The Messiah – Sizzla – “Don’t sell your soul for the beans of this world,” the last Dancehall master standing advises on “One Life”. He shoulda told that to his contemporary Buju but maybe he did as this is Sizzla’s 70th (as in SEVENTY) album. More of the same, smooth calypso like reggae rhythms and throaty vocals while the Bobo Shanti subscriber preaches. Amazingly enough, this is near perfect reggae – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Live – The 50th Anniversary Tour – The Beach Boys – If the Beach Boys weren’t going to be a nostalgia act for their reunion tour, they’d have to sell themselves on rejuvenated vocals or deep album cuts (actually: deep albums). They do all three but mostly it was a nostalgia trip and this souvenir is the proof. With the exception of “Add Some Music To To Your Life” there are better versions of all of this elsewhere. But as nostalgia trips go, what’s not to like? – B+
Random Memories Access – Daft Punk – The two longest songs on the album, the Moroder and Paul Williams, are the second and third best and the Niles Rodgers song is one of the best of the year and not just on the album. Nothing else is as good and the bad French disco label sticks too often – B+
Love Lust Faith + Dreams – 30 Seconds From Mars – Ridiculous bombast featuring some actor or the other. Here’s a clue pop pickers, if a band has a song called “Pyres Of Veranzi”, put your head down and move on – D
Empty Estate – Wild Nothing – The bands best to date and not just because “The Body In Rainfall” is as great a “Heroes” rip off as you will ever hear but also the rest of the albums psychedelic workouts and indie pop swagger are the best they’ve yet to come up with – A-
The Traphouse 3 – Gucci Mane – At the end of the last decade I had Gucci pegged as the Atlanta rapper to beat but by 2011 the Waka Flocka Flame album was a bore and while we might well blame Waka, Mane didn’t help. If Mane could stay out of jail perhaps something better than this album but my his reward – B-
Love Will – Trace Adkins – Country by the names though the Colbie Caillat duet might be a bit more than that if he used her more – C+
A – Agnethea Faltskog – The Abba chick is pretty good on the upbeat numbers and terrible on the ballads. “Back On Your Radio” is a pleasure – B+
Human Again – Ingrid Michaelson – “walking in, walking in the fire” goes the chorus of the first song on the singer-songwriters latest album and it gets no better. Somewhere Joni Mitchell is laughing herself sick – C-
Excuse My French – French Montana – More Maybach music with the superstar summit, Drake, Weezy and Rick Ross, “Pop That” leading the way but lotsa other pop moves along the way to absolutely nowhere – B
True Believers – Darius Rucker – Nothing as great as “Come Back Song”, not even “Wagon Wheel” but that is the very worst you can say about this smart, well sung beauty of a country album – A-
Cool Ruler – Gregory Isaacs – The late great lovers rockers Virgin records debut from 1978 is available on Spotify. If you don’t know it prepare to have your mind blown – A