Review: Darlene Love – Introducing Darlene Love

Darlene Love
Introducing Darlene Love

Columbia
Street: 09.18
Darlene Love = Joan Jett + Elvis Costello + Bruce Springsteen

This album does a wonderful job of showing off Darlene Love’s impressive vocal ability as she performs songs written by Joan Jett, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Spector and more. While Introducing Darlene Love displays a brilliant performance that highlights the backing band’s superb talent and, of course, Love’s ability to project, I find it to be largely uninteresting—it does little to add to a lasting soulful impression. There are, however, three notable exceptions from this sweeping statement: the heavy hitting soul numbers “Painkiller” and “Sweet Freedom,” and the uptempo gospel-like track, “Jesus Is The Rock (That Keeps Me Rollin’).” That said, for kicks—a desperate one—this album may be worth a gander, but more so as a coaster or wind chime. –Nick Kuzmack