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RECORDINGS : Quick Spins
(Umg Ipecac Recordings)
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"There's always someone younger, someone with more hunger," Ben Harper warns on his new album's rallying first song, urging us not to let it take the "Fight Outta You." Is the Gen-X singer-songwriter feeling weary after a career that spans more than a decade? Maybe. On the fragile, poignant ballad "Younger Than Today," he yearns gently for a hopeful past. In any case, "Fight Outta You" is a crummy album opener. Harper ditches his comforting, soulful voice and instead growls through most of the tune like an amateur at open-mike night.
The rest of "Lifeline" is better. Recorded in a week with his faithful followers, the Innocent Criminals, Harper created 11 tracks without Pro Tools or other modern recording cheats. The result is honest and organic on winners like the romantic "In the Colors," even if the CD's songwriting is inconsistent. Harper and his Criminals play their hearts out on the electric, piano-pounding "Needed You Tonight" -- but all you can think about is how brutally unoriginal it sounds. Seriously, will the Black Crowes get a royalty check?
Patient listeners will find payoff deeper in this bluesy excursion. Gospel-tinged, reach-for-the-sky jaunt "Say You Will" is predictable but fun. "Put It on Me" cuts a groove with a taste of Harper's trusty slide guitar. The final track, "Lifeline," presents Harper, 37, at his most naked: alone with an acoustic guitar. He nailed the song in one take, his pillow-soft voice wavering in a blend of artistry and human imperfection. This isn't Harper's most compelling outing, but it won't lose him any fans.
Ben Harper and t he Innocent Criminals are scheduled to perform at the Warner Theatre on Sept. 17.
-- Michael Deeds
DOWNLOAD THESE:"In the Colors," "Put It on Me," "Younger Than Today"
HUSTLENOMICS
Yung Joc
Atlanta rapper Yung Joc knows what kids want. The 24-year-old Bad Boy artist proved to be a serious teen tastemaker with his 2006 debut, "New Joc City," which spawned a dance and several kicky singles popular with youngsters. With his latest effort, "Hustlenomics," Joc is once again pandering to young fans, but rather than providing new dance tracks, he's giving them a version of the drug-focused rap their older siblings listen to.
On the lead single, "Coffee Shop," Joc brags about serving up something other than java over a beat from producer Don Vito that sounds disturbingly similar to the tinkling music blasted by ice cream trucks. "I'm a G" has Joc both listing his gangster credentials and giving a rudimentary spelling lesson with a thuggish, truncated version of the alphabet song.
