In the 28 years since he released his last pop-folk album, Cat Stevens has changed his religion and his name (he now goes by the moniker Yusuf Islam) and has been put on the government's no-fly list. However, his music hasn't evolved nearly as much as his persona. His new LP, An Other Cup, exudes the same quality as the music our parents grew fond of during the '70s. The album is easy-listening-great for a car ride or a Sunday morning soundtrack while lounging around, reading the paper and drinking coffee.
Soft tracks with sweet melodies like "Heaven/Where True Love Goes" and "One Day At A Time" are not impressive, but pleasant to listen to. The major drawback is that the songs, most of them unoriginal, sometimes teeter on the edge of boring.
The spiritual intro of "When Butterflies Leave" and allusions to heaven and God on "The Beloved" are the major clues given about the large role religion plays in the artist's life. Unfortunately, rather than infusing the music with meaning and soul, the spiritual lyrics come off as cheesy.
Those who grew up with Mom and Pop listening to Tea for the Tillerman in the background will enjoy another set of Stevens-sounding tunes, but no one will be inspired.
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