Stone solid as a rock
on 'Mind, Body & Soul'

SOUND BITES: Audio reviews

updated 6:36 p.m. ET Sept. 27, 2004

Joss Stone offers up herself up "Mind, Body & Soul" on her sophomore disc, Interpol goes a lighter shade of black on "Antics" and Mark Knopfler looks for "Shangri-La" in this week's new releases.

“Mind, Body & Soul,” Joss Stone
Oh, what feeling there is during “Mind, Body & Soul,” Joss Stone’s follow-up to her debut EP, a compilation of soulful covers.

The not-so-pop singer finds the emotional climax in every song on the 14-track disc. Her husky voice is both eloquent and vulnerable, more Taylor Dane than Mariah Carey. And Stone’s vocal acrobatics are intentional, not showy. This — combined with her honest lyrics — creates an atmosphere of authenticity.

“Mind, Body & Soul” recalls ’70s soul, but it isn’t a trip to the past. There are musical and lyrical traces of 2004 from sleek R&B beats to gratuitous iPod references.

“You Had Me,” the most upbeat track on the CD, is a sassy disco-ish rallying call against a moocher and a scumbag, probably best played while dizzyingly tossing your ex’s stuff out the nearest window. A plucky harp adds another dimension to “Snakes and Ladders.” “Less is More” is hypnotic, infused with reggae rhythms and a sturdy chorus.

The oh-so-mature lyrics beat anything an “American Idol” could conjure. Probably because Stone is English. She chants about love and vodka, which is surprising considering she’s only 17. But with behind-the-scenes help from soulster Betty Wright and her own mum, Stone is free to travel outside PG-13 territory.

However, Stone lyrically skips during faint but frequent references to stone. You know, rocks. That’s right, Stone tells us in song that she’s “not made of stone” and doesn’t want “no stones outside my window.” It’s a trite reminder that Stone has room to grow.

The sheer power of her voice and command of it make such small mistakes forgivable. During the opening track, she croons, “I might be singing out of key, but it sure feels good to me.”

Well, she isn’t singing out of key. And it doesn’t feel good. It’s feels great.
— Derrik J. Lang

“Antics,” Interpol
Up to the same “Antics” the second time around, Interpol’s sophomore release was purported to be lighter than its dim predecessor. The difference in mood however, is subtle — like a lighter shade of black.

The downtrodden “Next Exit” ignites the dirge with Paul Banks singing “Do this thing with me/Instead of tying on a tight one/Tonight,” like he’s about to self-destruct. Titles like “Narc” and “A Time To Be So Small” and the lyrics “Your making people’s lives feel less private” further depict an atmosphere of discontent.

Though nothing here is as immediately striking as “Obstacle 2” from their debut album, “Turn on the Bright Lights,” but “Antics” works better as a whole. Daniel Kessler’s crisp guitar lines chime like ringing ears and dart around like tempered mood swings. The precise rhythm section of bassist Carlos D. and drummer Sam Fogarino keep everything orderly, remaining composed even when things turn wicked. It also lends a placidity to the recording not heard on “Turn on ... .”

The anthemic “Slow Hands” sets the bar with the band coming off like some sort of gothic Strokes or a hook-obsessed Sonic Youth. To dub it anthemic is a bit misleading though, as Interpol only seems to write anthems.

Other bright spots include the evil, tangling guitar that fades out “Public Pervert” and Banks whispering “Oh, how I love you in the evening when we are sleeping” in his ominous baritone. The apathetic prose and almost angelic guitars that adorn “Not Even Jail” may one day help to spawn their own militia of imitators.

Though the bright lights still have yet to be turned on, the foursome juggle suspicion, depression and mystery like few recent rock bands have.
— Jake O’Connell

“Beautiful Struggle,” Talib Kweli
On “The Black Album,” Jay-Z spit: “If skills sold/Truth be told/ I’d probably be/Lyrically/Talib Kweli.” On “Beautiful Struggle” Kweli attempts to live up to Jigga’s lyrical pound, balancing underground cred and radio-ready singles that stress Black awareness.

