record reviews

Darius Rucker

Album: “True Believers” (Capitol Nashville)

Grade: A

On his two previous Nashville, Tenn.-recorded solo albums, Darius Rucker proved he could gain acceptance from contemporary country music fans. On new album “True Believers,” he proves he can do more than create formulaic radio hits: Finding a country voice and sound of his own, Rucker shows he can leave a distinctive mark on 21st century country music.

With the funk-country rhythms of “Radio,” “Shine” and “Lost In You,” he combines the beach-music sound of his native South Carolina with the breezy, catchy side of current Nashville hits. With powerful originals like the roots-rocking “Heartbreak Road” and the raw emotions of “Miss You,” Rucker makes great use of the expressive capabilities of his baritone voice — which had been so important to the success of his rock band, Hootie & the Blowfish.

Rucker writes 10 of the 12 songs on “True Believers,” yet adds momentum to the collection with two well-chosen songs by others. He faithfully covers Old Crow Medicine Show’s Americana hit, “Wagon Wheel,” and nicely handles a duet with Sheryl Crow on “Love Without You,” written by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally.

— Michael McCall, Associated Press

The National

Album: “Trouble Will Find Me” (4AD)

Grade: B-

The first word that comes to mind after listening to The National’s new album is “restrained.”

Six or seven listens later and the small nuances on “Trouble Will Find Me” work their way out of the mix, but that first impression of the group’s sixth album still lingers.

The National was anything but restrained as it battled its way to the forefront of the indie rock movement with its last two albums. The quintet distinguished itself from a legion of mope rockers by unleashing two formidable beasts: frontman Matt Berninger and drummer Bryan Devendorf.

Berninger’s majestic baritone and vivid lyrics and Devendorf’s aggressive, time-shifting attack differentiated The National, providing a natural groove so rare among similar bands. With Berninger occasionally exploring new vocal approaches and Devendorf moved back in the mix, that groove is often forced to the side by airy atmospherics and sonic effects that are indeed beautiful, but often insubstantial.

— Chris Talbott, Associated Press

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Album: “Modern Vampires of the City” (XL)

Grade: A

Good songs win out in the end, and Vampire Weekend has plenty of those. The New York foursome fronted by Ezra Koenig has been simultaneously celebrated and denigrated since even before the release of their self-titled debut album, which generated loads of blog buzz - and just about as much backlash - in 2008. Sure, these guys had lots of catchy tunes that cleverly used “Graceland”-era Paul Simon as a point of departure, but weren’t they just a bunch of spoiled Upper West Side kids who went to Columbia and sang about their vacations on Cape Cod?

The band’s second album, “Contra,” was perfectly solid as well. But on “Modern Vampires of the City,” Vampire Weekend really distinguishes itself with sharp, smart, grownup, terrifically energetic tunes that are still clever, but never merely so.

The first tip-off is the single “Diane Young,” whose punning title hints at the intimations of mortality that apparently haunt the boys in the band as they get ready to turn 30. “Wisdom’s a gift, but you trade it for youth,” Koenig sings in “Step,” one of many songs that stand out, thanks in no small part to crafty arrangements that showcase keyboard player Rostam Batmanglij. “Age is an honor, but it’s still not the truth.” You could go on nitpicking the band and resenting their privileged beginnings, but you’d only be cheating yourself.

— Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer

Daft Punk

Album: “Random Access Memories” (Columbia)

Grade: B+

On its wildly anticipated fourth studio album, “Random Access Memories,” helmeted duo Daft Punk go harder, better, faster, stronger than ever before.

The eight-year wait for new music paid off as Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter weave an intellectually seductive sonic landscape with a rewarding amount of catchy beats. It’s the first time Daft Punk leaves the computer at home, using only live instruments, a modular synthesizer and vintage vocoders, the latter of which are heavily employed.

The 13-track record investigates the boundaries of art versus science through time by sampling a ‘70s and ‘80s sound as interpreted by machines invented in 2040.

— Cristina Jaleru, Associated Press