NEW SOUNDS

Newsday
October 08, 1998
By Marty Lipp

CHRIS ISAAK
"Speak of the Devil"
(Reprise)

"Speak of the Devil" sounds like every other Chris Isaak album, but there's nothing wrong with that. This charismatic crooner specializes in high drama, transforming romantic cliches into stirring epics. His brooding laments have inspired favorable comparisons to the great Roy Orbison, though Isaak doesn't boast the same pure vocal talent. Isaak portrays the obsessed, ill-fated lover with Oscar-caliber flair, desperately insisting, "You're not even on my mind" in the dreamy "7 Lonely Nights," and rocking to a spine-tingling peak on "Please. "Though he deftly captures the raw force of animal desire in the edgy" Like the Way She Moves," our hero prefers lasting relationships tocheap thrills, seeking a commitment in "Talkin' 'Bout a Home." His savvy band provides a rootsy backdrop, although Isaak's tortured Romeo needs no help holding the spotlight. - Jon Young

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