Audra McDonald, Build a Bridge (Nonesuch). Once again one of the most beautiful voices in musical theater wraps her mezzo around a mix of quasi-theater and pop songs. When it works—in a medley of Laura Nyro songs and the surprising, thoughtful rendition of John Mayer’s My Stupid Mouth (note to singers: words matter, acting counts)—McDonald achieves a glint of the delicious friction she unfurled on her most satisfying outing, 2001’s Happy Songs. But the CD, with its unfocused selection, ultimately buckles despite McDonald’s glorious pipes; it meanders when it should soar; it lulls when it should cut like a knife to the heart.
Ben Taylor, Another Run Around the Sun (Iris Records). Holy déjà vu: the first few chords catapult the listener back to a summery 70s redolent of tie-dye and doobies. The son of James and Carly summons the dreamy pastoral sounds of his folks (at one point borrowing the coda from mom and pop’s joint, Terra Nova*). As finely calibrated as a sunny day, these gems are models of craftsmanship and heart; only the churlish could resist the charm of “One Man Day,” or the sly, aw-shucks ambling of “I’ll Be Fine.” On that cut, the woo chorus will knock your socks off—guess the boy can’t help it. *from JT, 1977
Shawn Colvin, These Four Walls (Nonesuch). Colvin’s seduction lies in that voice, an oddly distant, straight-faced twang that nicely embodies her world full of yearners, scrappers and outcasts. Her long time producer John Leventhal knows just to frame it, from the opener’s (“Fill Me Up”) percussive take on needy assertion to the keening, dissonant refrain of “Summer Dress.” Still, memories of her better albums (Cover Girl, Whole New You) haunt this enterprise. Tough to move on after your hair’s been fried.
Diana Ross, Blue (Motown). It’s been in the vaults since 1972: a year after the release of her Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues, Ross went back into the studio to record additional songs for what in hindsight is essentially a crossover album. The results are admirable, and in one case—Little Girl Blue—more than that. In peak voice, the singer retains her inimitable fluidity and shows she’s more than up to the challenge. Too bad Motown lost its nerve, opting to send Ms. Ross to Boss-land. Now the question is, are we ready to accept the queen of girl pop as a legitimate heir to Lena, Dinah and Billie? And can she still can-can?