Peace

Nearly a decade after Eurythmics went on an unannounced, virtually unnoticed hiatus in 1990, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart returned with the heavily publicized Peace. Both Lennox and Stewart had been silent since 1995, which means that reuniting really wasn't a sacrifice, since their solo careers had stalled. In fact, it was a wise idea to re-team, both commercially and artistically, since their best and most popular music was made together. What's odd is that Peace strongly resembles Lennox's Diva. True, Eurythmics were moving toward the melodramatic grandeur of Diva on their final '80s album, We Too Are One, yet they still had an innate sense of quirkiness and a desire to take risks. In 1999, they're more about craft, which only emphasizes the maturity of the music. That's not entirely a bad thing, even if it means that Peace needs a couple of spins before the songs begin to register. Lennox and Stewart know how to write gently insinuating melodies and how to layer their tracks with small sonic details, weaving lush tapestries of sound. Peace keeps its alluring mood throughout; even when they attempt to revisit their Stones-y tendencies, the songs play as sleekly and smoothly as the ballads that dominate the record. In one sense, that's good, because it means that Peace keeps a consistent tone from front to back, but it also means that most of the songs blend together. There are no standout singles here, and that's the hardest thing to accept about the record since Eurythmics were one of the best singles bands of the '80s. Even so, Peace is a successful debut for Eurythmics, Mark II -- it's classy adult pop, delivered with style and grace.