Chuck Prophet, “No Other Love” (New West)
ByJul 1, 2002 10:00 PM
Maybe it’s time for the genre-blending genre to get its own name. Melange, we’ll call it, with Beck as the current standard-bearer.
Maybe it’s time for the genre-blending genre to get its own name. Melange, we’ll call it, with Beck as the current standard-bearer.
“No Other Love” is Melange. Some funky white soul, some folk-pop. Prophet uses strings, too--some synth, some actual. Some of it will remind you of “The Sopranos”’ theme song by A3. You can hear Dylan’s spirit in Prophet’s lyrics and phrasing. His deep voice is almost as flattened as Billy Bob Thornton’s, which might be a deal-breaker for some listeners, but Prophet has some neat vocal tricks--he’ll suddenly over-enunciate an “r"-syllable, and, if you were drifting, you’re pulled back.
Unlike Prophet’s 2000 album, “The Hurting Business,” there’s no DJ or turntabling on this one, and it’s not heavy on the Farfisa sounds--"No Other Love” is a lot smoother. And unlike most Melange, “No Other Love” makes you want to get laid.