For everyone who thinks R&B is a one-note “sex you up/sex you down” genre, this week’s three most notable releases almost serve as a reminder of how diverse “urban” music is, and all three could potentially be worth your time.
First of the three comes from Janet Jackson, whose new Discipline arrives in stores today. It’s her 10th studio album, and it’s interesting to note that as her sales have tanked, the albums have come with significantly more frequency. She released 4 albums in the Eighties, only 2 in the Nineties, and she’s released 4 so far in the Oughts. At any rate, this attempt at a comeback is her first for L.A. Reid’s Island/Def Jam Records and has been preceded by first single “Feedback”. Early reviews point to this being a more danceable, poppier effort than her previous couple of albums, and this album also marks her first clean break from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, her production partners of 20 years. It could be a solid album, could be a complete disaster-who knows? Hopefully, it’s better than her last album, 20 Y.O., which stood somewhere between mediocre and terrible.
Next up is the wildly eclectic Miss Erykah Badu. Over the past decade, she’s gone from the new Billie Holiday to the new Chaka Khan, with her mystical image and tunes that straddle jazz, hard funk, hip-hop and even rock. New Amerykah Pat. 1, 4th World War is, well, at the very least an intriguing album title. This album allegedly has much more of a hip-hop vibe than her last couple of albums, which were more on the live-band tip. Production is provided by underground rap giants like 9th Wonder (formerly of the group Little Brother) and the late J. Dilla. This is actually the album of the three I’m most excited about.
Finally, if you need an album to just chill out to, you might want to check out The Orchard, the third studio album by Atlanta-based singer Lizz Wright. Her first two albums got her some critical notice and were solid pieces of work. Her folky, jazzy style will immediately draw comparisons to acts like Cassandra Wilson and Norah Jones. So if you’re part of the Starbucks set, or just appreciate the power of a pretty voice, give this a shot.
In the rest of the music world, there are new albums out today from Southern rapper Webbie (definitely not my cup of tea, but his latest single is in the Top Ten, so someone’s checking for the guy), Dolly Parton (after a stint as a bluegrass album, Miss Parton is back singing traditional country, and the title Backwoods Barbie is cheeky in the vein of classic Dolly), Puff Daddy protege Cheri Dennis (with an album that’s been promised release for at least two years and has already been on iTunes for 3 or 4 months), Christian rock act Pillar, jazz legend Dianne Schurr, and so many more.
