"What the hell happened to Joan Osborne?" is one question you might just ask yourself before, and after, listening to her new album "Righteous Love." Where is the young, curious folkie whose debut hit asked if God was one of us? If you try hard enough you just can remember the pop-folk sounds of Osborne's first album, 1995's "Relish," which spawned such singles as "One of Us," "St. Theresa" and "Right Hand Man." But it has been a long time since Joan last hit the charts, and her style has seriously changed.
Warning: Die-hard fans will be offended. Not only has her original sound taken a turn for the blues, Joan seems to have lost the nose ring and blonde ringlets over the last five years.
"Righteous Love" is a serious, 50-plus-minute collection of bluesy-rock originals mixed with a few perky covers. Echoing the bass tones of Fiona Apple along with the smooth vocals of Shania Twain, Osborne sheds her pop skin to become the hip blues balladeer she was meant to be. Still, some things may never change. As with Relish, the same religious undertones (hey people - "Righteous Love") are woven into the album in songs like "Angel Face" and "Poison Apples (Hallelujah)." But please take a second look. Even the most adamant atheist will be tapping their feet to the solid bass guitar and funky guitar licks.
"Running Out of Time" opens the CD on a good note with a funky Grateful Dead "Blues For Allah" sitar riff. The melody is simple, but Osborne's chorus rages, "I know you feel/It's right behind you/It's getting closer." Drums and bongos as well as a piano and sax interlude move the beat to a peak, bringing it into the title track. A banging Jerry Lee Lewis tribute, the faded pearly whites tinkle on this 50s rock beat. An added Hammond organ and sax backup give this slow number some recognition, but the song seems more like a nostalgic throwback.
You could swear ex-Stones bassist Bill Wyman was sitting in on "Safety In Numbers." The bass walks this song along with its '70s disco bump, as Osborne does the classic blues thing by singing of righteous love and then smacking love right in the face. "There is shelter in pain," and "no one will ever get near me again" paint a dramatic picture not found in any previous Osborne tune. Listen to this gem, but don't sit down yet. In Gary Wright's "Love is Alive," synthesizers and all come out next in full feminine force.
"Angel Face" is comparable to a gospel tale of death and love. Osborne sings of "a mother, a father and a son," but she also adds that she "was struck down by an angel face." Whatever that means, I don't know. The song is slow, and Osborne's mojo just doesn't seem to cut it. "Grand Illusion" might just as well have been stuck on the Gary Wright album. This song is cheap 80s pop, with its buzzing synthesizer and whiney chorus.
"If I Was Your Man" gets back down to the "Blues For Allah" aura, reaching further into a cool chorus flooded with overdub and humming. The song stops and Osborne does a short spoken blues ditty, then continues on its scheduled course to Agraba.
"Baby Love": give me a break. One song about love is normal, but two is cushy. Osborne's voice and backing motown saxophone can't save this one.
The album's ninth track, "Hurricane," isn't that impressive either. The album drags on until "Poison Apples (Hallelujah)," a song that sounds suspiciously like George Harrison's "Hallelujah," only slower. But give this one a listen as it segues to Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love," a mellow acoustic country love song. Osborne offers a fitting end to a solid blues-inspired rock record.
"Righteous Love" showcases Osborne's real musical voice. Early covers like Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" show her belting out those funky down-home, white-girl blues. But Osborne does it better than any other singer today. From "Relish" to "Righteous Love," Osborne has found pop-blues enlightenment.
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