June 28, 2008 by Willis.

“As the “High School Musical” troupe troops to the big screen, Disney brings forth its next potential franchise concept—”Camp Rock,” a summer sojourn to a place where “you can feel the beat running through your feet,” as the cast tells us in the opening number, “We Rock.” This is ostensibly a vehicle for the fast-rising Jonas Brothers, but 15-year-old Miley Cyrus-like newcomer Demi Lovato is in the breakout seat as the aspiring Mitchie Torres, daughter of the camp cook and looking for her break. Neither Joe Jonas nor Lovato dominate the soundtrack, however, though they each have solo showcases as well as a Big Moment duet (”This Is Me”). The Jonas Brothers get to rock out on “Play My Music,” while the rest of the album is a contemporary (if not cutting-edge) pop smorgasbord featuring techy dance tracks, Avril-style chick rock, a touch of hip-hop and “deep” self-affirmations.—Gary Graff”

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June 24, 2008 by Willis.

“If Alejandro Escovedo’s 2006 album “The Boxing Mirror” was a reflection on mortality and the hepatitis C that nearly killed him, “Real Animal” buttresses the case for artistic immortality. The songs are richly textured, heartfelt autobiographical snapshots. “Nun’s Song” concisely evokes the ethos of the Nuns, the San Francisco punk band in which Escovedo played: “We don’t want your approval . . . We know we’ll never be great,” he sings of a band that hardly knew the chords to “Louie Louie.” On “Chelsea Hotel ‘78,” Escovedo rips away the sentimentality that often accompanies tributes to New York’s former bohemian headquarters. The raucous “Chip n’ Tony” pays tribute to the band Rank & File, with whom Escovedo played a sublime form of early-’80s country punk. “Sister Lost Soul” swells with sweet emotion, instilling visions of Tina Turner in her ’80s prime. Sweeping violins and take-no-prisoners guitars co-exist in producer Tony Visconti’s gorgeous glam frame for Escovedo’s visionary sound. —Wayne Robins”

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June 20, 2008 by Willis.

“She name-checks Gwen Stefani in her press materials, and the title track here covers similar thematic territory as No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.” But Katy Perry’s true foremother is Alanis Morissette. Not since “Jagged Little Pill” has a debut album been so packed with potential hits. The 23-year-old singer/ songwriter updates Morissette’s grunge era angst with an energetic, more timeless teen-poppiness, still leveraging it with lines like, “You PMS like a bitch/I would know.” The 12 tracks are split between smart chick radio pop (”Hot N’ Cold”), sassy novelty tracks for that “She said what?” effect (”I Kissed a Girl,” “UR So Gay”) and big, swaying ballads that show Perry’s exciting mastery of melody (”Thinking of You,” “Lost”). Engineered for short attention spans at just 44 minutes, “One of the Boys” is still more than enough to make this one long, hot summer for Perry. —Kerri Mason”

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June 6, 2008 by Willis.

“After 2005 concept album “The Forgotten Arm” was poorly received, Amy Mann is back to writing stand-alone pop songs, and lo and behold, they comprise her most compelling album to date. As a writer and performer of lovelorn, piano- and guitar-driven pop music, Mann stands with the best of her era. She can sum up universal relationship complications in three-minute, eminently hummable musical nuggets. Cases in point: smoldering love song “True Believer”; the earnest, string-laden ballad “It’s Over”; and “Columbus Avenue,” where a street serves as metaphor for an ex’s downfall. Plus, on album standout “Phoenix,” an elegantly turned melody accompanies a singer still working things out in her head as the highway takes her farther from a misguided lover. —Troy Carpenter”

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June 1, 2008 by Willis.

“Even though she has released four instrumental albums, Jenny Scheinman is one of those names known mostly by aficionados who’ve checked out the credits on releases by Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams and others to whom she’s brought her distinctive violin work. Scheinman’s self-titled vocal debut should certainly up that name recognition. The 11-track set— released alongside a new instrumental outing, “Crossing the Field”—has an agreeable, “Look at everything I can do” quality, from her high and lonesome take on Bob Dylan’s arrangement of the traditional “I Was Young When I Left Home” to the restrained, jazzy look at Tom Waits’ “Johnsburg, Illinois.” The album may be a little too pure and stark to bring her a Jones-style crossover, but it should certainly make her more than just a support player.—Gary Graff”

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June 1, 2008 by Willis.

