Yoakam stays true to sound on ‘Vain’
Dwight Yoakam
“Blame the Vain” (New West) •••
On his first outing without longtime producer Pete Anderson, Dwight Yoakam indulges his appetite for experimentation, but never strays far from his signature sound: rockabilly and hard-core hillbilly tunes tempered by the occasional swell ballad.
The veteran singer-songwriter has an Elvis moment on “When I First Came Here,” heads for the creative edge on “She’ll Remember” (a mix of synth pop and honky-tonk with a spoken-word intro that summons the spirit of the Talking Heads) and rounds things out with a couple of those killer ballads: “Just Passin’ Time” and heartbreaker “The Last Heart in Line,” the latter accented by aching, lovely strings and horns.
The rock-edged title song and weepy “Does It Show” sound a little familiar and formulaic. But, heck, everyone should have a formula as compelling as Yoakam’s.
Greg Crawford, Detroit Free Press
Patti LaBelle
“Classic Moments” (Def Jam) •••
Whenever you see stars of this caliber delving into vintage material, you hope they can create some classic moments of their own. Patti LaBelle samples a broad spectrum of pop and soul hits, spanning the ‘60s and ‘90s, but not always in memorable fashion.
She riffs soulfully with Mary J. Blige on Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way,” but it doesn’t come close to the Queen of Soul’s original. “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” lacks the anguish conveyed by Rose Royce, while “Silly” misses Deniece Williams’ sweet yearning.
Still, LaBelle comes through more often than not, especially with tunes that harken to her Philadelphia roots. She infuses songs such as The Delfonics’ “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and the Jones Girls’ “YGMMLSE (You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else)” with her trademark high energy.
She delivers an emotionally satisfying rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and has the most fun playing off Elton John on his “Your Song.” At her best, LaBelle sparkles polishing up some old gems.
Steve Jones, USA Today
Bryan Adams
“Room Service” (Mercury) •• 1/2
With the (comparatively) stripped-down “Room Service,” raspy Canadian rocker Bryan Adams cuts his own version of “Running on Empty.”
Like that Jackson Browne classic of the ‘70s, Adams’ latest was recorded in various hotel rooms and backstage while he was on tour in Europe over the last couple years. Unlike “Running on Empty,” this is no classic; Adams simply isn’t on par with Browne as a songwriter.
But by his standards as a likable craftsman of dependable arena rock, “Room Service” recalls Adams’ biggest and best album, 1984’s “Reckless,” by de-emphasizing the sappy movie ballads he bogged down on in the ‘90s and pumping up the meat-and-potatoes guitar-rock on tracks like “East Side Story” and “Open Road” – which bears more than a passing resemblance to one of his catchiest hits, “Run to You.”
For early fans who checked out in the ‘90s, “Room Service” may be worth ordering.
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald
Goldie Lookin’ Chain
“Straight Out of Newport” (Record Collection) •••
To say there’s something a bit Spinal Tap about this ragtag Welsh rap posse (see what I mean?) is not to diminish the euphoric lift that its debut album provides. In fact, the Tap touches – a lumbering earnestness, clumsy crudeness and utter disregard of limitations and inhibition – only add to the charge.
It’s mostly straight-on satire (“Self Suicide,” an irreverent assessment of suicide as career strategy, and the self-explanatory “Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do”), but there’s also an affectionate bit of nostalgia for a youthful haunt (“Roller Disco”), and a baffled response to a new feature being sported by a friend’s mother.
Connoisseurs of British accents will enjoy the variety of broad dialects on parade, and the musical tracks are diverse and engaging – from old-school R&B to cheery vaudeville.
Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times
Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez
“Red Dog Tracks” (Back Porch) •••
They really do seem to be in it for the long haul now. “Red Dog Tracks” is the third album from the unlikely but well-matched duo of “Wild Thing” writer Chip Taylor, an ex-professional gambler in his 60s, and Carrie Rodriguez, a Berklee-trained singer and fiddler in her 20s.
Taylor’s weathered voice and conversational singing style play well off Rodriguez’s clear, plaintive emoting as they duet and harmonize on a laid-back and intimate set of originals and two Hank Williams songs.
While the album closely follows the acoustic folk-country pattern of their first two sets, Bill Frisell’s lyrically beautiful electric guitar adds welcome new texture and color to the proceedings.
Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer
Turin Brakes
“JackInABox” (Astralwerks) ••••
Funny how some people spend endless time and money and use every bell and whistle to achieve pop perfection, while others nail it through the simplest of means, almost accidentally. It’s no accident that British duo Turin Brakes have a pop masterpiece in third album “JackInABox.” There’s serious craft at work, but it’s first-take, gut-instinct kind of stuff. To try and perfect the blissful “Come and Go” would sap it of its indie-blokes- having-a-go-at-bossa-nova charm.
That mind-set makes for an album full of well-designed songs, all in the key of a gorgeous summer sunset. Some surge like wildfire and make you want to shake something, such as “Red Moon” with its “Hey Ya!”-inspired beat. Others, like the far-beyond-smitten “Above the Clouds” and “Forever,” deliver a message of love that is clear and not the least bit trite.
Patrick Berkery, Philadelphia Inquirer