What's Playing: Maroon 5, Plant, Krauss, Thompson, Tunstall!

[Josh]

Just to prove that I really do listen to stuff besides Radiohead and Joe Henry... here's an assortment of stuff that's been on the box this week.

Maroon 5-- It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Buzz for this album built in a hurry and fizzled out just as fast, which is a shame-- the band obviously wanted this one to be a blockbuster, and they've certainly pulled out all the stops, crafting a slick, relentlessly entertaining pop album that's fun, funky, and loaded with monster hooks. It's one that I can only take in relatively small doses, though, because the songwriting is hackneyed and trite to the point of absurdity; songs about sex and failed romance are fine for this kind of record, but everything here is far too ernest. If only the lyrics had the same light touch that the music does. Still, Adam Levine proves to be an alluring, charismatic frontman and a grand entertainer, falling somewhere between Prince, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss-- Raising Sand
Two legends team up with producer T-Bone Burnett and a crack studio band that includes some Joe Henry and Tom Waits regulars. Plant and Krauss give sultry, slow-burning readings of a number of vintage blues, country, rock, and folk songs-- sometimes with Plant playing Gram to Krauss' Emmylou-- and Burnett fills each track with smoke, keeping things measured and subdued. Sometimes it's a bit too restrained, in fact, but, more often than not, it really works, with the production giving the singers room to really explore the songs. And of course, what would an album like this be without at least one Tom Waits cover to give it some hipster cred? Krauss turns in a lovely, sensual reading of "Trampled Rose," a pained ballad buried in the middle of Waits' Real Gone album. Also delightful is "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us," a brand new contribution from the iconoclastic Sam Phillips.

Linda Thompson-- Versatile Heart
Another living legend, Thompson-- one of the greatest living interpreters of traditional British folk music-- throws a fair ammount of honky-tonk into her latest, bringing musical traditions from both sides of the pond together for a heartfelt celebration of songcraft and the human voice. There's a Tom Waits song here, too-- a lilting take on "The Day After Tomorrow," a devastating protest song that's also culled from Real Gone-- as well as a a Rufus Wainwright song, a literate and humorous ode to "Beauty" that's theatrical without being hammy. There are plenty of originals here, too, and, whether she's doing British folk or classicist country, Thompson's voice fills each song with frailty, compassion, and quiet wisdom.

KT Tunstall-- Drastic Fantastic
The cover for this one is playful and flirtatious, gleeming with sparkle and sexy humor-- as a statement, it seems to say that this is an artist who doesn't take herself too seriously. It's a cheeky but fun album cover, but it also seems to belong with a different album. Tunstall dials down everything that gave her debut any character, instead focusing on overly ernest songwriting and formulaic pop production that feels like it's suffocating the artist, leaving her no room to even breathe, much less stretch her wings or have any fun.

[murlough23]

Maroon 5-- It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Buzz for this album built in a hurry and fizzled out just as fast, which is a shame-- the band obviously wanted this one to be a blockbuster, and they've certainly pulled out all the stops, crafting a slick, relentlessly entertaining pop album that's fun, funky, and loaded with monster hooks. It's one that I can only take in relatively small doses, though, because the songwriting is hackneyed and trite to the point of absurdity; songs about sex and failed romance are fine for this kind of record, but everything here is far too ernest. If only the lyrics had the same light touch that the music does. Still, Adam Levine proves to be an alluring, charismatic frontman and a grand entertainer, falling somewhere between Prince, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake.

I feel pretty much the same way, though the lyrics are sticking in my craw moreso than they seem to be for you. (I don't tend to be shy about sexual lyrics - I'm a Dave Matthews fan, after all - but these are a bit much.) I do want to get around to reviewing this one - I already know that my review title is going to be "Songs About Adam Levine Getting Laid."

Did you catch Adam's cameo in the first SNL digital short of the season? Hysterical.

KT Tunstall-- Drastic Fantastic
The cover for this one is playful and flirtatious, gleeming with sparkle and sexy humor-- as a statement, it seems to say that this is an artist who doesn't take herself too seriously. It's a cheeky but fun album cover, but it also seems to belong with a different album. Tunstall dials down everything that gave her debut any character, instead focusing on overly ernest songwriting and formulaic pop production that feels like it's suffocating the artist, leaving her no room to even breathe, much less stretch her wings or have any fun.

I think she has a little fun on a few songs, but it definitely pales in comparison to her first record.

[Aaron]

I seriously disagree with Maroon 5. I don't think they even do the music that well.  That along with the unintelligent song writing brings them to a level of "suck" for me.

[Brenden]

Maroon 5-- It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Buzz for this album built in a hurry and fizzled out just as fast, which is a shame-- the band obviously wanted this one to be a blockbuster, and they've certainly pulled out all the stops, crafting a slick, relentlessly entertaining pop album that's fun, funky, and loaded with monster hooks. It's one that I can only take in relatively small doses, though, because the songwriting is hackneyed and trite to the point of absurdity; songs about sex and failed romance are fine for this kind of record, but everything here is far too ernest. If only the lyrics had the same light touch that the music does. Still, Adam Levine proves to be an alluring, charismatic frontman and a grand entertainer, falling somewhere between Prince, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake.

