Guilty pleasures

For different reasons, today’s crop of CDs is what some people would call guilty pleasures. A cabaret/burlesque act turned into a bona fide Top 40 powerhouse, a blast from the way past — for anyone whoever loved Steely Dan during his heyday, and a R&B charmer who churns out cloying but catchy and accessible soulful hits.

Doll Domination — Pussycat Dolls (MCA Universal). Most friends I know would disavow any liking for this packaged act of commercial pulchritude, and yet, if prodded, would have to admit that they actually know the hits of the group. The new CD pretty much picks up where the first CD ended, but with a stronger element of democracy, as Nicole no longer hogs the spotlight. When I Grow Up and I Hate This Part are the first two singles and predictably give us one house-burner, and a sexy mid-tempo surefire hit. Out of This Club sounds like a nifty companion piece to Usher’s Love in this Club; and the remixed Baby Love of Nicole is a winner. Not so for its version of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps. But all in all, a decent second outing from the “always a visual delight” Dolls.

Circus Money — Walter Becker (Mailboat Records). I’m a Steely Dan fan from way back, so when I heard about the new CD of Walter Becker (who along with Donald Fagen WERE Steely Dan), I ordered it on Amazon and it’s been a constant visitor on my player. Reggae, jazz, sophisticated rock, this is all one would expect from a Steely Dan alumni, and the best thing is that it still sounds exciting in 2008. Think of the Aja, Gaucho era of Dan, embellish that with a steady dose of reggae, pile on the sardonic, elliptical lyrics we’ve come to expect from Steely Dan, and you have some idea of what Circus Money is all about. To be fair, there are some filler tracks on the second half of the CD, but Downtown Canon, Paging Audrey and Darkling Down are really excellent tracks.

Year of the Gentleman — Ne-Yo (MCA Universal). R&B and pop find their perfect “mixer” in Ne-Yo. I’ve loved individual songs of the artist, but honestly, found his first two CDs full of tracks that should have been left on the floor. With Year of the Gentleman, he finally comes up trumps, a CD that’s got more good tracks than mediocre ones. Closer and Miss Independent are the first two singles off the album and they’re both toe-tappers. The second track on the CD, Nobody, is pure Michael Jackson, and my personal choice for third single would be So You Can Cry. Uber producer and songwriter, Ne-Yo star has truly risen over the last year, and it’s great to finally have a CD that justifies the acclaim and enthusiasm.