Reviews & Previews ARTISTS & MUSIC ground. Of course, longtime fans who lov- S P O T L I G H T S P O T L I G H T S P O T L I G H T ingly recall Richie's glory days as a pop ( a INDIA.ARIE balladeer "Hello," "Three Times Lady" will Acoustic Soul with the Commodores) probably not PRODUCERS: various have a problem with this. In fact, expect Motown 3770 such ardent fans to revel in such pleas- Motown newcomer India.Arie seems ures as "Piece of My Heart" and "How to be turning heads with her genre - Long." Those too young to recall Richie's bending debut, Acoustic Soul. The earlier days may very well gravitate 25- year -old, Atlanta -based sing- toy\\ and such jams as "Wasted Time" and er /songwriter and guitarist offers a PRESENTS "Tonight" -that is, if radio gives these brave combination of folk, soul, and tracks half a chance. Card- carrying mem- blues. The feel -good "Video," the SU 130 bers of the club community are advised album's lead single, lays a self - REMEMBERS ONLY to go directly to the dancefloor- primed empowering lyric over an acoustic "Here Is My Heart" and "Don't Stop the AI guitar riff that echoes rapper :Music. " -MP 1 Akinyele's club hit "Put It in Your EDITED BY MICHAEL PAOIETTA SHAWN COLVIN KING BRITT PRESENTS SYLK 130 R&B/HIP-HOP Whole New You Re- Members Only 112 PRODUCER: John Leventhal PRODUCERS: King Britt, Capitol A, Phillip Charles Part Ill POP Columbia CK 69889 Six Degrees 657036 1040 PRODUCERS: varous * BLACK BOX RECORDER Five years is a long time between On this Philadelphia -based collec- Bad Boy /Arista 73039 The Facts of Life records, no matter how successful tive's first outing- 1998's When the Atlanta -bred 112 returns for its third go- PRODUCERS Black Box Recorder, Pete Hoffman your last one was. But Colvin ably Funk Hits the Fan-the music was round with the prosaically titled Part III. Jetset TWA36 delivers on the follow-up to 1996's awash in such '70s nuances as funk - The set finds Q, Mike, Slim, and Daron The gloom-pop trio that debuted two Grammy- lauded A Few Small fueled wah -wah guitars, along with mining the mixture of hip -hop -influenced years ago with the wickedly droll Eng- Repairs. Whole New You easily rises an overall disco buoyancy. On the R &B jams and sensual ballads that made land Made Me returns with The Facts of above the din of the sound -alike pop act's follow -up, the '70s have given their eponymous debut a double -plat- Life, another well -crafted collection of and rock recordings currently crowd- way to the '80s, replete with nods to inum smash. To the act's credit, all four songs steeped in more actual reality ing the marketplace, offering a pletho- electro -pop, new -wave, hip -hop, and members can sing lead at will. For proof, than reality -based TV. Disillusionment? ra of complex yet sweet melodies and sun -kissed soul/pop. While Re -Mem- look no further than the tracks "Sweet Check. Despair? Check. Love gone lyrics that are both smart and rife bers Only finds DJ/producer King Love" and "Player." The old- school vibo- wrong? Check. Rejection? Check. Over with empathetic emotion. With the aid Britt working with such Sylk 130 logy of "Missing You" also highlights the Mouth" with catchy results. The sub- the course of 11 songs and two bonus of longtime collaborator John Leven- stalwarts as singers Alma Horton group's deft vocal touch. Sadly, the group lime "Brown Skin" takes listeners on tracks, chanteuse Sarah Nixey and song- thal, Colvin turns fresh creative soil ( "Happiness ") and Vikter Duplaix too often relies on the tried -and -true a sensuous ride, with the artist's writers /players Luke Haines and John by exploring subject matters such as ( "I'll Do It for You "), it also finds uptempo tune with a breakbeat formula. smooth delivery leading the way. Moore deftly pull listeners in with a deli- romance and parenthood with a him featuring artists who have The album's hit lead single, "It's Over cious, genre -defying sound. With its notably mature yet often pensive Acoustic Soul also highlights Arie's inspired him over the years, includ- Now," while lyrically strong, employs an bluesier side, including the semi - nursery- rhyme-like chorus, the buoyant hand. If there's a downside to Whole ing Alison Moyet ( "Skipping overused sample (Grandmaster Flash & autobiographical "Back to the Mid- title track is the type of pop song that New You, it's that it lacks a slam -dunk Stones "), ABC's Martin Fry ( "One the Furious Five's' White Lines "). In the dle" and the gut- wrenching "Ready deserves massive radio play (and rarely commercial -pop contender like her and Only "), Kathy Sledge ( "Ris- end, Part III