Get back with the Police already

There are many sides to Sting. There's the proto-punk Sting of The Police. There's the tough guy Sting who played in "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." There's the solo pop Sting of recent. And now we have Renaissance Sting. Sting jumps in the time machine and takes the works of 17th-century composer John Dowland and puts a new spin on them. Songs from the Labyrinth is Elizabethan music for the 21st century.\nThe 23 tracks here see Sting accompanied by only the lute (an ancient acoustic guitar for those of you who aren't so cosmopolitan), played by Edin Karamazov. This is quite a bold move for one of the most popular pop artists of the last few decades. Sting was so enthralled by Dowland's work that he decided to record them for the contemporary masses. What you get is a raspy reiteration accompanied by subtle, yet tranquil music from an instrument that has been long forgotten. \nMuch of this disc is filler-- seven spoken-word pieces accounting an autobiographical letter by Dowland. A number of the songs are slow and sleep-inducing with the beauty of the lute butchered by Sting's annoying voice. Songs of serenading and holy worship trade back and forth. There is little variance from track to track, but the mood is consistent. The instrumental tracks such as "Walsingham" and "Fantasy" showcase the rich intricacy of the lute (Sting even joins in on lute), but Sting's voice seems out of place on the remaining tracks. These songs are meant for four-part harmonies, but Sting's voice has been massively overdubbed to compensate for this. \nI can't criticize John Dowland for his work; musicians and composers were considered very skillful in this era. There's not much to say then about this recording except the fact that Sting ruins the experience altogether. Without being biased, I'd say that these songs, in the context of, say, a Renaissance festival, would be very fitting and quite possibly enjoyable. Classically trained musicians could pull this off, but come on, this is Sting.\nI'm not opposed to new cultural experiences like this one, but I think popular artists should leave classical work like this untainted. Sting attempts to revive these artsy songs, but they are better left in the 1600s. Better luck with the Police reunion tour, Sting.