Music zone

Mase-Double Up (BMG Crescendo) ****

MASE needs no introduction to the music world. At the age of 20 he released his debut album Harlem World, which sold four million copies, produced by Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs. Often mocked for his commercial sensibilities and materialistic lyrics, Mase hasn’t changed the formula for Double Up. You can hear a young man fighting with his sanity and conscience throughout the album. Same Niggas showcases his frustration and a glimpse of his past life. He remembers how poor he was, growing up in Harlem, with words like: "My sister wants to rap and I wish her the best/But I would never wish her my stress/Cos when I hurt you all laugh."

The album features some notable collaborations like Stay Out Of My Way with Total, Get Ready featuring Blackstreet, Do It Again with Puff Daddy and From Scratch featuring Shyne, Harlem World and Mysonne. On Blood is Thicker Mase expresses his distress over backbiters and hypocrites. The point is not to always sound aggressive and esoteric, but to rap to good tunes with meaningful lyrics, and Mase’s unparalleled voice perfectly suits the bill.

Natalia Oreiro — Natalia Oreiro (BMG Crescendo)**

It all happened so fast for Natalia: one minute she’s starring asthe lead actress in the film Un Argetino En New York, the next she’s...well, in the music charts with a debut that looks like she has been there for years. This self-titled album ranges from beautiful ballads to a wide mixture of Latin pop rhythms.

The success of such albums prove that music has no language barriers. There is a strong flavour of candombe percussions and flamenco guitars. There are salsa inspired numbers like De Tu Amor, Se Pego En Mi Piel, Me Muero De Amor and Y Te Vas Conmigo. Over all, the songs promise to keep your foot tapping. Get ready for your first musical date with Natalia.

Runaway Bride — Original Soundtrack
(Sony Music)***

Music has always proved to be an essential atmosphere—lending element in the films of Garry Marshall. Unlike many recent films, this Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starrer Runaway Brideopts for a varied modern soundtrack instead of adrenalin-pumping techno or atmospheric orchestration. After all, where else would you find U2’s mega hit I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and Dixie Chicks’ You Can’t Hurry Love together. Daryl Hall and John Oates hit And That’s What Hurtsis present here along with cuts from Marc Anthony and Martina McBride.

There’s even a Kenny Loggins track Once In a Lifetime featuring Human Nature, to add some intrinsic value to the collection. The only flaw that lies here is that the compilation is crammed with hits of the genre regardless of their purpose in the film, which doesn’t purport to contain material ‘inspired by’. Tracks worth checking out include From My Head to My Heart performed by Evan and Jaron, Blue Eyes Blue by Eric Clapton, You Sang Me by Allure and Miles Davis’ It Never Entered My Mind.

Human Nature — Counting Down (Sony Music) ****

After an enormous success with their debut album Telling Everybody, the Aussie lads are back with another power packed album titled Counting Down. Andrew, Phil, Michael and Toby together created waves when they toured with Celine Dion and when their single Tellin’ Everybody entered practically every prominent music chart. This album abounds with strong pop melodies and rich textures. The music touches all its forms here whether it’s pop, blues, funk, R&B or trance. Last To Know is the key opener here which gets the mood charged right at the beginning. Cruel is an uptempo track with the right Human Nature attitude. The title track Counting Down has a great buzzy R&B vibe. The album also offers a rich collection of soulful ballads which include Be There With You, Bring Her Back and a bonus track for the oriental market MO MO Ai Ni. The other headliners include Don’t Cry, Mary’s Garden, 7 Lonely Days and Everytime You Cry featuring John Farnham. However the tornado-hit track here is a cover version of Bangles’ Eternal Flame.

Album of the month

Red Hot chili Peppers—Californication
(Warner Music)

The notorious quadruple rockers are back after a gap of four long years. And undoubtedly this is one of the most welcome comebacks of the ‘90s’. And what’s more important is that the peppers are still as hot as ever. They still rap o’ rock with a Uhg! Californication also marks the re-union of the band as John Frusciante joins the gang again. Around the World offers some easy-go lyrics like "Come back baby/‘Cause I’d like to say/I’ve seen the world/Back from Bombay." If you still prefer products like Under the Bridge, then Scar Tissue is your pick here, with mellow guitars and lilting chorus. Get on Top and Purple Stain are the real pepper flavoured tracks. Known for his effortless vocals interwined with rap and rock, Anthony kiedis is at his best in Parallel Universe, the title track Californication and Right On Time. A sober air of maturity permeates here.

— Saurabh & Gaurav