CD REVIEWS: [FINAL Edition]

Foo Fighters

The Colour and the Shape (Capitol 55832)

Although it was billed as a band effort, the first Foo Fighters album was really more of a Dave Grohl solo project, as he played most of the parts himself. That's hardly the case with the Foos' follow-up, "The Colour and the Shape," however. Grohl still does double duty, playing drums in addition to his usual role as singer and guitarist, but this time out his contributions are augmented by guitarist Pat Smear and bassist Nate Mendel, and the difference is immediately audible. There's more ferocity in the likes of "Enough Space," a gloss on the Who's "Pictures of Lily" that starts at 10 and cranks the volume from there, and a wider dynamic range in "Everlong," which careens roller coaster-like between its smooth, easy-flowing verse and jagged, adrenalized chorus. Yet even as the Foos outfit the arrangements with crunching guitars and surging percussion, they never quite cover up the Beatlesque charm of Grohl's melodies. Granted, that influence is easier to hear in quiet numbers like "Walking After You" or the jaunty "See You," but that resolute tunefulness is central to the charm of such rockers as "My Hero" or the breakneck "Monkey Wrench."

Steve Winwood

Junction Seven (Virgin 44059)

It's no surprise that Steve Winwood did so well in the '80s. Between his mannered, R&B-inflected vocals and fondness for elegantly cool synth grooves, he was the perfect bridge between white soul and electropop. These days, though, that sound seems as dated as "Joanie Loves Chachi" reruns, which leaves "Junction Seven" sounding uncomfortably like a throwback -- specifically, to his 1986 release, "Back in the High Life." Like that album, "Junction Seven" is built around stylized funk rhythms, but where Winwood's blend of live guitar and programmed drums seemed fresh back then, it now seems annoyingly robotic, sucking the energy from "Let Your Love Come Down" and rendering "Angel of Mercy" a mere shadow of what it could have been. Fortunately, Winwood and producer Narada Michael Walden aren't totally wedded to their drum machines, and up the live-instrument quotient for "Spy In the House of Love" and a smooth, affectionate remake of Sly Stone's "Family Affair" -- much to the music's advantage. But Winwood truly comes to life only with the salsa-flavored "Gotta Get Back to My Baby," a track where the vocals are as lively as the rhythm section is live. Could there be a lesson in that?

Sinead O'Connor

Gospel Oak EP (Chrysalis 58651)

Considering the angry young rebel she once was, it's somewhat surprising to find Sinead O'Connor taking the role of nurturer on her "Gospel Oak EP." But even those who might be tempted to snicker at titles like "This Is to Mother You" will find themselves moved by the music. For one thing, the gentle melodies O'Connor works with here are close enough to the Celtic tradition to make them an easy fit for the lilting delivery and the lean, folk-oriented arrangements she favors. For another, there's a gentleness to her soft, breathy voice that makes these performances genuinely soothing, from the motherly affection of "Petit Poulet" to the disarming affection of "This IS a Rebel Song." But the EP's greatest strength is the honesty and focus of her performances, a trait that was obvious in her early work but which has been lacking of late.

Grace

If I Could Fly (Perfecto/Kinetic/Reprise 46369)

Dance music fans may cherish their divas, but producers often don't, using their voices as little more than the fulcrum with which they can move a crowd. Luckily for us, that's not the way club vets Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne treat Grace, which may be why "If I Could Fly" is one of the season's most satisfying dance releases. As usual with Oakenfold and Osborne, the music is tuneful and insistent, buoyed up by relentless beats but blessed with enough melodic content to keep both mind and body engaged. But rather than go for the usual house music contrast, with cool snyths surrounding superheated soul vocals, the two have tailored these arrangements to fit the airy appeal of Grace's voice. So instead of riding the surging hook of "Down to Earth," her voice floats blithely atop it, swept away by the beat as completely as a dancer would be. That's not to say her performances seem passive; there's too much exuberance in "Hand in Hand," too much abandon in "Not Over Yet" for that to be the case. But rather than try to make the listener dance, as so many divas do, Grace would rather entice us -- and there's something wonderfully inviting about that.

Pub Date: 6/05/97