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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Apr 7, 2011
Sharon Van Etten performs on April 7 at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and on April 8 at UW-Madison. – Photo: Courtesy
Adele
Adele (Adkins) effortlessly avoids the sophomore slump with her dynamic second disc “21” (XL/Columbia). Sounding like she has more in common with Alison Moyet than Amy Winehouse (with whom she has often been compared), Adele rocks the listener’s world with the righteous opener “Rolling In the Deep” and follows up with the mesmerizing “Rumor Has It.” The piano ballad “Turning Tables” has classic written all over it and could easily become a standard, while the twangy torch numbers “Don’t You Remember” and “One and Only” have crossover potential. The dramatic centerpiece “Take It All” is the kind of chest-thumping tune that makes drag queens foam at the mouth.
Lykke Li
If you are expecting more of the same of what made Lykke Li’s debut such a memorable disc, then you are in for a surprise on second album “Wounded Rhymes” (Atlantic/LL). Casting aside the more ethereal electro and giddily girly components for a more mature and poised persona, Lykke Li might send some listeners running for cover with the slamming garage-pop of “Youth Knows No Pain,” “Rich Kids Blues” and “Get Some.” But rest assured that while she can’t be faulted for wanting to expand her following, she understands loyalty and rewards existing fans with “I Follow Rivers,” “Love Out of Lust” and “I Know Places.”
Priscilla Ahn
On her 2008 debut disc, Priscilla Ahn came off as a throwback to the singer/songwriters of the early 1970s. Ahn considers her new disc “When You Grow Up” (Blue Note) to be proof of her growth as a songwriter and performer. And she’s right. To begin with, she’s found some groovy collaborators in Eleni Mandell (on “Oo La La”), Inara George (“City Lights (Pretty Lights)”) and Sia Furler (“I Will Get Over You”). Solo compositions such as “Cry Baby,” “Lost Cause” and “Torch Song” also live up to Ahn’s claim.
Rachel Goodrich
As playful debuts go, they don’t come much more fun-filled than Rachel Goodrich’s aptly named 2008 disc “Tinker Toys.” But like Priscilla Ahn’s aforementioned new album, Goodrich’s eponymous second disc on West London is a great leap forward. Goodrich is in motion right from the start on “Morning Light.” She exhibits maturity in songs such as “Fire,” the gorgeous “Let Me Go,” “Walk Away” and “PopsicIes.” But Goodrich hasn’t lost her spirit of fun, as you can hear on “Easier Said Than Done,” “Na Na Na,” “G-Dino” and the toe-tapper “Hold On.”
Sharon Van Etten
Super popular with the hipster kids, Sharon Van Etten calls her second album “Epic” (Ba Da Bing). That might seem like a strange name for a seven-song disc, but with a full band behind her on most of the songs, the title makes some sense. Although it plays less than three minutes, the folk-rocker “Peace Signs” feels substantial. Like Adele, Van Etten ventures into country territory on the heartstring plucker “Save Yourself.” “Dsharpg” is the longest and most experimental track and might not be ever one’s cup of G, but “Don’t Do It” is more accessible.
Lenka
Lenka had her work cut out for her when it came to following up her self-titled 2008 debut disc. Lenka was up to the task, as is evident on her second album “Two” (Epic). The foot-stomping title track gets things off to a good start, and the upbeat rhythms continue on “Heart Skips a Beat,” the optimistic wonder of “Sad Song” and the dance-floor-destined “Shock Me Into Love.” Lenka’s also succeeds when she slows things down, as on “Blinded By Love” and “Here To Stay.”
Samantha Crain
Samantha Crain didn’t let too much time pass between the release of her full-length debut disc and its follow-up “You (Understood)” (Ramseur). Of the artists mentioned here, Crain sounds like she has the most musically in common with Van Etten. Backed by a different band than on her previous album, Crain navigates a course between the acoustic (“We Are The Same”) and electric (“Two-Sidedness”) landscapes of the disc.
Shilpa Ray
On “Teenage and Torture” (Knitting Factory), her second disc with her band The Happy Hookers, Shilpa Ray sounds like she could be the love child of Blondie-era Debbie Harry and Patti Smith. Raw and rocking, these 10 blues-bruised tracks get under your skin and raise your body temperature a few degrees. If the online-sex opus “Hookers” and the “Lemon pledged and Massengill douched” “Venus Shaver” are too much for you, the heavenly “Heaven In Stereo” is downright accessible. But don’t get too comfortable, because “Stick It To The Woman” is a painful dose of reality. Bring your own bandages.
