Did anyone see Lily Allen's transformation into a dance-music diva coming? In the hands of producer Greg Kurstin (of The Bird and the Bee), Allen doesn't lose any of her snotty edge on It's Not Me, It's You (Capitol). She's still sticking it to the dudes who aren't sticking it to her, as in "Not Fair." But before that, there are the loping beats of "Everyone's at It," taking her drug buddies to task. She shows no fear in her quest for "fuckloads of diamonds" in "The Fear." But it wouldn't be a Lily Allen project without more than a little controversy, and those who are easily scandalized will find it in "Fuck You," in which she takes homophobes (and others) to task, and in the God-questioning "Him," which others may see as the hip-shaking hymn that it is.
Kurstin is one of the producers/musician who teams up with new wave synth/dance revivalist Ladyhawke (aka Phillipa Brown) for her alluring eponymous debut disc on Decca. Their collaborative track, "Professional Suicide," is one of the more mouth-watering tunes here, a bubbly number that almost makes 80s nostalgia sound better than the 80s themselves. The disc includes the strutting "Better than Sunday," the delirious "My Delirium," the Cyndi Lauper-colored "Back of the Van," the hot-as–vintage-Prince "Paris is Burning," and the catchy "Crazy World." Originally released on Modular, the expanded Decca reissue boasts acoustic versions of "My Delirium" and "Paris is Burning," as well as "Dusk til Dawn." Two more bonus tracks, "Danny & Jenny" and "Oh My," make this a windfall for listeners.
"Heartthrob hits the dance-floor," The Chap chants emphatically on "They Have a Name," the opening track on Mega Breakfast (Ghostly International). "Carlos Walter Wendy Stanley" is an electro homage to trans synth pioneer Wendy Carlos (nee Walter), while the cutting "Surgery" gives The Chap the opportunity to reveal their funky side.
Nat King Cole is given the remix treatment on Re:Generations (Capitol), and some of the tracks fare better than others. Album opener "Lush Life," written by openly gay composer Billy Strayhorn, provides a new perspective on the classic tune, and does producer Cee-Lo Green proud. Will.i.am doesn't stray too far from "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and offers a tip of the hat to Cole's daughter Natalie, featured on the track, who paid homage to her father with her album of his songs nearly 20 years ago. Cut Chemist triumphs with "Day In – Day Out," and Michaelangelo L'Acqua gets points for incorporating Bebel Gilberto in "Brazilian Love Song." Bittersweet and Brazilian Girls concentrate on the Latin influences in Cole's work on "More and More of Your Amor" and "El Choclo," while TV on the Radio sends a strange current through "Nature Boy."
If you feel the need to show your support for Rihanna, you might want to consider Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes (Def Jam). Remixed though not necessarily improved versions of "Umbrella," "Disturbia," "Shut Up and Drive" and others do their part to elevate Rihanna to full-fledged disco diva.