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(10/24/02 4:00am)
Jennifer Love Hewitt has released her fourth album, Barenaked, and it is as memorable as the prior three. The album is shallow, predictable and imitative of all the female pop music that has been successful in the past year.\nHer die-hard fans know that "Love," as she is affectionately nicknamed, began her career in music before becoming a teen-idol on "Party of Five" and a scream queen in "I Know What You Did Last Summer." But she is back to her musical roots, and the album lives up to just about all its expectations -- which are none.\nBarenaked is a shift from Hewitt's last album Jennifer Love Hewitt, which had her imitating Britney and Christina and flaunting sex-appeal as much as music. Hewitt has moved to soft, bluesy, acoustic rock, and the sound is more along the lines of Michelle Branch, with Pink added in for kicks. The vocals are decent and the music is OK, but the songwriting needs work. The lyrics on Barenaked are aimed at nine-year-old "Love" fans, while the music is a bit more adult contemporary, and the album has no where to go from there. \n"Barenaked," the current single and title track, is definitely not the choicest song on the album, and there are better options for the first release. The second and stand-out track on the album, "Can I Go Now," shows promise for "Love" with its better, more mature lyrics (Love did not contribute) and cool, vibrant vocals.\nFrom there, the album continues on with little change from the pattern set by the lead tracks. "Hey Everybody" and "Rock the Roll" elevate Hewitt's status as a pre-teen revered, Radio Disney icon and are reminiscent of her days belting the "Kids Incorportated" anthem. The remainder of the album consists of song after song of bubblegum lyrics and repetitive acoustic guitar ballads. \nThe album ends on an interesting note with an a cappella rendition of Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" that flaunts Hewitt's vocal talent in the light of better lyrics. The cover is passionate, spirited and the highlight of the monotonous album. Ultimately, Barenaked proves that Hewitt's on-screen talent has not yet carried over into her music despite her four attempts at a second career. With Jennifer Love Hewitt, the cliché fits: stick to your day job.
(10/23/02 5:39am)
Jennifer Love Hewitt has released her fourth album, Barenaked, and it is as memorable as the prior three. The album is shallow, predictable and imitative of all the female pop music that has been successful in the past year.\nHer die-hard fans know that "Love," as she is affectionately nicknamed, began her career in music before becoming a teen-idol on "Party of Five" and a scream queen in "I Know What You Did Last Summer." But she is back to her musical roots, and the album lives up to just about all its expectations -- which are none.\nBarenaked is a shift from Hewitt's last album Jennifer Love Hewitt, which had her imitating Britney and Christina and flaunting sex-appeal as much as music. Hewitt has moved to soft, bluesy, acoustic rock, and the sound is more along the lines of Michelle Branch, with Pink added in for kicks. The vocals are decent and the music is OK, but the songwriting needs work. The lyrics on Barenaked are aimed at nine-year-old "Love" fans, while the music is a bit more adult contemporary, and the album has no where to go from there. \n"Barenaked," the current single and title track, is definitely not the choicest song on the album, and there are better options for the first release. The second and stand-out track on the album, "Can I Go Now," shows promise for "Love" with its better, more mature lyrics (Love did not contribute) and cool, vibrant vocals.\nFrom there, the album continues on with little change from the pattern set by the lead tracks. "Hey Everybody" and "Rock the Roll" elevate Hewitt's status as a pre-teen revered, Radio Disney icon and are reminiscent of her days belting the "Kids Incorportated" anthem. The remainder of the album consists of song after song of bubblegum lyrics and repetitive acoustic guitar ballads. \nThe album ends on an interesting note with an a cappella rendition of Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" that flaunts Hewitt's vocal talent in the light of better lyrics. The cover is passionate, spirited and the highlight of the monotonous album. Ultimately, Barenaked proves that Hewitt's on-screen talent has not yet carried over into her music despite her four attempts at a second career. With Jennifer Love Hewitt, the cliché fits: stick to your day job.
(09/27/01 4:51am)
There is no one like Tori Amos.\nHer sparkling footsteps have led the way for angst-ridden singer-songwriters throughout the past decade. She is the leader for the wave of riot grrrls and passion-driven females who are a dominant force in modern music and culture. Amos is a true innovator, and Strange Little Girls purely reinforces this role. \nThe concept of the album is undoubtedly unique; Amos takes on 12 different persona to retell lyrics written by men from a female perspective. The album contains no original lyrics, a first for an Amos full-length album, but does not fall short in creativity in any way. Each song is thoroughly reinvented with signature Amos style.\nAmos selected lyrics from the likes of Joe Jackson, Neil Young, the Beatles, Lou Reed and even Slayer. This eclectic mix of songwriting ensures that each track on the album stands out in a distinctive way, and not one is similar to the next. Strange Little Girls starts out on an intense note with Reed's "New Age" darkly reinvented by Amos, and is followed by a spine-chillingly version of Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde." The song is violent, breathtaking and eerie. \nThe highlight of Strange Little Girls is the title track, an up-tempo, drum- and bass-driven song, which is reminiscent of Amos' early Little Earthquakes style. The song is dense and powerful, full with rich melodies and harmonies.\nOf course, no Amos album is complete without several solid piano tracks, and on Strange Little Girls, Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" is one. Amos performs a sophisticated and passionate performance of the classic, heated song. \nNothing on Strange Little Girls is anything like "Heart of Gold." Amos reinvents Young in his own style, and it is by far the most intense and amazing song on the album. It is not quite something you would expect from Amos, but she conquers the song with style and class.\nAmos changes the entire message of these songs without altering the lyrics. The words she chooses to express are captivating, as are the characters that portray them. The words of Strange Little Girls are the essence, and Amos has constructed a beautiful album.
(09/27/01 4:00am)
There is no one like Tori Amos.\nHer sparkling footsteps have led the way for angst-ridden singer-songwriters throughout the past decade. She is the leader for the wave of riot grrrls and passion-driven females who are a dominant force in modern music and culture. Amos is a true innovator, and Strange Little Girls purely reinforces this role. \nThe concept of the album is undoubtedly unique; Amos takes on 12 different persona to retell lyrics written by men from a female perspective. The album contains no original lyrics, a first for an Amos full-length album, but does not fall short in creativity in any way. Each song is thoroughly reinvented with signature Amos style.\nAmos selected lyrics from the likes of Joe Jackson, Neil Young, the Beatles, Lou Reed and even Slayer. This eclectic mix of songwriting ensures that each track on the album stands out in a distinctive way, and not one is similar to the next. Strange Little Girls starts out on an intense note with Reed's "New Age" darkly reinvented by Amos, and is followed by a spine-chillingly version of Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde." The song is violent, breathtaking and eerie. \nThe highlight of Strange Little Girls is the title track, an up-tempo, drum- and bass-driven song, which is reminiscent of Amos' early Little Earthquakes style. The song is dense and powerful, full with rich melodies and harmonies.\nOf course, no Amos album is complete without several solid piano tracks, and on Strange Little Girls, Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" is one. Amos performs a sophisticated and passionate performance of the classic, heated song. \nNothing on Strange Little Girls is anything like "Heart of Gold." Amos reinvents Young in his own style, and it is by far the most intense and amazing song on the album. It is not quite something you would expect from Amos, but she conquers the song with style and class.\nAmos changes the entire message of these songs without altering the lyrics. The words she chooses to express are captivating, as are the characters that portray them. The words of Strange Little Girls are the essence, and Amos has constructed a beautiful album.