Kelly Sweet - “We Are One” (Razor & Tie) Sweet is a prodigiously talented 18-year-old who’s been singing all of her life. (She had her first public performance when she was four at the Cape Cod Conservatory.) Vocally, she’s what you might get if you could temper the power of Celine Dion with the lovely, crystalline restraint of Sarah McLachlan. On “We Are One,” Sweet’s accomplished, eclectic debut, a sublime track like “Raincoat,” the type of winning jazz-tinged pop that propelled Norah Jones’s blockbuster first album, can rest comfortably beside an ethereal cover of Aerosmith’s hard rock classic “Dream On.” What’s more, they can be followed by “Caresse Sur L’Ocean,” a haunting song written for the 2004 French film “Les Choristes,” and Sweet’s angelic voice will find a way to make it all work. “We Are One” has all the hallmarks of a star-making release.
The Bird And The Bee - Self-titled (Metro Blue) Lyricist/vocalist Inara George and multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin are The Bird And The Bee, a three-year-old art-pop combo from L.A. whose sunny debut is the musical equivalent of cruising the Pacific Coast Highway with the top down. The duo recently scored a number one Club Play hit (besting Madonna for the spot, no less) with a remix of the album’s killer Tech-House track, “F*cking Boyfriend.” Other standout cuts include set opener “Again & Again,” the first song George and Kurstin ever collaborated on, “Because,” a languid Drum & Bass track highlighted by George’s sultry singing, and “I’m A Broken Heart,” whose gorgeous countermelodies and kitchen sink production evoke The Beach Boys’ 1966 classic, “Pet Sounds.” This is a cracking debut.
Various Artists - “Interpretations: Celebrating The Music Of Earth, Wind & Fire” (Stax) EWF’s status as one of the finest R&B bands ever is acknowledged and honored on this excellent tribute album. Chaka Khan, a peer of EWF, kicks things off with a funky-diva take on the group’s first number one hit, “Shining Star.” From there, some of the leading lights of the neo-soul movement take over. The Randy Watson Experience featuring Bilal thrill with their hot, live sound on “Can’t Hide Love,” while vocalist Dwele’s relaxed take on “That’s The Way Of The World” soothes the soul. Lalah Hathaway pours her honeyed voice over “Love’s Holiday,” one of EWF’s sexiest grooves. Most fitting, Mint Condition, the Minneapolis-based group that has near singlehandedly kept the ’70s tradition of R&B bands alive, delivers a great version of “After The Love Is Gone.” The album closes with a fierce “Fantasy,” reinterpreted here as a funky anti-Iraq War anthem by bisexual icon Meshell Ndegeocello.
Victor Calderone - “Evolve” (Ultra) Superstar DJ/remixer Victor Calderone packages his roving, wildly popular Evolve parties into single-serving form on his latest continuous mix album. Before introducing the monthly phenomenon, Calderone’s signature Tribal House sets rocked dancefloors at renowned club residencies at Miami’s Crobar and Montreal’s Stereo. His original productions (“Give It Up,” “Are You Satisfied?”) and remixes (Madonna, Beyoncé, Goldfrapp) set the standard for Tribal so it’s brilliant to get several exclusive mixes and edits among the 13 tracks on “Evolve.” From the album’s outset the thumping beats flow into the darkest corners of the club — taking listeners on a mind-bending journey through ecstatic peaks and prepare-yourself breakdowns, ending in total abandon. Somebody please book this guy in the Carolinas.
Sound byte: The Dixie Chicks’ haul at the Grammys last month — five wins, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year — was their reward for defiantly facing the conservative backlash that followed singer Natalie Maines’ anti-Bush statements in 2003. Out on DVD now is “Shut Up & Sing” (The Weinstein Co.), the critically acclaimed theatrical documentary that chronicles the three years they spent afterward recording, touring and sticking up for themselves. |
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