John Mayer, Old 97’s, Thundercat and more music reviews

— -- intro: This week John Mayer releases the second part of his new album, alt-country veterans Old 97’s jump back into action, Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus-associate Thundercat releases an unusual new album, jazzy singer José James makes a significant crossover attempt, indie-rockers the Feelies drop a new album for their 40th anniversary, Dirty Projectors deal with heartache and Broadcast’s James Cargill releases the first album from his new, highly experimental collaborative project with the Focus Group’s Julian House, Children of Alice. It’s a very diverse week for new music.

quicklist: 1title: John Mayer’s "The Search for Everything – Wave Two" **1/2text: John Mayer has been releasing an album one EP at a time. The first EP, released last month, was rather slight, not showing the artist at his peak. "The Search for Everything -- Wave One" was competent yet a little on the dull side. "Wave Two" at least shows more sonic diversity, but it is still weak in other ways.

It feels a little basic, as if Mayer is just trying out poses from other artists. "Still Feel Like Your Man" combines a half-hearted stab at Marvin Gaye-style funk with eye-rolling lines like "The prettiest girl in the room, she wants me" and "I still keep your shampoo in my shower if you want to wash your hair.” Mayer has always imagined himself to be an R&B lover-man, as shown by "Your Body is a Wonderland." He’s always done better with less self-conscious material like his classic, "Clarity," where he comes off as more effortlessly smooth. While this song is listenable and shows many of Mayer’s better qualities, musically-speaking, there are some moments that might leave you rolling your eyes again.

The horribly-titled "Emoji of a Wave" sounds like an answer to James Taylor’s "Fire and Rain." That being said, even though this is somewhat light fare, this track does fully showcase Mayer’s voice sounding its best since his 2012 vocal surgery. It obvious he’s back in his full range.

"Helpless" sounds like an oddball combination between the Rolling Stones’ eighties work with a few Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque funky touches thrown in for good measure, while "Roll it on Home" is a rather standard but capable country workout.

Once again, the EP strategy lets Mayer down. I have a feeling that in pieces this collection won’t nearly have the same impact as it will once the puzzle is completed. These four songs go in slightly more interesting places than the ones on "Wave One" but it still sounds like there is something intangible missing. In other words, the whole album should have probably been dropped at once.

Focus Tracks:

"Emoji of a Wave" Yes, it is somewhat innocuous, but it is the best song here, with Mayer flexing some folky muscles.

"Helpless" This funk guitar-jam will probably find its way to radio. It’s the most upbeat song on both EPs.

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quicklist: 2title: Old 97’s "Graveyard Whistling" ***1/2text: On their 11th studio album, alt-country veterans Old 97’s play up their country side. Most of these songs have an upbeat, rockabilly beat, with an earnest compositional core. Rhett Miller and company are still a solid force and "Graveyard Whistling" bounces between religious imagery and songs about hard-drinking. Pretty standard fare to some extent, but Old 97’s maintain a snarky wit.

On "Jesus Loves You" Miller sings, "Jesus loves you more than I do just because he doesn’t know you. / Not like I do." On the Brandi Carlile duet, "Good with God," he sings, "All’s I know is I’m good with God. / I wonder how she feels about me.” On "Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls" he sings, “Thank God for Irish whiskey. / Thank the devil for pretty girls,” all while name-checking both Jay-Z’s "99 Problems" and Question Mark and the Mysterians’ "96 Tears."

There’s a denseness to this record. The railroad imagery on the cover is tremendously appropriate given the driving beat that is heard throughout. This band has been known to bounce from country to power-pop. If you are looking for the side of the band that gave us their classic "Murder (or a Heart Attack)," the closest you'll find is the upbeat, drug-tripping closer, "Those Were the Days," but even that keeps closer to the country realm. But with songs like "Drinkin’ Song," "Turns Out I’m Trouble" and "Bad Luck Charm" this album keeps a pretty solid frame of mind throughout its nearly 42 minutes.

Focus Tracks:

"Good With God" (featuring Brandi Carlile) The pairing with Brandi Carlile is a smart move as she and Miller play call-and-response. When they harmonize together, their voices meld nicely.

"Those Were the Days" You won’t think of Central Park or a dancing trip through an "old-folks home" quite the same way. This song is both delightful and twisted at the same time.

"I Don’t Wanna Die in this Town" There’s built-in desperation in this song’s urgency. This track opens the album and sets the mood for what's to come.

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quicklist: 3title: Thurndercat’s "Drunk" ***1/2text: If you've listened to a Kendrick Lamar or Flying Lotus record in the last few years, you should know the work of Thundercat. He's Stephen Bruner, the adventurous, often attention-stealing bassist who regularly plays on their recordings.

His third proper album, "Drunk" is an acquired taste for sure. This jazz-fusion-meets R&B sound combined with absurdist humor won't be for everyone. Thundercat’s voice with its semi-falsetto quality likely won't go down easily for some, but musically, this is a madcap adventure of a record. You can't deny the musical dexterity on display on "Uh Uh." To some degree, this album feels like the oddball beast taking influences from everyone from the Neptunes to Ween. There's a recurring lyrical theme about losing a phone and/or a wallet at a club and on the groovy "A Fan's Mail (Tron Song Suite II") he sings about how he literally wants to be a cat.

