CLIPS FROM "PEACE"
"17 Again" [235k MPEG-3] or [320k WAV] "Anything But Strong" [175k MPEG-3] or [240k WAV] "I Saved the World" [255k MPEG-3] or [350k WAV] "Peace Is Just a Word" [265k MPEG-3] or [365k WAV] (Courtesy Arista Records)

October 19, 1999
Web posted at: 2:15 p.m. EST (1815 GMT)

By David John Farinella
Special to CNN Interactive

Eurythmics
"Peace"
Arista Records

(CNN) -- Ten years after Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart quietly folded up the Eurythmics' tent to seek solo fame, they return with "Peace." The 11-song offering -- officially released by BMG/Arista on Tuesday -- finds Lennox belting out soaring vocals to Stewart's lush arrangements at times, although just as often their talents are wasted on vanilla song ideas.

Perhaps less might have been expected from this dynamic duo had they faded into the "Where Are They Now?" category after splitting up. But each led a successful solo life.

Lennox's "Diva" (1992) and "Medusa" (1995) releases fortified her reputation as one of pop music's unique voices. Stewart's own solo releases -- 1995's "Greetings From the Gutter," 1998's "Sly-Fi" --- along with his production credits have continued to inspire pop experimentation and exploration.

So it is that "Peace" hits music-store shelves rife with expectations.

"17 Again," the single that has reintroduced the couple -- as a couple -- to the radio world, is a safe number that falls just short of inspiring. "Peace Is Just a Word," "I've Tried Everything" and "My True Love" are songs that could have been sacrificed, or ideas that could have been dressed up a bit more.

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The lyrics on "Peace Is Just a Word" are disappointing because more's expected from a songwriting team that has experienced so much and is so socially active.

"Stop the world / Just pack it in / Well, we've reached the point / Where no one ever wins."

What's the point? What's the message?

Sonically, the album veers from the Lennox canon of ballads to Stewart's pop experimentation. In the course of his career, Dave Stewart has become a unique musical voice. The muted horn parts and symphonic wash in "I Saved the World Today," like the 12-string guitar flourishes on "Anything but Strong," are examples of his musical moxie.

"Anything but Strong" is one of the album's standout tracks. Not only does Lennox sing with conviction and passion, but Stewart also provides a spirited musical bed for her voice. "Forever" and "Lifted" are other knockout tracks, in which Lennox reaches gospel-like animation and Stewart's symphonic explorations are dramatic.

In the final analysis, "Peace" is exciting for what it promises in future releases. Rather than looking back to their synth-pop roots, Eurythmics is leading a charge toward pop music's next stage of evolution. Hopefully, Lennox and Stewart will continue to fight the good fight.