San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Sting, Loretta Lynn get some help from friends
The Chronicle’s guide to notable new music.
NEW ALBUMS
Sting, “Duets” (A&M): A compendium of some of Sting’s most memorable duets, originally scheduled to be released in late 2020, has finally arrived. A sweeping timeline of his collaborative career, the album moves from 1992’s “It’s Probably Me,” with Eric Clapton on guitar (the theme song to “Lethal Weapon 3”), to 2003’s Grammywinning “Whenever I Say Your Name,” with R&B singer Mary J. Blige, all the way up to a new duet, “September,” with decorated Italian singer Zucchero. Another highlight: Sting’s 2015 cover of “My Funny Valentine,” which features Herbie Hancock’s gentle keys alongside the familiar opulence of Sting’s vocals.
For those who really want to get lost in this new release, check out the website duets.sting.com, which features factoids for each of the album’s 17 duets.
Loretta Lynn, “Still Woman Enough” (Legacy Recordings): One of the most important women in country music for the past 60 years, Lynn just released her 50th studio album. Fittingly, it’s a celebration of the women’s movement in the country music genre that Lynn helped pioneer. There are 13 new recordings, including a powerful recitation of her 1970 classic “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” duets with Margo Price on “One’s on the Way” and Tanya Tucker on “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” and a new original title track featuring Carrie Underwood and Reba McIntire.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Heno., “Death Ain’t THAT Bad” (selfreleased): The Maryland native lived in the Bay Area for three years before recently relocating to Los Angeles. His latest album is an introspective and existential rumination on death and the way we perceive the outcomes of life. His enveloping flow is a sage force on tracks like “Ego Death” (coproduced by altrapper JPEGMafia), the standout single “Parallel Timelines” (coproduced by Oakland’s Anthony Ferraro of Toro y Moi and Astronauts, etc.) and album closer “Life’s Too Short” (featuring vocalist Bianca Brown). On the latter, Heno. ponders whether Black people can’t accomplish their dreams because they fear their own mortality before he and Brown sing together: “Life’s too short to be worried about why your life’s too short. Cause time waits for no one.” It’s a nuanced expression that bucks the way death is often presented in hiphop, and the album is filled with visceral moments like these from Heno..
SONGS OF THE MOMENT
St. Vincent, “Pay Your Way in Pain” (Loma Vista): The official announcement of a May 14 release for St. Vincent’s sixth album, “Daddy’s Home,” came loaded with this electrifying lead single. “Pay Your Way in Pain” is a funky number that rings true to what St. Vincent’s Annie Clark said about spending a lot of time with early ’70s Stevie Wonder and Sly and the Family Stone records when conceptualizing the songs for the album. The song’s hardluck narrative plays into Clark’s statement on the Jack Antonoffproduced album, which is filled with “stories of being down and out in downtown NYC.” Few artists are making pop music that’s as creatively provocative as Clark — and she sings and shreds like no other in the process.
Jorja Smith, “Addiction” (FAMM): The British R&B/ pop sensation makes churning out hits look easy. Songs like 2017’s breakout single “On My Mind,” 2018’s sublime “Blue Lights” and 2019’s global smash with Burna Boy, “Be Honest,” have each redefined pop music perfection and now, with “Addiction,” she might have just outdone herself.
On the song, Smith plays on traditional pop tropes about desire, but she delivers it over atmospheric production from Joel Compass and with the unique emotion that her exquisite voice generates. Shot on a webcam, the song’s video is a mustsee. “Addiction” is easily another win for Smith, who has promised more material to come in 2021.
LOCAL PICKS
Guapdad 4000 and Illmind, “1176” (Paradise Rising): The halfFilipino, halfBlack rapper is representative of Oakland’s rich cultural heritage and is the latest to rise in the ranks of Bay Area hiphop. His third album is a collaborative project with the distinguished Filipino producer Illmind, whose credits include producing tracks for J.Cole, 50 Cent and Little Brother. The album sees Guap rapping about life in the East Bay and growing up with a Filipino family (there’s a track called “Chicken Adobo,” a nod to a popular dish of the Philippines). It also features the stellar single “How Many,” which rides on a sample of the club anthem “Better Off Alone” by Alice Deejay, and the uninhibited “She Wanna,” with Pinole native and fellow Filipino rapper PLo. Speaking on the album and working with Illmind, the always tongueincheek Guapdad 4000 said in a statement: “I had no idea we would stumble upon something this magical ... but I guess I should have known that linking up with my Filipino brother would enhance my super powers!”
Sour Widows, “Crossing Over” (Exploding in Sound): Listen to the titletrack single off of the upcoming “Crossing Over” EP from Oakland’s Sour Widows and it might be the most centering seven minutes you’ll have all week. A fixture in the Bay Area’s live indie rock circuit before the pandemic, Susanna Thomson and Maia Sinaiko sing in impeccable harmonies. Like a long drive on the interstate, the track propels listeners through a tale of a longdistance relationship, backed by beautiful guitar melodies. And the pair’s wistful vocals go into a prolonged bridge that hits you right in the feels. The band’s EP is scheduled to drop on April 23.