Dreamland

Subtlety was never really one of Robert Plant’s calling cards during his strut-happy years fronting Led Zeppelin, but he’s slowly learned its value through his solo career. On Dreamland, he no longer leads with his cock—sure, there’s a few Zeppish yowls and howls, but he lets the songs do most of the work here, as his growing interest in world music (particularly the enchanting sounds of North Africa) lends the album interesting nuances without overwhelming its bluesy foundation. And where newcomers the Vines struggle to separate themselves from their influences on a set of supposedly original compositions on their Highly Evolved release (see the review), Plant takes 10 covers here and blazes an entirely new path with each one. Bukka White’s blues standard “I Believe I’m Fixin’ to Die” is made over in mesmerizing pan-Arabic tones; Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee” gets draped in Spanish flamenco guitar lines and the supple beats of a darbuka. Perhaps most impressively, Plant renders the Jimi Hendrix classic “Hey Joe” nearly unrecognizable beneath a swath of angry guitars, bringing a haunting menace to the already intense tune. The kids would be well-advised to pay attention.