Van Morrison loses his way on ‘Pay the Devil’

SOUND BITES: AUDIO REVIEWS

updated 1:09 p.m. ET March 8, 2006

Van Morrison tries his hand at roadhouse blues on “Pay the Devil” while Pink Floyd's David Gilmour plays “On an Island.”

Van Morrison, “Pay the Devil”
Of all classic-rock singers, Van Morrison and his elastic, emotion-rich voice may be the best suited for country songs. So it’s logical that after albums of Celtic, skiffle, jazz, old-time rock, R&B and Mose Allison songs, the legendary Irishman known as the Belfast Cowboy would get around to honky tonk and roadhouse blues, as he does on “Pay the Devil.”

Unfortunately, “Pay the Devil” suffers from too many lightweight, by-the-numbers covers and too few tunes where Morrison reworks the tunes to find their emotional core. He takes on three songs associated with Hank Williams and three with ’50s rhinestone star Webb Pierce, but each suffers from overly reverent arrangements that sound dashed off.

He fares better on three new songs, especially the title tune and “This Has Got to Stop,” a reminder that Morrison is at best at communicating his personal struggles with love and the modern world.

Give him a mournful country blues like Rodney Crowell’s great “’Til I Gain Control Again” or George Jones’ hit “Things Have Gone to Pieces,” and he shows what could have been if he’d spent more time finding songs that fit his talent.
—Michael McCall

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, “Ballad of the Broken Seas”
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan — the former cellist/vocalist of Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian and the former frontman of Seattle grunge group Screaming Trees, respectively — seem an unlikely pop pairing. Their debut disc has garnered favorable U.K. notice invariably referencing Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood in keeping with Campbell’s acknowledged debt to the classic 1960s duo.

But Campbell-Lanegan is much darker stuff, minus their role models’ vocal sparkle and soul. Song titles like “Scarborough Fair” soundalike “Black Mountain” (sung solo by Campbell) and “The False Husband” hint at typically bleak subject matter, the latter track resembling a portentous Angelo Badalamenti-David Lynch collaboration. In such context, the voices juxtapose well: Lanegan’s tired, Leonard Cohen-like low murmur and Campbell’s high, feathery whisper. But she can get so wispy that on the sweetly melancholic “Saturday’s Gone” (another solo outing), the words are barely discernible.

She also borders on intolerably cute in her breathy counterpoint to Lanegan’s lead on an alt-country cover of Hank Williams “Ramblin’ Man.” But she has an undeniable charm, and the songs (most of them are her originals) have sparing, acoustic-oriented arrangements that are certainly pretty enough. Best is “Honey Child What Can I Do?” which is buttressed by a string orchestration recalling an Elmer Bernstein western score.
—Jim Bressman

David Gilmour, “On an Island”
Since “On an Island” is David Gilmour’s first solo album since 1984’s “About Face” (and first studio recording since Pink Floyd’s 1994 “The Division Bell”), his label — perhaps wanting to jog the memory of music fans — is selling the point that he’s “the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd.”

No need to worry: “On an Island” matches up with the best of Floyd — unlike “Ca Ira,” last years operatic effort from the groups departed founding member Roger Waters.

The opening foghorn sound and billowing, classical-tinged overture herald the album’s aquatic undercurrents, and lead into an atmospheric title track buoyed by the familiar backup voices of David Crosby and Graham Nash. Present, too, are Pink Floyd’s organist Richard Wright and early guitarist Rado Klose; broadening this Floyd stylistic base are co-producer Phil Manzanera (Roxy Musics guitarist) and orchestrator Zbigniew Preisner, the renowned Polish film composer.

“The Blue,” then, offers a languorous seascape, while instrumental “Then I Close My Eyes” dreamily employs dobro-like Hawaiian guitar, cornet and even glass harmonica. “Take a Breath” starts a three-song centerpiece with Gilmour’s guitar play emptying into his jazzy saxophone instrumental “Red Sky at Night,” which in turn flows into the bluesy “This Heaven.”

The ironically titled finisher “Where We Start” caps Gilmours auspicious return with an airy melody and time-themed, Floyd-worthy lyrics.
—Jim Bressman

Goldfrapp, “Supernature”
If you’re looking for the best the world of electronica has to offer, look no further than Goldfrapp. The English duo, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, surpasses all expectations with their latest album “Supernature,” powered by smart lyrics weaved among lush melodies.

Goldfrapp is plenty big in Britain, and have already watched this album debut at No. 2 on charts there. But American audiences too should appreciate this hipster-paced approach to electronic music that comes close to the noisy chaos of the electro clash genre — without giving in to the useless experimentation that many fall prey to.

On “Ooh La La,” Goldfrapp’s sexy vocals ooze through the speakers and seduce the listener in a dreamy disco-esque haze. “Switch me on, turn me up/ Oh child of Venus you’re just made for love,” Goldfrapp sings, while deeply fuzzed, electronic synthesizer keeps up behind her.

She’s upbeat on the dance tracks, but Goldfrapp shows she can handle the down-tempo stuff perfectly as well. On “Time Out From The World,” her voice is blissful and blends beautifully with the soaring, spacey arrangement.

The instrumentals are so well constructed, Goldfrapp’s vocals are like a tasty cherry on top of an already very edible sundae. With apologies to Madonna, electronic music hasn’t had it this good with a front woman since Berlin’s Terri Nunn.

“Supernature” is one the young year’s best releases.
—Ron Harris

Neko Case, “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
The smoky alto of chanteuse Neko Case would be right at home in a nightclub or honky tonk. The young lady can sing nearly anything — even mediocre pop songs, which is what she does on “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.”

As the title suggests, Case sometimes tries too hard. Often shunning the typical verse-chorus song structure, she presents 12 original tunes that go beyond quirky to off-kilter and plain annoying, much like the decision to index the CD into 99 cuts — and the display rises steadily as each song plays. (Good luck finding a particular track.)

At times Case sounds as though she’s singing in a well, which is bad, because with a sultry voice that can make knees buckle and spines shiver, she requires no such studio trickery.

Case’s voice is so appealing that she can pull off a line like, “They placed an ingot in her breast to burn cool and collected.” She shines brightest on “Hold On, Hold On” and “The Needle Has Landed,” country-tinged songs that verge on being catchy, while the gospel tune “John Saw That Number” lacks only a snappy bass to become a crowd pleaser.

One verse of “Maybe Sparrow” showcases Case at full throttle. It’s enthralling, and a reminder of what’s missing elsewhere. Case the writer needs to give Case the singer better material.
—Steven Wine

MORE FROM ALBUM REVIEWS

Jonas Brothers, J.J. Cale have new CDs

Jonas Brothers, J.J. Cale have new CDs Morrissey, M. Ward have new CDs Franz Ferdinand, Dierks Bentley have new CDs Springsteen, Animal Collective have new CDs Review: Springsteen’s new ‘Dream’ rings hollow Jamie Foxx, Keyshia Cole have new CDs Common, Barry Manilow have new CDs   Add Album reviews headlines to your news reader: