Cyndi Lauper's career has seen her success fluctuate from dizzying highs to off-the-scale lows, with a startlingly diverse artistic palette and long gaps between albums doubtless accounting for the lion's share of the inconsistency. She flourished as a pop culture ingénue with her eccentric, flamboyant image, but this contrasted with her more inherent identity as a state of the art song stylist and inventive, highly skilled songwriter and musician. Now a quarter century has passed and the average person is still at a loss for words to properly define Lauper. Regardless, she has never sounded more at home on brand new dance floor-ready studio album "Bring Ya to the Brink." The girl who just wanted to have fun is either having the time of her life or doing a damn fine job of making listeners believe it.

A definite nod to her core fanbase in the LGBT community, the theme of "Bring Ya to the Brink" does not showcase the New York native's soaring range as her 2003 chestnut covers collection "At Last" did, for example. Rather, it boasts frenetic, club-ready beats and propulsive, repetitious melodies, replete with disco ball imagery. That is exactly as it is supposed to be. From the funky, loquacious opener "High and Mighty" with its temperamental synths to the sweeping gust of wind that is "Set Your Heart," the album is wall to wall uptempo energy, making it an ideal summer disc.

Some could say that Lauper is aping Madonna, whose last two LPs were aimed straight at nightclubs and dance floors. However, the key difference is that "Bring Ya to the Brink" neither flagrantly tips the hat to the past nor makes an earnest effort to keep things trendy or Top 40 savvy. Instead, Lauper mixes together 80's new wave stylings with easy, effusive beats that are nothing if not indicative of the late 2000s to create a sound neither retro nor modern, but simply the genesis of her atypical artistic vision. The most important thing, however, is that it never fails to entertain.

Hooks run aplenty on "Echo," a bittersweet slice of Eurodance, as well as lead single "Same Ol' Story," a 12"-length gem which is currently climbing the club charts thanks to its fluffy production values reminiscent of ace 70's collaborations between Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder. Indeed, as Lauper declares on the sweaty, propulsive "Give It Up," "I've got to get back to the floor!"

With this new direction she has her cake and eats it too, as she continues to make heady statements and social commentary where she sees fit in spite of the levity that surrounds. "Lyfe," with its memorable chorus ("Lyfe/It can shake ya/It can break ya/It can bring ya to the brink") serves as a prime example, as does "Raging Storm," a meditation on problems inherent in the values of today's cultural landscape:

"Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief/You can fool some people, but you can't fool me/Harbor all the hate and greed/Threaten demise of democracy/There's a raging storm in a troubled sea/But you're clouding my mind with celebrity."

Second single "Into the Nightlife" is the most instantly addicting with its gyrating snyths, stomp-on-glass production values and cheeky, sexual lyrics ("Shirtless wonders wreck my sight under the light"), providing the most potent chance for a crossover to pop radio, while "Rocking Chair," a frothy, mercurial collaboration with Basement Jaxx, provides a mighty hook and eye-popping lyrics. It's a joy to hear Lauper wrap her vocals around its juicy, uncontainable melody.

"Lay Me Down" with its haunting, inescapable melody and evocative lyrics is the album's arguable highlight, while "Rain on Me" closes the disc with a wistful, bittersweet high note that is exemplary of Lauper's unique voice as a songwriter.

"Bring Ya to the Brink" continues Lauper's career with another top notch release. Each track is a gem with no trace of filler. Lauper never fails to reveal new aspects of her unique, thoroughly entertaining talents as both a singer and songwriter, and this new release keeps the bar raised high.

Madonna did it

Kylie did it

Donna did it

Now heeeeeere's Cyndi

Dance music is hot again, mostly because of the ladies listed above, and certainly good news for those of us who spent the `80s on the dance floor.

This is the tenth studio album from the effervescent singer/songwriter who just wants to have fun, and is best enjoyed at full volume with the bass turned up, the way it was meant to be played.

The first US single is "Same Ol' Story", the track that put the [EXPLICIT LYRICS] warning on the album, but this isn't the best song in my opinion. I like "Set Your Heart" which was released as a single in Japan, beginning like the Bee Gees' "More Than a Woman", and then blending into an `80s R&B dance track perfectly suited to her vocals.

