Downloads of the week
The Afghan Whigs
“These Sticks”
★★★½
Back in the ’90s, Cincinnati’s Afghan Whigs represented the creepier side of alternative-rock, and the new album “Do to the Beast” (the band’s first in 16 years) continues that reputation. The closing track in particular is a tense, sprawling affair, bolstered with huge horns and finished off with singer Greg Dulli seemingly vowing vengeance against a former lover. “I’ve come to make you pay” is his payoff line. If you’re the person he wrote this song about, you should maybe think about double-bolting your doors.
Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dogg
“Wiggle”
★
The Florida star’s latest album, “Talk Dirty,” is unsurprisingly filled with plenty of songs about the pleasures of humping — and for this silly R&B track, he enlists the Doggfather to pay homage to a woman with a particularly large butt. “Patty-cake, patty-cake, with no hands/Got me in the club thinking wedding plans,” goes the hilariously bad opening line. What it lacks in musical merit, “Wiggle” makes up in unintentional comedic value.
Ed Sheeran
“Sing”
★★½
Most of us had Ed Sheeran down as a sappy balladeer, but this Pharrell Williams-produced new single (lifted from the forthcoming album “X”) takes a flamethrower to that image. The acoustic guitar takes a back seat for once, while slinky, pop-funk rhythms and the Brit’s falsetto vocal are pushed to the forefront. Justin Timberlake does this kind of thing much better, but you have to hand it to Ed — this is a ballsy step up.
The Roots
”When The People Cheer”
★★½
They’ve got one of the cushiest jobs in the business — but being the house band on “The Tonight Show” hasn’t blunted the Roots’ collective intelligence. This contemplative track (from the album “And Then You Shoot Your Cousin,” due next month) combines a jazzy piano motif with a typically tight Questlove beat, while vocalist Black Thought adds dark lyrics from the perspective of a soulless sex addict. Definitely not a hit in the making, but all the more engrossing for it.
Warning: Explicit content
Ingrid Michaelson
“Girls Chase Boys”
★½
The rampant blandness of Michaelson’s fifth album, “Lights Out,” is almost too much to take, but on occasion, the New York singer-songwriter manages to carve out a catchy hook you just can’t shake. This chirpy lead single spices up her coffee-table pop to a more bearable level — but even so, she makes Sara Bareilles sound like Slayer.
The Both
“The Gambler”
★★½
As well-established singer-songwriters, Ted Leo and Aimee Mann don’t need each other to earn credibility. Instead, they’ve teamed up to create the Both, mainly because they complement each other very well — and this lead track from their self-titled debut shows how good the fit is. Their hearty Americana sound is augmented by the duo’s voices, which intertwine to create a rich and comforting melody. Let’s hope it’s the first of many more.