K D Lang Invincible Summer CD

Since abandoning the neo-country sound cultivated on her first three albums, K.D. Lang has spent the new few albums in chanteuse mode, poking around in a playland of sophisticated pop. On 2000's INVINCIBLE SUMMER, the Canadian songbird looks to a quote from Camus for the title and then loosens the reins considerably, putting together a collection of dreamy, Burt Bacharach-flavored songs reflective of her relocation from the Canadian hinterlands to sunny Southern California.

Teaming with William Orbit protege Damian leGassick, Lang conjures up 11 tracks soaked in an aura of ambiance. Among the elements lacing these songs are hints of bossa nova ("Suddenly"), quirky pop goosed along by Eurodisco string arrangements ("It's Happening with You") and a swirling mix of Lang's sultry vocals in a homage to Roy Orbison ("Love's Great Ocean"). Throughout all of SUMMER, the thread that ties all these songs together is love, ranging from how uncomplicated it can be (the sparsely arranged "Simple") to the yearning felt for a secret love (the lush "When We Collide"). Best of all is "What Better Said," a sinewy song awash in electronic beeps and beats that finds Lang waiting for a reciprocated declaration of love.

After abandoning the neo-traditional country sound cultivated on her first three albums, K.D. Lang spent the next few albums in chanteuse mode, poking around in a playland of sophisticated pop. On 2000's INVINCIBLE SUMMER, the Canadian songbird looks to a quote from Camus for the title and then loosens the reins considerably, putting together a collection of dreamy, Burt Bacharach-flavored songs reflective of her relocation from the Canadian hinterlands to sunny Southern California.

Teaming with William Orbit protege Damian leGassick, Lang conjures 11 tracks soaked in an aura of blissful ambiance. Among the elements lacing these songs are hints of bossa nova ("Suddenly"), quirky pop goosed along by Eurodisco string arrangements ("It's Happening with You"), and an homage to Roy Orbison ("Love's Great Ocean"). Throughout SUMMER, the thread that ties all these songs together is love, ranging from how uncomplicated it can be (the sparsely arranged "Simple") to the yearning felt for a secret love (the lush "When We Collide"). Best of all is "What Better Said," a sinewy song awash in electronic beeps and beats that finds Lang waiting for a reciprocated declaration of love.

Audio Mixers: David Kahne; John Smith; Johnny "Hammond" Smith; Rob Brill.

Recording information: Conway Studios, Hollywood, CA.

Editor: Eric White.

Photographer: Just Loomis.

Personnel: K.D. Lang (vocals); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (vocals, guitar, bass, drums); David Piltch (guitar, mandolin, whistle, cornet, Moog synthesizer, keyboards, bass); Greg Leisz (guitar, pedal steel guitar); Damian LeGassick (guitar, keyboards); Wendy Melvoin, Smokey Hormel, Jon Stewart (guitar); Ben Mink (violin, viola, keyboards); John Friesen (cello); Gayle Levant (harp); Teddy Borowiecki (accordion, keyboards); Jon Hassell (trumpet).

Personnel: Abraham Laboriel, Sr. (vocals, guitar); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (vocals, drums); David Piltch (whistling, guitar, baritone guitar, mandolin, cornet, keyboards); Damian leGassick (guitar, keyboards); Jon Stewart, Rusty Anderson, Smokey Hormel, Wendy Melvoin (guitar); Gayle Levant (harp); Ben Mink (violin, viola, keyboards); John Wittenberg, Bob Peterson, Joel Derouin, Peter Kent, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Vicki Miskolczy, David Stenske, Denyse Buffum (viola); Daniel Smith, John Friesen, Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett (cello); Teddy Borowiecki (accordion, keyboards); Jon Lewis , Rick Baptist, Jon Hassell , John Fumo (trumpet); Eric White (drum programming).

Rolling Stone (7/20/00, p.141) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Quick-paced fluff with the retro exactness, and the soul, of a Pottery barn sofa....[Her] lighter musical tack encourages her to retire the galloping self-regard that can cancel the attractiveness of her voice..."
Entertainment Weekly (6/23/00, p.102) - "Lang wants to be sunny, flirty, and lighthearted throughout this shimmery CD....[her] music is often as wispy as the commitment she shows her objects of affection." - Rating: B-
Uncut (8/00, p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Perhaps it's because she sounds like the love child of Patsy Cline and Nat King Cole, but the summers she conjures up are those of long ago..."
CMJ (6/26/00, p.33) - "...Reflects her new, care-free attitude, topped with sweeping orchestration and multi-layered vocal harmonies..."
Mojo (Publisher) (7/00, p.111) - "...Light, upbeat, near as dammit antithetical to her agony-of-love INGENUE, [INVINCIBLE SUMMER] finds her with hands trembling, pulse quickening, running along the beach, luxuriating in love's joys....finding her surrendering to it body and soul."