Music reviews

Janelle Monae Dirty Computer (Warner) ★★★ With two critically acclaimed records to her name, Kansas-born Janelle Monae had a high standard to match in 2018. With production that’s big, bright and clean (irony?), Dirty Computer is very much a modern soul record with a range of contemporary elements. With no shortage of sexually explicit lyrics, Monae has the eclectic ability to jump from aggressive raps to potential club hits. Her standout moments very much capture the essence of 80s soul and funk – Make Me Feel is Sign o’ the Timesera Prince. Yet there are plenty of times Monae misses that mark completely – the lyrics on Screwed are about as basic and conspicuous as pop can get. But Monae is mostly very easy to like, with a strong charismatic aura, carrying the same charm that made R&B and soul so successful to begin with. – Hugh Collins ★★★★ Grant-Lee Phillips seems to write best in times of unease. Fiery, acerbic and hopeful, Widdershins proves his skill for righteous rock and roll hasn’t dimmed. Evidently recorded in just four days, Widdershins has Phillips backed by the muscular rhythm section of Jerry Roe and Lex Price. Yet they come off as much more than a three-piece – their powerful, full sound adds urgency to numbers such as Something’s Gotta Give and the punky Scared Stiff. While US president Donald Trump is an unspoken presence hovering over the album – mind you, King of Catastrophes isn’t particularly subtle – most tracks pine more generally for a lost sense of civility and morality. As he sings on History Has Their Number: ‘‘No one should have to beg for what is just’’. A strident album, and a good one. – Jack Barlow ★★★ With this album, Courtney Barnett isn’t reinventing the wheel – there’s progression, but it treads familiar ground. Hopefulessness, which opens the album, demonstrates this well – she sings tunefully over a droning guitar that switches from melody to discordant menace in the space of a verse. It’s distinctively her, but is unlike what has come before it. This is just one of many contradictions on offer. Her vocal delivery still generally mixes singing with conversational speech. Her lyrics are full of observational wit and poetic turn of phrase, but can also be nonsense (‘‘Sometimes I get sad, it’s not all that bad’’ on City Looks Pretty). And ultimately, Tell Me How You Really Feel is both entirely remarkable and a little dry. – James Cardno