Gorillaz, “Plastic Beach” (Virgin)
The gentle waves, seagull sounds and orchestral washes that herald Gorillaz’ third album are a ruse. “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (featuring Snoop Dogg & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)” is the real intro, a dark-minded, brassy track that lays the plan for the rest of the album.
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s (literally) cartoonish hip-hop act suffers a bit without the fingerprints of past producers (Dan the Automator, Danger Mouse) but makes up for it with a bevy of guest stars, including Lou Reed, Mos Def, De La Soul and Mick Jones.
It’s a more subdued, multihued record than the party- ready “Demon Days,” but bangers like “White Flag” and the synth-soaked single “Stylo” still sound great when cranked to top volume. Gorillaz have always been more about fun, bouncy beats and fizzing melodies than grand statements, and in that respect “Plastic Beach” succeeds. John Wenzel
Peter, Paul and Mary With Symphony Orchestra, “The Prague Sessions” (Rhino)
Folkies and rockers alike know the appeal of performing and rereleasing their music with the backing of an orchestra, and so it’s no surprise to see this PP&M issue, which is dedicated to Mary Travers, who died in September. The record spans 14 shows, focusing on the compositions of their longtime friend and music director Robert DeCormier.
Some of the obvious songs manage just fine with the symphony’s backing, including “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Puff the Magic Dragon,” the latter of which thrives on over-the-top symphonic bombast. But the unexpected tracks that flourish are what make this CD such a fascinating experiment. Travers’ “Jesus on the Wire” is a fluid, haunting creation. “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” is a sweeping, dynamic ballad that showcases the trio’s legendary harmonies on top of some truly fine string work. Ricardo Baca
Rogue Wave, “Permalight” (Brushfire)
Rogue Wave leader Zach Rogue has always flirted with the sort of cheeky, blatantly commercial songwriting that makes people famous, but on “Permalight” he goes for the sugar-pop jugular.
Lead track “Solitary Gun,” despite its endearingly mealy-mouthed inflection, is his peppiest, most accessible song to date. And while the band may have come out of the gate six years ago sounding like a Shins/Elliott Smith/ Simon & Garfunkel hybrid, “Permalight” rarely gazes that far back.
Since this is being released on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records, Rogue is unafraid to court the hacky-sack set with heavy-lidded acoustic ballads and spacy sentiments. But he also wraps his fingers around giant, Postal Service-shaped bars of electro-pop on “Good Morning” and the insipid “Stars and Stripes,” beating us to a mushy pulp in the process.
Not until Track 6 (the waveringly pleasant “Fear Itself”) does Rogue stretch out and start to sound more like his old self — which is to say satisfyingly melodic but not all that unique. John Wenzel
