Flowers Blooms, Weller Looms, Foxx Booms & More
Brandon Flowers: The Desired Effect (Island) The new album by the lead singer of the Killers is popping with upbeat, melodic music that cheerily evokes the past of your choosing: I’ve seen comparisons by Amazon customers to Johnny Hates Jazz and Cutting Crew, and I wouldn’t be surprised if older demographics pointed toward the end of Asylum Records’ Jackson Brown run, or even Danny O’Keefe. It is all that and more—happy tunes for nearly any generation, waiting only for a radio format that will openly embrace it, which is unlikely as there are now only a half-dozen songs on the radio. Much of this seems distinctly out of time, be it the blurry cover shot that begs for Flowers to be holding a cigarette, but not in 2015 please, or the polished production that suggests a record from the ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s or just last week. It is, in its way, very good, but I just played it 10 minutes ago and I have forgotten every note. Success!
Paul Weller: Saturn’s Pattern (Warner) It may just be a generational thing, but after all those long-ago comparisons of ’70s Britpunk trio the Jam to the earlier Who and Kinks, I’m much more curious about what a brand new Paul Weller album might sound like than anything new by Pete Townshend or Ray Davies. Is it that post-Jam, through the Style Council and further, Weller has made a habit of redesigning his musical approach and rarely repeating himself? Yeah, I’d say so. Opening track “White Sky” is just percussive and abrasive enough to sound like forward-looking rock ‘n’ roll, “Phoenix” offers up that melodic side of Weller that typically made him outshine most of contemporaries, and most everything else on this set is good, solid stuff. There was a period in the mid-‘90s when Weller seemed to oddly recall the sound and style of ’70s rockers Traffic or the Keef Hartley Band—which actually was kind of cool–but he’s past that now. It’s all fresh, it’s solidly laid down, and it’s worth saying yes to.
Jamie Foxx: Hollywood: A Story Of A Dozen Roses (RCA) Maybe because of his conspicuous success as an actor it’s been difficult to wholeheartedly embrace Jamie Foxx as an R&B singer, but really, enough’s enough: Grammy nods up the kazoo, superstar collaborations, a prior batch of fine records, and there are probably more than a few people who have no idea Foxx is anything but a singer. As current R&B goes, this is a very nice showing for Foxx: There’s a narrative theme—a concept album, sort of—guests aplenty, including Chris Brown, Wale and Pharrell, and silky grooves all over the place. Though I think the occasionally processed vocal will wear thin over time, most of what’s on display here is very good, slickly commercial R&B that’s energizing and extremely convincing. This is surprisingly strong all over the place.
[Related: How Jamie Foxx’s Daughters Inspired His New Album]
Jeff Beck: Live+ (Rhino) Jeff Beck’s expertise on the guitar has been evident for close to half a century now, so bringing it up again isn’t really necessary—except for the fact it’s been taken for granted for so long now, who’s really stepping back and actively listening? This live set is a great place to get reacquainted with the man: With rock performances of “Morning Dew,” straight from his ‘60s classic Truth, and a cover of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “You Know You Know” to demonstrate his best-selling fusion mode, the 14 live and 2 studio tracks included here are pretty much all you need to get an idea of this man’s talents. Kudos to extremely talented vocalist Jimmy Hall, once of Wet Willie, who here is Beck’s strongest vocalist since Rod Stewart and likely to spook Moby Grape fans who’ll listen to “Morning Dew” and inevitably hear Bob Mosley. Strong stuff that showcases Beck at his best.
[Related: Jeff Beck Previews Live Track, ‘Going Down’]
Graham Parker & The Rumour: Mystery Glue (Universal) Maybe because of his involvement in This Is 40, Graham Parker’s conspicuously back and at it again, and this can only be good. From the jarringly familiar Cadet Concept label—where are the Rotary Connection and John Klemmer when we need ‘em?—to the good old, well-played, R&B-derived backing of Parker’s famous band the Rumour, back again, Mystery Glue is the same sort of Graham Parker album he released on Mercury Records eons ago. Which means it’s very good. While his voice is just a tad grainier, the musicianship everywhere is better than ever, and re-acquaintance with the type of songs he sings—like “Railroad Spikes,” “Swing State,” and “I’ve Done Bad Things”—is fascinating. He’s kind of a sloganeer, a minimal lyricist, and I guess he always was–but in 2015, that seems more like a positive attribute and not a criticism.
Du Blonde: Welcome Back To Milk (Mute) Very happy to see this colorful return by the former Beth Jeans Houghton, here without her Hooves Of Destiny, but rocking nonetheless, and looking very much like the daughter of your neighborhood Yeti, were she to favor minimal apparel and a nose ring. With an album title either dripping with irony or horrifyingly depressing, Du Blonde’s album is well-produced by Jim Sclavunos, loaded with fascinating tracks, and exactly the sort of things most guys would like to play for their mother. Word is that if you hit up PledgeMusic and know where to look, a custom tattoo—designed by Du Blonde herself!—is yours for the asking. Good, good, good.
Shamir: Ratchet (XL) One of the week’s more exciting new releases by young Shamir Bailey, a Las Vegas-born vocalist who dwells somewhere between pop, dance, and R&B without exclusivity in any direction. It’s very much an asset here, on his first full LP after last year’s Northtown EP. He’s got an exquisite voice, he’s got very few stylistic predecessors except for the most obvious ones, so why even mention them, and he’s constructed an album that’s a rich sensory experience worth hearing repeatedly. He’s very young, on his way up, and worth enjoying fully right now.
Daniel Johns: Talk (EMI Music Australia) We knew from the get-go that Australia’s Daniel Johns was talented, but the young singer/songwriter and guitarist has changed dramatically since his early days with Silverchair—and all in a very good way. His very first solo album, Talk comes after a near-decade of silence from Johns and offers up complexity, soulfulness, oozing R&B-inspired electro-sounds, and maybe the sort of thing you’d expect if you threw in a batch of collaborators including Lorde/Broods producer Joel Little and Julian Hamilton of the Presets. There’s a smoothness and sense of atmosphere running through all of this set that impressive and distinctly mature—and precisely the sort of thing you’d expect from a young guy (36) who started making records 20 years ago. Extremely impressive and available here.
