Prophets of Rage bring soundtrack of fury and righteousness

PROPHETS OF RAGE “PROPHETS OF RAGE” (UNIVERSAL)

Guitarist Tom Morello wears a knock-off ball cap with the slogan “Make America rage again.” It’s a dig at his current commander-inchief and a nod to his old band, Rage Against the Machine, who have reunited without singer Zach de la Rocha, with Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real in his place. When they arrived last summer with a limp EP of reworked past glories, it just seemed like an excuse for them to crash the Republican National Convention.

A year later, America acts like it’s ready for a civil war and totally unready for another war that might be forced on them. America doesn’t need any help raging. But having a soundtrack of fury and righteousness in the name of justice can’t hurt, can it?

Expectations were rock-bottom after the EP that introduced this band. Thankfully, Chuck D has bounced back sounding better than he has on a nine forgettable Public Enemy records in the last 25 years. Which is good, because B-Real isn’t much help — though, to be fair, neither was Flavor Flav. Though at least Flav was amusing.

Likewise, the band behind Chuck manages to erase the memory of Audioslave by returning to what Rage Against the Machine did best.

It’s unfortunate, then, that for every peak performance here that seems utterly essential in 2017, there’s a track that’s downright clunky, like “Legalize Me,” “Hands Up” or the unfunky “Take Me Higher,” with the chorus, “Drones gonna take you out!”

Rap and rock are always uncomfortable dance partners. But if anyone was going to make it work, it would be this crew — even they are musically stuck in the late ’90s. When they do manage to click all other rap and rock sounds downright impotent considering the current climate. Rage on.

Stream: “Radical Eyes,” “Unf—k the World,” “Who Owns Who”

ROSTAM “HALF-LIGHT” (NONESUCH)

The sonic architect of Vampire Weekend was the former guitarist, keyboardist, string arranger and producer, Rostam Batmanglij. He split early last year, although he’s said he may still work on future records. In the meantime, he’s unleashed his wildest ideas on his debut solo record — which basically sounds like all the weird parts of Vampire Weekend records strung together. Processed vocals, heavily treated guitars, choirs, string quartets, tabla, harpsichords, talking drums, backward tape: they’re all here, as any fan of his former band’s last record might expect, as Batmanglij is one of the most interesting producers to come out of a rock band this side of Tame Impala. His own lead vocals are endearing; he’s more than just a classically trained knob-twiddler. That said, while “Half-Light” is certainly pleasant and interesting, it very much sounds like an artist finding their own feet as a solo performer. It’s more than obvious what exactly it was he brought to Vampire Weekend, but “Half-Light’s” best moments, like “Wood,” are those that stray the most from his past.

Stream: “Gwan,” “Bike Dream,” “Wood”

JULIE AND THE WRONG GUYS “JULIE AND THE WRONG GUYS” (DINE ALONE)

In her 25-year-career, Julie Doiron has made a lot of pretty music. Many of her solo records are unadorned, quiet meditations. Her 1999 collaboration with the Wooden Stars set her songs to intricate arrangements and beautiful harmonies. She played guitar and bass in Gord Downie’s Country of Miracles for much of the 2000s, her voice an integral part of songs like “Trick Rider.”

In 2017, however, Doiron is hanging out with the rhythm section of one of Canada’s best heavy metal bands, the Cancer Bats, and making her loudest album since her very first band, Eric’s Trip. (Eamon McGrath joins them on guitar.) No doubt some observers will be surprised to hear such a left turn from the 45-year-old mother of four who now lives back in her native New Brunswick. But this is exactly the kind of cathartic release one might seek at this point in life: Don’t do anything half-assed. Go big or go home. Bring the best songs you’ve written over the five years since your last record. Block out the other noise in your life and turn this up.

It would be a stretch to suggest that Doiron’s voice suits the material, but that’s exactly what makes it so compelling and unique, especially when she layers harmonies on a track like “Heartbeats.” She’s not a metal screecher; she’s not even a punk rocker (anymore). But she never sounds lost; she confidently stakes her place in the heaviosity like she has every right to be there, which of course she does. The meek shall inherit this earth.

In case you prefer the more demure Doiron, she also has a new EP of older songs in new Spanish translations. It’s totally lovely.

Stream: “You Wanted What I Wanted,” “Love and Leaving,” “Calm Before the Storm”