From exotic to trite

album reviews

Robert Plant releases a tender record while Maroon 5 loses track of its sound

Artist: Robert Plant
Album: lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar

Few musicians have a chance to front a genre defining band; fewer still can follow such success with a wildly prolific solo career; and almost none can hold a candle to Robert Plant, who very emphatically stands in a class of his own. The former vocalist of Led Zeppelin, the rock band that is often cited as one of the most influential groups of all time, has had a successful solo career spanning over three decades, and, as is evident from his new album, is still going strong.

Produced and co-written by Plant himself, his latest release, lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar, marks his maiden studio voyage with backing band The Sensational Space Shifters and sees the singer come up with an intriguingly eclectic set that brings together his many influences to create a thoroughly satisfying sonic experience.

Flavours of folk and blues shade this offering of rock that is sprinkled with exotic world music. The skills of its accomplished creator are on display at every turn of lullaby. Whether he is coming up with arrangements that are intricate (the reworking of the folk standard ‘Little Maggie’) or sparse (the beautiful piano ballad ‘A Stolen Kiss’), the results never fail to impress.

Powered by the grace of his delivery and the warmth of its material, lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar revels in its rich textures and gives us much to discover while making it evident that Robert Plant isn’t resting on his laurels. Admittedly there is more lullaby here than roar, but with songwriting this stunning, there’s hardly any reason to complain, because ultimately this set of songs is so riveting that it practically forces you to hit replay the second it’s over.

Highlights: ‘Little Maggie’, ‘Turn It Up’, ‘A Stolen Kiss’, ‘Poor Howard’
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Band: Maroon 5
Album: V

Even though televised singing competitions are supposedly a platform for hitherto undiscovered contestants who are trying to break into the music industry, the real winners of these shows are usually the so-called mentors and judges, who often benefit from a boost in their profile and popularity. Adam Levine is a prime example of this phenomenon. The Maroon 5 front man has gained considerable attention due to his stint as a coach on The Voice, and a collaboration with fellow mentor Christina Aguilera in the form of ‘Moves like Jagger’ has given the group their biggest hit to date. Now the band is trying to chase the same sugarcoated sound on their new album, V.

For this set of over-produced, saccharine electro-tinged pop rock, the band is working with the same pop producers and writers (Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, Shellback, Sia) that everyone goes to when they’re desperate to pander to the masses and not particularly concerned with individuality or substance. Relationships continue to be their subject of choice, as they blend chart trends to create a slick collection of pop that somehow manages to be both catchy and forgettable at the same time.

From upbeat opening track and lead single ‘Maps’ to the piano ballad closer ‘My Heart Is Open’ (the now requisite duet with another coach, this time featuring Gwen Stefani), the material is largely non-descript and over-polished. Save the beautiful, Nate Ruess co-penned ‘Leaving California’, which smoothly reminds us that this is the same band that made Songs About Jane (2002), V doesn’t have the emotional resonance or texture of their early material. There is enough variety between these songs to keep their fans pleased, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that Maroon 5 doesn’t even sound much like a band anymore. Ultimately, you may find their latest installment infectious or cloying, depending on how you feel about standard chart-friendly pop as well as your level of tolerance for Levine’s falsetto.

Highlights: ‘Leaving California’, ‘Maps’, ‘In Your Pocket’
Rating:  2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 18th October, 2014 *

22 Jump Street - leaping on the same bandwagon

movie review

The boys in blue are back in college and a lot can happen the second time around

In one of its many meta moments, buddy cop comedy 22 Jump Street concisely lays out its own game plan. “Do the same thing as last time,” its characters are instructed, “[and] everyone’s happy.” And that is precisely what the film does. The sequel to 2012’s 21 Jump Street (which itself was based on the 1980s crime drama) sticks to the template of its predecessor while doling out the same brand of self-referential humour that made the first movie such a surprising delight.

