Music to my ears

The two CDs today may come from opposite ends of the musical spectrum, but they’re both stellar efforts, even if not for purists. Fans of pop glam and pop rock will find much to like in the Hoosiers second studio album; while devotees of Herbie Hancock may find his new CD straying too far off the mainstream of jazz, but it may accord Herbie a new set of fans.

The Hoosiers — & the Illusion of Safety (RCA). One may scoff and call all this ‘80s synthesizer-driven pop “old hat;” but when done with the flair and panache that the Hoosiers, a BritPop band, can conjure up, it remains a musical treat. The first two songs Choices and Bumpy Ride exemplify the exuberance and creativity that the band can muster in the face of paying lip service to a musical trend. There are snatches of Queen (Glorious), the Cars (the aforementioned Bumpy Ride). ELO, The Killers and Keane (on the ballads) in the songs that can be found on this Hoosiers outing. If their first CD was guitar driven, the second CD has synths and a “wall of sound” effect as its driving force. So sure, recapturing the ‘80s may be trend, but if this is the result, we hope the trend never ends.

Herbie Hancock — The Imagine Project (Herbie Hancock Records) River: The Joni Letters was a rich blend of jazz overlaying the compositions of Joni Mitchell — who at one phase in her career, dabbled in jazz. With The Imagine Project, Hancock assembles diverse musicians from all over the planet, and with global understanding and peace as a theme, creates music that at times, exhilarates, and at other times, frustrates and confounds. The title track of John Lennon starts off with Pink and Seal, and when India Arie takes over with a strong African percussive vibe, things go very well indeed. But other musical forays don’t work as well — like Dave Matthews taking on the Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows. James Morrison, John Legend, Juanes all lend a hand. Interesting, but could have been more consistent.