Review: Radiohead, Mary J. Blige

Review: Radiohead, Mary J. Blige

Radiohead 'In Rainbows': Aidin Vaziri | Because our Commodore 64 computer starts blowing smoke every time we attempt to download something that doesn't involve funny pictures, we reserved judgment on Radiohead's pay-what-you-want "In Rainbows" until it actually arrived in stores, for homeless people, illiterates and technologically stunted music journalists. That was a mistake. After slowly losing hope in the genre-busting British band after its past few lackluster releases (only by its own lofty standards, of course), we found that Radiohead has returned with a collection of songs that represents a beautiful reawakening. "Nude" and "House of Cards" are soulful and sweet, driven along by the starry-eyed falsetto of Thom Yorke, left, and gleefully broken melodies. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is the kind of tune that makes you pull the car off the road and break down in tears. "Videotape" is a heartrending tribute to ... outdated technology. It doesn't shock the system in the same way as "OK Computer," but the fact that the album works best as a whole in an era of 99-cent downloads isn't just a testament to the daring musicians at the controls, it's also a challenge to all the other bands out there that believe they can build a career out of a couple of ringtones and Linda Perry nursery rhymes. That's priceless.

Mary J. Blige 'Growing Pains': Aidin Vaziri | With Mary J. Blige's colorful past, highlighted by cocaine abuse, deadbeat boyfriends and random violence, it's no wonder her best work is also her most personal. She delivered a one-two punch with the no-nonsense autobiographical marvels "Mary" (1999) and "No More Drama" (2001), but has since chased a less personal, more lucrative sound. On her eighth studio outing, she offers fans a compromise. Blige is still working out her issues in public, but production is king. So "Just Fine" sounds like old-school Michael Jackson as played by Daft Punk, "Hurt Again" is the grand '70s soul ballad Alicia Keys was desperately seeking on her latest album, and "Work That" isn't just a catchy iPod jingle but an earnest feminist anthem. It doesn't always work - "Smoke" gets lost in the swirl of synthetic instruments - but for the most part, the queen of hip-hop soul is back in form.