New music

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/06/2020 (2266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP / ROCK

Lady Gaga
Chromatica (Interscope/Universal)

It’s been a long while since we’ve had a so-called “proper” Lady Gaga album. After 2013’s Artpop, she took a hard left, dabbling in duets with Tony Bennett, the stripped-down country leanings of Joanne, and then of course, the multi-award-winning A Star is Born soundtrack with Bradley Cooper.

Chromatica marks Mother Monster’s return to the dancefloor. And what a return it is. Enlisting the production assistance of dance music heavyweights such as Bloodpop, Skrillex and Axwell, to name a few, virtually every song crackles with an undeniable disco energy that somehow sounds simultaneously retro and futuristic.

The delectable Sour Candy would feel right at home on a mid-’90s Eurodance compilation, infectiously bouncy synths blend with surprisingly dark lyrics on the remarkable Replay, and there are more than a few nods to earlier Madonna — album closer Babylon, for example, sounds like Vogue’s not-too-distant cousin.

Meanwhile, current single Rain on Me, a duet with Ariana Grande, is an instant anthem about soldiering through adversity (which seems incredibly appropriate given these trying times), the surprisingly intense Elton John collaboration Sine From Above features a full-on drum & bass breakdown, and the aptly titled Alice finds Gaga searching for Wonderland with Speak & Spell voice effects.

The album is divided into thirds thematically, with each section getting its own dramatic intro. It’s an interesting idea, but it seems almost unnecessary. Are concept albums still a thing? Who cares, just dance. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THIS: Sour Candy, Replay, Rain on Me, Alice

— Steve Adams

 

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POP / ROCK

Nicole Atkins
Italian Ice (Single Lock Records)

The wonder of discovery is a powerful thing, which is why so many music fans keep diggin’ the new. But even the most ardent listener can’t be on top of everything, so it’s always a pleasant surprise to realize that a new-to-you act has been around for years and boasts a full body of work.

Nicole Atkins is one such artist, a 41-year-old with a strikingly rich alto who’s been knocking around the biz for the past decade and a half, recording four albums since 2007. Initially signed to Columbia, for whom she released the exceptional Neptune City, Atkins was then shuffled to Razor & Tie and crowdfunded her third record before finding a home at boutique Alabama label Single Lock (home of St. Paul and The Broken Bones), where she really found her groove with 2017’s Goodbye Rhonda Lee.

Italian Ice is Atkins’ fifth album and she describes it as a musical homage to the New Jersey boardwalks she grew up on (the title refers to a frozen treat popular in Atlantic City). She co-produced it with Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes, recorded it at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and enlisted the members of the Bad Seeds, Dap-Kings, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Britt Daniel of Spoon and an Avett Brother to help out.

The result, in keeping with the theme, is a rollicking funhouse tour, taking in everything from the retro soul and pop vibes of In the Splinters to the indie pop of Forever (which could easily be a Jenny Lewis song) or the modern rock of A Road to Nowhere. Mind Eraser wouldn’t sound out of place on Fiona Apple’s latest, Domino locks into a disco groove, and the likes of Captain, Never Going Home Again, Far From Home and These Old Roses are exquisite, ‘60s-tinted, orchestral pop melodramas. ★★★★ out of five

Steam these: AM Gold; Never Going Home Again; In the Splinters

— John Kendle

 

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ROOTS / COUNTRY

X
Alphabetland (Fat Possum Records)

In late April of this year, Los Angeles punkabilly rockers X, a band that was instrumental in creating the L.A. punk music sound in the late 1970s, released a surprise album created by the four original members.

The last album released by the quartet of guitarist Stuart (Billy Zoom) Kindell, songwriter/bassist/singer John (John Doe) Duchac, singer Christene (Exene) Cervenka and drummer Donald James (D.J.) Bonebrake was 1985’s Ain’t Love Grand, and although the band continued with a shifting cast of guitarists until a live album release in 2005 this particular combo was always the one to beat. Alphabetland finds the gang in fighting trim, sounding, for all intents and purposes, as if no time has passed since their classic first four albums hit the shelves. Having Billy Zoom back in the fold is a blessing for sure, and his blistering, rockabilly-on-speed riffs are plastered all over these 11 tracks. Water & Wine, I Gotta Fever and particularly Delta 88 Nightmare as well as Goodbye Year Goodbye are rip-roaring examples of Zoom’s ability to let his fingers fly without any guitar god pretense.

