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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Jun 30, 2010
Joan Armatrading performs at the Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood in Madison, July 28, 8 p.m. Call 608-241-2435.
Toni Braxton
Once you get past the lifted Leona Lewis energy of “Yesterday” and the borrowed Beyoncé spirit of “Make My Heart” and “Lookin’ At Me,” Toni Braxton’s eagerly anticipated comeback record “Pulse” (Atlantic) can’t be beat. Not that there’s anything wrong with the aforementioned tunes. In fact, they prove that Braxton is capable of being a musical chameleon. It’s obvious that she hasn’t lost her touch with soulful ballads, as you can hear on “Why Won’t You Love Me,” “If I Have To Wait,” “No Way,” and the title cut.
Macy Gray
Possessing a voice (and a style) as distinctive as any of her contemporaries, Macy Gray has spent the last 10 years trying to make a record that equals her phenomenal 1999 debut “On How Life Is.” “The Sellout” (Concord) may not be that record, but it’s every bit as good as 2007’s should-have-been-bigger “Big” disc. The raucous and righteous “Kissed It,” on which Gray is joined by Velvet Revolver (!), sounds like a comeback single if ever there was one. Also a pleasure is the hand-clapping/foot-stomping pseudo spiritual of “Beauty In The World” and the gospel funk of “Help Me,” the batty tail-feather shaker “That Man,” the dizzying effect of “On & On” and fittingly titled “The Comeback.”
Erykah Badu
The second in an ongoing series by Erykah Badu, “New Amerykah, Part Two: Return of the Ankh” (Universal Motown) is less mind-bending than its predecessor, but no less mind-expanding. The retro soul of “Window Seat” and “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” remind us of why we first fell so hard for Badu. The thick beat of “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long” sounds a little more modern, but no less timeless, while the cosmic epic “Out My Mind, Just In Time” is in a category unto itself.
Janelle Monáe
Like Badu, the gifted Janelle Monáe delights in stretching the boundaries of 21st-century soul music on her full-length debut “The Archandroid” (Bad Boy/Wondaland/Atlantic), an ambitious concept album. Whether or not you choose to indulge in the storyline, you will nevertheless be dazzled at every turn. From the retro disco of “Locked Inside” to the Julee Cruise vibe of “Sir Greendown” and the enticing funk of “Tightrope,” Monáe makes an indelible impression, and that isn’t even the half of it. She’s equally at home in the acoustic (“Oh, Maker”), psychedelic (“Mushrooms & Roses”), jazz vocal (“Say You’ll Go”) and dance (“Make The Bus”) spheres. An astounding and unforgettable debut!
Leela James
Even though she’s a few years shy of 30, and “My Soul” (Stax) is only Leela James’ third studio disc. But when this rising retro-soul diva sings about paying her dues with such conviction in opener “I Ain’t New To This,” it’s hard to dispute her claim. To her credit, that same passion infiltrates every number, including “The Fact Is,” “I Want It All,” “Tell Me You Love Me,” “If It’s Wrong” and “It’s Over,” despite the fact that James worked with an array of producers. Fortunately, James is enough of a grounding force that the whole thing comes together in a solidly soulful way.
Joan Armatrading
As her sizable GLBT following can attest, Joan Armatrading has been blending soul, folk and island-inflected music for nearly 40 years. Her latest, “This Charming Life”( 429), is a massive improvement over the misstep of her previous all-blues disc and serves as a reminder of the best aspects of her highly regarded mid-1970s to mid-1980s output. Utterly charming tracks include the title tune, “Two Tears,” “Goddess of Change,” “Cry” and “Love Love Love.”
Gil Scott-Heron
On “I’m New Here” (XL), his first studio recording in more than 15 years, soulful sage Gil Scott-Heron merges soul-stirring blues and spoken word into one of the most riveting discs of the year. With the personal poetic expression of “On Coming From A Broken Home (Part 1),” Scott-Heron sets the tone for the revelations to follow. A jarring and very modern reading of Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil” precedes the title track, on which Scott-Heron conjures Leonard Cohen. The sincerity of “I’ll Take Care of You” is one of the warmest moments on the album, while the chill of “New York Is Killing Me” is a case of cold hard blues.
Bobby McFerrin
The timing of Bobby McFerrin’s new album “VocaBuLarieS” (Emarcy) couldn’t be better, considering the popularity of choral sitcom “Glee” and a cappella music in general. On “VocaBuLarieS,” McFerrin is joined by “50 amazing singers,” including Janis Siegel (of Manhattan Transfer), Lisa Fischer (who can also be heard on the Rolling Stones’ “Exile On Main Street” reissue), out lesbian Rhiannon and Brazilian jazz vocalist Luciana Souza, among many others. Although there’s nothing as commercial as his 1988 smash hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” the seven tracks will nevertheless delight listeners.
Al Jarreau and Cassandra Wilson
Collections by Al Jarreau and Cassandra Wilson, respectively, focus on the jazz influence in soul music. Jarreau’s “The Very Best of: An Excellent Adventure” (Warner Brothers/Reprise/Rhino) includes his theme song for the 1980s TV series “Moonlighting,” as well as hits such as “We’re In This Love Together” and “After All,” as well as the new track “Excellent Adventure,” among others. Wilson’s “Closer To You: The Pop Side” (Blue Note) compiles 11 selections from six of her albums on which she applies her distinctive interpretive skills to songs by U2 (“Love Is Blindness”), Cyndi Lauper (“Time After Time”), The Monkees (“Last Train To Clarksville”), The Band (“The Weight”), Ann Peebles (“I Can’t Stand The Rain”) and Neil Young (“Harvest Moon”), to mention a few.
“Soul Revival”
The NPR Discover Songs comp “Soul Revival” (Shout Factory) draws our ears to the new class of soul stirrers, including The Revelations, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Eli “Paperboy” Reed and Raphael Saadiq. The set also respectfully includes selections by old school soul legends who have made recent well-received returns to the fold, including Bettye LaVette, Chaka Khan (with Mary J. Blige) and Candi Staton, among others.
