CD Reviews

Lupe Fiasco Food&Liquor Atlantic/2006 ♥♥♥♥	Lupe Fiasco is an intended contradiction: a skater-rapper; a religious b-boy. Lupe, a devout Muslim named Wasalu, transformed a part of his birth name to the name coined by his homies in the streets of Chicago. In the world of hip hop, it’s refreshing to see such a new artist develop an original style without many negative vices. Lupe doesn’t drink, smoke or curse; he champions family values and upholds women, for the most part, on pedestals. It is rare in rap to see such a positive influence. Throughout the album, throwback soulful beats and canny lyrics make this debut solid. From the skateboarder anthem “Kick, Push” to the upbeat club-banger “I Gotcha,” produced by the Neptunes, Lupe knows how to please all crowds. This album is chock full of substance, but Lupe’s choruses lack appeal. The guest appearances are copious but they are not always justified. While Jill Scott adds an entrancing feel to “Daydreamin,’” Jay-Z’s lacklustre verse in “Pressure” sounds congested, and Linkin Park’s chorus in “The Instrumental’ does not complement Lupe’s rhymes. Lupe is better alone, on tracks like the futuristic “The Cool” where Kanye West’s production ventures into unknown and unfamiliar territory. On the revisited “Kick, Push II,” Lupe returns with vivid storytelling. More significantly, Lupe hits hard with “American Terrorist,” probably the strongest political rap since 9-11 this side of Ice Cube, The Coup and Xzibit. Hip hop isn’t dead; it’s just under construction. With artists like Lupe Fiasco building new foundations and structures, hip hop will definitely move past all the bubble-gum, chain-swinging nonsense that most mainstream artists seem to be pushing. Navin Bahl, Volunteer Staff
Lily Allen Alright, Still Capitol Records/2007 ♥♥♥♥	In the summer of 2006, Lily Allen took Europe by storm with her debut album Alright, Still. The 21-year-old has inherited her wit and enthusiasm from her father Keith Allen, a well-known British comedian and actor, and she has inserted her humour and cheekiness into this pop CD, which has been recently released in North America. Allen was born in Hammersmith, London but moved around throughout her childhood. Due to her constant moving, she went to 13 different schools and eventually dropped out. However, Allen’s academic setbacks didn’t stop her from excelling in the music business. With brutally honest songs like “Smile” — about the enjoyment of rejecting an ex-boyfriend — Lily brings a new sound to the music scene and sets the bar high for the rest of her album. The quick-witted “Knock ’Em Out” teaches girls how to deal with unwanted guys and is sure to make listeners laugh: its combination of phony excuses and edgy quirks is incredibly comical: “I’ve got herpes, no, I’ve got syphilis.” “Sometimes I wish we could just pretend/Even if only for one weekend/So come on/Tell me/Is this the end?” Allen questions on “Littlest Things.” The mellow piano adds to Allen’s quiet vulnerability, but it is short-lived. We are quickly swept back into up-beat, playful songs like “Take What You Take” and “Alfie.” Allen tops her quirky pop album off with a clear-cut, uncanny song called “Nan You’re a Window Shopper.” Lily Allen has built a sturdy fan base throughout Europe with Alright, Still and there is no doubt that she will win over fans all across North America. Her strong spirit and witty personality is infectious. Elly Safiniuk
Meat Loaf Bat Out Of Hell 3: The Monster is Loose Virgin Records/ 2006 ♥♥♥½	It’s hard to argue with such unabashedly epic, not to say cheesy, music. Bat Out of Hell 3’s cover alone (like Meat Loaf’s other cover art, it features muscles, motorcycles, women, monsters and combinations thereof) spells wonders of the adventure you are about to embark upon when listening to this record. Not to say that this album is running purely on a “cheesy,” throwback gimmick. Though the artistic integrity (however much there may actually be) is often overshadowed by the melodrama and even the artist’s choice of name (though the story behind it is quite entertaining), the arrangement of the songs is evidence enough that there are skilled minds behind this great wall of Hell. Comprised primarily of Jim Steinman and Desmond Child compositions, this journey of an album takes its sweet time to set itself up to be larger than life: many tracks clock in at over six minutes. Hell is at its best when roaring with choirs, strings, orchestra strikes, piano and other grandiose sounds — which is often. Musical guests include rockers Nikki Sixx and John 5 (numbers are so metal!) on opener “The Monster is Loose,” and you can definitely hear their presence. On the other end of the totem, listeners may recognize “It’s all Coming Back to Me Now” from its (unfortunate) incarnation as a Céline Dion hit. Deciding a star rating when evaluating such a record really depends on how prepared you are to accept Meat Loaf (trust me: it can be a real treat to just succumb to the epicness of it all). I recognize that this is not a perfect album (by a long shot) but I also want to compliment anyone who feels that Meat Loaf is the choice vehicle for their music. Bless their hearts and I’ll see you all when the monster himself hits the ’Peg on March 11! William O’Donnell, Volunteer Staff