The first artist released on Def Jam, LL Cool J has minted his share of musical memories since 1985 and has become a hip-hop icon. On his 12th album, the artist hooks up with a diverse array of collaborators and such big-name producers as the Neptunes, Scott Storch, the Trackmasters and Jermaine Dupri. The better […]
When Toby Keith’s “White Trash With Money” is good, it’s very good. And when it’s not so good, it’s still OK. The exquisitely produced “It’s a Little Too Late” is among the best-sounding tracks Keith has ever laid down, and the swampy “Can’t Buy You Money” practically oozes out of the speakers. Producer Lari White […]
Perpetually romantically cursed, Morrissey sure sounds like he is in love on his ninth solo album since the Smiths’ demise. Thanks either to indulging in pleasures of the flesh or to working with David Bowie producer Tony Visconti, the Mozzer has also finally revisited the glammier rock elements that always enliven his best work. Indeed, […]
Since his last proper album, 2001’s “The Sinister Urge,†Rob Zombie has been better known for directing a pair of horror movies. So has Zombie gone all Hollywood on us? Not exactly, but there are some new influences creeping into his signature sound, the biggest being ’70s glam rock. “The Scorpion Sleeps†and the first […]
While the Vines introduce their third disc with a hand-clap-dusted riff-rocker that imagines Brendan Benson fronting AC/DC, they hardly keep up that pace throughout, adding strings to the so-so title track and even recalling Pavement’s great “Range Life†on the strummy “Take Me Back.†That is good and bad. They clearly want — and probably […]
The solo debut by Tito “El Bambino†(formerly of the duo Hector y Tito) is remarkable for straying from the beaten reggaeton path, not by simply adding different tropical rhythms, but by inserting an R&B and pop element. There is plenty of dance-happy, in-your-face reggaeton here, as well as collaborations with the usual suspects, most […]
Since his debut as half of late-’80s country innovators Foster & Lloyd, Radney Foster has delighted in demolishing stereotypes, pulling much of the genre along in his wake. That influence has never been clearer than on this head-spinning collection. Foster remains a top-notch tunesmith and stunning lyricist. “Drunk on Love†swaggeringly echoes early, electric-era Bob […]
A lot has happened to Barfield since his impressive 2003 debut. His label closed, postponing the release of his sophomore set, and his sister was seriously injured in a car accident that killed a family friend. All that pain and confusion, and the questions that accompanied it, have found their way onto this amazing new […]
Rascal Flatts’ fourth album finds the trio true to form and even scaling new heights. The Flatts’ sound revolves around Gary LeVox’s vocal range, sterling harmonies from Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney and accessible, earnestly rendered country/ pop built for radio. It is all here in spades, brilliantly steered by Dann Huff on soaring […]
On “At War With the Mystics,†the Flaming Lips are angry. Politics and pop culture fall under the absurdist attacks of frontman Wayne Coyne, and the Flaming Lips match this newfound lyrical directness with their most organic-sounding album since 1995’s “Clouds Taste Metallic.†President Bush is target of the bouncy “Haven’t Got a Clue†and […]
Instead of the powerful, linear sound that infused Queensryche’s 1988 concept album “Operation: Mindcrime,†it’s follow-up uses different textures. “Mindcrime II†continues the story of Nikki, an addict manipulated by anarchist leader Dr. X into murdering dozens of people. As exciting as the 17-song record can be, some tracks are puzzling. When Nikki swears vengeance […]
Although Alejandra Guzman’s music treads the fine line between rock and pop, her attitude and raspy voice have long placed her in Latin music’s “rock diva†category. “Indeleble†finds Guzman writing more extensively than before. More noteworthy is the straightforward, guitar-based rock sound (think of Heart) that is less produced and more spontaneous than her […]
As Four Tet, Kieran Hebden has become one of the foremost acts in the laptop electronica set. But he is also adept in a live band setting, as evidenced by his earlier work with Fridge. Here, he collaborates with veteran free-jazz drummer Steve Reid on three tracks without any real rhythmic structures to latch onto. […]
In the gently clipping “Think of You,†Kitchell melodiously muses, “You’re like a breath of fresh air,†which is an apt description of her rookie outing of folky, rootsy originals. At 16, Kitchell already possesses the refined elegance of singer/songwriters twice her age. Her songs go deep (the mystery in the storytelling on the easygoing […]
