MUSIC ZONE
Saurabh & Gaurav

TIP Harris wrote and recorded most of Paper Trail while under house arrest; the album is as much a showcase to his criminal record as his return to writing lyrics on paper since his 2001 debut I’m Serious. Tip, however, has mellowed a little, in place of extremely heavy singles like What You Know and U Don’t Know Me are singles like the Rihanna fronted Live Your Life and a more sophisticated take on Lil’ Wayne’s Lollipop in the form of Whatever You Like. Danja’s bluesy, organ-tinged musicianship on No Matter What gets things back in order with T.I.’s assertions of triumph over his many personal struggles. Swing Ya Rag has him in lyrically weaving Swizz Beatz’s signature rhythms into another guaranteed infectious hit in the vein of Bring ‘Em Out. On Top of the World marks the beginning of the fantastic collaborations on seven of the 16 tracks. On the synth and percussion-heavy song, T.I. recruits some help from fellow Atlanta musicians Ludacris and B.o.B. The reunion of T.I. with Justin Timberlake, Dead and Gone, may not be on the level of 2006’s hit My Love, but the track builds a stately disco symphony that fits snugly on the spectrum of explorations in between Cry Me A River and What Goes Around`85Comes Around. Then there’s the red-carpet arrival of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne who trade boasts with the rapper on the club-ready Swagga Like Us. But it’s T.I. himself who carries Paper Trail to a glorious pinnacle of near perfection, with his formidable form of wordplay and the album’s grand production. A solid return for the self-proclaimed "King of the South."

Best track: Swagga Like Us

Worst track: Slide Show

Lucinda Williams has gained a reputation as one of the most incisive artists working in the wider realm of roots music. Since those unassuming beginnings, she’s subsequently expanded her palette, achieving a mix that encompasses equal shares of country, folk, rock and blues. Lucinda’s classic albums - notably Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Sweet Old World and World Without Tears - garnered her Grammy recognition, while boosting her status as a highly acclaimed music artist. At the same time, her songwriting resume came to include such high-profile clientele as Tom Petty and Emmylou Harris, further elevating her standing as a singer/songwriter of special significance. Lucinda signals the change right from the start on Real Love, a blistering rocker that celebrates her long-delayed romantic success with biting guitar and close harmony vocals from Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles). The bluesy torch tunes Tears Of Joy and The Knowing both manage the neat trick of appreciating the present by mourning the difficulties of the past, while the gorgeous solo acoustic ballad Plan To Marry dares to revel in the idea of love as a rampart against the disappointments and disasters. Between times Little Rock Star is an increasingly abrasive piece addressed to a young starlet being destroyed by the desire for fame — yet Williams tempers her cynicism with genuine sympathy. Rarity, Jailhouse Tears and Circles And Xs, to name just three, round out a batch of diverse, very accessible songs that thrive on Lucinda’s straightforward, user-friendly writing and arrangements. Amid all this emotional renewal, even the closing AC/DC cover, It’s A Long Way To The Top sounds pretty profound.

Best track: Plan To Marry

Worst track: Honey Bee

Since the early, tragic deaths of original Pretenders James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon, Hynde, even with shifting lineup changes, has preserved the integrity of the group while continuing to grow musically and personally. This new album may be the most theatrical musical change the group has ever gone through, yet miraculously it exhibits all the essentials that have made the Pretenders one of the most enduring and significant bands to emerge from the punk/new wave scene. From the rollicking first single Boots of Chinese Plastic, which takes the roar of Thumbelina and adds a bit more fire, to the remarkably hysterical Don’t Cut Your Hair, Hynde and new guitarist James Walbourne make the sound of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent sound as pulsating as ever. Her voice is as recognisable as ever, all slow vibrato, unrestrained high notes and staccato alto. For those who want to hear Hynde at her best as a songwriter, check out both Love’s`A0A Mystery, which crosses Roy Orbison with hints of the Rolling Stones’ Dead Flowers, and The Last Ride, the only song with prominent piano on the album, which reveals her wisdom as a mature rocker. Elsewhere is the searing cover of Rosalee, a midnight blues that sounds more like a Alejandro Escovedo experiment thanks to drummer Jim Keltner’s hip-shaking syncopation and Walbourne’s wide open guitar. The band’s enthusiasm is easy to understand; Hynde has written a superb set of songs here. Her persona is largely the same as it was on the band’s 1979 d`E9but. On The Nothing Maker, Hynde’’s limp, acoustic-Americana take on The Beatles’ Nowhere Man, she purrs nasally overtop a mawkish steel guitar: "He makes nothing/ He’s a nothing maker/ He’s the maker of nothing/ He’s the nothing-maker." Break Up the Concrete is a fine example of how inspiration can yield powerful results at any point in a career.

Best track: Don’t Cut Your Hair

Worst track: You Didn’t Have To