The target, this time, are sequels and their inherent trappings. Officers Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) are on a mission almost identical to the one that made them a success in the previous instalment — busting a drug ring by going undercover and posing as college students. But before they can unmask the perpetrators, they realise that being a pretend college student comes with its own set of problems. When they make new friends and bond with kindred spirits — with Jenko gravitating towards the jocks and Schmidt finding himself amidst the artsy, bohemian crowd — their bromance is put to test, making it uncertain whether their partnership will survive this episode.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have once again created a zany, playful comedy that is high on energy and brimming with self-awareness. The plot doesn’t seem to hold much weight and it (intentionally) isn’t the most important element of the film. Instead, it’s the meta-commentary that propels the movie’s engine. As it spoofs itself and makes fun of its own existence, 22 Jump Street misses no chance to remind us that this is a sequel about sequels, repeatedly finding humour in franchise clichés, thanks to a sly script that never fails to make you laugh. Even its end credits vignette, which features a mock montage of future instalments, is a hoot and makes an amusing short in itself.

The odd couple dynamics between its leads have also been put to good use. Both Tatum and Hill are in fine form here and seem totally committed to their goofy roles. The supporting talent is also impressive, led with a knowing wink by Ice Cube and Nick Offerman who play Jenko and Schmidt’s superiors. Other standouts include Wyatt Russell, who portrays a jock that sparks camaraderie with Jenko, the Lucas Brothers, who play a pair of stoner twins that occupy a neighbouring dorm room, and Jillian Bell as Schmidt’s new girlfriend’s (Amber Stevens) intensely hostile roommate.

Of course, sticking to the same template also has its downsides. The humour becomes a tad predictable, and the proceedings aren’t as exciting as they were the first time around. Moreover, at times it feels like the movie rambles on, and sometimes it repeats its jokes too many times, drawing out the gags longer than it should.

Still, the overall experience of the film is very enjoyable. 22 Jump Street’s simultaneous embodiment and takedown of sequels as well as buddy cop movies is quite thoroughly entertaining, thanks to a witty script and slick performances, and the film is likely to amuse the viewers who enjoyed the first instalment of the series.

- By Sameen Amer

Sunday Magazine, The Express Tribune - 12th October 2014 *

Debunked!

cover story

Exposing common misconceptions, one myth at a time

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” says an old adage, and that just might be the best advice you’ll ever get. With the (both intentional and unintentional) prevalence of misinformation around us, many of the things that make their way to our eyes and ears aren’t rooted in reality. Accounts are misrelated, facts are manipulated, data is misquoted, and sometimes incidents play a game of Chinese whisper before they make their way to our ears, getting distorted along the way. All too often, the truth is the casualty.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that there are many commonly held myths and beliefs that simply aren’t true, but since they have been relayed to us repeatedly, we haven’t stopped to challenge them.

Here’s a look at some such misconceptions. Brace yourself, and delve right in.

Human beings use only ten percent of their brains

Possibly just those who still believe this myth. The tagline for Luc Besson’s new film Lucy reads, “The average person uses 10% of their brain capacity. Imagine what she could do with 100%.” Gee, I don’t know, maybe she could point out how ridiculous the premise of this movie is? The undisputed fact is that large portions of our brain do not remain unused. The brain is a complex organ, and any injury or disease that causes damage to even a relatively small part (let alone 90%) of it can have devastating effects on a person’s wellbeing. To perform the many functions we continuously do to survive, all parts of the brain are active during the course of a day, with certain areas more active than others depending on our actions. So while the notion of harnessing our 90% unused mental potential may sound promising, it is entirely unreal.

There is blue blood in veins

Au contraire. That is nothing but a myth. Have you ever seen blue blood? No? That’s because there is no such thing. Human blood is always red, although its shades may vary. Oxygenated (arterial) blood is bright red, while deoxygenated (venous) blood is dark red. But if you try to spot your veins on, for instance, your hands or wrists, their colour might confuse you. If blood is red, then why exactly are veins blue? Well, they aren’t. They just appear to be because of light diffusion and perception. Only blue light penetrates the skin all the way to the veins, so this is the colour that is reflected back. Mystery solved!

Lemmings are suicidal

Hold the Prozac – the lemmings would like to tell you that they’re doing just fine, but thanks for your concern. The small furry creatures are best known for committing mass suicide, but, despite what Walt Disney wants you to believe, the rodents don’t jump off cliffs to embrace death en masse. A rise in population density sometimes forces groups to migrate, and during the process many might drown when the waters they traverse test their physical capabilities; while they can swim, exhaustion may strike if they try to cross large bodies of water. The suicidal behaviour that is depicted in the 1958 Disney documentary White Wilderness was staged, and the fabricated scenes perpetuated the myth that has no basis in actual lemming behaviour.

