CD Reviews: February ’10 | The Beachside Resident

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Paolo Conte
Reveries
Nonesuch, 2003

Often described as Italy’s answer to Tom Waits, Paolo Conte, while similarly eccentric and oddly charismatic, bears nothing more than a passing tonal resemblance to the gruff bohemian icon. Conte’s weathered voice supplies plenty of broody mood, but his real charm lies in the way he can shift from style to style — cabaret; Neapolitan folk; jazz; French chanson, and tango — without sounding hackneyed. Whether you know Italian (or French, Spanish or Portuguese, for that matter) or not makes no difference; the force of Conte springs from his deeply emotive expressivity, and the way he effortlessly assumes the identities of the lovelorn characters in his songs. If ever there were an argument for pure emotion’s ability to transcend linguistic barriers, Reveries is it. A collection of some of Conte’s strongest tunes culled from his long career, Reveries is a great introduction to a true master. Give it a spin for a romantic evening; keep it as guidebook for the many dalliances to come. — T. Bennison

Madeleine Peyroux
Dreamland
Atlantic, 1996

Some people see the release of cover albums to be signs of weakness in an artist, but I beg to differ. Madeleine Peyroux has the voice of a pretty little bird, and her ability to cover artists ranging from Patsy Cline (“Walking After Midnight”), Frank Sinatra (“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”), Bessie Smith (“Lovesick Blues”) and Edith Piaf (“La Vie En Rose””) on Dreamland shows a great range of both musical inspiration and technical ability. Also, I tend to think that when an artist covers on older tune that they should bring something new to the table, and on that count Peyroux doesn’t disappoint — everything she touches becomes her own. Critics have called her the “21st Century Billie Holiday,” and I can’t help but agree. Her voice has a twist in it that flows through every song — from blues to ballads — and she carries the tune as much as she does the story of how she feels about what she’s paying homage to. Her cover of Billie Holiday’s “Getting Some (Fun Out of Life)” is the perfect V-Day song: “When we want to love, we love/When we want to kiss, we kiss/ With a little petting, we’re getting some fun out of life… Maybe we do the right thing, maybe we do the wrong/But when we want to sing, we sing/When we want to dance, we dance…” Dreamland is a tour of love, French, jazz, folk and of course, dancing. — V. Bormann

Sade
The Best of Sade
Sony, 1994

There’s nothing that isn’t sexy about Sade, and if you’re looking for some mood-making music on V-Day, this album won’t steer you wrong. From the smoky “No Ordinary Love” to a rhythmic “The Sweetest Taboo,” Sade’s sultry voice was made for slow dancing in the dark. “Your Love Is King” is a mid-’80s staple and “Smooth Operator” will remind you of what they play on cruise ships after all the kids have gone to bed. Mixing smooth jazz, R&B, and island flavor, The Best of Sade will help you through the main course and then well into dessert. If you’re lucky, it will help steam up the windows later. Her cover of “Please Send Me Someone To Love” calls back to the jazz standards that have inspired her artistry and shows fans that her signature vocal effects are as voluptuous as they are versatile. Enjoy Sade with someone who gives you the “Kiss of Life.” Just don’t forget to blow out the candles. — V. Bormann

Roxy Music
Avalon
Virgin, 1982

The make-out album of the ’80s only grows sexier as the years progress. Smoothed over with atmospheric soundscapes (courtesy of a budding Brian Eno) and tempered with sultry shades of saxophone, the achingly fragile Avalon remains the definitive soundtrack of the New Romantic movement, which sprung up in response to the comparative nihilism of punk just a few short years before. The songs are a bit on the melancholic side (“Take A Chance With Me;” “True To Life”), but when beautifully crooned by Bryan Ferry — he of the immaculately tailored suits and expertly tousled hair — the sentiment is immaterial. This is the sound of yearning, heartbreak, and fulfillment wrapped up in timeless elegance. If the opening, gasping strains of “More Than This” don’t get the juices flowing, nothing will. Make that the make-out album of all time. — T. Bennison