Quick N' Dirty Reviews: Mother's Day Edition

With Mother's Day upon us, we thought it might be a good idea to examine some recent female-centric releases. Plus, we'd love to see you try to take Amy Winehouse home to Mom. Giddyup:

Amy Winehouse/ Back To Black
Back To Black is one of two things: it’s either the quality savior that pop music has been waiting eons for, or it’s nothing more than a brief respite in the desert of garbage that it is the current pop scene (I’m looking at you, fug-ass Fergie… you too, Ciara or Cialis or whatever the fuck your name is). Either way, we’re talking about an early contender for Album Of The Year status. For her second release (and first to get pushed heavily in the US), UK soul singer Amy Winehouse has breathed new life into a dying genre by juxtaposing a ‘60’s Motown/Brill Building soul sound with lyrics that can best be described as filthy and hardcore. The combination is jarring, yet at the same time incredibly genius. Some might point to this as nothing more than a gimmick. They might be right (to a degree) but much of what we consider entertainment relies on gimmicks. It’s up to the artists to move past those gimmicks to deliver something meaningful and brimming with talent and, in this respect, Winehouse delivers in spades. First single “Rehab” details Winehouse’s management company’s (failed) attempts to send her to dry out from her proclivities towards alcohol and is one of the most singularly catchy tracks of the year thus far. “You Know I’m No Good” follows and serves as the jumping-off point for the, uh, interesting lyrics. Don’t forget to ask Amy about her carpet burns. As an added bonus, “Me & Mr. Jones” – along with its status as a stellar track – introduces us to the greatest word of our time: “fuckery.” Once the initial shock of tracks like these and like “Back To Black” and “Tears Dry On Their Own” wear off, you begin to understand and recognize the pure pop mastery of this album – the tracks stand on their own in spite of the gimmicks. The replay value of this album is astronomical. You cannot get these songs out of your head and on top of that, you won’t want to. It’s at just about this point that you realize that it’s unlikely that have heard, or will hear, anything better for the rest of 2007.

Dirty Rating: 95/100

Amy Winehouse On MySpace Music
Amy Winehouse's Official Site


Norah Jones/ Not Too Late
Zzzzzz… giant marshmallows chasing me with their razor sharp teeth. Wha… where am I? Oh, sorry, I just fell asleep listening to Norah Jones’s latest, Not Too Late. Honestly, it shouldn't be a stretch to think that by working with artists as interesting as Andre 3000, Dave Grohl, Ryan Adams, Mike Patton, and M. Ward, some of their talent would almost have to rub off in some way. Law of averages and all. Unfortunately for Norah Jones, you’d be dead wrong. Dead, dead, dead wrong. Usually in writing these reviews, I like to point out what you should be looking for as you listen to the album, marking some highlights and things to listen for and whatnot. In the case of Not Too Late, there’s literally nothing about this album that I can write about. Not. One. Thing. It’s so bland and tedious that any of the charm that was left from her debut, Come Away With Me (and sophomore release Feels Like Home to a lesser degree) has long since been dead and buried. Part of the blame may be the absence of late producer Arif Mardin, who manned her first two records. Not Too Late is also her first release to feature entirely original compositions. Um… maybe it’s time to rethink that approach, Norah. This is music that your mom could listen to… if your mom has absolutely no taste and likes to be bored to tears. Happy Mother’s Day, mom! Your music sucks.

Dirty Rating: 34/100

Norah Jones's Official Site


the bird and the bee/ the bird and the bee
Intriguing in concept yet at the same time fairly safe, the self-titled debut by the bird and the bee (a collaboration between LA singer Inara George and multi-instrumentalist/Geggy Tah member Dave Kursten) is exactly the type of thing you’d expect to hear playing in the background of an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Jazz-inflected soft electronica harmonies supporting a fairly generic female voice – you can practically see the oversexed interns of Seattle Grace Hospital bedhopping around as you listen to it. That’s not to say that the bird and the bee is without merit, as there are moments on the album that will definitely pique your interest. Take first single, “Fucking Boyfriend,” for example. There’s a reason that it topped dance club charts upon its release in late 2006 – it’s damn catchy and there something captivating about a pixieish female voice asking, “Would you ever be my/ Would you be my fucking boyfriend?” over a skittering electronic beat. “Again & Again” is another highlight, as it serves as a perfect tone-setter for the rest of the record, while “La La La” is a carefree slice of bossa nova-influenced electro-pop. Ultimately, though, there’s really not enough evidence to support the bird and the bee as anything more than a wispy little record that will in all likelihood leave your mind just as quickly as it’s entered.

Dirty Rating: 65/100

the bird and the bee On MySpace Music
the bird and the bee's Official Site