White on Blonde
Great pop music is driven as much by raw emotion as it is classic textures. While this Scottish band excels in the latter trait, Texas has grappled with finding its own voice ever since making its 1988 debut.White on Blondeis the perfect example of an album that sounds right, but feels wrong. The band may borrow key traits from pop history in constructing its gentle blues style, but it woefully fails to give its songs any resonance. From the Motown influenced "Black-Eyed Boy" to the delicately gritty "Halo," the grooves fall into place just fine, but the sentiments ring hollow. Singer Sharleen Spiteri's voice--radiating warmth and soft-focus edginess--is still sweet on the ears; and the band's impenetrable sound will make radio programmers get down on their knees and praise the album-oriented rock gods.--Aidin Vaziri