Sound check
Sexy sounds
New releases add up to success
MARIAH CAREY
E=MC2
Island Records
For
a while it looked like Mariah Carey was on the fast track to has-been. After
her the big-screen flop, Glitter, in 2001 and the lacklustre
album Charmbracelet the following year, many were betting that Mariah
was headed for a Whitney Houston-sized career train wreck.
Three years later, all of those bets were off when Mariah returned with the triumphant The Emancipation of Mimi. With its straight-ahead R&B style and the contributions of a laundry list of music�s top producers and performers, the album garnered 10 Grammy nominations, took three of the coveted trophies and was certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Mariah follows that success with her latest, E=MC², an album with a formula that attempts to recapture the Mimi magic � and does. The tone of the two albums is so similar, in fact, that it wouldn�t be out of line to call E=MC² a sequel.
The R&B style is still front and centre, including samples from �70s classics by Michael Jackson and DeBarge. Notable guests include reggae singer Damien Marley and rapper T-Pain � artists who bring their unique styles to the tracks �Cruise Control� and �Migrate� respectively.
Mercifully, mostly absent are Mariah�s trademark, ear-splitting vocal acrobatics. But fans of her voice won�t be disappointed. In place of demonstrating the ability to shatter glass and torment neighbourhood dogs, Mariah�s voice on E=MC² is smooth, strong and, above all, sexy.
There�s a little bit of everything on the album. There are evocative autobiographical tunes like �Side Effects� and �Bye Bye,� ballads like �I Stay in Love� and sultry tunes like �Touch My Body.� If you enjoy danceable mixes of Mariah�s songs, you�re sure to be hearing upbeat reworkings of already upbeat tunes like �Migrate� and �I�m That Chick� on dance floors soon.
While it might be tempting to criticise Mariah for not moving into more innovative territory with E=MC², the fact is that the well she tapped with Mimi isn�t yet dry and the formula still works. � SV
Lipta
Can You See Me?
Sony BMG
Lipta
are the popular pop duo comprising the quirky Tan and Cutto. Three years ago
they released their first record, attracting loads of listeners with the tracks
�Fuern (Force)� and �Kod Tua Eang (Hug Myself).�
Their second album, Can You See Me?, presents more of Lipta�s signature style of rhythm and pop, but with various other moods mixed in to make the tunes more interesting. The songs tackle the topic of love from a more mature angle than their previous album.
Cutto is still out front as the lead singer, while Tan takes responsibility for writing the music and lyrics. There are also lots of famous guest artists on the album � like Way Thaitanium, ETC and The Sis, who sing on the chorus of �Mun Va Lar (Turn Back Time).�
Fans of Lipta won�t be disappointed by this release. Cutto and Tan prove once again that they work well together and produce top-quality sounds. � VH
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lacklustre (adj): not interesting or exciting IDIOM front and centre: in the most important position |
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