Asia (1 star)
Silent Nation
Ah, those heady days of 1982. England and Argentina were at war over a bunch of rocks mostly populated by sheep, the solidarity movement was gaining ground in Poland, presaging the eventual fall of the Soviet Union, and a little guy named ET introduced the world to Reese's Pieces.
More importantly, the prog-rock super-group Asia formed to combat the rising tide of new wave music by bands like Duran Duran. It was comprised of Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer), Steve Howe (Yes), Geoff Downes (The Buggles, Yes) and John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep). Their self-titled debut album was a hit, with top singles "Heat Of The Moment," "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor." But the next two albums, Alpha and Astra, each did progressively worse, fulfilling many critics' predictions and the band began to go through a series of lineup changes, at one point being reduced to only Downes.
Now they're back, with Downes, John Payne (who replaced Wetton in '91), Chris Slade and Guthrie Govan (both found during the recording of Aura in 1999, technically the group's seventh release). But has the time passed for this progressive rock band?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, also.
Silent Nation sounds as if recorded right on the heels of Asia, circa 1983. But it's not even that good. Unfortunately, the tunes are more like a really bad Foreigner tribute band hired to play the background music to Eddie and The Cruisers III. The lyrics are even cornier, with lines like, "Fire water in the blood / Took away their livelihood / Giving thanks every single year" in "Long Way From Home." Some might admire Asia for keeping its sound the same, but the shelf life for this product is long past due.
Tift Merritt (4 stars)
Tambourine
Two years ago, Tift Merritt released Bramble Rose, a mostly acoustic, twangy alt-country album produced by Ethan Johns, who's worked with alt-country luminaries like Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris. It was a showcase for Merritt's warm voice and promising skills as a songwriter, but did nothing to explore beyond the sometimes rote confines of the genre.
With her second album, Tambourine, Merritt teams up with Black Crowes producer George Drakoulias and opens up her sound tremendously, still grounded in country but exploring soul, rock and blues sounds that have drawn comparisons to Dusty Springfield. The quiet country ballads of Bramble Rose are still here, but what really sets Tambourine apart are horn-drenched soul songs like "Good Hearted Man" and "Your Love Made a U-Turn," and Tom Petty-esque roots rockers like "Wait It Out" and "Late Night Pilgrim."
Merritt still has the warm voice and the songwriting skills, but here she finally seems like she's able to put them to use. Tambourine may not be country enough to be considered a country record, but it has more than enough strengths to be considered a great one.
Lisa Loeb (3 stars)
The Way It Really Is
A lot has happened to Lisa Loeb since she released Cake and Pie in 2002. She's jumped record labels twice, put out a children's album with former music partner Elizabeth Mitchell, had her own cooking show and broken up with longtime boyfriend Dweezil Zappa. The Way It Really Is, Loeb's fourth proper album, sounds like the work of a woman who's been through some changes. Gone for the most part are Cake and Pie's big guitars (many courtesy of Zappa) and layered production. While there are upbeat, catchy songs like "I Control the Sun" and "Fools Like Me," there are at least as many sparse, acoustic numbers with bittersweet lyrics, reminiscent of "Stay," Loeb's one big hit, from 1994.
Although much of The Way It Really Is was written before Loeb's split with Zappa, it plays like a breakup album, and some of the sunny, poppy sound of Loeb's past work is definitely missed. But she's always been just as good at quiet melancholy, and if there's a bit too much wallowing here, it doesn't seriously detract from what is still a nice little folk-pop album.