Original sin 8211; INXS

9.99,rating:

With not a single album in five years,any band would find it tough to stay relevant. But if the new album by INXS,Original Sin,is not well-received,it wont be for lack of trying. The band has collaborated with celebrated artists like Rob Thomas Matchbox Twenty,sprechgesang singer Tricky,Patrick Monahan Train,Ben Harper,Dan Sultan and John Mayer in an album which is a rehashed karaoke-like mix of their greatest hits,though it was meant to be a tribute to the band. In 1997,the year of lead singer Michael Hutchences death,the band stopped making music. It was only in 2005,when they chose a new lead singer JD Fortune through a reality TV show,that they returned with Switch. The album got a good response,but older fans struggled to accept Fortunes overbearing personality. Original Sin does not even attempt to retain the bands style the barrage of artists from various genres dont give the listener enough time to connect with any particular mood. Original Sin was iconic in the 80s,but only a fraction of the original dance tune remains,with remixed beats by a virtually unknown DJ Yaleidy thrown in. Even Rob Thomass emotionally charged voice cannot save it. Ben Harper almost makes it work in the heart-wrenching Never Tear Us Apart,and Dan Sultans soulful voice adds some genuine character to Just Keep Walking,but the absence of Hutchence is too evident in To Look at You. The only song that has retained its original flavour,and can be called a tribute,would be Dont Change something we wish the band had done. That is of course,unless,they can pull a Dave Grohl and recreate the enigma that Foo Fighters is.

deepika nath,deepika.nathexpressindia.com