MUSIC BOX |
Martin Stein |
Blink-182 (3 stars)
Blink-182
Blink-182's self-titled CD is being touted as the group's mature offering. That means no more fun rhymes like "He's a player, diarrhea giver," from Enema of The State's "Dysentery Gary." No more running around naked like in the video for "What's My Age Again," from the same release. Instead, expect a lot of lyrics like: "Why do evil men get away with it / Can't you see that I'm in a world of shit / Turn your back on hope and go back inside / Stop my bleeding heart and then the engine died."
Man, growing old sucks.
For hard-core fans, though, this is a must-have. Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Landon Barker not only replace their beanies with thinking caps; they also open up the door to a lot of experimentation. Barker doubles up with tape decks for the opening drums in "Feeling This," a song mixing lust and love. In "I Miss You," he plays with some brushes while DeLonge grabs a stand-up bass. Even a shower stall is commandered into service for "Down."
The tracks all have catchy hooks and retain the pop-punk sensibility that has made the trio a top act, and there's enough in the lyrics to chew on for at least a few minutes.
All in all, maybe growing older isn't so bad after all.
Martin Stein
Pink (3.5 stars)
Try This
Pink's 2001 breakthrough M!ssundaztood, an eclectic collection of rock and soul-influenced pop tunes, mostly co-written and produced by Linda Perry (former leader of '90s one-hit wonders 4 Non Blondes) was as refreshing as it was surprising: a pop star declaring her independence, truly taking control of her career and her music, sink or swim. She continues the trend on Try This, which features three collaborations with Perry but is dominated by Rancid leader Tim Armstrong, another unlikely choice who lends his writing, producing and playing skills to eight of the album's 13 tracks. While the result is not as striking as M!ssundaztood because Pink has already established herself as a genre-bender, it's still head and shoulders above her pop peers.
From the energy of lead single "Trouble" to the smoky soulfulness of "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping" to the dance-floor anthem "God Is a DJ," Try This puts Pink alongside singers like Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette and Nikka Costa in her ability to blend styles into a powerful musical statement. With vocals that aren't endlessly processed or needlessly showy, Pink delivers pop music as it should be: brash, catchy and in control.
Josh Bell
Nelly Furtado (2.5 stars)
Folklore
Much has been made of the opening lyrics to the first song on Nelly Furtado's sophomore effort, Folklore. She proclaims that she is not a "one-trick pony," yet the rest of the disc says that while she might not be a small horse, she hasn't learned any new tricks since her 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly!
This is not to say Folklore is a horrible release; it just plays like a collection of left-over B-side material from her last effort. The eclectic style that borrowed from a variety of ethnic music sounds was fresh and unique on Furtado's debut, but sounds stale and over-produced here, and lacks any standout singles like "Turn Out the Light" or "I'm Like a Bird" this time around.
While Furtado's voice leans toward grating at times, and most of Folklore's songs sound overly formulaic, a few manage to slip through the trap. "Forca" feels adequately energetic and makes good use of a banjo cameo by Bela Fleck, and "Picture Perfect" stands out in a good way, thanks to a bluesy quality not found on the rest of the disc. One of the best songs may be "Saturdays," a simple duet between Furtado and Jarvis Church, accompanied only by a simple acoustic guitar line. It sounds fresh and spontaneous, two things palpably missing from the album.
Maria Phelan