New music
I don’t plan on making a regular habit of talking about music in my column, unless I talk about drumming. I’m looking for a good drum circle around here, although a couple of people lately have given me some good leads. Anyway, I want to talk a little bit about two recent arrivals to my music collection: Ageless, the first release from Nitza, and Smash Mouth’s 7th collection, Summer Girl.
I’ve been looking forward to hearing Nitza’s release since seeing her open for Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium show in early May. After much anticipation, the cd arrived in today’s mail, and of course I immediately opened the package and popped it in the cd player for a listen. I was a little disappointed to discover that it’s really more like an old EP album - too big for a single, but not a full length cd. That disappointment is because I just want to hear more of her music, it’s great! Although only six songs long, the cd showcases her talent very well, and displays a diversity sorely lacking in many modern artists. With a voice reminiscent of Kate Bush in her Hounds of Love period in the 80’s, Nitza’s voice flows and soars through the different styles of music present with equal amounts of grace and beauty. The music is very deep, particularly the first three songs, and more than one listening of the cd is necessary to appreciate the depth and complexity. Personally, my favorite song by far is the title track, Ageless, I think it’s as good as anything put out by Loreena McKennitt or Enya. My one criticism of the cd is one of the things that makes it different - its diversity. Because the musical styles are so different from each other, I won’t be able to say I feel like listening to a particular style of music and put her cd in. Great cd, great music, but maybe not the most listenable in one sitting depending on your mood. For that reason, on a scale of 1 to 10, I rate the cd about 7.5 to 8, although the song Ageless scores a solid 10. I’m looking forward to hearing her next cd when it comes out - as her music matures and progresses, I think we can expect some incredible music in the years ahead.
About 2 weeks ago I picked up Smash Mouth’s Summer Girl, their 7th release and 6th studio recording. Those who know me well know that Smash Mouth is one of my favorite modern bands, and have been since their first release, Fush Yu Mang, which has Walking on the Sun. The band has a history of making mostly upbeat happy party songs, and Summer Girl firmly continues that tradition. I don’t know many bands that can make a song about global warming that gets you groovin’, but they pull it off with So Insane. That and Story of My Life are my two favorite on this cd, although Everyday Superhero, which also appears in the movie My Super Ex-Girlfriend, is good too. I really haven’t found a Smash Mouth song on any of their colections that I don’t like; and yet, when all is said and done, I don’t like this one as much as I do the earlier ones. It’s like they hit the target, but didn’t quite hit the bullseye like they have in the past. Good, listenable, and just not as good as their self-titled cd or Get the Picture. I give this one a 6.5 to 7. In all fairness, the band did switch drummers in mid-stream, so perhaps their chemistry will get back where it was and the next batch will be better. At least I had fun watching Steve Harwell on the Surreal Life.