European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 scene stars and stripes sunday april 15 2007 l new on cd we re Tim Baland presents Shock value Tim Baland inter scope if a new release Ever made the argument for pop Abando Ning the album format its Tim Baland presents Shock value the Kingpin producers fourth Nam Brand release three in partnership with rapper Magoo and the first since hits with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado made him a household name beyond hiphop this hour plus of familiar innovations is a decent listening experience but if would have been a really great superhero franchise Furtado sets the scene in give if to me the sweaty stutter first single in a wonder woman let me go get my rope she sings in that  snarl Tim Baland brought out on her career transforming 2006 album Loose Timbo and Timber then each take a verse feeding feuds and coolly popping Muscles the chorus unites the singers Over a track that recalls a spaceships blinking control panel flip your Cape Tim Baland ready for the ride the guest cast on Shock value easily could fill a few seasons of animated adventures or or who Rolls in along Side Missy Elliott for the aptly named Bounce could be the Falcon fail out boy makes a Fine fantastic four with Pete Wentz in drag As storm 50 cent the incredible Hulk and Hast Elton John who turns in a wicked piano Jam always wanted to play the joker Timba lands upcoming projects with we wrestling and Roc Star games might fulfil such fanta sies Shock value has other fish to Fry it presents the full spectrum of his sound to his new main Stream fans icy skittish beats sweeping choral arrange ments an Affinity for modern Rock Bombay Breaks out the bhang a to prove his global roots and time with a Vampire in Cameo by she wants revenge reveals the Goth in his soul artists signed to Timba lands Mosley music group litter the album including the appealingly Hiccup prone Singer Keri Hixson and rappers Sebastian and Doe the cuts featuring Timba lands already famous friends Are All top 40 fodder yet something Falls Short on Shock value Timba lands laser focused sense of what pop should sound like has changed not Only hiphop but vast areas of pop and its solidified Here in daring beats and masterful arrangements yet the narrative pull that justifies the album format fails Short Tim Baland has called Shock value a film like experience but theres a big Popcorn break Between the hot dance music of the first five tracks and the Rock experiments of the last five in that saggy Middle Are the albums most conventional moves sleepy seductions and Boring rap boasts Tim badlands vocal contributions less than Stellar throughout hit a Low Here Hes tediously obscene taking Down other producers in kill yourself and Creepy coming on to pussycat doll Nicole Scherzinger in scream its sad that an artist of unparalleled sonic creativity keeps pushing this Boring Bailer image a master alter ego Tim Baland seems to Settle when it comes to his own Persona the fruitful perversity Hes uncovered in collaborators the humid Side of Furtado femininity the predator within Timber lakes love Man has enriched what could have been pop pabulum As musically Rich As Shock value can be it Doest offer such powerful insights into its Star yes Tim Baland you can scale Walls like spider Man but wheres the Wolverine within Angeles times waking up laughing Martina Mcbride Ria fifteen years in Martina Mcbride continues to look for new challenges with waking up laughing the big voiced Singer produces the album by herself Mcbride also composes some of her own material for the first time co writing three songs including the uplifting first hit anyway what she Doest change is her preference for songs pertinent to Middle America mixing stories of tragedy and struggle with those of survival and renewal the Kansas native presents 11 songs that could serve As themes for two weeks Worth of Oprah such real life topics Are common in country music but like Winfrey Mcbride digs deeper avoiding cliches while providing More insight and inspiration than any of her Peers on waking up laughing Mcbride taps info a particularly potent mix of positive messages and she matches these consistently outstanding songs with a seamless blend of acoustic instruments gentle rhythms and soaring orchestrations that Bank on Subtle Yand style she invites another contemporary country fast maker Keith Urban for a duet on trying to find a reason but its Only one of Many highlights others include the social commentary of for these times the  tale of Beautiful again and two love songs ill still be me and love land the latter two  be More different in heir Story lines but share a belief that humans can Rise above their situations to see something Good and lasting in enduring lifes changes Michael the a this is it Jack Ingram big machine Jack Ingram has finally crossed Over and deservedly so from Al country to mainstream Nashville famous in Texas for More than a decade the charismatic Singer songwriter busted out nationally in 2006 with his first no country hit when mart1na me bribe music producer Tim Tim Baland Mosley released his first album Timberland presents Shock value which features artists such As or Ore Missy Elliott and Nelly Furtado on her new cd waking up laughing Martina Mcbride composed some of her material for the first time cowrie ing three songs including the hit single anyway Ever you Are and a successful followup love you his new album reflects the shift too he smooths some edges on this is it but fortunately he hangs onto his Knack for provocative lyrics personal angles and Catchy tightly written tunes this is if Only sounds calculated on its first single an unnecessary cover of the Rock band hinders recent hit Ballad lips of an Angel Ingram imposes his Gravelly twang onto the challenging vocal arrange Menf but otherwise does Little to make it his own he also tacks on last years hits wherever you Are and love you since they originally came out on an album that featured mostly live tracks but the Best songs great div Iown de and measure of a Man mature Gutsy lyrics that reflect truths from the world Ingram lives in moreover Fine songs like dont want to Hurt and easy As 1 2 3 part add a fresh Energy to contemporary country that As progressive As new sounds being brought to the genre by Keith Urban and Tim Mcgraw v the a Good and reckless and True the alternate routes Vanguard the alternate routes take the Road most travelled with Good and reckless and True a wholly conventional Rock album yet if would be wrong to simply dismiss the Bridgeport Conn group As Bland instead the alternate routes project an Empal Sefic nature with the no confrontational sound and Light philosophy of Good and reckless and True the familiar strains and Tim tested Structure Are even mildly infectious Cal lit Comfort Rock opening track Ordinary makes an Apt and aptly titled introduction to the alternate routes method at first the song seems like Little More than a mundane albeit Heartfelt Singer songwriter ditty showcasing Bronfman turn Warren but it subtly builds until the listener is sucked into its sweeping Rock spectacle which is keenly capped off with a poignantly quiet close other tracks have similar surprising Impact rising out of deceptively routine arrangements theres the blues kissed Waltzing slow Cut Hollywood with its jabbing punch line its hard to believe you can find what youre looking for anymore also War Ren dials Down his nasal Tenden cies to deliver some seductive Rock on going Home with you and the hazy California recalls 1970s Folk the band also makes a Point of proving its Range plug Ging into a blustery chorus during the electric spree of Are you lonely and following that track with the rambling piano based Ballad the Black and the White but those songs dont have any emotional resonance there just Musi Cal exercises actually its a Challenge to find anything exceptional on Good and reckless and True which essentially sounds like a Dejavu collection of music for the everyman however that commoner Appeal helped get the bands