Good, but not quite a 'Day' to remember

Glenn Gamboa | DROPS

September 5, 2006

Beyonce Knowles attends her birthday and album release party for her new album "B'Day" at 40/40 Club (Getty Images)

When you look like Beyoncé, when you dance like Beyoncé and, most importantly, when you sing like Beyoncé, good isn't always good enough.

Though she celebrated only her 25th birthday yesterday - hence, the title of her new album, "B'Day" (Columbia/ Sony Urban) - Beyoncé already has had more successes than most artists have in their lifetimes, boasting an enviable string of smash hits that not only sold well, but were jaw-droppingly original and genre-busting to boot.

Nothing on "B'Day" matches the dizzying sensory overload of "Crazy in Love" and its auxiliary booty roll or the hand-throwing grandeur of "Independent Women," or even the laid-back, hip-hop cool of "Check on It." Beyoncé is too bootylicious to spend her time on this new slate of good-not-great songs that came together in less than three weeks during what was supposed to be her vacation - and that unfortunately often sound like it.

That said, "B'Day" is also a likable, upbeat album that is far more listenable than the uneven "Dangerously in Love," as Beyoncé dumps the soupy ballads for some nice, midtempo dance numbers.

Glenn Gamboa Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

She's employing the opposite of Christina Aguilera's thinking on the ambitious- but-flawed "Back to Basics" (RCA) album. If Aguilera's approach was like trying to run a marathon and coming up short, Beyoncé's idea is to walk a few blocks and look mighty fierce doing it.

The first single, "Deja vu," is a pretty good example of what "B'Day" is all about. The Rodney Jerkins-produced track is slick and stylish, owing a jazz-funk bit to the Crusaders' "Street Life" from 1979. But Beyoncé's sweet cooing is quickly shown up by Jay-Z's smooth and clever verses, including the grand intro, "B, she about to steam, stand back."

Even on "Upgrade U," one of the album's best tracks, it's Jay's lyrics ("It's big-balling baby / when I'm courting you ... That rock on your finger's like a tumor/You can't fit your hand in your new purse") that give the song the necessary edge to match the bounce-inducing synth riff.

When Beyoncé goes for that edge herself, on the frantic, Swizz Beatz-produced "Ring the Alarm," she hits the right feeling with the near-screaming chorus, but pulls back on the verses.

She works much better in her pop darling/R&B diva comfort zone. The sassy "Suga Mama" and her latest addition to the pop-culture lexicon "Freakum Dress," both produced with her "Crazy in Love" collaborator Rich Harrison, are jagged and dramatic hits waiting to happen. And the infectious, Latin-tinged disco update "Green Light," which should have been the album's first single, comes closest to matching the frenzy of "Crazy in Love."

The guitar-driven "Irreplaceable" has a clever twist, disguising a kiss-off as a pop love song, with Beyoncé sweetly singing "Don't you ever, for a second, get to thinking you're irreplaceable" over a groove that's part Avril Lavigne, part TLC "Unpretty."

Beyoncé has spoiled us over the years, with the ability to make her experiments sound so accessible. She always leaves us wanting more, and as good as "B'Day" is, it doesn't satisfy as much as it could have. ("B'Day," in stores today; grade: B+)

"REVELATIONS' ROCK."

The right kindling is there - Chris Cornell's first-rate powerhouse voice and Tom Morello's unique, masterful guitarwork. So why does Audioslave never seem to catch fire? Like last year's "Out of Exile" (Interscope), the band's latest "Revelations" (Epic) is filled with better-than-average rock songs that sound good enough for casual listening, but rarely rise to the level of "Like a Stone," let alone Cornell's Soundgarden or Rage Against the Machine. "Original Fire," the first single, breaks away from the usual Audioslave sound, starting like a '60s rock rave-up and settling into a mix of Badfinger and Cream. "Jewel of the Summertime" is another standout, with a bit of Rage Against the Machine swaggering groove and some guitar heroics from Morello matching up nicely with Cornell's bluesy yowl. Unfortunately, the rest of "Revelations" doesn't unveil much more, smothering the few sparks of creativity and keeping the fire from starting once again. ("Revelations," in stores today; grade: B-)

ALSO IN STORES. The Black Maria's dark rock "A Shared History of Tragedy" (Victory); Hem's lush, orchestral pop "The Funnel Cloud" (Nettwerk); and country singer Billy Gilman's first grown-up album "Billy Gilman" (Image).

SONG(S) OF THE WEEK.

Joseph Arthur's new single "Enough to Get Away" (Lonely Astronaut) is a charming bit of escapism, the sonic equivalent of hustling away from the city toward a carefree paradise of sun-kissed simplicity. Pretty loops float over the jangling guitars and Arthur's jaded but hopeful vocals, leading to a flash of serenity that makes you keep replaying the song to snag that fleeting moment again. Beck's new single "Nausea" (Interscope) is the opposite, as his jangling guitar and jaunty but jaded vocals lead an acoustic funk march and peppy sing-along into the heart of darkness. Each trip ends up sounding pretty good.

Contact Glenn Gamboa at 631-843-3434 or glenn.gamboa@newsday.com.