Among the many musical trends of 2003 was the one in which artists who had a
span of three or more years between albums released new work. While the average
seemed to be four years (Loop Guru, Lilys, Blur, Verbena, Simply Red and Nada
Surf), Bettie Serveert came in at three years. We also heard from others with a
greater span in time between albums including Drugstore and Hootie & The
Blowfish (five years each), Terence Trent DíArby (six years), Throwing Muses (seven
years), Jane's Addiction (13 years), Bangles and Siedah Garrett (15 years each),
and (depending on how you look at it), the winner, Kraftwerk, with 17 years between
albums.
I don't know if the members of Kraftwerk had any sense that they would be at the
forefront of a major musical genre when they released their first album more than
30 years ago, but it's hard to listen to any electronic music without hearing some of
Kraftwerk's influence in it. Tour De France Soundtracks (Astralwerks), which
includes an expansion of the 20-year-old Kraftwerk club hit "Tour de France," also
keeps the wheels spinning on related themes such as "Chrono," "Vitamin," "Aero
Dynamik," "Titanium," and "Elektro Kardiogramm," all with a synthetic sheen that is
built for speed.
Ask any Sarah McLachlan fan, and they will probably tell you that it is the Lilith Fair
godmother's voice, the aural equivalent of hot herbal tea with honey, that is the
source of the craving and the quenching when it comes to the Canadian diva's
appeal. Heck, ask any of the imitators who have popped up in her wake, and they
will probably tell you the same thing. Since her debut, less than 15 years ago,
McLachlan has taken the formula for her success (songs about love, friendship and
obsession in lush and layered pop arrangements that surround her voice like a
velvet gown, with an occasional stripped down or pumped up number thrown in for
good measure) and run with it, diverging infrequently. Afterglow (Arista), her first
studio album since 1997ís Surfacing, contains no surprises, which is comforting
after a six-year absence. But it's also somewhat disappointing. Wouldn't it have
been cool to hear McLachlan deliver "Fallen," a song about infidelity, in an insurgent
country style like fellow countryman Neko Case? The chugging "Train Wreck," with
its subtle dance beat, might have traveled farther in an electroclash setting. As
always, McLachlan keeps her promise with an expected piano and vocal tune, the
lovely "Answer." The warmth associated with an afterglow is present on this album, I
just wish she'd turned the heat up just a bit.
Bangles had some of their biggest hits with cover versions of other people's songs.
They infused song such as "Manic Monday" (Prince), "If She Knew What She Wants"
(Jules Shear), "Walk Like An Egyptian" (Liam Sternberg), and "Hazy Shade of Winter"
(Paul Simon) with their distinctive all-female-band energy. So, it makes sense that
they would include a cover, Elvis Costello's "Tear Off Your Own Head (it's a doll
revolution)," on Doll Revolution (Down Kiddie!/Koch), the quartet's first album since
1988. Their rendition gets the album off to a promising start, but on the whole, the
album is a little uneven. The drum loop on "Something That You Said" was a
pleasant surprise and "The Rain Song" (co-written by Continental Drift-ers Vicki
Peterson and Susan Cowsill) is a perfect pop song. Another Peterson composition,
the catchy "Mixed Messages," appeared on the first Continental Drifters albums and
is given the Bangles treatment. "I Will Take Care Of You" sounds custom-made for
the always expanding wedding songbook and Peterson's "Single By Choice"
speaks for the "solitary voice."
Songs For The Jetset & Collector Number One (TFT) a double-disc set by
Drugstore, comes five years after the acclaimed White Magic For Lovers album,
which featured Drugstore's diva Isabel Monteiro and Radiohead's Thom Yorke on
"El President." Yorke is absent, but Monteiro is very much present throughout Songs
For The Jetset, coming in somewhere between a whisper and a moan on "Song For
The Lonely," "I Wanna Love You Like A Man," "Hate," and "Flying Down To Rio." The
second Collector disc is 14-track variety pack which includes "El President" among
the treats.
Like Isabel Monteiro of Drugstore, Carol Van Dyk of Bettie Serveert will always be
linked with the band. Even if she does go off and record an album with her insurgent
country side project Chitlin' Fooks, she is still the heart and soul on Log 22 (Hidden
Agenda/Palomine/Parasol), the newest album by Bettie Serveert. When she sings
"Freaks like us know the ins and outs," on "Wide Eyed Fools," you don't dare
question her authority. In fact, Van Dyk can have the same powerful effect on
listeners whether she's belting out a ballad ("Captain Of Maybe") or simply rocking
out ("Not Coming Down"); she serves and volleys with the best of them.