The Great Wall of China is visible from outer space

Only if you have a powerful telescope. The Great Wall of China is often cited as the only man-made object visible with the unaided eye from space, but that isn’t accurate. It is very hard to see (and even harder to distinguish) the Great Wall from Low Earth Orbit with the naked eye, a task made even more difficult by the fact that it is the same colour and texture as the area surrounding it. And the Wall definitely isn’t visible from the Moon, as is often claimed. It is estimated that a viewer would need to have 17,000 times better vision than normal to see the Wall from the Moon.

Strawberries are berries

It’s right there in the name: strawBERRY. And it’s a fallacy. Yes, that’s right, strawberries are liars. A berry is “a fruit produced from a single flower and containing one ovary”. A strawberry, on the other hand, forms from a flower that has many ovaries, and is an “aggregate accessory fruit”, which means its fleshy part is derived from the receptacle that holds the ovaries and the aggregates merge into a single fruit. So what are some actual berries? Grapes, avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and watermelons! Who knew?

Sitting close to a television is dangerous for your health

Only if you’re still using a 1960s General Electric television, in which case you probably have bigger problems than this myth! According to Live Science, in the late ‘60s, GE sold a batch of faulty TV sets that emitted as much as 100,000 times more radiation than is considered safe. Sitting a few feet away from these units and restricting viewing to an hour or so minimised the adverse effects of the x-ray emissions, and the defective units were promptly recalled and repaired. But the myth lingered on, with people perpetually suspicious of the effects this radiation was having on their health and especially eyesight. Cathode ray tube TVs emitted low levels of x-ray radiation that was not dangerous for viewers, and modern LCD and plasma screens don’t give off any radiation at all. Concentrating on any screen for hours can, however, cause eyestrain, so don’t forget to blink!

Different parts of the tongue exclusively sense different tastes

Not true. All regions of the tongue sense all taste sensations, although different parts are more sensitive to certain tastes and can better detect certain flavours. So what’s with the tongue map then? It was a theory from the early 1900s gleamed from a research on relative sensitivity to the four basic tastes (bitter, sour, salt, sweet), which was taken out of context, simplified, and disseminated. Later research disproved it (and you can simply debunk it yourself by licking some salt with the supposedly “sweet” sensing tip of your tongue), but the misconception about the tongue’s strict regional exclusivity to different tastes has persisted.

Cracking knuckles causes arthritis

Or maybe it doesn’t. So far, this claim remains unsupported. In theory, habitually cracking your knuckles (popping the air out of the synovial fluid in the joint cavity) could cause damage to the cartilage covering the joint, but studies have not found definitive proof that this actually happens. Doctor Donald Unger even won the 2009 Ig Noble prize for his research in this matter, which he conducted for more than sixty years by cracked the knuckles of only his left (and not right) hand every day, eventually developing no ailment in either hand. More comprehensive studies have found no difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis between those who did crack their knuckles and those who did not. Although everyone agrees that the cracking sounds awful, so please don’t do it anyway!

There is a dark side of the moon

Just as much as there is a dark side of the Earth. We popularly call it “night”. The moon does not have a fixed “dark side”. From our vantage point, it has a nearside (the one we can see) and a far side (which isn’t visible from Earth, but can be seen by spacecrafts and probes). We can’t see the far side from our planet because the Moon’s rotation syncs perfectly with its orbit around the Earth, but that doesn’t mean it is “dark”. That side actually receives sunlight on a daily basis. As Pink Floyd summed up in the song ‘Eclipse’ from their seminal classic The Dark Side of the Moon, “There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it’s all dark. (The only thing that makes it look alight is the Sun.)”

Bats are blind

Well, they would be if it weren’t for the fact that they aren’t. No species of bats are blind. Some have better vision than others, and many can see quite well. Of course bats also use echolocation (making sounds that bounce off nearby objects, giving them a sense of distance and direction), but that doesn’t mean they can’t see. So from now on, “blind as a bat” means “not blind at all”. Spread the word.

Lightning never strikes the same place twice

Tell that to skyscrapers! Lightning isn’t well versed in myths and strikes wherever it pleases, however-many times it likes. It can even strike the same spot multiple times within a single storm. Tall towers and skyscrapers are the most common targets of repeated lightning strikes, and can receive hundreds of hits per year. So lightning will almost certainly strike the same place twice. Just give it some time.

