The Rolling Stones, Childish Gambino, John Legend and Deadmau5 All Having Winning New Albums

— -- intro: This week is a collection of winners. As we enter December, the Rolling Stones drop a collection of classic blues covers, Childish Gambino reinvents himself as an oddball funk artist, John Legend joins forces with producer Blake Mills on his latest album and Deadmau5 releases a confident new album. Only one more week of reviews before the year-end list. We are in the home stretch.

quicklist: 1title: The Rolling Stones’ “Blue & Lonesome” ****text: Sure, this is a collection of blues covers and yes, the people in charge of the album’s design put absolutely no imagination into its unimaginative front cover, but in a way, “Blue & Lonesome” as a set proves to be the Stones’ best collection in at least three decades. Why, you may ask? Well, it was recorded in a quick, raw way. It wasn’t overthought and labored to death. It’s not meant to be a big statement like 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.” At the same time, because these songs are all well-worn blues classics, you don’t have Mick Jagger singing horrifically clunky lyrics like he did on, say, “Rain Fall Down.” (“She cooked me up some eggs / Then she made some tea. / Kissed me on the cheek / And I turned on her TV.”)

Really this album just brings the Stones back to their essence. Its immediacy easily recalls their sixties output and it is even given the kind of no-frills production to accentuate that side. (The only quality that makes this record stand out as modern is that it is mastered at a bit too high a level, to compete in the “loudness wars.”)

It is evident that there’s care put into this record as well. The liner notes make sure to mention who did the originals and what dates both versions were laid down on tape. This is done with the attention to detail of an archivist. There are four Little Walter covers plus versions of songs made famous by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon and others.

The Stones don’t sound labored in their reading of these songs. They aren’t forcing anything. They do justice to Chester Burnett’s rugged “Commit A Crime” and Willie Dixon’s “I Can’t Quit You, Baby.” Occasionally, Mick Jagger takes a few odd vocal choices, like on his reading of Jimmy Reed’s “Little Rain,” but that comes with the territory. It’s the understatement of the decade that he’s always been a unique character.

Throughout this set, it is the guitar interplay between Keith Richards and Ron Wood that keeps it grounded with great work from both players. Charlie Watts’ backbeat remains steady and Jagger shows off his harp skills. In the end, this album provides an enthralling and exciting listen.

I would bet if you’d played this album for the Rolling Stones in the '60s and told them that this was an album they’d be making in 2016, they’d be very pleased. Now, if they’d taken this raw, straightforward approach and applied it to a batch of originals, then they’d probably be even more unstoppable.

Focus Tracks:

“Ride ‘Em Down” Their take on this Eddie Taylor cut has a video that showcases Kristen Stewart driving recklessly. The track itself shows their chops as a formidable blues band, respecting the genre and its traditions.

“Hate To See You Go” This is one of the Little Walter tracks and their reading reminds me of Them’s version of “Baby Please Don’t Go.” It’s interesting how American Blues spoke to the budding rock stars across the pond in the '60s.

"Just Like I Treat You” This song was penned by Willie Dixon and popularized by Howlin’ Wolf and here the Stones rip through a thunderous rendition, allowing Jagger to show off a commanding growl.

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quicklist: 2title: Childish Gambino’s “Awaken My Love!” ****1/2text: Big things have been happening for Donald Glover all around. He’s a respected stand-up comedian, his FX show “Atlanta” has been well-received and he just joined the “Star Wars” universe as the young Lando Calrissian. Musically, he’s also gained momentum as Childish Gambino and that continues in a big way with his third proper album, “Awaken, My Love!”

Take note: This is not a hip-hop album. His earlier Gambino work was fueled by his lyrical skill and quick wit. This is a completely different, funk odyssey. It’s a love-letter to the likes of George Clinton and Prince. To some extent, this is a much more accessible cousin to D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah,” in the way that both records really defy current conventions and go for their own, freaky sounds. From the acid-rock gospel sound of “Me And Your Mama” to the sly-but-affected funk of “Redbone,” it is clear that Glover is trying to alter expectations. It’s interesting to note that his chief collaborator appears to still be Ludwig Goransson, who used to score Glover’s show, “Community.”

Glover safely and effectively experiments here. His cartoonish vocal delivery on “Zombies” and “California” may be too much for some, but this is a record about knocking down boundaries and this record’s musical sophistication as it nods to the funk classics of the past should be enough to give its more bizarre touches a bit of a winking pass. This is a willfully strange game-changer of a record and Glover, who is an excellent singer occasionally uses electronic vocal effects to add some interesting textures. As someone who is usually bothered by such touches, I understand his decorative intentions here.

Some fans of Childish Gambino’s previous work may find this album puzzling, but this is a good-time, spacey, funk-driven collection that will probably be entertaining (and/or confusing) generations to come. This is easily a left-field, unique, future-funk classic. It finds many of its best moments actually in its down-tempo side-steps.

Focus Tracks:

“Me And Your Mama” This begins as a lush, music-box fueled lullaby before bursting into a full-force rock explosion. Glover sings with the power of a soul-legend here, as ghosts are pushing the melody out of his lungs by force. It’s an incredible performance.

“Redbone” This song has a slick, retro-soul quality. I still don’t know for sure if Glover is actually singing falsetto that way or if the sound he achieves here is indeed the result of some sort of strange vocal effect, but he is working with a VERY strong Prince influence. This is a stirring track, no matter how you slice it.