When you think this album can't throw you any more unexpected curveballs, he hands us "Show You the Way," which features guest-vocals from both Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins alongside Flying Lotus. That being said, Flying Lotus appears on many of this album's brisk 23 tracks, and to their credit McDonald and Loggins are obviously having fun here poking fun at themselves.

Kendrick shows up on "Walk on By" while Wiz Khalifa and Taylor Graves appear on the sly party song, "Drink Dat."

This won't be a record that is likely to burn up the charts, but it is a fascinating exercise to say the least. It is definitely a confident and confounding mood-setter of a record, full of tracks that take sharp melodic turns. When Pharrell momentarily shows up on "The Turn Down," it makes some bizarre sense.

Throughout this record, Thundercat makes random references to wearing "the right Jordans" or "playing Mortal Kombat." There's a playful, purposeful sense of absurdity at work here, combined with some occasional nuggets of wisdom.

Many might find this album too weird, but this album isn't for the people looking to be satisfied by cookie-cutter performers. Thundercat is quite unique and he freely allows his freak-flag to fly without any concessions.

Focus Tracks:

"Walk on By" (Featuring Kendrick Lamar) This has nothing to do with the Bacharach and David song on the same name. Mainly it's just a breezy slice of R&B with a fitting guest appearance from Kendrick.

"Uh Uh" (Featuring Zack Sekoff) This is quite possibly the jazziest track on the set, full with fast-paced fusion-y goodness.

"Show You the Way" (Featuring Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Flying Lotus) This is mellow, smooth and downright hilarious at the same time.

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quicklist: 4title: José James’ "Love in a Time of Madness" ****text: Everything about José James’ seventh album screams that he's anchoring to reach a larger audience. He still has some jazzy moments, but "Love in a Time of Madness" aims for the pop charts more than ever before. This is a really slick, well-produced modern R&B record. Fans of his older work may be disappointed, but James' smoothness remains intact and if a wider audience discovers his music, no doubt they will journey into his back catalog and hear records they wouldn't otherwise know.

Sure, the druggy electronic vocal effect over his voice on "Last Night" probably won't sit well with some jazz purists, but the smoothness of "Remember Our Love" can't be denied as he sings with his lower register over an effortlessly fresh beat.

This album actually occasionally brings to mind Bruno Mars. Mostly because of songs like "Live Your Fantasy" and "Ladies Man" that are funky workouts similar in tone but better than anything on "24K Magic." This album in spots feels like James heard "Uptown Funk" and thought, "I can do that more effectively."

He’s a master of jazzy R&B balladry on "To Be With You," and the closing track "I’m Yours" pairs him with the legendary Oleta Adams, most famous for her single "Get Here" and for singing alongside Tears For Fears on their single "Woman in Chains." Mali Music also drops by on the soft and sweet "Let it Fall."

Along with his recent placement on the "Fifty Shades Darker" soundtrack, José James is positioned for a real close-up. "Love in a Time of Madness" is a fully effective transitional record. Here’s hoping it takes hold and makes James a bigger star.

Focus Tracks:

"Remember Our Love" This brings to mind a modern answer to Bill Withers, even with its hip-hop core. It's the kind of song you wish modern pop radio would embrace as its groove just flows by in a lush sonic wash.

"You Know I Know" Over a skittering drum-machine and a freaky ear-catching synth-bass-line, James delivers a darkly hued, tight pop ballad that seems destined for a left-field club playlist.

"I’m Yours" (Featuring Oleta Adams) Adams' voice is a commanding presence and these two singers really complement each other well, delivering a magnificently soulful duet.

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quicklist: 5title: The Feelies' "In Between" ***text: For their fortieth anniversary, New Jersey indie-rockers the Feelies decided to release their sixth album. No, they haven't been tremendously prolific, and this is their first album in six years -- after 2011's "Here Before" broke a 20-year gap of silence.

To say that "In Between" is an understated collection may in itself be an understatement. Glenn Mercer delivers his vocals at a near whisper throughout the set and his voice sounds very buried in the mix. There are subtle hints of Velvet Underground influences in "Stay the Course," and minor bits of instrumental lift here and there, on tracks like "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "Been Replaced," but any way you slice it this is a record that wallows in its own subtlety.

The road lined with wintry woods gracing the cover seems incredibly appropriate. Even at its most rocking, this is a sparse set of songs. "Here Before" was downright bouncy in comparison. When you compare the contents of "In Between" to a rollicking early standout like "Raised Eyebrows" or their spirited cover of the Stones' "Paint it Black," both found on their 1980 debut, "Crazy Rhythms," this collection sounds like the band is fading into oblivion in comparison. It's not that the spark is no longer there. It shows up in some unexpected places.

This is still a somewhat solid set, but one gets the feeling that it might have been better with the help of a punched-up remixing. There’s warmth in “When to Go,” but Mercer’s buried whisper fades into the background more than it theoretically should, even if the guitar textures and solid drum-work make up for any weaker spots. This is a good, but slightly flawed record which still is worthy of a recommendation.

