8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 18, 2004
ART S
Courtesy or uolumoia
Punch this picture.
Prophets fail to foresee
their sophomore slump
Courtesy of Blue Note
Astronaut Jones
she isn't.
By Chris Harrington
For the Daily
RIGHT AT HOME
Borrowing their name from a
bootleg Duran Duran CD, Welsh
punk rock group Lostprophets
recently released their second full
album, Start Something. What exact-
ly they are trying to start isn't very
clear, but they sure seem to be doing
everything they can to inhale the
dying breath of the American nu-
metal wave.
Developing their lackluster sound
in the British underground rock scene,
Lostprophets seem to have all-too-
quickly turned ____________
their backs on Lostprohets
their old fan base proph
with their latest Start
release, a com- Something
mercialized leap Columbia
from their first
album, The Fake Sound of Progress.
The opening track, "We Still Know
the Old Way," promises their follow-
ers that even though the band has a
mainstream release, it hasn't forgotten
their roots. It's believable until the
first chorus hits you in the face like a
suitcase full of hundred dollar bills
with its vocal harmonies and crystal-
clear delayed chords.
It is apparent throughout the
album that Lostprophets try their
best to leave traces of their old
sound, sometimes forcing it unneces-
sarily into some halfway decent
tracks. Unfortunately, the old sound
includes unmelodic, over-rhythmic
guitar pieces, predictable drum bang-
ing, and whiny, weak vocals. The
track "To Hell We Ride" is about as
accurate of an advertisement to the
listener as it gets.
JAZZ DIVA JONES CAPITALIZES ON HER DEBUT
SUCCESS
By Hussain Rahim
Daily Arts Writer
In this nu-metal mutation of guitar
and digital effects, there are a few
standout tracks. "Burn Burn" fea-
tures a classic distorted rock sound
and a catchy lead guitar line reminis-
cent of Jimmy Eat World. The second
verse in this song even uses the bass
to carry the melody and acts as a
much-needed break from the clut-
tered quasi-electro mush. The clean
guitar in "Goodbye Tonight" might
be as close as Lostprophets get to a
rock ballad, and the song is not total-
ly horrific. The chorus has that same
pop appeal but rocks enough to keep
the focus far enough away from the
vocals, which are undoubtedly the
weakest attribute of the album. The
crown jewel is the recently released
single "Last Train Home," which is
just unique enough to pique interest
and sell a few CDs.
Start Something is a mediocre
album at best. Fans of Hoobastank or
Linkin Park will probably enjoy a
few songs, but it is clearly nothing
new or impressive. To make the best
of this CD, avoid paying attention to
the vocals. They might be cause
enough to print a picture of the
singer just so you can punch him in
the face.
Norah Jones wasn't supposed to be famous. She
was supposed to be one of those artists your fringe
friend tells you to check out because she's pretty
good. But things don't always work out like they
should. Somehow the world decided that it wanted
to hear Ravi Shankar's daughter mix jazz and folk
in large doses. Before you know it, she's the next
big thing. Two years and 18 million albums later,
it's time for a new release.
Her debut's success is owed in large part to the
fact that she is so low-key and her music came as
the perfect contrast to the dramatics of the singers
who dominate the pop landscape.
Norah picks up from some of the hints left from
Come Away With Me on Feels Like Home while
fleshing them out. The foreshadowing of her
country influences come to fruition as the album's
tone is predominantly Americana. The shift away
from a more jazz-oriented sound is a brave move
and will surely alienate a great
deal of listeners. Yet some of Norah Jones
the strongest moments come
when she is most forthright Feels Like
with her affinity for the gen- Home
res. The up-tempo, knee-slap- Blue Note
pin' Dolly Parton duet
"Creepin' In" is actually one of the strongest
moments on the album. The enchanting lead sin-
gle "Sunrise" utilizes a sea of underlying bass,
banjo and piano that helps to capture the warmth
of her voice, and her vocal interpretation of Duke
Ellington's "Melancholia" adds the lone "jazz"
song, making it a highlight.
With no real reason to disturb the water, she
brings producer Arif Mardin on board again and
puts on the songwriter cap as she pens nearly
half of the album's 13 songs. Despite these sub-
tle shifts of genre and focus, the mood remains
the same.
There is a feeling not so much of stagnation as
of comfort and ease with where she is musically.
The songs discuss staying in bed, dipping your
toes in the water and pondering the trappings of
love - all the possible variations of stasis. It is
all the emotional equivalent of swinging on a
porch in your backyard with an ice cream cone,
but who says that can't be fun?
The unwavering reception of her last album
was major praise and critical acclaim as it is
with this effort, and she's still only scratching
the surface. She's one bad break-up away from a
really great record.
Former Pantera duo fails to find New Found Power
By James Pfent
Daily Arts Writer
churn out jackhammer rhythms,
heavy-as-hell riffs and 100-mile-an-
hour solos.
Phil Anselmo, one of metal's all-
time best vocalists, has been
Music REVIEW
Meet the new band, same as the
old band. Pantera veterans Dimebag
Darrell and Vinnie Paul have
returned to the metal scene as Dam-
ageplan, and listening to New Found
Power, it's clear that the guitarist
and drummer wish their former
band never fell apart. They still
replaced with
newcomer Pat
Lachman, but
fans will be
shocked to hear
what sounds like
Damageplan
New Found
Power
Elektra
I
Anselmo singing
on the lead single "Breathing New
Life." They'll be further surprised to
find it's not Alselmo at all, but
Lachman proving himself an able
pretender as he flawlessly mimics
Phil's growl. Hell, Lachman even
looks like Anselmo.
Herein lies the band's problem; it
sounds way too much like Pantera.
It might be unfair to relentlessly
compare Damageplan to Pantera,
distinguish himself enough from
Anselmo to stand on his own.
New Found Power features a pair
of notable guest appearances. Slip-
knot's Corey Taylor drops some F-
bombs on the aptly titled "Fuck
You," and guitar hero Zakk Wylde,
best known for his work with Ozzy
Osbourne, slaps a solo on "Reborn."
There's little point to these contribu-
tions, however, since Lachman and
Dimebag, still two of metal's best
shredders, could have handled these
tasks themselves.
Damageplan fare better when they
stray from the Pantera formula;
tracks like "Save Me" and "Blink of
an Eye" are heavy, yet melodic and
catchy. If the band moves in this
direction they could be a force in
metal, but until then Vinne and
Dime will have to work even harder
to find their new identity.
but the band would elicit such com-
parisons even if it didn't include two
ex-Cowboys from Hell. But Ansel-
mo was the heart and soul of the old
band, something New Found Power
makes painfully clear. Lachman can
scream, growl and even sing, but he
simultaneously fails to live up to or
r'oa1.
Wednesday Feb. 18
7:00 pm
Michigan League
911 N. University
4
Hosted by MARS. More info: martians@umich.edu
ANN ARBOR WORD WORKS PRESENTS
You are welcome to
Ash Wednesday
Meditative Worship for
Campus & Community
An ecumenical service of Scripture,
prayer, silence, meditative singing of
music Jrom the Tai.e Ccomtmunity..
imposition of ashes,
and Holy Communion
-FDIAAII fFR, n w.-2n rvm