Music

Brad Paisley returns to country’s simple pleasures

Downloads of the Week

Brad Paisley

“River Bank”

★★½

After the debacle of last year’s “Accidental Racist,” you can forgive Paisley for reverting to country music’s simpler pleasures. Even the title metaphor (as long as we can go to the water, who needs cash?) is cast in corn. It’s appealingly jaunty, but Paisley has done this better.

Todd Terje feat. Bryan Ferry

“Johnny and Mary”

★★½

Terje makes Norwegian synth-disco with a big wink and ingratiating tunes, with a number of cult singles before his first album, “It’s Album Time.” This mid-tempo Robert Palmer cover, sung by a parched-sounding Ferry, is more hushed and somber than Terje’s usual fare, though the arrangement brightens up considerably.

The Faint

“Help in the Head”

★★★

Omaha’s dance-punks the Faint have never been exactly earthshaking. But they can be relied upon for a good sharp kick sometimes, such as with this insistent garage-rocker from “Doom Abuse” (their sixth album, and first since 2008). Todd Fink’s snarl is the star, Jacob Thiele’s screeching organ steals the show.

Dada Life feat. Sebastian Bach

“Born to Rage”

★★★

Want a good, stupid fist-pumping anthem? Go to the hair-metal guy. On this stand-alone single, Sebastian Bach writes his best chorus since “I Remember You,” and Dutch dance producers Dada Life buoy him with a squealing synth riff. Extra points for the truly nutso video, in which Bach wields magic powers.

Haley Pharo

“Con Artist”

★½

Pharo is a pop singer-songwriter and former backing singer for Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. From her self-titled debut album comes this florid, crescendo-heavy belter about addiction to love. Everything here is overdone, in song and arrangement both — Pharo herself isn’t bad, but there isn’t much personality there, either.

Squarepusher & Z-Machines

“Sad Robot Goes Funny”

★★★
Squarepusher (Tom Jenkinson) is a British bassist and electronic music producer whose work is sometimes sharp — and sometimes tedious. Z-Machines are a bunch of robots designed in Japan that are programmed to play instruments. Their self-titled EP together is full of melodic instrumentals, with this track particularly lovely.

Betty Who

“Heartbreak Dream”

★★½

Twenty-two-year-old Australian singer-songwriter Betty Who — now a New Yorker — is in the boisterous, smart pop tradition of Robyn and Annie, though this track from Who’s second EP, “Slow Dancing,” just misses those acts’ high-water mark. Still, its heartbreak-on-the-dance-floor vibe is effective, if not quite unique.