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, […]
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,” […]
On his Lost Highway debut, this Houston-based country-rock crooner covers Tom Waits’ “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” but judging by the rest of “Trouble in Mind,” it might be too late for Hayes Carll. The fine songwriting here, rich with Texas-music echoes, suggests that this 32-year-old is the owner of a much older soul. […]
Not only is this one of the best new-artist debuts in recent memory (think Dixie Chicks in 1998), Lady Antebellum’s self-titled set will go down as one of the year’s best, period. The singing/songwriting combination of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood is fresh and mature. The trio’s unique vocal arrangement — Kelley’s […]
R.E.M.’s first album in four years shoehorns 11 tracks of jagged guitars, quick and dirty drums, and Michael Stipe’s gruff keen into 34 minutes, rocking with a blacker, blunter edge than “Document,” “Green” or “Monster.” Armed with deadpan “wow’s” and “T-Rex moves” honed from 1996’s “Wake-Up Bomb,” Stipe limns politics, the media and […]
Moving from stadiums to ballrooms, the Rolling Stones performed two shows at New York’s Beacon Theater in October 2006, filmed by Martin Scorsese for this documentary, which opens April 4. The accompanying live album captures the pure magic of a high-energy rock show performed in a small venue, offering a mix of crowd-pleasers (”Jumpin’ […]
George Strait is one of music’s most consistent hitmakers for a reason — he knows a hit song when he hears one, and he sings it only if it fits him. “Troubadour” is chock-full of classic Strait. “I Saw God Today” is a perfect example of a track that speaks to the country core, […]
