REVIEWS

GREEN DAY

GREEN DAY ¡Uno!  [Reprise] Fourth act, same as the first: That’s the story Green Day aims to tell with ¡Uno!, the first installment in a trilogy of albums they’ll roll out over the next few months. Having played alt-rock heroes in the post-Cobain ’90s and unlikely political rock-opera dramatists in the Bush ’00s, the trio inches back toward its punk roots, crafting restless power-pop tunes that—modern studio sheen notwithstanding—might... 

DIANA KRALL

DIANA KRALL Glad Rag Doll [Verve] Earlier this year, Diana Krall collaborated with Paul McCartney on Kisses on the Bottom, his tribute to pre-rock standards. She displayed an undeniable affinity for the songcraft of that earlier, simpler time, so it’s not surprising that she covers similar ground here. What is surprising: her adventurous approach. With T Bone Burnett producing and a guitar-heavy band behind her, Krall digs into the core of each... 

BAT FOR LASHES

BAT FOR LASHES The Haunted Man [Capitol] After earning Mercury Prize nominations for each of her previous albums, Natasha Khan, aka Bat for Lashes, remains broody and beguiled on her self-produced third album. On this cohesive collection, she spins languid arrangements of gentle electronics and channels the ’80s heyday of Kate Bush—to the extent that she even mentions running up hills. Khan’s aptitude for subtle yet striking rhythm is particularly... 

MUSE

MUSE The 2nd Law [Warner Bros.] Muse singer Matthew Bellamy has said his group’s new album would sound like the work of three different bands if it weren’t for his voice. That may be an understatement. Yes, Muse’s latest is a set of wildly divergent songs that coalesce around Bellamy’s voice—but the trio’s sheer force of will and considerable musical chops don’t hurt either. With a massive guitar riff and imposing strings, opener “Supremacy”... 

BOB DYLAN

BOB DYLAN Tempest [Columbia] Bob Dylan’s 35th studio effort isn’t his “death album.” He’s been singing about kicking the bucket since his 1962 debut, and fans looking for evidence of Dylan facing mortality will find more clues on 1997’s Time Out of Mind—though there’s plenty of life on that one, too. What’s funny about Tempest is how comfortable Bob sounds staring into the abyss. Whether detailing a deadly love triangle (“Tin... 

AEROSMITH

AEROSMITH Music From Another Dimension [Columbia] Having weathered interpersonal issues, health problems and frontman Steven Tyler’s American Idol stint, Aerosmith return with their first album of all-original material since 2001. Working with Jack Douglas, who produced Get Your Wings, Toys in the Attic and other records from their prime, the band delivers a slick album, trying hard to meet high expectations. On the Diane Warren-penned “We All... 

TIFT MERRITT

TIFT MERRITT Traveling Alone [Yep Roc] Although Tift Merritt has always shown a knack for vivid, poignant songs, her albums have occasionally ducked nuance in favor of emphasizing her robust voice. That changes on Merritt’s latest, a collection that draws much of its power from the quieter moments. She embraces the dusty romance of a solitary life on the road in the title track, sighs through curtains of steel guitar on “Feeling of Beauty”... 

BENJAMIN GIBBARD

BENJAMIN GIBBARD  Former Lives [Barsuk] Benjamin Gibbard is known for being earnest. The Death Cab for Cutie frontman’s solemn reputation precedes him, and given his recent divorce from singer and actress Zooey Deschanel, fans might expect his solo debut to be a bit dour. To be sure, Gibbard’s trademark broken heart is ever present, but this is no typical breakup record. Featuring songs discarded and half-written over the last eight years, Former... 

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap  [Indomina] DVD REVIEW  In rap, you are whatever you say you are. Until someone contradicts you with faster, flashier rhymes, your words carry a kind of truth. It’s music of self-definition, and as such, it’s the perfect genre to tell its own story—and spin its own mythologies. With  The Art of Rap, director Ice-T chats up old- and new-school MCs from the Bronx—the birthplace of hip-hop—to Compton,... 

VAN MORRISON

VAN MORRISON Born to Sing: No Plan B [Blue Note] Like any free spirit, Van Morrison follows his muse wherever it takes him. He may tilt toward R&B, country or traditional Irish music, but he never sounds like anyone else. That’s led to a certain predictability—and a certain coziness. Born to Sing is as familiar as Van Morrison albums come. It’s his first set of all-original material since 2008, but these tunes could have turned up at any... 

