Sonic Boom

Plug in here to check out the latest and hottest music albums on the shelves (or almost there) ...
COSMIC EGG
Wolfmother
Andrew Stockdale might be the sole remaining member of the original line-up but Wolfmother sounds more hardcore than ever. The riffs are heavier and Andrew still sounds like someone kicked him in the nads and asked him to do the best Robert Plant impersonation he could.The album title? Oh, it came to Stockdale as he tried to picture something reminiscent of a fetal pose������� But don't be fooled by all of that because Andrew and the band aren't feeling insecure about whether they can live up to the standards of the original line-up . This actually signifies a reincarnation of their trademark hard rock sound. Still have doubts? Back Round will kill them all. And New Moon Rising will give you more than just a few awesome moments to air-drum and air-guitar too! And then, of course, there's the hard rock classic White Feather, which you cannot, must not, miss if you loved Joker And The Thief from Wolfmother's debut. Will the boys' jam with Slash make it to the album? Buy and hear to find out. (Hard rock, Universal, Rs 399)
ANAND CHANDY
MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL
Mariah Carey
There are two types of Mariah fans: those who rave about the full-throated singer who sang Vision Of Love about two decades ago and those who prefer the R Kelly-ish sound she acquired a few years ago with The Emancipation Of Mimi. Well, La Carey's latest work is more for the latter. Memoirs is a bit of a lightweight offering with loads (21, remixes included) of middle-of-the-road , slowish tempo numbers that seem to blend into each other. Carey seems to fancy herself singing in a hushed, often breathless voice and rarely lets herself go. Yes, there are glimpses of brilliance such as in the elegant Languishing and the ex-battering Obsessed but for the most part Memoirs doesn't really take off. Not many stand-out tracks and lots of mediocre mush and forgettable lyrics (" I thought we had something special, we had something good / But I shouldn't let another mechanic under my hood). It says "Mariah Carey" on the cover but it could have come from just about any one. Is that good? It all depends on which Mariah you like. (Pop, Island, Rs 395) PLAYLIST PICKS | Obsessed (a dig at the ex, aka Eminem, to tap your feet to and smile at... "You a mom and pop, I'm a corporation / I'm the press conference, you a conversation" ); Languishing (2.5 minutes of understated brilliance with hints of vocal artistry); I Want To Know What Love Is (cover of Foreigner's classic hit, reminds you of the fantastic vocal range that lies below that pretty face)
NIMISH DUBEY
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
I LOOK TO YOU | Whitney Houston & THIS IS US | Backstreet Boys
Not too many can reclaim their pop thrones after slipping off������� But that doesn't stop many from trying. The latest 'comebacks' are by Whitney Houston, that magnificent songstress of the 80s and 90s, and Backstreet Boys, the (once) boy band. Having seen both in their pomp, it saddens us to say that neither makes a strong case. Houston's is the better effort though. She may look and sound older, but she sticks to her soul roots in I Look To You (R&B , Sony, Rs 399). I Didn't Know My Own Strength sees her approach her balladic Greatest Love of All best, Call You Tonight has great rhythm while Like I Never Left is a mellow duet with Akon. But some tracks cannot an album save. It isn't what you expect from she who gave us The Bodyguard, but at least she's on her way. Not something we can say of Backstreet Boys. Frankly, This is Us (Pop/Club, Sony, Rs 395) sees them lose their way between trying to stick to what worked for them and growing up. In a half-baked result , a raunchy PDA rubs shoulders with a syrupy Undone and no track impresses.
NIMISH DUBEY