Eve “Eve-Olution” Ruff Ryder Records
The daunting task of giving Eve’s album paws is not as difficult as it might seem. She already has two paws tattooed on herself (one for each breast). I’d like to add two more to her collection. After venturing into movies (“Barbershop,” “XXX”), Eve holds down her rapping end with tracks that fulfill. She’s rough, funny and honest, but can be sensitive and reflective as well. It’s a balanced album and even works as an album, beginning with bold sexuality, switching to introspective relationships, and finally diving into her personal life and a self-proclaimed message for kids. It’s the clean Eve, as she says, “I straightened up, I’m doing right.” No doubt about that. Her laugh-out-loud funny skits deal with how she’s become a star and is losing her hood connections. Even guest rapper Snoop Dogg sounds cleaned up with lyrics that could have come from a public service announcement (“ecstasy, bad habits, you better kick it before it gets you low”), but quickly comes back by telling us to choose the safe party choice, chronic. Eve’s new album is enjoyable and shows a maturity of thematic development and production design. She’s still funny as hell and worth our attention, even if she’s not technically “hood” anymore. -Howard Ho
Doug Martsch “Now You Know” Warner Brothers
“It was all too Jim Belushi,” says Doug Martsch, regarding his own opinion of the blues prior to this album’s conception. Unfortunately, his first solo outing is a little too Joe Piscopo for us. There’s no denying the Built to Spill frontman’s songwriting talents or guitar virtuosity. However, the hubris that led Martsch to adopt a genre he admits not fully appreciating or understanding results in an album that tarnishes blues’ image. “Now You Know” is an album with some pretty melodies and stellar guitar playing, but overall the album sounds too monotonous and clearly inferior to his work with Built to Spill. Songs like the beautifully string-laden “Window” turn out to be the best songs on the album. But on these Martsch resorts to the techniques that set Built to Spill apart from the standard indie rock fare, and they seem misplaced in the bluesy atmosphere. Martsch sounds like he’s having fun stepping outside his natural skin, but why settle for Joe Piscopo when you can have a Bill Murray? -Andrew Lee
Stereo Total “Musique Automatique” Kill Rock Stars
“Musique Automatique” is a little throwback, a little superficial yet embarrassingly fun, and it’s no surprise that a member of the Strokes nominated it for this year’s Shortlist Award. Stereo Total’s infectious pop, complete with bargain-bin electronics and trebly drum beats, would be the ultimate party album for the Power Puff Girls, and maybe a few pop music lovers as well. Consisting of multi-instrumentalists Francoise Cactus and Brezel Goring, this Berlin duo plays embellished, elaborate music that sounds like it’s coming straight out of a transistor radio, offering an oddball mix between French pop and garage-rock production. Somehow, the combination works. On “Nationale 7,” the group moves from Commodore 64 effects to raging guitars before stopping abruptly as if their studio had a power surge. With most songs hovering around two and three minutes, the group makes its marks in typical ADD-addled fashion, perfect for their music style, which is pleasing in small doses. -Andrew Lee