Mars’ latest out of this world
A- Bruno Mars
Unorthodox Jukebox
Atlantic
Bruno Mars is making the most creative and interesting pop music on the charts.
On his latest, the “Just the Way You Are”/“Grenade” hit maker is digging deeper emotionally. While the songs here sound upbeat and catchy as all get-out, the tone in his voice and lyrics has shifted. “Young Girls” is a look at love besieged by fame, while “When I Was Your Man” focuses on his own foolishness and mistakes. Mars almost sounds desperate on “Moonshine.” The touch of reggae on the No. 1 hit “Locked Out of Heaven” is very cool, as is the Sam Cooke meets Al Green soulfulness of “If I Knew.”
While conflict — within and without — seems to be the focus, the creativity of production and arrangements sparkles throughout. The way Mars and his team construct songs ... writing, arranging and producing ... lightens the sometimes edgy, darker lyrics.
Hot tracks: “Moonshine,” “If I Knew,” “When I Was Your Man.”
— ELLIS WIDNER
A- Kathy Mattea
Calling Me Home
Sugar Hill
It is interesting that among the best bluegrass albums in recent memory are those by former stars of Nashville, Tenn. — Ricky Skaggs (who is, admittedly, a long way from his country days) and Kathy Mattea, who has been down this path before with her excellent 2008 album Coal. Hers is more liberal Appalachian folk bluegrass than Skaggs’ old-school variety, but Calling Me Home also shows off Mattea’s lush voice and sharp ear for melodies.
You understand where she stands with the environmental odes “Hello, My Name Is Coal” and “West Virginia Mine Disaster.” You can level the charge that she’s too serious (the West Vir-
ginia native has coal miners in her family), but this album has many fine moments and is a rewarding listen from beginning to end.
Hot tracks: “Hello, My Name Is Coal,” “A Far Cry,” “Gone, Gonna Rise Again.” — WERNER TRIESCHMANN
B+ Rhett Walker Band
Come to the River
Provident
A tale of redemption can be very compelling and such is the story of Rhett Walker, a preacher’s son from the South who took a detour that led him through hard times and struggle. After finding himself with a pregnant girlfriend at age 17, Walker began a journey that led to a maturing faith and the opportunity to become a worship leader.
These days he leads the Rhett Walker Band, which plays Southern-infused rock with a message about “human nature, God’s mercy and how it should look when those things collide.”
Walker’s voice is husky and clear with a bit of a Southern drawl. The album delivers a positive message of redemption and hope with musical aplomb and heart.
Hot tracks: “When Mercy Found Me,” his journey from broken and hopeless and how Jesus’ mercy found him; “Singing Stone” about being hypnotized by the things of this world and how God works wonders in our lives.
— ROSEMARY BOGGS
A- Original London Cast
Cabaret
Masterworks Broadway
This is the first time the 1968 London cast recording of the award-winning John Kander and Fred Ebb musical has been available digitally and on CD. What will probably surprise people most is that the lead character, Sally Bowles, is played by Judi Dench. Yes, M from the James Bond movies.
Dench makes an excellent Sally. No, she doesn’t have the pipes of Liza Minnelli. Her voice is raspy and her technique is poor. But she “acts” the songs like few others could. And, really, Sally isn’t supposed to be a great singer. If she were uber-talented, she wouldn’t be performing in this dive.
All the performers are terrific when it comes to putting their songs across and that alone makes this one worth a listen for fans of the show. If your only exposure has been through the 1972 movie or the 1998 Broadway revival, you should know that the song lineup is different.
Hot tracks: “Cabaret,” “What Would You Do?” “Why Should I Wake Up?”
— JENNIFER NIXON
D The Twangtown Paramours The Promise of a Friday Night
Inside Edge
The corny/arty name of the Nashville duo of Mike T. Lewis and singer MaryBeth Zamer also sums up their musical attack. This is a folk and art-song project that has a better handle on sound (Zamer has a husky voice that leaves a mark) than meaning.
The tunes are coffeehouse size and the lyrics are better left ignored. You could suppose this pair could find a songwriter who wanted to go for the pop jugular and turn The Twangtown Paramours into Sugarland. But that presumes this group wants to get out of the coffeehouse in the first pace.
Hot tracks: none — WERNER TRIESCHMANN