POP
“Life”
Ricky Martin
Columbia
All hail Ricky Martin’s latest reinvention as we introduce him as The New Latin Sting!
Save for a couple of radio tracks, “Life” marks Martin’s continued trending toward the Indian-inspired side of soft rock that the former Police frontman has mapped. The CD starts with the bombastic lust ballad “Til I Get To You” and its over-the-top opening couplet: “I’m gonna swim the mountains/I’m gonna climb the sea.” With sitar and all, Martin pushes things forward in an obvious move to redefine his image and make clear his intentions for the next stage in his career.
“I Won’t Desert You” is a strange Bollywood-R&B hybrid, but the record’s more expected tracks work smartly at melding Martin’s former self with more modern sounds. “Drop It on Me,” which was produced by B.E.P. will.i.am and features his bandmate Taboo alongside reggaeton MC Daddy Yankee, is a fun and mindless club banger. “I Don’t Care” is an obvious choice for radio, thanks to the help of a tight Marc Anthony-inspired hook and help from Amerie and Fat Joe. But the inane pop of “It’s Alright” is yet more evidence that Martin’s not fully adhering to livin’ la vida loca.
– Ricardo Baca
COUNTRY
“Jacksonville City Nights”
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Lost Highway
The opening notes of the opening song, “Kiss Before I Go,” pronounce it to be Adams’ purest outpouring of alt-country in some time.
There isn’t a bad song among the 14 cuts on “Jacksonville.” It offers some of the most honest country music released this year, including the opening cut, “Games,” “Trains,” “My Heart Is Broken” and “Peaceful Valley.”
Adams even outdoes himself in the sorrowful-song category – which is saying something – with “Pa,” which is about losing one’s parents. Some reviewers dismiss it as maudlin; their parents surely are still living.
“Jacksonville City Nights” will wow the fans Adams converted with his Whiskeytown music and others who like intelligent lyrics and a backing band so sharp they should be promoted to The Popes.
– Ed Will
PUNK-POP
“Vheissu”
Thrice
Island
Thrice has always stood out from the punk-pop glut, but “Vheissu” is the record that pushes them beyond the fray. With cover art by hipster author Dave Eggers and a title inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1963 novel, the band’s literary obsession is obvious.
But it’s the post-hardcore burnt edges in the music and the poetry put forth by vocalist Dustin Kensrue that show the true brilliance of this Orange County quartet. Like the a cappella, chain-gang breakdown in “The Earth Will Shake,” Thrice’s message resounds with an understated echo – but it’s the kind of methodical thump you feel deep in your gut.
– Ricardo Baca
