LITTLE ROCK — Lionel Richie
Tuskegee
Mercury
D
It’s as bad as you would expect, but not the way you would expect. Lionel Richie, the king of radio-friendly soft soul, makes this supposed country move by partnering with country stars to refashion his old hits. So on “Endless Love,” which at least was a duet to begin with, he replaces Diana Ross with Shania Twain, and “All Night Long” has Jimmy Buffett, etc., etc.
You go in thinking that slapping a country veneer on these songs would be about the worst idea possible and instead, Tuskegee throws you a curve by being more or less faithful to the originals.
So the only difference is new singers. What is the point of this other than trying to pry some money out of consumers? The one song here that sounds radically different is “Hello,” now a bombastic duet with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. All that song proves is that you can be down-home and pretentious at the same time.
Hot tracks: none.
- WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Andrew Bird
Break It Yourself
Mom + Pop
B+
Folksy singer Andrew Bird almost comes off a bit woodland twee (must be all that whistling). That is, until you really listen and discover his depth and virtuosity. That’s certainly the case on Break It Yourself, a master mix of his world/folk/jazz ethos that also sees the Suzuki-trained violinist take that sprawling sound in even more rewarding experimental directions and, if it’s not too much of a contradiction, closer to pop conventions as well.
He’s still Birdsian with complex compositions, cerebral lyrics about the nature of death and the death of nature, as well as that looping, otherworldly violin. From the swirly, island-infused “Danse Caribe” to the instrumental “Belles” (wind chimes and cricket chirps), Bird excels at making the off-kilter palatable. He has also opened up for more collaboration, such as “Lusitania,” a duet with the compelling St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark). While some may lament the lack of hooks, there is a pop sensibility that shows Bird can stay distinctly himself while evoking that definition, too.
Hot tracks: “Danse Caribe,” “Desperation Breeds,” “Orpheo Looks Back.”
- JENNIFER GODWIN
Chiddy Bang
Breakfast
Virgin
B-
There’s not a lot of substance to the lyrics or edge in the rap, but the music and hooks throughout Chiddy Bang’s debut are fun and upbeat. A few genuinely good tracks save the indie hip-hop duo from banality.
The party anthem “Handclaps and Guitars” is the first standout. It’s followed by the lukewarm, but interesting “Mind Your Manners,” which is bolstered by the female chorus singing the hook with electronic alteration that makes them sound like children. “Ray Charles” is the most creative track, though slightly sacrilegious to the man’s genius.
“Baby Roulette” will hit close to home for many as Chiddy raps about the importance of contraception after partner Noah sets up each verse by singing in a slight falsetto.
Finally, the album cover, a collage of colorful fictitious cereal boxes like “Smax” and “Chiddios,” portend the lyrical homage to perpetual youth inside.
Hot tracks: “Handclaps and Guitars,” “Ray Charles,” “Baby Roulette.”
- L. LAMOR WILLIAMS
Neal McCoy
XII
Warner Bros.
B+
Country’s current power couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, coaxed Neal McCoy back into the studio for his first album since 2005; they are the producers forXII. McCoy started his career in 1988 and has had success (remember “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On”?), but is mostly known for his striking live shows. The new album, mostly written by Nashville professionals, is an odd mixture of the conventional and the strange.
“A-OK” kicks off the album in fine style. It’s a rousing pop/country sing-along that features Shelton and Lambert. “Mouth” is the Jamey Johnson-penned novelty that’s not quite as funny as you want it to be. “Van Gogh,” a ballad about an artist going crazy, is about the most unlikely song you will find on a country album this year. McCoy’s return to the recording race isn’t a total triumph but it has more than its share of high points.
Hot tracks: “A-OK,” “Borderline Crazy,” “Van Gogh.”
- WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny
Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
Mute
B
Beth Jeans Houghton is like Enya, if Enya fronted Emerson, Lake & Palmer. A jaunty comparison, but Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose is right hard to write! The arrangements are soaring and galloping, a kind of Western bluegrass crossed with Celtic and punctuated by some symphonic flourishes.
Houghton adds an underwhelming voice, but her words are feisty. Consider this verse from “Nightswimmer”: “My darling wears his clothes/To go swimming at night/Me, I can only hope/ That he’ll go out with the tide.” Notwithstanding, she’s thematically demanding, as in a later verse from the same song: “And the sun blushed silver/And the cracks in the pavement sweat like the crust/Of a toffee pecan pie.”
For all the apparent effort, there’s something unsatisfying. Something like unchecked mania. But then, honestly, my brain may be too trained on Mad Libs to comprehend the Sunday Times crossword puzzle.
Hot track: “Atlas.”
- BOBBY AMPEZZAN
Style, Pages 32 on 03/27/2012