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Death Cab for Cutie, Duffy, Foxy Brown and more

May 13-19, 2008

By Kurt B. Reighley
Special to MSN Music

That Death Cab for Cutie have gracefully graduated from indie rock underdogs to Grammy-nominated, major label status is little surprise; these boys, led by songwriter Ben Gibbard, have always been adept at taking intimate moments and observations, then expanding them to epic dimensions. And, sometimes, vice versa. On "Narrow Stairs," produced by the band's own Chris Walla, they continue peering through both ends of the telescope. The narrator of "Bixby Canyon Bridge" quietly shuffles through the Big Sur landscape in 6/8 time, shadowed by tremulous guitars, then reaches a breaking point, demanding "I want to know my fate" as the volume swells. The single, "I Will Possess Your Heart," opens with an extended instrumental intro, rising in tension, only to give way to Gibbard softly singing an unnerving lyric about an unrequited (unknown?) suitor and his oblivious romantic object. And with his high, clear voice, Gibbard can make even the most screwed-up scenario -- like the raging inferno of "Grapevine Fires" -- seem oddly beautiful.

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Unlike DCFC, Welsh newcomer Duffy was thrust into the spotlight quickly; her first album, "Rockferry," entered at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, bolstered by its chart-topping hit single, "Mercy." That jam, with its spirited "yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus and funky organ groove, recalls vintage Motown or a Northern soul gem, with just enough modern edge to feel fresh. But the 23-year-old's debut set is heavier on big ballads than floor fillers, which may explain why Duffy's husky-voiced, blue-eyed soul has earned almost as many comparisons to '60s pop icon Dusty Springfield as to Amy Winehouse. The opening title song finds our heroine retreating by rail with just "a bag full of songs and a heavy heart," as she soars above orchestral strings, echo-drenched piano, and Phil Spector-sized drums, all produced with cool confidence by former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler.

T Bone Burnett knows drama: His production credits include landmark albums for Roy Orbison, Gillian Welch and Elvis Costello, as well as Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's "Raising Sand," and he has overseen the music for films including "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "The Big Lebowski." But his new album, "Tooth of Crime," is so dark, so moody, it could make David Lynch nervous. Featuring songs fashioned for a 1996 staging of Sam Shepard's stage play of the same name, "Tooth of Crime" includes performances by guitar innovator Marc Ribot (Tom Waits), and a pensive, unnerving duet, "Dope Island," between Burnett and his ex-wife, Sam Phillips. Strewn with shaker rattles and cascading guitars, "Kill Zone" evokes the romance of Orbison's best -- which makes sense, since Roy co-wrote the tune before his death in 1988.

Like some of her pop peers, it's hard to forget that Foxy Brown used to be better known for making records than court appearances; early in her career, she was popping up on tracks by LL Cool J, Nas, and Toni Braxton, and her 1999 solo disc, "Chyna Doll," was the first full-length by a female MC to enter the charts at No. 1. Then things started getting messy, and Foxy wound up in Riker's Island. But, like the 1974 Pam Grier flick from whence she took her stage name, Foxy is nothing if not tough. Just weeks after her release, the Ill Na Na returns with "Brooklyn's Don Diva." Her fourth full-length teems with cameos -- including Dwele, Lil' Mo, and Lady Saw -- and spans a range of styles, from the reggaeton of "The Quan" to the snazzy club banger "When the Lights Go Out." Problem is, the guest stars do most of the heavy lifting, and for a lady who has spent so much time by herself of late, the rhymes seem half-baked. But we'll give her a pass, just this once -- turns out her vocals were recorded prior to incarceration, and the disc completed while she was in the brig.

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