Singles Roundup: VK Lynne, Ashlie Amber, Slash, & Elvis Costello

Halloween just passed last week, so it's once again time to partake of some fun-sized pieces of music. Let's see what we have this week.

VK Lynne, Ty Christian, & Friends - It Hurts

One thing I really love in music is a pair of voices blending together, weaving around each other in a bit of magic, the waves pulsing stronger for the connection. VK and Ty have made the right choices, picking a Beth Hart classic that cries out for big vocals, supplying them, but then pumping up the music to epic metallic heights. Jim Steinman wrote a lyric wanting "everything louder than everything else", and that sentiment is what makes this cover so perfect. VK and Ty have big voices, and the melody of this song demands big vocals, which they don't hesitate to deliver. The smooth crunch of the guitars add an extra rhythmic element, and keeps the long notes from ever getting bogged down in the pain the song is written to express. It's an interesting inversion on the typical song construction, which lets the song's power come from its most human element. There's more metaphor to be found in how two voices come together, but rather than weigh myself down any further exploring that, I'll choose instead to enjoy this blissful example of it being done so well.

Ashlie Amber – Runnin'

I don't know if I've ever broached the subject of country music here before. As that sentence might imply, it isn't a genre I usually listen to, although I have enjoyed some of the crossover singles Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood produced. I also have a fondness for some of Darius Rucker's stuff. I can now add Ashlie Amber to that list, as she embraces that crossover playbook with this new single, which hits all the marks of a great pop/rock song, but has just enough attitude to remind you where it's coming from. Ashlie has a great voice and presence, and with a song like this, it's hard not to like her.

Slash – The River Is Rising

I don't think it's too controversial to say this, but I'll say it anyway; Slash right now is more interesting than Guns N Roses. I have liked the previous three albums Slash has made with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, whereas the two songs Guns N Roses put out this year are degrees of lousy, so a new Slash album is much more anticipated, at least by me. The first song from that effort is here, and it continues to deliver Slash's trademark guitar with Myles' penchant for strong and soaring melodies. It fits right in with everything good they've done, except for the production, which is muddy. Slash's guitar lacks bite, and only Myles' shriller tones cut through. It's raw, but not properly balanced.

Elvis Costello – Magnificent Hurt

I never know what to think anymore when Elvis Costello is teasing a new album. It's been a good while since I've really liked one of them ("Momofuku"), but this new song is pointing perhaps in that familiar direction. With a prominent feature of Steve Nieve's synth sounding straight out of the "Radio, Radio" days, Elvis is back to basics with a rocking song to backdrop his lyric. For at least one song, we're given a taste of Elvis doing what he's best known for, and even if I can find fault with the hook not being strong enough, I'm at least interested to see if he's going to make another back-to-basics album after this latest burst of artistic wanderlust. I sure hope so.