the music press: The Pinker Tones, Timbaland, Juan Luis Guerra, Ozomatli and Macy Gray:: mun2

The Pinker Tones, Timbaland, Juan Luis Guerra, Ozomatli and Macy Gray

the music press

tue 4/3/2007

Shock value. A collage of Timbaland, Juan Luis Guerra, Ozomatli, The Pinker Tones and Macy Gray.

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The Million Colour Revolution by The Pinker Tones – who appear on The Chicas Project soundtrack – contains "a cut-and-paste formula of pop, funk, soul, bossa, breakbeat, swing, lounge, and psychedelia,” according to the The Miami New Times. The Austin Chronicle is transfixed on the variety of sounds the Barcelona duo bring to the mix, which are able to “transcend the ruts of pastiche and collage.”
Timbaland Presents Shock Value, Timbaland’s first solo effort since 1998, “might not be an abject failure, but it’s still a missed opportunity,” laments The Village Voice. There is nothing shocking in the mega-producer’s newest, according to Certified Hip Hop, but it admits the catchy floor-bouncers and “bending & mending of musical genres” will probably give the record “constant spins on all types of radio stations.”
Bachata godfather Juan Luis Guerra returns with La Llave De Mi Corazón. Billboard.com notes that Guerra’s first album since the Christian-themed Para Tí is “a romantic romp through multiple sub-genres of tropical music, including bachata, merengue and salsa.” La Vibra believes the Dominican’s disc is “exaggeratedly dance floor friendly,” while the English version of the title track, “Medicine for my Soul,” will surely help Guerra cross over to a wider audience.
Ozomatli’s new release, Don’t Mess With The Dragon, benefits from a radio-friendly sound that “thankfully doesn’t totally abandon the band’s style,” says Canada’s Dailybulletin.com. Webzine Popmatters.com gives the album eight out of ten points, predicting that the band’s multi-genre sound, now with a twist of pop, will make “the disc palatable to a more mainstream audience.”
Macy Gray ditches soul music for a more contemporary R&B vibe on her new album, Big. The New York Times says the change in musical direction “doesn’t hold back her personality or her odd, indelible voice.” The LA Times is less positive in their assessment, claiming that the diva’s latest “is a nice return to form. Too bad it runs out of ideas before it runs out of tracks.”