Paula Cole Band
Amen
Label: Warner Bros.
Genre: Rock, Pop
File Under: Riding the Soul Train
Rating: 78
Paula Cole was the first woman nominated for
the Producer of the Year Grammy, and though
she didn't take the award home, she follows up
the success of This Fire strutting her studio stuff
like the grand marshal of the pop-release
parade. The songs on Amen flow flawlessly,
from the lush and string-laden opening ballad, "I
Believe in Love," which is punched up with just
enough funk guitar, to the folk-flavored hymn of
praise that is the title cut, on through to the
ending "God Is Watching," a semi-hysterical
warning about sinning on the eve of the new
millennium. It's mesmerizing music that would
be useless without strong lyrics, and here Cole
gets a mixed report; often her words seem to
speak only to young women full of angst.
Emulating the Curtis Mayfield sound behind
hip-hop singers like Erykah Badu, Cole delivers
"La Tonya" as if she were a ghetto child running
wild. It's a captivating story of poverty and
abandonment, but would ring truer if it were
recorded with the earthiness of a Tracy
Chapman or Wynonna Judd; interpreted by
Cole's reedy voice the song sounds patronizing.
"Pearl," with its big rock beat, fares better
because Cole wails with layers of
instrumentation supporting her voice. For
"Rhythm of Life," which features the boss
scratching of Gang Starr's DJ Premier, Cole
goes back into hip-hop territory, alternating rap
with singing, and sounding as forced as Pat
Boone covering Little Richard. Tionne "T-Boz"
Watkins of TLC backs Cole on vocals for the
ending of the perfect teen feel-good anthem "Be
Somebody," which Cole hopes will symbolize
unity between blacks and whites. Calls for unity
are admirable and important in these days of
racially motivated violence, but Cole's lyrics are
never broad or deep enough to offer new
perspectives, concrete solutions, or even
healing.
On Amen, Cole is at her best when she's
relating the lives of the disenfranchised.
"Suwannee Jo," with its dramatic Ani
DiFranco-like delivery and lean instrumentation,
is a chilling story of a woman who has given up
on life and love. More mature material like
"Suwannee Jo" and less of an effort to get on
board the Soul Train would make Amen a more
satisfying set, but as it is, Cole is sure to find an
audience among those needing a surface
soul-lift. 霠Roberta Penn
--
gender is just an excuse, relationship shouldn't just be an excuse,
love is often an excuse, although sometimes these excuses are all
we have to hold onto,
death is the reason and living is the celebration
- Beth Orton
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: h9.s127.ts.hine