Review: Katy Perry's 'Witness' is bumpy; Phoenix, Chuck Berry and more
Plus, get the latest from Chuck Berry, Rancid and Glen Campbell.
— -- intro: This week Katy Perry comes back with a new record, the late Chuck Berry releases his final album, punk icons Rancid return, French band Phoenix release their first album in four years, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie join forces on a new album and country legend Glen Campbell releases his final album after being forced to retire due to his battle with Alzheimer’s. It’s an eclectic week which finds a wide variety of artists rubbing shoulders.
quicklist: 1title: Katy Perry’s “Witness” **1/2text: Katy Perry’s fourth album, “Witness,” finds the singer immersed in club tracks. Not modern-“EDM”-style tracks. Rather, the majority of the album sounds like an update on the type of sounds Madonna made in the early nineties with producer, Shep Pettibone. Single, “Swish Swish” which is a profoundly ugly diss track perhaps aimed at Taylor Swift, verges on being stuck in a time-warp, using tricks that would have been taught in “House Music 101,” while the Migos-assisted “Bon Appétit” aims to be sexy, but somehow winds up sounding repetitive and ultimately somehow more degrading than appealing.
“Witness” is quite uneven. Perry takes a huge swing with these slick tracks and often misses because a unique personality doesn’t shine through in her songs. “Chained to the Rhythm” is a rather bland, reggae exercise about getting lost in a groove. Not even Skip Marley can save it from its own formulaic core. On the other-hand, “Hey Hey Hey” sounds it is taking its cues from Lorde’s “Tennis Court,” without providing a substantial song.
“Swish Swish” uses a sample of Roland Clarke’s “I Get Deep.” Perry uses a manipulated version of exactly the same sample that Fatboy Slim used in his song “Star 69” back in 2000. Too often this album sounds derivative when it should be pushing Perry ahead.
There are, however, some bright points in the set. Perry does really well when she is in ballad territory. “Miss You More” and “Save as Draft” both really work. If “Bon Appétit” fails miserably at being erotically-charged, “Tsunami” does a better job.
This isn’t an awful album. It’s just a bumpy, slightly misguided one that seems too often like a call for attention than an authentic artistic and musical statement. Take for instance the way the album uses its parental warning sticker. There are times to curse and there are times where it seems out of context. When on the before-mentioned “Save as Draft,” Perry says, “I’m staring at a fork in the f***ing road,” it doesn’t seem like it fits the song or the moment. I’m not complaining about her cursing. I’m saying that there is a right and a wrong time and frequently Perry comes off as someone simply trying to shock by peppering a word here and there, when it doesn’t fit the context. Knowing when to use a spike of bile is a delicate art.
On the surface, “Witness,” with its nightmarish cover art and its casual electro tone, may play pretty well. In fact, it’s the kind of record that plays favorably on the first spin; cracks in the armor begin to reveal themselves with deeper listening. As she has during most of her career, this album finds Perry seemingly giving the impression that she’s putting on poses. Maybe the ballads here work the best because it feels like we are getting a hint of real emotion. Otherwise, “Witness” continues to show Perry as an enigmatic shape-shifter simply aiming for the charts at whatever cost.
Focus Tracks:
“Miss You More” This should have been the lead single. The concept of “I miss you more than I loved you” really sticks and this is more of a song than the meme-ready “Swish Swish” or the awkward “Bon Appétit.” Perry should do a complete album full of ballads like this. This is where her skill-set lies.
“Save as Draft” Similarly, this song also plays up her strengths. Her ballad game has definitely improved significantly on “Witness.” It is too bad the rest of the album doesn’t show a similar level of power. Her heartbreak sounds very real here.
“Tsunami” This warm groove hits the club-ready sensuality that Perry often tries to summon with enough subtlety in its use of innuendo to keep from hitting you over the head.
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quicklist: 2title: Chuck Berry’s “Chuck” ****text: The most amazing thing about Chuck Berry’s final album and his first set in 38 years is that it actually sounds like a Chuck Berry record. Why is that amazing? Well, since Berry hadn’t been heard on record for quite some time and since he was ninety when he died in March, it is expected that he might sound a little different on this final release. Combine that with his later-in-life appearances that can be seen on YouTube and are of an often scattered quality and it becomes even more incredible that in 2017, Chuck Berry has come back with a record that stands well beside his peak work from the late-fifties and early sixties.
Of course, this record is packed with guests, including famed guitarists like Tom Morello and Gary Clark Jr. It isn’t evident from the liner notes exactly how long ago Berry recorded his parts, but songs like “Big Boys,” the “Johnny B. Goode” sequel, “Lady B. Goode,” and “Wonderful Woman” all have that Chuck Berry signature sound. Some might complain that Berry spent his career writing variations on the same song a hundred times, and to a certain extent that is true, but ultimately that ended up being part of his charm.
