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Album Review: Yusuf, "An Other Cup" (YA/Atlantic)
The first album in nearly three decades from the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens is brimming with the folk rock-flavored, adult contemporary missives that made him an international phenomenon in the early '70s.
Like those early recordings--and despite Stevens' much-publicized, Muslim-inspired name change (to Yusuf Islam) and hiatus from music--the new album speaks as a non-denominational, inspirational voice in search of heart and soul in a world where spirit is often hard to find.
That spirit is abundant in the upbeat fervor of "Heaven/Where True Love Goes," the more reflective "Maybe There's a World" and the soft rock humility of "In the End;" the vocals are warm and tender throughout, driven by rolling keyboards on "I Can See the Light" and Middle Eastern accents on "The Beloved."
For all the impeccably crafted and blissful moments on Yusuf's "An Other Cup," the most passionate may be his pensive and revelatory cover of the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." He half-sings, half-speaks the classic lyrics--"I'm just someone whose intentions are good, don't let me be misunderstood"--subtle keyboards and haunting strings giving the track an other-worldly salvation that was never hinted at with the original.
Perhaps that's what makes Yusuf's return so soothing and welcome in these tumultuous times: The new offering swells with such poetic harmony and musical delight, its impact transcends even the most rite and commonplace. It's been more than 35 years since Cat Stevens delivered "Tea for the Tillerman," but "An Other Cup" proves well worth the wait.