Opener “Going Hard” acts as Kweli’s dissertation — he says the things other emcees don’t have the heart to say, and is dope not by acting hard, but through intellect. Throughout the album, topics hop from playful (“I’m surrounded by more ‘baby’s’ than an Ashanti song”) to controversial (Blacks “ain’t become American ’till 9/11”) — but are always on point.

Like Kweli’s skillful ebb and flow, the album is airtight, not bogged down by bloated tracklists or play-once-and-skip skits that flag so many hip-hop albums. The varied production ranges from forums that invite verbal jousting to soulful throwbacks that satisfy Talib’s love jones.

The most surprising backdrop is the digi-funk of the Amadeus-penned “A Game,” which plays like a sped-up gem from the early ’80s Downtown New York scene. The Neptunes somehow manage to show up all the A-team producers (Kanye West, Just Blaze) and emcees/divas (Common, Faith Evans) with the jumpy, dancehall frenzy of “Broken Glass” — even saving the disc’s one tired lyrical theme (girl moves to city looking for fame becomes crack addict/prostitute).

Beat-wise, the only lapse is the rock ’n’ soul-by-numbers of “We got the Beat,” with its guitar antics seemingly clipped from something like Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.”

No matter how large Kweli gets (a Kanye/Mary J. collabo pretty much cements his arrival) he never forgets where he’s from. On “Around My Way” he advises: “When you make it out the hood make sure you holla back/the hood’s where my heart is at.” Later on “The Ghetto” he counters Hova, “If lyrics sold/ Truth be told/ I’d probably be/ Just as rich and famous as Jay-Z.”

On the closing title track, Kweli determines that he speaks “in schools a lot cause they say I’m intelligent/No it’s cause I’m dope if I was wack I’d be irrelevant.” It’s the truth, and what makes Kweli’s success in blurring the line between independent and mainstream hip-hop so critical. When “the label want a song about a bubbly life” it’s the one he can’t deliver, the perfect paradox, like a beautiful struggle.
— Jake O’Connell

“Shangri-La,” Mark Knopfler
Beginning with his first Dire Straits hit, “Sultans of Swing,” Mark Knopfler’s astounding talents as a guitar slinger have overshadowed his considerable skill as a songwriter. There’s some great picking on “Shangri-La” — every lick seems to serve as a hook — but the songs are the stars.

Many of the 14 tunes feature shimmering melodies, and the lyrics benefit from Knopfler’s droll humor, eye for detail and unconventional taste in subjects. With that familiar understated, distinctive delivery, he sings about conmen, fishermen, Sonny Liston and Lonnie Donegan.

Highlights include the opening “5:15 a.m.,” a murder story; the lovely title cut, inspired by California in the ’60s; and “Boom, Like That,” with Knopfler posing as McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc. There’s also a reference to Knopfler’s motorcycle accident last year. “Got shot off my horse. So what? I’m up again,” he sings on “Everybody Pays.”

Knopfler never raises his voice and never cranks the guitar to 11, but this 66-minute collection is a bracing set.
— Steven Wine

“Shaken Not Stirred,” Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is the latest in a line of hot Nashville songwriters, including Alan Jackson and Jeffrey Steele, who’ve parlayed their writing success into recording careers of their own.

Unlike Jackson and Steele (and just about everybody else on the country charts), Vassar plays the piano and not the guitar. This gives “Shaken Not Stirred,” Vassar’s third major label release, a unique sound that recalls the ’70s hits of piano pounding superstars such as Billy Joel and Elton John. In terms of its songwriting, that means the record has more sophisticated chord changes than what’s currently being played on country radio, which leans towards a more traditional, guitar-based sound. Add to that Vassar’s Joel-inspired tinkling, and it’s easy to see why its songs, such as the hit single “In A Real Love,” stand out.

That said, “Shaken Not Stirred” is still a contemporary country record: It’s got the requisite squeaky-clean instrumental sounds, the lovin’, cheatin’ and drinkin’ songs and, more often than not, its arrangements stop cold on the final chorus for dramatic effect. In short, fans of ’70s piano-pop and country music’s more urban side should take note of Phil Vassar; fans of traditional country music, on the other hand, might want to abstain from “Shaken Not Stirred.”
— Paul V. Griffith

“Brand New Strings,” Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Like life, great bluegrass music has both a dark and a light side. The genre’s exemplars, such as the Stanley Brothers and the Carter Family, may have sung about salvation, but it always felt like the fires of Hell were warming their backs. “Brand New Strings,” a new record by Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, has the light side down but is so removed from life’s wretchedness that, in the end, it fails to be compelling.

