grammy nominees 2003

Every February, the Recording Academy releases a collection of songs from a select group of artists nominated for their yearly awards. Grammy Nominees 2003 is packed full of songs from pop and rock's upper echelon. From the Dixie Chicks' bluegrass-flavored "Landslide," to Bowling For Soup's comical punk ditty "Girl All The Bad Guys Want," the album offers something for just about everyone.

The women are well represented on Grammy Nominees 2003. Sweet-voiced Vanessa Carlton ("A Thousand Miles"), Michelle Branch ("All You Wanted") and Canadian Avril Lavigne ("Complicated") are responsible for three of the album's best cuts. Carlton and Branch cultivate a more wholesome sound while Lavigne, who blows the competition away, has a harder edge##. Britney Spears' "Overprotected," with its stuttering beat and sugary vocals, is an addictive piece of pop candy.

Norah Jones' smoky "Don't Know Why" is easy on the ears. Jones' lazy vocals and laid-back instrumentation are as smooth as silk. Sheryl Crow gets us in the mood for the hot season with "Soak Up The Sun," a song that suffers from a silly set of lyrics, but is saved by a light and bouncy groove. Ashanti chips in the slippery "Foolish," while Pink hip-hops her way through "Get The Party Started," a good-time number that is equal parts rap, hip-hop and disco.

Like the women, the men shine brightly on Grammy Nominees 2003. Canadian boys Nickelback have been responsible for some of the meatiest hooks in the last few years. "How You Remind Me" is a melodic and well-executed track from these current kings of rock. The two older fellas, James Taylor, whose "October Road" is as good as any of his past hits, and Sting, sounding as fresh as ever on "Fragile," show the young lads you don't need to make a lot of noise to get your message across.

Bad boys Eminem and Nelly represent the rap community in their usual cocky way. Eminem offends as many people as possible on "Without Me," and Nelly tries to be clever with the steamy "Hot In Herre." John Mayer ("Your Body Is A Wonderland"), Craig David ("7 Days") and Dave Matthews ("Where Are You Going") are simply amazing. NSYNC close out the disc with the funky "Girlfriend."

Grammy Nominees 2003, at nineteen tracks, is definitely a good buy. Sure there are a variety of styles, but that is to be expected when you put such a diverse group of artists on one CD. And the winner is . . .

By Todd Sterling