Ingénue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Se
      iene
     
    

    
     
      :
      (Warner)
     
    

    
     
      a)
      Walking
      in
      London
     
    

    
     
      *
      Concrete
      Blonde
     
     
      (1.R.S.)
     
    

    
     
      =
      Break
      Like
      the
      Wind
     
    

    
     
      ~
      Spinal
      Tap
     
    

    
     
      —
      (MCA)
     
    

    
     
      S
     
     
      *“Human
      Touch’’
     
     
      Bruce
      Springsteen
     
     
      (Sony)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      have
      a
      pretty
      interest-
     
     
      ing
      slew
      of
      stuff
      this
     
     
      week.
      The
      pick
      of
      the
     
     
      crop
      is
      undoubtedly
      k.d.
     
     
      lang’s
      Ingénue.
      A
     
     
      melting
      pot
      of
      styles,
     
     
      Ingénue
      is
      k.d.’s
      most
     
     
      experimental
      work
      yet
     
     
      and
      furthers
      a
      unique
     
     
      musical
      vision.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      k.d.’s
      old
      wacky
      ways
      ee
      ae
     
     
      have
      been
      set
      aside
      on
      this
      sombre
      set
      of
      ten
      origi-
     
     
      nals.
      Actually,
      country
      in
      general
      has
      been
      cast
      aside.
     
     
      Free
      of
      c&w’s
      banalities,
      k.d.
      has
      proven
      herself
      to
     
     
      be
      one
      of
      music’s
      most
      promising
      talents;
      she’s
     
     
      certainly
      one
      of
      popular
      music’s
      finest
      vocalists.
      Her
     
    
   
   
    
     
      singing
      here
      is
      her
      most
      subtle
      yet
      fn
      es
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      features
      previously
      unheard
     
     
      nuances.
      However,
      her
      unwilling-
     
     
      ness
      to
      let
      out
      even
      the
      odd
      soar-
     
     
      ing
      vocal
      can
      be
      somewhat
      tedi-
     
     
      ous.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ingénue
      has
      transition
      piece
      writ-
     
     
      ten
      all
      over
      it,
      but
      it
      contains
     
     
      many
      luminescent
      moments:
     
     
      **Season
      of
      Hollow
      Soul,’’
      ‘‘Out-
     
     
      side
      Myself,’’
      the
      only
      number
     
     
      here
      even
      remotely
      resembling
     
     
      torch
      or
      twang,
      and
      the
      first
      single,
      |
     
     
      **Constant
      Craving’’
      among
      them.
     
     
      Ingénue
      will
      probably
      be
      dis-
     
     
      missed
      as
      bizarre
      or
      depressing
      by
     
     
      many,
      but
      if
      you
      skip
      this
      one
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you'll
      be
      missing
      out
      on
      the
      ee
      ee
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
      March
      26,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
      development
      ofa
      true
      original.
      Despite
      it’s
      downbez
     
     
      tone,
      the
      potential
      Ingénue
      Suggestsisenoughto
      |
     
     
      brighten
      anyone’s
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Speaking
      of
      great
      vocalists,
      Concrete
      Blonde’s
      big-
      |
     
     
      lunged
      frontlady
      Johnette
      Napolitano
      definitely
      qual
     
     
      fies;
      her
      husky,
      powerful
      howling
      assures
      things
      wil),
     
     
      stay
      above
      average.
      Single-handedly
      Napolitano
     
    

    
     
      carries
      what
      could
      be
      pretty
      forgettable
      material
      in
     
     
      other’s
      hands.
      The
      band
      hita
      high
      point
      with
      ‘‘Joey,)
     
     
      a
      song
      that
      gave
      Napolitano
      a
      good
      tune
      to
      sink
      her
     
     
      teeth
      into.
      Though
      nothing
      on
      Walking
      in
      Londonis
     
     
      as
      Magnetic
      as
      that
      song,
      it
      rocks
      alright.
      Pop
      songs
     
     
      like
      ‘‘Someday’’
      and
      ‘
      *...Long
      Time
      Ago”’
      add
      some
     
     
      variety
      to
      the
      proceedings,
      and
      the
      cover
      of
      James
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Brown’s
      ‘‘It’s
      aMan’s
      World’’
      is
      interesting.
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
     
     
      But
      Walking
      in
      Londonis
      basically
      a
      roaring
      guitars
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *n’
      wailing
      fest.
      The
      guitars
      tend
      to
      be
      either
      shim-
     
     
      mering
      echoes
      or
      grungy
      wah-wah
      and
      never
      the
      .
     
     
      twains
      shall
      meet;
      the
      whole
      album
      suffers
      froma
     
    

    
     
      monotony
      in
      sound.
      The
      album
      hits
      an
      all-time
      low
     
     
      with
      the
      surprisingly
      rank
      first
      single,
      ‘‘Ghostofa
      |
     
     
      Texas
      Ladies’
      Man,’’
      avery
      dumb
      joke.
      But
      through’
     
     
      itall
      Napolitano
      comes
      on
      like
      a
      cross
      between
     
     
      Chrissie
      Hynde
      and
      Aretha
      Franklin
      and
      savesitall
      |
     
     
      from
      being
      totally
      disposable.
      Like
      far
      too
      many
     
     
      alternative
      acts,
      Concrete
      Blonde
      area
      one-trick
     
     
      pony,
      but
      as
      far
      as
      tricks
      go,
      it’s
      not
      a
      bad
      one.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Comic
      relief
      arrives
      with
      Spinal
      Tap’s
      first
      recorded
      |
     
     
      output
      since
      the
      soundtrack
      to
      their
      1984
      film,
      This
      is
     
     
      Spinal
      Tap.
      But
      these
      guys
      earn
      most
      of
      their
      yuks
      |
     
     
      with
      their
      poker-faced
      interviews,
      |
     
     
      where
      they
      get
      to
      shoot
      out
      beau-
      |
     
     
      ties
      like,
      ‘“Well,
      I
      have
      a
      grasp
      of
      |
     
     
      it,
      |
      just
      don’t
      understand
      it.”*
      I)
     
     
      admit
      it’s
      impossible
      notto
      like
      |
     
     
      Break
      Like
      the
      Wind,
      but|
      can't
     
     
      help
      but
      think
      it
      all
      could
      have
     
     
      been
      a
      lot
      funnier--and
      a
      lot
      .
     
     
      dumber.
      If
      you
      want
      laughs,
      pass
      |
     
     
      Wind
      and
      check
      This
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      for
      the
      Boss’s
      brand
      spankin’
     
     
      new
      single,
      it’s
      simply
      the
      work
      of
     
     
      arock
      ’n’
      roll
      genius.
      Truly
      excel-
     
     
      lent,
      I
      love
      it.
      Watch
      out
      for
      the
     
     
      new
      album(s).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      conclusion,
      it’s
      late
      and
      I’m
     
    
   
   
    
     
      done.
      i‘
     
     
      paar