Three Hot New Summer Albums

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III

The kid from the Big Easy is all growns up. Rhymes about making that cash, pimping that bling, and getting all the women have evolved; this is Lil Wayne stepping towards (early) middle age. Standout tracks include "Mr. Carter" with Jay-Z and "Tie My Hands" with Robin Thicke. Both songs are examples of the broad spectrum of content Wayne has brought to the table here. On "Mr. Carter", Lil Wayne and Jay-Z exchange verbal jabs about the state of hip hop over a simmering backbeat. It's club music at its best (unless you prefer global charttopper "Lollipop", which is also on the disc). "Tie My Hands" gives Wayne a chance to slice up the Hurricane Katrina disaster and its aftermath. The song is heartfelt and touching coming from a hometown boy.

Is Lil Wayne---as he proclaims---the best rapper alive? Maybe. He's certainly one of the few biggies left who really matter.

Josh's review: (4/5)


Coldplay, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Chris Martin wants to be let into the Radiohead/U2 party so badly, but it's invitation only. On Viva, he does his best to earn an invite. Coldplay's first two albums were strong in quality and melody, but light on serious content. 2005's X & Y was a definite step backward, and the group came dangerously close to alienating its core fanbase with seemingly recycled songs. This time around, from the title alone, you can tell that Viva aspires for something more, and with producer Brian Eno at the helm, the album frequently gets there. Themes of death, war and lost love lay scattered amidst the wreckage of a sonic landscape that's creative and fresh. Is it a masterpiece? No. But songs like "Lost!" and "Strawberry Swing" show the group grabbing at all kinds of world influences---with a lot of success.

I guess it's okay to be a Coldplay fan again.

Josh's review: (4/5)


My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges

Lead singer Jim James sounds like he's straight out of 1970. That's probably a big reason why he was cast in the Bob Dylan-inspired I'm Not There film last year (singing an extraordinary version of Dylan's "Going to Acapulco" with Arizona band Calexico, by the way). That aside, James' voice has a country-tinged falsetto that would have fit on any of The Band's old school records just fine. On Urges, Morning Jacket's fifth studio album, the group appears to have found a funky and interesting mix of background noises---loud simultaneous three guitar assaults, pleasantly-plucked mandolins and, even on a couple of cuts, thumping techno beats. "Evil Urges" and "I'm Amazed" are the two most rocking cuts, but instead of trying to imitate their Zeppelinesque inspirations, the group stakes new ground.

An impressive step forward from a rising band.

Josh's review: (4/5)

-JAB

June in Baseball: Pedro's Back, Hamilton's Reclamation

-Huge start by Pedro Martinez for the Mets last night. The 36-year-old righthander returned from the DL with a strong performance (6 IP, 3 ER, 109 pitches) against the Giants, and in so doing picked up career win number 210---against just 93 losses. Pedro's fastball tops out around 90 mph these days, about 8 mph less than he threw in his prime, but the guy's versatile arsenal is enough to make up the difference. Curveball, change-up, slider: he's still got the location to throw them all for strikes. If Pedro can keep it up, he's the ideal #2 starter that GM Omar Minaya envisioned when he acquired Johana Santana from Minnesota as the team's ace in the offseason. The only chance New York has to climb right back into the NL playoff race is a healthy Johan-Pedro 1-2 punch.

-Texas Rangers' OF Josh Hamilton is as inspiring a story as there is in the world of sports these days . . . The 26-year-old Hamilton was the #1 overall pick by Tampa Bay in 1999's MLB Draft, then got seriously sidetracked by injuries and drug addictions along the way. Things were looking awfully bleak for Hamilton when he was strung out on crack-cocaine four years ago, but not so much these days. Through the help of devoted friends, a loving family and a strong refound faith in God, Hamilton got his life back on track. Last year, he finally debuted in the Bigs with Cincinnati and had a respectable .292 batting average and 19 HRs in just 90 games (wrist injuries limited him). This year, after a trade with Texas, Hamilton is hands-down the best hitter in his sport. Currently, he leads the American League in all three triple crown categories (.333 average, 17 HRs, 63 RBI) and is the first player ever to win AL Player of the Month in both April and May.

It's a remarkable comeback story that proves once again how people are indeed capable of overcoming serious addiction problems with the proper support---if they truly want to change themselves, that is. Keep it up, Josh.

-JAB