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Ladies' man John Mayer did himself no favors with tell-all
interviews circa 2009's "Battle Studies." Listening to "Born and Raised,"
it sounds like Mayer can be a jerk, but he's also willing to admit it ("Shadow
Days," "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey"). Framing lyrical acts of contrition with
gentle arrangements and insidious melodies, his fifth studio album often evokes
James Taylor, while "Walt Grace's Submarine Test,
January 1967" feels like a Wes Anderson film condensed into song. Factor in
some succinct standouts ("Love Is a Verb") and subdued solos, and one might
conclude that the big lug has learned to value self-editing. - Kurt B. Reighley
Not everyone in the 21st century makes their music in
seclusion on a MacBook. Slide guitarist Derek Trucks and his wife, singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, initiated this 11-piece roots-rock
ensemble as a summer touring band. So who can blame them for releasing a
double-disc live set as the follow-up to their 2011 Grammy-winning debut, "Revelator"? From the opening moments of the Fred
Neil title tune, ripe with warm brass and sweet vocal harmonies, the group's
passion for performing together resonates loud and clear, and the extended song
forms accommodate plenty of virtuoso instrumental turns -- even the flute solos
rock! - K.B.R.
Though seven years have passed since Garbage's previous album "Bleed Like Me," an audience persists for their
'90s alt-rock hybrid of electronic beats, slashing guitars, hazy textures and
seething vocals, as the popularity of indie acts like School of Seven Bells attests. Shirley Manson still excels at spitting vitriol
("Automatic Systematic Habit") and empathizing with outsiders ("Beloved Freak"),
and a barrage of bleeps, squeals and gut-rumble bass sufficient to satisfy even
severe ADD sufferers animates these 11 tracks. Amazing as "Not Your Kind of People" sounds, however, the
songs lack the tenacity of the quartet's best. Grade: A for attitude, C for
content. - K.B.R.
From rural Arkansas to the runways of Paris fashion
week, Beth Ditto and company have traveled a long distance, and so has the Gossip's sound. Helmed by U.K. producer Andrew
Higgins of Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes), the trio's fifth album is their most
polished and club-friendly yet; the thumping "Move in the Right Direction" could
just as easily have been a Kylie Minogue vehicle. Punk purists might scoff,
but elements of the band's DIY roots -- Hannah Blilie's inventive drumming, the
sassy lyrical finger-wag of "Get a Job" -- temper the gloss. Ditto's vocals
sound smoother, too, but her defiant attitude remains undimmed. - K.B.R.
Soulsavers do not fear somber singers: The U.K.
production duo's 2009 full-length, "Broken," featured a half-dozen gloomy alt-rockers,
including Mark Lanegan and Will Oldham. But crafting their fourth album
entirely around Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan proves unwise. At first, hearing
Gahan's baritone buttressed by gospel choirs, acoustic guitars and bluesy organ
offers a refreshing change from DM's electronics; his melodramatic delivery can
withstand cinematic strings and timpani, too. But eventually the record
collapses under its own weight. Even when Gahan's lyrics flirt with hope
("Presence of God"), the plodding tempos and portentous vocals obliterate any
glimmers of optimism. - K.B.R.
