CD Review: Chris Isaak, “Mr. Lucky”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Pop
Chris Isaak “Mr. Lucky” (Reprise Records)
Singer-songwriter Chris Isaak channels Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and early Elvis Presley on “Mr. Lucky,” which embraces rockabilly retro without forsaking diversity and currency.
Isaak shows he’s still got the trademark falsetto so effective on his biggest hit, 1989′s “Wicked Game,” with the opening track, “Cheater’s Town.” It’s an auspicious start to his first album of original material in seven years.
“Mr. Lucky” relates tales of love and heartbreak, shifting from Isaak’s mournful croon on “We Let Her Down” the album’s first single, to chipper love songs like the surf-groovy ballad “Take My Heart.”
He partners with Oklahoma country star Trisha Yearwood for a heartrending remake of his “Breaking Apart.” which he wrote with Diane Warren and originally recorded on his 1998 album “Speak of the Devil.” Yearwood’s sad, crystalline vocals offer a strong counterpoint to Isaak’s angsty drawl. “I Lose My Heart,” Isaak’s duet with delicate-voiced Michelle Branch, proves a less successful match.
The California native tunefully indulges in his love for rockabilly and early rock ‘n’ roll with throwbacks “We’ve Got Tomorrow,” “Summer Holiday” and “Baby Baby.” But he gets toes tapping with the rollicking honky-tonker “Mr. Lonely,” while “Big Wide Wonderful World” swings with the sounds of Vegas’ golden age.
The country-pop of “Best I Ever Had” would fit in perfectly on mainstream country radio.
The album release was timed to coincide with the debut of “The Chris Isaak Hour” on the Bio Channel, which gives the record an unavoidably calculated vibe. But “Mr. Lucky” is more than a launch pad; it’s a welcome return to musical form.
- BAM
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