4Play

July 5, 2006

Nelly Furtado - Loose - Geffen Records

Nelly Furtado took more than a few risks on her latest disc - primarily combining her Latin-infused hip hop sound with added touches of electronica and more emphasis on the pop side of things - and, for the most part, it really works for her. Co-produced with Timbaland (another surprise), this is a looser album indeed, full of letting-your-hair-down dance-floor beats that will prove hard to sit still to. First single “Promiscuous” features a duet between Furtado and Timbaland, and that song is complemented by the rest of this sassy album, from the ‘80s-influenced “Afraid” and “Do It” to the more heavily Latin sounds of “Te Busque” and “No Hay Igual.” Furtado especially showcases her vocals on “...Igual” as well as on “Say It Right,” which proves to be another standout track. It’s a confident effort that shows a different, playful, and interesting side of Furtado.

Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer - Vagrant Records

Serving as the follow-up to DC’s million-selling A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, this nicely-polished release makes an effective bridge between the more electric-based sound of that disc and Dashboard’s previous sound, which leaned more towards an acoustic feel. Right from the opener, “Don’t Wait,” it becomes apparant that this blend works well for DC - without abandoning the heartfelt lyrics that fans have come to rabidly love him for, DC’s Chris Carabba attacks these new songs from several different angles, including richer harmonies (“Awake”) and sharper guitars (“Reason to Believe), right alongside the propellant “Slow Decay,” the pretty “Currents,” the delicate title track, and the U2-influenced “Rooftops and Invitations” (DC toured with U2 last year). Also of interest is Carabba’s duet with Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz on “So Long, So Long,” a great pairing that ends up being one of the album’s highlights.

Keb’ Mo’ - Suitcase - Epic Records

Los Angeles singer-songwriter Mo’ - otherwise known as Kevin Moore - sings the blues, for sure, but in a much more relaxed, unique, and accessible style than many of both his contemporaries or his influences. It’s almost blues-pop, if one is really being particular. Primarily acoustic instruments circle around a concise set of songs about life and love’s ups and downs, with the guitars and mandolins, especially, mixed with a clarity rarely heard on blues albums, and Moore’s slide guitar skills have to be heard to be believed - and that’s not even including his vocals, which are executed with his own trademark brand of unaffected, un-self-conscious delivery. It’s the blues as seen through Keb’ Mo’ eyes. Even if you’re not a die-hard fan of the genre, chances are you’ll like what Mo’ has to offer, and it might even encourage you to sample some of his older albums, on which he delves more into the Mississippi Delta Blues that greatly influenced the artist he is today.

The Bouncing Souls - The Gold Record - Epitaph/Ada

Fifteen years in, The Bouncing Souls haven’t lost their energy, that’s for sure - the zest that they translate to this set of songs would make even the most jaded punker start bouncing on his or her Doc-Marten-shod heels. Although some of the arrangements are fairly atypical for them, they really showcase their abilities to transition to these new approaches, which should continue to draw the crowds right in. There also must have been quite a potpourri of instruments lying around while the band was in the studio - they definitely rock hard, but still manage to make room for a wider range of sounds, including harmonica, accordian, and trumpets. A couple of left-field compositions, namely the acoustic “Pizza Song” and the album’s final track, “For All the Unheard,” keep things unexpected, and the appropriately-titled opening track, “The Gold Song” with its catchy chorus, kicks things off right.