| Even though Mariah took an emotional battering in the run-up to the release of this her eighth studio album, Glitter is surprisingly focused. The disjointed style of "Loverboy" may have turned off some, but after a few plays it's apparent that this is one of Carey's better cuts with hidden longevity. Accompanying the motion picture of the same name (which Mariah also stars in), Glitter plays homage to selected musical styles of the 80s. That said, the music isn't a rehash of early Whitney or Tina Turner, instead it's more Control era Janet Jackson (the album is coproduced by long-term Janet collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis). Following in the style of Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real", "Don't Stop! (Funkin' 4 Jamica)" and "All My Life" are 1980s funk tunes with an occasional rap accompaniment. Her covers of Cherelle's / Robert Palmer's "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and Indeep's "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" are decidedly fresh. Tucked in especially for the Mariah traditionalists "Lead the Way" (the love theme to the film Glitter), "Reflections (Care Enough)" and "Never Too Far" are all standard Carey "belter-ballads". The purists will also be pleased by the album (and film) title, which fits in neatly with the schmaltzy and kitschy titles of previous album releases Daydream, Butterfly and Rainbow. --John Galilee |
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