European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 8 2007 scene stars and stripes Page 13 Back to Black Amy Winehouse Universal Republic the first song on Amy win houses new album the irresistible rehab May be the one that stereotypes her the most they tried to make me go to rehab i Saia no no no yes Ive been Black but when i come Back no no no she scowls on the defiant delightful track theres been plenty of talk in her native Britain about win houses penchant for drink and drugs and her reputation As a troubled soul has often overshadowed her music but the marvelous Back to Black released for the first time in the United states this week is the perfect reminder Why Winehouse merits Atten Tion not for her barroom exploits but for her amazing voice and mesmerizing music win houses sound evokes the soulful 60s her scratchy voice sounds like it could have fronted a girl group like the rosettes while her instrumentation recalls the Lush Majestic arrangements during motown heyday its the lyrics that Knock you Back to the harsh realities of contemporary life Winehouse who wrote or co wrote All the songs can some times be coarse and shocking what kind of expletive Are you Side from Sammy youre my Best Black jew goes a Lyric from me or Jones but what really jars the listener is not the vulgarities but the pain its hard not to feel As if youre not by her Side along with a bottle trying to find a Wayl numb lifes frustrations on Back to Black the caricature that Winehouse represents in the press is fleshed out what remains is a character with Many facets flawed real and one you want to keep in your life Nekesia Mumbai Buck the world Young Buck when Young Bucks debut straight Outt Cashville dropped in 2004 it was easily regarded As the Best Solo disc from 50 cents unit Crew of Chart Topping soldiers but of How times have changed recent releases from fiddy affiliates Lloyd Banks and mobb deep have received critical yawns and generated moderate sales Young Bucks Sophomore disc Buck the world gives adequate Evi Dence that the current unit slump May soon change Buck succeeded his first time out because he coupled a boisterous new Orleans Charm with soulful production now he attempts to add dimension to his single minded gangsta Persona on the sentimental slow a Roll Buck reflects on his own familial struggles and an aunt with aids its messed up cause her lifes Gonna its messed up twice she Gonna die in the pen meanwhile on the title track featuring an achingly crooned chorus from life Jennings he grapples with baby mama drama and emergent stardom however Buck has not turned completely into or sensitivity snitches assorted women and weaker rivals All fee his gun bucking ire Over beats that Knock with immense horns and orchestral menace at 19 tracks Bucks sheer enthusiasm to threaten becomes nearly heart numbing but ultimately Buck like a Southern 2pac manages to sound magnetically Brash and believable Brett the a Como Ama Una differ Jennifer Lopez epic the promotional machine that is Jennifer Lopez makes much of her ability to seemingly do if All she dances acts sings designs her newest production is Como Ama Una Mujer Lopez first album Sung entirely in Spanish it is the work of the Best songwriters arrangers and musicians in the latin world according to her team and is co produced by Julio Reyes Ana Salsa Star Marc Anthony Lopez husband indeed the album has an intriguing pop sound a sophisticated and understated production it might actually have worked had this been put into the hands of a stronger vocalist but the  selection spotlights Lopez limited Range and a voice that unfortunately lacks texture and character the opening song on this 11cuf album May be the most memorable due to interesting rhythmic and melodic combinations on que hic Ste for what did you the vocals speak of love gone horribly wrong and has Lopez telling of her soul being broken but there is Little expression of that anger or pain and if one is going to enter into the world of latin love one had better be capable of delivering vocals that Are soaked in passion and rage alas the Cool and removed nature of Lopez voice leaves this album in the realm of in adventurous pop and perhaps that is All it is meant to be Michelle glitter in the Gutter Jesse Malin Adeline on his first two Solo albums reformed Punk Jesse Malin ditched the distorted churn of his old Bana d generation and set out to find his place in the songwriting lineage that runs through Bruce Springsteen ana1 Paul Westerberg for his third Effort Malin has taken his quest a step fur ther collaborating with the former on broken radio cover ing the latter with bastards of Young and creating a bigger cleaner More accessible sound than any Hes offered in the past As always the native new yorker int shy about his belief in the redemptive Power of music and he sings about Rock n Roll salvation throughout glitter in the Gutter most notably on his duet with Spring Steen paired with the Boss Malin holds his own though he also reveals some of his shortcomings while Hes a Fine creator of moods and verse Long vignettes Malin often has trouble stretching a cohesive narrative for the length of an entire song sometimes its As if Hes writing cocktail Napkin versions of Springsteen musical Short stories hinting at the hardships his characters Are facing with smudged lines that leave plenty to the imagination even so Malins commitment is infectious and when he sings the chorus of dont let them take you Down it Doest really matter if Hes talking about Iraq Hurricane katrina or your soulless Boss in that Way his vagueness is a Blessing adding to the Universal Appeal that already comes with finding the perfect combination of four chords a racing Lead Riff and an instantly memorable Melody Kenneth special to the Hartford courant ill sleep when youre dead zip def jux Elp and his Label def jux have always had a thing for maximum density no hiphop imprint has put out records that jammed As much musical and lyrical information into the grooves and no artist has done As much of the jamming Over the years Asel proud co so hearing that ill sleep when youre dead is perhaps the most overloaded release of his career is really saying something and Given the impenetrability or certain def jux releases that int necessarily cause for Celebration except for one thing in the four years since his last release zip has Learned How Best to arrange his Arsenal of beats and rhymes songs that once might have collapsed under their own weight Are now almost symphonic a Point made emphatically during the nearly 7minufe opener tasmanian pain coaster a swirling dreamlike pairing with the Mars Volta even More astonishing is Hareas corpses draconian a futuristic fantasy in what sounds like several suites its the closest anyone come and Many have tried to translating the Giddy disorientation of Blade runner to Wax Elps verses As always Are trickier to dissect although he comes up with a few Good sound bites among the hyper literate lyrics i might have been born yesterday sir he declares at new on cd r one Point but i stayed up All night but it is Best Ana most fair to treat the whole impressive album As the impressionistic sound painting Elp has Long threatened and finally delivered Dan to the Hartford courant let it go Tim Mcgraw fourteen years into his career Tim Mcgraw remains one of country musics most creatively restless and ambitious superstars let it go follows his second greatest hits collection and he used the three year break Between original albums to assemble his strongest set since 2001 s set this circus Down Mcgraws recent focus on acting Hast deterred his Talent for finding outstanding material songs like in and i need you the latter one of two duets with wife Faith Hill illustrate Mcgraws Knack for straddling earthy Blu Collar material and cutting Edge contemporary country its not surprising that let it go blurs boundaries Between Rock and country with the guitar intros to put your lovin on me and nothing to die for sounding As modern As the latest Nic Kelback Cut similarly Between the River and me is dark swampy Southern Rock reminiscent of Lynyrd skin Yards Gimme Back my bullets what is surprising however is that Mcgraw also offers some of the most traditional sounding cuts Hes done in a decade whiskey and you Shotgun rider and Kristoffer son Are All unrepentant barroom country tunes that would have fit George Jones or Willie Nelson Mcgraws infectious new single last Dollar casts poverty As a situation that allows for More Persona Freedom a Point Many poor individuals and families would debate but Mcgraws Lack of careful careerism Means that while he May make a few missteps hell also climb mountains his More calculating Peers will never scale Michael the a country Singer Tim Mcgraw just released a new album let it go it is his first entirely original album in three years