JASON ALDEAN

JASON ALDEAN Night Train [Broken Bow] By combining country and arena rock like a macho-hillbilly alchemist, Jason Aldean has become Music Row’s most popular male vocalist. Helmed by his longtime producer Michael Knox, Night Train sticks close to Aldean’s hicks-from-the-sticks formula. Rattling off the usual menu of Southern-fried clichés, he sings with attitude over screaming guitar riffs. The lead single, “Take a Little Ride,” and the title... 

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD Hypnotic Nights [Warner Bros.] After 10 years of thrashing around with garage-rock aesthetics, real-life band of brothers JEFF the Brotherhood have begun to explore new sonic territory. Hypnotic Nights, their seventh album and major-label debut, shows a great sense of adventure. Jake and Jamin Orrall give each song a unique touch, using rolling pianos, synthesizers—some psychedelic, others futuristic—and the odd guitar twang... 

THE ROLLING STONES

THE ROLLING STONES  Some Girls: Live in Texas ’78    [Eagle Rock] As the Stones mark their 50th anniversary with talk of a new album and tour, it’s useful to look back to ’78, when Mick, Keef and the gang were in their mid-30s, and the band was nearly 20 years old. These days, their longevity is a source of wonder, and for all the gruff they get for shaking their sexagenarian rumps like a bunch of frisky grandpas, few really want them to... 

THE ROBERT CRAY BAND

THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Nothin but Love [Mascot]  For decades, singer and guitarist Robert Cray has been in an odd position. He’s credited with bringing the blues back into the mainstream yet criticized for making the genre shiny and acceptable. His fans outnumber his detractors, though, and Nothin but Love reveals why. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album is audacious and potent yet tidy and accessible. Cray and his band prefer their blues soundly... 

ANITA BAKER

ANITA BAKER Only Forever [Blue Note] Soul-jazz chanteuse Anita Baker is a timeless performer who weaves challenging emotions into the smoothest of melodies. Only Forever, her first album since 2004’s My Everything, is filled with romantic paeans, and on songs like “Lately” and “Play Me Your Music,” Baker expresses the many facets of love with a religious fervor. “Free,” a gorgeous ballad that explores her bout with empty-nest syndrome,... 

RY COODER

RY COODER Election Special [Nonesuch] Ry Cooder has played so many roles—go-to guitarist, in-demand soundtrack composer, booster of World Music and Americana—that one almost forgets his sizable and generally exceptional body of solo albums. In recent years, Cooder has grown comfortable as a songwriter, penning tunes increasingly topical in nature. Election Special comprises broadsides in the tradition of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs.... 

BAND OF HORSES

BAND OF HORSES Mirage Rock [Columbia] Band of Horses wasted no time following up 2010’s Grammy-nominated Infinite Arms, and on Mirage Rock, the intention to move forward is clear. The band focuses on ramshackle alt-country, seldom playing straight rock songs and occasionally forgoing the “alternative” altogether. After recording their first three albums with Phil Ek, the group recruited producer Glyn Johns. The slight country twang frontman... 

NO DOUBT

NO DOUBT Push and Shove  [Interscope] When Gwen Stefani sings, “Never, ever, ever gonna be the same,” the opening line on “Sparkle,” a standout track from No Doubt’s first new album in 10 years, she’s not kidding. With its brassy accents and fat-bottom, pop-reggae bounce, the tune recalls the 2002 hit “Underneath It All,” itself a reminder of No Doubt’s roots as the little SoCal ska band that could. But “Sparkle” is the exception... 

AIMEE MANN

AIMEE MANN Charmer [SuperEgo] “Charmer” is less a term of endearment for Aimee Mann than it is a source of curiosity: What are they after, these charming people? What’s their angle? Mann, who made her name as a member of the Boston New Wave band ’Til Tuesday, explores the concept on her eighth studio album, a collection of smart songs drawn from what she calls the “super pop” of the 1970s and ’80s. The sound suits Mann, who’s always... 

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW Carry Me Back [ATO] In the four years since Old Crow Medicine Show’s last studio album, string music has gone from acquired-taste appetizer to semi-standard entrée. While acts like the Punch Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Crooked Still have done their part to push the string-meets-bluegrass-meets-alt-country format ahead, Old Crow’s absence left a thirst not easily quenched. Fans craving new Old Crow will find Carry... 

