New LPs boast retro, cutting-edge sounds

    Blue Stahli s/t Fixt Records

    Celldweller Wish Upon a Black Star Fixt Records

    Even if you don’t know Celldweller, chances are you’ve heard the band’s music, as every song from the 2003 debut album was licensed to numerous movies, video games and TV shows. Back when the album dropped, that blend of industrial, rock, electronica, drum, bass and trance didn’t have a name. Now it’s known as dubstep.

    On the latest album, the group stays ahead of the stylistic curve of the genre, never letting listeners get too comfortable with a style or groove for too long, making the pace of the album oftentimes frantic. It works for the most part with crushing guitar riffs, electro beats and hyperactive synth lines coexisting on tracks “Unshakable,” “Birthright” and “Blackstar.” Tracks “The Lucky One” and “Gift For You” could give modern arena-rock bands like Linkin Park a run for their money.

    This would be enough of a party line for more dubstep artists to follow, but Celldweller also delivers some chilled-out moments without sacrificing its edge on tracks “The Seven Sisters” and “Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met.”

    Celldweller label-mate and sometimes-collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Blue Stahli, takes a more straightforward-rock approach on his self-titled solo album. It’s not the eclectic psychotic roller-coaster ride that “Blackstar” is, but it hits all the right modern-rock nerves. Anyone who digs the likes of 30 Seconds to Mars with gladly fork over money to Blue Stahli after hearing “Ultranumb,” “Takedown” and “Anti-You.” Tracks “Kill Me Every Time” and “Corner” bristle with electro swagger as well but are never in danger of eclipsing Celldweller.

    It has taken a while for the mainstream to catch up to Celldweller’s sound but, even with more artists crashing the party, the group remains at the forefront of electronic-rock music.

    Scissor Sisters Magic Hour Casablanca Records

    The Scissor Sisters continue to frolic in the sonic playground between the 1970s disco pop of its early albums and the propulsive electronic grooves of the last album. And why not? It works.

    Playfully decadent and sometimes-filthy new-wave tracks “Keep Your Shoes On” and “Let’s Have a Kiki” harken to the early days of Prince. “Baby Come Home” is pure Elton. “Year of Living Dangerously” and “Inevitable” are both synth-pop on par with the best of The Pet Shop Boys.

    Even with the range of styles flying about, there are some tracks where everything converges into something that can only be defined as the Scissor Sisters, like the bouncy “The Best in Me,” the lush “Somewhere” and the techno-ish “Only the Horses.”

    This album may only be 43 minutes long, but it is indeed magical.

    Various Artists Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack RCA Records

    The soundtrack for the remake of “Sparkle” hedges its bets by keeping one foot planted in the rerecorded songs from the original soundtrack album and new songs performed by stars from the remake — a bold move considering the original had songs written by Curtis Mayfield and performed by Aretha Franklin.

    Cases can be made for both the old and the new songs. Jordin Sparks gives a valiant effort on the three songs she leads. “Look Into Your Heart” is the only one from the original film, which is ironic because it is the most slick and modern of the three. It’s good, but it sounds out of place with the retro-Motown feel the soundtrack tries to conjure up. Sparks’ other two songs, both penned by R. Kelly, are closer to the classic Motown vibe, but “One Wing” rings a little too generic with its glossy synthetic production. “Love Will” gets points for shamelessly oozing a 1970s Diana Ross vibe.

    Elsewhere, Cee Lo Green knocks it out of the park with the funky groove of “I’m a Man.” Singer and “Sparkle” co-star Carmen Ejogo does a great job on the remakes of the original soundtrack songs. Lesser-experienced singers would have tried to dazzle with vocal acrobatics to compete with Aretha Franklin’s versions but Ejogo does what’s best for the songs, delivering the lyrics with her sultry voice. As a result, “Yes I Do” and “Hooked On Your Love” come across as the most authentic moments on the album.

    Of course, the late great Whitney Houston’s talents had to be showcased on the album. Her two tracks are a gospel song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and another R. Kelly-penned song, “Celebrate,” with Sparks. Hearing Houston go all out on a gospel song where her voice shines brightest, it’s easy to wonder why she ever bothered with slick and safe predictable pop fare like “Celebrate.”

    Like the movie, “Sparkle” has some great moments, but for the most part, they belong to the supporting cast rather than the stars.

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