Dig These Discs :: Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett, Jennifer Hudson, Erasure, Weezer, Lucinda Williams

Jennifer Hudson's story has so many ups and downs it could be a movie in its own right. Now, she's released her new album, "JHUD," showing that if there's one constant in her life, it's her undeniable talent. The English synthpop duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke are back with an upbeat album of electro-synthpop tunes, as they near their 30 year anniversary. The legendary Tony Bennett teams up with Lady Gaga for a sweeping collection of chestnuts. And Lucinda Williams drops her 11th studio album, the first on her Highway 20 record label and easily her most ambitious.

"JHUD" (Jennifer Hudson)

She told you she wasn't going, and Jennifer Hudson has not lied! This former "Dreamgirl" is back with her third studio album, "JHUD." Hudson first got critical acclaim for her performances on "American Idol," and soon moved into the music industry. She suffered through the brutal killing of her family members, including her mother, in 2008, and lost 80 lbs. as the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She has sung at the Grammys and the MTV Music Awards, and performed a single from her new album at the 2013 Soul Train Awards. She describes the album as more 'upbeat' than her previous work, and enlists the help of singers including Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, R. Kelly and RedOne. The album has a real '70s sound, and her first single, "Walk It Out" features Timbaland. "I do it for the thrill, even if it kills," she sings out in the first cut, "Dangerous." "It's Your World" features R. Kelly, but at Radio City Music Hall on September 17, she stunned the crowd by singing it with "America's Got Talent" finalist Quintavious Johnson. She is classic Hudson on this fast-moving track, which is truly excellent, as she promises to be the genie in the bottle, giving her man whatever he asks. But a friend's man is less than perfect, trash-talking his mate in "He Ain't Goin' Nowhere." Drop that dead-end brother, raps Hudson in an excellent break. "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)" is an uptempo ballad that will have you humming along. "I Still Love You" puts one in mind of the sad songs Effie White belted out to Curtis in "Dreamgirls," only with a disco bent, perhaps a nod to the rumored inspiration for her character, Florence Ballard of The Supremes. She gets funky in "Just That Type of Girl" and sings her heart out in "Say It." She finished the album with the gospel-tinged ballad, "Moan." Hudson's voice is just as strong as ever, and this album is a perfect showcase for her talents and her funky style. Way to go, J-Hud!
(RCA)

"The Violet Flame" (Erasure)

The English synthpop duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke warmed our cockles with last year's holiday album, "Snow Globe." Now, they're back to the electronica with "The Violet Flame," their sixteenth studio album. The ten tracks are emotionally-charged electro-pop delicacies that celebrate life -- a nice change after the mournful sounds since the death of Andy's partner of 25 years, Paul. He says his apologies and goodbyes to his partner in the darker, highly dramatic track, "Smoke and Mirrors." And Bell's newfound happiness with his partner Steve comes out in these songs about love and hope, like "Reason," his declaration of love, with a driving dance beat. A Eurotrance sound emerges in the tracks "Elevation," "Sacred" and "Reason." The duo enlisted the help of producer Richard X, who worked with them on "Snow Globe," whose traditional views gave the album a holistic sense of unity. Bell said the slower track, "Be The One" reminds him of the music from that holiday album, although it wasn't written until later. The album starts off with the catchy track, "Dead of Night," with lyrics about keeping the wanting at bay. The title track is an emotionally charged electronica cut, with a great dance riff. "Promises" is a catchy tune with lyrics, "I fell under your spell but ooh, that feeling is fleeting/ I've had my fill and I just don't want to fight anymore." Keep your promises, sings Bell -- I just need someone I can rely on. He's out of his depth in "Under the Wave," and captures that Donna Summer sound that Bell loves in "Paradise." They end the album with "Stayed a Little Late Tonight," a somber song about a romance that's past its expiration date, that has Bell singing, "I thought I could handle your rejection stand up on my own, but I'm walking on a tightrope." Erasure celebrates their 30th anniversary together next year. This is as good a present as you can get.
(Mute Records)

"Cheek to Cheek" (Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga)

