It has been 28 years since listeners were last graced with the familiar, funky, mellow pop tunes and instrumental complements of the musician today known as Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens. The U.K. native's new pop album titled An Other Cup is his first pop album to be released under the new moniker.
An Other Cup is a melting pot of sweet melodies that creatively blend the familiar with the unfamiliar, departing little from his last pop release as Cat Stevens, 1978's Back to Earth. While the album sounds much like those back in the day, Yusuf is certainly feeding off different inspirational outlets than those of the past. The compilation of songs fulfills all standards one may have set for this long-awaited album debut, as Yusuf still sounds reminiscent of his late '70s self, just with a few more years on his voice.
Today's Yusuf Islam was yesterday's Cat Stevens. And the day before that, he was Steven Demetre Georgiou. Regardless of his name, he has always been an extremely talented British musician. Songs like "Moonshadow" and "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" led him to great places in the 1970s. Following a near-death experience in the late '70s, Stevens converted to Islam, and in 1979 changed his name to Yusuf Islam. He has faced much controversy since his newly developed way of life, including being deported back to the United Kingdom in 2004, when the artist's name was placed on a no-fly list due to concerns over alleged ties to potential terrorist-related activities. An Other Cup is a demonstration of new religious influences on Islam's life and his desire to make a cultural connection through an artistic outlet.
The album's first two songs, "Midday" and "Heaven/Where True Love Goes," are both high-energy, feel-good songs with pleasing '70s vibes. But be careful, because the chorus may have you subconsciously clapping your hands and swaying your hips left and right with a too-big grin on your face. The enjoyable but cheesy tune switches up in the next few songs to increasingly laid-back, sweet melodies and a sporadic punch of excitement, much like the style we would associate with Stevens.
The album's next song, "In the End," conveys a strong message nestled in the sweetness of the tune. The song's final lyrics, "Good's going high/ And evil's going down in the end" are sung softly, almost as if to whisper some sort of insignificant fact to the listeners. This purposeful strategy delivers an important message, insisting that people's actions determine where they will ultimately find themselves. Quiet they may be, these powerful words will linger in your mind long after the song ends.
The album's darkest song, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is set up with a sharp staccato intro to a song filled with negative sentiment. But just when listeners think the album has reached a point of sickeningly slow melody and semi-depressing lyrical influence, the next song, fittingly titled "I Think I See the Light," brings on a much-welcomed tone of total optimism. The assortment of musical elements seems imbalanced, but in an appropriately powerful and uplifting way. It will take just a few listens before fans start singing along with this one, and it is not even because the lyrics are that great — the catchy chorus cannot be denied.
One of the most innovative songs on the album, titled "The Beloved," is a musical mosaic of influences with a strong British rock-out, blast-from-the-past style. The song might seem overwhelming at first, but the mixture of sounds plays fabulously together.
The vocals and funky instrumental combos in these standout songs exemplify Islam's goal to create a diverse spread of songs that complement each other. Yusuf's An Other Cup is a fabulous example of his old masterpieces with a new kick.
The album is clearly infused, but certainly not overwhelmed, with political significance and cultural symbolism. Fittingly, in a statement regarding the album's release on Atlantic Records, the singer spoke out about the record's message by saying, "I feel right about making music and singing about life in this fragile world again. It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross." Yusuf walks upon a delicate past reputation, though he puts himself and his newfound purpose back in the public eye in pop-form after 28 years. Yusuf Islam may have tried to escape the days of Cat Stevens, but his music still encompasses his talent and sounds like it did back in his prime time.
Grade: 4 out of 5
