Michael Buble

Michael Buble
Call Me Irresponsible


Out of all the words in the English lexicon that I would use to describe Michael Buble, one would not be "irresponsible." His cabaret swagger may swoon hordes of ladies from various ages and backgrounds, but his fresh-faced looks and sunny demeanor are more pretty-boy Dion than boozy Sinatra. Keep in mind that this isn't a bad thing at all, as Buble's tuneful self is properly anchored by a healthy helping of shimmy-worthy songs.

The big-band swing that is peppered throughout Buble's new album, Call Me Irresponsible, compliments his ability to hoist this collection of golden standards above mere mimicry. His cover of the title track (one of Sinatra's most smirking) is a tip-of-the-hat testament to old Hollywood fireworks without tipping his hand into a cornered bluff--a huge problem for like-minded revivalists (Taylor Hicks: I'm looking at you).

Call Me Irresponsible's arsenal of ideas may seem risky at first (A bossa-nova take of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight"? Boyz II Men?) but then are revealed to be well-calculated. "Wonderful Tonight" gets a second life with Buble's romantic take, ditching the slow, weepy buildup of the original for a more light and bubbly touch. As for Boyz II Men: With all signs pointing to failure, the gamble of dueting with the somewhat-forgotten R&B group is payed off in spades with the Motown-shuffle of "Come Home Baby," a wise choice of song for both Buble and the Boyz.

Now, the truth: Buble's voice isn't remarkable in the slightest. Call Me Irresponsible only works because of the stellar selection of songs and smart duets, rather than the actual singer himself. As an artist, he's a bit faceless. One could easily conjure up an alternate reality where some random young standard singer named "Spencer Flynn" charmed the pants off millions channeling Rat Pack-era gems and not think twice about it.

But I digress.

"Irresponsible?" No. "Indifferent?" Maybe.

"Satisfactory?" For sure.