8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 3, 2004 ART S 4 BREAKING RECORDS REVIEWS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY'S NEW RELEASES 4 I I I HORT OUND ATLANTA RAPPER CEE-LO FALTERS WITH HIS NEWEST LP By Evan McGarvey Daily Arts Writer Jazz quintet soars on latest By Andrew Horowitz Daily Arts Writer Two years after their debut, The Infinite, Dave Douglas returns with guest guitarist Bill Frisell on Strange Libera- tion. Whereas the first CD blended pop songs and origi- nals, Strange Liberation consists entirely of Douglas-penned tunes. The playing is far more complex, augmenting Douglas' affinity for odd time signatures and multifarious for- mal constructions, and the soloists are Dave much more at home with the ensem- Douglas ble. In the two years since last hearing Strange them, the quintet has grown up. Lbration A lot of this has to do with the Liberation addition of Frisell. Douglas, a long- Bluebird time admirer of Frisell, wrote with him in mind. There's plenty of room for Frisell's sonic experiments, but at the same time Douglas' charts come across as very controlled. This interplay of freedom and limitation sows the threads that make this group and album work. On the opener, "A Single Sky," the energy of drummer Clarence Penn and bassist James Genus is immediately apparent. Genus' crisp pedal tones and Penn's liberating grooves lay the groundwork for the band. No time is wasted before Frisell and Rhodes keyboardist Uri Caine welcome a series of free-sounding chords to the mix. Once the founda- tion is laid, the CD flows from start to finish. Some of the tunes lend themselves as solo vehicles; oth- ers are purely soundscapes. "Mountains from the Train" Courtesy of Arista You are getting sleepy ... It's hard to lose Cee-Lo in the pack. The squat, Atlanta-based singer/MC has a distinc- tive voice that falls in the range somewhere between falsetto and whine. If someone tried to take themselves seriously with this voice, they'd come across as Smokey Robinson singing in a blender with a sick tabby cat. As a member of the recently dissolved dirty South super-group Dun- geon Family, Cee-Lo was usually relegated to singing the hook or, at best, spitting a 10 second mini-verse. Striking out on his own, he released his debut album, Cee-Lo Cee-Lo Cee-Lo Green is The Soul Machine Arista Green & His Perfect Imperfection. Even with the huge chart success of his compatriots Out- Kast, his first album did disappointing busi- ness. He billed himself as a slightly intellectual alternative: a modern day Q-Tip. With OutKast firmly on the national music scene and Southern rap dominating popular hip-hop, the time seemed ripe for Cee-Lo's elevation into a higher echelon of success. Cee-Lo Green is The Soul Machine lives and dies on listenability. Cee-Lo's desire for independence is commendable, but sometimes he has to just give the people what they want. He goes so far to exert his individuality that on "I am Selling Soul," he doesn't rap, he doesn't sing he gives a slightly over-wrought monologue about the future of soul music. It's more entertaining to listen to some stupid antics on a Redman skit than a holier-than- thou manifesto. When Cee-Lo is on point, however, he crafts a blend of trickling, cartoonish funk. "Child Play" uses a xylophone to smash together a dope day-care jam. The lead sin- gle, "I'll Be Around," might be Timbaland's best mid-tempo song since the L.O.X.'s "Ryde or Die." With fluttering trumpets, a digital choir in the chorus and Cee-Lo squawking, it's the oddest way to start danc- ing so far this year. Imagine Jimmy Buffet slathered in sloppy Georgia funk, praising everyone at the bar, and you've got Cee-Lo on "My Kind of People." It's these tracks, filled with distinct melodies and real experimentation that war- rant some of Cee-Lo's constant explorations into new hip-hop territory. However, explo- rations, sadly, cripple the album's success. The aforementioned monologues appear on a total of three tracks and do a marvelous job of murdering any good will the listener has built up for Cee-Lo. Other songs devolve into a similar funk-less stupor. "Glockapella" is needless gun-play from someone who claims to be above such subject material. Cee-Lo just needs to temper his desire for trailblazing hip- hop with some common sense. Get some bod- ies on the dance floor and then try to get your point across. Twista is more than just a gimmick 4 showcases Frisell's free-flowing harmonics, complemented by an aroma of Caine's light textures and the melancholy horns. "Just Say This" highlights Douglas' gorgeously understated muted trumpet. One of the most fulfilling moments on the CD is saxo- phonist Chris Potter's superb solo on "17." The rhythmically complex journey through fast dark grooves, medium-tempo swing, stomp time and unpredictable vamps seems effortless in Potter's hands. Potter is easily one of the most exciting players on the current jazz scene. The title track, inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr., aptly fits the album. While starting with distinct harmony and clear melodic intent, the tune quickly opens to vamped solos backed by intricate horn lines and odd time changes. Strange Liberation, like the title track, is a well- stated essay on confined freedom. This album's a welcome addition to Douglas' accomplished catalogue, and easily stands as one of the best jazz albums in recent memory. By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer MUsic REVIEW ***9 No one has ever respected fast rappers. Often seen as a gimmick, it has never sus- _ tained long-term interest from the public. Jay-Z Kamikaze abandoned his Atlantic spit-fire style prior to his major label deal as his best bet for long-term credibility and the brief success of Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony was little more than a blip on the rap radar. Enter Twista. After years of under- ground albums, hot radio singles and guest appearances, his much delayed major-label debut finally arrives. The word is in. The boy can rap, not to men- tion the production isn't so bad either. While the album doesn't work in its entirety, it is good enough and simply energetic enough to warrant a listen. The majority of the album is produced by Twista's partner Toxic and producer du jour Kanye West. It may be the Chicago affilia- tion, but they definitely know how to ground his exuberant delivery with matching beats. In one of the best constructed odes to classic R&B, "Slow Jamz," is easily one of the best cuts on the album, and R. Kelly turns in "So Sexy" - a radio hit to be produced - with the energy of a man that's turning out hits like he's going to prison. Oh wait ... There are definite bangers on this album, and when it's good it's really good. Following the curse that follows most rap albums nowadays, Kamikaze is a bit too long and Twista tags on a few spiritual tracks at the end that really don't make sense for him or the album. While he hasn't exactly blown open the door for mile- a-minute rappers worldwide, he has definitely made a case for himself. 4 4 University Acotivities Center www.u m Ic h .e d u/ u a c jfproudly presents BWridge ilderness MondeysMond.y Union: Parker Roofr Union: Anderson ABCD 730 -:930 pm $5 7-9 pm $65 Beoy Dancing Massage ' Wednesdays Unco: Parker Room Unon. 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