Record Review: Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow - 100 Miles From Memphis 3.5/5

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100 Miles From Memphis finds Crow in a state of bliss, exploring the very sounds that influenced her as a girl growing up in Missouri. Infused with soul, r&b, and even a bit of reggae, Crow sounds right at home. Collaborations provide some of the most enjoyable highlights with Justin Timberlake on "Sign Your Name", a Terence Trent D'Arby cover, remade in the model of Al Green and Keith Richards on "Eye To Eye", where Crow shows off her reggae swagger.

The album's opener "Our Love Is Fading, sets off a record that feels like Crow pulled the sounds straight out the 1970s. Throughout Crow finds upbeat grooves, horns at every corner and hook heavy chorus' like that of lead single "Summer Days", and "Peaceful Feeling". The disconnect comes with Crow's thinner than usual vocals, and the purposely impure production, though refreshing, Crow seems to fade out against her instrumental backing, like that of her Aretha-flavored "Stop".

It's an imperfect record, but an enjoyable and refreshing experience, that more often than not reaps the reward of Crow's experiment with the very sounds that have shaped one of rock's best female artists.

Record Review: Kele

Kele - The Boxer 1.5/5

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Stepping out into the spotlight alone is a tricky move for any artist, few succeed and even fewer manage to sustain that success over the long-run. For Kele Okereke of indie-rock darlings, Bloc Party, his well documented interest in exploring modern R&B and dance music, is the reason for taking time out with his band, to release his solo debut, The Boxer.

Unlike a Justin Timberlake or Gwen Stefani, Kele (as he now goes by) fails to distance himself from his Bloc Party past and embrace new sounds. Instead, from the album's opener, the marching chant of "Walk Tall," to the guitar-riffs of "The Other Side," it reads like Bloc Party b-sides, there is a feeling of indecision and lack of direction. "Tenderoni," the synth driven dance track is about as good as it gets. "Rise" finds its footing in twinkling synth and an explosion of chaos, but both are crushed under the weight of their surrounding tracks, melodramatic lyrics and lack of energy.

The Boxer is a record that's never fully realized, and with the dropping of his last name, Kele, and the album feel more like an exercise in ego, than an expression of the sounds that help shape Kele as an artist. Okereke may have been better off, releasing a single or two and taking his time to channel and shape his body of work, and not just his biceps.