It's the Shat!

You hear about a new William Shatner album and immediately you think: kitschy, loungy, campy, and 'why?'

Well, the new Shatner album (only his second) called Has Been is out, and while it may indeed have moments of kitsch, lounge, and camp, you can add to that list: touching, haunting, funny, and 'well done.'

Think of the album as beautiful musical backdrops infused with beat poetry and able backup from such artists as Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins, the electronic group Lemon Jelly, and Ben Folds.

As a matter of fact, Folds is the driving musical force on this outing: producing, arranging, and writing most of the music behind Shatner's musings. The whole enterprise (pardon the pun) is sincere yet funny, and wholly entertaining. Besides the standout cover of Pulp's Common People, there's the haunting and mesmerizing collaboration with UK group Lemon Jelly, Together. And Folds' strong melodic sense is abundant throughout the album, from the heartbreaking That's Me Trying to the comedic, faux-western title track.