Out of Nothing
CRITIC'S CHOICE
With Coldplay's much-anticipated third disc, X&Y, recently opening at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, Embrace, another Brit-pop band that sounds an awful lot like Chris Martin's crew, hopes U.S. listeners will welcome them with open arms too. And there is in fact plenty to embrace about this U.K. quintet's fourth CD (but only the second U.S. release), which came out overseas last September and has already spawned two Top 10 hits in England. One of those is "Gravity," a stately, piano-based ballad that was actually written by Martin, whose Coldplay once opened for Embrace in the pre-"Yellow" days. Almost all the other composing credit goes to the McNamara brothers—Danny (lead vocals/guitar) and Richard (lead guitar)—who invest these tunes with a melodic splendor and a moving earnestness. Highlights include the haunting title tune, a bittersweet love song; the soaring "Someday," with its lush orchestration and choir-like vocal arrangement; and "Spell It Out," which shuffles along an upbeat groove that belies the melancholy lyrics ("Here's my list of all the things I should have said and done/The boats I missed and all the fights I lost I really should have won"). Best, though, is "A Glorious Day," which is not an uplifting anthem à la U2's "Beautiful Day," but an ironically titled take on the destructive crutches that we all use. "You came along on a glorious day/By the time that you left I was crawling again," sings frontman Danny McNamara in his most angelic croon as the song builds from a quiet lullaby to a stadium sing-along. Glorious indeed.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "A Glorious Day"
R&B
Hurricane
"I'm bad, not as bad as Eric Benét." So raps Common in character as an unfaithful husband on his new disc Be. Indeed, since Benét famously cheated on ex-wife Halle Berry during their three-year marriage—he was even rumored to be a sex addict—his name has become synonymous with infidelity, and his music career has taken a gale-force blow. But on Hurricane, his first album since 1999's A Day in the Life, Benét reminds listeners of why, before he married Berry, he was one of R&B's most promising lovemen. "I've been away too long a while/I lost my rhythm, I forgot my style," he sings on the bluesy opener "Be Myself Again," a sort of sequel to his 1996 single "True to Myself." The silky-voiced singer addresses the turmoil surrounding his personal life on the heartfelt title track ("A hurricane is sometimes the only way to wash away the pain"), while also alluding to his split with Berry on cuts like the reggae-tinged "Where Does the Love Go" and "My Prayer," one of many sumptuous slow jams. And on the gorgeous, acoustic-guitar-laced "Man Enough to Cry"—the best Babyface song that Babyface never recorded-he might just get you to shed a tear for him.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Man Enough to Cry"
COUNTRY
Blame the Vain
Yoakam waxes cerebral on his latest effort, from the clever title song, which urges us to "blame the vain for what we wear," to "Just Passin' Time," which essentially rationalizes doing nothing. Even if the philosophical mood drags a bit at times, the music maintains a spirited tone, with the help of players such as nimble guitarist Keith Gattis and versatile keyboardist Skip Edwards. "Intentional Heartache," about a jilted woman smashing her car into her ex's pickup and driving through his mother's garden, is a welcome change of pace, with its Bakersfield jangle and unapologetic silliness. And "I Wanna Love Again," a musical nod to Yoakam's mentor Buck Owens, boosts the energy too.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Blame the Vain"
ALT-ROCK
The Future Embrace
As frontman of the now-defunct Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan was an alt-rock visionary in the '90s. But on this lackluster solo debut, coming after a 2003 disc with the band Zwan, he is more of a follower than a leader; like many current acts, he's embracing the synth-pop sounds of the past. But whereas the best neo-new wavers also revive the infectious energy of '80s dance-rock, Corgan drones on for much of this CD, including on an atmospheric cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" featuring backing vocals by the Cure's Robert Smith.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "All Things Change"
POP-ROCK
Jagged Little Pill Acoustic
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of her landmark U.S. debut, Jagged Little Pill, which won 1995's Album of the Year Grammy and made her the poster girl for angry young women everywhere, Alanis Morissette went back into the studio to record this unplugged version of the disc. Why bother? While the strength of the tunes still shines through, the overall effect is much like declawing a tiger. Although it is interesting to hear some songs, such as "All I Really Want," take on a country twang, it is almost sacrilegious for "You Oughta Know" to be reduced to a spineless strummer. This one is for diehards only
DOWNLOAD THIS: "All I Really Want"
R&B
Vivian
On her underappreciated debut, 2002's A Love Story, Vivian Green took listeners on an emotional roller coaster through the ups and downs of romance. Buckle up, folks, because the R&B chanteuse is back with more of love's twists and turns on this satisfying sophomore outing. Green, who possesses a fine set of pipes and is a former backup vocalist for Jill Scott, is at her best when she gets fired up on songs like the funky face-off "Mad" and the gospel-inflected single "Gotta Go Gotta Leave (Tired)," on which she packs up her stuff, including her "Pond's facial cloths," and bolts from a bad relationship. Never playing the victim, Green brings a sense of empowerment to cuts such as the ballad "Under My Skin," where she stands up to a mentally abusive lover, and the saucy "I Like It (But I Don't Need It)." Vivian, with its more straightforward contemporary soul, lacks the jazzy shadings of the superior Love Story, and the last third of the disc suffers from a few forgettable tracks (especially an out-tro featuring well-wishes from her family, friends and record label). By then, however, Green and her everywoman appeal have already left a winning impression.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Gotta Go Gotta Leave"
BLUEGRASS
Marbletown
The five members of this group are as nimble-fingered as almost anyone in bluegrass music. Jason Burleson, especially, is a first-rate banjo player. But bluegrassers do not live by picking alone, and Blue Highway excels at coming up with interesting, varied material. On the band's seventh album, the songs range from Mark Knopfler's evocative title tune about freight-hopping to Gary Scruggs's imaginative gospel number "Lazarus" and the mournful "No Home to Go Home To" by Wayne Taylor, Blue Highway's bass player. Taylor sings too, as do Shawn Lane and Tim Stafford, though all suffer from muddy diction, which is the quintet's main shortcoming.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Lazarus"
As the frontman for Sugar Ray, which has just released a greatest-hits disc, McGrath, 37, became the ultimate California beach boy. So we asked him what songs really heat up his summer.
MY FAVORITE SUMMER SONGS
THE BEACH BOYS, "In My Room" You feel like you're walking along the shores of any Southern California beach. It's total escapism at its best, and that's what the summer's about.
FRANK SINATRA, "Summer Wind" Frank was in his finest voice here. It's about a summer romance that's gone away. With the last trickle of horn, you feel your love slipping away.
WAR, "Summer" If you go to any urban park in Southern California, you'll hear this song. You feel like having a Corona and kicking back.
STEEL PULSE, "Roller Skates" Because me and my friend [movie director] McG used to roller-skate down the boardwalk in Newport Beach listening to this song.
SUBLIME, "What I Got" When I first heard this in the summer of '96, it changed my life and changed [Sugar Ray's] life. They had a huge influence on us.
MAD COBRA, "Flex" It's about doing the nasty. It feels like a gentle wave slapping at your ankles.
WEEZER, "Island in the Sun" You really feel like you're in St. Barts with [Weezer frontman] Rivers Cuomo sipping on a mai tai.
THE YOUNG RASCALS, "Groovin'" They really captured that East Coast summer-in-the-city vibe. It's such a beautiful love song.
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