soon after. Now the band is back with its first studio recording in eight years and its last with bassist Karl Mueller, who died last year. Mixing pop […]
Venus Hum’s new album came very close to not being made. After the trio’s major-label debut, 2003’s “Big Beautiful Sky,” which spawned a couple of dance-floor hits (”Montana” and “Soul Sloshing”), bandmates Annette Strean, Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle went their separate ways. Fortunately for modern-rock and electronic enthusiasts, they are back together. This […]
Like supersizing fries when the portion is already too big, “Black Holes and Revelations” further bloats Muse’s raucous crescendos and space-rock anthems with heavier synths and weird, Queen-like harmonies. Don’t be mistaken: The pomp and circumstance helps make Muse a great band to begin with. But bigness does not an anthem make, or at […]
The first U.S.-released album by Spanish act Huecco is a melange of styles reminiscent of Manu Chao yet infinitely more melodic. The mix of ska, reggae, tango, mambo, pop and rock is often irresistible. “Tacones Baratos” (Cheap Heels), a monument to the allure of that kind of girl, is sexy and greasy at the […]
This project, masterminded by Englishman Peter Scott, is a flashback to the ’50s, when there was an active crosstalk between Jamaican ska and Cuban son. English ska artist Natty Bo pulled together the band and the album in Santiago de Cuba. The disc features a dozen musicians working ska, son montuno, calypso and cumbia […]
The sunny exterior of “Dog Problems” pairs perfectly with singer Nate Ruess’ perky, even-keeled voice and a gargantuan tongue that remains firmly in cheek. Rounded out with a horn section, crowd-noise samples and shimmery guitar pedals, the breathless indie pop and broken-hearted lyrics of “Dog Problems” deserve every bit of the attention they are […]
Currently on tour with the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty is ready at last to share some new material. “Saving Grace” begins with a spare, Bo Diddley-style blues that builds to a roadhouse shuffle. The guitars are kept deliciously gritty, giving the song a fresh garage-like feel, and Petty’s stoner vocals are as laid-back and nostalgic as […]
With “U Make Me Better,” Bo Bice moves a step closer to embracing his rock roots. Unlike his debut midtempo sleeper hit, “The Real Thing,” Bice’s vocals sound less processed and are graciously surrounded by catchy guitar riffs. But it still seems the Season 4 “American Idol” runner-up is off track in terms of showing […]
