Madonna's Rebel Heart (Maverick-Live Nation-Interscope) is her best and most accomplished album since Ray of Light. The deluxe edition, which contains 19 tracks, finds the almost immaterial girl (see MDNA and Hard Candy) on the road to redemption. For instance, there's a lot of Catholic symbolism and references (oy, the Kabbalah community must be wiping the shvitz from their foreheads now that the meshuggeh shiksa has gone back to her roots) on the album, in songs such as "Devil Pray," "Illuminati," "Inside Out," "Messiah" and the sexually explicit "Holy Water." The best tracks, including the non-denominational gospel fervor of "Living for Love," the simplistic but enjoyable "Hold Tight," the sensitive and personal "Joan of Arc" and "HeartBreakCity," the wordplay of "Body Shop," the almost comically self-referential "Veni Vidi Vici" and the acoustic/electro title cut, all qualify as an artistic comeback. But Madonna's overuse of "bitch" on "Unapologetic Bitch" and "Bitch I'm Madonna" (two song titles, really?) detracts.
Elle King sounds like she'd rather be Imelda May than Madonna on her debut album Love Stuff (RCA). At least that's the impression she gives on the modern rockabilly of album opener "Where the Devil Don't Go." King, the daughter of SNL alum Rob Schneider, has a growl that would make Lulu jealous. Her songs "Under the Influence," "Kocaine Karolina," the bare-bones "See You Again," the empowerment spiritual "Ain't Gonna Drown" and the front-porch stomp of "Song of Sorrow" do raise one question. Where will she find a place to be heard in the current musical climate?
Lilly Hiatt also has a famous father, singer-songwriter John Hiatt. On "Far Away," the opening track of Royal Blue (Normaltown), Hiatt gives the impression that she's been listening more to Rosanne Cash than to her own father, which is interesting since Cash had a hit with John Hiatt's "Pink Bedroom." The mid-1980s Cash influence remains in effect throughout the disc. Hiatt is a marvelous singer and songwriter, at her best on "Get this Right," "Jesus Would've Let Me Pick the Restaurant," "I Don't Do Those Things Anymore" and the raucous "Machine."
WTF, Kelly Clarkson? How dare you release an album as horrifying as this? You were AI's one great hope, the talented singer-songwriter who overcame the show's mixed blessing and achieved success and respect. On the generic Piece by Piece (19/RCA), you've allowed yourself to be erased piece by piece, and replaced with a faceless singer spewing forgettable tripe by songwriting-by-committee-ringleader Kara Dioguardi (please go away!), the tireless and tiresome Sia, and the formerly interesting Greg Kurstin. "Heartbeat Song," "Invincible," and "War Paint" are lazy, formulaic variations of every song playing on the airwaves. With the exception of the mildly inoffensive John Legend duet "Run Run Run" and the potential club track "Dance with Me," this album is a complete waste of digital technology.
More than 10 years ago, acoustic-electro singer-songwriter Toby Lightman had a minor hit with the song "Devils and Angels." She ups the beats a bit on the title track from her latest album Every Kind of People (T Killa), not to be confused with the Robert Palmer song of the same name. Lightman's voice is the selling point here. She's a good songwriter, as you can hear on "My Love and Me," and "Talking Too," but it's Lightman's radiant voice that gives the songs their glow.
Broadway diva Morgan James loads her artillery with a set of soulful tunes on Hunter (Epic). James joins a long line of stage stars, including Patti LuPone, Jennifer Holliday, Betty Buckley, Elisabeth Withers, Heather Headley, Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, to aim for pop success. Only Menzel has been able to establish that, mainly due to a hit song from a Disney movie. James certainly has the chops; her voice is an impressive instrument. "Bring Yourself to Me" and "I Want You," which borrow liberally from Diana Ross and Sophie B. Hawkins respectively, are derivative. "I Don't Speak You," and "Let Me Keep You" are refreshing takes on blue-eyed soul.