New Vibrations

By: John Kernan

Posted: 5/1/08

ARTIST
Madonna
ALBUM
Hard Candy
LABEL
WEA/Reprise
RELEASED
April 29, 2008

It was whispered by shifty-eyed men in dark corners that Madonna, maybe, has had some artificial help in maintaining her "look." She turns 50 this year, so she must be feeling a bit dated. So, going into Hard Candy, her eleventh studio album, I expected a desperate attempt to stay relevant in a youth market.

I mean, look at that album cover on the right there. What is she doing? I invite the reader to also check out the back cover of the album, which seems a tad suggestive in its posturing.

By now, everyone who listens to the radio at all has heard the first single off the album, "4 Minutes." This is the ultimate example of a track engineered for the number one spot. Justin Timberlake is featured, and even pop-production king Timbaland gets in his "frikka frikky." Already the song has become a top 10 Billboard single - her 37th, beating out Elvis's record of 36.

Apart from that, what else does the album have to offer? It might seem like the point in her career where she would be clutching at the last bits of her stardom, but Madonna has produced quite a few dance floor-ready songs on Hard Candy. And, OK, it's not the most artistically fulfilling album ever, but it's not supposed to be.

The opener "Candy Shop" features some pretty funky bongo action (no, really), along with a catchy little chorus. Madonna has no qualms about the not-so-subtle lyric "My sugar is raw/ Sticky and sweet." Of course, Madonna has never been one for subtlety.

If we were looking for an R&B revolution, something that was rumored to happen on this album for Madonna, any possibility is erased after these first two tracks. "Give It 2 Me" plants us firmly back into Euro-dance pop music. It's a fine song, with some promise that might come through better via some DJ's remix.

Just when you thought "Give It 2 Me" had given you enough synth, "Heartbreak" proves you wrong. Along with the fluttery '80s brass, which I can deal with, we get an odd little dialogue between Madonna and Pharrell Williams, where he instructs her to go a "little lower baby," and Madonna complies by lowering her voice, below the point at which it sounds natural. Instead, she sounds a bit like a woman trying to imitate a man's voice - distracting, to say the least.

Madonna falters on "She's Not Me." The song chronicles the singer's feelings after being replaced in relationship by a girl who takes on all of her own characteristics, which "freaks her out." As the title suggests, the chorus gives reasons why the new girl isn't up to muster. And what, you may ask, are these no doubt compelling points that Madonna presents? "She doesn't have my name," explains Madonna. Well yes, we realize that - a bit insubstantial though, don't you think? Unless Madonna is referring to her "name" legally - which is worth something to the tune of $400 million. Also, "She doesn't have what I have," though we never learn what it is that Madonna has, other than a broken relationship. We don't expect Tennyson from Madonna's lyrics, surely, but come on.

"Incredible" is supposed to be a second standout track, perhaps the next single, but I'm just not feeling it. There is arbitrary artificial doubling ( "I c-c-c-can't get my head around it,") and the hook is a bit too airy to catch my dance reflex, and the melody is not interesting enough to stand without the beat.

On "The Beat Goes On," the beat simply doesn't. However, there is a guest appearance by the always entertaining Kanye West, whose self-referencing rhymes are worth a listen, at least.

"Spanish Lesson" is a fun little turn in the album, bringing in some Latin influences but is unlistenable to anyone who actually speaks Spanish. Sorry, Madonna, "siempre" only sort of means "I won't forget it."

There are a couple of good tracks on this album, and I'm sure they will get plenty of airplay over the next few months. If you like the tracks, iTunes them. Skip the album.

ARTIST
dEUS
ALBUM
Vantage Point
LABEL
Cooperative Music
RELEASED
April 18, 2008

I'm a latecomer to dEUS. I'd heard things about their earlier works, but in the tidal wave of music that comes with the internet, I simply never had a listen. Now I find myself rushing to catch up.

Vantage Point, the fifth album from this Belgian quintet, immediately pulls you in with the smooth "When She Comes Down." I noted upon a first listen the thrice-alliterative hook "suicide souls," and it was like dEUS was reaching out to me and my love of wordplay alone. An octave-below vocal track backs much of the song, something normally cheesy and forced-sounding, but somehow it works here.

Next up, dEUS proves it can get a little rougher on "Oh Your God." The syncopated verses are almost rapped, while the chorus swells out of nowhere to provide a more soothing but still energetic contrast.

The first "single" on the album - as much as independent Antwerpen bands can have singles - is the aptly named "Slow." The tracks ambles through its six minutes and change, with chantlike choruses, generous jam breaks and a lazy tone in the vocals. Not that it gets boring - it is nuanced, a subtle female voice flits in and out in the background, and the verse/chorus structure is different enough to make this, the longest track on the album, seem just the right length.

We jump back to funky with the other single - "The Architect." Apparently, the eponymous Architect has a grand plan for the restructuring of the world's society. Or something. In any case, the band's retelling of his story takes the form of a catchy groove-along rock song. The borrowed clips, evidently from some sci-fi B movie, only add to the fun.

This albums hold a little bit of everything. dEUS gives us progressive, funk, jazz, fusion, ridiculous sampling - whatever you like. An overall feel of bass, maybe a little bit of evil overshadows many of the songs, tying them together neatly without restricting them. A solid effort from the seasoned veterans. Now to find the rest of their albums.