B Original Broadway Cast
Recording
Bright Star
Ghostlight Records
Steve Martin may have made a name for himself as a comedian, but in recent years he has been focusing more on music with singer-songwriter Edie Brickell.
Now the two have created an original Broadway musical called Bright Star (nominated for five Tony Awards), a dual story of love and loss in 1920s and '40s rural North Carolina. Martin wrote the music, book and story and Brickell is credited with music, book and lyrics.
The bluegrass inspiration is heavy, with an orchestra that includes banjo, accordion, mandolin and autoharp. But there's a fullness to the instrumentals and vocals that's also very Broadway in style. It's a nice hybrid and the performers walk the line with skill on numbers like the flirty "Whoa, Mama" and the romantic "What Could Be Better?"
Those who see "Steve Martin" and expect wackiness should be aware that there's nothing silly here, even in the upbeat numbers. And some songs and plot twists are downright melodramatic.
There's not much variation in style, so if bluegrass isn't your cup of tea, it might get old quickly.
Hot tracks: "Bright Star," "Whoa, Mama," "What Could Be Better?"
-- JENNIFER NIXON
B+ Blake Shelton
If I'm Honest
Warner Bros.
Blake Shelton has never really been one to wear his heart on his sleeve.
But on If I'm Honest, arriving in the aftermath of his divorce from Miranda Lambert and the new romance with fellow The Voice coach Gwen Stefani last year, Shelton is positively Taylor Swiftian in his transparency about his love life.
Sure, there are the country-rock anthems about drinking that we're used to, including the new single "Straight Outta Cold Beer" and the championing of classic country like the good-time "Doing It to Country Songs."
But the bulk of If I'm Honest is a mix of letting old relationships go and starting new ones. The aching "Bet You Still Think About Me" even sounds like a Lambert ballad, while the upbeat "Every Goodbye" has a bit of Stefani-inspired sunshine in Shelton's vocals, as he offers a shoulder to cry on.
Shelton even reveals some of the issues of his new relationship on "A Guy With a Girl," singing about his date getting all the attention. If I'm Honest, especially on the gospel "Savior's Shadow," shows off a new side of Shelton that truly suits him.
Hot tracks: "Savior's Shadow," "Bet You Still Think About Me," "Every Goodbye"
-- GLENN GAMBOA
Newsday (TNS)
A- Andy Shauf
The Party
Anti-
Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf, on the lead-off track of his sophomore release, calls "The Magician" just "a shaking hand without a concrete plan." This is not an autobiographical tune, although Shauf -- who expertly blends luxurious, baroque pop with almost-visible characters -- could certainly be labeled a magician with how he directs the 10 ornate tracks of The Party.
Over a lush pop atmosphere that channels acts such as Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson and the ballads of Electric Light Orchestra, Shauf, usually accompanied by acoustic guitar, sings of people who sometimes dance in the middle of the room ("Eyes of Them All") or who die after smoking what was to be a last pack of cigarettes ("Alexander All Alone").
The Party follows the Saskatchewan native's debut The Bearer of Bad News, released in January 2015, and much like that debut, Shauf is once again the writer, performer, arranger and producer (with an assist from Colin Nealis on strings), fitting in fuzz guitar ("The Worst in You"), subtle piano and even clarinet and synths on the album.
The result is a cohesive album that gently curves from beautifully delicate gloom ("Early to the Party") to buoyant island pop ("Quite Like You"), with Shauf as the conductor.
Hot tracks:"The Magician," "The Worst in you," "Eyes of Them All," "Alexander All Alone"
-- SHEA STEWART
Style on 06/07/2016