Celtic Thunder Christmas VoicesCeltic Thunder B
On their second Christmas album, Celtic Thunder emphasizes the spiritual side of the season. But along with lovely interpretations of “Mary DidYou Know,” “Oh Holy Night,” “Away in a Manger” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” one will also f ind “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Christmas Song.”
The orchestra makes for lavish, though sometimes thunderous, listening. “In the Bleak Midwinter” is a welcome inclusion that has a growing presence on holiday albums, but “Fairytale of New York”doesn’t feel like a good fit. The group’s harmonics are lush and rich.
Hot tracks: “Mary Did You Know,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “Oh Holy Night.” - ELLIS WIDNERR. Kelly Black Panties RCA B-
R. Kelly likes sex. A lot. Always has and probably always will.
What sets his latest studio album apart from the rest of his work is that he’s really only singing about sex now. No “I Believe I Can Fly,” no sex-related “hip-hopera” like “Trapped in the Closet.” He doesn’t use euphemisms for sex very much anymore.
Kelly is now just putting his sex talk out there unvarnished. After all this practice, though, Kelly has become a master of sex songs. “Genius” is a great throwback slow jam, up there with Prince’s “Darling Nikki” and Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.” “Legs Shakin’,” featuring Ludacris, is another sleek, ’80s-styled soul ballad, while “Throw This Money on You” uses layers of icy synthesizers to create electronic cool as current as anything from The Weeknd or Rhye.
After 18 tracks and 70 minutes or so, it does get monotonous, but Kelly finds ways of occasionally spicing things up.
Hot tracks: “Genius,” “Throw This Money on You.” - GLENN GAMBOA, \
Newsday Various artists The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Volume 1 Big Machine B+
Do you watch Nashville for the music or the soapy storyline loaded with rivalry, betrayal, romance and addiction?
Actors Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton are solid country divas, on and off the stage. The show taps interesting, lesser-known singers and writers to provide a sort of aural glue to the series. Sam Palladio shines on “Can’t Get It Right.” Singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe has gotten a great boost from the show, along with her presence in Pistol Annies. Monroe’s co-writing work on “A Life That’s Good” gives young sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella a fine folky-country ballad. “Ball and Chain,” with Britton and Will Chase, rocks and rolls the country heartache.
Especially moving is Chaley Rose’s aching a cappella take on the traditional “Wayfaring Stranger.” Hot pickers and producers such as Buddy Miller and Paul Kennerley, plus a batch of crack session players, keep the music lively and taut.
Hot tracks: “Can’t Get It Right,” “Trouble Is,” “This Town,” “Ball and Chain.” - ELLIS WIDNER
Sarah Jarosz Build Me Up From the Bones Sugar Hill A-
Sarah Jarosz is a 22-year old wunderkind who can play multiple instruments (guitar, banjo and mandolin) and write songs. This album mixes country/folk/bluegrass/art song sounds and it is mostly hypnotic, not in a small part due to Jarosz’ unerring sense of melody and a voice that reaches out from the darkness and grabs you.
A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Jarosz doesn’t parade her virtuosity, but it is here in more than enough supply. Her selection of covers (one miss with Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” and one home run with Joanna Newsom’s “The Book of Right-On”) reflects her music school-kid tastes. Her lyrics are abstract and moody and, while they fit tight with her songs’ twists and turns, they don’t add up to much. But her musical take is so rich and strong that many songs feel like a dive into a deep pool. It’s refreshing, powerful and you want to goagain.
Hot tracks: “Over the Edge,” “Mile on the Moon,” “The Book of Right-On.” -WERNER TRIESCHMANN
Death Grips Government Plates Thirdworld B+
That tiny boom you recently heard off in the distance of your Internet stream was probably the new Death Grips album being dropped. The Sacramento, Calif.,-based avant-industrial-hip-hop provocateurs released it with no hype or fanfare as a free download, or streaming at soundcloud.com (there are also videos for all 11 tracks on YouTube).
Wrapped in furious, buzzing, electronic dance beats and Stefan Burnett’s raging delivery, Government Plates is a dizzying, confusing and ultimately rewarding trip. Burnett spits/ hollers lyrics that sound like some sort of William S. Burroughs cut-and-paste experiment, with his looped vocals adding to the craziness.
Zach Hill and Andy Morin provide the twisted, often minimalist beats, squiggles and blown-speaker effects that propel the songs. It’s a schizophrenic, disturbing and brutal soundscape - pure rage and raw power. It’s what Kanye West is doing on parts of Yeezus, which certainly owes a debt to Death Grips.
Yes, it does get a bit claustrophobic by the end. Last year’s The Money Store might still be our favorite, but at its best, Government Plates astonishes.
Hot tracks: “You Might Think He Loves You For Your Money But I Know What He Really Loves You For …” (see what they did there with the Bob Dylan reference?), “Birds,” “Bootleg.” - SEAN CLANCY
Style, Pages 29 on 12/17/2013