REVIEWED BY CHUCK ARNOLD
CRITIC'S CHOICE
ALT-R&B
If you want proof of Randy Jackson's ability to spot real talent—not those "pitchy" singers he has to endure on American Idol—take a listen to his main dog, Van Hunt. The alternative soul man, who is managed by Jackson, will floor you with his sensational second CD, which actually improves upon his excellent but underappreciated debut, 2004's Van Hunt. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is the perfect antidote to all those Usher wannabes macking on the R&B airwaves. Indeed, you won't find any signs of crunk, any samples or anything remotely resembling hip-hop in Hunt's Jungle. But you will find a slew of other styles deftly handled—from jazzy funk to psychedelic pop—as Hunt stretches out with more confidence and daring. He rocks harder than ever on the revved-up "Ride, Ride, Ride," while creating a chilled-out cabaret vibe on "Hole in My Heart."
The only song he didn't write is a bluesy, greasy-good cover of "No Sense of Crime" by proto-punkers the Stooges. Sure, Hunt owes a lot to his progenitors: His creamy falsetto and breezy guitar on the luscious "The Thrill of This Love" recall early Prince, and he evokes Curtis Mayfield with the self-probing message of "Character" ("Who are you/ In the face of disappointment/ Where is your character/ The one that keeps you going"). Two albums in, though, you get the feeling Hunt could be starting a legacy of his own.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Character"
I'm Not Dead
POP-ROCK
After her last disc, 2003's Try This, failed to approach the multiplatinum success of 2001's stellar M!ssundaztood, Pink seemed to fade from the spotlight. The girl who once got the party started even settled down, marrying her longtime boyfriend, motocross racer Carey Hart, in January. But on her fourth release, I'm Not Dead, a reinvigorated Pink shows that she is still the chick with the most attitude. On this album's feisty first single, the reggae-flavored "Stupid Girls," she takes satiric aim at the Paris Hiltons of the world who "travel in packs of two or three/With their itsy-bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees." It's like Mean Girls gone Hollywood. Elsewhere, the singer lets the fellas have it on the sassy rocker "U + Ur Hand," while fashioning herself a "P.I.M.P." on the strutting "'Cuz I Can."
While Try This found Pink unleashing her inner headbanger, I'm Not Dead revives the pop-rock punch of M!ssundaztood—she seems determined to put Kelly Clarkson in her place with these hook-heavy tracks. Pink flaunts her versatility on the bluesy, Janis Joplinesque "The One That Got Away" and reveals her introspective side on cuts like the R&B-tinged "I Got Money Now." But it's her folkie turn on the protest song "Dear Mr. President" that is the CD's biggest surprise. With the Indigo Girls providing rich harmony, Pink takes on Dubya ("How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?/ How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?") and comes away with a powerful triumph.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Dear Mr. President"
This Old Road
COUNTRY
As a songwriter, Kris Kristofferson has logged many miles along This Old Road: His tunes have been recorded by more than 450 artists. But the man who gave us "Me and Bobby McGee" still has some poignant stories to tell, as evident on this, his first album of new material in 11 years. Kristofferson, who will turn 70 in June, lets the years show, wrinkles and all, on this raw, Botox-free set. "Looking at a looking glass/ Running out of time/ On a face you used to know," he sings on the reflective title cut. The scraggly-voiced Highwayman brings an emotional immediacy to the intimate, livelike settings. The spare arrangements lay bare the lyrics, which range from the personal to the political. On one standout track, "In the News," he nimbly covers both the Iraq war and the Laci Peterson murder.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "In the News"
Youth
REGGAE
Can a 26-year-old Hasidic Jew from the suburbs really cut it as a reggae artist? Surprisingly, yes. Hot on the heels of the hit concert album Live at Stubb's, Matisyahu (the Hebrew version of his given name, Matthew) proves with his second studio CD that he is more than a modest talent getting by on the curiosity factor. Backed by his three-piece band, he convincingly captures the traditional reggae sound and spirit on tunes such as the title-track youth anthem and the Bob Marley-like "What I'm Fighting For" (the only song he didn't have a hand in writing), while shouting out to Jerusalem instead of Jamaica.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Youth"
Morph the Cat
JAZZ-POP
For his third solo disc and first since 1993, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen doesn't do much morphing. He remains the same eternally cool jazz-pop figure that he has been since the '70s. Never one to conform to the conventions of the three-minute pop song, he takes his time with these extended grooves, letting them stretch out with style and sophistication. On the highlight, "What I Do," Fagen imagines a conversation with Ray Charles: "I say Ray why do girls treat you nice that way/ He said it's not what I know, what I think or say/ It's what I do." And what Fagen does still works.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "What I Do"
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Ben Harper, Both Sides of the Gun
A potent double disc showcases two distinct sides of the singer-songwriter: On the funky half, he fires up his political and social consciousness. On the folky half, he takes aim at affairs of the heart.
Rhett Miller, The Believer
On his second solo album, Miller comes across as Ryan Adams with better hooks. His winning blend of pop charm, rock attitude and country heart will make a believer out of anyone.
Teddy Geiger, Underage Thinking
This 17-year-old heartthrob displays a talent far beyond his age on a first-rate pop CD that should win over fans of both Jesse McCartney and John Mayer.
Ray Davies, Other People's Lives
The former frontman of the Kinks shows that he can still really get you. His first official solo disc boasts wry, well-sketched observations on Other People's Lives.
FAVORITE REGGAE ALBUMS
The Jamaican reggae star, 33, has a scorching No. 1 hit with "Temperature," the new single off his third CD, The Trinity.
BUJU BANTON, VOICE OF JAMAICA (1993) Buju was just dominating Jamaica for about three years, and they were three very important years of my late teens, crazy years for me. Voice of Jamaica spoke for me too.
SIZZLA, DA REAL THING (2002) That's a hot album. He has many reggae tempos on there. He sings and deejays also. There's one song [called] "Just One of Those Days" that is still big today. It's a real heartbreak song.
BUNNY WAILER, TIME WILL TELL: A TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY (1990) Bob Marley's work is so influential. It is so everlasting in terms of what he spoke about. This is a quintessential look at his work. It's great.
STEEL PULSE, TRUE DEMOCRACY (1982) Mom bought me this. She came home one day and said, "I heard it on the radio and I thought of you, because I know you like good music and this is good music."
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!