DINOSAUR JR

DINOSAUR JR. I Bet on Sky [Jagjaguwar] It sounds like a funny thing to say about a band whose catalog includes the songs “Puke + Cry” and “Pointless,” but Dinosaur Jr. has taken a moony romantic turn on recent albums. Sure, it’s an awkward, mumbling kind of romance, paired with churning bursts of guitar sludge, but the group’s latest is way more tender than the howling odes to alienation found on earlier albums. Instead of pushing people... 

NEIL SEDAKA

NEIL SEDAKA The Show Goes On [Eagle Rock] At a time when U.S. record companies dismissed Neil Sedaka as an aging teenybopper, England couldn’t get enough of him. This live set, recorded in 2006 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, is a tribute to both Sedaka’s long career and the willingness of his British fans to accept him as more than a sugary oldies act. His classic hits about the junior prom and turning 16 are here, but so are 1970s-era piano-man... 

MARISSA NADLER

MARISSA NADLER The Sister [Box of Cedar] Marissa Nadler’s sixth album is a melancholic companion to the self-titled effort she released last year. This time out, the arrangements are more ethereal, and the songs are tinged with a greater degree of sadness, particularly where her voice is concerned. Her woeful vocals are filled with sincerity and lacking in self-pity, and while her spritely voice and fingerpicked guitar remain focal points, Nadler... 

MUMFORD & SONS

MUMFORD & SONS Babel [Glassnote] Returning after a multiplatinum, Grammy-nominated breakout album is no easy task, but with Babel, Mumford & Sons fight valiantly against the sophomore slump. The raucous title track gets things off to a strong start, as the U.K. foursome’s tight harmonies and foot-stomping arrangement support frontman Marcus Mumford’s defiant, snarling vocals. Other tunes benefit from a similar formula—Mumford’s anguished... 

BLOC PARTY

BLOC PARTY  Four [Frenchkiss] Following 2008’s Intimacy, Bloc Party faced an uncertain future. After hinting at a breakup and surviving a hiatus, the London post-punk outfit returns with its simply titled fourth album. Alongside producer Alex Newport (the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In), the group refocuses on guitars, ditching the dance influences of their previous two albums. Amid ferocious rock riffs, Bloc Party has found room to explore the kinds... 

THE ENGLISH BEAT

 BOX SET  THE ENGLISH BEAT  The Complete Beat  [Shout! Factory] The English Beat holds exalted status among fans who continue to cherish the late ’70s British ska revival. During its all-too-brief career, the multi-ethnic ensemble churned out three brilliant albums that set the standard for their peers. The group hit the pavement running in 1979 with a flurry of frenetic, punk-tinged ska hits that were as sophisticated as they were fun. By... 

LAETITIA SADIER

LAETITIA SADIER Silencio [Drag City] Just as her longtime band, the sadly kaput Stereolab, developed a singular signature sound informed by myriad disparate influences, Laetitia Sadier has settled into her own crypto-sophisticated groove. On her second solo album, the French-born poli-sci seductress works her usual magic, singing snazzy jazz-pop, lounge and psych-rock songs about the perils of modern living. Only this Nico-like chanteuse could coo... 

YEASAYER

YEASAYER Fragrant World [Secretly Canadian] Brooklyn synth-poppers Yeasayer have always explored the quirky potential of keyboards. With its self-produced third album, the band drifts away from pop and focuses on the mechanical sounds of its instruments. If 2009’s Odd Blood was a reinterpretation of radio-friendly early-’90s pop, Fragrant World has a much more abstract feel. The songs have dense, lush arrangements, complete with thick programming... 

BILLY JOE SHAVER

BILLY JOE SHAVER Live at Billy Bob’s Texas [Smith Music Group] This live CD/DVD, Shaver’s first release since 2007, thoroughly reaffirms his outlaw credentials. His best-known songs—“I’ve Been to Georgia on a Fast Train,” “Honky Tonk Heroes” and “Old Five and Dimers Like Me”—speak convincingly of his roughneck lifestyle, while “Wacko From Waco,” one of the two new tunes, addresses the infamous 2007 shooting incident that... 

THE WHO

REISSUE THE WHO  Quadrophenia: The Criterion Edition    [Criterion] Forget Tommy, that convoluted pinball fantasia that for some reason stands as the better known, better loved of the Who’s two rock operas. The real masterpiece is Quadrophenia, a brilliant 1973 album whose equally excellent 1979 film adaptation has finally been given the Criterion treatment. Set in 1964 or ’65 at the height of Britain’s mod craze, the story centers on Jimmy,... 

