Zac Brown Band show diversity on new CD


Zac Brown Band
"Uncaged"
(Southern Ground/Atlantic)

The Zac Brown Band delivers a message with the title of its new album, "Uncaged" -- and the songs back up that statement. Although still likely to be described as a country band, the Georgia group purposely, and admirably, avoids current Nashville conventions on their new collection.

Ten years in, the ZBB instead focus on the tight interplay the ensemble has developed through heavy touring, dwelling on instrumental chops as much as on vocals and hooks. They also cast a broad view toward material: There’s country music, for sure, in the harmony-driven "Goodbye In Her Eyes" and hoedown picking in the exhilarating "The Wind." But, keeping to its theme, "Uncaged" takes on fierce southern rock on the title cut, gospel-tinged mountain soul on "Natural Disaster," 1970s singer-songwriter musings on "Lance’s Song," and Caribbean-influences on "Jump Right In," which has more in common with Paul Simon than Kenny Chesney.

Altogether, "Uncaged" is a powerful artistic declaration rather than an album carefully plotted to achieve maximum radio exposure. It succeeds, too, suggesting Brown and his fellow instrumentalists and songwriters plan on gaining a reputation for musical diversity rather than safely repeating an established formula.

Check out this track: "Overnight," the boldest cut on "Uncaged," shifts into contemporary rhythm-and-blues, overtly describing a couple’s seductive evening, set to a quiet-storm track that crosses Usher with Marvin Gaye.
(AP)


DJ duet sizzles on ‘I Love You, Man’

"I Love You, Man,"
Rebecca & Fiona
(Ultra)

Swedish DJ duo Rebecca & Fiona is out and about with "I Love You, Man," a light and airy dance album that feels gilded in gold. This album is more about filling the need for fun summer sounds and less about ground-breaking arrangements, because there are none.

Rebecca Svheja and Fiona Fitzpatrick are, at their inner artistic core, the Bananarama of electronic dance music. Their presentation is breezy and not too aggressive on the ears. In an age of crushing dubstep assaults on the senses, "I Love You, Man" is a welcome, if brief, respite.

"Jane Doe" gets things out of the gate nicely. "Someone has taken your heart to far from home," go the lyrics delivered in spoken-not-sung tones. The melody lends mystery to the words and things build to a crescendo in fine EDM fashion.

Another top track is "Bullets," with its restless beat that refuses to subside. There’s nothing in the song to pin it distinctly to this decade of dance music as opposed to the last. But perhaps therein lies the simplified success of Rebecca & Fiona.

If something can simultaneously be futuristic and retro, the duo has distilled that something here. "I Love You, Man" isn’t great. But it’s fine.
Check this track out: "Turn It Down" is a bonus track from Kaskade, featuring Rebecca & Fiona. It revs up slowly, in between ghostly lyrics and some dirty deconstructed synth work. But when it gets up to speed, it hits the mark.

(AP)


Williams gets political on new album

Hank Williams Jr.
“Old School, New Rules”
(Bocephus/Blaster)

Hank Williams Jr. kicks off his album “Old School, New Rules” by addressing ESPN’s decision to drop his song as the opening theme for “Monday Night Football,” a role he held for more than 20 years. In a robust voice, Williams bellows: “I’ll go find a network that will treat me right” to start “Takin’ Back The Country,” a song set to a rocking arrangement of his legendary father’s song “Mind Your Own Business.”

The lyrics of “Takin’ Back The Country” refer to his notorious 2011 interview on the TV program “Fox & Friends” in which he made an allegory that some construed as comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. Williams makes it clear that he considers the incident an example of political correctness run amok.

Singing with fire in his belly, and offering up ferociously rocking tunes fueled by a bluesy slide guitar, Williams tackles political themes throughout “Old School, New Rules.” He wrote every song, save a cover of his father’s “You Win Again,” which he turns into a southern-rock stomper, and a duet with Merle Haggard on the latter’s classic hit, “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink,” in which the two aging country stars have a ball trading lines with ribald delight.
Williams’ conservative viewpoint will rankle some and rally others. At age 63, though, the old lion of country music continues to roar — and to say exactly what is on his mind.

Check this track out: On “I’m Gonna Get Drunk And Sing Hank Williams,” the family torch-bearer joins with Brad Paisley in a rollicking honky-tonk tune that suggests Hank Jr. deals with his troubles by raising a ruckus.
(AP)