The most interesting moments are when Berry plays with the tempo. His version of “You Go to My Head” is a woozy, bar band-ready workout, while “3/4 Time (Enchiladas)” is the kind of silly song that will bring to mind a less-randy answer to “My Ding-a-Ling.” “Jamaica Moon” is a chilled ode to Jamaican rum.
Even more interesting is “Dutchman,” a spoken-word jam that shows that Berry could tell an excellent story. When the album closes with the half-spoken blues of “Eyes of Man,” it sends Berry off properly. He may not have released a record in 38 years, but “Chuck” is a great and unexpected cap to the career of a rock pioneer.
Focus Tracks:
“You Go To My Head” This song is a well-worn cover, done over the years by a variety of artists including Billie Holiday. Here, Berry turns it into a surprisingly simmering blues, showing a new side to his work as he sings in a smooth near-whisper.
“Big Boys” Sure this kind of sounds like a by-the-numbers Berry song, but that's kind of why it works. It sounds very unlike anything from 2017 and yet it served as the basis for Berry’s first music video.
“Dutchman” How is this both silly and kind of ghostly at the same time? It’s a weird, striking piece of work.
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quicklist: 3title: Rancid’s “Trouble Maker” ***1/2text: On their ninth album, these Bay Area punk legends deliver 17 songs in under 37 minutes with a raw execution. “Trouble Maker” was produced by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz, who also founded Epitaph Records, giving this album a back-to-their-roots quality for the band. On “Ghost of a Chance,” Tim Armstrong (credited as Tim Timebomb) sounds more hoarse than usual, but over the course of the record the band delivers the kind of set their fans would expect. This album may lack a song quite as iconic as “Salvation,” “Timebomb” or “Ruby Soho,” but at the same time, it plays to the band’s strengths well.
Lars Fredriksen and Armstrong deliver some near-classic ska-punk on “Where I’m Going,” whereas opener, “Track Fast” has a hardcore drive. “Farewell Lola Blue” has a sing-along charm, whereas “Say Goodbye to Our Heroes” is a love-letter to the band’s influences. The truth is, being in the game for more than quarter of a century, they are now punk titans themselves with a ramshackle sound all their own that fuses hard-rock, reggae and rockabilly delivered in a boisterous, almost celebratory, gang-fueled tone. It’s hard to listen to a Rancid record and not feel invigorated afterwards.
This album is peppered with moments of brevity, but sometimes those passages really stick their points. At a minute and thirteen seconds, “All American Neighborhood,” somewhat poignantly still manages to capture the drug-fueled suburban hell it describes, while “Molly Make Up Your Mind,” which is a second shorter, manages to blend a catchy chorus with some visceral verses.
If you are a Rancid fan, “Trouble Maker” finds the band in more than decent form, banging away like pros. This album moves very quickly, but it provides a winning sonic stampede.
Focus Tracks:
“Where I’m Going” Probably the most complete and accessible song on the record. In the 90s, this might have been the set’s lead single.
“Ghost of a Chance” This is a pummeling rally cry and it gets points through immediately. This song would also do well outside of the punk world because it is so catchy. In many ways it is universally likable.
“I Kept a Promise” At just under three minutes, this sounds pretty epic compared to the other tracks. You have to love Armstrong’s uniquely garbled shouted verses. Even after all this time, Rancid still sound just endearingly rough around the edges.
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quicklist: 4title: Phoenix’s “Ti Amo” ****text: On their sixth album, French dance rockers Phoenix continue the upswing of 2013’s “Bankrupt!” fully abandoning the repetitive song-structures of 2006’s “It’s Never Been Like That” and 2009’s slightly boring, but tremendously popular “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.”
“Ti Amo” isn’t a perfect record, but it is pretty excellent. Bright numbers like the title-track and the insistent “Tuttifrutti” make it somewhat ideal for upbeat summer parties. At the same time, it seems like lead-singer Thomas Mars is now completely aiming to write songs for placement in his wife Sofia Coppola’s movies. “Fior de Latte” has a lush electro feeling that threatens to envelop its listeners.
Actually, “Ti Amo” stands as one of Phoenix’s strongest and most focused records with the kind of neon glow they have always been courting. “Fleur de Lys” is an unstoppable left-field, eighties-fueled dance single of the future, while “Via Veneto” has an intense synth hook. Mixing Mars’ reverb-coated voice to the back of the track was an interesting choice.
At the beginning of their international fame, eight years ago, Phoenix stood as a monotonous indie-rock and pop cliché with scores of people championing what I would consider one of their weakest record. In many ways, “Ti Amo” finds them perfecting their sound, blending the better elements that made “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” a hit, while reconnecting with the dexterity and drive that made 2004’s “Alphabetical” such an unexpected surprise.
Sure, the spoken passages on “Telephono” are unapologetically self-aware. But at the same time, Phoenix knows how to correctly maneuver through cheese. “Ti Amo” is a very winning, likable record that finds a long-celebrated band finally living up to the hype.