JERRY DOUGLAS

JERRY DOUGLAS Traveler [eOne] Jerry Douglas became the best-known Dobro player in the world by taking his instrument to places it had never been. Traveler is his most mainstream release to date, but it remains a bold step forward. The album’s guests range from the not-so-surprising Alison Krauss and Union Station, Keb’ Mo’ and Marc Cohn to the more inspired likes of Mumford & Sons, Paul Simon, Dr. John and Eric Clapton. Slowhand’s fervid... 

CITIZEN COPE

CITIZEN COPE One Lovely Day [Rainwater] It’s difficult to get used to a carefree Citizen Cope. That’s not to say he’s moved away from his acoustic-based, R&B-jazz-reggae-rock sound. His voice still has the kinds of subtle yet intriguing inflections one might hear in a passionate conversation, but listening to songs like “Something to Believe In,” with its upbeat tempo and cheery lyrics, is disorienting at first. It’s much peppier... 

BETTYE LAVETTE

BETTYE LAVETTE Thankful N’ Thoughtful [Anti-] Bettye LaVette’s delicious rasp and emotional delivery make her a top-notch interpreter of songs. It’s a formula that’s worked since 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, and here, she turns in another tour de force covers record. The Detroit native makes these songs her own, occasionally altering lyrics to fit her experiences. On the Pogues’ “Dirty Old Town,” she references the Dodge... 

KIX BROOKS

KIX BROOKS New to This Town [Arista Nashville] After 20 years as one-half of the country duo Brooks & Dunn, Kix Brooks goes solo with this schizophrenic set of midtempo Tex-Mex tunes and pop-tinged ballads. Brooks wrote nine of the 12 songs, and throughout, he examines the life of the modern-day cowboy. There are songs about whiskey and hotheaded women (“Moonshine Road,” “Tattoo”), along with the freedoms and costs of traveling America’s... 

JIMMY FALLON

JIMMY FALLON Blow Your Pants Off  [Warner Bros.] When he released his first album, 2002’s The Bathroom Wall, Jimmy Fallon was a  Saturday Night Live cast member best known for co-hosting the Weekend Update segment and occasionally pulling out his acoustic guitar to parody popular songs. After leaving SNL, Fallon took over from Conan O’Brien as the host of Late Night and promptly made the show his own—in part thanks to his winning musical... 

GUIDED BY VOICES

GUIDED BY VOICES Class Clown Spots a UFO [Guided by Voices Inc.] You’d think Robert Pollard had something to prove. Although the singer and songwriter kept plenty busy on his own during (and after) Guided by Voices’ 2004-2010 hiatus, he seems to have barely dipped into his always-towering stockpile of songs. The band’s latest is the second of three albums planned for release this year, and it’s trademark GBV: 21 songs in 39 minutes, from fragmentary... 

ZAC BROWN BAND

ZAC BROWN BAND Uncaged [Southern Ground] The third release from these Southern jammers turned country-radio darlings is more board shorts and flip-flops than Wranglers and boots. Uncaged is a freewheeling summer soundtrack that draws more from Jimmy Buffett than George Strait. It’s also the seven-piece band’s most cohesive, and arguably best, record to date. A few new faces have been added to the mix, including Jason Mraz, who co-wrote the beachy... 

BÉLA FLECK AND THE MARCUS ROBERTS TRIO

BÉLA FLECK AND THE MARCUS ROBERTS TRIO Across the Imaginary Divide [Rounder] If there’s a new challenge, Béla Fleck and his banjo are always ready to take it on. Marcus Roberts is also an adventurer; from the earliest days of the pianist’s career and throughout his near quarter-century as a leader, Roberts has aimed to redefine the jazz piano trio in part by de-emphasizing the piano’s dominance and throwing more responsibility to the rhythm... 

LIARS

LIARS WIXIW [Mute] For what it’s worth, the title of Liars’ latest is pronounced “wish you,” and the band members say the fact that its unique spelling is a palindrome was somehow a source of comfort to them. Never mind—that explanation is about as oblique as the music on this follow-up to 2010’s Sisterworld, 11 songs steeped in synthesizer textures and atmospherics. Liars have previously played with keyboards and electronics, alternating... 

PATTI SMITH

PATTI SMITH Banga [Columbia] The first lady of ’70s bohemian New York City makes another remarkable comeback with her 11th studio album. Her first collection of original songs since wowing literary circles with her 2010’s National Book Award-winning memoir Just Kids sees Smith’s mastery of language in full bloom. Though passionate as ever, the now 65-year-old Smith has largely stepped back from the howls and growls of her early days in favor... 

