Fresh tracks take seasoned rockers in interesting directions
*Pixies - “EP2”
*Last week, the Pixies released their second extended play record since bassist Kim Deal left the band in 2013— and it seems the band’s psychedelic sound left with her. This is not the mysterious Pixies that helped define ’90s music culture with menacing riffs and eerie echoes; this is an uninventive modern rock band. The lyrics are still about being an alienated outsider, but this new Pixies is anything but unfamiliar.
*Bruce Springsteen – “High Hopes”
*Bruce Springsteen’s classic rock ‘n’ soul vibe is kept alive on his latest album, but the boss is getting a little lazy as he nears his twilight years, and much of his latest album is made up of covers and rehashes of his previous titles. The accompaniment of Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and his signature scratchy, slippery guitar rival Springsteen’s passion without stealing the spotlight, but even the matchup of two rock legends isn’t enough to keep this album from feeling like a forced release.
*Switchfoot – “Fading West”
*With the release of their ninth album last week, Christian Rock surfer dudes Switchfoot continue to drift away from their heavier, riff-based songs like “Meant to Live.” There’s much more of a world-music feel here that would please fans of bands like Arcade Fire and Grouplove. It’s a solid listen, but a concerning sign that the whole industry is going hipster.
After two years and two singles, country artist Jon Pardi has finally given us a complete album. In comparison to other mainstream country peers like Jason Aldean, there’s far more fiddle and banjo — but just as many pick-up trucks and jars of moonshine.