Mini-Reviews

David Sylvian
Sleepwalkers
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Probably the only constant throughout David Sylvian's over 30 year career has been his supple and gorgeous baritone.  He has effortlessly moved through glam punk, new romanticism, pop stylism, new age, extreme experimentalism, and back again, making the kind of music he feels like making.  Sleepwalkers is not a "new" David Sylvian release, but mainly a compilation of collaborations he has made over the last decade.  Strangely, considering the myriad of styles he has engaged in over the last ten years, the album is remarkably cohesive.  The highlights of the cd are the blues lament "Ballad of a Deadman" (a duet with Joan Wasser of Joan as Police Woman), the gorgeous and haunting ballad "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed) (a collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto), and the minimal/harsh "Transit" (with Christian Fennesz).  Sleepwalkers is definitely not the place to start with Sylvian.  For that, I would suggest the double album Everything and Nothing.  But for those who can't get enough material from Sylvian, Sleepwalkers is a welcome addition to his catalogue.

Curren$y
Pilot Talk
Rating: Grrrr

I rarely feel qualified to review rap cds, so I tend to just give short reviews to them, and it is more based on whether I enjoy the beats and the production of the songs, rather than anything having to do with the flow of the rapper him or herself. A friend recommended Curren$y to me, and, for me, it falls squarely in the stoner rap category. Most of the songs have something to do with smoking pot and playing video games, and aside from this less than brilliant subject matter, I find myself laughing at the simple stupidity of it all. And the production is just very laid back and head-bobbing. There is something to be said these days for a record that is just nice to put on and relax to, without any huge expectations.

Rihanna
Loud
Rating: Meh

I am pretty huge Rihanna fan I will admit.  Though I will also state that I think she is much better singles artist than an album artist.  She tends to try and please every listener on her full lengths, and as such, her albums have been very hit or miss for me.  When she comes out with a greatest hits collection, that will be the one release of hers to own.  Following up last year's harder edged Rated R, Rihanna quickly follows up with Loud, which instead of showing a more in control artist, shows Rihanna falling back to the same problems I have with her other albums.  Usually there are 4-5 brilliant singles mixed in with a lot of filler, however, here there are only about 2 standout tracks, and they are even of lesser quality then usual.   I liked the somewhat silly, I am into wild sex "S&M" and her duet with Drake, "What's My Name."  But then the album just meanders for the next 45 minutes with dreck like the Avril Lavinge (wtf?????) sampling "Cheers (Drink to That)," Fergie-esque balladry like "California King Bed," and the almost laughable reggae-tinged "Man Down."  Even her collaboration with rap-minx Nicki Minaj, "Raining Me," appears warmed over and out of date.  Here's hoping Rihanna recovers from this misstep and gets back to her usually impeccable choice of songs to use as singles.

Nicki Minaj
Pink Friday
Rating: Meh

Sort of a cross between the surreal rhymes of Missy Elliot and the sexy/slutty camp of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Nicki Minaj is anything but predictable.  I first came to hear her on Kanye West's new, amazing cd, and was really intrigued to here what she would come up on her own.  After listening to single "Did It On 'Em," with the hilariously vuglar lines "if I had a dick/I'd pull it out/ and piss on 'em."  Her insane delivery and the air-raid siren production attack I was practically salivating.  Then I get my copy of Pink Friday, and the words that come out are a decided, so what?  It sounds like the cd was made by committee.  Almost erased are the sassy bravado and smuttiness that make her stand out from a crowded field of other singers.  Aside from "Did It On 'Em," the out of the pocket boasting "I'm The Best," and the surprisingly decent collaboration with Eminem "Roman's Revenge," the remainder of the cd sounds like Rihanna-lite.    Oddly, there is a collaboration with Rhianna, and at times it is difficult to determine who is singing.  The cd just goes more downhill from there; the "Video Killed The Radio Star"-sampling collaboration with will.i.am is plain embarassing,  along with the nauseatingly banal balladry of "Save Me," and "Your Love."  Only the late in game collaboration with Kanye West "Blazin," seems to inject any life into this release. 



Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.