‘east carson street’

‘east carson street’

Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers

(Schoolhouse) Grade: A

“A cold day, ain’t no sun/ No use complaining, got to get the job done,” Joe Grushecky sings, along with his co-writer, Bruce Springsteen, on “Another Thin Line.” It’s quintessential Grushecky: tough, and tough-minded, rock from Pittsburgh’s finest. His passion for the music continues to burn bright — even if it has never brought him near the level of stardom of his sometimes collaborator, and he still needs to work a day job (as a special-ed teacher).

On “East Carson Street,” Grushecky explores familiar territory, chronicling life’s everyday struggles and simple pleasures, and his aim remains unerringly true. The Houserockers, meanwhile, now including his son, Johnny, on guitar, provide loads of rock ’n’ roll muscle.

“Changing Shadows” offers sage life advice from someone well-equipped to give it; the title song, a ballad, expresses home-time pride and the nurturing power of roots; “Lee Ann” declares love for his wife amid candid admissions of his own shortcomings; and “The Sun Is Going to Shine Again” gives voice to the undying spirit that is at the heart of everything on this stirring album.

— Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Animal’

Ke$ha (RCA)

Grade: B

To slice through the pop-culture clutter these days, it helps to have an angle. Lady Gaga wears coats made of Kermit the Frogs and headdresses made of hay. Ke$ha has her distinctive delivery — as if she’s channeling some in-your-face Valley girl, as if Paris Hilton were trained to rap by the Beastie Boys.

That unique delivery is what propelled Ke$ha’s single “Tik Tok” to No. 1, and it’s what gives her debut, “Animal” (RCA), its most amusing and strongest moments.

After all, Ke$ha, who co-wrote all of the album’s 14 tracks, is at her best when she takes no prisoners. “O-L-D-M-A-N, you are an old man! Hittin’ on me, what? You need a CAT scan!” she taunts in the ridiculously off-kilter “Dinosaur,” spooling out her sass over the electro-pop track. On “Backstabber,” which charmingly floats along like an early Lily Allen dance number, Ke$ha takes aim at frenemies gossiping about her.

“Your Love Is My Drug” fuses that brash delivery to the Eurodance vibe that her mentor and producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald has hammered out for Britney Spears and Katy Perry for years. “Boots and Boys” rides a similar vibe, but with less of a vocal edge.

It’s quite the dilemma for Ke$ha on “Animal.” She can’t use the same approach for every song because it’s too distinctive. But when she tones it down, she becomes just another interchangeable singer, another Gaga wannabe. For now, Ke$ha should stick to what she does best.

— Glenn Gamboa, Long Island Newsday

‘Contra’

Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)

Grade: A

Vampire Weekend introduced a unique mix of pop, reggae and African rhythms on its self-titled debut, and the quartet delivers an even richer musical landscape on its second CD.

On “Contra,” electronic beats blend with African and Brazilian drums, topped with tinkling pianos, sweeping violins, playful marimbas, and layers of percussion and electric guitar. The result is a big, full sound that’s dense and light at the same time, with multiple melodies and instruments coloring each track.

The catchy “Diplomat’s Son” reveals the band’s talent for mixing up rhythms and musical styles. A blend of reggae, dancehall and Bollywood influences, the song changes tempo midstream to show off finger-picked guitars and a chorus of violins.

Though upbeat like the first album, “Contra” delves into deeper territory thematically. “Holiday” is a bouncy ska track that touches on themes of war. “Taxi Cab,” which relies on an electronic backbone dressed with delicate piano and deep cello, is a ballad about a relationship gone wrong.

Lead singer Ezra Koenig works the Auto-tune on “California English,” a driving track rich with harmonies and strings (“It doesn’t sound like T-Pain,” he stresses in press notes).

The closing song, “I Think UR a Contra,” seems to encapsulate the band’s evolution on this album: It layers vocal styles and experimental harmonies atop guitars, strings, piano and electronic sounds.

