Sea Change – Beck
Released Sept. 24
Beck fans will be surprised by his newest album Sea Change, as it’s nothing like his previous efforts. Not that consistency is one of Beck’s strongest traits, since his breakout slacker favorite “Loser” appeared on 1994’s Mellow Gold, it’s been a strange trip.
On his last CD, 1999’s Midnite Vultures, Beck put on a retro-lounge singer hat, much to the horror of fans and critics alike. Odelay, his sample-happy 1996 excursion, is Beck’s “two turntables and a microphone” crack at hip-hop meets jazz meets punk. 1998’s Mutations is still his best work, soul-baring and honest, but Sea Change gives it a run for it’s money.
Song titles such as “Lonesome Tears,” “Already Dead,” and “Lost Cause” give away the albums sad theme of lost love and stark reflections. The songs are gorgeous, even if the recurring theme of misery is hauntingly wretched.
Key tracks include the frank “Paper Tiger,” which describes self-discovery while driving alone in the desert and the gloomy “Round the Bend.” This is a break-up album to beat all break-up albums. Bleak and miserable, Sea Change is an album to listen to when your heart is broken and your world is turned into darkness.- Jeska Dzwigalski
Daylight – Duncan Sheik
Released Aug. 27
Daylight is the fourth studio album from the singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik, who is primarily known for his late 1990s breakout hit “Barely Breathing.” Last year’s largely ignored Phantom Moon was Sheik’s first album without his own lyrics, as he collaborated with New York playwright Steven Sater. This time around, Sheik writes all the music and lyrics, save for “Start Again,” written by his long time guitarist Gerry Leonard.
Sheik’s new set of songs opens with the radio-ready “Genius,” a soft pop song with a rock chorus. Daylight has some pleasantly surprising changes of direction from one of pop music’s best voices. He still writes the sorrow-filled ballads with intricate string arrangements, like “Half-Life,” in which he sings to a woman who has left him and begs for her return. But then on the current radio single, “On a High,” he uses a dance beat drum track for an up tempo song that shows a new direction for the 33-year-old songwriter.
Some of Sheik’s critics may complain he is trying too hard to be Nick Drake, and he just doesn’t have the same level of sorrow in his voice as the dead legend. But Drake is an acquired taste, and likewise so is Duncan Sheik. There are very few artists in today’s pop music industry that sing with the same smooth mellowness that Sheik has throughout his career. There are even fewer out there that can write good tunes to match.
Sheik is planning a tour with Ben Folds this fall, with dates to be announced in the near future. – Nicholaus Biela
Eve-Olution – Eve
Released Aug. 27
Is Eve’s new CD truly revolutionary? Well, the short answer is “no” and the longer answer is “well…”
In her third and newest album Eve-Olution, Eve Jeffers, better known as ‘Eve,’ tries to put forth her image as a star music icon. True, she has won several awards for her past work, including a Grammy for “Blow Ya Mind.” But as promoting herself as the next “new, cool thing” in music essentially negates her freshness and commodity.
Whether or not she has merited this lofty position, her album focuses on her new identity. Her music reflects much of the frustration that accompanies fame. She’s confident she can now assert her independence, but she is still very connected to her pre-success way of life. Her ever-changing style reveals how she has grown in popularity and prominence. She has a unique look that says simply, “I’m here.”
But aside from the title misnomer, the album has strength. Her sound combines rap, R&B, and hip-hop, appealing to a much wider audience. The songs have a great beat and are memorable. In fact I found myself singing “Party In The Rain” all day long – much to the chagrin of my roommate. I believe there are many tracks that could become singles.
Though she has some catchy tunes, her sound isn’t really all that unique. Many other artists span the pop/hip-hop bridge. At times, the “poppy” feel of it actually made me wonder if I was actually listening to a mislabeled Destiny’s Child CD. The act of evolution implies a progression to something better or different, but she’s digressed to something much more conventional instead.
Eve-Olution contains some dialogue tracks for a bit of variety. And there are guest artists like Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg. And Alicia Keys joins Eve in the hit single “Gangsta Lovin’.”
– Emily Petro
