DREEZY No Hard Feelings
( Interscope)
Chicago’ s own Dreezy blends fierce punchlines with emotive lyrics on her debut album, No Hard Feelings. The rapper / R & B songstress ' s balance of soft hooks and hard punches to the super-ego of her haters and doubters effortlessly unfold across 19 tracks, making the young artist seem like a seasoned vet. But the greatest feat on No Hard Feelings is just that – there are no hard feelings. Reflecting on her journey to this moment with clarity, speaking honestly about forgiving but not forgetting, and remaining unapologetically confident when it comes to her future plans, Dreezy shows she’ s all in. The album has a cinematic quality to it, complete with skits foreshadowing the narratives of upcoming numbers, but doesn’ t distract from the music or leave room for any lulls between tracks. Each song is a path that has its own sound in Dreezy’ s mind.“ We Gon’ Ride” featuring Gucci Mane is one of the album’ s hardest, most memorable moments, along with the anthemic, trap beat-soaked“ Bad Bitch.”“ Afford My Love” featuring Wale and“ Body” featuring South Side-native, Jeremih pour out of the speakers as a sticky-sweet club bangers, with enough edge vs. pop sensibilities to bridge the gap between underground and the mainstream. Many of the beats on the album fly under the radar, with a revved-up tempo only used to punctuate Dreezy’ s rhymes, which pick-up speed themselves as they flow. Instead of the usual bass drops, the heavy is traded for soulful blends of jazz and dancehall – infusing a flavor that the current state of hip-hop is putting at the forefront. The album’ s grand finale,“ Invincible” is an ode to her hustle. Rapid-fire beats during the slickrhyme verses are layered over a smooth, saxophone-driven underlay with an
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undeniable, pop hook of“ Just so you know, I’ m so invincible” rounding out the chorus. For her first LP, Dreezy’ s lyrical pool is deep, her delivery is bold, and her talent is established. A young, female MC on the rise, putting herself first, putting herself above the games, and ready to take on the world? There are no hard feelings.
– Jessi Roti
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PAUL SIMON Stranger To Stranger
( Concord)
Paul Simon’ s 13th album continues his famous fusion of Afropop rhythms and American pop music. He may not have a hook as indelible as Graceland’ s“ You Can Call Me Al” here, but Stranger to Stranger is undeniably catchy as a whole. It’ s clear that Simon was feeling adventurous, with his studio acumen and creativity fully engaged. Lead single“ Wristband” spends most of its running time stripped of everything but rump-shaking percussion and Carlos Henriquez’ acoustic bass. The lyric describes a musician who is locked out of his own concert without the required identification. Could it be based upon a personal experience, or is it an anti-elitist fable? Both?“ The Werewolf” is a stream-of-consciousness ramble that weaves comical and paranoid anecdotes about fear and social injustice into another multi-cultural rhythm track led by the springy twang on an Indian gopichand. The free-flowing, wry verses demonstrate why Simon is respected among the great lyricists including Bob Dylan. The werewolf, however, isn’ t the scariest monster to appear on the album. A supple but guttural guitar hook, hand claps and soulful Gospel background vocals color the mournful“ The Riverbank,” with its grim and questioning lyric inspired partially by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in 2012. Characters on the album duck out of songs like“ Street Angel” and reappear in others like“ In a Parade.” The latter song clanks and jumps like a New Orleans street party DJ’ d by Brian Eno and David Byrne.“ My head’ s a lollipop, and everyone wants to lick it,” says the song’ s stressed-out protagonist.“ I can’ t talk now, I’ m in a parade.” Optimism and comfort appear in“ Proof of Love.”“ Don’ t be afraid, your days won’ t end with night,” sings Simon.“ Love on earth is everywhere.”
