MUSIC ZONE
John Mayer — Continuum (Sony BMG)
Saurabh & Gaurav

John Mayer’s third studio album Continuum follows the multi-platinum Room For Squares and Heavier Things and marks his first turn as producer. Mayer hasn’t forgotten how to connect with the heart, however, and does just that on ballads like The Heart of Life, a moody track reminiscent of Daughters. On the next track, Mayer strips down the soft-pop sound and fabricates I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You) around a vibrant jazzy guitar piece. Several songs allude to the war in Iraq. Waiting On the World to Change gives listeners an idea of how much Mayer has matured, People Get Ready bears an incisive protest message, shielding his generation against the charge of political ennui, and railing against the Bush administration and the corporate media. Produced solely by Mayer and Jordan, this album expectations and positions Mayer as one of the most pertinent artists of his generation.

Best track: The Heart of Life

Worst song: Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

Ludacris is back at it again, breaking down the doors with his sixth solo LP (that’s if we’re counting 2000’s Incognegro), and showing no signs of stopping. The difference between Release Therapy and Ludacris’ first four albums is that its tone is earnestly restrained instead of teasingly cheerful. The album contains a little bit of both styles, ranging from the DJ Toomp-produced Mouths to Feed (where Luda claims I’m a working machine) to Woozy, a high-tempo track with R. Kelly. Money Maker, the album’s first single, features a bouncy hook from Pharrell. And while it’s fun and catchy, it is probably the first time Ludacris sounds like he is putting all his efforts in making the track entertaining. He even tackles violence against women in Runaway Love, which features Mary J. Blige, and while this is a fairly average underground hip-hop theme, it’s nice to see a new side to Ludacris. The second half finds him opening up swiftly, as he warns in Tell It Like It Is: "There about to be some grown folks talking here." Satisfaction packs enough punch to blow out any speaker it plays on, while Mouths to Feed does a reasonably good job. Release Therapy may not be the mature Ludacris record it claims itself to be, but that isn’t to say it doesn’t have some jaw-dropping confessional moments.

Best track: Money Maker

Worst track: Slap

It has been four years since The Rapture released House of Jealous Lovers, which effectively breathed new life into the dance punk genre first established in the late 1970s via bands like Talking Heads, ESG and Blondie. With their sophomore release, Pieces of the People We Love, The Rapture once again prove they are masters of mix and mash. The album is even more blatantly danceable than Echoes; the cover art of the foursome busting their moves is the perfect indication of where this record is heading. Opener Don Gon Do It is a scrumptious slice of kitsch that recycles everything from the steadfast electro drum beats to modern punk. Calling Me dials back the rhythm and hits more of a psychedelic vibe with sparse guitar and whispery vocals. Down For So Long is an amazing funk-filled track set to an infectious percussive foundation, nicely paving the way for lyrics: "And if the man upstairs don’t care what’s going on/ Then we can find out for ourselves what’s right and wrong." The highlights include the bass heavy and processed guitar works of The Devil and the poppy first single Get Myself Into It, which features frontman Luke Jenner’s trademark high-pitched shriek. Pieces of the People We Love is the calm after the storm, yet still contains more rasping energy than most bands will ever produce.

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