The good news, of course, is that Skaggs sets the bar pretty high musically. A prodigy during his teenage years, Skaggs’ skills on the mandolin and guitar are bluegrass state-of-the-art; likewise, his revolving backing band is made up of the finest pickers money can buy. Musicianship, however, is not the point here. Though songs like “Enjoy the Ride” speak of sin and redemption (“Lift up your chin, brush off the dust/ Wash your hands of the things you’ve done”), Skaggs, who’s a devout Christian, fails to convey any believable connection to the first part of the sin-redemption equation. Without that, “Brand New Strings” might be commendable testimony, but it doesn’t get to the complexity of the human condition like good bluegrass, and good preaching, is supposed to do.
— Paul V. Griffith

“Soviet Kitsch,” Regina Spektor
The Russian-born, Bronx-bred Regina Spektor is not the next pop tart but the newest representative of the downtown NYC music scene. She has gained the respect of bands like The Strokes, opening for them on their fall 2003 tour, and she was also featured on the duet “Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men” with Julian Casablanca.

As if being brought into the music scene under the ever increasing wingspan of The Strokes isn’t enough, her major label debut shares the same producer. Yet Gordon Raphael’s work on “Soviet Kitsch” may leave you wondering, “Is this it?” For it is certainly no masterpiece like her mentor’s debut was.

She has placed lyrics meant to shock and bewilder over piano driven ballads of a classical origin similar to those heard in Fiona Apple’s first album, “Tidal”; the result sounds contradictory and out of place. She possesses the voice of an angel, but the mouth of a trucker, and expresses her angst like an angry teen-ager, without sophistication. There is no doubt that this eccentric character has talent; however it might be better suited and more bearable if tamed with Prozac.
— Carrie Tolles

“Taking a Chance on Love,” Jane Monheit
Just look at brunette Jane Monheit striking a sultry pose on the cover of her new CD and listen to her sing Cole Porter’s “Do I Love You?” set to a lush string orchestral arrangement and it’s easy to imagine her starring in a Hollywood musical of an earlier era. The 26-year-old singer’s affinity for romantic songs from vintage MGM musicals — and the influence of legendary jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald who recorded these tunes — is reflected on her fifth CD, “Taking a Chance on Love,” which marks her major label solo recording debut.

The young singer can’t match Ella’s improvisational flair or effortless sense of swing. But the comparisons are more apt when it comes to Monheit’s girlish yet sensuous sound, expansive range, near perfect pitch, and crystal-like phrasing — exemplified in her gently swinging performance of Porter’s “Why Can’t You Behave?,” on which she’s backed by her regular touring quartet, including her husband, drummer Rick Montalbano.

This CD showcases the singer in a variety of musical settings, from intimate duets to small jazz combos and expansive orchestral backdrops. As a jazz singer, Monheit has become more self-assured in her improvisations: delving into bebop with some light scatting, punctuated by Christian McBride’s staccato bass lines, on “Honeysuckle Rose”; scampering through “Taking a Chance on Love,” embraced by Donald Harrison’s alto sax; and stretching the notes on a samba arrangement of “In the Still of the Night.” Monheit engages in a spicy duet with fellow retro crooner Michael Buble on “I Won’t Dance,” accented by brassy bursts from a horn section, but it pales in comparison with Ella and Louis Armstrong’s classic performance of the same tune.

Monheit’s strongest suit remains as a Broadway/cabaret singer. Her smooth-as-velvet voice soars on the ballad “Bill,” from the Jerome Kern musical “Show Boat,” an exquisite duet with pianist Michael Kanan, and she sets a particularly tender mood on the Gershwins’ “Embraceable You,” accompanied by Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo.

