Wednesday, 5/28/97 Soundbites
Toad the Wet Sprocket "Coil" (Columbia) Toad has always assured
music listeners that, with them, you will get no
genre-of-the-moment imitations or experimentation. The conservative
quartet from Santa Barbara has stuck to an emotional folk-pop sound
since they began 11 years ago, with a few minor variations here and
there. "Coil," their sixth release, is a lot like their two more
successful albums, "Fear" and "Dulcinea," with subtle differences.
For starters, singer/ lyricist Glen Phillips’s vocals differ from
his past material. Instead of reaching for the sky during the
chorus he keeps his vocals grounded and consistent. This is
especially true in the irresistible "Whatever I Fear," a song of
vulnerability ("Whatever I fear the most is/ Whatever I see before
me/ Whenever I let my guard down/ Whatever I was ignoring").
"Desire" is Toad gone classic rock, with an ironic grit and swagger
also uncharacteristic of Phillips and Co. ("I want revenge/ I want
control"). "Amnesia" crunches and burns unlike most of Toad’s
laidback and soft-core material. "Crazy Life" reminds us of the
Wallflowers with the addition of an organ. "Little Buddha" is an
odd drone of a song with unexpected orchestrations for the retro
effect. Yet, the rest of the album is your standard Toad, minus
some of the soaring vocals and emotions of their standout,
breakthrough album, "Fear." "Come Down," the new single, is not
only your typical Toad, but also the typical ’90s alt-rock,
grunge-lite fair (or adult alternative if you will) with a pop
hook. "Throw It all Away" has a little country, feel-good pop to
it. "Little Man Big Man" is pretty devoid of any feelings, but is
certainly hummable. That’s the weird thing about "Coil." It’s not
over-the-top on melodrama, but it’s nothing to toss aside, either.
What makes Toad great is their knack for making good music. It’s
catchy without being cheesy and it rocks without the headache. This
album is another testament to Toad’s ability to find the middle
ground. "Coil" may not be the best Toad album to date, but one of
the groups today not embracing the electronic pop wave, they hold
their own in an otherwise boring scene of coffeehouse folksters.
Mike Prevatt B+ Mary J. Blige "Share My World" (MCA) On her third
album, Mary J. Blige shows that she is still reigns as the Queen of
Hip-hop Soul. Her multi-platinum debut album "What’s the 411?"
spawned a legion of imitators as the practice of r&b singers
using hip-hop break-beats became commonplace. Since then she has
also provided background vocals on countless rap tracks. While
Blige’s style has been oft imitated, no one has been able to
successfully duplicate her sound. Her latest release shows a more
mature Blige, evident in her singing voice and her songwriting. On
"Share My World," Blige shows her ability to meld hip-hop and
r&b into one musical form without compromising either genre.
Lil’ Kim provides the rhymes on "I Can Love You," while Nas drops a
verse on "Love Is All We Need." But it is on the album’s ballads
that her artistic growth is more obvious. On the album’s title
track Blige sings an unpretentious love song, and "Seven Days" is
sensuous, but not overtly sexual. "Everything" is probably the
album’s finest moment. On this love ballad, Blige incorporates
elements of hip-hop music, an opening line borrowed from
"La-Di-Da-Di" and a sample from James Brown’s "The Payback," and a
soul music sample from the Stylistics. Despite the varied nature of
these elements, Blige blends all of them into a beautiful song.
This album is the first Mary J. Blige album that producer Sean
"Puffy" Combs did not work on, with the Trackmasters providing most
of the production. But the production is up to par, and considering
Blige’s continued growth as a singer and songwriter, this is her
best album to date. Nelson Saldua A Lateef & Lyrics Born
"Latyrx" (SoleSides) The latest release from indie hip-hop label
SoleSides unites two rappers, Lateef the Truth Speaker and Lyrics
Born, into one rapping entity. The result is completely original,
and often extraordinary, rap music. The album’s title track,
"Latyrx," features both rappers diverging from the usual
‘pass-the-mic’ routine as they both rhyme simultaneously over the
beat. At times it is difficult to follow what either of the rappers
are saying and the song ends up sounding like a jumble of random
syllables. The rest of the album is, however, far more easily
accessible. The pairing of Lateef and Lyrics Born is much stronger
on the DJ Shadow-produced "The Quickening (The Wreckoning Part
II)." On "Balcony Beach" an introspective Lyrics Born contemplates
the process of maturing from a boy into a man. Lyrics Born’s
reflective mood is caused by observing the tides from his balcony,
tides which parallel the ebbing pattern of the background track.
Most people should be able to relate to this coming of age song.
"Say That" has an old school feel complete with a beat that uses
what sounds like Atari 2600 sound effects. Blackalicious adds
flavor to the tale of a typical SoleSides show on "Burning Hot In
Cali on a Saturday Night." As an independent label SoleSides
Records has consistently released innovative hip-hop music in
relative obscurity. Aside from late-night mix shows and college
radio, Lateef and Lyrics Born will not receive much radio airplay.
With hip-hop music’s roots often being lost in the shuffle of the
music business itself, "Latyrx" is a rare album that gets back to
the basics of straight-up skills making beats and writing rhymes.
Nelson Saldua A- Cyndi Lauper "Sisters of Avalon" (Columbia) "Girls
Just Wanna Have Fun" instantly comes to mind when one thinks of
Cyndi Lauper, and we remember her strutting in the streets with her
red hair and careless demeanor. Those days are over. Lauper has
done some maturing and artistic growing through three other studio
albums, and now comes "Sisters of Avalon," an eclectic mix of
loops, guitars and soft-spoken music that sits as the background to
her beautiful voice and a lyrical journey into the female and
maternal mystique. While far more adult top-40 than bubble-gum pop,
Lauper mixes all sorts of elements together to tell her stories
with a sincere depth and welcome sweetness. The opening, title
track is extremely catchy and well mixed, with a feel-good pulse
and profound lyrics ("They brought her in in a new white dress/ but
the stain left an ache on her mother’s breast"). "You Don’t Know"
is simply irresistible with its hooks and conventional adult-pop
allure, giving Lauper a chance to show off her impressive ability
to sing and write songs ("Left suppresses the right/ right
suppresses the left/ so what’s left, and what’s right?"). "Mother"
is new-age pop which flows and soothes, but the treat here is the
lyrical ode to the long line of mothers that have kept the human
race going for years and years ("She reaches out to me/ weaving and
threading the loom/ from womb to womb"). "Sisters of Avalon"
contains some surprising elements and influences we wouldn’t expect
from Lauper, like the jazzy "Say a Prayer," the Alanis-like,
embittered "Love to Hate" and the r&b-flavored "Unhook the
Stars." This album proves that Lauper isn’t out to recycle her
"She’s So Unusual" sound that was so popular in the ’80s. Rather,
she has made a record reflecting her own experimentation with
universal themes and different types of popular music styles.
Surprisingly, the music is pleasingly melodic rather than overtly
avant-garde, save a couple of songs that disrupt the album’s flow
("Love to Hate," "Say a Prayer"). Lauper may be old school, but
she’s hip to the changing faces of music. It’s good to see she
hasn’t lost her ability to enchant us. Mike Prevatt B+ Next Monday
is the last Soundbites of the year. You have until then to find
life’s inspiration elsewhere. TOAD THE WET SPROCKET "Coil" Previous
Daily Bruin story: Various Artists "Friends" (Reprise) Before you
dismiss "Friends" as just another lousy television soundtrack, take
a look at the bands on the album.