Downloads of the Week
Bleachers
“I Wanna Get Better”
★★★
Fun. is over (for now at least) because Jack Antonoff is singing his own power-pop choruses in new project Bleachers, and their exhilarating debut single, “I Wanna Get Better,” is catchy enough to ensure it’ll be a springtime smash. The video is directed by girlfriend Lena Dunham and pokes fun at the First World problems that make up so many of the story lines in “Girls.” Between the two of them, they’ve pretty much got pop-culture sewn up for the foreseeable future.
The Black Keys
“Fever”
★★
You have to give them props; the Black Keys are not happy to be boxed in as a grizzly blues band. But their latest reinvention, “Fever” (a taster for new album “Turn Blue” which lands in May), doesn’t quite catch. Drummer Patrick Carney taps out a smooth four-to-the-floor beat, singer Dan Auerbach adopts falsetto vocal and the result sounds like a half-hearted attempt to show they’ve got soul. They do, but not as much as they think.
Janelle Monáe
“What Is Love?”
★½
Janelle Monáe’s high-concept R&B is not the best match for “Rio 2” (which opens next week), so it’s no surprise to hear her contribution to the soundtrack is a lot more lightweight than what we’ve come to expect. The samba-pop rhythms of “What Is Love?” might get the kids excited, but parents are better off investigating the future-funk of Monáe’s full-length solo albums.
Christina Perri
“Burning Gold”
★
You can hear Christina Perri aiming for the same feel-good territory as Katy Perry’s “Roar” on this current single (taken from her lackluster second album “Head Or Heart”) but the Philly girl falls well short. “I’m setting fire to the life I know,” she sings, and she sounds elated at her personal reinvention. It’s just a shame her bland pop sound is so obviously made of asbestos.
Nickel Creek
“Hayloft”
★★
Nine years on since their last album, California trio Nickel Creek are back with new album “A Dotted Line,” and in the midst of the familiar bluegrass twangs is this spritely cover of “Hayloft” (originally by Canadian indie rockers Mother Mother). For a band that’s so often accused of spinning out the same doleful sound, it’s a surprisingly fun and funky departure.
Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa
“Linda Paloma”
★★½
Jackson Browne’s evocative songwriting style has always been one of Bruce Springsteen’s lesser-known influences, but on the new double-disc tribute album “Looking Into You,” The Boss is just one of many paying their regards with covers. This delicate reinterpretation of Browne’s 1976 track “Linda Paloma” retains the mariachi flavor, and Bruce sounds remarkably youthful while Scialfa’s backup vocals add an extra richness.
Jamie xx
“Sleep Sound”
★★★½
Although the xx are currently busy with their intimate residency at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, the band’s producer Jamie Smith (a k a Jamie xx) has found time to release this blissful 6-minute opus of glitchy vocals and dreamy house beats. It’s a 5 a.m. dance party waiting to happen.