1972
In this song cycle inspired by the year he was born, the wispy-voiced Rouse conjures (or imagines) the era's essential groovy vibe, from the title track's homage toCarole King's "It's Too Late" to theBrady Bunchbounce of "Love Vibration" to the flutes, falsetto, and jazzy guitar licks of so many of the retro arrangements. Yet Rouse's spin on the era transcends simple nostalgia, as the lyrics aren't always as buoyant as the sunny musical interplay, with "1972," the psychedelic soul of "James," and the piano-driven "Slaveship" all suggesting a darker tinge within this world of lollipops and rainbows. The bass pulse of "Comeback (Light Therapy)" has a hypnotic effect beyond the time warp, although a come-on line such as "it's the end of the night and I'm feelin' sexual" (from "Under Your Charms") would have sounded as lame in 1972 as it does three decades later. Apparently, those barely old enough to remember the '70s are doomed to repeat them.--Don McLeese