Album of the Week
Ed Sheeran
“X”
★½
He’s back, and this time, it’s lots more Mr. Nice Guy. Despite occasional attempts to move his acoustic-pop sound forward into a funkier direction, Ed Sheeran’s gratingly sensitive soul is always close at hand on his second album, and it nullifies any sense of fun that “X” (pronounced “multiply”) threatens to offer. The Brit’s love of ’90s hip-hop and new jack swing is plastered all over tracks like “Nina” and “Runaway,” and during “Don’t” he even manages something close to anger as he addresses an unfaithful ex-girlfriend (strongly rumored to be Ellie Goulding).
But these are merely points of mild interest in Sheeran’s wimpy wasteland. “Photograph” is like a watered down version of Snow Patrol, and “Tenerife Sea” sounds sappy enough to make Lifetime movie viewers vomit. If being a pop star only inspires Sheeran to write drippy pap like this, then he’s doing it wrong.
Downloads of the Week
T.I. Feat. Iggy Azalea
“No Mediocre”
½ a star
Make sure you stock up on conditioner, ladies, because according to T.I.’s calypso-tinged new single, he would “never f - - k a b - - h if she don’t do her hair.” The man with the most repugnant lyrics in “Blurred Lines” keeps the vile misogyny coming on this, the first offering from his upcoming album “Paperwork” (due in the fall).
Even Iggy Azalea can’t class up this track, as her guest spot feels like it was done more out of obligation to her old hip-hop mentor. An embarrassment for all concerned.
Warning: Explicit content</strong
Jessie Ware
“Tough Love”
★★½
The British singer has been pegged as a rising star since her debut album “Devotion” arrived in 2012, and “Tough Love” (from her Ware’s second album) will see her rise even higher.
Sparse trip-hop beats meld with atmospheric synths, and Ware’s chilly voice sounds like a soft whisper in your ear. It’s comforting and strangely unsettling at the same time.
Alt-J
“Hunger of the Pine”
★★★
It’s been three years since Radiohead released an album, but Alt-J is doing a fine job of filling that void. “Hunger of the Pine” teases their upcoming second album (due in September) with this tense electro-rock single that drops in a Miley Cyrus sample and finishes with singer Joe Newman reciting lines in French like a chanting monk.
It sounds like a recipe for a Spinal Tap-style disaster, but from these utterly ridiculous components, the Brits have created something sublime.
Mastodon
“The Motherload”
★★★½
There are few more exciting sounds than that of Atlanta’s Mastodon playing their intricate alt-metal at full pelt as they do on this cut from their album “Once More ’Round The Sun.” The riffs are visceral, the drums are titanic and the song boasts a chorus that could even be described as catchy. No wonder they called it “The Motherload.”
Metallica
“Lords of Summer – First Pass Version”
★
There will be a temptation to call Metallica’s new song “epic” for the simple reason that it’s eight minutes long, but that would be far too generous. The Los Angeles metalheads sound decrepit on this new song, and it’s not helped by singer James Hetfield croaking comical lyrics about “pale riders into the night/galloping harder and faster.”
If this is the “first pass,” then you have to hope the second pass is to scrap it and start over.
The Shins
“So Now What”
★★
The Shins owe a good deal of their success to the soundtrack of the 2004 film “Garden State,” so it’s not surprising to see them teaming up with director Zach Braff for the spiritual sequel “Wish I Was Here.”
With “So Now What,” Shins main man James Mercer has given Braff what he wants — a pretty, wistful indie track that tries hard not to rock any boats. And succeeds.