delivers a heap of potential a is gets it). On tracks like "Straight Life," smash "Sunny Came Home." Instead, for Love," tune whose sorrow ing"), De La Soul's Pos and Trugoy crossover hits, even as it sets limits on tempered by its ultimate uplift. A "The English Motorway System," and this project is undeniably intended to ( "Cobbs Creek "), and the late the group's creativity. RH mixture of emotional lyrics and "Sex Life," Black Box Recorder effort- be consumed as a whole piece of work. Grover Washington Jr. ( "For lessly recalls the salad days of acts such It's a daring move, one that deftly beautiful sounds, Acoustic Soul- Love "). With Re- Members Only, * SISTERS BEING POSITIVELY REAL (SBPR) as Saint Etienne and Dubstar. As good as challenges those who crab about the and its early acceptance at radio and Britt deftly bridges the gap Beautiful Woman: The Album video should well for PRODUCERS SBPR it gets? Perhaps -or just very, very dearth of truly original recordings to outlets- bode between the old school and the close. Contact: 212-625-0202.-MP put up or shut up.-LF Arie's undeniably promising new model. Brown Baby Entertainment Group 80038 -23580 future.-RH MP With a spoken -word intro from poet * THE SADIES Nikki Giovanni, you know this project Tremendous Efforts showcases the band's serious country wearing several hats. A musical LIONEL RICHIE will be something different and not in PRODUCERS the Sadies chops; the Addams Family -esque "The chameleon, he's performed at New Renaissance sync with today's beat -sampling hip -hop Bloodshot 070 Creepy Butler"; and "I Wasn't Born to York's legendary CBGB, crooned jazz at PRODUCERS: various regiment. Upon closer inspection, afi- If Toronto's Sadies wanted to, they could Follow," a cover of the King/Goffin tune smoky downtown nightclubs, dabbled in Island 314 548 085 cionados will discern the piano stylings be an ass- kickin' country band, a first -rate popularized by the Byrds on the Easy dance music in England, toured with the Richie's Renaissance arrives on these of Patrice Rushen, the jazz/R &B/funk surf outfit, a cool cover act, or a rockin' Rider soundtrack. Recorded with charac- likes of David Bowie and Jon Bon Jovi, shores five months following its Euro- fusion virtuoso whose slate of top 10 instrumental combo. Instead, they choose teristic verve by Steve Albini, this is a and led the cast of Swing, a Broadway pean release. Equal parts Cher's Believe tracks in the '70s and '80s has provided to be all of the above on this refreshingly new high point for the Sadies and for musical he helped create. On this fine and Enrique Iglesias' Enrique, Renais- grist for such contemporary hits as Will original album, the follow-up to their 1998 Bloodshot, the Chicago label that wrote debut, Bradley remains musically sance finds Richie in an oh-so- contempo- Smith's "Men in Black" (which borrowed debut, Precious Moments. Opening with the book on "insurgent" country. PV diverse and turns in a wonderfully rich rary setting, encompassing uptempo from "Forget Me Nots "). With singer/ the sultry instrumental "Pass the Chut- collection of songs. Vocally, Bradley- dance, Latin -hued and funky pop, and songwriter /guitarist Sheree Brown and ney" and then blasting into a raucous EVERETT BRADLEY who either wrote or co -wrote all 12 power ballads. It also finds him working other younger-generation talent, Rushen cover of the Elvis Presley nugget "Loved As Ever It Is tracks -is somewhere between Seal with such hitmaking producers as Rod- is part of a collective dedicated to smash- on Look," Tremendous Efforts goes where PRODUCER Kevin Bents and George Michael. Tracks like "Spell," ney Jerkins, Walter Afanasieff, and Brian ing formulas. From a grab bag that few contemporary rock albums go: wher- Big Black Booty Records 001 "Illumination," and "So There I Go" Rawling and Mark Taylor. While this includes R &B, jazz, pop, folk, and reggae, ever it wants to. Other high points include A vocalist, songwriter, choreographer, reveal an incredibly confident artist, one may sound like a farfetched concept on Rushen and crew celebrate the female the rockabilly rave -up "One Million actor, playwright, and musician, Everett who's not afraid to follow his own path. paper, it works surprisingly well on life force on such songs as the drum -rich Songs "; "Ridge Runner Rag," which Bradley apparently has no problem Contact: Everettbradley.com.-MP disc -albeit without breaking any new title track, the powerful no -frills ballad "Wish I Could Fly Away," and the cama- raderie -driven "Sisters Being Positively Real." A new kind of urban folk music V I T A L .