Peace

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Nearly a decade after Eurythmics went on an unannounced, virtually unnoticed hiatus in 1990, Annie Lennox徠and Dave Stewartreturned with the heavily publicizedPeace.

Both Lennox and Stewart had been silent since 1995, which means that reuniting really wasn't a sacrifice, since their solo careers had stalled. In fact, it was a wise idea to re-team, both commercially and artistically, since their best and most popular music was made together. What's odd is thatPeacestrongly resembles Lennox'sDiva. True, Eurythmics were moving toward the melodramatic grandeur of Diva on their final '80s album, We Too Are One, yet they still had an innate sense of quirkiness and a desire to take risks. In 1999, they're more about craft, which only emphasizes the maturity of the music. That's not entirely a bad thing, even if it means that Peaceneeds a couple of spins before the songs begin to register. Lennox and Stewart know how to write gently insinuating melodies and how to layer their tracks with small sonic details, weaving lush tapestries of sound. Peacekeeps its alluring mood throughout; even when they attempt to revisit their Stones-y tendencies, the songs play as sleekly and smoothly as the ballads that dominate the record. In one sense, that's good, because it means that Peacekeeps a consistent tone from front to back, but it also means that most of the songs blend together. There are no standout singles here, and that's the hardest thing to accept about the record since Eurythmics were one of the best singles bands of the '80s. Even so,Peaceis a successful debut for Eurythmics, Mark II -- it's classy adult pop, delivered with style and grace.

Peace, Eurythmics's first studio album in a decade, finds Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart proving the durability of their musical bond. Where their solo efforts were usually well crafted and unexciting, Peace makes clear how inspired the two can be when working together. The ballad (and first U.S. single) "17 Again" is nice if overly sentimental; the reprise of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" at the end treads Stinglike ground to little appreciable effect. But songs such as "I Saved the World Today" and "Beautiful Child" vividly return to the depth of Touch and Be Yourself Tonight while updating Eurythmics's chemistry for 1999. In short, Peace is a happy surprise that will find listeners hoping for more. --Rickey Wright

本專輯已加入共享計劃