New Album Highlights 5-27-16 – 6-2-16

Black – Dierks Bentley – I’ve loved Dierk ever since watching him out perform Brad Paisley at MSG years ago, and this has done nothing to change my high opinion. Strong,well played, country songs, that rock when necessary, well sung and despite its muscle, it doesn’t push you too hard. A fine album, and he makes it seem so easy you wonder why no one else does it – B+

Everything Is Beautiful – Miles Davis And Robert Glasper – This sounds like black neo everything art circa 2016 and not like Miles Davis at all. The problem isn’t that it is bad as such, though it is one thing Miles Davis never was, a complete bore. It is that it updates a sound that was light years ahead of today to start with and that, amazingly, it gives short shrift to Davis – C

Good Times – The Monkees – Old school odds and sods, including the Neil Diamond written Davy Jones sung “Love To Love” from the sixties, as well as modern day second tier popsters adding second tier popsters type songs. So why does it feel like a Micky Dolenz album? Maybe after a couple more spins it will kick in… but surely a pop record  shouldn’t take that long? One more thing, Mike Nesmith gets exactly one songwriting credit… I wonder if they play their own instruments? – B-