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Nelly Furtado — Loose
Best track: Wait For You Worst track: Showtime Rating: ***
Pet Shop Boys — Fundamental (EMI) The ninth studio album from the iconic synth pop stars starts promisingly well, with leadoff track Psychological and The Sodom and Gomorrah Show showing the Pet Shop Boys at their most flamboyant. A politically charged album that’s free from musical sparks, Fundamental touches on the war in Iraq (I’m With Stupid, Twentieth Century), troubles faced by immigrants to the UK (Integral, Indefinite Leave To Remain) and the paranoia of the age (Psychological). Legendary producer Trevor Horn, who last worked on Left to My Own Devices, has done his utmost to create a big, dramatic sound — the sweeping synths on The Sodom And Gomorrah Show are gloriously theatrical, while You Choose is full on orchestral numbers with melancholic themes of love. The Diane Warren-penned Numb and Luna Park drag things down mid-disc, but the final third of the album is blistering, with Tennant and Lowe marching aloft. Minimal does a detour into old-school synth-pop, while Twentieth Century adds so much harmony and shine that it just grows on you. The sweeping strings and rhythmic simplicity of I Made My Excuses And Left make it one of those sad ballads and it suits Neil Tennant’s voice really well. The Boys mean business. Best track: Psychological Worst track: Jealousy Rating:*** Allison Moorer — Getting
Somewhere
Best track: How She Does It Worst track: Getting Somewhere Rating:*** Top 10 singles
CU (coming up); NM (non-mover); FD (falling down); NE (new
entry) |
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Whoa
Nelly! She is back
with what she calls her "fun-packed" third album. Mostly
produced by Timbaland, Loose breaks away from folk pop and heads
straight for hip-hop. Opener Afraid sparks off an instant rush
with its pulsating notes. The hit single, Like I Love You, is a
giddy club anthem that recalls tracks such as I Got a Man and LL
Cool J’s Doin It. There is plenty to enjoy here, from the
intergalactic No Hay Igual to the Mid-Eastern Wait For
You. Maneater is sandwiched between the similarly paced Afraid
and Promiscuous. The former is an R & B number with a rap by
Attitude. Te Busque is a strong representation of the second half
of the album. This pretty tune talks about heartbreak and features a
nifty chorus, with lyrics like "I look in the mirror the picture’s
getting clearer/ I wanna be myself but does the world really need her/ I
ache for this earth/ I stopped going to church/ See god in the trees
makes me fall to my knees." The hit Promiscuous is
clearly the centrepiece of this album.
Following two fantastic
albums, Simple Things and When It Falls, full of beautifully crafted
blissful tones, the duo’s third album at last heralds a slightly new
direction. The relaxed rhythms on The Garden make it the perfect album
for a quiet stress-free evening or background music for a dinner party.
In walking the tightrope between finely crafted mellow electronica and
cheesy synth-pop, Zero 7 has created a pleasantly effective album of
airy agreeable tunes. The disc opens strong with Swedish singer Jose
Gonzalez’s gorgeous Futures, a mid-paced meditation. Australian
singer, and Zero 7 mainstay, Sia Furler is back for the third time and
the highlight song that features her vocals is You’re My Flame.
Loaded with fast-paced melody and plenty of chiming textures, this is
Kraut-rock running head-on into sassy jazz. On The Pageant Of The
Bizarre, Furler guides the chorus melody through several turns that
lodge it deep in the ear. The follow-up, You’re My Flame,
presents a contrast, with electronics and an up-tempo beat. The Garden
is the work of brilliant minds, produced and mastered to perfection.
Allison Moorer has made a
career out of plucky moves and sudden changes in course. Getting
Somewhere marks her most radical shift yet, as she reinvents herself as
a modern adult rocker more akin to Liz Phair or Aimee Mann than the
Southern-styled Americana artist she’s been known as. The new songs
blend airy string arrangements with thumping, low-strung rockers
reminiscent of the recent work by Steve Earle. The heavier arrangements,
as on the tragic family tale New Year’s Day or the upbeat
melodic rock Work to Do, leave enough room for Moorer’s
expressive voice. The headliners include Hallelujah, Where Are
You and You’ll Never Know. There are several strong
selections, including the stirring Where You Are, which she
dedicates to her sister Shelby Lynne. But overall Moorer’s distinctive
style seems overly restricted by her transformation.