Audioslave’s new ‘Out of Exile’ shows promise
Audioslave
“Out of Exile” (Interscope) •••
Everyone complains that the record business, desperate for quick hits, no longer gives bands the time they need to develop. Well, here’s a classic test case: a major-label group with the potential to create something unique and potent, and a clear need for aging in order to reach it.
The two parties in this rock music mega-merger – rangy singer Chris Cornell, formerly of Soundgarden, and the instrumental trio that formerly drove Rage Against the Machine – have a strong foundation to build on: their shared affinity for rock of epic scale and earthy manner.
On this second album, Audioslave continues to grapple with existential and social issues, often cloaked in the language of myth and folk tales. Some of the songs seem like undeveloped riffs, but it’s always easy to listen to the mournful and defiant Cornell soar and to submit to the weird physics of Tom Morello’s wildly inventive guitar solos.
The hit “Be Yourself” is a soothing piece of self-help philosophy, with an insistent pulse that give it a Coldplay-like tone of reassurance. Audioslave also breaks away from its clamorous comfort zone with the bouncy, acoustic arrangement of “Doesn’t Remind Me.”
What’s left for the band is to become more than the sum of its parts – to generate something that’s pure Audioslave instead of some Rage and some Soundgarden. “Out of Exile” is a firm but small step toward that breakthrough. Just give them some time.
Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times
Common
“Be” (Geffen) ••• 1/2
There was a time when street credibility and social consciousness went hand in hand for top hip-hop acts. Common’s latest gem offers a shining reminder of that era and some of the old-school themes and textures that prefigured it.
Tracks such as the Marvin Gaye homage “Love Is…” and “Real People,” an instant classic co-written and produced by Kanye West, address modern issues with a soulful grit rare among Common’s contemporaries.
Elysa Gardner, USA Today
Gorillaz
“Demon Days” (Virgin) •••
A cartoon band of four street urchins, this winking vanity project cooked up by Blur’s Damon Albarn turned into a credible electronic pop-rap phenomenon after its 2001 debut wowed critics and sold 6 million copies worldwide behind the hit “Clint Eastwood.”
With the deft production of Danger Mouse, this return is a little peppier and more innovative than that self-titled bow. “Demon Days” manages to be upbeat and menacing at the same time, and even such goofy efforts as Dennis Hopper’s spiel in “Fire Coming Out of a Monkey’s Head” have a hip groove.
Albarn’s low-key singing and springy melodies lock neatly with the slippery beats and inspired cameos, especially Neneh Cherry on “Kids with Guns” and Shaun Ryder on the hook-infested “DARE.”
Edna Gundersen, USA Today
Renee Fleming
“Haunted Heart” (Decca) •••
Fleming’s latest foray into nonoperatic territory finds the diva sounding more comfortable with pop, folk and soul textures.
Making savvy use of the rich bottom of her lustrous soprano, Fleming delivers a warm, caressing medley of “My One and Only Love” and “This Is Always” and a bluesy take on Joni Mitchell’s “River,” enhanced by pianist Fred Hersch and guitarist Bill Frisell’s sterling accompaniment.
Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” is more of a stretch, but an achingly lovely rendition of Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More” confirms her dexterity and daring.
Elysa Gardner, USA Today
Van Morrison
“Magic Time” (Geffen) •••
Known for his volatile artistic temperament, Morrison nonetheless has proved to be among the most reliably satisfying vocalists of the rock era. He’s still paying homage to blues and soul influences with vigor and sass, but there’s also a seasoning in his croon that adds heft to the torchy “Lonely & Blue,” splendid “Stranded” and jazzy covers of “I’m Confessin’ ” and “This Love of Mine.”
Morrison hits familiar notes railing against the music business in “They Sold Me Out,” returning to Astral Weeks poetics in “Celtic New Year” and wailing the blues on the jumpy “Keep Mediocrity at Bay.” Yet the grooves are spontaneous and flavorful, signs that 40 years on, he continues to keep it fresh and keep mediocrity at bay.
Edna Gundersen, USA Today
Joe Perry
“Joe Perry” (Sony) •••
The best rock guitarists never confuse muscle with empty flash, so it’s no surprise that on his fourth solo outing, the Aerosmith axeman seems more interested in textural exploration than technical ostentation.
From the tangy, Eastern-influenced “Pray for Me” to the rootsy heft of “Vigilante Man,” Perry plies his craft with an ear for atmosphere and a respect for nuance.
Doors fans will especially want to check out his version of “Crystal Ship,” which points to a resemblance between Perry’s brooding baritone voice – featured throughout the album – and Jim Morrison’s.
Elysa Gardner, USA Today