REVIEWED BY RALPH NOVAK
COUNTRY
No tune jumps off Dierks Bentley's third disc the way that "What Was I Thinkin'" did on his self-titled 2003 debut. But you don't reel off a song that memorable every day. The videogenic guitar slinger has turned out a solid if not extraordinary follow-up to last year's platinum Modern Day Drifter. Keeping his sense of fun and largely avoiding the self-pitying that afflicts some young singers, Bentley delivers with such lively country tunes as "That Don't Make It Easy Loving Me," "Band of Brothers" and "Free and Easy Down the Road I Go." He displays an appealing humility on "Hope for Me Yet," while benefiting from the exemplary musicianship of bluegrass stars the Grascals on the gospel-inflected "Prodigal Son's Prayer." Bentley is clearly on a roll—he won last year's CMA Horizon Award and is up for Male Vocalist of the Year at next month's CMA Awards—and this disc shouldn't stop him.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "That Don't Make It Easy Loving Me"
Leavin'
REVIEWED BY CHUCK ARNOLD
R&B/POP
Since Natalie Cole's 1991 smash Unforgettable: With Love, her Grammy-winning tribute to her father, Nat King Cole, her musical output of jazz and pop standards has been that of a very sophisticated lady. So it's great to hear Cole ditch the evening-gown fare on her new CD, on which she covers more contemporary material by artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Sting. A clearly reenergized Cole ignites Fiona Apple's "Criminal" with a soulful fire, while working up some righteous indignation as she takes Shelby Lynne's "Leavin'" to church. Perhaps the best moment, though, comes at the end of "The More You Do It (The More I Like It Done to Me)"—Cole's retro-R&B salute to the late Marvin Yancy, her first husband and early collaborator—when she breaks into a little bit of her own hit "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)."
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Leavin'"
Shine On
ROCK
Jet's career took off on the wings of the turbocharged rocker "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," the first of several hit singles from the group's platinum 2003 debut Get Born. And while there is nothing on this follow-up that reaches the swaggering heights of "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," these Australian throwbacks still have plenty of reason to strut. On heavy guitar crunchers like the first single "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is," Jet continues to worship at the altar of another Aussie band, AC/DC. But they temper the power-chord assault with dreamy, psychedelic-tinged tracks—such as the ballad "Bring It On Back"—that conjure up the Beatles. (The quartet actually took its name from the Paul McCartney & Wings song "Jet.") They don't just pay respect to their musical heroes; the title cut is a touching tribute to the late father of singer-guitarist Nic Cester and drummer Chris Cester.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is"
Release Therapy
RAP
"Money Maker," the hit first single from Ludacris's fifth solo disc, has the kind of bumping groove that will cause serious rump-shaking in the club. The rapper-actor keeps the party rocking with "Girls Gone Wild," a beat-crazy uptempo jam that is sure to be on the playlist at every wet T-shirt contest come next spring break. As the pensive pose he strikes on the CD cover suggests, though, Luda has more on his mind than just being rowdy and raunchy. Unfortunately his attempts to get deep—like the gospel-infused introspection of "Freedom of Preach"—mostly come up hollow.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Money Maker"
It Just Comes Natural
CRITIC'S CHOICE
COUNTRY
"Give It Away," this album's bitter divorce song, is George Strait's 53rd No. 1 country hit in his 25-year career. That statistic is more than just something to warm the heart of record-company bean counters; it is a tribute to the sagacity and finely tuned taste of Strait and his producer, Tony Brown, whose ears for good songs have only gotten better with age and experience. This excellent disc includes at least a half-dozen tunes that any country singer would want to record. Two of them are covers—Bruce Robison's clever "Wrapped" and Jo-El Sonnier's evocative "Come On Joe"—that are especially suited to Strait's warm, witty style and mellow baritone. Whether he's singing the Lone Star State boogie "Texas Cookin'" or the empathetic ballad "He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad," he always sounds completely at ease. If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Come On Joe"
Duets: An American Classic
REVIEWED BY V.R. PETERSON
JAZZ-POP
At 80, Tony Bennett may be America's most beloved senior crooner, and on this disc he joins forces with such heavyweight singing partners as Billy Joel, Bono, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder. But the results of these star-studded pairings are curiously uneven. Cozy, polished bits with traditionalists like Diana Krall delight, and "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" delivers on an intriguing assist from Elvis Costello. But other combos fail to go beyond style clashes and faux camaraderie to produce a genuine sense of musical magic.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Are You Havin' Any Fun?"
For more information on where to find our Download This picks, go to WWW.PEOPLE.COM/DOWNLOADTHIS
Between the Covers features remakes from such A-listers as Madonna ("American Pie"), Sheryl Crow ("The First Cut Is the Deepest") and the Dixie Chicks ("Landslide"), who lend their voices to raise money for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which supports cancer, leukemia and AIDS research.
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE previews its next disc, The Black Parade, with the stirring "Welcome to the Black Parade." At buymusic.com.
CIARA (left) shows her sensual side on "Promise," from her upcoming second album. At musicstore.connect.com.
KELLIE PICKLER begins her post-American Idol career with the kicky "Red High Heels." At music.aol.com.
BRIAN MCKNIGHT returns with the mellow R&B groove of "Used to Be My Girl." At musicstore.real.com.
After sinking their claws into the Billboard album chart's Top 10 with The Cheetah Girls 2 movie soundtrack, the Disney Channel faves are now hitting the road. Here's a rundown on who's who in the trio.
SABRINA "DORINDA" BRYAN
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Yorba Linda, Calif.
FAVORITE SONG: "Just a Girl" by No Doubt
CELEB CRUSH: Johnny Depp. "I'm obsessed with him," she says. "I also like the cute pop guys like Jesse McCartney."
JUSTIN OR USHER? "Justin. He can dance. I believe Justin will bring sexy back."
KIELY "AQUA" WILLIAMS
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Annandale, N.J.
FAVORITE ALBUM: Pink Moon by Nick Drake
CELEB CRUSH: Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful). "That is a beautiful man," she says. "I want to meet somebody like him so my kids will be gorgeous."
HILARY OR LINDSAY? "Hilary. I think she's more like the Cheetah Girls."
ADRIENNE "CHANEL" BAILON
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: New York City
MUSICAL IDOL: Mariah Carey. "Every talent show I sang 'Hero,'" she says.
CELEB CRUSH: Adrian Grenier (Entourage). "He has the same name as me and that's hot," she says.
CHRISTINA OR BRITNEY? "Christina. She's half-Ecuadorian like me. And vocally she's insane."
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
