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Garrett Sawyer Macy Gray Res Lenny Kravitz |
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Alanis Morissette At first, my fav. track on this disc was the first single, "Hands Clean." But now, after several more spins, "Narcissus" takes the top spot. In it, she berates her young, self- centered boyfriend for not being ready to handle a "real" woman. It's awful catchy and it works. In fact, "Hands Clean" seems a continuation of her thoughts on that same relationship—you know, younger guy, older woman, and a relationship that doesn't quite work. I dig her thoughtful lyrics, which, even though she has to shoehorn them into the verse sometimes, are still pretty effective. I've chalked this technique of hers (used profusely in "Hands Clean") to her honestly not wanting to chop her ideas to bits for the sake of the melody. That the chorus resolves into a hooky, high place gives her permission to meander through the verse. I'd especially recommend this disc for one of those melancholy and moody days. (3.5 out of 5) Garrett Sawyer It's wrath and destruction for us all! The title track sounds like Nostradamus himself singing! ‘Cause he sounds like a serious, older dude with a lot to say and all. I'm digging the I'm-trying-to-restore-my-faith-in-God theme to this song (which saved it from weak vocals). The next song, "The Rain of an Insane Sky," however, could not be saved from these deadly atonal vocals! Neither could the next, nor the next, nor . . . . What's more is that they're out of the mix, which only makes the cringe-factor soar even further! The music isn't half-bad throughout (kinda a Richard Clayderman meets Harry Chapin deal), but Garrett seriously needs to either drop the vocals or hire them out. Until he does, I can't recommend this disc. (1 out of 5) Suffice to say that I'm running very low on time, so I'm gonna get to the point quickly. "Oblivion" is my jam, ‘cause it's got that Jews are partying in Russia kinda feel to the music. It caught my ear the first time out and I still keep coming back for more. The next best song is "Relating to a Psychopath." The rest of the tracks seem like filler and "Hey Young World Part 2" (a follow-up to that old Slick Rick song) bugged the hell outta me! Oh, and she seemed to given up working half-way through "Gimme All Your Lovin' or I Will Kill You." I thought I would dig that theme, but she didn't work it out, so that the dark humor could stand unapologetically. She resolved it in a fairytale manner that didn't suit the story she'd set up. The bottom line is that this disc would make a decent addition to your CD rack, ‘cause you can probably find a little something to groove to. Be forewarned, though, that her cartoon- character-on-crack vocals can get trying sometimes and often don't add enough flavor to the songs to replace the attention that they draw away from them. (3 out of 5) This chick was just a little too laid back for me, as were her songs. I mean, I can dig a black artist trying to do something other than the usual hip-hop-o-rama, but that don't mean that I gotta love the result, right? Vocally speaking, I was waiting for her to charge the fence in a few of her tunes, but instead, she fell into a monotone, chanty-like feel, which did nothing to beef up nothing special songs. I'd only recommend her only if you're absolutely and completely tired of everything on R&B radio and just want a change of pace. (2 out of 5) This disc required several listens for me to appreciate it for what it is. I was originally comparing it to his previous album "5"—which rocked my socks off—but I began to realize that that wasn't fair. And now that I've settled into it, I've found a few gems (like "Stillness of Heart," "Believe in Me," and "You Were in My Heart") to keep coming back for. Some of the tracks are still duds with me ("Battlefield of Love" and "Bank Robber Man") and the rest of more or less filler. All in all, though, it's worth the price of admission. (4 out of 5) |
