Tom Wolfe was wrong. You can go home again - as long as you're also focused on the present. And that's exactly what Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash do on "Back to Now," the trio's first album in about 33 years as LaBelle.
Teaming with top producers, the girls recapture the genre-defying trademark sound that made these "Nightbirds" the darlings of the '70s.
The ladies sing of love and newfound independence, the system's ills, and they even deliver some social commentary. If they tend at times to over-sing, that's OK. If there's an occasional misstep like the commercial hit-grabbing attempt of "Rollout" featuring Wyclef Jean, that's OK, too.
Lenny Kravitz knows how to produce the trio: Catch the soaring vocals on "Candlelight," a Hendryx tune. The girls rock out on Mother's Finest's "Truth Will Set You Free" and are ever-soulful on "Without You in My Life."
There's a serious side, too - namely socially conscious "Tears for the World" about the world starving, less fortunate, etc., and "Dear Rosa," a tribute to civil rights legend Rosa Parks.
LaBelle still soars.
- Marvin Leon Lake
LaBelle: "Back to Now"
Rating: Download a few tracks
Tracks to download: "Candlelight," "Without You in My Life," "Tear for the World"
"That Lucky Old Sun" finds Brian Wilson, the fragile muse behind The Beach Boys, revisiting the sunny vista he has long made his own: California circa 1961, and the dark times that followed. That place is long gone, and so, you could argue, is anything truly new from Wilson.
Working with lyricists Scott Bennett and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson sings of his native state with a shimmering slice of pop in "Morning Beat." The other songs seem less glorious and sometimes embarrassing, especially the trite "Mexican Girl." The album gets more interesting as the concerns turn inward. On the graceful "Midnight's Another Day" he admits there are "chapters missing, pages torn." Ultimately, he finds his way through, closing with the hopeful "Going Home."
The album is not the stunning statement a la The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" or "Smile," but it's a surprisingly strong one nonetheless. Wilson's rich vocal harmonies, catchy pop melodies and hopeful, sunny disposition will leave you with a warm feeling inside.
- Larry Printz, The Pilot
Brian Wilson: "That Lucky Old Sun"
Rating: Download a few tracks
Tracks to download: "Morning Beat," "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl," "Midnight's Another Day"
Little Big Town did not invent harmony, but it certainly has improved it. Witness "A Place to Land," which should land in a place in your record collection.
Lots of good stuff, but let us concentrate on the final cut, an absolute gem called "Life in a Northern Town." It was originally written and performed in 1985 by The Dream Academy, a British folk-rock group.
This year the fascinating song was recorded by both Sugarland and Little Big Town.
Of course, there must be songs about broken hearts, a familiar country theme that is more prevalent these days as singers pour their hearts out while going autobiographical.
One of the more fascinating is "You're Gonna Love Me," which includes the line "You're gonna hate me." That's running the relationship gamut.
Another love song is "Firebird Fly," a love song to a Pontiac. Another popular theme these days is abuse. The Little Big Town contribution is a good one. "Evangeline" lets us know, "you don't have to be kicked to be abused" and/or "you don't have to be cut to be scarred." It is a song that builds in intensity as it goes along.
- Frank Roberts
Little Big Town: "A Place to Land"
Rating: Download a few tracks
Tracks to download: "Life in a Northern Town," "Evangeline," "Good Lord Willing"
As he's demonstrated for more than 30 years, West Coast artist Joe Louis Walker continues to be a triple-threat performer, adept at searing vocals, rootsy original songs and a taut, stinging guitar style. All that's in full evidence on "Witness to the Blues," his debut for Canada's Stony Plain blues label lovingly produced by master guitarist Duke Robillard.
Backed by a crack Stony Plain house band anchored by the solid keyboard underpinnings of Bruce Katz, JLW plies his expressive soulful Otis Redding-style voice and razor guitar riffs over a body of mainly original songs.
The hour session opens with a spirited, horn-fueled soul workout using a riff "borrowed" from Sly Stone. Arrangements are kept in a straightforward Stax/Volt style eschewing any boring "American Idol" pop slickness or modern synths and effects. A highlight is "Lover's Holiday," a steaming duet between JLW and Shemekia Copeland that recalls the legendary collaborations between Redding and Carla Thomas.
A "Witness to the Blues"? Sure enough, but here Walker also offers heated testimonies to soul, jazz and R&B.
- Eric Feber, The Pilot
Joe Louis Walker: "Witnes to the Blues"
Rating: Go get it now
Tracks to download: "It's a Shame," "Highview," "Rollin'& Tumblin' "
Michelle Williams debuted as a member of Destiny's Child. Back then, she usually got stuck singing the bridge. When the trio dissolved, she turned to gospel. After two solo projects, she's gone secular again. What's with the back and forth? "Unexpected" will leave you wondering if this is the same Michelle fans have come to know over the years.
Williams taps into a younger demo with fluffy dance tunes and a digitized voice that doesn't even sound like her. "Hello Heartbreak," the first full song on the project, sets the stage for the 13-track release with hurried, manufactured beats that overshadow the lyrics. Williams hits her first winning patch with "We Break the Dawn," a tale about partying long enough to shut the club down. Williams has a pretty decent ballad run with "Lucky Girl" and "The Greatest" before things get a little bland. "Stop This Car" finds the singer reduced to an annoying whine as she complains about her inattentive man.
The album is definitely worth a listen. It's not a total loss, it's just, well, unexpected.
- DeAnne M. Bradley, Link
Michelle Williams: "Unexpected"
Rating: Download a few tracks
Tracks to download: "Hello Heartbreak," "We Break the Dawn" (featuring Flo Rida), "The Greatest"
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