Start it Over Maktub ***
Seattle band Maktub had all but imploded two years ago. The group's disappointing third album, "Say What You Mean," was a last-ditch attempt to hit the mainstream pop-rock lottery. Diehard fans remained loyal, but there weren't enough of them to make touring lucrative. So the five musicians got financially creative: Maktub solicited $50 each from 200 fans to fund a heavy-soul return to roots, which was written and recorded in just six days. Maktub hoped to "Start It Over."
The shiny, album-opening strut, "Know Your Name," will be a familiar sugar rush for longtime followers. Versatile baritone Reggie Watts' big afro and bigger vocal range drives the song's romantic bounce. But track two, "Open Mind," gleefully wilts the bouquet. Watts uncorks a frantic hard-rock squeal. Daniel Spils' grinding keyboards build urgency. Guitarist Thaddeus Turner blazes through a porn-filthy solo that burns like blisters. Just as the momentum climaxes, Watts spontaneously combusts just as someone shoves him over a cliff. It's brilliant stuff. During "Give Me Death," Watts' vocals even sound funneled through an LSD trip.
He's a remarkable soul singer - sometimes compared to Al Green - but he also loves to run his vocals through trippy effects, even if his lyrics aren't always memorable.
Psychedelic-rock influences aside, babies will be made to this disc. Glossy, R&B-tinged standouts are sprinkled throughout. "Nothing Stays the Same" is dreamy and wistful, while "Where Do We Go" was made for soft light and champagne. If you prefer your come-ons snappy, Turner uncorks a killer quick lick to propel "Let's Stay Out All Night," a funky, metrosexual pick-up anthem. "Start It Over" isn't perfect; the final two or three tracks are duds. But as a comeback CD, this serves as an eclectic, often exceptional reminder: Nobody feeds the soul quite like Maktub.
Michael Deeds
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