CRITIC'S CHOICE
R&B
Whether wearing a head wrap or rocking a supersize Afro, Erykah Badu has been one of contemporary R&B's few true originals. She continues to play by her own freaky, formula-busting rules on this, her first full-fledged album since 2000's brilliant Mama's Gun. The disc—the first of a two-part series to be continued later this year—finds the neo-soul siren mixing seductive grooves and sociopolitical lyrics. And while it doesn't all work, it's always challenging and sometimes spellbinding. Take the head-spinning arrangement of "The Cell," with its winding bass line darting around mellowed-out horns. Or the haunting mysticism of "The Healer (Hip Hop)," an ode to hip-hop not unlike "Love of My Life." But it's "Telephone"—an atmospheric ballad for late producer J Dilla—that showcases Badu at her bewitching best.
Good Time |
REVIEWED BY RANDY VEST
COUNTRY
On Good Time, Alan Jackson gives us more of the straight-up honky-tonk and working-class ballads he's been delivering since his 1990 debut. The title cut is a stomping tongue-twister about an average Joe who's looking to blow off some steam after punching the clock all week, while first single "Small Town Southern Man" is a touching, fiddle-laced tale of a family patriarch who lives a simple, God-fearing life. Elsewhere, Jackson, who wrote all 17 tunes, plays the stud on "Country Boy": "I've got a four-wheel drive/Climb in my bed and I'll take you for a ride." At some 70 minutes, Good Time is a bit of a long haul. But with material this solid, it's pretty easy to kick back and enjoy the trip.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "I Wish I Could Back Up," a spare, reflective ballad
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In the hella-clever clip for the first single, Badu is transposed onto the covers of albums by the Beatles, Earth, Wind & Fire, Grace Jones and De La Soul (right).
TIFT MERRITT Another Country
Merritt broke through the Nashville establishment to get a Best Country Album Grammy nod for 2004's Tambourine. On this alt-country disc, she again makes a refreshing alternative to the usual suspects.
MGMT Oracular Spectacular
This duo suffers from a bit of musical ADD on their full-length debut, jumping from psychedelic pop-rock to blue-eyed soul and synth-driven new wave. But what they lack in focus they make up for in hooks.
MISSY HIGGINS On a Clear Night
Singer-songwriter Higgins is a major star in her native Australia, where her debut was the best-selling album of 2005. This solid but unspectacular follow-up is consistently catchy if not terribly original.
KENNY G Rhythm & Romance
He's not a rhythm machine yet, but on the classic "Besame Mucho" and 11 other tracks propelled by Brazilian, tango and salsa beats, the G-man, with his fluid soprano sax, delivers on romantic pleasures.
The former Doobie Brother, 56, discusses the remakes on his new album, Soul Speak.
"(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER" My daughter loved that song. It was on one of her Jackie Wilson mixtapes. She said to me, "You should do that song," so I did.
"HALLELUJAH" Leonard Cohen has a way, like Ryan Adams, Neil Young and writers I really admire, of falling off the edge with words. He says so much about feelings the rest of us can't express.
"WALK ON BY" It represented a wonderful period of my life growing up when I got sucked into the idea of being a musician and making it my life's work.
"I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME)" I love this song. When I heard it [in the '80s], I thought, "George Michael is probably over the moon singing with Aretha Franklin." But duets are tricky these days—gone are the days you just call up a friend. So it's just me singing.
"FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE" Stevie Wonder actually played harmonica on it. When you do a Stevie song with a harmonica solo, there's really no one else in the world that you can get.
MARIAH CAREY entices with "Touch My Body," a smooth and sexy groove from her 11th studio album, E=MC2, out April 15. At mariahcarey.com.
R.E.M. proves that they can still make some supercatchy alt-rock with "Supernatural Superserious," the first single from Accelerate, due April 1. At musicstore.real.com.
GNARLS BARKLEY returns in innovative style with "Run," a trip-hop preview of their second album, The Odd Couple, due April 8. At iTunes.com.
With "I Remember," Cole, 26, has racked up three hits off her platinum second CD, Just Like You.
ON HER CONNECTION WITH TUPAC SHAKUR My brother [Sean] is a rapper and he was really cool with Pac. Pac used to call me his little sister and used to always tell me, "You're gonna be a star." He liked my voice.
ON COMPARISONS TO MARY J. BLIGE When I got compared to Mary, I felt like a strong person. And I still feel that way. I would love to do a duet with her.
ON HER TATTOOS The one on my arm [with a heart, cross and star] means love, my belief in God, and the star represents me. I have a heart on my leg, and I have a heart and "Have Faith" on my neck. I have roses with rosary beads on my hand.
ON HER BIGGEST VICE I'm a shopaholic. I shop just for the sport of it. I like glasses, jewelry, purses, cars. Everything.
