**1/2 INXS
ELEGANTLY WASTED
(Mercury)
Elegantly Wasted shows
INXS desperately to evolve out of the post-Prince white-boy funk-rock formula
they established with "Need You Tonight," from their late-'80s heyday. You
can't knock 'em for that. The majority of the tracks on their latest revel in
being disposable pop tunes. Take "Show Me (Cherry Baby)," the album's first
cut; after a strong opening reminiscent of a '60s spy TV-show theme, it
disappoints with the kind of farcical chorus INXS played more convincingly on
Kick (1987). Similarly, the title cut entices with a filter-swept
bass-line groove but falls flat with the thick vocal-driven chorus, straining
way too hard to be soulful. Michael Hutchence, James Brown you are not.
However, tucked away at the end of the album are four surprisingly
experimental cuts. "We Are Thrown Together" throws together acoustic guitar
strumming à la U2's "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," a buzzy
pre-chorus with an Eastern-sounding guitar riff, and a bridge featuring
aboriginal percussion. Like I say, you can't knock 'em for trying.
-- Jonathan Follett
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