Harmonies rich on Temptations’ album ‘Legacy’
Temptations
“Legacy” (Motown) •••
The original Temptations saw their name as something to live up to. Forty years later, the lineup led by founder Otis Williams, which includes former Spinners lead singer G.C. Cameron (“It’s a Shame”), strives to uphold that legacy.
Unlike so many current groups whose members all seem to sound the same, the Tempts’ hallmark has always been the blending of five distinct voices. With the gritty Cameron and rumbling bass Joe Herndon joining tenor Ron Tyson and smooth Terry Weeks, the harmonies in this model of The Temptations are particularly rich.
“Stay Together,” their midtempo first single, lets them show off their range and versatility, as do the sexy “Something Special,” driving “Round Here” and soulful “Fifty Fifty Love.”
These current members have clearly embraced the group’s proud history as the Emperors of Soul. As they state on the heartfelt album opener, they aim to be “Still Tempting.”
— Steve Jones
Lil’ Wayne
“Tha Carter” (Cash Money) •••
Looks as if the most youthful of Cash Money’s Hot Boyz has reached maturity. On his fourth solo album, Weezy (as he’s called) maintains the energy of his teen years, but his flow is deeper now and maybe a bit more intense.
With the help of Manny Fresh’s bass-driven funk, Wayne takes you on a tour through his life as a well-heeled young hustler. The street themes and boastful banter are familiar, but he keeps things moving with witty deliveries and a few change-ups, such as the lament “I Miss My Dawgs.”
It seems that he is no longer content simply to live large. He is ready to take charge.
— Steve Jones
The Cure
“The Cure” (Geffen) • 1/2
Forty-five is the new 18, or so one might gather from these sophomoric tirades by middle-aged mope-rocker Robert Smith and colleagues on their latest effort.
Songs such as “Us or Them” and “alt.end” may hint at more substantial subject matter than post-post-adolescent navel-gazing. But the caterwauling Smith still hasn’t figured out the difference between addressing pain and taking a bubble bath in it.
Nor has anyone informed him about the advances in recording technology that now enable the most musically challenged singers to sound pitch-perfect on their CDs. Or maybe he’s afraid that singing on key would make him sound too grown up.
— Elysa Gardner
Nina Sky
“Nina Sky” (Universal) •• 1/2
Twin sisters Natalie and Nicole Albino may only be 18, but they have obviously soaked up a fair amount of old-school R&B.
The duo’s self-titled debut aspires to the same progressively nostalgic vibe once offered by Lauryn Hill, whom both girls cite as an influence. But the breezily romantic, benignly sexy feel of tunes such as the hit single “Move Ya Body” and the more wistful “Faded Memories” invite comparisons with more commercially savvy pop-soul retrophiles.
If Nina Sky can transcend its flavor-of-the-minute status, perhaps these siblings will turn their gaze up toward the future.
— Elysa Gardner
The Corrs
“Borrowed Heaven” (Atlantic) •••
Ireland’s most famous family act adheres to the shiny pop formula of its last studio effort, 2000’s “In Blue,” and at times the results are less glowing.
The single “Summer Sunshine” and “Angel” have the catchy but formulaic feel of disposable hits. But those who dig deeper will find more satisfying singalongs, among them the buoyant “Confidence for Quiet,” as well as denser, moodier numbers such as the title tune, an atmospheric bolero that reaffirms the Corrs’ affinity for slightly more adventurous musical terrain.
— Elysa Gardner
Auf Der Maar
“Auf Der Maur” (Capitol) ••
Melissa Auf der Maur, the former bassist for Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, certainly paid enough dues toiling with brilliant, eccentric and difficult bosses to deserve her own shot at the spotlight. Unfortunately, this solo debut suggests the promotion may have been premature.
Her alt-rock tunes feel 10 years too late and 10 shades too green, with cliched and juvenile lyrics that wouldn’t pass muster in a high school poetry class.
She benefits from the metal punch provided by guests Josh Homme and James Iha, and she does have a knack for neo-psychedelia and goth drama; the piano ballad “Overpower Thee” and the big harmonies and crunchy riffs of “My Foggy Notion” hint at emerging talents. But the laughable “Taste You” and the unrewarding experience of listening to Auf der Maur’s slight and colorless voice makes you wish she would get her old job back.
— Edna Gundersen
Soundtrack
“De-Lovely” (Sony) •••
This soundtrack to the new film based on Cole Porter’s life (which hasn’t yet come to Spokane) is no substitute for, say, Ella Fitzgerald’s “Songbook.” Still, some of the contemporary pop stars featured here offer an appealing introduction to Porter’s distinctive blend of wit and melancholy.
Elvis Costello and Diana Krall deliver “Let’s Misbehave” and “Just One of Those Things” with predictable verve, while Sheryl Crow and Vivian Green mine the bittersweet yearning in “Begin the Beguine” and “Love for Sale.”
Kevin Kline, who plays the late, great tunesmith — and actually has a stronger singing voice than Porter himself did — contributes a delicate “In the Still of the Night,” capturing the lonely soul that haunted even Porter’s most elegant and ebullient love songs.
— Elysa Gardner