Legendary singers both, separated by 60 years (but only a block apart on Central Park) Italian powerhouses Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga team up for "Cheek to Cheek," a deluxe album of 15 standards and musical chestnuts that will bring a smile to your face and a set your toes tapping. They start out with a jaunty cover of "Anything Goes" that has Gaga decrying all those "silly gigolos." Their rendition of the title song is heartwarming and gives Gaga, who is a surprisingly talented jazz singer, a chance to show off her pipes and her unique phrasings, breathing new life into these classics. "You are the summer and I am the autumn, don't wait too long," Bennett sings to Gaga in "Don't Wait Too Long." The two first paired up for "The Lady is a Tramp" in Bennett's album "Duets II," and the pop star impressed Bennett enough for him to invite her to record this collection. As is her wont, Gaga shape-shifts again with this new release. She sports a head full of black shoulder-length curls and looks like she stepped right from behind the counter of a Bay Ridge Italian bakery. The album is more than just a publicity stunt; the two, who are friends, have a real artistic simpatico, with Bennett's gravelly sound meshing perfectly with Gaga's soaring high notes. The accompany jazz instrumentalists add a lot of swing to the affair, especially when it comes to the jaunty brass section. On slower songs like "Nature Boy," you can really hear the full range of Gaga's voice, subtle and tender, backed beautifully by the orchestra. She steps back slightly in Bennett's ballad "But Beautiful," and sings solo in Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," with a bit too much vibrato at times, but otherwise excellently. Bennett shines, unsurprisingly, in his solo turn, "Sophisticated Lady," backed by superb piano. "Firefly" and "I Won't Dance" are a joy to listen to. They make a powerful statement to naysayers with the classic, "They All Laughed," showing fans of both musicians that there is still room for innovation. They go wild in the swinging, "Let's Face the Music and Dance," with a wildly competent sax player accompanying them. They finish with "It Don't Mean a Thing," a raucous, swinging tune. For a woman who has worn a meat dress, hatched out of a giant egg and shots fireworks from her tits, pairing up with this nearly 90-year-old crooner might be the most surprising thing she's ever done. Talk about cheeky! Splurge on the deluxe album; you'll be glad you did.
(Interscope Records)

"Everything Will Be Alright in the End" (Weezer)

U.S. rockers Weezer, comprised of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell and Scott Shiner drops their tenth album, "Everything Will Be Alright in the End," with the held of producer and former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek. The 13 new tracks are among the best the band has dropped in a while - notwithstanding that this is their first new album in four years. They enlisted a makeshift choir for the title track, singing that everything would be alright. In "Back to the Shack," they rock like it's '94, singing, "I ended up with nobody and started feeling dumb, maybe I should play lead guitar and Pat should play the drums," Cuomo sings, adding later that they should turn off those 'stupid singing shows' and turn on the radio. They move fast in "Eulogy For a Rock Band," and sing, "open your arms, and let me come in," in "Lonely Girl." They eschew mediocrity in "I've Had It Up to Here," and get sing-songy in "Da Vinci." Perhaps the best track of the lot is "The British Are Coming," a tune about fighting back that is reminiscent of cuts from "The Green Album." "One if by land, two if they come by sea/ we'll show 'em who we are: the true sons of liberty!" The female vocals add to the '50s band sound in "Go Away." You can't control me no more "Cleopatra" they sing, emphasizing the 'pat' as in 'don't patronize me.' "The Wasteland" is an electric guitar ripper with a dark cast, and try and figure out what to call you in "Anonymous." They finish with the short grinder "Return to Ithaka," which finds the guitars moving up and down the scales before taking flight. The band has embarked on a fall tour, starting Oct. 2 in San Jose and hitting mostly the Southwest and Northeast, plus dates in Mexico and Texas.
(Universal Music Group)

"Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone" (Lucinda Williams)

Lucinda Williams drops her 11th studio album, the first on her Highway 20 record label. To be exact, it's her first-ever release that includes two albums, each with 10 tracks of country soul goodness. Guests artists include Toy Joe White, Peter Thomas, Davey Faragher, Bill Frisell, Ian McLagen, Jakob Dyland and more. In her first track, she finds "Compassion" down where "the spirit meets the bone." Her laid-back singing allows the time to settle into her folksy style. She picks up the pace singing, "I need protection from the enemy of love," in "Protection," and croons in "Burning Bridges." She bases her cut "Compassion" on the poem that her father Miller Williams published in 1997, saying, "it was challenging, to say the least." The cut "East Side of Town" has the same vibe as her hit "Big Red Sun Blues." Lucinda sings about injustice and false confession in the harmonica-studded "West Memphis," about the cast of the West Memphis 3. She sounds weary but defiant in "Cold Day in Hell." And she's had her fill of liars in "Foolishness," singing, "I know the truth even if you don't." The instrumentals swing in "Stand Right By Each Other," and hangs around for love in "It's Gonna Rain." Disc Two lays down another 10 tracks, starting with the swinging, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," a bluesy, country jam. The suspicion is palpable -- and the electric guitar solo rocks -- in "Big Mess." Williams has been rejected, had her patience tried, and is at the end of her rope; but this changes "When I Look At The World." She sings of a girl "with the world in the palm of her hand" in "Walk On," and about losing love in "Temporary Nature (Of Any Precious Thing)." In "Everything But the Truth," she advises that before you have a friend you gotta be one. By the end, she seems to be dragging through cuts like "This Old Heartache," really giving the listener a taste of her pain. She asks for "One More Day" in a slow song, and wraps things up with her touching track, "Magnolia." With this collection of songs, Williams doesn't go for flashy; she lays down simple hooks and plain-spoken lyrics into familiar country and blues patterns, for an understated but ultimately excellent outcome. At a time when everyone is a flash in the pan, it's nice to see Williams' steady, perpetual forward motion.
(Highway 20 Records)