Focus Tracks:
“Fior di Latte” If you are looking for your dream-pop-flavored prom anthem, look no further. This is ripe for licensing. You can imagine it serving as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in an ethereal high school movie.
“Tuttifrutti” This glowing bit of Euro-pop is the kind of song that makes you think possibilities are infinite. It washes over you and yet it is packed with an instantaneous sense of nostalgia.
“Fleur de Lys” Somehow this maintains a driving, ominous quality and a light breeziness. It’s a surprising banger of a track.
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quicklist: 5title: Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie – “Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie” ***1/2text: The duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie sounds unsurprisingly like a reductionist answer to Fleetwood Mac. Often you think of Buckingham with Stevie Nicks, but here, he and McVie have some fitting chemistry as performers as well.
This self-titled album finds them essentially alternating taking the lead on songs. Buckingham’s voice is often heard with an experimental dose of reverb on songs like “Sleeping Around the Corner” and “In My World.” This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with his solo work, which was often peppered with such left-field touches. McVie for her part is undoubtedly trying to summon memories of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tell Me Lies” on “Feel About You” and has an appealingly wistful quality on “Red Sun.”
It does feel like throughout this record like Stevie Nicks should chime in, since there is a strong Fleetwood Mac vibe here, but that doesn’t happen. Of course, the backing band includes both Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, so it is essentially a Fleetwood Mac album without Nicks.
Buckingham hits his stride on the acoustic ballad “Love is Here to Stay,” while the two harmonize well together for “On with the Show.”
"Too Far Gone" has a wonderful, almost scuzzy blues-rock edge while "Game of Pretend" is a warm piano ballad.
This isn’t a remarkable record in quite the same way let’s say “Rumours” was forty years ago, but it definitely proves that these two still have the sharp songwriting chops. In a way it is a shame that this couldn’t have been a proper Fleetwood Mac offering. If Fleetwood Mac maintains their break from recording together, there’s no reason why Buckingham and McVie shouldn’t continue this partnership.
Focus Tracks:
“Love is Here to Stay” This guitar riff is the nicest on the record and this song finds Buckingham at his most gentle and most appealing.
“Feel About You” In a different era, this McVie-led track would have become a "lite" radio staple. It wallows in its own cheesiness and I say that in the most lovingly positive way.
“In My World” This Buckingham-led song is both pensive and tense, but at the same time it weaves an intricate sonic tapestry.
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quicklist: 6title: Glen Campbell’s “Adiós” ****text: There’s a celebratory sadness to Glen Campbell’s last album, “Adiós.” Forced into retirement by a battle with Alzheimer’s, this record serves as both a goodbye and a testament to Campbell’s status as one of country music’s classic figures. The truth is, his legacy isn’t just country. Campbell spent time in the Champs (of “Tequila” fame) and he was part of “The Wrecking Crew,” a band of studio musicians who played on a number of key albums including classics by everyone from Bobby Darin to the Monkees. He even played on the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” Really, although he has spent much of his career as a country man with hits like “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Gentle on My Mind,” Campbell is the embodiment of a classic, eclectic rock and roll ideal, having worked in a variety of capacities.
Having to drop out of the music-making business can’t be easy, especially when you have become conscious of your own impending deterioration, and that sense of emotion is felt in his version of the Jimmy Webb-penned title-track. There’s also a world-weary energy he brings to his banjo-infused reading of the Fred Neil classic, “Everybody’s Talkin’.” When he and Willie Nelson duet on “Funny How Time Slips Away,” the results are bittersweet, like one last hug between two long-lost friends as they look back on their experiences.
His version of “Am I All Alone (Or is it Only Me)” not only finds him getting some nice support from Vince Gill, but also it gets a fitting intro in the form of a few seconds of the song performed by its author, the legendary Roger Miller.
When Campbell tackles Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” he puts his own unique spin on it, again bringing out the reflective, melancholy energy hidden just below the surface.
As a goodbye note, “Adiós” shows Campbell at his best. His voice is still sharp and he still has that classic country appeal here on “She Thinks I Still Care” and “A Thing Called Love.” This had to be a difficult album to make. Campbell’s wife Kim and producer Carl Jackson both have penned extensive pieces in the liner notes about the making of this record. Not only does “Adiós” stand as an excellent record, but it ends Campbell’s career in a warm and fitting way. Now, sadly, he must ride off into the sunset, hopefully knowing on some level how many lives his music touched.
Focus Tracks:
“Adiós” It is hard to listen to this track without getting a little on the teary side. When he hits a high note while singing the line about “drinking margaritas at the old cantina,” you know that even if he was forced out by his health, he left on top.
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” This is an evergreen classic for a reason and Campbell gives this song a wise, country stomp.
“Everybody’s Talkin’” This song has been recorded famously by Harry Nilsson and Louis Armstrong. Glen Campbell’s version belongs placed alongside those versions.
Next Week: New music from Lorde, Ride and more.
Missed last week's? Get the latest from Halsey, Alt-J, Dan Auerbach and others.
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