There’s nothing quite like having a great selection of CDs to groove to when heading out on summer trips or slaving away over summer school. Here are some CDs worth mentioning:
Nelly Furtado- “Loose”
Nelly Furtado is a bird that has flown away. Flown away from her comfort zone, that is. Her lasted release is filled with pop, dance and some rap. “Loose” is co-produced by Timbaland, who is one of the culprits for the shift in Furtado’s folksy sound. But an artist is expected to evolve over time and not keep spitting out the same CD’s, right?
The track “Promiscuous” is about as far from her previous song “I’m Like A Bird” as one can get but it works. It’s a catchy duet between Furtado and Timbaland about promiscuity. It’s not as scandalous as some may think, and it certainly gets people moving on the dance floor. The rest of “Loose” is filled with feisty R&B and dance tracks that will have people wondering what happened to Furtado to result in such a change.
“This record shows who I am in a jam-type environment, where I really feel the excitement of the creativity flowing,” Furtado said, according to the Amazon Web site. “It’s who I am at my most artistic. I live for that, and I’m very grateful to be able to share it.”
Whoa, Nelly indeed.
Regina Spektor- “Begin to Hope”
Fans of Tori Amos will soak up Regina Spektor’s latest album but Spektor is, as Rolling Stone Magazine said, “less miserable than Fiona Apple.” Spektor does away with sad songs and sings in a poppy light melody that captures listeners. Her lyrics are creative and just about as eccentric as Tori Amos’.
Spektor experiments with her vocal range on every song, resulting in no two songs sounding the same. One of the best songs on “Begin to Hope” is “Samson,” a haunting song made memorable by her clear voice and the piano that seems to float alongside her.
Taking Back Sunday- “Louder Now”
At first glance, Taking Back Sunday seems to perfectly fit into the category of manufactured “heavy” pop
music. Each song sounds almost too perfect to be taken seriously. But with a second glance comes the realization that they are something better than just another cookie-cutter band with cool hair and loud drums.
Rolling Stone Magazine has called their previous release “quite possibly one of the best emo records ever made. It has everything you want from this type of record: white-knuckle intensity and an ability to sum up post-pubescent misery and sexual frustration with passion, literacy, precision and, like, a zillion hooks.”
“Louder Now” offers fans fresh tracks to devour that follow Taking Back Sunday’s formula of catchy rifts and scream-o lyrics. There’s nothing groundbreaking on this album but it’s still a treat worth sampling.
Dixie Chicks- “Taking the Long Way”
The queens of Bush bashing are back and are not afraid to comment on the past couple of turbulent years. They have enough spunk and sauciness to tame even the most discerning ex-fan. “Taking the Long Way” is a very personal peek into the Dixie Chicks’ opinions on the current political situation in the country. They finally have a chance to retaliate from the backlash of angry fans after making some negative statements about President Bush.
This CD is a strong and beautiful result of their personal endeavors, including death threats, as can be heard on the track “Not Ready to Make Nice.” Not only are the lyrics impressive on this CD but the songs seamlessly flow together.
“This album was about finding a balance in the different aspects of our lives,” said Dixie Chick Emily Robinson, according to the Amazon Web Site, “but there’s something thematic there, too-it’s really about being bold.”
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