VIEWS YOU CAN USE: MUSIC
By Jim Farber
Shawn Colvin "A Few Small Repairs" (Columbia): Shawn Colvin sings about messy lives in a manicured voice. While her delicate folk-rock couldn't sound more measured, her characters always stand on the verging of losing it. It's a strategy that can prove moving at times, but too often here the over-polished production glosses Colvin's vocal technique. While the new songs offer a workmanlike prettiness, this singer is capable of more. Chainsaw Kittens "Chainsaw Kittens" (Mercury): Glitter-rock did not just involve an outrageous reworking of Chuck Berry chords. It also offered the kind of theatrical flourishes found in David Bowie's and Roxy Music's more sophisticated early-'70s songs. It's that element of glitter the Chainsaw Kittens stress on their latest. With moogs, strings, and the wild sensibility of singer Tyson Meade, these kittens give an old style new claws. Carole King "Live at Carnegie Hall" (Legacy/Sony): Singersongwriters enjoyed their first flush of fame when King performed this live show back in 1971. Recorded at the height of "Tapestry" mania, the album gathered dust for twenty-five-years before finding release now. It's especially refreshing to hear King this young with her voice so high and clear. For added delicacy, there's a guest shot from James Taylor. A must for devotees of this intimate style. Curtis Mayfield "New World Order" (Warner Bros.): When seasoned stars try for a comeback they often exploit current styles for a hit. Thankfully, Curtis Mayfield did nothing of the sort. His latest album holds faithfully to his classic pattern of understated soul. In tracks like "New World Order" Mayfield matched his fragile falsetto to hushed R&B music for a sound that does his legend proud.