4Play: Ben Harper, Mos Def, Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band

Aug. 2, 2009

4Play: Ben Harper, Mos Def, Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band
Kristi Kates 8/3/09
Ben Harper - White Lies for Dark Times -
V Records
Ben Harper’s new band, the Relentless 7, seem aptly prepared to support the mixed-genre musician, as Harper dabbles in soul, folk, rock, and reggae, and so do these talented musicians. The only problem is that sometimes the band is too much for Harper, whose lead vocals are capable at best; he’s more of a performer/songwriter than a really impressive singer, and all of the instrumentation, as good as it is, can sometimes take over. That said, there are a few songs worth a listen; the well-arranged “It’s Up To You,” for one; but on other songs - “Boots Like These,” for example - Harper’s melodramatic vocal performance, as if to stay on top of the band, just doesn’t work.


Mos Def - The Ecstatic - Downtown
“Quiet Dog’s” complex percussion, “Casa Bey’s” surprising piano-graced exit, “No Hay Nada Mas’” Spanish-language verses, and the semi-autobiographical “Life in Marvelous Times” are all highlights of Mos Def’s latest effort, a stronger collection of songs than his previous two, on which he seems to have had a few writer’s difficulties. These tracks, however, are far more compelling, and Def also adds in some more eclectic elements by throwing in some carefully-chosen Middle Eastern samples and even a little scat singing. It’s best termed as global hip-hop, and it’s perhaps one of the best musical efforts Mos Def has crafted to date.


Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. - Interscope
It’s not the end of the band - as many people assumed upon hearing the album’s title months ago - but instead an indicator that, for the Peas, “Energy Never Dies,” as also evidenced by this dance/club set that’s chock-full of foot-moving rhythms, sass-filled lyrics, and loads of catchy production trickery. First single “Boom Boom Pow” sets the pace with its electro-attack, while “Alive” and “Rock That Body” carry on the late-night disco feel; partway through the set, the band takes a break to add a little profundity via a few less-produced tunes, “Generation Now” and “One Tribe.” But from start to, er, end, it’s all as lively as the Peas can be.


Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King - RCA
Longtime DMB bandmate Leroi Moore passed away last year, and this album in part pays tribute to Moore, especially via the title track and its lyrics - “GrooGrux King” was reportedly one of Moore’s nicknames - and the album was recorded in New Orleans, said to be one of Moore’s favorite places. Produced by Green Day/My Chemical Romance producer Rob Cavallo, it’s perhaps both DMB’s heaviest album emotionally and most dense musically; there are still bubbly, radio-ready tunes like the horn-refrain’d “Why I Am” and funky “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” but there are also an equal amount of introspective tracks, as well as a more stoically determined feel overall.