“During the course of 25 years, Cyndi Lauper has certainly played the singing minstrel, but also revealed deep lyrical introspection as an observer of society’s foibles. On “Brink,” she craftily meshes the two personas. Melodically, Lauper still just wants to have fun, with jaunty dancefloor jams (she traveled the world to work with beat masters Basement Jaxx, Digital Dog, Peer Astrom, Scum-Frog and Rich Morel), but after a twirl under the disco ball, listeners have the opportunity to explore layers underneath. “Same Ol’ Story” is among Lauper’s most inviting melodies ever, as she talks about how folks hold others to a different set of values than their own. “Raging Storm” is a thunderous blast, until you observe its thoughtful theme of aligning life priorities. There’s an overall retro feel to the production that will no doubt delight minions, but those same faithful are old enough to appreciate meaning behind the melodies. —Chuck Taylor”

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May 29, 2008 by Willis.

”Trapped inside Scarlett Johansson’s porcelain skin is the voice of a canary—in a coal mine. A worldly alto pops out of those pouty lips, thus making her choice to release an album of Tom Waits covers a bit less odd. While surprisingly deep, Johansson’s pipes don’t approach the dirt gargle of Waits himself. But she’s an actress, and his songs are some of the best monologues ever set to music. Cuts like “Falling Down” come off like a Cambridge girl doing karaoke at the campus bar. But others achieve poignancy: See “Fannin Street,” intrepidly plucked from Waits’ 2006 three-CD outtakes collection, or album closer “Who Are You,” which doubles Johansson’s voice with producer David Sitek’s bass, hinting at a Waits duet of acceptance. The whole set is heavily dosed with reverb and electro-swirls, perhaps to cloak Johansson’s vocal limitations as much as to add psychedelia. —Kerri Mason”

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May 19, 2008 by Willis.

“These three talented youngsters—Carolyne Meyers, 13; Jordan Yates, 15; and Caroline Williams, 12—know how to deliver bright and bouncy pop that is deliciously infectious. Once again turning to producers Mark Hammond and Rob Hawkins, PureNRG manages to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump; the title track is a buoyant anthem that will have soccer moms and their offspring singing along in minivans across America. “Girls Can Change the World” is an empowering anthem for the tween set, while “BFF” is unbridled fun. As enjoyable as the uptempo numbers are, the highlight of the album is the beautiful cover of the Nicole C. Mullen ballad “Call On Jesus.” With exposure on Radio Disney, the group’s first effort earned it fans among mainstream and Christian consumers alike, and this engaging collection should continue the momentum. —Deborah Evans Price”

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May 18, 2008 by Willis.

“A good number among Colton Ford’s target audience are well-acquainted with the singer’s original line of work, since gay culture tends to joyfully merge all forms of grown-up entertainment. Ford isn’t denying his superstar adult film roots in “Tug of War,” whose accompanying videoclip for beat-happy single “That’s Me” features the macho hunk shaving and showering in stages of undress. “Tug” is replete with thick thumps and breathy, layered vocals, alongside formidable singalong choruses—and he’s proved chart prowess with 2004’s top 10 “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” with Pepper Mashay. Ford also delivers some artful moments here, foremost in the sweet love ballad “Wait for Me,” where he conjures Jon Secada, and “Bluntly Speaking,” featuring Monique Bingham, a sensual jam that graduates from the gay ghetto with true top 40 potential. A steel-solid second act. —Chuck Taylor”

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May 14, 2008 by Willis.

“The recent surge of Europeans retrofitting and upgrading 1960s soul rolls on in swirling style with this debut from Duffy, a Welsh singer/songwriter from the school of jazzy chanteuses who are here to maximize the international-but-not-too-international-for-Starbucks style, but sound quite lovely doing it anyway. “Rockferry” hits the major notes: “Warwick Avenue” is a string-smooched jazz number, the title cut is a towering wall of piano-powered sound with moody lyrics, and first single “Mercy” is about as summery as summery gets. Like all such records, “Rockferry” splits its time between paying tribute to its source material and knocking it off, but its principal’s vocals, and generally pleasing wall-of-sound treatment, make it a good move anyway. —Jeff Vrabel”

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May 11, 2008 by Willis.

