[Urban]
Erykah Badu
New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War)
****
If we consider—as Erykah Badu insists we should—2003’s 50-minute Worldwide Underground an EP, then it has been nearly eight years since the neo-soulstress released her last full-length studio album, 2000’s divine Mama’s Gun. Given that time span, it’s not terribly surprising that Badu had so much to say on new project New Amerykah that she divided it into two LPs, current release 4th World War and follow-up Return of the Ankh, scheduled to arrive later this year.
Far from predictable, however, is the method by which the 37-year-old singer/songwriter has disseminated her thoughts. No simple collection of jazzy R&B tunes, 4th World War plays like a densely connected sonic quilt, in the tradition of such urban masterworks as Miles Davis’ On the Corner, Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly and Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet.
Opening cut “Amerykahn Promise,” a swirling blaxploitation throwback, wouldn’t sound out of place on one of Funkadelic’s zaniest ’70s discs, and from there, a pack of acclaimed hip-hop producers—Madlib, 9th Wonder, members of the Sa-Ra collective—guide Badu’s melodies on a hypnotic soul-funk trip. Madlib’s contributions, in particular, on “The Healer” and “My People,” blur the line between rediscovered and fresh, updating old-school psychedelia with contemporary beats and rhythms.
If 4th World War has a downside, it’s that the album’s textures are so mesmerizing, it’s easy to lose the thread of Badu’s words—no small crime considering she muses not just about love and happiness but also ruminates deeply on crime, religion, war, drugs and death. In the end, though, maybe that’s a positive, since it forcibly impels listeners to concentrate if they hope to fully experience one of 2008’s most significant releases. – Spencer Patterson
[Pop]
Janet Jackson
Discipline
** 1/2
After two commercially disappointing albums, Janet Jackson has switched labels and dumped longtime producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in yet another attempt to stage a comeback. The result is an improvement over her 2006 release 20 Y.O., but Discipline is still a far cry from Jackson’s classic work, and its of-the-moment sound (courtesy of producers Rodney Jerkins, StarGate, Ne-Yo, The-Dream and Jackson boyfriend Jermaine Dupri) often smacks of desperation.
The title and the cover image of Jackson in skintight bondage gear bring to mind the singer’s highly personal S&M-themed 1997 album The Velvet Rope, but most of Discipline is merely oversexed, and not terribly insightful. For the first time in years, Jackson receives no songwriting credits on the album, making the kinky, confessional title track (“Daddy, I disobeyed you/Now I want you to come punish me”) more than a little creepy.
At least it’s distinctive, though, which is more than you can say for most of the album. Lead single “Feedback” is so full of over-processed vocal effects that it could just as easily have been a Britney Spears or Ashlee Simpson song. The Jam-Lewis sound may be a bit outdated at this point, but it’s been Jackson’s signature for so long that she sounds lost without it. Discipline’s best tracks mix the modern digitized production with some old-fashioned dance-floor cheese: “2nite” is a perfect disco anthem, and “Never Letchu Go” is a lush, prom-ready ballad. They’re two infrequent reminders of the pop greatness of which Jackson is still occasionally capable. –Josh Bell
[Goth Rock]
Bauhaus
Go Away White
*** 1/2
For all of its influence on the gothic/dark-wave music scene, Bauhaus was never an easy band to swallow. Save for glammy covers of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” and T. Rex’s “Telegram Sam”—songs by two artists that heavily informed its aesthetic and sound—the U.K. quartet’s music was often claustrophobic and abstract, so desperate and desolate as to be an uncomfortable listen.
The uncompromising, hook-free Go Away White is a fitting addition to Bauhaus’ catalog (and an appropriate swan song, because the band has announced that it’s splitting after it releases the disc). White preserves the quartet’s sense of clawing doom, thanks to David J’s earth-splitting bass lines, grayscale guitar squalls from Daniel Ash and Peter Murphy’s lounge-singer-in-hell vocal theatrics. Highlight “The Dog’s a Vapour” is downright harrowing, a seven-minute tune driven by murky electronic beats, dive-bombing riffs and Murphy’s Bowie-like, shaky affectations, which crescendo to ghostly wails by the song’s end.
White does lighten up (somewhat) in spots: “Undone” is a dub-wave boogie with some fantastic, Gary Numan-esque synths, and “Mirror Remains” feels like a loose jam session beamed in from the Batcave; Murphy coughs in the middle and colloquially discusses the state of a guitar solo. And not everything works: The overly long “Saved” is bone-chilling but comes across like a bad slam-poetry entry. Still, White isn’t for the faint of heart—or for Hot Topic-brand goths. –Annie Zaleski
[Alt-Country]
Tift Merritt
Another Country
****
After wowing the critics with her 2002 debut, the country-tinged Bramble Rose, Tift Merritt shattered the girl-with-a-guitar stereotype on her second album, the funkified soul-fest that was Tambourine. Now she’s back, nearly four years later, with another gem, this time an elegant, more polished journey to her Americana roots.
During her hiatus, Merritt spent a soul-searching stretch living in Paris, where the bulk of Another Country came together, and her lyrics reflect an artist emerging from a period of desperation and confusion with a fully realized vision of her place in the world. “I Know What I’m Looking For Now” and “Morning Is My Destination” are beautifully simple tracks that illustrate the restorative powers of a little quality time alone with a piano and a notebook.
Merritt’s crystalline soprano is one of the hidden gems of the music world today, and Another Country is the perfect vehicle for her Emmylou pipes. Whether she’s putting a soulful tinge on “Tell Me Something True,” ringing out the tenderly precise phrases of “Broken” or fluttering along with the achingly gorgeous title track, it’s obvious that she’s found her voice in every sense of the word. With a solid backing band and a reputation for putting on sizzling live shows, Merritt continues to show why her star is rising in the alt-country world and beyond. –Patrick Donnelly
[Alt-Rock]
The Presidents of the United States of America
These Are the Good Times People
***
First off, who even knew the Seattle spazzes behind mid-’90s pop touchstones “Lump” and “Peaches” were back together (for a second time, no less)? Reunited they certainly are, though not much has changed: On its first effort in three years, the trio-turned-foursome continues walking the uniquely circuitous line between defiantly silly and strictly novelty.
Good Times comprises 14 surface-deep and for the most part light-hearted ditties about bugs, French girls, dirty butterflies, ghosts, balloons, turtles and romances between fish and birds. Even the few songs that address matters of the heart broach the subject by utilizing fire, bombs and social-networking sites as metaphors (“Flame Is Love,” “Warhead” and “Deleter,” respectively). The Presidents further defy being pinned down by experimenting with an array of styles including country, punk, funk, folk and swing, and they pull off the chameleon act impressively.
With an overabundance of catchy choruses but not much in the “meaning” department, it would be easy to dismiss Good Times as tweener fare or even They Might Be Giants-lite. Yet there’s an undeniable freedom that comes with thumbing one’s nose at convention, the one thing the band seems to take deadly seriously. Even if you can’t wholly admire the tunes, you’ve got to admire the attitude. – Julie Seabaugh