Sound Bites

 

Macy Gray “The Id” Epic Records

Musical oddity and funky dressing guru Macy Gray might just have
something with her new CD “The Id.” The album opens
with Gray’s staccato delivery of entertaining but absurd
lyrics ““ something about being related to a psychopath”“
to the background of a tasteful honky-tonk piano. Keep listening
and music fans will find that while all the tracks in her debut
album, with the exception of “I Try,” sounded much the
same, this new album kicks the variety up a notch. While the lyrics
are never explicitly clear about what she’s talking about,
the title of the album suggests the basic message to listeners
““ to be themselves. Or as Gray puts it, “Your mother
told you to keep your freak all to yourself, but your momma
lied.” Gray gets a little help from her friends in four of
the CD’s tracks. Slick Rick, Erykah Badu, Sunshine Anderson,
Angie Stone and Mos Def make appearances, adding their own flavor
to the existing 31 flavors of Gray’s work. “How Life
Is” fans may not love “The Id.” A lot of the
swingy kitsch found in the first album is replaced with a sassier,
more taunting style. “The Id” is good though, since
most of the tracks are a fun listen and while no one will claim
Gray is changing the world or even the world of music, the album is
worth getting for its groove and funkability.

Kelsey McConnell  

John Vanderslice “Time Travel Is Lonely”
Barsuk Records

John Vanderslice seems to be a guy in Antarctica who thinks
he’s a Britpop rockstar. Vanderslice’s new album
“Time Travel is Lonely,” is an amalgamation of sound
and lyrics that badly wants to make a point. With lyrics like
“how quivering and fierce we were, simmering like
birds,” Vanderslice shows that he is capable of poetry. 
Unfortunately the music and vocals are so overwhelming that they
don’t give the words enough space. The sounds created by the
heavy synthesized guitar and various percussion, are akin to
playing both a Sparklehorse and a Radiohead album simultaneously at
full volume. The first track on the album is so annoying,
you’ll feel guilty for liking the second song … but like it
you will.  The rest of the songs take getting used to, but by
the fourth listen, the album starts to grow on you. Vanderslice
starts a heady project in sampling lyrics from poets William Blake
and Robert Lowell, as well as piano from Brahms and harpsichord
from Bach. The liner notes aren’t the usual CD liner
note fare, reprinting letters written from Antarctica instead,
which flesh out the lyrics by adding some clarity to the isolation
which abounds in the album. John Vanderslice’s attempt to do
something a little different commands respect ““ too bad what
he actually does is ultimately pretentious and intermittently ugly
without just cause.

Kelsey McConnell   

Various Artists “50,000,000 DJ’s Can’t
Be Wrong: Volume One: Mixed Up Beats” Redline
Entertainment

For some listeners of urban music, the lines of what defines
hip-hop, trance, rave and high energy can be a bit confusing, if
not utterly indistinguishable. Listeners who are not too savvy
on the contemporary rave or club scene can still get a taste of
some of the musical offerings of contemporary dance music with the
CD “50,000,000 DJ’s Can’t Be Wrong- Volume One:
Mixed Up Beats.” As the subtitle suggests, this two-disc
compilation is littered with songs that showcase the diversity of
rave, hip-hop and club music through various musical
styles. Although this CD would most likely be best suited for
a DJ’s repertoire, there’s something on this collection
for every listener who enjoys hip-hop/dance music. Some of the
well-known artists on this CD set include: The Beastie Boys, Fatboy
Slim, Moby and the Chemical Brothers. However, even the
lesser-known artists serve up offerings that contend for
listeners’ head-nod of approval. The tracks on these albums
differ in sound and style, ranging from hip-hop and funk to rave
and dance music. However, the songs complement each other quite
well, allowing the listener a unique experience that would be best
matched by a trip to the next rave or dance club. “50,000,000
DJ’s Can’t Be Wrong” is an interesting CD with
many options for listeners who like to sample a vast array of dance
music. All of the tracks are lifted from earlier ““ but
relatively new ““ works by each artist, while slightly older
songs are remixed to give each song an additional twist. Take a
hint: if “50,000,000 DJ’s Can’t Be Wrong,”
then listeners should feel safe in their investment in this CD.

Abraham Cruz  

ressure 4-5 “Burning the Process” Dreamworks
Records

This album was going to be great. It could be great. It should
be better. Pressure 4-5, the young group of hard rockers from Santa
Barbara created quite a buzz around their hometown when they signed
a contract with Dreamworks Records. They were going to bring their
unique sound to the world and change the face of hard rock with
their debut album “Burning The Process.” Instead they
fell into many mainstream traps. The cover of the album is the
first hint ““ sure, their logo is cool, but the album cover
looks a little too nu-metal … a little too much like it could be
for bands like Papa Roach. But isn’t the old adage,
“Don’t judge a CD by its cover”? Fine, but the
next disappointment comes in the music. Some of it is great”“
a quick view of what was expected of Pressure 4-5 and why they were
so talked about. But for the most part, “Burning the
Process” falls short. Lead singer Adam Rich’s vocals
are a little flat, lacking depth. Rich has a unique voice, but it
remains too constant, too predictable, and it fails to break away
from droning. There are a few hot spots on “Burning the
Process,” and the album isn’t really bad”“ just a
disappointment.

Chris Moriates