Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Katy Perry Prism Capitol B
Is Katy Perry growing up? Maybe. The jump from Teenage Dream to Prism’s electro-pop, crafted with her creative team (including Swedish musical guru Max Martin), seems darker in its songs of love lost and found and peppered with spiritual/self-help cliches.
On the Bollywoodish “Legendary Lovers,” some lyrics make Madonna’s spiritual forays feel deep. “I want your energy. I want your aura/You are my destiny, my mantra.” On “Spiritual,” she embraces BF John Mayer: “found a nirvana/ finally”).
Oh well, who listens to the words anyway? Still, Perry told Billboard magazine she wants to “turn into more of a Joni Mitchell” as she gets older, but there’s not a lot of evidence of that until you get to the ballad “Ghost.” She Taylor Swift-kicks ex-hubby Russell Brand:“You sent a text/It’s like the wind changed your mind … you hit send and disappeared in front of my eyes.” The song “By the Grace of God” also shows maturity.
Can you dance to it? Please. This is a Katy Perry album. “Roar” roars empowerment with catchy swagger; “Walking on Air” will make you feel the C+C Music Factory power and “Birthday” revels in retro disco. Prism has hits galore in a crazy quilt of styles without a single frayed edge.
Hot track: “Walking on Air,” “Birthday,” “Roar,” “Ghost.” - ELLIS WIDNER
Lady Gaga with R. Kelly“Do What U Want” (explicit) Streamline/Interscope B+
The new Gaga single with R. Kelly is a catchy, rhythmic slice of ’80s soul/pop that comes from her next album, Artpop, out Nov. 11. This danceable empowerment anthem has an edge. “You can’t stop my voice/you don’t own my life,” she belts at blog and Twitter critics who have said she’s fat or that her career is over. “But you can do what you want with my body,” she sings next … so say what you wish about her image, no one can touch the real Gaga seems to be the point. The vibe is a Robyn-like romp with a soulful Gaga vocal and the unmistakable heat of R. Kelly.
Willie Nelson To All the Girls …Legacy A-
A concept album of duets with female singers including Dolly Parton, Norah Jones and Mavis Staples, To All the Girls … is Willie Nelson, 80, being Willie Nelson: unpredictable and unmatchable.
This is primarily a slow album with a few flat-out misses - we don’t need another version of “Always on My Mind” and especially one with a singing-too-strong Carrie Underwood sharing the microphone.
There are wonderful takes here. “Far Away Places” with Sheryl Crow is just delightful with the dose of pedal-steel turning the 1948 song into a one-of-a-kind country/jazz cocktail. Nelson’s pairing with daughter Paula on an atmospheric “Have You Ever Seenthe Rain” is gorgeous. At 18 songs, you can grouse that the album needs an editor or say that Nelson has earned the right to throw all this into a pot. It is a mostly tasty stew.
Hot track: “Far Away Places,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” -WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull RCA B
“It’s the comeback story of a lifetime,” sings Caleb Followill on “Comeback Story,” just one of the highlights on the latest from Kings of Leon, an album that came close to not seeing the light of day. It was back in 2011 when Followill angrily left his bandmate brothers Antony, Nathan and Michael and cousin Matthew onstage during a meltdown in the middle of a Dallas concert. Amid rumors of unease and tension, it looked like the Kings would take an extended break, or even break up.
But here they are, back with a fine new record that sounds more like their early work.
Along with “Comeback Story” (there’s a cool line about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes), tracks like the undeniably fun “Supersoaker”and the funky, arena-rock-singalong “Family Tree” make Mechanical Bull satisfying. Let’s hope the Followill clan can keep a firmer grip on how they handle success this time around.
Hot track: The three songs above, of course, along with “Temple” and the driving “Coming Back Again.” - SEAN CLANCY
Scotty McCreery See You Tonight Interscope B-
Former American Idol baritone Scotty McCreery hits a Nashville bingo by mentioning a tailgate within the first minute of the first song. OK, that’s a little cynical, but Music Row execs and a truck full of pro songwriters are pulling most of the strings here, but McCreery, to his credit, has a number of co-writing credits.
This is a smooth-sounding album with minor country flourishes brightening a predominantly pop landscape. The producer and execs have polished away whatever rough edges might exist in McCreery. “Blue Jean Baby” is a Luke Bryanish-sexy tune that is easily the most embarrassing thing on the record. But they also let through the deeply felt “TheDash,” about how short life is, that comes across as the only adult in the room full of minors.
Hot track: “The Dash.” - WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Zendaya Zendaya Hollywood Records B
Disney Channel actress Zendaya Coleman, runner-up on last season’s Dancing With the Stars, loses a last name to kick-start a recording career. Her debut music adventure is aided by writers and producers galore including The Suspex, Jukebox, The Monsters and The Strangers and others who are hoping they’re onboard the next breakout Disney Channel diva.
Zendaya, which will be played a ton on Radio Disney, has the expected corporate polish and shimmer. But there is no denying that many of the beats are smart. “Replay” is the clear winner and beats back the cynicism baked into this project. The rest are accomplished dance tracks that are sealed tight to keep out flaws or any sign that a messy human worked on them.
Hot track: “Replay.” - WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Style, Pages 29 on 10/29/2013