Downloads of the week
Boots feat. Beyoncé
“Dreams”
★★★
For those who didn’t stay up and read the credits on the night Beyoncé’s self-titled album was released in December, Boots is the mysterious producer who helmed many of its finest tracks. Now, Bey returns the favor on this sultry slow-jam. It confirms his talent as producer de jour while underlining her ability to sing the same line over and over and yet still make every repetition sexier than the last. They’re continuing to sound like a match made in heaven.
Pixies
“What Goes Boom”
★★½
The return of Pixies is a reason to rejoice for ’80s alt-rock dudes (and it is mostly dudes), and although their first album in 23 years, “Indie Cindy,” is unremarkable, this lead track sees the excitement justified for a moment. The aggression of Frank Black’s vocals and Joey Santiago’s searing guitar shows the Bostonians can still capture the sinister spirit of old — even if its shock value is long gone.
Damon Albarn
“The Selfish Giant”
★★★
Twenty years on from the pomp of Britpop, Blur’s Damon Albarn is in a reflective and subdued state of mind on his first solo album, “Everyday Robots.” That introspection sometimes results in boredom, but on this highlight, he captures the feeling of modern isolation beautifully with just a piano riff, a deathly beat and the almost painfully intimate lyric “It’s hard to be a lover when the TV’s on/And nothing’s in your eyes.”
Ramona Lisa
“Backwards And Upwards”
★★★
Brooklynite Caroline Polachek is known to some as the singer of Chairlift. But under the guise of Ramona Lisa, she’s going solo with the album “Arcadia,” and “Backwards And Upwards” shows she has more than enough capability to do things on her own. The gorgeously warped synth-pop sound and Polachek’s swirling vocal harmonies make this single a thing of quiet wonder.
Courtney Love
“You Know My Name”
★
Fresh from slating the E Street Band for daring to use saxophones, Courtney is back with a one-off single that sounds like it was knocked off in 10 minutes in somebody’s garage (and not in a good way). The guitars sound impotent, the drums feel listless and Courtney gives her telegraphed, textbook snarl. “I’ll never change,” she sings with misguided pride. Um, yeah, that’s kind of the problem, Courtney.
Jack White
“Lazaretto”
★★
Jack White’s work rate has always been impressive, but on “Lazaretto” (from the new solo album of the same name, due in June), he appears to be suffering from full-blown ADHD. It starts life as a swaggering funk-rock jam, slows down into a midsong freakout and ends with an ill-judged flourish of countrified fiddle. Three songs for the price of one might seem like a good deal, but the former White Stripe stiffed us with the last one.
Rodrigo y Gabriela
“Somnium”
★½
There has never been any doubt that this Mexican flamenco duo have incredible technical talent, and the sound of their astoundingly fast riffs on “Somnium” will again leave guitar nerds slack-jawed. But one Rodrigo y Gabriela track sounds much like the rest, and their fourth album, “9 Dead Alive,” doesn’t do much to change that trend.