Eurythmics Peace (Arista)

Eurythmics

Peace (Arista)

When Annie Lennox sings, "It feels like I'm 17" and reprises the Eurythmics' debut single from 1983, "Sweet Dreams," on the opening track of Peace, it's less nostalgia than simply a return to form, but the conceptual nature of the group's first studio album in nearly a decade fills it with such noble intent that it sits with leaden weight. Given that the Eurythmics' axis was a male/female partnership and that Lennox and Dave Stewart were lovers long ago, their music was always surprisingly and impressively devoid of sex. It was deeply sensual, however, with Lennox's moist vocals pressed into Stewart's pulsing synth like a soft, wet kiss. So what's wrong with a little Peace? Nothing, if the comforting drone of the duo's balladry is what was so appealing. Nine of the 11 tracks flow with that seductive voice and lush orchestration, but only two rock ("Power to the Meek," "I Want It All"), and even they pale in the echo of the hits like "Missionary Man" and "Would I Lie To You." Maybe that's because Lennox and Stewart's purpose behind this new recording was less to join their New Wave brethren like the Pretenders, Blondie, and Iggy Pop in their end-of-the-century album party than to make a point for peace. That's right, peace, as in Amnesty International and Greenpeace, hence the album's title. "I Saved the World Today," "Peace Is Just a Word," "Lifted" -- even when tinged with despair, the mellow vibes abound so completely that it's often hard to tell where one ends and the next one begins. That's the problem with Peace. Softened by velvety arrangements, all those pleas for peace and understanding could use a little more love. And a couple more rockers.