I'm kind of in the same boat as Murlough here. I like the music enough, but the lyrics make me cringe, and at some points, laugh out loud (specifically, Kiwi and Can't Stop, which would be fine if he weren't so dead serious while he was singing them). I can't bring myself to give it more than a C-, and even that is being generous.

[Josh]

The record is about as well-produced and hook-laden as this kind of record can be, and it calls to mind a lot of really great pop musicians without ever feeling like an homage or a copy-- no easy feat. And you know, I obviously don't expect profundity from this kind of record-- in fact, lyrics with heavy political or spiritual overtones would be out of place here. I would just appreciate some wit. A sense of humor is really what these guys need, because the lyrics are all so self-serious.

[murlough23]

I'm kind of in the same boat as Murlough here. I like the music enough, but the lyrics make me cringe, and at some points, laugh out loud (specifically, Kiwi and Can't Stop, which would be fine if he weren't so dead serious while he was singing them).

The line in "Can't Stop" about how he wakes up making love to his pillow cracks me up. I figure that might explain why she doesn't want to sleep over at his place.

"Kiwi" is just plain pornographic. That song doesn't belong outside the confines of late-night cable TV.

[murlough23]

The record is about as well-produced and hook-laden as this kind of record can be, and it calls to mind a lot of really great pop musicians without ever feeling like an homage or a copy-- no easy feat. And you know, I obviously don't expect profundity from this kind of record-- in fact, lyrics with heavy political or spiritual overtones would be out of place here. I would just appreciate some wit. A sense of humor is really what these guys need, because the lyrics are all so self-serious.

So you're basically asking for a Jason Mraz album.

[Josh]

Well, his songwriting would fit this album much better, though he annoys me with how hard he tries to be clever-- he's clever just for the sake of being clever, which wears thin for me.

[Brenden]

And you know, I obviously don't expect profundity from this kind of record--

Neither do I, I mean, I loved !!!'s new album and I'm a big Starflyer 59 fan, both artist's have a lot of nonsensical lyrics when you can even make out the lyrics, but if you're using cliches to the point where it's silly and distracting yet you're not trying to be silly, that's a big problem to me.

The line in "Can't Stop" about how he wakes up making love to his pillow cracks me up.

Also the line about, "touching himself like it's somebody else". He imagines he's got girly parts? He imagines touching a man?

*seriously, I know what he really means, but it's a terrible way to word it that could be interpreted several ways and thus, it is funny*

[Brenden]

Well, his songwriting would fit this album much better, though he annoys me with how hard he tries to be clever-- he's clever just for the sake of being clever, which wears thin for me.

It bugs me on a lot of Mraz's latest stuff, too (I don't hold much hope for his upcoming album), but I think overall, Mraz is the better artist, even when he's being raunchy.

[murlough23]

Also the line about, "touching himself like it's somebody else". He imagines he's got girly parts? He imagines touching a man?

Maybe he does have girly parts. That would explain the voice.

[murlough23]

It bugs me on a lot of Mraz's latest stuff, too (I don't hold much hope for his upcoming album), but I think overall, Mraz is the better artist, even when he's being raunchy.

Mraz is at least clever and has an interesting vocabulary - Maroon5 really hasn't shown that trait in any of their stuff. I would still be a huge Mraz fan if he would just tone down the braggadocio (however the hell you spell that) and self-reference. I didn't mind those things on his first record because I took it as self-parody, but it happened too much on his second record for it to continue feeling like it was all a joke.

[Brenden]

Mraz is at least clever and has an interesting vocabulary - Maroon5 really hasn't shown that trait in any of their stuff. I would still be a huge Mraz fan if he would just tone down the braggadocio (however the hell you spell that) and self-reference. I didn't mind those things on his first record because I took it as self-parody, but it happened too much on his second record for it to continue feeling like it was all a joke.

I'll take Geek In The Pink, for all it's swagger and self-importance, over anything on Maroon 5's album. So I agree with you there.

[bloop]

He was really good on the SNL Iran song, though.

[Aaron]

The record is about as well-produced and hook-laden as this kind of record can be, and it calls to mind a lot of really great pop musicians without ever feeling like an homage or a copy-- no easy feat. And you know, I obviously don't expect profundity from this kind of record-- in fact, lyrics with heavy political or spiritual overtones would be out of place here. I would just appreciate some wit. A sense of humor is really what these guys need, because the lyrics are all so self-serious.

If you want an album that's well-produced and hook laden, check out Under The Influence of Giants debut.  They did the dance-rock sound much better than Maroon 5 could ever imagine doing.

[danny316]

Tunstall dials down everything that gave her debut any character, instead focusing on overly ernest songwriting and formulaic pop production that feels like it's suffocating the artist, leaving her no room to even breathe, much less stretch her wings or have any fun.

Personally, I thought it was a wise move to keep a few songs in the formula of her first record. "Hold On" is another straight-forward loop-pedal tune, and most of the slow burners here are excellently done even if they won't surprise anyone. "I Don't Want You Now" is the only one that seems to adopt a silly formula from somewhere else.