Breakup gives Lorde plenty of ‘Melodrama’

By BRETT MILANO LORDE “Melodrama” (Republic)

Lorde isn’t the first pop star to respond to overnight success by turning inward and writing an album about her miserable life. But unlike other pop figures who’ve lately gotten dead serious (hello, Katy), Lorde has enough musical ideas to carry it off. At its best, “Melodrama” harks back to early Kate Bush, with underlying turmoil in the piano ballads and layers of melody in the dance numbers, especially the giddy “Supercut.” But the lyrics don’t always measure up, especially when Lorde’s voice (no Autotune, thank you) is front and center at all times. “Green Light” opens the album by wishing her beach-going ex-boyfriend gets bitten by a shark. In the chorus of “Liability,” she quotes her ex-lover saying, “You’re a little much for me,” and you can’t help feeling that the guy may have had a point.

STEVE EARLE “So You Wanna Be an Outlaw” (Warner Bros.)

One often-forgotten thing about Steve Earle is that he always wrote great hooks, and didn’t spend his formative years in Nashville for nothing. This album returns Earle to his country roots, along with a couple of tastes (notably “Fixin’ to Die”) of the hellbent rock ’n’ roll of his pre-sobriety years. Songs like “You Broke My Heart” and “This Is How It Ends” (both informed by his recent divorce) would be obvious country hits if only the production and vocal were smoother. But Earle prefers to keep it rough, and the Dukes blast away like a much younger band on the fiddle-driven “Sunset Highway.” Even duet partner Willie Nelson sounds rejuvenated on the title track, one of the few outlaw songs that argues for the straight life.

SAINT ETIENNE “Home Counties” (Heavenly)

One of indie rock’s enduring pleasures, Saint Etienne adopts a warm nostalgic tone on its first album in five years, a concept set inspired by the suburbs around London. It’s also a tribute to the mid-’60s, from the jangling Byrds guitar on “Something New” to the swinging London feel of “Under the Apple Tree” — along with the Bacharach and Mancini influence they’ve displayed all along. They even go disco on “Rise,” which sounds like a tribute to vintage Blondie. Much of the attraction comes from Sarah Cracknell’s voice — even her spoken part on “Sweet Arcadia” sounds inviting. The highlight, “Magpie Eyes,” is a classic-model pop number whose chorus is enhanced by Farfisa organ and layers of harmonies. You couldn’t ask for a better summer soundtrack, though the band’s not hitting town until September (they play Once on Sept. 24).