Still supreme: At 62, Diana Ross in fine voice
USA Today
"I Love You" by Diana Ross
The timing couldn't be better for Ross' first studio album in seven years. With the popularity of the film "Dreamgirls," some people probably are wondering just how the Supremes diva is doing.
It turns out that at 62, she is still in fine voice. And you can't fault her for doing romantic standards. That has been a recent point of re-entry to the marketplace for a slew of vintage artists. But her song choices, while sometimes inspired (the Berry Gordy-penned "To Be Loved," The Beatles' "I Will") also can be obvious and trite ("Take My Breath Away," "Always and Forever").
Things work out best when she takes complete ownership of a song. The title track is the one original song, and it's a gorgeous ballad that makes you wish there were more new songs.
— Steve Jones
"Here & Now" by America
Founding Americans Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell enlisted collaborators with modern-rock cachet, from co-producers Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) to guests such as Ryan Adams and members of My Morning Jacket. But Beckley and Bunnell remain savvy and unself-conscious purveyors of wistful, gently buoyant pop and bring out the sweeter side of their support team. (A second disc features live performances from a 2005 concert, including old hits such as "Ventura Highway" and "Tin Man.")
— Elysa Gardner
"Sing You Sinners" by Erin McKeown
Her raw, amateurish voice may make McKeown an unlikely standard-bearer, but this collection of traditional-pop gems from the Great American Songbook is executed with more intuition and charm than many latter-day stars have brought to traditional pop. The lean, smart arrangements, which McKeown produced, are especially winning, from an intimate, reverent "They Say It's Spring" to playful readings of "Paper Moon" and "Rhode Island Is Famous for You."
— Elysa Gardner
