Grace Jones - Hurricane

Rating:

* * *

In typical Grace Jones fashion, and since

Hurricane

is the 60-year-old's first album in nearly 20 years, she announces her arrival back on the scene immediately with the staunch proclamation "This is my voice, my weapon of choice". There's no mistaking that saucy, deep, and velvety voice on opening track

This Is

. Nor is there any mistaking the mix of head-nodding dub and reggae (a hallmark of her Jamaican heritage), primal disco rhythms, and a dark soulful spirit.

Hurricane

is a welcome comeback, especially on the lurching

Corporate Cannibal

and smooth, swinging first single

Williams' Blood

, with its outbursts of shuddering and distorted rage throughout. The trouble is, after

Well Well Well

(which in itself is a dead ringer for

Private Life

off 1980's

Warm Leatherette

) the album doesn't hold up.

The title track, with it's dark and static dub-step mood, lacks the nastier pulse that's needed;

Love You To Life

is a light and fluffy shuffler;

Sunset Sunrise

is reggae-meets-cabaret (never a good combo); and while

Devil In My Life

broods and rumbles before a climactic orchestral ending, Massive Attack have been there and done that.

So kids, download the first five tracks and then go back in time to track down

Pull Up To The Bumper

and the entire 1985 album

Slave To the Rhythm

.

Scott Kara