Brit folk singer rises above other imitators

Mar. 23, 2006

Stephen Fretwell’s “Magpie” is a moody callback to folk rockers of the past. 

Unless you were the kind of Prince fanatic who subscribed to his Web site for musical downloads or stood in line for hours after hearing whispers of his low-key club performances, the only Prince music you probably heard during his self-imposed exile were golden oldies. 

Maybe that's why his much-hyped return to the spotlight with 2004's "Musicology" -- his first album on a major record label in years -- was so disappointing. 

Compared to the classic Prince we'd been listening to, it was hard to deny that "Musicology" lacked the fire, passion and innovation that made him such a groundbreaking '80s force. 

One had to wonder whether his time away from the spotlight or his conversion to the Jehovah's Witness faith had tamed his Royal Badness for good. 

Such concerns evaporate upon listening to his latest CD, "3121."  Tantalizing, sexy, even uplifting, this Prince sounds like the vintage Purple One. 

Well, almost.  Though Prince ramps up the sex appeal on "3121" with the throbbing club track "Black Sweat," it's generally a pretty tame affair, unlike the salacious content of his prime.  On "Lolita," he declares to a temptress, "You'll never make a cheater out of me," while on sensual, pillow-soft ballads like "Incense & Candles," it's true love, and not lust, being celebrated. 

In fact, some of the most passionate songs have nothing to do with romantic love, but a spiritual one, like the lovely "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed," a duet with his protege, Tamar.  There's also an inspirational uptempo track, "The Word." 

And unlike the Prince of old, he doesn't mine any new musical ground here. 

You'll still hear the dance grooves that are heavily reliant on synthesized funk or those that sound like you've dropped in on a free-for-all jam session. 

But with killer jams like the horn-and-drum centered "Get On the Boat," that's hardly a bad thing. 

Whereas "Musicology" made you long for the Prince of old, "3121" leaves you excited about where Prince is today -- and looking forward to where he might be going. 

Recommended if you like: George Clinton; Living Color; Lenny Kravitz

-- Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Associated Press

Stephen Fretwell

"Magpie"; Interscope Records

Three stars

Yes, you've heard it all before, but you still should listen to Stephen Fretwell. 

The usually reserved Brits are rabid for his debut album, "Magpie," but his stateside success is yet to be determined.  Maybe that's because U.K. listeners haven't seen the steady parade of folk-lite Dylan imposters like America has with Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp.  Or maybe -- just maybe -- it's because this 24-year-old from Scunthorpe, England, is the real deal and we just haven't noticed yet. 

Evoking chilly, moody landscapes in much the same way Damien Rice did with his album "O," Fretwell invites the listener into his inner house of pain, seemingly unaware of how embarrassingly raw it can all be at times. 

On "Emily," the album's best track, Fretwell at once chastises the subject of the song for her "lies and cheating ways with me," but does an about-face with the admission, "Emily, you still live inside of me."  It's this sort of honesty that makes the Dylan thing barely noticeable. 

And if Fretwell's roots run fairly shallow, he still manages to do a lot with very little.  Damien Rice has the edge in overall maturity, but Fretwell makes all other pretenders like James Blunt look like so many bits of dust "» blowin' in the wind. 

RIYL: Nick Drake; Pete Yorn; David Gray

-- James Ball, Reno Gazette-Journal

NOFX

"Never Trust a Hippy"; Fat Wreck Chords

Two and a half stars

Skatepunk stars NOFX have released a teaser CD to build excitement for their next full-length album, due next month.  But the two tracks from it aren't much of an incentive, since they're the weakest numbers here.  However, fans will want at least two of the other four fun, edgy pop-punk songs. 

"Golden Boys" covers Vagina Dentata, the obscure pre-Germs band of Darby Crash and Pat Smear.  The acoustic "You're Wrong" rhymes "Christianity" with "Sean Hannity" and observes: "You're wrong about drug use when it's not abuse."  These are the CD's cream. 

On "Everything in Moderation (Especially Moderation)," they make fun of how old they're getting.  And "I'm Going to Hell for This One" looks at the second coming of Jesus.  Too bad the lyrics sound like first drafts.  I guess EPs were made to be dumping grounds for half-assed songs. 

RIYL: The Vandals; Guttermouth; Descendents; Good Charlotte

-- Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal

Van Morrison

"Pay the Devil"; Lost Highway

Three stars

Understandably bored with the flimsy values of contemporary music, Morrison continues to mine favorite veins of the past, this time rooting out and ably reinvigorating such country gold nuggets as Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart," Webb Pierce's honky-tonk milestone "There Stands the Glass" and Connie Smith's "Once a Day." 

The whimsical and bouncy "Playhouse" is the best of his three originals, and he shines on a jazzy detour, "Don't You Make Me High."  But the keepers are vintage covers. 

Recording in Ireland, Morrison channels old-timey Nashville in such soulful, twangy interpretations as "Things Have Gone to Pieces," a George Jones hit. " Devil" won't depose Merle Haggard, but it lends credence to Morrison's sobriquet, the Belfast Cowboy. 

RIYL: John Prine; Bonnie Raitt; Kris Kristofferson

-- Edna Gundersen, USA Today

Juvenile

"Reality Check"; Atlantic

Three stars

New Orleans rapper Juvenile has a much broader lineup of producers and guest stars to work with on his first release on his own UTP label. 

The result is a more diverse sound.  There are the expected hard-edged street anthems and booty tracks, but thanks to cameos from the likes of Trey Songz and Brian McKnight, he also adds a dash of R&B flavor. 

"Get Ya Hustle On" vents his anger at the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.  It gives the album a true jolt of reality. 

The disc focuses on tracks and bands that don't fit squarely into the pop scenes in their home countries but that belong to the streets and often take radical political or social stances. 

Western influences are apparent, but they're appropriated into the rich Latino music heritage. 

Chances are, if you like Latin rhythms and/or hip hop, you're going to find at least a half-dozen songs here to love. 

Recommended if you like: Reggaeton; Spanish rap; Charanga Cakewalk

-- Jeff Gifford, Reno Gazette-Journal

Various

"Congotronics 2: Buzz'N'Rumble From the Urb'N'Jungle"; Crammed Discs

Thee and a half stars

The first volume of the Congotronics series came blasting into the U.S. last year introducing a completely unknown sound from Konono No.  1, a band from the streets of Congo's capital, Kinshasa.  The group electrified traditional trance sounds, playing thumb pianos plugged into megaphones and rhythms pounded and scraped on garbage cans, car parts and whatever else was handy. 

The music was loud and psychedelic, and even hypnotic. 

This sequel is much the same, but better.  Several bands play, offering more variety, more bits of melody and more emotion. 

Memorable jewels of rumba guitar and bass ring out here and there amid song and shouts; amplified xylophones and thumb pianos pop; an accordion keeps time on one track; there's even a buzzing drum and a sardine-can rattle. 

It's a trip through mind-blowing territory.  Keep in mind, though, that this is much rougher music than typical afropop, clattering and thumping with heavy distortion and flirting with the edge of cacophony.