Five years after the release of her sophomore album “One In a Million,” Aaliyah makes her long-awaited return to the music world with her self-titled third album “Aaliyah.” The album is an astonishingly mature effort. At 22, an age where most artists are just getting started, Aaliyah comes across as more of a savvy veteran. While most of her pop/R&B contemporaries are content to crank out happy-go-lucky albums on an annual basis, Aaliyah comes across as an experimental and diverse artist with a lot more to offer.
The album starts off with the wickedly hypnotic “We Need a Resolution,” the album’s lead single that reunites Aaliyah with producer Timbaland; the two previously worked together on such hits as “Try Again” and “Are You That Somebody?” The collaboration takes a more serious turn on the track “More Then a Woman,” where we hear Aaliyah sounding as mature and exotic as ever, while the producer offers up spacy keyboards and a jazzy guitar riff that gives the song a loungey feel. Timbaland can also be remarkably minimalist: “I Care 4 U” rests on a few bass notes and a sprinkle of piano, giving Aaliyah the room to operate — which she does perfectly.
Other producers on the album are all relative newcomers such as Rapture & E Seats, Bud’da and J Dub. They are successful in taking the album in many different directions. Other standouts include the guitar-driven “What If,” “Read Between The Lines,” and the powerful “Never No More.”
Overall a great album, and in a 2001 that is proving to be the year of the R&B diva, Aaliyah may turn out to be a shining light. (Aaliyah will be starring in the next two sequels to the “Matrix.”)
For more information on Aaliyah, go to www.aaliyah2001.com.
‘Discovery’ — a celebration of disco culture
AS French electrodisco sweeps the dance floors of the world, the duo that started the unique sound are back. Four years after “Homework,” which sold over two million copies worldwide, Daft Punk has released a full-on pop assault.
“Discovery” is a compelling fusion of styles that continually surprises. It is also a celebration of 80s disco culture mixed with some truly infectious beats. As in the No. 1 single “One More Time” this album is a stomping experiment in retrodance, which ensures that it will find popularity with a wide audience.
Tracks like “Aerodynamics” and “Superheroes” with its use of Van Halen-style guitar riffs layered over rolling sonic beats are irresistible to the naked ear. Only four out of the 14 songs break the four-minute pop single rule and the body-popping beats of “Face To Face” or the funk of “High Life” could all be possible No. 1 singles.
Credit must also go to guest vocalist Romanthony whose vocodered vocals lend a real Studio 54 flavor to the album.
This is an album whose retro cheek shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but loved for its disco charm and grace.
For more information on Daft Punk, go to www.daftpunk.com.