The next single is "Into the Nightlife", another instant favorite with a booming intro that will have your moneymaker shakin'. Also terrific are "Rocking Chair"; the addictive "Echo" that you'll want to hear again and again and "Grab a Hold" which is vintage Lauper.

To mix it up a little she includes the mid-tempo "Rain on Me" and "Lyfe", the latter being a little different from anything else on the album, in that the tempo is different, and it's a bit funky (an explicit word here too). "Rain on Me" is very strong lyrically, and a possible single.

"I am a robber in the dark

Singing about a broken heart

Answering whistles in the air

Waiting for someone else to care

But you can rain on me

Yea you can rain on me...."

There's absolutely no filler material on this totally fun album, which is recommended for anyone who can take it to the brink.

Amanda Richards, June 10, 2008

This is a must have! I hit the clubs in the early 80's and fell in love with Cyndi. I fell in love with most of the music I listened to in that era, and as I got older in the past several years, I did'nt believe the artists or music measured up, (since about 1992, actually). THIS album by Cyndi was recommended by a friend, and as I started listening to Same Old Story, I broke down into tears. She sounds as good as ever, and I love the song. And when I listened to Into the Nightlife, I cried even harder from joy, the first song in years I had to listen to again and again, it's that good. I am 44 years old, Cyndi made me get up and dance again and want to hit the clubs again, making me feel like my youth has come back again. Thanks Cyndi!

"Bring Ya to the Brink" is Cyndi Lauper's first studio album featuring all new material since 2001's "Shine." This album would be best explained as a dance club album, full of fast upbeat music.

The great thing about this album is that the lyrics are pretty solid, the style is very even, the album is never boring and Cyndi Lauper's hot vocals are not disguised or picked apart by a computer at all.

Only downfall on here is "Lyfe" because it doesn't fit well with the rest of the album.

I don't know how Cyndi Lauper and Madonna are doing it. They both put out fantastic dance cds this year, who knew? I would have never thought the idols I listened to in the 80's as a teenager would still be able to crank out cds like this. Cyndi completely amazed me with this dance cd. "Bring Ya 2 The Brink" is like Cyndi Lauper's version of Kylie Minogue's "Fever". It worked for Kylie, so why not Cyndi. She keeps the entire cd flowing and consistant. Donna Summer should have done the same thing for her new release, but Cyndi trumps her with this hot, fresh dance affair that tours the dance circuit, covering various styles of club music throughtout the years. While the beats pump, Cyndi adds her poetic lyrics, taking dance music to a new level. Her voice is not flawless, there are times when Cyndi seemed like she was ice skating up hill, but she manages to pull through, making this type of dance music her own. Can U say unusual? Here is my breakdown for each track:

1. High and Mighty: 4/5 sounds like something you would hear at one of the many after hours clubs in West Hollywood in the 90's. A "party" song.

2. N2 The Nitelyfe: 5/5 an intense club bangin' dance jam where on the dancefloor, only you and the music matter.

3. Rocking Chair: 5/5 a strange beat and funky lyrics make this song unique. Cyndi sounds a bit like Corrine Bailey Ray on this. She's So Unusual.

4. Echo: 5/5 M' fave beat. It's deep thumpin' house music with Cyndi's haunting voice casting a magic dance spell.

5. Lyfe: 3/5 sounds like a bad r and b song from the 90's. A Bobby Brown reject. Bop Lyfe.

6. Same Ol' Story: 5/5 it starts out like a typical club track, but then Cyndi gets to sangin' and cussin'. I was actually shocked then delighted when I heard the chorus. I was like, U go Miss Cyndi, tell it girl. Now I know why this cd has the explicit language warning, that's ok!

7. Raging Storm: 4/5 good club song with deep lyrics.

8. Lay Me Down: 5/5 One of m' faves. Cyndi sounds Stevie Nickish, the lyrics are awesome too.

9. Give It Up: 4/5 Cyndi cranks out another party jam, keeping the dance vibe alive.

10. Set Ur Heart: 5/5 My other fave. I love the lyrics and Cyndi takes her voice to a new level.

11. Grab A Hold: 4/5 This is the only song that sounds like tradional Cyndi Lauper. It sounds like something off True Colours with a new club beat.

12. Rain On Me: 5/5 a mid-tempo groove. The synthisizers sound alot like the beginning of "Little Red Corvette" by Prince. the lyrics are touching and heartfelt. a good way to end off an incredible album.