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Soul Singer Toshi Defies
Convention on New CD Angie Stone, Mos Def Help Out Japanese
Star
2004-11-07
Bangor Daily News
Editor's
Note: In Sound Advice, the first Saturday of every month,
veteran NEWS entertainment writer Dale McGarrigle, former
British music-press writer Adam Corrigan, NEWS sportswriter
and rock buff Andrew Neff and a revolving stable of NEWS
writers review new albums from across the musical spectrum.
"Time to Share" (Sony Urban Music/Epic) - Toshi
Many of today's smooth urban singers grew up grooving
to such Motown staples as Stevie Wonder and the more-obscure
Stylistics.
But
it's a safe bet that only one of them comes from Japan.
With his latest album, Toshi (ne Toshinobu Kubota)
proves that soul is a universal sound, not one that is limited
to the United States. With listeners' eyes closed and ears
open, it would be easy to mistake his rich, velvety tones for
D'Angelo or Maxwell.
The multitalented singer also
wrote all 11 songs on the well- crafted "Time to Share," his
second U.S. release. He shares the writing credits on all
tunes, but that's not a bad thing, especially when his
collaborator on five of those is neo-soul goddess Angie Stone.
Stone, who guests on the album along with Mos Def, has said of
him, "Toshi has a lot more soul than a lot of people I grew up
with."
Toshi is already challenging people's
conceptions of what a soul singer is. The trick now is not to
become a novelty, but instead a presence. With friends such as
Stone, Raphael Saddiq and the Roots' Ahmir Thompson, the
latter is more likely to be the case. "Time to Share" shows
that Toshi is here to stay.
- Dale McGarrigle
"Shangri-La" (Warner Bros.) - Mark Knopfler
It's been nearly 20 years since "Brothers in Arms"
became pretty much Britain's first CD, and a vital yuppie
accessory. And immediately Dire Straits were unthinkingly
shifted to the uncool territories - somewhere near where Sting
has a fabulous mansion today. At best, it was music for
grown-ups.
All of which is a shame, as Mark Knopfler's
music has always been beautifully crafted rather than simply
easy listening. If a great ear for a tune is a crime, I indict
Kurt Cobain alongside Lennon, Bowie and a remarkable number of
others who the musical cognoscenti routinely worship.
Knopfler's elegant glissando is, as so often, well to
the front here, tracing lazy swathes of space. Yet despite
this hinting at the infinity of bleached prairie skies, his
muse wanders a distinctly British and vaguely Celtic path, the
measured vocals often calling to mind the melancholy amblings
of Christy Moore. Lyrically, Knopfler remains primarily a
storyteller with a poetic lilt, artfully casting his tales of
bad men, lovers with distant eyes, hamburger moguls and
skiffle legend Lonnie Donegan.
As the
singer-songwriter has undergone a renaissance in recent years,
it's good to see an old hand like Knopfler still having
something to say, and still shining.
- Adam Corrigan
"Spider-Man 2: Music from and Inspired By" (Columbia)
- Various Artists
The movie was even better than its
predecessor and the CD fares no worse in comparison. This
soundtrack features several solid songs by breakout new
artists such as Maroon 5, Smile Empty Soul, The Ataris,
Yellowcard and Lostprophets, as well as accomplished acts
including Train, Dashboard Confessional and Hoobastank.
This is clearly a rock-based album, but the inclusion
of two instrumental offerings by Danny Elfman - although
scored specifically for this movie - seem out of place.
That is the only criticism here, however, as this
soundtrack is further proof that the movie industry recognizes
the importance of the music industry and strives to include
quantity as well as quality on its movie-based soundtracks.
- Andrew Neff
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