Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, “Break Up”
(Atco)
What a combination, right? The heartbreaker singer-songwriter and the Hollywood starlet cutting a record of listener- friendly pop music? But “Break Up” is a surprisingly solid listen — surprising only because actress Johansson’s first record, a collection of atmospheric Tom Waits covers, was a creative failure.
As it turns out, smooth-rocker Yorn is the ideal match for Johansson. With Yorn’s songwriting and the back-and- forth dueting of plainspoken Yorn and seductive Johansson, this record is a lush and fruitful collection of consistently listenable pop.
“I Don’t Know What to Do” sounds like a throwback 1960s jam with its laid-back strings and piano and its backbeat vocals. Yorn has said this record was inspired by the recordings by Serge Gainsbourg and Bridget Bardot, and you can hear that playful, flirty aesthetic in many of these songs — especially the oddly melodic “Blackie’s Dead” and the slinking “Clean,” the latter of which has Johansson sounding like Lily Allen.
Could it be that Johansson is the next great female pop star? Quite possibly. — Ricardo Baca
Monsters of Folk, “Monsters of Folk”
(Artist First)
The tongue-in-cheek name of this supergroup is only half-kidding, as the members lead such indie rock juggernauts as My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes, and She and Him.
Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis have been playing together on and off since 2004, but their eponymous debut is the closest they’ve come to legitimacy. The results depart wildly from the moniker at times, delving into atmospheric soul, classic rock and jaunty pop confections.
“Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)” is a disarmingly tender lead-off, featuring James’ otherworldly falsetto and each member introducing himself via round- robin verses. It’s a snapshot of the dynamic results to come, from the ELO- indebted “Say Please” to the jauntier “Whole Lotta Losin’ ” (which sounds shockingly like Ween) and “Baby Boomer.”
While a few songs lazily regurgitate bland ’70s rock — the kind you know its creators can do better — “Monsters of Folk” is an intriguing dip into multiple genres that reveals its members’ reverence toward one another and pop music in general. — John Wenzel
David Gray, “Draw the Line”
(Downtown/Mercer Street)
David Gray returns from a hiatus with “Draw the Line,” his eighth full-length effort and first in four years. The British folk-rocker made a splash stateside with 2000’s “White Ladder” on the strength of the hit singles “Babylon” and “Please Forgive Me.” He was nominated for a best new artist Grammy two years later. He released two CDs after that — 2002’s “A New Day at Midnight” and 2005’s “Life in Slow Motion” — but neither had the mainstream success in the United States that “White Ladder” did.
“Draw the Line” may find the same fate, but it won’t be because of the quality of the material. Gray again puts his soulful voice and emotional lyrics to full effect over soft, melancholy rock. He relies less on electronics here — helping his warmth shine that much brighter.
Disc opener “Fugitive” is a soaring anthem that will please fans, as will the soft ballad “Nemesis,” which features Gray’s typically colorful lyrics: “I am the photograph you found in your burned-down house” and “I am the smell you’re trying to wash out of your hair.” Gray manages to be admirably idiosyncratic yet completely accessible — and “Draw The Line” is a real treat because of that. — John Kosik, The Associated Press
Yo La Tengo, “Popular Songs”
(Matador)
Is there anything wrong with consistency?
Yo La Tengo (Spanish for “I’ve got it”) has been releasing solid, occasionally spectacular records for nearly 25 years. The band’s ability to touch on folk, classic R&B, Sonic Youth-style noise and nearly everything in between has always seemed effortless.
Through it all, husband-and-wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley have grounded the group in their affectionate interplay and solid grasp of pop fundamentals. That makes “Popular Songs” at once a welcome addition and yet another album likely to go unnoticed by most.
“Here to Fall” begins on a spacey, vintage-synth note before tumbling into a lush tangle of strings and rolling snare hits, Kaplan’s nasal vocals guiding the song home. Gentle, atmospheric pop rears its head (“By Two’s”), as does the band’s penchant for rowdy, garage-style jams (“Nothing to Hide”). And despite a couple of tracks busting the 10-minute mark, “Popular Songs” is largely a traditional and inviting pop album — albeit one rooted in its creators’ adventurous sense of craftsmanship. They play the Ogden Theatre on Oct. 10. — John Wenzel