Few male voices in contemporary pop are as distinctive as that of Mick Hucknall, the
longtime lead singer of Simply Red. Home (simplyred.com), Simply Red's first
album in four years, continues the UK band's fascination and love affair with
soul-inflected music. You can hear a Motown reference in the guitars, brass and
"ooohs" of the rhythmic R&B of "Fake." Philly soul, both blue-eyed and
African-American, is acknowledged on "Sunrise," which features a Hall & Oates "I
Can't Go For That" sample, and on the respectful cover of the 1973 Stylistics tune
"You Make Me Feel Brand New." Simply Red also adds color to Dylan's "Positively
4th Street," "Lost Weekend" a George Benson spin and sets its sights on the dance
floor with the Plan B Mix of "Money In My Pocket."
In the 13 years between the release of the groundbreaking Ritual de lo Habitual and
Strays (Capitol), the members of Jane's Addiction have been anything but idle. Perry
Farrell was busy with the Lollapalooza music festival, Porno For Pyros, a solo career
and saving the seas. Dave Navarro released a solo disc and played with Red Hot
Chili Peppers and Stephen Perkins also played with Porno For Pyros and others.
The latest incarnation of Jane's Addiction also includes bass player Chris Chaney.
The weird thing about Strays is that after being innovative and setting trends in a
relatively short period of time, it turns out that Farrell and company sound like all of
their imitators and don't really say anything new on this new album. It'll be
interesting to hear what they do on the next disc, if there is one.
Throwing Muses, on the other hand, with Tanya Donelly returning to the fold on their
self-titled disc (4AD/Beggars Group), sound energized and renewed and ready to
finish what they started. Grungier than grunge and more punk than the tattooed,
pierced and mohawked poseurs on TRL, Throwing Muses still have the distinction
of having one of the coolest moms in rock and roll, Kristin Hersh, front and center.
The zigzagging tempos and blistering guitar assaults don't ever really let up, not that
you would want them to, and songs such as "Mercury," "Pretty Or Not," "Civil
Disobedience," "Portia," "Solar Dip," "Los Flamingoes," and "Flying" are as rousing
and inspirational as a tent revival.
One of the most talked about comebacks of the year is Let Go (Barsuk) by Nada
Surf. After surviving a 1996 hit single ("Popular") and a pair of major label discs,
Nada Surf sounds freshly scrubbed and dressed to thrill on Let Go, beginning with
the edgy acoustic opener "Blizzard of '77" and near-sneer of "Happy Kid." "Inside Of
Love" is a hypnotic late-night anthem and "Blonde On Blonde" is as much a valentine
to Dylan as it is to NYC. The aptly named "Hi-Speed Soul" is a revved-up piece of
new wave and "The Way You Wear Your Head" should come with its own dance step
instructions.
Damon Albarn's work with Gorillaz spills over onto the Think Tank (Virgin), the first
new Blur studio disc in four years. Judging by the lukewarm response from Blur
fans, it would appear that they would prefer if Albarn kept those projects separate. I
suppose I'm in the minority because I like the funk rock feel of songs such as
"Ambulance," "Out Of Time," "Good Song," "Sweet Song," and "Gene By Gene."
Echoes of the Blur of old can be found on "Crazy Beat" and "We've Got A File On You."
A "rejuvenated" Terence Trent D'Arby (a.k.a. Sananda Maitreya) still sounds like the
same TTD we came to know and admire more than 15 years ago when he first
came to our attention with the songs "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name." Purring
or growling, it's great to hear him again on his first studio album in six years,
Wildcard! - The Joker's Edition (Compendia). Spiritual journeys aside, D'Arby
maintains his sexy soulful vibe on "Designated Fool," "Drivin' Me Crazy," "Suga Free,"
"What Shall I Do?," "Girl," and the once-upon-a-time of "Goodbye Diane."
Owing more to the pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and kick some ass ethic of
Tina Turner than to the faceless '80s dance pop of Quincy Jones and Michael
Jackson (having worked with both), Siedah Garrett rocks the house and the world on
her self-titled comeback album (Omtown), her first disc since 1988. "If you ain't
ready for the way I flow/Never seen a black chick rock 'n roll/Just get the hell out of
here," Garrett roars on "Get The Hell Out Of Here," one of the 11 songs that she
co-wrote on the record. You know she's serious when you hear her cover of The
Rolling Stones "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)" and Siedahís long-awaited
reading of her song "Man In The Mirror," a major hit for Jackson, is given a new
reflection.
Don't forget about Precollection (Manifesto), on which the Lilys continue to mine
their fascination with the '60s British invasion sound; the near-metallic Southern
crunch of Verbena on La Musica Negra (Capitol); the sexy, ambient warm and soapy
soak of Bathtime With Loop Guru (Hypnotic/Elsewhen), and the self-titled, Don
Was-produced album by Hootie & The Blowfish (Atlantic).