A bonus track of “Over the Rainbow” finds Monheit confronting another legend, Judy Garland. Monheit has been singing this song since she was two, and chose it to open her second CD, “Come Dream With Me” (2001). Her new version — which can also be heard over the end titles of the film “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” — is emotional yet subdued, set to a shimmering orchestral arrangement by Ed Shearmur that reminds you that we’re not in Kansas anymore.
— Charles J. Gans

“Vibrate,” The Manhattan Transfer
Since the four members of The Manhattan Transfer first joined forces (and voices) in 1972, they have been producing some of the smoothest sounds on record.

Those vocal skills are very much in evidence on their new album, “Vibrate,” a variety pack of pop and jazz tunes that begins and ends with some of its strongest tracks.

The album kicks off on a high note with “Walkin’ in N.Y.,” a jaunty Brenda Russell composition with mild Latin seasoning, a hot trumpet break and a simple lyric that will have the armchair listener imaging that he is out for a carefree stroll through Soho or Central Park. It is perfect material for the foursome.

The first of the two outstanding tracks that close the album is the romantic Gershwin standard “Embraceable You,” a nostalgic rendition with a lovely piano and string arrangement that the group first performed at the Reagan White House. It’s followed by the offbeat but effective pairing of two 1950s pop hits, “Come Softly to Me” and “I Met Him on a Sunday,” both performed with simple percussion arrangement and gentle vocals.

Rufus Wainwright contributed two songs: “Greek Song,” whose intro and close are played on the sarangi (an Indian fiddle, not a Greek one); and “Vibrate,” which combines a 1940s sound with a 2004 lyric: “My phone’s on vibrate for you. ... I try to dance Britney Spears, I guess I’m getting on in years. ... So call me.”

Another track that works well is “Doodlin’,” one of the first songs the group learned together but which they have recorded here for the first time. It’s an easygoing toe-tapper with a vintage, light-jazz flavor and a casual pace well-suited to its lyric: “I enjoy procrastinatin’ ’cause I’m busy while I’m waitin’, Doodlin’ away, doodlin’ away. ...”

This is an eclectic grab-bag of songs with something for everyone, but perhaps not everything for someone. But the Transfer sounds great, as usual, and demonstrates its versatility with voices that are top-notch even on the few selections that aren’t.
— Ron Berthel

“Sing A Song With Six Strings,” Various Artists
When thinking of a lullaby to gently rock a child to sleep, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash probably isn’t the first name that leaps to mind. But that’s just the point on this compilation of children’s songs, or songs inspired by children, that brings together a vast, eclectic array of guitar talent.

Seventies rock god Peter Frampton wrote “Mia Rose” for his then-4-year-old daughter, so she could listen to it every night before going to bed while he was out on tour. Similarly, Slash played his interpretation of “Sing A Song Of Sixpence” for his year-old son London, and got a great big smile, so he knew he had succeeded.

The late Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble contribute a soulful, bluesy rendition of “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” Santana checks in with “Let The Children Play,” and Vernon Reid adds his trademark crunch guitar to “Up From The Skies.”
— Wayne Parry

“Ancestry in Progress,” Zap Mama
The aural phenomenon known as Zap Mama produces gorgeous sound tapestries culled from unlikely sources. That trend continues on the “Ancestry in Progress,” latest disc from the singer and band of the same name.

The album samples baby’s cries, hand claps and dogs barking, splices it with what sounds like raucous stoop conversations, then mixes in human beat box work and neo-soul sounds. The whole package is then enshrined in the vocal stylings of Zap Mama (also known as Marie Daulne), a Zaire-native who borrows heavily from the polyphonic singing style of the Central African Pygmy tribe, with whom she grew up. The effect is a musical smorgasborg that somehow seems to mesh perfectly into a worldly, soulful body of work, a mixture of Afrofunk, soul and everything else that works.

The funky-latin groove on “Show Me the Way” moves the block party to Spanish Harlem for a spell. On “Yaku,” Daulne tenderly yearns for her love to return, singing in a halting style reminiscent of The Cranberries.

Some of Zap Mama’s admirers lend a hand on “Ancestry in Progress,” including rappers Talib Kweli and Bahamadia. Daulne and Erykah Badu’s voices blend so seamlessly on “Bandy Bandy” it’s hard to pinpoint where one ends and the other begins.

With the perfect mix of techno-savvy and bold, earthy vocal explorations, “Ancestry in Progress” is a field day for the ears. Indulge.
— Aimee Maude Sims

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