Issue 816

Music Reviews

Sheryl Crowe: C'mon C'mon

A&M

It's almost a decade since Sheryl Crowe's mega-selling Tuesday Night Music Club and she's been searching for a way to recapture that momentum ever since.

Opening with a programmed rock beat and catchy guitar/vocal line, C'mon, C'mon is representative of her new musical direction. There are fast rock numbers like 'Steve McQueen' and slower ballads like 'Soak up the sun'.

Overall it feels like the sort of album warm and fuzzy Cure or New Order would release. Crowe is having fun fusing electronic beats and organic rock progressions together. The title track sums up the positive energy of the album and the new life in her songs. If you're after that 'sunny' hit for the day, this is it.

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Neil Young: Are You Passionate?

Reprise

With the production credits shared between Young, Booker T Jones and Donald 'Duck' Dunn, it's no surprise the new 11-tracker from the man crowned the 'grandfather of grunge' is professional and crisp. The opening track 'You're My Girl' is reminiscent of early Booker T & the MGs (but then with 75% of the band playing on the album, it's no surprise). Dunn's familiar slow, soulful bass is prominent - especially on three tracks which use variations of the classic bassline from the MGs song 'Time is Tight'.

Neil Young exposes his softer, more lyrical side on Are You Passionate, covering his regular themes of love and faith, often with meandering guitar solos. An album of love ballads and 60s style grooves, the one exception is the epic 'Goin' Home' a tale of corporate greed set in the wild west (yes it does seem - and sounds - surreal). Some are calling it his best album in a decade. It's fair to say he's on song - even if that fragile, wavering voice seems set to break one of these days.

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Rocket Science: Contact High

Modular

Sydney-siders Rocket Science play musical history, creating soundscape of booming 60s drums, fuzz bass, rock guitar and distorted vocals. It has all the hallmarks of that classic 'vintage' sound. Fusing organ with rock and punk vocals Contact High is an album with lots of energy, delivering catchy, bright and homegrown tunes.

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Ewan Williams