The Black Keys, “Brothers”Nonesuch RecordsGrade: A-
Blues-rock duo The Black Keys returns with its seventh full-length album “Brothers,” and the hypnotically stylish effort hits the mark perfectly. “Brothers” opens with its best track, “Everlasting Light,” but it doesn’t falter after that. Lead single “Tighten Up” sounds like classic Black Keys. The Ohio boys never forget their musical roots while still providing listeners with a smartly composed album plastered with passionate vocals and ambient-driven beats. This memorable entry in the Keys’ catalog is cohesive, listenable album that shows perfectly how talented the duo is.MATTHEW JACOBS – – –The Rolling Stones, “Exile on Main Street”Rolling Stones/AtlanticGrade: ALeave it to a British band to completely capture the gamut of American music in all its glory. The Rolling Stones released a remastered deluxe rendering of their 1972 classic “Exile on Main Street,” giving fans the world over a glimpse into the making of a rock classic. The album features 10 new tracks that range from alternate takes to instrumentals, but the original, remastered recordings still shine more than 30 years later. The Stones tackle everything from grungy rock’n roll to country and R&B with plenty of blues thrown in, and they do it all on an album that doesn’t feature any of their most famous hits.DAVID HELMAN – – –Jack Johnson, “To the Sea”Brushfire RecordsGrade: C+Johnson has said his fifth studio album is “about trying to go beneath the surface and understand yourself.” Johnson’s lyrics clearly reflect this attitude, often showing where he is in his own life — married with children. While the overall sound doesn’t deviate far from his past albums, the beach-bum frat crowd might find it harder to dig into this collection of slower, sappier songs. Overall the album is what one should expect from Johnson, a calming, summery album comparable to his previous four albums that lacks any risks in exploration.NICHOLAS PERSAC- – –Sleigh Bells, “Treats”MOM+POPGrade: A-The debut LP from Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells raises the sonic stakes for all supposedly loud music. Bombastic and heavy synths complement searing guitar rifts, creating layers of strangely addictive noise. But behind these textures, lead singer Alexis Krauss’ alluring vocals command the listener’s ear. The album feels like an entirely new revolution for loud music, matching harmonic female vocals and pop hooks with abrasive but appropriate loudness. While some of the tracks come off too strong, the pure pop gold on songs like “Crown on the Ground” affirms the success of Sleigh Bells’ formula.CHRIS ABSHIRE- – – –Get Him to the GreekUniversal PicturesGrade: A-This hilarious sequel of sorts to 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” has Russell Brand reprising his role as coked-out rocker Aldous Snow. Brand is as ridiculous and eccentric as ever, and Jonah Hill is very funny as well. But Sean “Diddy” Combs steals the show as Hill’s profanity-shouting boss. Besides some underdeveloped story lines with Snow’s son and Hill’s somewhat annoying girlfriend, this film is pure summer fun. So sit back, “stroke the furry wall” and enjoy.ANNIE HUNDLEY- – –Shrek Forever AfterDreamWorks AnimationGrade: CShrek returns for yet another sequel in Shrek Forever After. This time, in the animated world of Far Far Away, Shrek finds himself tamed by domesticity and longing to be a “real ogre.” Yawn. The plot is predictable, and many will want the Happily-Ever-After-End-With-A-Kiss scene to cinematically rear its head about half way through. While full of laughs for all ages, it’s pretty “re-donkey-lous” and many will be glad this is the supposed final installment. The real fairy tale is how this movie didn’t go straight to DVD.JULIAN TATE