Spring Break
On the Record: Yo La Tengo and Beyoncé
Arts | 9/5/06
Posted online at 4:03 AM EST on 9/5/06
Here, Yo La Tengo returns to its past for inspiration and still comes up with real, novel songs, not just atmosphere or noise or "SexyBack." I am Not Afraid of You and I will Beat Your Ass is the perfect title for a classic, rock album.
-Benjamin Yakas
Beyoncé
B'day
on BMG Records
B
At some point during the last few years, Destiny's Child became Beyoncé Knowles's mere extracurricular occupation, and her other duties-her fledgling movie career and foray into solo-artistry-dominated the attention-span of the pop-mainstream. Tough luck for Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, who along with Knowles were the closest thing to our generation's Supremes; their 2004 "reunion" disc, Destiny Fulfilled, failed to hold a candle to either Beyoncé's excellent "Crazy in Love" or the diva's emerging superstardom.
While Beyoncé is no Diana Ross, B'day is an excellent sophomore outing that's a far cry from her bubblegum days with Destiny's. Superficially, it's a confusing package: a mere 10 songs purportedly written and recorded in two weeks. The single "Ring the Alarm" seems emblematic of that decision. Beyoncé's never sounded this unhinged-drenched in dissonance, her ireful vocals recall Kelis' "Caught Out There," which also pulled no punches as it assaulted an unfaithful lover. "Ring the Alarm," which was produced by Swizz Beatz, is as frantic as it is panicked; Beyoncé's completely out of character here, and it's a rush.
Curiously, the rest of the album sounds much more deliberate-too clean to have been produced so quickly-though no less intelligent. First single "Déjà Vu" channels a far more casual funk than "Crazy in Love"-it's an obvious sequel to that caterwauling masterpiece, which so brilliantly sampled The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman?" "Déjà Vu" also features Beyoncé's man Jay-Z, but refuses to wear its hook on its sleeve. The arrangement and beats weave much more elegantly and subtly around Beyoncé's vocals. The song never reaches the soaring heights of "Crazy in Love"-nor does anything else on B'day-but somehow, that never seems like a shortcoming, or even a concern to Knowles. Ultimately, that's what makes this her strongest album yet.
-Jonathan Fischer
-Benjamin Yakas
Beyoncé
B'day
on BMG Records
B
At some point during the last few years, Destiny's Child became Beyoncé Knowles's mere extracurricular occupation, and her other duties-her fledgling movie career and foray into solo-artistry-dominated the attention-span of the pop-mainstream. Tough luck for Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, who along with Knowles were the closest thing to our generation's Supremes; their 2004 "reunion" disc, Destiny Fulfilled, failed to hold a candle to either Beyoncé's excellent "Crazy in Love" or the diva's emerging superstardom.
While Beyoncé is no Diana Ross, B'day is an excellent sophomore outing that's a far cry from her bubblegum days with Destiny's. Superficially, it's a confusing package: a mere 10 songs purportedly written and recorded in two weeks. The single "Ring the Alarm" seems emblematic of that decision. Beyoncé's never sounded this unhinged-drenched in dissonance, her ireful vocals recall Kelis' "Caught Out There," which also pulled no punches as it assaulted an unfaithful lover. "Ring the Alarm," which was produced by Swizz Beatz, is as frantic as it is panicked; Beyoncé's completely out of character here, and it's a rush.
Curiously, the rest of the album sounds much more deliberate-too clean to have been produced so quickly-though no less intelligent. First single "Déjà Vu" channels a far more casual funk than "Crazy in Love"-it's an obvious sequel to that caterwauling masterpiece, which so brilliantly sampled The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman?" "Déjà Vu" also features Beyoncé's man Jay-Z, but refuses to wear its hook on its sleeve. The arrangement and beats weave much more elegantly and subtly around Beyoncé's vocals. The song never reaches the soaring heights of "Crazy in Love"-nor does anything else on B'day-but somehow, that never seems like a shortcoming, or even a concern to Knowles. Ultimately, that's what makes this her strongest album yet.
-Jonathan Fischer
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