Cyndi Lauper - Detour (Vinyl)

A spiritual sequel of sorts to Memphis Blues, Detour finds Cyndi Lauper swapping out blues for country & western. The "western" part of the equation is crucial to Detour, a record equally enamored of cowboy camp as it is of Music City craft and corn. Such a wide purview is testament to Lauper's taste-savvy show biz sensibilities. The slow-burning-torch set pieces of "End of the World" and "I Fall to Pieces" have their charms -- they offer ample evidence of Lauper's nuance and control, elements that are often underrated -- but when paired with the ferocious, mincing wink of "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly," "Cowboy Sweetheart," and "Detour," the spell diminishes. Despite this, the album has its charms. Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" -- a fine, faithful rendition that closes out the record on a sweet note -- and the crisp, digital, modern sheen of the opener "Funnel of Love," don't quite suit the tone of the record, but they're endearing on their own. Such sudden shifts i