She’s proclaimed emancipation before, but Mariah Carey’s never sounded as free as she does on her 10th album. The usual hummable radio hip-hop and bold ballads are here, in pristine form. (”Bye Bye,” a memorial for a lost loved one, is particularly effective.) But so are some coy surprises, like the irresistible “I’m That […]
Overseas, the pop-classical movement steams ahead, with acts like Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo and Three Graces consistently topping album charts. Comely Canadian-based identical twins Ryan and Dan Kowarsky have already hit the top 10 at home, and now their sights are set on the United States. Opener “Like the Sun” sets the stage, with […]
The Kooks aren’t exactly redefining the sound of British pop/rock on their sophomore album, but they certainly aren’t giving it a bad name either. The midtempo “See the Sun” doesn’t bring the heat as much as the title implies, but single “Always Where I Need to Be” is the real scorcher, with heavy guitar […]
This exceptional blues album began with a shrewd decision: Michael Burks went into the studio with his road band instead of session players. Wayne Sharp (organ, piano), Chuck “Popcorn” Louden (drums) and Don Garrett (bass) joined Burks to hammer together what is definitely his most forceful CD to date. Burks’ exquisite growl of […]
It’s been 25 years since the original lineup of Asia released an album, and “Phoenix” picks up right where 1983’s “Alpha” left off. Everything, from the Roger Dean album artwork to the overslick ’80s production sheen, remains intact. Opener “Never Again” could fit in right alongside earlier hits “Don’t Cry” or “Heat of the […]
Cece Winans possesses one of those magnificent voices that knows no boundaries, and indeed she’s found success in gospel, R&B and contemporary Christian formats during the past two decades. “Thy Kingdom Come” finds her targeting the church with a powerful collection of songs. The reverent, majestic opener “We Welcome You” sets a worshipful tone, […]
With its release last month of second album “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” reality TV girl group Danity Kane — the mother lode of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “Making the Band” — became the first female group in Billboard history to debut at No. 1 with its debut and sophomore sets. That certainly sets things up nicely […]
With the Wallflowers on hiatus, Jakob Dylan has been flying solo for a while, and something clicked when he opened as an acoustic artist for T-Bone Burnett in 2006. The first single from his Rick Rubin-produced solo debut, “Seeing Things” (June 10), recalls the minimalist storytelling of country blues masters like Robert Johnson, while offering […]
Sarah Brightman has never been much of a radio presence in the United States, but the recent No. 13 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart of “Symphony” shows she has quite a captive following. “I Will Be With You,” a duet with Kiss vocalist Paul Stanley, is pure bombast, but its journey to the […]
Josh Groban’s last studio album, “Awake,” relegated its namesake track to a special edition of the 2006 release. With his performance on upcoming “Awake Live,” a CD/DVD combo that also promises a PBS special, the adult-contemporary staple brings the tome about an uncertain relationship to the forefront. As an anthem, it is less immediate than […]
There was little question that Disturbed would rile the airwaves when it dropped its next single, and the hot reception at radio for “Inside the Fire” proves that the nu metal survivor has an audience awaiting new album “Indestructible,” out in June. Frontman David Draiman is still inserting demonic chuckles into his repertoire, giving over […]
Ray J opens his fourth album in refreshingly candid fashion. The former teen-star-turned-sex-tape-celeb rails about being in the spotlight, being dismissed as Brandy’s little brother and ultimately rebelling. Then for the rest of the album, he goes on to detail his favorite activities, mostly sex-related, coming off like a wannabe rapper in singer’s clothing. There’s […]
Anyone who’s written off P.O.D. as a hard rock also-ran in recent years will have to bring a new set of ears to this disc. The return of original guitarist Marcos Curiel after a four-year absence is momentous enough, but the 13-song set is also the San Diego quartet’s most mature and ambitious outing to […]
This young, Los Angeles-based folk-pop lady rocketed to renown last year with a bare-bones YouTube cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” that garnered millions of views and eventually found its way to top 40 radio and MTV’s “The Hills.” A slightly souped-up version of “Umbrella” closes out Marie Digby’s debut, but original material dominates “Unfold,” […]