LITTLE FEAT

LITTLE FEAT Rooster Blues [Rounder] When Little Feat reconvened nearly a decade after the 1979 death of seemingly irreplaceable co-founder Lowell George, few predicted the band would be going strong nearly a quarter-century later. Now comes another enormous challenge, as drummer Gabe Ford takes on the daunting task of occupying the drum throne of the great Richie Hayward, who died in 2009. That leaves keyboardist and vocalist Bill Payne as the only... 

KELLY HOGAN

KELLY HOGAN  I Like to Keep Myself in Pain [Anti-] Before Georgia-born Kelly Hogan became Neko Case’s reliable onstage vocal foil a few years back, she had a budding career as a frontwoman in her own right. She picks up the reins again on her first solo album in more than a decade, showing exquisite taste on 13 songs written by the likes of Andrew Bird, M. Ward and Vic Chesnutt. Backed by a band that includes keyboard legend Booker T. Jones, Hogan... 

RAVI COLTRANE

RAVI COLTRANE Spirit Fiction [Blue Note] Ravi Coltrane wasn’t quite 2 when his legendary father, John Coltrane, died in 1967. From the start of his career as a saxophonist and composer in the ’80s, the younger Coltrane sought to discover his own voice. He began recording as a leader in the late ’90s, and each successive recording has further established him as a significant artist—but Spirit Fiction is his tour de force. Produced by Coltrane... 

BODEANS

BODEANS American Made [Free & Alive] BoDeans’ latest is the first album in the band’s nearly three-decade career without co-founder Sammy Llanas, who departed abruptly last year. Remaining original member Kurt Neumann here joins longtime keyboardist Michael Ramos and a few fresh faces to deliver a nonetheless familiar set of heartland rock. Neumann’s husky timbre, workingman’s tales and rootsy hooks have always suggested a Midwestern Springsteen,... 

SOPHIE B. HAWKINS

SOPHIE B. HAWKINS The Crossing [Lightyear] Sophie B. Hawkins, best known for the 1992 sleeper hit “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and 1995’s adult-contemporary staple “As I Lay Me Down,” has completed her transformation from young spunky performer to cool, assured vet with The Crossing. Hawkins pulls triple duty on her first album in eight years, acting as producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist while recording entirely in her home studio.... 

PAUL SIMON

PAUL SIMON  Graceland: 25th Anniversary    [Sony Legacy] Perhaps the rhythmic experiments on Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland should have come as no surprise. He had always known a striking backbeat when he heard one, reaching back as far as “Cecilia,” “Mother and Child Reunion” and “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” But when Simon fell for the joyful sounds of South Africa and sought to incorporate them into his own music, he soon discovered... 

BOBBY WOMACK

BOBBY WOMACK The Bravest Man in the Universe [XL] Soul legend Bobby Womack has always tried to adapt with the times. On his first mainstream effort since the mid-1990s Womack takes another bold step forward, embracing programmed beats and electronic vibes as a new setting for his ageless voice. Co-produced by Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, much of the album is rooted in that act’s sonic territory. But the electronic bent not only spares Womack... 

MAPS & ATLASES

MAPS & ATLASES Beware and Be Grateful [Barusk] On their second full-length set, the members of Chicago-based band Maps & Atlases again take an approach that frequently defies easy categorization. It’s a collision of styles and genres that combine pulsating tempos with quirky off-kilter pop. “Old Ash” and “Silver Self” recall the intoxicating essence of Paul Simon’s Graceland, with each song incorporating the infectious shuffle... 

BLUES TRAVELER

BLUES TRAVELER Suzie Cracks the Whip [429 Records] After more than two decades on the jam-band circuit, Blues Traveler doesn’t stray from a comfortable formula on its first album in four years. Though lacking anything as indelible as 1990s favorites like “Run-Around” and “But Anyway,” Suzie Cracks the Whip is another respectable installment in the group’s catalogue. Frontman John Popper’s high-pitched vocals and stretched-out harmonica... 

ERIC HUTCHINSON

ERIC HUTCHINSON Moving Up Living Down [Warner Bros.] On his major-label debut, Eric Hutchinson’s upbeat, effusive melodies are underscored with reggae-ish rhythms, finding a niche that falls somewhere between Billy Joel, Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder. The Washington, D.C., native has taken a winding path to nationwide prominence, having been briefly signed to Madonna’s Maverick imprint before self-releasing 2008’s Sounds Like This. The album... 
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