Reggae, country work on Nelson’s ‘Countryman’
Willie Nelson
“Countryman” (Lost Highway) •••
Your first thought upon seeing the words “Willie Nelson” and “reggae” in the same sentence may be that some whacked-out label honcho sampled too much of the stuff shown on this CD’s cover.
But that cannabis illustration turns out to be the most radical thing about Nelson’s long-in-gestation “Countryman.”
Originally conceived in 1995 when the country icon signed to Island Records, “Countryman” was postponed in favor of releasing the more traditional “Spirit” as Nelson’s label debut. Eventually, Island was sold and “Countryman” lost its supporters until the more adventurous Lost Highway label resurrected the project.
For some reason, it works. The country and reggae genres prove good compadres, and the island rhythms, peppered with acoustic guitar and Nelson’s familiar drawl, make for agreeable summer listening.
Oddly enough, the most country-oriented cut turns out to be one of the two Jimmy Cliff covers, “The Harder They Come.” Nelson’s gift is the ability to make this classic reggae cut his own.
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald
Slim Thug
“Already Platinum” (Geffen) •••
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Houston rapper is big enough in his home state that he can get away with the boastful title on his major-label debut. And he’s far from humble about his rise to riches on such street anthems as “Like a Boss,” “Ashy to Classy” and “I Ain’t Heard of That.”
There are a few big names sprinkled in the mix, including T.I., Jazzy Pha and The Neptunes. But Slim Thug’s confident, laid-back deliveries keep him from being overshadowed. The way he rhymes his answers to the questions posed on “The Interview” makes it clear that none of this is new to him.
Steve Jones, USA Today
Bow Wow
“Wanted” (Sony) •• 1/2
Bow Wow has come a long way since his kiddie days. The 18-year-old rapper now has four albums to his credit and just went out on his fourth “Scream Tour.”
He teams with Omarion – another teen heartthrob moving on to more mature material – for the infectious “Let Me Hold You.” On “Fresh Azimiz” and the Snoop Dogg-assisted “Caviar,” he boasts of the lifestyle his rap skills have afforded him. And “Big Dreams” encourages others to keep striving despite life’s obstacles.
This album doesn’t break any new ground but marks the coming of age of a likable artist.
Steve Jones, USA Today
All-American Rejects
“Move Along” (three stars) •••
The Oklahoma pop-punk quartet is still peddling pep and polish, but singer Tyson Ritter has toned down his more-tween-than-Queen falsetto and the band has thrown a little dirt into the gears, making for a slightly grittier sound.
The splendid title track is a muscular anthem, driven by a thrashy guitar, suggesting that the Rejects did indeed opt to move along after submitting a tamer batch of tunes on their 2002 debut.
Thankfully, there’s still plenty of catchy radio-friendly pop here, and the emo-aimed musings on obsessive romance and young indolence are more disarming than obnoxious.
Edna Gundersen, USA Today
Eliza Carthy & The Ratcatchers
“Rough Music” (Topic Records) ••• 1/2
Carthy is a revelation for the verve with which she is reinvigorating traditional English folk music. Fiddles, violas, guitars, melodeons and hurdy-gurdies swirl and rise, while the lyrics sing of dashing highwaymen and gallant hussars.
But there’s nothing somber or fussy about “Rough Music.” Lovers of Celtic music will savor deft instrumentals such as “Upside Down,” and Carthy’s voice, a combination of Judy Collins and Alison Moyet, continues to improve.
Her biggest accomplishment is that she manages to make a quaintly old-fashioned style sound so fresh.
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer