After a lengthy build-up, it’s finally here. Eminem ends the half-decade break between albums with his new set, Relapse.   Despite the lukewarm reception the singles from it have received, all indications point to this album being a blockbuster. Somewhat surprisingly, given the quality of the singles, reviews I’ve read for the album have been overwhelmingly positive, but then again, it doesn’t appear that Eminem is capable of doing wrong in the eyes of most rock critics. Given the current state of the industry, it’ll be interesting to see how this album does. If Em catches a brick, it may be a sign that the music industry has officially reached a point of no return.
Here’s what else you’ll find in stores this week.
Busta RhymesB.O.M.B. (Back on My B.S.)– Seems like just yesterday that Slim Shady and Bussa Bus were labelmates, now they have competing albums coming out the same day. Busta’s eighth solo album has been held up for the better part of the year, with three singles having entered the marketplace without taking off. Methinks his having gone gangsta on his last record left a bitter taste in many of his fans’ mouths. Will hip-hop’s official loudmouth be able to retain his once sizable audience, or is this the beginning of the end for the man who was once one of hip-hop’s sharpest emcees?
Lenny KravitzLet Love Rule: 20th Anniversary Edition– Remember when Lenny Kravitz first came out, people thought he was a joke because he was married to Lisa (Denise Huxtable) Bonet and he was a neo-hippie before it was really popular to be one? Well, he who laughs last laughs best. Two decades later, Lenny is a multi-millionaire Grammy winner with a lengthy string of hit albums, and his very first effort is getting the anniversary deluxe treatment by Virgin Records. In addition to a much-needed remaster of his debut, this special edition contains live tracks and demos.
Tori AmosAbnormally Attracted to Sin– After a moderately successful stint on Epic Records, Tori Amos moves on to label #3 (Universal) with her latest album, “Abnormally Attracted to Sin”. The always-quirky singer/songwriter/pianist delivers yet another serving of her lyrically obtuse but passionately sung music on this album.
Lionel RichieJust Go– Folks forget about Lionel Richie sometimes, but he still has a fairly large fanbase, after all his last album went Gold. This album’s title track has a little bit of the island flavor that made “All Night Long” such a smash back in ’83, and features guest vocals from Akon. Lionel’s familiar mix of R&B and adult contemporary is here, and “Just Go” should go a long way towards proving that the man has barely lost a step, even as he approaches 60 years of age. And what’s this I hear about a Commodores reunion? Is that even necessary?
As usual, get your complete list of new releases here.
Before I actually sat down and decided to write this up, I thought “wow. What a crappy year 2008 was for music”. Such a crappy year, in fact, that I thought I was gonna have trouble coming up with a list of even 10 albums that I thought were worthy of mention.
Well I’ll be…by the time the dust had cleared, I had a shortlist large enough (is that a double negative?) that I wound up with a Top 25. I would have edited down further, but I just couldn’t remove anything. My apologies to Adele, Anthony Hamilton, Ben Folds, Eric Benet and My Morning Jacket, who just missed the final cut.
Enough of the prelude. Let’s move on to the first part of my list.
25. “Santogold” Santogold
Most people say Santogold reminds them of M.I.A., I beg to differ. Those of you who remember Res, who recorded one album seven or eight years ago, will realize that she and Santi White are sisters in music. Indie pop with a hint of soul, and Go Hard was just fine before Jay-Z decided to sample it for a Biggie tribute.
Now 30, married and a dad of two, the former prince of teen pop grew up on this collection of (largely) midtempos and ballads. Songs like His Mistakes and the title track won’t satisfy those who were grooving to Yeah! a couple years back, but will speak to anyone trying to mature in a committed relationship. Besides, Love in This Club, which I hated at first-largely due to the presence of Young Jeezy-turned into one of 2008’s biggest earworms for me.
23. “Something Else” Robin Thicke
Usher’s sometime collaborator Robin Thicke returned for Round 3 with a collection that sits somewhere between the slightly obtuse Prince-isms of his first album and the smoother Marvin Gaye-esque sounds of his breakthrough sophomore release. Songs like Tie My Hands and Dreamworld reveal a burgeoning social conscience, while Sidestep is the best grown-folks dance song since R. Kelly’s Step in the Name of Love.
22. “A Long Time Coming” Wayne Brady
Never in my life would I have imagined ever featuring a Wayne Brady album on a year-end list, but the actor/comedian/Renaissance man showed me a thing or two with his debut effort. Whether smoothing out a Beatles classic (Can’t Buy Me Love) or reminiscing about his childhood, Brady’s smooth and effortless vocals carried this solid collection of soul-inflected pop.
