CORINNE
BAILEY RAE
“The Love EP”
4 STARS
With Cupid set to draw back his bow for Valentine’s Day, Brit soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae sets the mood with “The Love EP,” five sweet covers featuring some of Rae’s finest work. She starts with the fast funk of Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” in which her vocals have enough rough to stand up to the synthesizers and still capture the tune’s sense of innocent love. “Low Red Moon” is the least-known song on this collection, and Rae sticks to the band Belly’s original guitars ‘n’ drums rock arrangement. That hard instrumental edge offers a fine contrast to her soft and sensuous bedroom vocals. There are no real surprises on either Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” or Paul McCartney and Wings’ “My Love,” both of which are pretty and understated. While you might expect Doris Day sugar on “Que Sera, Sera,” Rae delivers her live version with jaw-dropping funk ‘n’ soul. Delicate yet strong, she makes you believe that “whatever will be, will be” isn’t just a lyric, but her life philosophy.
DAVID GUETTA
“One More Love”
2 STARS
You may not recognize his name, but David Guetta — the French house deejay — is one of the leading architects of the dance-pop movement. His signature production work has supercharged everyone from Madonna to the Black Eyed Peas. His not-so-solo album is a fun listen (and danceable, of course), because it features songs by the Peas, Akon, Kid Cudi and Rihanna, to name a few. Guetta’s always in the background as a producer, inserting the proper beats and electronic beeps, but there’s no real sense of him as an artist. The point of this disc isn’t to make original music, it’s about making original music better with the Guetta brand.
GREGG ALLMAN
“Low Country Blues”
3 1/2 STARS
On his first solo album in 14 years, Gregg Allman lays his Southern-rock crown down to take his place among the elder statesmen of blues rock. Over the course of the dozen songs, Allman sounds like a road-dusty blues journeyman. His whiskey ‘n’ cigarettes voice reaches ragged triumphs on every song, including the the clip-clop tempo “Floating Bridge” and Muddy Waters’ “I Can’t Be Satisfied.” In addition to highlighting Allman’s singing, the album is sprinkled with top-flight instrumental solos, including a few rolling piano runs by New Orleans’ Dr. John, who sits in using his given name — Mac Rebennack.
IRON & WINE
“Kiss Each Other Clean”
3 STARS
Despite some of the electronic effects randomly tossed into Iron & Wine’s new record, the 10-song collection is essentially jazzy folk — part Little Feat, part Dave Matthews Band. The lyrics are another story. Opening number, “Walking Far From Home,” is an end-is-near song with a hymn-like organ arrangement.
Here, singer/songwriter Sam Beam starts with gloomy, cryptic images but eventually finds goodness in a command by God. The words to “Rabbit Will Run” are open to interpretation with Beam singing “a rabbit will run, and a pig has to lie in its own piss” over engaging marimba strikes, toots on the panpipes. The prettiness of the music and Beam’s secret-code lyrics make this record a pleasure to play, and play again.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
“2011 Grammy Nominations”
3 STARS
If there were any doubt about what an exceptional year in music we’ve all just enjoyed, it’s rubbed out with the this year’s annual Grammy-nod record put out by the Recording Academy. It is a collection of the years A-list songs, from Cee Lo Green’s “F¤-¤-¤- You” (cleaned up as “Forget You”) to the “Glee” cast covering Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” There isn’t a dud on this 19-song collection. Amongf the top artists included are Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Arcade Fire. If you’re busy on Grammy night — Feb. 13 — this will cover it for you.
