Brendan James, Brendan James
* * * SMART AND SIMPLE
The term singer/songwriter has, at least in a Top 40 context, increasingly come to suggest vocal showboats who rely more on production than melodic or verbal craftsmanship. But James belongs to a group of pop-savvy troubadours who are bucking that trend. If a few tunes on this sophomore album flirt with a James Blunt-like sentimentality, the majority reveal an unpretentious intelligence and easy grace rare on adult-contemporary and adult-alternative playlists. And James' relaxed, supple singing is welcome evidence that there are still technically gifted young vocalists who understand the power of straightforward, unfettered expression.
>>;; Download:Changing Us, Let It Rain, Emerald Sky>>;;Consider:Nothing For Granted, Your Beating Heart
Murray Perahia,Brahms
* * * ½ MULTIPLE MASTERS
Perahia has spent much of the past decade delving into the Baroque keyboard works of Bach, but here, for the first time in 20 years, the world-class pianist returns to Romantic-period pieces from Brahms, composed in the mid- to late-1800s. Of the four offerings here, the highlights are Brahms' own explorations of Handel (Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24) and the Two Rhapsodies, Op.79 (also included are Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118 and Four Piano Pieces, Op. 119). Perahia gives them sensitive treatments, making for a mind-stirring but body-soothing listening experience.
>>;;Download:Handel Variations Op. 24, Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79
Sunshine Anderson,The Sun Shines Again
* * * THE CLOUDS HAVE LIFTED
Sunshine Anderson's future seemed bright in 2001 when her sassy anthem Heard It All Before introduced her as a bold new soul singer. But a chain of professional and personal setbacks kept her from realizing her potential. Now it looks like she's ready to make up for lost time, starting with this passionate set that showcases both her tough and tender sides. Her gritty vocals serve her well whether she's flirting (Say Something), anxiously awaiting a rendezvous (Nervous) or putting an ex in his place (Karma's a Mutha). On first single, Lie to Kick It, she pointedly busts a lover who has grossly overstated his worthiness. It's nice to see her get her glow back.
>>;; Download: tracks mentioned above; Hard Love, A Warning for the Heart
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