New music

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This article was published 16/02/2023 (1294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP AND ROCK

Paramore

This Is Why (Atlantic)

Paramore fans who grew up with the band and may have worried about its future and its direction should be reassured by the trio’s sixth full-length album. The unadulterated pop excursions of 2017’s After Laughter have been exorcised and, after stretching her legs with a couple of pandemic-era solo albums (one suspects they may have been contractual obligation records), Hayley Williams — the band’s singer, sole constant member and primary focal point — sounds happy to be refocused and fully collaborating with guitarist/keyboardist Taylor York (her romantic partner) and drummer Zac Farro.

The three musicians have come to the realization that their raison d’être is guitar-based rock and they have thus concocted 10 songs that revisit not so much the pop-punk of their teen years, but the post-punk-informed guitar music that was coming out of the U.K. at the same time — everything from Franz Ferdinand to Kaiser Chiefs to Futureheads.

There are plenty of Bloc Party-ish textures on this album (Williams says she played Silent Alarm almost non-stop for a year) and, on tracks such as This Is Why, Running Out of Time and C’est Comme Ça, the group reaches back even further to the staccato dynamism of, say, Gang of Four. That said, it is Williams’ expressive soprano that makes this a Paramore album. Now 34 (it’s hard to believe, but she’s been a star half her life), Williams sings, shouts and whispers her way through songs of romantic regret (Liar), spiteful retribution (Big Man, Little Dignity), pandemic anxiety (The News) and self-actualization (Running Out of Time, or Crave). While its 36 minutes seem to fly by, This Is Why is also the sort of record that reveals more and more with repeated listens. Spend some time with it. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: This Is Why, Running Out of Time, C’est Comme Ça

— John Kendle

Rebecca Black

Let Her Burn (Self-released)

Before songs went viral on TikTok, Rebecca Black had a viral hit on Youtube in 2011. Black was only 13 years old when she broke the internet with Friday. The inescapable song currently has more than 164 million views on YouTube. Almost 12 years later, Black releases her debut album, Let Her Burn, and shows an artist doesn’t have to follow standard pop tropes to create a hit.

Black is willing to channel dark emotions from her past in Misery Loves Company, and is able to put deep lyrics to the beat on the dance floor. She also dives straight into past trauma and takes back her power in Destroy Me.

“My identity, so easy to destroy/Go ahead destroy me, destroy me,” Black sings.

The 10 tracks are an eclectic range from power pop ballads to electro-pop dance songs. Black doesn’t shy away from her identity and tells audiences what it means to be a queer woman of color. Performer, shows off Black’s lyricism and is the stand-out ballad on the album. In Doe-Eyed and Crumbs, Black plays with intoxicating dance beats and explores her sexuality in her lyrics.

Cry Hard Enough is another stand-out track that has addicting dance beats but also relatable lyrics of heartbreak that would leave a person dancing with tears in their eyes.

Let Her Burn is the beginning of a new era for Black and it’s her official entry into the pop world. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: Destroy Me, Cry Hard Enough

— Karena Phan

JAZZ

Will Bernard

Pond Life (Independent)

There is no question that the adventurous side of the current jazz world covers a lot of ground. Guitarist Will Bernard’s new album moves around that edgy world with a definite nod to a funky, rock-influenced and powerfully rhythmic groove. While not relentlessly “in your face” by any means, the music is complex and convoluted while celebrating a rock genesis. The personnel here say a lot to confirm what I have just said. Alongside Bernard’s driving guitar sound are Ches Smith on drums, Chris Lightcap on bass, Tim Berne on alto and John Medeski on piano and B3. Together they take no prisoners.

I’m tempted to use the word aggressive to describe much of the music here. Within a huge variety of complex rhythms, drummer Smith carries the band flawlessly. Bernard’s guitar can be fully in rock mode or shifting into melodic moments with an eclectic feel to other jazz modes. The opening track, Poor Man’s Speedball, opens the door to what is to come with powerful riffs. Surds on the other hand is much quieter and even more rhythmically complex. The phrase I often use is true here — each listen gives more and more fascinating moments. While the casual listener might focus on the obvious rock orientation of much of the music, there are wonderful moments of complexity and depth that effectively meld influences.

All members shine on most tracks, with surprising solos perhaps especially by bassist Lightcap. His music sometimes grounds the free-wheeling riffs of Berne and Bernard, as in That Day. The overall effect of this album is to provide a chance to sit back and let a talented band play music that just drives a beat and a strong groove. And they obviously have fun doing it. No snoozing here as you listen – just enjoy the ride. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: Type A, Pond Life

— Keith Black

Classical

Beethoven: Violin Concerto with Cadenzas by Jörg Widmann, Veronika Eberle, Sir Simon Rattle

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live)

Violinist Veronika Eberle marks her debut recording on the LSO Live label, performing Beethoven’s mighty Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61.

The three-movement work has represented a milestone for legions of string players since first penned in 1806, with Eberle stating in the liner notes she has carefully bided her time to record the iconic piece until “it felt really right.” She could also be in no better hands than with longtime supporter and collaborator Simon Rattle, their rapport palpable.

Of special note is her inclusion of newly commissioned cadenzas created by German composer/clarinettist Jörg Widmann, whom she met while performing chamber music concerts together in 2009. The artist’s daring contribution, replacing the Kreisler and Beethoven cadenzas, proves fascinating, including the solo violin lines beefed up with a mini-ensemble of timpani and double bass.

Eberle’s confident, commanding artistry is immediately established during the opening Allegro ma non troppo, including a well-focused tone and technical prowess able to navigate the composer’s nimble passagework before her first cadenza. While purists will doubtlessly rail against the latter’s ear-cleaning dissonances and snapping pizzicatos, others will embrace its ingenuity and wholly contemporary ethos. The soloist displays an iron-class conviction throughout the short section, with one appreciating the spirit of adventure inherent in re-imagining a classic in such a bold way.

A particular highlight is the central Largo, rendered with limpid sincerity, with the finale, always infectiously joyful Rondo, rollicking along as it should, propelled by Eberle’s bull’s-eye rhythmic acuity, before one last burst of Widmann’s creative touches.

The album also includes a noteworthy, albeit bittersweet treat: a rarely heard fragment from Beethoven’s first attempt at a new solo violin concerto in C major, discovered in 1870. It’s astonishing to hear this short snippet brimming with the high spirits of youth before its abrupt ending suddenly jolts the listener with what could have been. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THIS: Violin Concerto, Largo

— Holly Harris