CD reviews for April 23, 2009



A "Somewhere in Between"

Jasmine Commerce


A gorgeous voice and a nice turn at writing her own songs give San Diego's Jasmine Commerce a leg up on most others setting out to make a living in music, but those aren't even the most notable elements of her debut EP, "Somewhere in Between." What grabs your attention first and foremost is the larger-than-life personality that just pours from all five songs on the release.

Commerce has a charisma that infuses every note she sings, whether it's the bubblegum pop of "Fool to Fall," the contemporary French street music of "Ne Jouez Pas Avec Mon Coeur," the edgy folk of "The Book" or the pure pop of the title track. It's a bit like listening to a Cher or a Dean Martin (or the Jonas Brothers for the younger set): you're buying into the singer as much as the song. In her singing, there is a warm, welcoming presence that makes you want to hang out with Commerce, to listen to the next song and the next after that.

That rich, lower-register voice doesn't hurt any, though, either. And the production by Escondido's Jeff McCullough is crushed velvet for the ears -- every instrument stands out in pristine purity.

With five strong songs and the surest touch at singing heard in this county in some time, this debut EP promises further efforts from Commerce.

Jasmine Commerce performs at ArtWalk at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood.

-- Jim Trageser

Staff writer


A- "Love vs. Money"


Island Def Jam

The-Dream's got power.

He helped Beyonce and all those single ladies get a ring on it, persuaded Mariah Carey to let people touch her body and gave Rihanna an umbrella when it rained. He even helped create one of pop music's biggest collaborations when he co-wrote Britney Spears and Madonna's "Me Against the Music" in 2003.

Sure, some of that credit goes to producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, who also worked on all of those tunes, and the rest to those unstoppable singing divas. But with "Love vs. Money," The-Dream's sophomore CD, the popular singer-songwriter shows he's the crucial component to great music making.

The CD channels The-Dream's musical journey and whether he should choose love over money, although he acknowledges "I shoulda known money couldn't match love" on the title track. But the real theme of the record seems to be sex.

The album starts off slow with the first single, "Rockin' That Thang," a mediocre though radio-friendly jam. What follows is pure bliss.

The futuristic "Walkin' on the Moon" is an upbeat track set in 2085 that finds The-Dream cooing like Prince; Kanye West brilliantly assists. The song smoothly transitions to "My Love," a lovely duet with Mariah Carey.

Other standout tracks include "Love vs. Money: Part 2," "Right Side of My Brain" and the silly "Sweat It Out." The-Dream also plays tribute to R. Kelly on "Kelly's 12 Play," a song that has The-Dream making babies to the R&B singer's classic 1993 CD, "12 Play."


