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CD reviews
Various artists
Sky High’ original motion picture soundtrack
They sure don’t make ’em like they used to. At least that’s the case with the soundtrack to Walt Disney Pictures’ “Sky High,” a platter of ’80s pop hits covered by today’s young artists (the lone oldie-by-oldie is They Might Be Giants’ cover of Devo’s “Through Being Cool”).
Sure, it makes business sense to combine teenybopper-friendly acts with songs their parents remember, but these tracks, from Bowling for Soup’s “I Melt With You” (original act: Modern English) to Flashlight Brown’s “Save It for Later” (one of two English Beat covers) are studio-polished and limp, when not outright rank imitation (Elefant’s silly version of The Smiths’ “Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want”). The biggest crime against pop music: Vitamin C’s emotionless take on ’Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry.” D
Chris Page, Get Out
Babyface
Grown & Sexy’
Compared with the new generation of R&B studs, Babyface seems old-fashioned on his latest disc. But while Babyface might a bit old school, “Grown & Sexy” hardly sounds outdated — just classic. “Good 2 Be in Luv” is a soulful, uptempo celebration of commitment, while “Sorry for the Stupid Things,” is prime Babyface, as he gallantly offers an apology for all the dumb stuff men are apt to do. Yet the man who so famously crooned about paying his girl’s bills and cooking the dinner on the ’80s hit “Soon as I Get Home” isn’t without a backbone: “Goin’ Outta Business” is a brush-off to a gold-digger.
Babyface’s alluring tenor is in fine form here, with emotion that never boils over, but simmers with steady heat. And musically, the album offers some of the prolific singer-songwriter-producer’s best work. A- Nekesa
Mumbi Moody Associated Press
Chris Whitley
Soft Dangerous Shores
The title of Chris Whitley’s 12th album is taken from a poem by surrealist Andre Breton, and the word “surreal” comes pretty close to capturing the effect of these eerie, otherworldly songs. Even rabid Whitley devotees may have trouble with the album’s centerpiece, the overly long and self-indulgent “City of Women,” but this misstep is quickly overshadowed by the more succinct tracks “Fireroad,” “As Day Is Long” and “Her Furious Angels.” At its best, “Soft Dangerous Shores” gets under your skin with its haunted songs of despair and desire that are a strange hybrid of folk-blues and quasi-Kraftwerk. B+ Martin Bandyke,
Detroit Free Press
Various Artists
Whatever: The ’90s Pop & Culture Box’
This seven-disc ’90s sampler goes heavy on guitar (especially the Seattle sound) and relatively obscure bands, leaving little room for dance music or serious rap. Several of the hip-hop selections are mere novelty numbers. Licensing issues are always a hurdle for such compilations, meaning absent are such decade-defining acts as Nirvana, Radiohead, Ice Cube and 2Pac. Still, it’s fun to hear overlooked gems by such acts as Ash, Tad and Cibo Matto, along with hits ranging from Sublime (“What I Got”) to the ridiculous (Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”).B
Steven Wine, Associated Press
Ben Araiza
The Story of ZA
You can almost picture Ben Araiza excitedly gathering his friends and family to listen to his CD, and their subsequent struggle to say something nice. Not because the music is bad, but because his awkward blend of white-boy hip-hop and sensitive alternative has not been heard since laughable losers Crazytown. It’s tough to ascertain if it’s tongue-in-cheek or sincere (or which is preferable), but either way, it’s not much more than a novelty. His sing-songy cover of 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” guarantees such a classification.D
Albert Ching, Get Out
Cross Platform
Cross Platform
Not just a rap-rock experiment, Blaze Rock and Dirty Red's “Cross Platform” is a hodgepodge of chunky power chords, spoken word and ambient trance. The disc oscillates between songs driven by aggressive rock or by a DJ's imagination. The track “awaken” samples dialogue from the film “Shadow of the Vampire,” which is supposed to add to the song's atmosphere because of the dark, Slavic accent, but it mostly seems out of place when some of its neighbors are punchy rap-rock songs about street cred. C
Mike Cryer, special to Get Out
The Reflection
Heaventown
As the cover art for the Reflection's “Heaventown” suggests, their rock ’n’ roll sticks to traditional themes — chicks and booze. The disc is filled with tight pop songs and straightahead rock, the only pretension is the rocker pose. The Reflection's strength is simplicity and they don't stray far from this recipe. Guitar solos loop and repeat themselves remaining a part of the song rather than stepping all over the other instruments. “Heaventown” is a cohesive rock album. B Next show: 9 p.m. Saturday at The Real Bar, 5014 S. Price Road, Tempe, . $5-$8, all ages.
Mike Cryer, special to Get Out
The Society of Invisibles
The Society of Invisibles
The unsettling topics explored by this eight-member Valley crew are a far cry from the current crop of “I’m rich and virile” hip-hop. The world of The Society of Invisibles is stark and their songs reflect it, shocking the listener with disturbing images, but the result can be numbing. Still, the unique collection of voices (no one MC outshines another) and skillful production provide a heady alternative to party jams. B Next show: 8 p.m. Friday at The Old Brickhouse, 1 E. Jackson St., Phoenix, . $5-$7, all ages.
Albert Ching, Get Out
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