Steely Dan mellows out on new disc 'Nature'

The duo that brought you classics like "Hey Nineteen" and "Rikki Don't Lose that Number" is back. Having a little trouble remembering their name? Does Steely Dan ring a bell?

After a 20-year hiatus, at least as a duo, "Two Against Nature" brings back that  familiar, easy-going jazz sound to those of us who are old enough to remember -- or who at least listen to classic rock. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who wrote all the songs on this album, have created an album that would best be heard while kicking back in a jacuzzi or nestling into bed. It's the epitome of easy listening.

The fastest song on the album is the last of nine, called "West of Hollywood." It has a rather edgy, rock/jazz drum rhythm as its backbone, with a peppy little saxophone solo finishing off the last half of the song. That being said, you might still mistake this song for elevator music.

"Two Against Nature" starts off nicely with a song called "Gaslighting Abbie." This song opens with a punchy series of bass guitar riffs that sound really cool. Then Steely Dan throws in a little drums and rhythm guitar.

The lyrics are kind of bizarre -- like the duo never left the '70s. The chorus of "Gaslighting Abbie" goes: "Flame is the game/The game we call Gaslighting Abbie/It's a luscious invention for three/One summer by the sea." Maybe you have to know what "Gaslighting Abbie" means. I suspect a drug reference.

Perhaps we're not supposed to listen to the words, because, quite frankly they don't make sense to me. Maybe they're just filler for the music. Becker and Fagen still sound good vocally, though.

The title cut features these words for its first verse: "Bad news breaking in 18A/Missy's kitty turn inside out she say/Spider queen demon and that whole crew/Across the lobby the wicker wing chair flew/All the nice people those goodly souls/Quaking in their respective hidey-holes/Everyone's wasted in this gruesome dream/Not a one of them left to hear you scream."

As far as the music on this album goes, in small ways it is similar to Steely Dan's old stuff, but mostly it is very different and uses a variety of instruments to produce a very mellow sound.

Not that this is a bad thing. It's not hard to listen to at all, but don't operate heavy machinery while listening to this album.