Artistes: Elton John and Brandi Carlile

Album: Who Believes In Angels?

Rating: ****

Few musicians champion the cause of young artistes as much as Elton John, who has become sort of a godfather for the new generation. Look how he has helped Chappell Roan and Wet Leg. Who Believes In Angels? is something much more than helping a young musician; it’s like a duo. And 78-year-old John sounds like a young man.

Carlile was invited by the legendary musician to join him on Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me during his final US farewell tour stop at Dodger Stadium in 2022. She was also among the stars who were there for the Gershwin Prize concert honouring John and lyricist Bernie Taupin where she performed Madman Across the Water.

On their album, Carlile has penned lyrics with Taupin. Producer Andrew Watt, and backing musicians like Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pino Palladino and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer helped in the sound department.

The opening track, The Rose of Laura Nyro, is packed with call-and-response harmonies and a celebration of partnership. The following track, Little Richard’s Bible, is more of John but Carlile’s voice often comes out the loudest.

Songs like Never Too Late and the title track remind one of John’s 1970s glory days. Even The Rose of Laura Nyro is somewhat of a Candle in the Wind-style tribute to a contemporary of John. The best duet on the album is the upbeat Swing for the Fences while You Without Me has an indie folk vibe.

The album ends with John’s solo ballad When This Old World Is Done With Me. It honestly looks at the last stage of his story-filled life: When this old world is done with me/ Just know I came this far/ To be broken up in pieces/ Scatter me among the stars.

Artiste: Santana

Album: Sentient

Rating: *****

Santana is a live experience. Yet, his new release, Sentient, is a memorable effort, even when it is more of a collection culled from previous releases, interspersed with three previously unreleased efforts. Collaborations continue to roll as the decades fly by. From jazz legends Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter to rock guitarists Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan and even country stars Willie Nelson and Faith Hill, the man has done it all. Yet, we don’t get to hear these tracks in one place.

The compilation album does exactly that, kicking off with Let the Guitar Play, featuring Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels. The song dates back to Santana’s Song for Cindy days. Santana lets producer Lino Nicolosi and Narada Michael Walden, along with the Run-DMC rapper, reimagine it.

An excellent number in the compilation is the instrumental rendition of Michael Jackson’s 1995 Stranger in Moscow, which Santana recorded in 2007 with renowned drummer/producer Narada Michael Walden and his band at a small club in New York City. Jackson-Santana fills the room when you listen to their collaboration Whatever Happens, from MJ’s final studio album, Invincible.

Smokey Robinson asked Santana to play guitar on his 2009 track, Please Don’t Take Your Love. An alternate take from those sessions makes its way on Sentient.

From Robinson to Miles Davis and Paolo Rustichelli, Santana had the opportunity to appear on their Get On and with Rustichelli only for Rastafario.

A moment of joy can be felt when you listen to Coherence, featuring Cindy Blackman Santana, his wife and the drummer in his touring band. She is, after all, his spiritual partner. Sentient is from Santana’s vault. Now, it’s meant to be in your music vault.

Artiste: Will Smith

Album: Based on a True Story

Rating: **

It took 20 years and a slapping incident for Will Smith to release a new album. The man is known for delivering fun jams, like Just Crusin’, Freakin’ It, Wild Wild West and even straight-down-the-road pop Just the Two of Us. Based on a True Story is supposed to live up to its title, something he was inspired to record by Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.

At his pinnacle as a rapper, Smith used his playfulness as an integral element on his albums. He is even known to make them family-friendly by avoiding all kinds of swearing. He knows what he can achieve. On Tantrum, the 56-year-old delivers: Oh, y’all forgot I ain’t new with the pen/First hip-hop Grammy, I’ll do it again.

On his first album in 20 years, he tells listeners ‘I been on your mind for a very long time’ in You Lookin’ for Me and claims his Mirrors on the wall worth half a billi’/’Cause I’m a icon in the groovy Beautiful Scars.

One expected him to draw a lot from his career. His early acting career saw him being adored as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And how can we forget his Academy Award-winning performance in King Richard? Then came his notorious 2022 Oscars moment when he slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, live on television, making him the butt of jokes.

Even with so much to draw upon, the album’s lyrics are meh: Who the f*** Will Smith think he is? in the opening track Int. Barbershop — Day. It soon turns out to be just another album.

Most of the album is stereotypical rap. On Beautiful Scars he raps: You are the one in a million, billion/You are the answer, you are the power, you are the principle/Every second that you’re livin’ is pivotal/Anything that’s broken is remixable. There is no innovation, no deep insights into his life on this self-help album. It definitely doesn’t hit as hard as the slap of 2022.