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Songs of Mass Destruction - Annie Lennox

I looked at the title and I thought this was an Anti-War album. It’s not. I guess it could be metaphorically, but it’s not. Once I got past the disappointment and expectations of that, the rest of the CD was okay.

The title is apt though; it has a very depressing theme. All the tracks are about the difficulty of relationships, and pondering whether they’re worth it. All the songs carry the theme; reminding one that love is a very potentially destructive element, but one that has its rewards.

The songs are all nice to listen to – the music explores a variety of turf that Lennox’ voice handles masterfully. A few of the songs remind me of come classic Lennox rock moments. “Ghosts in my Machine” kicks off with a Zydeco feel accentuated by some kick-ass accordion. (I never thought I’d ever use the phrase “kick-ass accordion”) “Love is Blind” and “Coloured Bedspread” both have catchy beats, while “Womanhood” actually morphs into a little tasty hip-hop.

The bad news is that the collection is laced with beautiful but terribly depressing songs. The good news is that nobody does beautiful but terribly depressing songs like Annie Lennox. She won that dubious honor for me on “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” which is on the “Red Hot and Blue” Cole Porter tribute.

The high point of the album for me is “Sing.” It’s dedicated to the Mother/Child Transmission Prevention Program in South Africa. Sounds like a great cause. The song is a fantastic tribute to womankind. I want my own daughters and all my in loco parentis daughters at school to hear this a million times.

So, if you want to work through the painful experience of falling and staying in love, but relish all the benefits, this is the CD for you. However, if you don’t want to listen to the lyrics music, there’s a wonderful variety brought to life by Annie Lennox’ diverse vocal talent.

Technorati Tags: Songs of Mass Destruction, Annie Lennox, Anti-War, Cole Porter

Filed under: Music, Reviews on November 10th, 2007