On its previous two albums, My Chemical Romance's ambitions have outstripped their execution - a good band striving for greatness by walking the line between bombast and grandeur. That doesn't really change on "The Black Parade" (Warner Bros.), since My Chem's reach expands exponentially the more proficient its grasp gets.
But, man, have they gotten better at taking risks. The leadoff single, "Welcome to the Black Parade," promises the world in just over five minutes - a call-to-arms to become "the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned," a demonstration of how punk-pop can be an effective venue for ideas beyond broken hearts, and the centerpiece of a concept album about death and dying. And, despite the odds, it delivers on every point.
What makes "The Black Parade" such a thrill is that it swings for the fences like that on every track. Sometimes they strike out - on the crazy "Mama," which features a cameo from Liza Minnelli. But, most of the time they connect, in a variety of styles, no less.
"Dead!" bounces manically from Queen-like bluster to stylish punk-pop. "Teenagers" is a grandiose grind, built on testosterone and T.
Rex-styled guitars. "I Don't Love You" opens like Coldplay's "Yellow," before turning into an anthem like Green Day's "Wake Me When September Ends." (Producer Rob Cavallo, who worked on Green Day's "American Idiot," helps My Chemical Romance build a concept album that's just as good.
) "The Black Parade" is fearless and outrageous, yet melodic enough to hook even the most casual listener. It sets the bar incredibly high for any band looking to be the next leader of the punk-pop/emo scene. LEGEND OF THE FALL.
With so much being made of sophomore slumps lately (yeah, Brandon Flowers, I'm talking to you), worries about John Legend's follow-up to his Grammy-winning debut, "Get Lifted," make sense. Well, fear not, Legend fans. "Once Again" (G.
O.O.D.
/ Sony) is a quantum leap ahead for the singer, packed with enough sweet soul ballads to melt even the coldest heart. Like the first single "Save Room," most of "Once Again" - from the Sade-flecked "Heaven" to the gorgeous "Each Day" - sounds like Legend has absorbed Smokey Robinson smoothness and Stevie Wonder energy and applied them to timeless Hal David-Burt Bacharach classics to create something new. He updates the sound with '80s handclaps and a Santana-like guitar solo to make "PDA (We Just Don't Care)" a bit more current, while the passing references to the Iraq war in "Tonight I Wanna Dance" are the only giveaway that the stunning soul ballad is his and not Robinson and the Miracles.
("Once Again," in stores today; Grade: A-) ALSO IN STORES. Sparta's indie-rock "Threes" (Hollywood); Hulk Hogan's daughter and reality star Brooke Hogan's R B pop "Undiscovered" (SMC/SoBe); "Chain Hang Low" rapper Jibbs' debut "Jibbs feat. Jibbs" (Geffen); country teen queen Taylor Swift's eponymous debut (Big Machine); Ludacris protege Shareefa's "Point of No Return" (DefJam); Moby's greatest hits "Go: The Very Best of Moby" (V2); and Bright Eyes' collection of singles and rarities "Noise Floor" (Saddle Creek).
SONG(S) OF THE WEEK. With each passing single, Eminem seems less and less interested in continuing to rap. His verses on Akon's "Smack That" (SRC/Konvict Muzik), already a throwaway ode to ladies' butts, couldn't be more cliche-ridden.
On Em's new single "You Don't Know" (Shady), from the forthcoming compilation "The Re-Up," where he introduces new rappers, he pops in almost like an afterthought with talk of beefs and partying, while 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks do the song's heavy lifting. If Eminem wants a break, that's cool, but he shouldn't waste fans' time with these half-hearted attempts.
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