`Volumizer` a breath of fresh beats

"Volumizer"; 2 Skinnee J`s; Capricorn Records.

In these days of gangsta rap and heavy metal/hip-hop hybrids, 2 Skinnee J`s` brand of retro-rap is like a breath of fresh beats. Each track on "Volumizer," the band`s second album, is a well-crafted piece of music - these are songs, not skits.

"Horns of Destruction," a stand-out track, is a bass-driven romp that features typical rap braggadocio: "The mike in my hand becomes a molotov cocktail," as well as slightly more clever lines like, "`cause you`re an original like `Psycho` starring Vince Vaughn." Best of all, the hard hip-hop feel is mitigated by a poppy chorus of "Na na na`s."

The six-man band hails from New York City and the music certainly has an East Coast rap vibe, circa late `80s, early `90s. You can hear strains of Slick Rick, De La Soul and The Beastie Boys all over the album. But 2 Skinnee J`s aren`t merely a hip-hop group. The band`s slogan: "The rap band that puts the band back in rap."

At times the music has a more rock `n` roll - almost poppy - feel. Take "Girl with the World in her Eyes," a song that expresses a classic pop theme: unrequited love. There are some great self-deprecating lyrics: "I find my spine is gone from holding up the pedestal that I`ve put her on." And a chorus complete with guitar licks that recall an early `80s sound.

The first single off the album, "Stockholm Love," sounds eerily like a Devo tune. The retro sound means 2 Skinnee J`s isn`t breaking any new ground on "Volumizer" and that`s just fine. These five guys have more than the force of hip-hop history going for them, they`ve got the kind of hard bass lines and solid beats that are always a pleasure to listen to.

"You Were Here"; Sarah Harmer; Zoe Records.

Sarah Harmer sounds a little bit like a lot of different female singer/songwriters. Take the voice of Sarah McLachlan, throw in the twang of Lucinda Williams, stir it up with the agonized warblings of Paula Cole, and add in the folk mentality of Joan Baez and you`re close to replicating "You Were Here."

Like Cole and McLachlan, an undertone of sadness runs through Harmer`s lyrics. The songs are never cheery, ranging from quietly upbeat to slowly maudlin. In "Around This Corner," Harmer wonders "how can you forgive that fast/why do they call it the past/when nothing has passed." In another tune, she laments life in a dank basement apartment, and in the title track her poetry continues on its melancholy path with lines like, "I wanted to know you/when we were both older/I thought there`d be more/of those wonderful times."

If the music wasn`t so lovely to listen to, Harmer would certainly fall into the reject bin of sap. But nice touches, like lines of d.h. Lawrence poetry in "Lodestar," make it worth a listen. There`s also the sing-song loveliness of "Open Window," a song that sounds like Fiona Apple meets Patsy Cline. A few other tunes highlight Harmer`s sweet voice, excellent folk/country sensibility, and superb compositional skill. However, some tracks float too far afield in an attempt at pop music that should best be left to other, more snappy artists. As it stands though, "You Were Here" is a strong album that features some fine songwriting - certainly better than anything Jewel has put out.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Emily Friedlander