“Stand Tall” The effects disappear from his voice as Glover sings about youthful innocence and how his parents always told him to keep his pride and never let anyone knock him down. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so smoothly executed. While a flute solo charges into the mix, Glover’s voice once again gets a crazy vocoder effect.

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quicklist: 3title: John Legend’s “Darkness And Light” ****text: John Legend has always made tasteful R&B. He’s a very skilled vocalist and his songs have always had a decent sound. If you can fault him for anything, it is that his records in the past have been occasionally a tad on the bland side. His latest, “Darkness And Light” is quite the opposite. He’s recruited alt-country singer/songwriter and all around musical-extraordinaire Blake Mills and together they make one of Legend’s most stirring and exciting collections to date.

Mills releases his own records, but as a producer he has worked with a variety of acts ranging from Alabama Shakes to Sky Ferreira to Jesca Hoop. Having worked with these acts, Mills knows how to make engaging, edgy pop with some quirky edges. In other words, this pairing has also helped Legend refresh his sound, which hasn’t sounded this engaging in quite a while.

Listen to “Love Me Now” and it sounds like a pop hit with hard-hitting guts. The title track is a killer, show-stopping duet with Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, while there is a mysterious jazzy cool to “Surefire.” This is a driving, awesomely charged R&B pop record.

This will be a polarizing release for some. For someone known as a pianist, Legend lets Mills and others do the synth and piano work here. The gorgeous “Right By You (For Luna)” named for his daughter with Chrissy Teigen, ventures from soulful jazz textures into cinematic, nearly “A Prairie Home Companion”-style territory. Fans of Fiona Apple might find a lot to enjoy here. There are some really fascinating guests hidden in the credits of this record, including background vocals from Perfume Genius and the former singer of The Like, Z. Berg.

This is a different record for John Legend. It’s a bit of a gamble, but it is the right move, artistically speaking. He’s definitely going to widen his audience if this album gets the right exposure. He and Mills should continue this creative partnership. “Darkness And Light” reinvents Legend’s sound, exposing new, highly appealing layers.

Focus Tracks:

“Darkness And Light” (Featuring Brittany Howard) I don’t think I would have thought to put Legend and Howard together, but this duet is sonic dynamite.

“Penthouse Floor” (Featuring Chance The Rapper) Over a jazz-funk beat, Legend works an entrancing groove, to create a sly after-party track. Leave it to Chance The Rapper to begin his verse with a knock-knock joke and make it flow.

“Right By You (For Luna)” This Nina Simone-esque ballad is thick with timeless sophistication as Legend wonders about the future for his daughter and hopes he and Chrissy Teigen will be excellent parents to her and guide her well. It’s an immensely personal and beautiful track.

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quicklist: 4title: Deadmau5’s “W:/2016ALBUM/” ****text: Deadmau5 stands apart from the rest of the modern EDM crowd. He doesn’t seem out for pop hits. He doesn’t seem like a guy who is going to lead a crowd by just pointlessly pumping his fists in the air while pretending to operate a massive mess of gear. A listen to his latest album, “W:/2016ALBUM/” and it is clear that while he may have elements of modern trance, house and dubstep engrained in his grooves, stylistically he belongs more with older electronica artists like the Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk and Fatboy Slim. Here, he’s not doing pop singles. For the most part, he’s just trying to create gorgeous groves and this album’s retro-'80s sheen brings to mind acts like Mylo as well.

Sure, opener “4ware” has a predictable charge to it at first, but then it blossoms with a tremendous synth-line. Before “2448” launches into a “Space Invaders”-style attack, its opening sounds like the commencement of some sort of prog-rock masterpiece. On “Snowcone,” he works a surprisingly fresh hip-hop groove which sounds like it might have looped playground noise deep down in its mix. “Glish” has a playfully-warped, manic quality reminiscent of Squarepusher, while “Whelk Then” sounds like a sweet bit of chilled action-movie score.

Only one track here has guest vocals and it is the Grabbitz-assisted “Let Go.” On this 80-minute set, we get two versions of this track. One that is six minutes in length and the other clocking at 11 minutes, 32 seconds. While on some level, this does sound like a stereotypical EDM anthem waiting to happen, it is also a sleek mood-setter with a great deal of drive when it really kicks into gear. It has a commanding build as it pounds away with an enveloping sense of precision.

“W:/2016ALBUM/” doesn’t arrive physically until February. It is available digitally now and it is a record for those who have doubted the current state EDM genre based on stereotypes. What Deadmau5 has created here is a rather stunning score of sorts. This is easily his best and most focused album to date.

Focus Tracks:

“Snowcone” This is a slick, sly groove, fit for sound-tracking ominous, late-night subway rides. This has more of an analog feel than Deadmau5 usually explores and it is a sound that works in his favor.

“2448” I love this retro-'80s, sci-fi feel. It almost sounds like something Daft Punk would have put on their soundtrack to “TRON: Legacy.”

“Let Go” (Extended Mix) (Featuring Grabbitz) This longer version of this track works the groove for every bit of sonic gold it has, and the extended, beat-less build at the beginning really lets the melody shine before it charges into a dance-floor workout.

Next Week: New music from Maria Taylor and more.

Missed last week's? Get the latest from the Weeknd, Garth Brooks, Martha Wainwright and more.

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