Albums of the Week
Bleachers
“Strange Desire”
★★★
From this moment on, anyone who refers to Jack Antonoff merely as Lena Dunham’s boyfriend or as the other guy in fun. should be given a slap across the face with Bleachers’ debut album. The New Yorker’s new musical project proves his own immense talent as a singer-songwriter thanks to a swathe of shimmering, radio-ready pop songs.
If John Hughes were still alive, he would have written entire movies around wonderfully catchy songs like “You’re Still a Mystery” and “Rollercoaster” (one of this year’s best singles). Antonoff also has tastes out of left field, which he shows through excellent collaborations with Grimes and Yoko Ono, and on the closer “Who I Want You To Love,” which begins as a dreamy acoustic number but sprawls into territory reminiscent of Bowie’s Berlin days.
It’s an impressive end to a minor revelation of an album.
Morrissey
“World Peace Is None of Your Business”
★½
Morrissey is back and yep, you guessed it, he’s grumpy. Although there is still some fire in the Brit’s belly, “World Peace Is None of Your Business” finds him largely incapable of expressing any of it with his characteristic wit.
The title track finds him railing against governments with broad, clumsy statements like “each time you vote, you support the system,” and “Kick the Bride Down the Aisle” produces the kind of sentiment that’s verging on the misogynistic. Morrissey’s musical palette has been given a slight revamp thanks to the addition of harps, didgeridoos and, on “Staircase at the University,” a flourish of flamenco guitar.
Despite these ornamental touches, his band’s indie-rock blueprint still sounds dated. Morrissey’s insistence on living in a shell used to be part of his charm, but now it’s becoming tiresome.
Downloads of the Week
Jungle
“Time”
★★★
If you don’t know anything about Jungle, don’t feel bad; almost no one does. The British duo have shrouded themselves in mystery, but the futuristic funk of their self-titled debut album is really all the information you need.
This superb single in particular throbs with taut bass lines, tight breakbeats and hypnotic falsetto vocals that hit the sweet spot between the Bee Gees and Curtis Mayfield.
Usher feat. Nicki Minaj
“She Came To Give it to You”
★★
Another day, another Pharrell-produced track that pillages the work of Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.
This time, it’s Usher who benefits — but for all its energy, this cut of dance floor R&B lacks a truly memorable hook, while Minaj sounds like she phoned in her rap in the middle of reading her Sunday supplements. It’s suave and shiny, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Interpol
“All the Rage Back Home”
★★
When Interpol first arrived on the New York music scene in the early 2000s, they were pegged as part of the post-punk revival. Now they sound like they’re trying to revive the revival.
This lead track from the forthcoming album “El Pintor” (out Sept. 9) is based on the same shrill guitar lines and monotone vocals they’ve established as their signature sound. But even though it all builds to a rousing finish, this is a song they could have recorded 10 years ago.
Jason Mraz
“Long Drive”
½ a star
Jason Mraz is so boring, he makes Ed Sheeran look like Marilyn Manson on a meth bender. But the Virginian’s bland acoustic pop has bought him much success, and on his fifth album, “Yes!,” he sticks doggedly to the mild formula.
“Long Drive” brings the mellowness to almost comatose levels, and the cheesy “home”/”alone” rhymes are laughable.