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CD Review

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The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, CD Review >>

Publication:Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date:May 23, 2010; Section:Style; Page Number:53


LISTEN UP

Idol’s 9th barely breathes; Braxton, Etheridge sharp


Various artists American Idol: Season 9 RCA DMost of us would like to forget American Idol’s Season 9. But for the few who want to relive it, there’s this studio-created set of limp arrangements and inconsistent vocals featuring one cover song each from this season’s top 10. The offerings range from satisfactory (Crystal Bowersox’s capable “Me and Bobby McGee” and Lee DeWyze’s gravelly “Treat Her Like a Lady”), and strained (Katie Stevens’ “Let It Be” and Siobhan Magnus’ “Paint It Black”), to senseless (Andrew Garcia’s asphyxiation of Ne-Yo’s “Forever” and Tim Urban’s gawky reggae reworking of the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb”).

    It’s the soundtrack that only the mom of kiddie crooner Aaron Kelly (giving up a twangy “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) or the vocal teacher of Didi Benami (remember her? We don’t, and her dreary “Play With Fire” does little to inspire memory) could love.

    — JENNIFER CHRISTMAN Toni Braxton Pulse Atlantic B+

    Toni Braxton returns from a five-year hiatus with a brand new deal, a brand new outlook and the exact same musical talent fans love and expect.

    Pulse has a renewed freshness present on dynamite tracks like the smooth “Yesterday.” Her pristine but smoky tones are as strong as ever, and her maturation is evident on standout cuts like “Make My Heart.” Braxton steps far outside the box on this funky ultra-dance cut. “Hands Tied” is vintage Toni with its slow flow and aura of love.

    Some of the uptempo stuff may throw longtime fans off a bit, but remember, she also gave us jams like “Me and My Boyfriend” and “You’re Making Me High.”

    Resilient and undaunted, she has persevered through hardships, professional disappointment and medical scares to give fans focused, fantastic work. Her musical heartbeat is as strong as ever.

    — SHON MCPEACE Melissa Etheridge Fearless Love Island Def Jam A-

    Rocker Melissa Etheridge and her domestic partner of nine years, Tammy Lynn Michaels, announced April 15 that they had split. On April 27, Etheridge’s new CD hit store shelves (her first offering of tunes since 2007’s Awakening).

    So it’s not unexpected to hear the story of the couple’s life together played out in these new songs: the getting together, the growing together and the breaking apart. Throughout, the messages are delivered in the blow-it-all-out guitar and vocals that are the singer’s trademark.

    There isn’t a bad tune in the bunch — all make you want to get up and strut and play some fierce air guitar — but a favorite of the dozen is the last one, “Gently We Row,” kind of a lullaby to calm the waters after the breakup storm.

    — DENISE DORTON Dum Dum Girls I Will Be Sub Pop B-

    Riding the same reverbdrenched, wall-of-sound wave as Vivian Girls and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dum Dum Girls pile up the hooks on the short and sweet blasts of pop here. Produced by the legendary Richard Gottehrer (he wrote “My Boyfriend’s Back,” among others), I Will Be has a sweet, straight-fromthe ’60s garage feel, although it takes a few spins to get over the fact that most of the tracks sound a lot alike. Something to do with the echoing vocals that seem to dominate this indiepop subgenre, perhaps? Or is it the incessant, often irritating, hollow snap of the snare?

    Songs do begin to stand out. “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout” and “Jail La La” are sugary little head-nodders, while the ploddingly gorgeous “Rest of Our Lives” has Psychocandy-era Jesus and Mary Chain (speaking of bored vocals) all over it. Just slap on a bit more wailing feedback. There’s also a mournful cover of Sonny and Cher’s “Baby Don’t Go.”

    It’s fine stuff, but the Girls don’t bring much new to the dance.

    — SEAN CLANCY Evie Ladin Float Downstream Evil Diane B+ New Jersey girl Ladin plants her flag in banjo-driven (and, it must be added, superbly played banjo-driven) folk music mostly of her own devising. The great flourish that kicks off the first song, “I Love My Honey,” is the kind of rush that’s rare for any music. When she stays in a simple, straightforward presentation, as she does for the first half of Floating Downstream, she’s at her best. The title track radiates warmth and charm, as spare banjo plucks are wrapped around Ladin’s plaintive yet truly compelling voice.

    Later, she wanders into zydeco territory (“Mardi Gras”) and, while you admire her for her reach, it doesn’t fit and falls short. Ladin is working on the margins of the great American music machine, and the margins are better for it.

— WERNER TRIESCHMANN Cypress Hill Rise Up Priority A-

    “Rise Up” is Cypress Hill’s first studio album in six years, and the crew is getting back to gritty, aggressive music and on-point production capable of cranking up a party or starting a revolution.

    Mike Jonsin, Pete Rock and Mike Shinoda join forces with DJ Muggs to provide the musical backdrop for B-Real and Sen Dog to light up standout cuts like the ultra-assertive title track (with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine). The Alchemist and Evidence mash up with the fellas on their ode to the smoke “Pass the Dutch,” and Miami MC Pitbull links up with Mr. J-Lo, aka Marc Anthony, on the effective “Armanda Latina.”

    One of the best things about this album is that B-Real has toned down his distinctive nasally flow. The guys have moved away from the borderline comedic Cheech and Chong vibe they’d adopted (even though the Godfathers of Grass make a couple of cameos).

    This is vintage Cypress Hill, which is clearly evident once the smoke has cleared.

    — SHON MCPEACE  05/20/10 >> go there
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