“In the Broadway show that is Clay Aiken’s public life, he is, of course, the leading man. His fourth full-length progresses just like the Original Cast Recording, with character development songs early (”On My Way Here”), beatific love songs in the middle (”Something About Us”) and a dénouement of regret and lessons learned (”Lover All Alone”). Aiken, who debuted on the Great White Way this year in “Spamalot,” sings like a theater veteran: almost too perfect, with a self-aware showmanship. But that doesn’t make pop-rock nuggets like “Ashes” any less catchy, or the ballads—on which Aiken’s breathy tenor could break housewife hearts—ring any less true. With big American melodies, stock AC production and general inoffensiveness throughout, this should satisfy his army of self-dubbed Claymates. —Kerri Mason”

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May 10, 2008 by Willis.

“Though Neil Diamond is riding the good will created by 2005’s Rick Rubin-produced “12 Songs,” there is a song on “Home Before Dark” called “Don’t Go There,” and the danger of overemotive “Heartlight”-ness always looms. While not quite as revealing and rewarding as its 2005 cousin, the new album will certainly please fans of Rubin and Diamond’s stark-yet-comfy acoustic direction. The sprawling opener “If I Don’t See You Again” has the right sprinkling of epic; “Another Day (That Time Forgot)” is a gorgeous duet with Natalie Maines. It’s hard to shake the feeling that “Home” sounds like the younger brother of “12 Songs,” but it’s a warm, supremely confident next step in Diamond’s unlikely renaissance. Best of all, there’s not a seagull to be found. —Jeff Vrabel”

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May 7, 2008 by Willis.

“Josh Groban’s third live DVD chronicles one stop during his 2007 tour in support of 2006 set “Awake,” with a host of creatively retouched arrangements, world music instruments and towering vocals, testifying again that the tenor-tainer is far from your average pop star. “Awake Live” features 20 visual performances, with an accompanying audio CD sampling nine of them. The CD tracks demonstrate Groban’s far-reaching versatility: “Machine” verges on raucous with its driving jazzy template, anti-apartheid anthem “Weeping” makes a dramatic call for global peace, and an extended version of latest hit “Awake” turns lyrical morning dew into a pounding thunderstorm of emotion. The album’s highlight, a five-minute take on 2007’s “February Song,” somersaults with one soaring build after another—as frenzied as a ballad could ever be. A dazzling display. —Chuck Taylor”

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May 5, 2008 by Willis.

“She’s a two-time recipient of the Nobel Prize for Super-Foxiest Female Ever. Does stunt-doubles for Jackie Chan on the weekends. Out super-freaked Rick James. Is there anything Robyn can’t do? While these accomplishments intoned by the booming voice in the intro to “Robyn” might be a stretch, there’s no contesting the Swedish singer’s pop music power. “Robyn” finally sees its U.S. release: From the cheeky hip-hop of “Konichiwa Bitches” and the warped bass underpinning her cover of Teddybears’ “Cobra Style” to the Kylie Minogue-esque “With Every Heartbeat” and sweeping strings carrying “Be Mine,” the album holds 14 sassy and sweet dance pop gems. So when that thunderous voice instructs you to “Please, turn it the fuck up,” you best listen. —Jill Menze”

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May 1, 2008 by Willis.

“Madonna makes producers, producers don’t make Madonna. The diva plucked William Orbit, Mirwais and Stuart Price from electronic music obscurity, meshing her own pop sensibility with their sonic specialty. But for “Hard Candy,” Madge hooked up with name-brand guys like the Neptunes and Timbaland, and even brought on Justin Timberlake as a writing partner. What results is, expectedly, of-the-moment and radio-ready. “4 Minutes,” with Timberlake, is already a top three Billboard Hot 100 hit, and harmonious ballad “Miles Away” might be some of her best work yet. But it feels familiar. “Miles” is a close cousin to Timbaland’s “Apologize,” “Spanish Lesson” is a dead ringer for N*E*R*D’s “She Likes to Move,” and “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” instantly recalls Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River.” That’s par for pop acts when they collaborate with producers who are bigger stars than they are. But for a vanguard artist like Madonna, it feels like a bit of a concession. —Kerri Mason”

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