Isaak unleashes lusty little 'Devil'

And on "Speak of the Devil," the devil appears in the form of a pompadoured, guitar-slinging sultan of cool, wielding his wicked ways with the ladies on 14 swingingly seductive tracks.

The devilish one referred to is Chris Isaak, troubadour of a unique brand of bluegrass, sun-drenched, surf-pop that can only be described as Hank Williams meets the Beach Boys at Elvis Presley's gravesite.

Though his pelvis is somewhat less active that the King's, Isaak manages to assert himself as a rock star of the finest quality on "Devil," his seventh album since 1985.

"Devil" speaks volumes about Isaak's musical progression, as the smooth balladry of "Breaking Apart" and the dark longing of the first single, "Please," are light years away from the sound of Isaak's first album, "Silvertone," which thrived on total

Courtesy of Reprise Records Retro-rocker Chris Isaak speaks to the devil.

ly '80s synth beats and raw countrified emotions.

Isaak himself is more than a little bit country, even though his lyrics and melodies tend to lean more toward the Beatles than Johnny Cash. Still, Isaak excels at composing pure good-love-gone-bad songs that are the hallmark of the best country music.

But the music here is not always Western in origin. With the gospel-tinged "Flying," the hard-rocking wit of the title track, and the aforementioned "Breaking Apart" (co-written by hitmeister Diane Warren), Isaak conveys an isolation and sexual obsession reminiscent of a melodramatic '50s film noir, but with better beats and catchier choruses.

Chris Isaak
Speak of the Devil Reprise 3 stars Reviewed by Daily Arts Writer Bryan Lark

In fact, Isaak also seems to have stepped out of another, cooler place and time - and not just because of his hair.

No, Isaak's straightforward sincerity and pure showmanship make his often-simple songs all that much more profound and entertaining.

Take the tune, "Don't Get So Down on Yourself," for example. The title alone reeks of a Top 40, self-help testimonial likely to be warbled by the likes of Michael Bolton.

But in Isaak's capable hands, the song becomes heartfelt and compelling as he reassures a lover that he's in it for more than love.

Other times, however, cuddling and companionship are the furthest things from his mind.

"I like the way you shake it, like the way you don't have to fake it," croons Isaak over a rollicking bass line in the ever-so-subtly titled, "Like the Way She Moves."

All his hot lovin' and hotter licks prove to be Isaak's only shortcoming, though, as many of the tunes become tiresome in their similarity - a problem that has plagued many of Isaak's albums.

At least Isaak proves open to experimentation on "Devil," playing a muffled answering machine message behind the lead vocals of "Please," adding gun shots and crickets to the album-closing, "Super Magic 2000," and even trying a little amp-kicking feedback along the way.

Strange sounds aside, Isaak is still the same tank-topped guy who made the sexiest video ever made, though on "Devil" he's not quite as sensual and haunting as on "Wicked Game," or even as singularly focused as on his 1995 masterpiece of heartbreak "Forever Blue."

On "Speak of the Devil," Isaak is singing the praises of love, lust and the pursuit of surfside happiness.

It's clear that whenever Isaak hits the road, slicks back his hair, puts on his mirrored suit, straps on his guitar with his name in big silver letters and tears into his latest batch of love and loss made rockingly good, the world will sell its soul to Isaak and his wholesomely dirty "Devil."

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