CD OF THE WEEK:Emile Minnie: Onderwater Drome
Emile Minnie is a young South African singer-songwriter with plenty of soul and a good sense of delivery. He has paid his dues on the local cabaret circuit, winning awards as part of the group Vlam. His second solo album is Onderwater Drome, an independent release that is equal parts Afrikaans and English. It offers songwriting that manages to be contemplative without falling into the rut of rather pretentious songs about life and love that so many “serious” Afrikaans singers seem to prefer.
Opening track Sal Jy My Liefhê? demands one’s attention with a haunting piano melody — also played by Minnie — along with simple but effective lyrics. From there, Ondier briefly pushes up the beat ever so slightly with a playful message of love, but then follows stirring and sometimes quite sad ballads such as Streaming, Droom and Finally Lost.
Confession stands out with its dark and brooding atmosphere, laden with low piano notes and rich, emotional lyrics: “Your love is a fire deep inside … Your love is eccentric and absurd”. Drif is sensual and sexy, about fiery love, bodies and minds, and Wens ends the album in an equally slow manner.
Minnie’s vocal performance is sublime, mostly: he is subdued but not monotonous, his warm, melodic voice melds seamlessly with the piano backdrop that anchors most of the album. Unfortunately, the CD booklet doesn’t include his lyrics.
If moody, piano-based, soulful music is what you’re after, this is a good buy. The CD also includes a video of Sal Jy My Liefhê? and can be ordered on his website at www.emileminnie.com.
Alter Bridge: One Day Remains (Sony)
Here, Creed’s Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillipps and Brian Marshall have teamed up with singer Myles Kennedy. It’s basically Creed without Scott Stapp, which means it’s the same kind of melodic, guitar-heavy rock. Kennedy conveys more true feeling than Stapp did in Creed’s radio anthems, and this — along with some crafty guitar work by Tremonti — is all that saves some of the tracks from being solidly built but utterly bland. Despite some exceptions (the single Open Your Eyes is quite addictive), it’s a well-meaning, enjoyable but forgettable effort. — RW
Chicago: Love Songs (Gallo)
Another repackaging of mostly tired old Chicago hits for die-hard fans, along with Peter Cetera’s Glory of Love, the cheesy Cetera/Amy Grant duet The Next Time I Fall, and a live, previously unissued recording of After the Love Has Gone by Earth Wind and Fire with Chicago’s Bill Champlin. — RW
Various: Elektra: The Album (Sony BMG)
The soundtrack to this movie is less action-packed than the film might suggest: it’s upbeat rock that does not stray into the hard rock or metal genre. Expect Jet, The Donnas, Switchfoot, Alter Bridge and Full Blown Rose, among others; the album’s Achilles heel is Evanescence’s whiney, seemingly endless ballad Breathe No More. Thank goodness for the skip button. — RW
Various: The Heart and Soul of Cape Town (Bowline)
This compilation, courtesy of P4, would have one believe that the Mother City is the mellowest destination in SA. It’s a collection of 15 laid-back jazzy tracks from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Tim Moloi and Nonhlanhla, Roy Ayers and Tucan Tucan that is a tad uneventful at times but comes together smoothly and unassumingly. — RW