Music review: Sting – 鈥�57th & 9th鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l take you someplace that you鈥檝e never been before,鈥� promises Sting on his latest effort. With 鈥�57th & 9th,鈥� the gifted singer-song writer delivers one of the best performances of his stellar solo career.
The album鈥檚 title refers to the New York intersection Sting crossed each day on his way to the studio to record his first collection of pop songs since 2003鈥檚 鈥淪acred Love.鈥� Sting sounds youthful and inspired on the 10 new tracks that range from fiery and intense to intimate and poignant.
鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Stop Thinking About You鈥� opens the set with a refreshing hint of vintage Police previously found on the British trio鈥檚 鈥淕host in the Machine鈥� from 1981 and 鈥淪ynchronicity鈥� from 1983.
鈥淚nshallah鈥� is a haunting track about the current refugee crisis and the plea for empathy and acceptance and the need to understand the root of its cause.
鈥淧etrol Head鈥� rocks hard with some great guitar licks fueled by Sting鈥檚 driving vocals as he sings, 鈥淚鈥檒l drive this car/I鈥檒l be your guide/Just fasten your seat belt/Let鈥檚 go for a ride.鈥�
On the reflective track 鈥�50,000,鈥� the 65-year-old music icon tries to come to terms with his own mortality by writing about the recent losses of so many fellow musicians such as David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey and Lemmy Kilmister. 鈥淩ock stars don鈥檛 ever die/They only fade away,鈥� sings Sting as he describes the lifestyle of a rock star and the impact of performing in the bright spotlight year after year.
Sting examines a number of diverse topics on the new material such as climate change with 鈥淥ne Fine Day,鈥� leaving home for the promise of a better life on 鈥淗eading South on the Great North Road鈥� and a crumbling relationship with 鈥淚f You Can鈥檛 Love Me.鈥�
Deep down inside, I was secretly hoping Sting would stay the course with the opening track鈥檚 infectious formula instead of crafting a number of ballads with mellower tones. Still, Sting delivers on what he promises by taking us to places we haven鈥檛 been to in quite a while.