Speak of the Devil Chris Isaak Artist

{|Speak of the Devil|} explores the same moody terrain as {|Chris Isaak|}'s previous records, though the songs are fleshed out with more contemporary touches. The leadoff track, {|Please,|} is unusually hard-hitting, with its acoustic/electric/soft/c... Read more

{|Speak of the Devil|} explores the same moody terrain as {|Chris Isaak|}'s previous records, though the songs are fleshed out with more contemporary touches. The leadoff track, {|Please,|} is unusually hard-hitting, with its acoustic/electric/soft/crash structure, Mellotron, and soundbite lyrics. {|I'm Not Sleepy|} is a {|roots rock|} rave-up (wherein {|Isaak|} lyrically quotes {|Lennon|}'s {|Oh Yoko|}: In the middle of the night I cry your name); the title cut is an eerie celebration of love lost and found; {|Talkin' 'Bout a Home|} is the album's tour de force. Yet, some of the loungy vocal touches in {|Flying|} and the final instrumental track, {|Super Magic 2000,|} would be right at home on an {|indie rock|} record. And of course there's plenty of that thing {|Isaak|} does best: quintessential love's-gone-wrong-'n'-let's-make-it-right songs, as on the loping, {|country|}-tinged {|This Time|} and the teary {|Walk Slow.|} ~ Denise Sullivan Less