[ NEW ON CD ]
Annie Lennox is still
special and viable
"Bare" Annie Lennox
J RecordsThe striking Scottish singer of the Eurythmics has always marched to her own drummer. Ever since Lennox and Dave Stewart parted ways, she's pursued her solo career at her own pace. With today's release of "Bare," it only marks her third solo project since the duo's breakup -- her two previous, "Diva" and "Medusa," came out in 1992 and '95, respectively.
"Medusa" was an all-covers project, so this new album is her first of original songs in 11 years. "Bare," as a whole, makes for an appealing song cycle, touching on both her early Eurythmics electro-beat sound (even the cover photo is a contemporary take on her famous portrait that graced "Touch") up to her richer and more mature work. Her vocal range is as strong as ever, with a now-knowing warmth that only comes with age.
"Pavement Cracks" and "Bitter Pill" are the album's two up-tempo tracks, with the latter, in particular, filled with a youthful fire. But the overall feel of most of "Bare," as Lennox writes herself, "contains songs that are deeply personal and emotional ... to reveal aspects of an inner world which are fragile."
So even though there's a song titled "Loneliness," her declamatory vocal confronts that most personal of emotions and makes for an effective segue to the gentler "The Saddest Song I've Got." The same can be said for the lush and languid, R&B-influenced "The Hurting Kind" leading into "Honestly," a well-crafted, midtempo dance tune.
Annie Lennox adjusts her singing to bring out the right amount of emotion contained in her songs' lyrics, and with songs like "Wonderful," "Twisted" and the intimate and vulnerable "Oh God (Prayer)," which closes the album, she shows once again that she's still a special and viable artist.
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