– Jeff Elbel
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DIO ADecade Of Dio
( Rhino)
Dio ' s CD / vinyl box set culls RJD ' s first six studio albums – each newly remastered with robust sound. The set includes: Holy Diver( 1983), The Last In Line( 1984), Sacred Heart( 1985), Dream Evil( 1987), Lock Up The Wolves( 1990) and Strange Highways( 1993). Both versions come housed in boxes featuring new artwork by Marc Sasso, who was responsible for many of the band’ s iconic covers. At $ 34.98 list price, the cost of the CD set isn’ t bad at all, but I would lay my money down for the vinyl incarnation,( out on 10 / 4 / 16) which lists at $ 99.98. With this set, you’ re treated to a 1983 version of“ Evil Eyes,” which was originally released as the b-side on the“ Holy Diver” single. In addition, this version is different from the one featured on the 1984 album The Last In Line. Plus, the flip side features“ Time To Burn,” which was the only studio track featured on the otherwise live release, Intermission( 1986). Of course Dio’ s debut solo album Holy Diver will always be revered as a heavy metal masterpiece. Follow-up album, The Last In Line, became the band’ s second platinum seller, while subsequent releases also fared well. Maybe some of Dio’ s’ 90s efforts were a little overlooked, but at least now with this boxed set, fans can rediscover them. Dio’ s soaring voice and unmatched legacy live on with A Decade Of Dio: 1983-1993.
– Kelley Simms
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THE MONKEES Good Times!
( Rhino)
The Monkees’ first album in 20 years is a surprisingly satisfying set of summertime pop. The passing of Davy Jones brings Mike Nesmith once again to the fold, following his return to action on 1996’ s Justus. Thanks to visits into the vaults for a few unfinished tracks, Good Times! is the second album since 1968’ s Head to include all four Monkees. The spirit of the band’ s ' 60s favorites rings throughout the Harry Nilsson-penned title cut. Built from a demo by the late, golden-voiced singer, the track features a rowdy new duet vocal by Micky
Dolenz. Each of the album’ s tracks were written especially for the Monkees by a who ' s who of alt and classic rock artists, and the songwriter’ s presence often shines through. The chiming, hand-clapping“ You Bring the Summer” is perfectly suited for Dolenz’ breezy delivery, but it’ s also easy to hear the pop craftsmanship that Andy Partridge built into XTC favorites like“ The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.” Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo’ s writing for lead single“ She Makes Me Laugh” is somewhat ham-fisted, but Nesmith’ s 12-string jangle is a winning combination with Peter Tork’ s banjo and Dolenz’ cheerful vocal. Nesmith and Dolenz sing together on the lilting country-pop of“ Me & Magdalena” by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and the psychedelic pop of“ Birth of an Accidental Hipster” by Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller of the Jam. Tork’ s vintage keyboard sounds bounce through“ Our Own World,” with a swing that recalls The Lovin’ Spoonful’ s“ Do You Believe in Magic,” The Beatles“ Getting Better,” and Jellyfish’ s“ Calling Sarah.” Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, cowrote with Dolenz for the fractured sentimentality of“ I Was There( And I’ m Told I Had a Good Time).” Tork wrote the shuffling waltz“ Little Girl” with Jones’ voice in mind, but sings the song himself in place of his late bandmate.
– Jeff Elbel
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FAITH NO MORE We Care A Lot Deluxe Band Edition
( Koolarrow)
The reissue of Faith No More’ s debut album is a nice package( 10 original tracks and nine other demo, live or 2016 mixes) that shows the genesis of one of the most influential bands in alternative music, and a band that had already developed its thudding bass and crunchy guitar riffs on its way to alternative punk-metal stardom later with singer Mike Patton.“ We Care A Lot” was the standout track from the 1985 debut, and the 2016 mix tightens up the composition, getting right to the chorus after the first verse, unlike the original edit that lets the tribal bass / drum interplay lead the way for a moment. All the 2016 mixes tamper a little with the originals, so devout fans might have fun pointing out the subtle tweaks. Singer Chuck Mosley’ s vocals work best fully throated, as on“ As The Worm Turns,” another track that gets a 2016 mix, and on the original demo version of“ Greed” with a Jim Morrison-like wail to end it. Live versions of“ The Jungle” and“ New Beginnings” from a 1986 show in San Francisco are included, but the mix here favors the drums / cymbals and keyboard, at the expense of guitar and vocals.
– Jason Scales
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