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Nov. 15, 2006

Evanescence - The Open Door - Wind-Up
It’s been an interesting journey for Evanescence since co-songwriter Ben Moody left. At first, Evanescence fans weren’t sure what to make of the change, but with singer-songwriter Amy Lee still at the forefront of the band, high hopes were kept;  and, with this disc, Lee lives up to fans’ expectations and takes the band a step forward in the process. It’s a good mix of new-band-configurated songs and songs focusing on Lee herself, although the purely Lee songs tend to be the better of the bunch, like “The Last Song I’m Wasting On You,” which features Lee with mostly just a delicately-played piano. The rest of the songs aren’t slouches, though;  there’s a pretty, mesmerizing feel to “Snow White Queen,” the powerful “Lacrymosa,” the equally pretty, also piano-based “Good Enough,” the pointed “Call Me When You’re Sober,” and the strong “All That I’m Living For.” Lee is investing a lot of emotion into these songs, and her band supports her well.
 

Lindsey Buckingham - Under the Skin - WEA/Warner Bros.
This album veers quite a bit from what rock guitar master Lindsey Buckingham has done before, both on his own and in his work with Fleetwood Mac. It’s a more mellow album, too, without any real charging rock songs;  but that is not to the album’s detriment.  On the contrary - this is a downright pretty album, focusing on Buckingham’s acoustic guitar work, a little percussion, and his very personal lyrics, which are sung with conviction. The title track sets the tone for the rest of the album, with its intimate singing style and acoustic base. “Not For You” lays down a rhythm on guitar and carries it throughout the song, as does “Cast Away Dreams,” while Buckingham’s more detailed guitar work is shown off on tunes like “Try For the Sun,” “Shut Us Down,” and the almost country-western feeling “Down On Rodeo.” All in all, it’s both nice to hear a change from Buckingham’s usual rock work, and to hear that he’s still cranking out good songs.



Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah - UMVD
Scissor Sisters seem like they beamed straight out of the ‘70s;  it’s easy to picture them being uber-famous in the disco era, and they’re not doing too bad right now, either.  This music has to be approached with a sense of fun if you’re going to enjoy it, because this band is all about the dancin’, and that’s what makes them appealing.  There’s no one really like them in the current pop climate;  melding dozens of influences, pretty much all from those crazy disco times, they’ve made their own dance floor and, being as this is their second album, they’ve got plans to stay there.  Highlights include the upbeat “Everybody Wants the Same Thing,” the psychedelic “Land of a Thousand Words,” the superpoppy “Kiss You Off,” and the zippy “I Can’t Decide.”  Even Elton John - who helps them out with some piano on their opening track, “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” - is a fan, so if you DO like dancin’ chances are you’ll like the Scissor Sisters, too.



Five for Fighting - Two Lights - Sony
John Ondrasik, Five For Fighting’s one musical member, offers up another set of balladry and middle of the road pop on this album, solidifying his place as one of those reliable mope-popsters who has yet to veer into emo.  It’s a hit and miss disc, with some of the songs being a little too weighty and overbearing for popular music (“Freedom Never Cries”), and some being a little too sappy (“Two Lights”), while others keep a delicate prettiness (“I Just Love You,” “The Riddle”) and still others (finally) showcase Ondrasik’s willingness and ability to experiment for a change. The experiments, however, are also hit and miss;  the one miss being the odd new-wave-meets-folk “Policeman’s Xmas Party” and the potential hits being the Beach Boy-influenced “California Justice” and “65 Mustang,” the Counting-Crows-esque “Johnny America,” and the pretty ballads “Road to Heaven” and “World,” which would be a good choice for Five for Fighting’s next single.