"Forbidden Love," after having listened to the record several times, ranks up there with the best songs Madonna has ever recorded. It is a subtle and propulsive slice of uncertainty that glides across an Erasurish bed of keyboards. There's a passion to Madonna's voice here that feels like the return of a welcome friend. Even with some (very subtle) vocodering, this album marks the return of what I call "Live to Tell"-style gravitas in the singing. Radio in this country is so f-ed up at this point that I don't think they can recognize the simple and catchy brilliance of this track. And then comes "Jump," which plays out with a tribute to the intro to the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls," and it's clear that Madonna's hit her stride. Lyrically, "Jump" echoes some of "Keep it Together," though it seems to be focusing on the potentials of new love, which seems to be lurking in several of the album's tracks.
The most concrete difference between Confessions... and American Life is readily apparent with "How High." It's very much in the tradition of "Drowned World/Subsitute for Love" and the song "American Life" in its deconstruction of fame and what it means to Madonna, but it is first and foremost a catchy pop song, and it gets the point across expertly. It even does so with a verse that comprises several old Madonna song titles, which is certainly witty (which is a word that could not be applied to any aspect of American Life, the album.
Track ten, "Isaac," is where things get a little strange. Using timestretched vocals of "Im Nin'Alu" (a male vocalist, not the dance music and internationally famous version by Madonna's old Sire Records labelmate Ofra Haza), this serves as the spiritual centerpiece of the album, paying tribute to sixteenth century Kaballist leader Isaac Luria. The lyrics are great, even if the musical backing seems a tad too frenetic, and Madonna seems to be into it, which adds a great deal to the overall track. I can't say it's my favorite, but several analyses of the album call it their favorite track on the record, so who can say?
"Push" is a grower. The first time I heard it, I thought it was pleasant enough filler. Now, after a few more listens, I doff my hat to its sinuous melody and the way Price cuts and arranges the small orchestral sections that flow under the drums. It's like a pointillist symphony, and three minutes in, when Madonna starts double-timing her own backing vocals, it's the kind of transcendence that only great pop music can produce.
"Like it or Not" finishes the album off with an uptempo rock-y kind of feel (think the original version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus"). It's a defiant personal statement from Madonna, and it works, though it isn't completely necessary. The Confessions on a Dancefloor album is a pretty damned articulate statement of self and purpose, and like most fans will, I welcome it with grabbing hands.
