Album Reviews
Usher
`Raymond vs. Raymond'
(SonyBMG)
With his latest album ``Raymond vs. Raymond,'' Usher is bent on reestablishing his reputation as the King of R&B. He opens with signature dance tracks ``Monstar'' and ``Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home),'' surefire ways to get listeners grooving on the dance floor.
``Papers'' has attracted attention because of its apparent references to the singer's recent divorce from Tameka Foster. The newly single Usher goes back to singing about clubbing, hook-ups and wooing girls on ``So Many Girls,'' ``Pro Lover'' and ``Making Love (Into the Night).'' There are some misses, like the Will.I.Am-produced ``OMG.'' Usher opts for a safe and familiar sound that will disappoint fans who are looking for something fresh.
/ Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Sa Dingding
`Harmony'
(Universal Music Korea)
Chinese singer-songwriter Sa Dingding is making waves in the world music scene. In 2007, Sa made her debut with an acclaimed album ``Alive,'' and quickly gained fans, and a year later, she won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award for Asia-Pacific.
Her sophomore album ``Harmony'' offers a captivating mix of electronica and folk music in Chinese, Tibetan, English and Sanskrit. The music is sleek and glossy, with the help of producer Marius deVries, who has worked with Bjork and U2. ``Ha Ha Li Li,'' the first single, shows off Sa's enchanting voice with rock beats. Sa continues to impress with the English track ``Lucky Day,'' a lullaby ``Little Tree/ Big Tree'' and ``Yun Yun Nan Nan,'' which is in a language that she created herself.
Rusconi
`It's a Sonic Life'
Rusconi, a jazz trio from Zurich, Switzerland, has once been described as the ``future of jazz." Composed of pianist Stefan Rusconi, contrabass player Fabian Gisler and percussionist Claudio Struby, the group is trying to live up to the hype.
Their fourth album ``It's a Sonic Life" shows Rusconi's improvisational style is brimming with youthful energy. ``Sunday'' is an upbeat opening track, but subsequent songs are not as memorable. There's some good numbers, like ``Hits of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg),'' ``Schizophrenia'' and ``The Wind is Blowing.''