SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

DARK LANE DEMO TAPES

DRAKE ★★★★★

DRAKE’S urge to overshare may be his downfall, or his greatest talent. The Canadian don’s latest mixtape is a collection of bits and pieces and (as the title suggests) demos.

Framed as an amuse-bouche, ahead of his sixth album due in the summer, Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ title is a little misleading. Mostly, it collates recent leaks and discarded tracks. There are sparks, like on the characteristically downbeat Chicago Freestyle, and Drizzy’s growling collaboration with British drill producer AXL Beats.

This is either a bald stab at a commercial win, or the calling card of an artist unable, or unwilling, to maintain quality control.

STRAIGHT SONGS OF SORROW

MARK LANEGAN ★★★★★

FEW would have thought 30 years ago that the singer from Seattle-era also-rans Screaming Trees would become the most interesting figure still standing from the grunge scene.

But Mark Lanegan has produced a record to accompany his memoir Sing Backwards And Weep that is his best yet.

Guests on the album include fellow ’90s alt-rock survivor Greg Dulli, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Peter Hook’s bassist son Jack Bates.

At 15 tracks it is too long, but Lanegan’s gravelly voice and his explorations of electronica, make it rewarding and compelling.

IT WAS GOOD UNTIL IT WASN’T

KEHLANI ★★★★★

A TRIUMPH of sharply written R&B and glossy ’90s-style production, Kehlani opts for confession and confidence in her latest release.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to musings of love, heartbreak and desire. The track Water is seductive as it submerges you with silky smooth vocals, while another highlight is the sultry Can I, featuring Tory Lanez, just one of the superstar collaborations that help build the 15-track album.

Kehlani had no fear in showing vulnerability in her 2017 debut SweetSexySavage, and these emotional currents flow naturally into her sophomore album.