For their parts, former romantic couple Cervenka and Doe still deliver vocally, their harmony style a template created from classic Americana artists from a generation before. With only one track pushing itself over the three-minute mark, the album gets its points across in short, sharp shocks. By keeping things tight and tart, X proves that by removing any superfluous trappings that they still have a handle on what made them great in the first place.

The songs delve into personal politics (Free), modern life in the U.S.A (Strange Life, Goodbye Year Goodbye) and even a bit of a sardonic look back at their career (Star Chambered). Closing the set is a cool spoken-word piece by Cervenka (All The Time In The World) that suggests a point of view that has changed considerably since the heady days of punk rock near-stardom. If you were ever a fan, Alphabetland will revitalize your love of X. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: Cyrano DeBerger’s Back, Water & Wine

— Jeff Monk

 

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JAZZ

Ambrose Akinmusire
On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment (Blue Note)

As the title might suggest, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire comes at his music from unusual angles. His former albums have also had unusual titles, while maintaining a strong foundation of exploring African America from those unusual angles. This album features pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Justin Brown, with brief vocal additions by Jesus Diaz and Genevieve Artadi.

The music here is solidly avant-garde while including peaceful ballads like Yessss. Throughout, there is an approach that presents the blues in very modern frameworks. The liner notes state that Akinmusire is “using his voice to dissect the complexity of black life in America.” The tunes therefore cover the spectrum from ragged anguish to lovely moments of peace and affirmation. Always these moods are couched in terrific music that could be considered political only in the subtlest way.

Standout tracks like Mr. Roscoe (consider the simultaneous) or An Interlude (that get’ more intense) are indeed haunting in their intensity. While the ballads are similarly haunting, they could not be called gentle in their compositional or harmonic style.

Each member of the quartet, especially pianist Harris, is totally in sync with Akinmusire, and all solos are arresting. Jazz with social commentary is increasingly common these days, especially in the African-American community, but here the music is totally the message. Hooded Procession (read the names aloud) needs no further interpretation. From an unusual title and perspective, Akinmusire has given us a powerful and worthwhile musical journey. ★★★★1/2 out of five

STREAM THESE: Blues (We measure the heart with a fist), An Interlude (that get’ more intense)

— Keith Black

 

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CLASSICAL

Dana Zemtsov, viola, & Anna Fedorova, piano
Silhouettes (Channel Classics)

Award-winning violist Dana Zemtsov joins forces with pianist Anna Fedorova to explore music inspired by French poetry, nature and dance on this new release.

The album features seven eclectic works that showcase the simpatico artistry of the duo, including three pieces by quintessential French composer Debussy: La Plus que Lente, Beau Soir and his iconic Clair de Lune. The latter transcription particularly offers fascinating, at times startling sonorities that might raise an eyebrow for purists more accustomed to the original piano solo. Enescu’s simply titled Concert Piece blends impressionist styles with Romanian folk music from his homeland, while also highlighting Zemtsov’s innate lyricism and expressive phrasing.

Also included is little-known British/German composer Rebecca Clarke’s “Sonata for Viola and Piano,” a three-movement piece dated 1919, evoking the pastoral charm of English folkdance and infused with inflections of Debussy and Ravel — both her contemporaries.

The most recent work, Arne Werkman’s “Suite for viola and piano — dedicated to the “violist family Zemtsov” and inspired by the baroque dance suite — reveals the composer’s modern compositional language, including textural effects and tone clusters, with the finale, Tarantella, quickly becoming an album highlight, its driving rhythmic thrust brought to life with precision and clarity by the players.

Similarly, Darius Milhaud and a founding member of the Groupe des Six features his own creative take on the centuries-old musical form, including delicate ornamentation embellishing the piano part and sweeping lines by the viola. Informative and listener-friendly liner notes provide further detail for each selection, thoughtfully chosen by these two artists whose palpable rapport is displayed in both work and at play. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THIS: Beau Soir by Claude Debussy

— Holly Harris