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