With some stellar assistance from ?uestlove, Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend and Anthony Hamilton, the world’s greatest living male soul singer stepped in the wayback machine, and suddenly, it was 1974 all over again-minus the hot grits. Not many folks eligible for AARP and ordained in the ministry can make records that sound this sexy.
20. “Modern Guilt” Beck
You’ve gotta give Beck props for being, along with The White Stripes, The Roots and Kanye West, this decade’s most consistent artist. Modern Guilt is his fourth consecutive strong effort, and finds him joining forces with Danger Mouse for a collection that matches maturing lyrics with bouncy (for the most part) instrumental backing without the massive genre-jumps that marked his most recent two albums.
19. “It is Time for a Love Revolution” Lenny Kravitz
Lenny almost lost me for good with the travesty that was 2004’s Baptism, but the four years off did him a world of good. Dancin’ Til Dawn was a groover, even as it shamelessly ripped off The Rolling Stones’ Miss You. Songs like A Long & Sad Goodbye pushed emotional buttons while I’ll Be Waiting was the lighter-waving devotional ballad of the year, a fact reinforced when I found myself in a situation in which the lyrics applied perfectly.
18. “Rising Down” The Roots
It says something when The Roots’ least-essential album of the decade still winds up in my year end Top 20. Although I could have done without the abundance of guest appearances, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Styles P are among the featured artists who bring their A games, while the criminally underrated Black Thought is dependable as ever. Fellow Philly emcee Peedi Peedi defines himself on one track as “W.E.B. Dubois mixed with Heavy D & the Boyz” and that perfectly describes the sound of Rising Down.
17. “Gossip in the Grain” Ray LaMontagne
2008 was the year that the heart-on-sleeve singer/songwriter loosened up. Gossip contained the usual plaintive ballads, but Ray shined most on loose, country-flecked songs like Hey Me Hey Mama and the slightly disturbing love letter Meg White, a tribute to the distaff half of The White Stripes. If I was Meg, I’d make sure my doors were locked, but I’d still let Ray sing outside.
16. “Everything is Borrowed” The Streets
The States will never “get” Mike Skinner, so his success will never match up to the quality of his records, but oh well. He can continue being my (and the U.K.’s) secret. Skinner’s fourth effort finds the rapper tackling life, death and all the other big issues with the matter-of-fact cheekiness that’s become his trademark. The Escapist is unquestionably one of the year’s best videos.
15. “Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends” Coldplay
Whether giving Lost! some hip-hop flavor (even before the Jay-Z remix), rocking hard on Violet Hill or getting all majestic with the title track, Chris Martin and company expanded their sound on Viva La Vida and wound up with their best effort since their debut. Credit some of that to the addition of Brian Eno in the producer’s chair and credit the rest to Martin’s commitment to quality songwriting and his decision to save the weepy piano ballads for the end of the album.
14. “Shine” Estelle
Shine is the first worthwhile album by a female artist who raps (at least part-time) since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and while the Brit can’t step into L-Boogie’s high heels, she does pretty good for herself. American Boy is yet another earworm (and finds Kanye at his most charming), Just a Touch has swagger to spare, and Pretty Please (Love Me) suggests she should do a whole album with Cee-Lo.
13. “Evolver” John Legend
Thankfully, Evolver was not exactly John Legend goes crunk. Despite the addition of a slightly more uptempo element, Legend’s dedication to classy R&B remains intact. Jumping from subgenres from light reggae to near-orchestral balladry (This Time suggests that an album-length John Legend/Trevor Horn collaboration would be magical), Legend takes yet another baby step towards justifying his name with his third album.
Next up-the mother of all mash-ups, my favorite Swedish cupcake, the year’s best covers album…my 12 favorite albums of 2008, coming up next.
Those of you old enough might remember critics saying that Lenny Kravitz was too derivative and that he wouldn’t last. Well, twenty years later, the man is still here, still derivative, and sexier than ever. It Is Time for a Love Revolution is his most inspired record in a decade, and Dancin’ Till Dawn might be just the song and video to resurrect the underperforming album. Boasting a fantastically erotic video (and this is the edited version, boys and girls), I’m not sure that this’ll get much daytime play, but the song is bangin’ (even though, yes, it sounds exactly like The Rolling Stones’ Miss You). The man has held up fairly well for two decades in the game, no?