Christmas marks Christ’s birth

Symbolically, yes. Literally, no. The commemoration of Jesus Christ’s birth on the 25th of December in the form of Christmas is a widely observed holiday, but it isn’t literally Christ’s birthday. History indicates that the date for Christmas might have been popularised because it already marked pagan religious celebrations with solar connotations. As for his actual date of birth, no one really knows for sure, but it is unlikely to be on the 25th of December. Biblical verses cast doubt on the birth being in wintery December, although different explanations and interpretations have led to various speculative dates (spread throughout the year) for the event.

“Elementary, my dear Watson”

No, this phrase was never uttered by Sherlock Holmes in any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canonical written works. Holmes did say “Elementary” and “my dear Watson”; he just didn’t say them together at the same time. The closest proximity they have is when the two phrases are uttered a few lines apart near the beginning of The Crooked Man (1893), but they appear in reverse order. That, however, hasn’t stopped “Elementary, my dear Watson” from becoming ingrained in popular culture as a line said by the beloved detective to his trusty sidekick.

Blue whales are the largest animals in the world

The jellyfish would beg to differ. Although it depends on how you define “large”. If the criterion is length, then the lion’s mane jellyfish also contends the title; their largest known specimen was 37 meters (120 feet) in length, which is longer than a blue whale and is considered one of the longest known animals on our planet. If you want to categorise by weight though, then even dinosaurs cannot compete with the mighty blue whale, which is the heaviest animal that is ever known to have existed.

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 10th October, 2014 *

A mystery drowned in words

book review

Book: The Silkworm 

Author: Robert Galbraith

In the foreword to his novel The Princess Bride, William Goldman relays the (fictional) account of going through great lengths to find a copy of S. Morgenstern’s out of print The Princess Bride for his son. It’s a book he cherishes because his own father read it to him when he was a child. His son, however, finds it impossible to make it past the first chapter, much to his disappointment. When Goldman skims through the book, he realises the problem: there’s too much exposition. His father only read him the interesting bits of the story. And so the author promptly sets out to write the “good parts” version of the novel. 

While reading The Silkworm, I couldn’t help but wish I could get my hands on its “good parts” version instead.

The Silkworm is, as is common knowledge at this point, J.K. Rowling’s second book under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, a secret that was revealed last year, only months after the release of The Cuckoo’s Calling, the supposed debut novel by a “former plainclothes Royal Military Police investigator.” The overlooked tome skyrocketed to success as soon as the world found out that it was actually penned by the Harry Potter writer. Now the British novelist has issued The Silkworm, the second book in the series, which sees war veteran turned private investigator Cormoran Strike and his Google-savvy secretary Robin Ellacott unravel another mystery.

It’s been eight months since the events of the previous book, wherein Strike solved the murder of model Lula Landry, a case that thrust upon him a burst of unexpected fame. Things have calmed down considerably since, although the elevated profile has meant that he’s been attracting more clients, even if most of the cases have involved tailing cheating spouses. But then the wife of a missing writer shows up to seek the detective’s help, and Strike finds himself drawn into a case that is more complicated than it originally seemed.

Eccentric writer Owen Quine has written Bombyx Mori (Latin for “silkworm”), a nasty roman à clef that maligns the people he knows, many of whom are part of the literary circle and none of whom would be particularly pleased if Owen exposes their secrets. When Owen disappears after a very public row with his agent, his dowdy wife Leonora Quine hires Strike to track down her husband. The missing person’s case eventually turns into a murder investigation, when the author is discovered brutally slaughtered in the same manner that was depicted in his book.

The pool of suspects is broad; the writer is hated by many. Everyone who is slandered in the pages of Bombyx Mori and got their hands on the manuscript might have wanted to get rid of Owen before he had a chance to publish the book. It is up to Strike to figure out which of these (largely unlikable) characters committed this depraved act.

