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Sharif:
Surrogate Lovers
Earnest, but sweet, Sharif offers gentle pop rock with the proverbial folk touch. With Surrogate Lovers, there are attempts at hard rock, jangle pop and introspective folk, and while the results are consistent, theyre hardly beyond bland. Yet there are notable tracks here that hint at a gifted songwriter. Respect, for one, is a ballsy song with subtle charms, and Youre My Girl sounds like a modern take on a Left Banke song. Whereas some would argue that John Mayers light, airy production undercuts his songwriting, it doesnt seem to hurt Sharifs brand of pop, which teeters too close to generic (so theres nothing really to undercut). These songs arent terribly engaging, nor are they terribly offensive. Rather, theyre middle-of-the-road (regardless of how pleasant and listenable they are). These are the songs you hear on the WB or in clothing commercials, which is by no means a putdown. Its just the difference between hard bop and smooth jazz (you know the difference in quality and style when you hear it). Thats not to say one doesnt prefer Kenny G at times to Art Blakey (hey, Kennys got his merits), its just quite simply theres a difference, and Sharif is more of a smooth jazz man when it comes to pop rock.
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