Sting, “Songs From the Labyrinth”
TRADITIONAL |Deutsche Grammophon, released today
With artists like Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello taking stylistic left turns from genres that put them on the map, it’s no surprise that mercurial soul Sting would do the same. What is surprising is his intense devotion to the excursion. On “Songs From the Labyrinth” he interprets the work of John Dowland, a composer from Elizabethan England.
Sting stays true to the phrasing of the originals, expertly switching between 30-second instrumentals and doleful laments of pop-song length. “Fine Knack for Ladies” dials down Edin Karamazov’s omnipresent lute for multitracked vocals, while “Clear or Cloudy” features a breathy, upbeat melody around which Sting clearly relishes wrapping his husky pipes.|John Wenzel
Robert Pollard, “Normal Happiness”
PROG-POP|Merge, released today
“Music seems to come pouring out of some people,” the New York Times once wrote. “Mozart, the young Rossini, Paul McCartney, Prince and now Robert Pollard.” Pretty heady company, but as Pollard’s devotees will claim, it’s an apt grouping.
The former schoolteacher from Dayton, Ohio, adds another 16 songs to the 1,100 or so he’s already released with “Normal Happiness,” his second solo disc for Merge. Less realized than his Keene Brothers side project but slick as snails compared with some of his lo-fi work, “Happiness” breezes by in 35 minutes. Everything’s so off-the-cuff that a single song doesn’t rise to the top, but “Boxing About” and “I Feel Gone Again” feature nice vocal turns and gentle melodies from the ex-Guided by Voices leader.
Pollard and producer Todd Tobias play every instrument on the album, although Pollard retains complete control over the songwriting. The songs don’t stand in the same company as career-definers like “I Am a Scientist” or “Teenage FBI,” but the sideways prog-pop on “Happiness” should sate fans who can’t wait another week for Pollard to drop his next 10-disc boxed set.|John Wenzel
Chavez, “Better Days Will Haunt You”
INDIE ROCK|Matador, released today
Chavez will probably never escape the “angular indie rock” label that plagued its reviews, and that’s a shame. Not only is the term meaningless, the lazy tag obscures the talents of the seminal quartet, which broke up in the late ’90s.
Fortunately Matador Records reminds us why the abused guitars, strained vocals and sludgy drumming were so oddly pleasant in the first place. “Better Days Will Haunt You” collects their 7-inch, EP and two albums with a DVD and photo booklets that reinforce just how far 1996 sits in the rearview mirror. “Gone Glimmering” establishes Matt Sweeney’s keening guitar work, which would reappear in projects like Zwan (with Billy Corgan) or Superwolf (with Will Oldham).
The thornier “Ride the Fader” features more straightforward production and lacerating songs. “Better Days” is a sprawling and lovingly assembled package that deserves a spot on any self-respecting college-rocker’s shelf.|John Wenzel
Other releases today:
James Taylor, “James Taylor at Christmas” (Columbia) If you think it’s too early for a Christmas album, think again. The smooth-voiced folkie returns with a gentle collection of holiday standards.
Rod Stewart, “Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time” (J-Records) What’s more bizarre than Stewart’s extreme makeover from rocker to crooner? The fact that he sounds so at home neutering otherwise great tracks from Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and others.
