PEARL JAM
“Lightning Bolt”
★★★
Five years since their last album, “Backspacer,” Pearl Jam still sounds lean and hungry — impressive under any circumstances, even more so considering that this is their 10th album in 22 years. Not that “Lightning Bolt” is remotely surprising, from the electric-acoustic blend of “Swallowed Whole” paying homage to singer Eddie Vedder’s beloved Who to the blues stomp of “Let the Records Play” (an homage to vinyl à la 1994’s “Spin the Black Circle”). But who goes to Pearl Jam for surprises? They’re rock traditionalists who still sound like they’re having a great time — a rare and vibrant thing these days.
PAUL McCARTNEY
“New”
★★
Does anyone really expect to be wowed by a new Paul McCartney album, anymore? “New” has plenty of smart sonic ideas — the production, split among sharp-eared hitmakers, including Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) and Paul Epworth (Adele), is full and lustrous, especially on the Epworth-helmed “Queenie Eye.” But that’s one of the few songs here that make you really sit up and take notice. Mostly, it’s a solid but not especially memorable collection that’s distinguished primarily by the singer’s instantly recognizable voice. And yes, there’s some Beatles nostalgia: “Early Days” is a remembrance of the band’s beginnings, tinged with tiresome defensiveness.
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PITBULL Feat. KE$HA
“Timber”
★½
The harmonica, handclaps, and boot-stomping beat that drive this single confirm that in 2013, everyone from dance DJs (Avicii) to rappers has gone country. And most sound like schmucks — not that Pitbull needs any help, barking inanities like, “We about to clown/Why? ’Cause it’s about to go down.”
THE AVETT BROTHERS
“Another Is Waiting”
★★½
It’s awfully difficult to dislike these North Carolina rock-bluegrass siblings, whose eighth album, “Magpie and the Dandelion,” gives us this single. Seth Avett’s big, wide, arcing vocal is insistently sincere, but not irritatingly so. The song is brief, punchy and ingratiating, if not exactly memorable.
THE HEAD AND THE HEART
“Another Story”
★½
For their second album, the aptly titled “Let’s Be Still,” Seattle indie-chamber-folk duo the Head and the Heart are still dreamy, snoozy, and soft-focused. Why mess with a successful formula? And formulaic is how this indistinct aural cloud sounds — pretty and content-less, perfect for falling asleep at your laptop.
DEAN WAREHAM
“Emancipated Hearts”
★★★
Ex-Luna leader Wareham is a longtime New Yorker whose sneaky guitar and murmured vocals have been one of rock’s reliable pleasures for two-and-a-half decades. “Emancipated Hearts,” the title cut of his new solo album, is hypnotic and lovely as usual, with ghostly strings and a sly nod to “Hey Jude.”