— Sandy Cohen, Associated Press

‘Timbaland Presents Shock Value II’

Timbaland (Mosley Music Group / Interscope)

Grade: C

On the first of his “Shock Value” presentations, Timbaland, one of pop-hop’s most innovative producers, invited some of his rapping and vocal charges to join him in a sizzling dance-pop celebration. Everyone was made to sound hot-wired on that 2007 effort, even OneRepublic.

The same favors aren’t granted to his legion this time. While the first volume was generous to poppers and rockers, SVII doesn’t host any fly-for-a-white-guy types. The Fray, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and Daughtry (the latter on the deluxe version) get zip melodically from Timbaland’s ambient arrangements, though beat-wise they’ve never grooved harder. Even Tim’s collaboration with “Sexy Back” buddy Justin Timberlake — “Carry Out” — sounds like a warmed-over idea that neither one is committed to.

The ladies don’t fare better, what with rapper Bran’Nu (singer Brandy in disguise) and Miley Cyrus given listless tunes to work with. “Say Something” at least gives Drake something meaty to rap to. And Timbaland gets his country freak on during the twanging “Timothy Where You Been.” It’s always a treat to hear Timbaland. There’s just little value and no shock this time.

— A.D. Amorosi, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘unbroken’

Katherine McPhee (Verve)

Grade: B-

McPhee has left a negligible footprint since finishing second to Taylor Hicks on “American Idol” in 2006. She takes a dramatic new tack on her second album, changing her look (now platinum blond) and her sound.

Her voice here is markedly rougher and more emotional, less chilly and note-perfect. That newfound expressiveness serves her well on “Say Goodbye” and the title track, both plangent ballads. She also nails the misty, moody “Keep Drivin’,” which McPhee cowrote with Rachael Yamagata and Chris Tompkins.

But most of the material on “Unbroken” doesn’t allow her much room to maneuver. It’s connect-the-dots pop with undertones of country.

Despite the CD’s defiant title, there is a whiff of desperation to this collection, but one that adds a piquant note of urgency.

— David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Hospice’

The Antlers (Frenchkiss)

Grade: A

“Hospice,” the second album from Brooklyn’s Antlers, came out early in 2009, but the depth, detail, and dynamics of its complex narrative and overwrought emotions easily sustain long-term examination. The album’s 10 word-rich songs, by turns delicate, bitter, and cathartic, recount a contentious relationship between a cancer patient, Sylvia (who at times seems to morph into Sylvia Plath), and her caregiver.

Leader Peter Silberman croons like Antony Hegarty or Beirut’s Zach Condon, and the explosive crescendos in “Sylvia” and “Bear” recall Arcade Fire’s similarly death-obsessed and redemptive “Funeral.” And like Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, Silberman writes in paragraphs rather than in conventional verse-chorus patterns. Shifting layers of guitars, keyboards, and occasional trumpet propel Silberman’s lilting melodies, and even at its most grandiose and ambitious, “Hospice” is intensely personal — and intensely rewarding.

— Steve Klinge, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘sugar lips’

Maraly Coryell (Murali’s Music)

Grade: A

The son of pioneering jazz-rock guitarist Larry Coryell, Murali Coryell has found a home in a rootsier, blues-based sound. “Sugar Lips,” the singer-guitarist’s sixth album, shows just how naturally he fits there.

Coryell cut the album in Nashville with a stellar cast that includes keyboardist Reese Wynans, blues stud Joe Louis Walker, and his father. The results are first-class all the way, as Coryell makes the most of the kind of resources he has never had before. A go-for-broke spirit informs everything, from the horn-fueled roadhouse drive of “Blame It on Me” to the sweet soul-pop of “Closer to You Baby,” the loping, Jimmy Reedesque blues of “I Still Do,” and the acoustic-textured elegy “Mother’s Day” (a tribute to his late mother).

Coryell’s mastery of the soul-blues idiom, along with his songwriting prowess and warm, raspy vocals, at times brings to mind Delbert McClinton. In this corner, there’s no higher praise.

— Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer