“Safe” by Jason & deMarco
Jason and deMarco are well known as the poster boys for Gay Christian Pop. A pretty distinctive looking duo, I found out they are actually a couple. Remember the old saying, “we’ll make beautiful music together” – these two epitomize it. With an impressive vocal range, they are at times able to harmonize in a way that typically requires a man-woman duet.
With opposition from right-wing organizations for their GLBT activism, they have worked hard to clarify that although they are both gay and men of faith, their music is not religious, nor is it gay. Their music has a message and they aim to speak to everyone.
“We want our songs to be uplifting without being preachy,” says Jason. “Our goal has always been to empower people through our music and lyrics.”
The title track, “Safe” caught me on my very first listen, nearly to the point of tears. The lyrics are sweet and loving, the melody tender and touching with a beautiful cello accompaniment. This song introduces their new band and new live acoustic sound; the instrumental breaks add a brief pang of sadness to the otherwise romantic tone. By far “Safe” is my favorite on the album.
The duo delve into covers of some of their favorite songs, such as “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” and “Ave Maria in C”. As a bonus, the CD includes two terrific dance mixes of “It’s Okay” from this album, and of “Trying to Get You” from their first mainstream pop album Till the End of Time.
Furthermore, the CD comes with a bonus DVD containing their controversial documentary entitled “We’re All Angels”. But that’s another article in itself!
“Pebble to a Pearl” by Nikka Costa
“You can’t please everybody/No, you can’t please everybody/No matter how hard you try,” sings Nikka Costa. Like my review of Solange and the Hadley Street Dreams from last month, sadly there wasn’t much from Costa’s Soul/R&B album that pleased me, personally. Pebble to a Pearl has a similar fast-and-loose care-free retro feel to it, perhaps a bit reminiscent of Jimmy Hendricks – much too free-spirited for a tight-ass like me.
A big part of Costa’s recent story revolves around breaking free from the grip of music labels. “For a while, it felt like I was on deck of the Titanic,” she says, “and I was just supposed to play the violin for myself on the ship as it was going down. I know that I was feeling that way – and could tell the people at the company were feeling that too – but no one could admit it. There was bullshit going down all around me, and I was extremely happy to get out of it all.”
So instead of producing music in the climate of fear and pressure under the big labels, Costa did what she felt necessary to tap into what came naturally from her soul. The result is what she describes as joyful, authentic, modern yet classical music, pleasing herself first and foremost. “We completed the whole album in basically three weeks,” she recalls. “I’m so excited in a way I haven’t been in a long time. It feels like so much has come together right this time and I think it’s because I’m not trying to prove anything anymore.”
My pick of the litter is two tracks that I found to be the most fun, energetic, and funky: “Pebble to a Pearl” and “Keep Wanting More”. Some others that I found moderately enjoyable were “Can’t Please Everybody”, “Keep Pushin’” and “Without Love”. Sadly there were no dance remixes to save the day, but these ones will get you grooving to the beat, old school.
“Doll Domination” by the Pussycat Dolls
This much anticipated sophomore pop/dance album from the Pussycat Dolls was pumped up by the pre-released smash single “When I Grow Up”. Indeed the album starts out with this now well known song, which sounds oddly bare and unpolished after the embellished and refined versions we’ve all heard (over and over) on the radio and on TV. Hearing this, I thought the hype may have been a bit overrated – one good song does not make a good album. But I was pleased to see that the rest of the songs can hold their own; a whole sixteen tracks - uncommonly generous!
Another outstanding track (which is now available as a single on iTunes) is “Whatcha Think About That” featuring Missy Elliot. It starts out with an eccentric banjo lead while Elliot says “If your dude ain’t acting right you tell that dude he got to go.” As the first chorus hits, the melody bursts through with synths, bass and vocals; the result is an appealing mood of defiance and strength. During a bridge, Missy Elliot throws in a number of funny lines like “you ain’t gonna get no more pussy-cat”, and even a reference to Katy Perry “kissin’ on girls”.
From a similar vein comes the mellow disco number “Who’s Gonna Love You” lamenting a break-up, and then the catchy “In Person” where a woman rants about how she will exact revenge for a betrayal.
On the other side of the spectrum, my favorite sentimental songs were “Happily Never After”, “Love the Way You Love Me” and “I’m Done” – all a little on the mellow side, but still very pleasant. Finally there’s the downright bizarre “Whatchamacallit” which sounds mysterious and diabolical. I’m still not sure what the song is actually about, but maybe that’s the whole point.
So even if you’ve heard “When I Grow Up” to death, the rest of Doll Domination is still worth a listen.
“Jennifer Hudson”
You might recognize the name from the third season of American Idol, or even as the actress who played the role of “Effie” in the 2006 movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Some theorize she will be this decade’s timeless voice, tantamount to Arethra, Chaka, Whitney, and Mariah. Only 26 years old, this Chicago native has made strides in her career that most young musicians can only dream about.
While classified as Soul/R&B, this self-titled debut album demonstrates her versatility. Says Hudson, “[The tracks are] all different – sassy, vulnerable, loud and obnoxious, dramatic, romantic, spiritual – and they’re all part of me.”
The most catchy tune, in my opinion, was “Pocketbook”. It makes use of male vocals for bass, and beatboxing for percussion, featuring a brief rap interlude courtesy of Ludacris. It’s bad-ass, sexual, and even quite comical! Other upbeat numbers I enjoyed were “Spotlight”, “Can’t Stop the Rain” and “Invisible.”
Many of the other tracks breezed by me unnoticed for various reasons – some were really slow ballads, others had hazy melodies and odd rhythms. There is definitely a wide variety, and her amazing voice doesn’t waver through any of it. I dare say there will be something for all musical tastes on this album, however those with an appreciation for R&B will get much more out of it.
“I’m so fortunate to have an audience from Idol and from Dreamgirls – all ages, kids, grandmothers, gay, straight, and all races,” says Hudson. “People may think they know what to expect from me but I want to show them I’m more than just a one-trick pony when it comes to music!”
