‘ursa major’
‘ursa major’
Third Eye Blind (Megaforce)
Grade: A
After a six-year break between full lengths, alt-rock veterans Third Eye Blind again walk a fine line between aggression and a deft pop sensibility on their latest, “Ursa Major.”
Frontman Stephan Jenkins still knows his way around a catchy hook (even those who hated the “do-do-do’s” of 1997’s “Semi-Charmed Life” probably couldn’t get it out of their heads) but he never skimps on throwing down a hard riff or unleashing a scream to get his point across.
Jenkins’ lyrics juxtapose poetry with profanity, anger with longing and big world issues with the personal — drug and emotional abuse for example — and his emotive voice still boasts a hip-hop influenced cadence that makes for some fun and interesting wordplay.
Opening with the pulsating “Can You Take Me,” Jenkins wails “Let’s start a riot me and you/cuz a riot’s overdue,” and on the world-weary single “Don’t Believe A Word” he laments that “We like thugs when they attack/And we like crime when it’s black on black.”
It’s been a while, but Third Eye Blind hasn’t forgotten how to lay down a strong record.
— John Kosik, Associated Press
‘American Sunshine’
Colin Hay (Compass)
Grade: B
Though it’s been nearly 25 years, Colin Hay is still usually identified as the frontman for the Aussie band Men at Work. That long-expired credit still follows him because most people are, sadly, unaware of his solo work. He’s matured into a remarkably talented pop balladeer, a plaintive James Taylor. The unusually buoyant American Sunshine represents an ideal time to jump on the Haywagon.
Most of the songs on the album were recorded with Nashville session musicians. The busy arrangements, though, have a tendency to detract from the melodies.
The simplest track (“Baby Can I See You Tonight”) is actually the prettiest, with just slide and acoustic guitars and Hay’s distinctive voice, which resembles a handsomer version of Randy Newman’s.
— David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Loso’s Way’
Fabolous (Desert Storm/Def Jam)
Grade: C+
After 10 years of records, the things you never hear about Brooklyn MC Fabolous are how exceptional he is; how rare his insights are; how twisted his verbiage is; how frenetic his beats might be. Don’t get me wrong. Fabolous is all right. He’s heretofore been a hip-hopper with kindly, clever ideas and an amusing flow — but not an artist to lose sleep over. Loso’s Way is a marked change. As in the mini-movie released in conjunction with this CD, Fab portrays his life as being parallel with that of Carlito Brigante, antihero of Brian De Palma and Al Pacino’s “Carlito’s Way.” The music in Loso is his densest ever, with his rhymes at their most straightforward.
Jay Z (who appears on Fab’s raw-knuckled “Money Goes, Honey Stay”) did something similar with American Gangster. Yet Fabolous makes youth-gone-wrong-then-right poppier than Jay Z ever did. There are spare but creamy R&B-hoppers such as “It’s My Time,” with Jeremih in tow, and sweetly bouncy midtempo dance tracks like “Throw It in a Bag,” wherein the Dream sings its honeyed hook. Yet there also are hard-line rumblers like “Pachanga” that give Loso’s Way the feel of a good tele-drama without putting too much stress on covering a cornball plot.
— A.D. Amorosi, Philadelphia Inquirer
‘From Elvis in Memphis: Legacy Edition’
Elvis Presley (RCA/Legacy)
Grade: A
On the 32nd anniversary of his death, it’s nice to have a new reminder of Elvis Presley’s greatness. That’s what you get with this two-disc set from the King’s triumphant return to his hometown in early 1969.
The reissue gathers the material that resulted in the albums From Elvis in Memphis and Back in Memphis, as well as singles such as “Suspicious Minds.” This is the reborn Elvis, building on the credibility he regained with his spectacular TV special of December 1968. He doesn’t really rock out, but he does show the mature heights of which he was capable, with a magnificent amalgam of R&B, country, and orchestral pop that never turns schmaltzy. And he connects with an exceptional collection of songs — “Any Day Now,” “Long Black Limousine,” “Stranger in My Own Home Town” — that were a far cry from the trifles that had littered his movie soundtracks.
— Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Blood From Stars’
Joe Henry (Anti-)
Grade: A
Reviewing “Blood From Stars” is daunting because Joe Henry has already done so eloquently in a three-page essay in the liner notes.
Henry’s a marvelous writer of song, too, and “Blood” rivals his best work. It laments a world where “the stars have gone astray,” “true revelation is a thug” and “reason is traded for rhyme.”
Such sentiments are attached to music that mitigates the gloom, the way the blues can. Henry borrows from that genre, and jazz as well. A Grammy-winning producer, he throws in clangs, crashes, squeals and other spasms of odd noise.
The quirky rhythm of the record is crucial, too. Songs punch and jab and run together. Drums thunder. Henry breathes in the middle of vocal phrases. The result is exhilarating.
Helping Henry pull it all together is an excellent supporting cast that includes guitarist Marc Ribot, drummer Jay Bellerose, jazz pianist Jason Moran and Henry’s 17-year-old son, Levon, a precocious saxophonist who shines on the instrumental “Over Her Shoulder.”
Henry’s introductory essay shows he’s of a generation that believes in the album as a form of artistic expression. It’s a form he has mastered.
— Steven Wine, Associated Press