Focus Tracks:

“Turn Back Time” This track has an infectious quality, even if the vocals are mixed way beneath the guitar-line. I’m guessing this was done on purpose but again, with some slight touches, this track and many others here would pop a little more.

“Flag Days” Lou Reed’s ghost is heavily present here in this low-key jam, especially as it rocks out and continues to build.

“Pass the Time” Again the Velvet Underground surfaces as a comparison point but there is something really beautifully intricate about this song’s guitar textures.

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quicklist: 6title: Dirty Projectors" "Dirty Projectors" ***text: This sixth album from Dirty Projectors is essentially a solo album from leader David Longstreth working with a variety of collaborators. This is a tremendously strange, but intermittently interesting record, essentially detailing Longstreth’s breakup with former bandmate Amber Coffman. Along the way, he warps and slows down his voice, plays with Autotune and various vocal modulators and he makes a freaky cross between indie-rock and R&B.

I would imagine that the people listening to this album on vinyl at the first spin of the heartbroken opener, "Keep Your Name," will check to see if the record is set to the right speed, while the very detailed narrative of "Up in Hudson" sounds like it was sonically-inspired by Bon Iver’s "22, A Million." It rambles a little but at the same time, you feel Longstreth’s heartbreak as he spills his thoughts and memories into the song.

Unsurprisingly, this is an adventurous sounding record that takes a lot of chances. What on earth is happening on "Work Together" or the sly, thumping "Winner Take Nothing?" It's not an easy pill to swallow sometimes with a lot of call-and-response work and some swift tempo changes.

Thankfully, this album doesn't have a song as polarizing as the group's bizarre 2009 single "Cannibal Resource," and Longstreth does a decent job of illustrating his pain. That being said, "Ascent Through the Clouds" would be a much better song without the vocal effects.

Coffman was often responsible for some of the group's most memorable moments and thus the vocal interplay that used to exist between the two singers is now greatly missed, even if guest-vocalist Dawn Richard tries her best to fill the void on her appearance on "Cool Your Heart."

This self-titled record is decent, but you get the feeling that Longstreth sometimes experiments with sound to the point of detriment to his songs. He needs to learn that less is sometimes more. Occasionally the added weird details on this record are just strange and don't add positively to the overall end product. Still, this album's sonic messiness sort of mirrors the disarray one feels in the aftermath of a breakup.

Focus Tracks:

"Keep Your Name" This is definitely a slow, profoundly odd track, but it is a sonically daring number. It could have been delivered in a straight-forward way. Longstreth deserves credit for keeping his audience on their toes.

"Up in Hudson" Breakup tales are rarely this detailed and specific. There's a sense of nostalgic romanticism built into the heartbreak.

"Death Spiral" There's some nice work with the interplay between the beat, the synths, the piano and the strings. This song wants to be hip-hop-fueled diary entry and it is a bit chaotic, but again it works and it captures the sadness and pain. The title alone makes you take pause.

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quicklist: 7title: Children of Alice's "Children of Alice" ****text: The unexpected and tragic death of Broadcast's Trish Kennan in 2011 at the age of 42 from complications of swine flu left her band-mate James Cargill on his own. Without Keenan's haunting and iconic vocals, the traditional song-structure in his work has sort of fallen to the side. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it does mean that his work is now less accessible.

Children of Alice is Cargill’s new project with the Focus Group's Julian House and Broadcast associate Roj Stevens. This is a highly experimental forty-minute set which spans a mere four tracks. Are these songs? Not really. This feels more like a left-field jazz or classical record working in movements.

Instead of using traditional instruments, though, this set is anchored by warped analog tape samples and a variety of swirling sounds. You'd think this might be nightmare fuel with its fast pace, but that is not the case. Even though this is organized chaos in places that often brings to mind an electronic form of "free jazz." Using lots of backwards loops and fractured vocal clips it manages to achieve a balance between warmth and eeriness.

This is not a record for novices. This is a difficult, psychedelic piece of sonic art. It isn't for the timid. That being said, it has some really stunning passages that really grab your attention, especially on headphones.

Sure, this collection is dissonant and often sounds like carnival rides gone wrong, but it also sounds like a trip down the rabbit hole. It's almost a pity that this collection doesn't also come with a bonus DVD with a visual component. This record sounds like the score to a whimsical, animated short film. At the same time, this brings to mind the adventurous work that Delia Derbyshire was doing for the BBC in the 1960s. If you are up for an unusual ride, Children of Alice will definitely deliver.

Trish Keenan may not be actually on this record, but she is there in spirit.

Focus Track:

"The Harbinger of Spring" Picking a "focus track" for an album like this that is essentially just a mass of continuous sound can be a difficult feat at best. If you make it through the first five minutes of this 19-minute opener, this album will be completely up your alley.

Next Week: New music from Ed Sheeran, Grandaddy and more.

Missed last week's? Get the latest from Bryan Adams, Allison Krauss, Babe Rexha and more.

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