Albums of the week
George Michael
“Symphonica”
★
Warning! George Michael has officially entered the dinner-party music phase of his career. His sixth album (actually a glorified live collection with added production by the late Phil Ramone) revisits choice cuts from his history and drops in a selection of covers to create an hour of tarted-up tedium. As hinted in the title, orchestral ballads rule the roost on “Symphonica.” There are fleeting moments of excellence such as the still-moving and still-relevant “Praying for Time,” while the version of Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Let Her Down Easy” benefits from Michael’s rich vocal tones that, despite his famously gargantuan one-time marijuana-smoking habit, don’t appear to have aged a day. But as the 14 tracks go by, elegance is gradually drowned out by boredom. It’s amazing that Michael would try so hard to sound so dull.
Kylie Minogue
“Kiss Me Once”
★★½
Trying to keep up with the kids has left many an aging diva looking stupid (oh hey, Madge), but with her 12th album, Kylie manages to contemporize without looking too much like an embarrassing aunt trying to do the robot at a wedding. The Aussie star’s army of A-list producers serves her reasonably well, especially MNEK on the woozy electro of “Feels So Good” — and, of course, the all-conquering Pharrell Williams, who injects a sleek shot of disco-funk into the proceedings via “I Was Gonna Cancel.” The repeated lyrical attempts to sound like a sex kitten seem forced, but this is not an album to be taken too seriously. It’s a fluid, fun listen, and while “Kiss Me Once” doesn’t exactly distinguish her from the modern pop world, Kylie has just enough charisma to ensure she doesn’t fade into the crowd.
Downloads of the week
Foster the People
“Pseudologia Fantastica”
★★★
“Pumped Up Kicks” already looks like it will be Foster the People’s albatross, which is a shame considering the depth of their second album, “Supermodel.” Particularly impressive is this current single, which mixes West Coast melodies with billowing, My Bloody Valentine-style guitars. They’ve had their one hit, but this is the real wonder.
Skrillex
“Stranger”
★★½
Having seeded dubstep’s recent invasion of pop music, producer/DJ Skrillex has finally released his first album, “Recess,” and the best moments come when he moves away from the grinding (and often grating) sound he pioneered. “Stranger” is one such example, which takes him into smoother R&B territory with the aid of a delicate vocal from Sam Dew. Surprisingly tasteful stuff.
The Pretty Reckless
“Sweet Things”
★★
Taylor Momsen’s post-grunge band isn’t going to win any originality awards, but the Pretty Reckless is no vanity project, either. This ambitious cut (from new album “Going to Hell”) brings together beefed-up riffs, grand strings and the kind of demented screams that will make most “Gossip Girl” fans run for the hills. It’s still a watered-down version of rock ’n’ roll for sure, but Momsen means it all the same.
Black Lips
“Dandelion Dust”
★★★
For a handful of tracks on the Black Lips’ seventh album, “Underneath the Rainbow,” the Atlanta garage-rock quartet has used Black Keys’ Patrick Carney as a producer, and you can hear the difference. The glam-rock swing and electronically aided beats of “Dandelion Dust” show that with the right kind of help, the Black Lips can be classy as well as trashy.
Prince feat. Zooey Deschanel
“FALLINLOVE2NITE”
★★
Prince has been absent from radio playlists for 20 years, but he’s obviously seeking to change that by releasing this EDM-tinged track (first heard on the post-Super Bowl episode of “New Girl”). Revolving around one repeated hook and featuring Deschanel’s mildly convincing disco-vamp impression, “FALLINLOVE2NITE” is not even in the same solar system as Prince’s best work. But it could be the hit he’s been looking for.