J.K. Rowling takes her cues from traditional mystery fiction to come up with a curious second installment in her crime series, but sticking too close to the basic template of the genre (though it admittedly takes some skill) also makes the output feel generic and unexceptional. That said, Rowling’s zest for writing is on clear display throughout The Silkworm. She has created an intriguing protagonist in the form of Cormoran Strike, and the gentle camaraderie between him and his trusty sidekick Robin makes it easy for us to get invested in their adventures. The story itself is cleverly set in the world of publishing, an arena that Rowling certainly knows plenty about, and the premise gives her a chance to highlight the quirks of those who occupy the literary scene.

The novel could, however, have done with a more thorough edit, and some of the thoughts could have used a little restructuring. The proceedings often get bogged down under the weight of endless exposition, as the book opts to offer descriptive details at the expense of a brisk pace. The narrative is constantly interrupted by weather updates and certain points — like the pain in Strike’s knee, the fact that his father is a rock star, his impact on Robin’s relationship with her fiancé, and the gory condition of the victim’s corpse — are repeated over and over, making the progress laborious.

People, streets, buildings, furniture, journeys … everything is described to the extent that it starts to feel like a mystery novel has wandered into a London travelogue. It’s a level of detail that would work in a fantasy tale where the world being described exists only in the author’s mind. Employed here, it strips the plot of its sharpness, a problem that Rowling could have easily fixed by placing a little more trust in her audiences’ imagination.

Also, some readers might not enjoy the fact that the manuscript and the murder at the book’s core are too graphic, with everything expressed in vivid detail. Ultimately, The Silkworm is an interesting whodunit staged amidst London’s literary scene, but it is a tad too long and mundane. Its setting is clever, but its standard structure doesn’t offer anything different or special. Despite having considerably detailed back stories, some of the characters still seem to occupy clichés. And its level of suspense could have been elevated by telling the story in a fewer number of pages. Those who enjoy descriptions, though, are in for a treat, and fans of traditional mystery novels in particular will appreciate this effort.

- By Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 21st September, 2014 *

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - crawling back into their shells

movie review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Since their introduction as comic book characters in the 1980s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become a pop culture phenomenon. Known for their ninjitsu skills and love for pizza, the wisecracking quartet have graced the big and small screens numerous times with their zany adventures. Their latest cinematic outing, however, is one of their least entertaining.

The franchise reboot centers the origin story of the reptile vigilantes on the character of April O’Neil (Megan Fox), a television reporter tired of the fluff pieces she has to work on and eager to take charge of more important assignments. In an attempt to break an actual news story, April pursues a gang called the Foot Clan that is led by the evil mastermind Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and has been terrorizing the city. Along the way, she stumbles upon four masked figures, who eventually turn out to be the titular heroes, fighting off the bad guys. Neither her cameraman (Will Arnett) nor her boss (Whoopi Goldberg) pay any heed to her seemingly ludicrous claims, but April keeps investigating, ultimately developing a friendship with the four brothers – dorky Donatello (Jeremy Howard), goofy Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), authoritative Leonardo (Johnny Knoxville), and rebellious Raphael (Alan Ritchson) – and their mutant rat mentor, Splinter (Tony Shalhoub). But as she discovers the Turtles’ connection to her own past, she also learns the truth about her late father’s former lab partner, Eric Sacks (William Fichtner), while becoming instrumental in defeating the Foot Clan and thwarting Shredder’s plan to unleash a toxin on the city.

Director Jonathan Liebesman has taken a page from producer Michael Bay’s playbook to create this special effects-heavy installment that is as hollow as it is predictable. The movie doesn’t choose to be dark (like Christopher Nolan films), nor does it commit to being full-on fun (à la Guardians of the Galaxy). Instead it twaddles aimlessly, unsure of its own tone. Fighting begins and time slows down, and logic is defied at every turn. The CGI-generated Turtles and Splinter look creepy, while Shredder looks like he has escaped from a Transformers movie and is ready to saunter back into one.

Most of the characters lack definition, development, and charm. With all the focus on Megan Fox’s character, the film turns into the April O’Neil show, almost making the Turtles feel like supporting characters in their own movie. April is potentially a strong character, but that trait is lost here among the mundanity of the action. Will Arnett seems out of place; Whoopi Goldberg is wasted in a role that barely matters; and Megan Fox is, well, Megan Fox.

