SOUTHBOUND
The Doobie Brothers (Sony Nashville/Arista)
Collaborations between contemporary country artists and classic rock stars have become commonplace over the years. But the Doobie Brothers, with their accent on catchy choruses, close harmonies and traditional influences, match up particularly well with Nashville stars.
The Doobies' new album, Southbound, features country stars such as the Zac Brown Band, Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, Toby Keith, and Blake Shelton joining the band on new versions of its best-known songs. However, the tracks were recorded by Nashville studio pros, with the Doobies — Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, John McFee, Patrick Simmons — and their guests providing lead vocals and harmonies.
The result sounds like what it is: talented folks recording on the fly and reading their parts. The songs come across as pieced together because they were.
A few tracks do jell: Tyler Farr brings a hard-rock edge that works well with the gospel harmonies on "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me)," Brad Paisley adds fiery licks to a juiced-up "Rockin' Down the Highway" and Amanda Sudano Ramirez of the indie duo Johnnyswim wails like an old-school soul queen on "You Belong to Me," which features Vince Gill on guitar.
The rest suffers from an emphasis on accommodating budgets and schedules rather than on the inspired spark of artistic collaboration.
— MICHAEL MCCALL, Associated Press
PAPERWORK
T.I. (Grand Hustle/Columbia)
Know what’s been great about T.I. since his start in the hip-hop game? Consistency. The Atlanta rapper, reality-show star, and record label owner has produced nothing but three-star albums, each with his low southern slur and compelling production. That’s helped make him the self-proclaimed King of the South. But consistency, when it becomes sameness, can also threaten a career. So with Paperwork, T.I shakes things up, taking his label to a new music company, and offering a vaguely conceptual album (supposedly the first installment of a trilogy) and an intoxicating set of noises and vocal tones.
His themes and poetry haven’t changed (although “New National Anthem” touches on gun control), but the actor within has opened T.I. to different voices. On “About That Money,” he sounds like a Kraftwerk bug. During “Jet Fuel,” T.I. adopts a higher pitch and sloppier delivery. He has never sounded sexier or more dangerous than he does in “At Ya Own Risk.” Bringing the noise is coproducer Pharrell Williams, who offers Diplo-like vibes, especially on “Oh Yeah,” in which T.I. spits, “suicide/ you should commit it/ save a G a life sentence,” like Robert Mitchum in the duskiest film noir.
— A.D. AMOROSI, , Philadelphia Inquirer
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1, SOUNDTRACK
Various artists (Republic Records)
It was only a matter of time before Lorde graduated from contributing a song for Catching Fire to taking over the soundtrack for the latest Hunger Games soundtrack in which the 18-year-old chanteuse curates a concoction of dark magic, enchanting tunes and revolutionary feelings. As the world of Katniss Everdeen gets darker with sacrifice, violence and revolt, in Mockingjay Part 1, the soundtrack follows suit with a medley of offbeat and oddly appealing synths, pianos,and guitars.
Lorde's own vocal touch appears in "Yellow Flicker Beat" as she growls her way through introspective chants. The eerie remix by Kanye West takes the original's chorus and slows it down to an ultrasound heartbeat. "Dead Air" by Chvrches speeds it up with Blade Runner-esque synths.
For the rest of the 14-track album, she enlists an unlikely collection of stars — Grace Jones, Simon LeBon, Chemical Brothers, Bat for Lashes, Pusha T nd Diplo,among others.
Whether it's a 1970s sampler mixed with dissonant drums like Grace Jones' "Original Beast," Chemical Brothers' catchy pop descent into madness in "This is Not a Game" or Major Lazer's dance beat "All My Love," there's always a unique hint of sinister bubbling underneath.
Tinashe's melodious "The Leap" and the playful piano of Charli XCX's "Kingdom" offer a short but needed respite in all the darkness. And when you manage to come up for air to get away from it, you feel the itch to go back under again for more sorcery.
— CRISTINA JALERU, Associated Press
First Published November 27, 2014, 5:00 a.m.
