SOUNDCHECK

Prince


3121 (4 stars)

For all his varieties of success, fame and fashion, Prince's sound hasn't changed much over the years: masterfully melded rock/soul/R&B/funk (and obsessive and awkward stabs at rap) backed by sharp guitar and fronted by a voice that switches between screams and a seductive falsetto. 3121 sounds identical to the best of Prince's forgotten three-disc Emancipation from a decade ago, which in turn sounds identical to his work from the '80s—on the title track, he even makes a key reference to the Berlin Wall. Prince lacks new ideas and has for a while.

He was a songwriting genius, too, and at one time he pounded out classic hit after hit. Yet, even in his prime, he was also capable of flaccid and endless vamps that seemed as pointless as his movies. So, while Prince was a major talent, his career was ruined by his remarkable productivity when—and you can argue the year—he stopped knowing the difference between his good and bad work. All of this is to say, as with 2004's Musicology before it, this second edition of Prince's comeback is more a triumph of editing than a return of inspiration: a dozen prime Prince tracks—filler removed—that are all worth hearing.

Half a decade has passed since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs burst onto the scene with a manic live show and a promising five-song EP, and the Brooklyn trio has yet to deliver on its vast potential.

Debut full-length Fever to Tell—released amid fervent expectations in 2003—feels patently over-considered, each Karen O squeal, Nick Zinner guitar trill and Brian Chase cymbal crash placed just so, stripping vibant tunes of their immediacy and impact.

Those excesses are thankfully absent on this follow-up, which, on first listen, sounds like a winner, an enjoyable ride with lots of hummable hooks. Spin it again, though, and it's apparent a key ingredient has gone mising: passion. Sure, tunes like "Gold Lion," "Phenomena" and "Cheated Hearts" are catchy and pleasant, but they're hardly mind-blowing. Among the 11 cuts, only the raw, growling "Fancy" makes a lasting impression, leaving longtime fans wondering what became of the cockiness of "Art Star" or the fury of "Miles Away," two songs from an eponymous EP that's starting to sound as if it was recorded by an entirely different band.

Mates of State should write the soundtrack for CuteOverload.com. They're like that kitten that sits on your stomach for hours purring, or two young children waiting for their father to get home from work, so they can go, "Daddy, Daddy, I had the best day at school! ..." Their words compete for attention as they suck all the air out of the room, but together they tell a lovely story.

Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel make every moment matter by jamming plus-size joy into each note. Their lush songs sound like they've been through a supercollider. She plays organ and he drums, and their instruments and voices bounce like Steve Nash. They sing and scream with each other, at each other, over each other. On songs like "Beautiful Dreamer" it's hard to imagine another married couple as happy or functional. They're goddamn cute, yes, and when they overload, it's a little like Will Ferrell in Elf, bellowing, I love you! I LOVE you! I LOVE YOU! Whether you wanted to hug his character (I did) or throttle him will give you a good idea of whether you'll like Mates of State.