Ultimately, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn’t unbearably awful, but it isn’t special either. The movie retreads familiar paths, somehow simultaneously managing to be both silly and drab. This is a by the numbers action film that tries to cash in on a popular franchise and ends up suffering from inconsistency, cringe worthy product placement, shallow script, and a near-terminal CGI overdose.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Sunday Magazine, The Express Tribune - 21st September, 2014 *

A pretty little mess

album review

Singer: Ariana Grande
Album: My Everything

Considering how painfully grating her voice sounds when she portrays Cat Valentine on the sitcoms Victorious and Sam & Cat, who could have guessed that Ariana Grande would one day be presented to us as the next big thing in pop music? The young actress actually started out in musical theatre before earning her Nickelodeon-generated fame, and has since made the requisite jump to the world of pop singing like many of her peers. It wasn’t until the release of her Iggy Azalea-assisted single ‘Problem’ earlier this year, however, that Grande started gaining traction in the field. Now the singer has unveiled her sophomore album, My Everything, a set of 12 ditties that aim for easy chart success without daring to do anything particularly different.

The usual army of pop manufacturers (Max Martin, Shellback, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, Darkchild, and Zedd, to name a few) have been recruited to polish this collection of mid-tempo R&B and EDM-lite that variously evokes everything from Glee to Amerie. The material seems to have been put together to help the singer solidify her “mini-Mariah Carey” credentials, which it mostly succeeds in doing. It turns out the starlet’s vocals actually have an impressive range, but for the most part, her delivery lacks any signs of rawness or grit, thereby stripping the tracks of emotion and personality. It almost feels like you could substitute the sentiments, replacing them with their polar opposites, and the overall effect would remain the same.

The sax-driven sass of ‘Problem’ offers the most interesting effort on the record, and its attitude is only paralleled on the deluxe edition bonus track ‘Bang Bang’ in which she joins Jessie J and Nicki Minaj to have a ‘Lady Marmalade’ moment. The serviceable EDM of ‘One Last Time’ (which credit David Guetta among its many writers) and ‘Break Free’ (which features Zedd) are fun but faceless, while the gentle ballad ‘Just a Little Bit of Your Heart’ that was co-penned by One Direction’s Harry Styles is sweet but forgettable.

A lot of resources have clearly gone into creating an album with wide range and chart appeal, but being overly reliant on guest collaborators (Big Sean, Childish Gambino, The Weeknd, ASAP Ferg, as well as the aforementioned Iggy Azalea and Zedd) and a plethora of producers has made the output incohesive. My Everything makes it very clear that Ariana Grande needs to take charge of her own music, discover who she really is, and start sounding like she is invested in the words she is singing.

Highlights: ‘Problem’, ‘Bang Bang’
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 8th September, 2014 *

Blue Smoke shows us why Dolly Parton is such an iconic country songstress

album review

Singer: Dolly Parton
Album: Blue Smoke

No matter how many new faces appear on the country music scene, Dolly Parton still remains one of the genre’s most beloved names.

The 68-year-old country legend has impressed the world with a career that has spanned five long decades and still continues to remain relevant without bowing to mainstream trends. Her 42nd album, Blue Smoke, sees the singer conquer the charts with her highest placed release to date, winning audiences over with her powerful voice and strong songwriting skills.

Parton’s charm and sense of humour shine through on this set of 12 songs, which include original tracks written and composed by the singer herself as well as covers of pop and traditional tunes along with a handful of duets with some of her country cohorts. From performing a bluegrass version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Don't Think Twice’ to recording a cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘Lay Your Hands on Me’, the seasoned artist knows how to play with variety without losing herself in the process. The songstress also reunites with Kenny Rogers for the warm ‘You Can't Make Old Friends’ and joins Willie Nelson for the wistful ‘From Here to the Moon and Back’.

Whether Blue Smoke goes for tones that are vibrant (the witty bluegrass of ‘Blue Smoke’ and the radio-friendly ‘Home’) or mellow (her reworking of the traditional ‘Banks of the Ohio’), the album never fails to highlight the singer’s ability to connect with her listeners. This isn’t a thematic or statement record, but a collection of songs that are pleasantly melodious and play to the singer’s strengths. Driven by her effortless delivery and impeccable musicality, Blue Smoke is a satisfying slice of country music that shows just why Dolly Parton is one of the most iconic performers of all time.

Highlights: ‘Home’, ‘Don’t Think Twice’, ‘Blue Smoke’

Rating: 4 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 4th September, 2014 *