CD Review: BRYAN FERRY

Olympia (Astralwerks)

When you're as timelessly stylish as Bryan Ferry, why even bother to change? On his first album of new material in eight years, the suave singer enlists some help from relative youngsters Scissor Sisters and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, but mostly he falls back on old habits — even collaborating with former Roxy Music bandmates Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Andy Mackay on a few songs. Olympia is predictably lush, polished, and graceful. Ferry settles into the 10 songs like a late-night cocktail, slowly sipping at the smooth, familiar sounds. The kicks come from the little twists: the undercurrent of anxiety in the globetrotting "You Can Dance," where Ferry shuttles a lucky lady from continent to continent so she can get her groove on, and the slinky, funky "BF Bass (Ode to Olympia)," a shout-out to social networking. Facebook has made life for urbane jetsetters so much easier. Michael Gallucci

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