Chris Isaak - Christmas CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

lays a melodic little guilt trip on his one and only. A faithful cover of the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul" allows Isaak to show off his determined wisp of a tenor – Keith Relf didn't sound nearly as convincing on the original. "Blue Hotel" (a sort of color-coordinated "Heartbreak Hotel," one imagines) is an atmospheric number on which lead guitarist John Calvin Wilsey serves up a series of semitwangy, Ventures-like riffs; the song wouldn't have sounded out of place on Bryan Ferry's last album. And on the side-closing "Fade Away," Isaak tries to win his love by telling her, "For me there was no sunshine/For me there was no rain/For me, until I met you, every day was the same." If Isaak's sufferin' suite has a flaw, it's that there's a certain sameness to the tunes: as well earned as his romantic angst may be, it would have helped to mix up the musical moods a bit more.

Side two is, happily, a more varied set of songs. On "Wild Love," Isaak picks up the pace nicely and even struts a bit. "This Love Will Last" is a lilting statement of romantic purpose that sounds like a lost Everly Brothers classic, with some jangly guitar tossed in to fine effect. Even better is "Waiting for the Rain to Fall," a gorgeous downtempo number that neatly sums up the pessimism behind Isaak's hurtin' sensibility. Not that Chris Isaak should be in any rush to cheer up. It's been a long time since someone has hurt so bad so well. (RS 499)

DAVID WILD

Isaak avoided the sophomore slump by building on his brooding retro vibe while also capturing more of his band's energy and bite. The results earned alternative radio airplay with "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love" and "Heart Full of Soul" (which helped the album dent the pop charts). The cinematic "Blue Hotel" and the country-noir "Waiting for the Rain to Fall" are standouts.

Isaak returns to his retro roots with a warm mix of old-style country, Hawaiian and rockabilly Christmas tunes (going so far as to channel Ricky Nelson on the opener). Five brand new tunes compliment the beloved holiday classics, with darker undercurrents seeping into "Washington Square" as well as the dead-on "Christmas on TV.