No Age
Everything In Between
(Sub Pop)

No Age’s third album picks up where the acclaimed Nouns left off, continuing the mix of punk riffs and gauzy textures. What’s new is how the Los Angeles duo pushes its sound in different directions simultaneously. The rock songs are catchier and more polished, featuring forthright lyrics and traditional songwriting chops. Think of them as cousins to Husker Du. Meanwhile instrumental tracks such as “Dusted” and “Katerpillar” are more abstract and atmospheric than ever. These surprisingly pretty pieces closely resemble electronic compositions, and are built from loops, samples and controlled distortion. The divergent styles create a fascinating tension that works thanks to the album’s careful sequencing. Some fans may miss the constant skate-thrash energy of No Age’s early work, but the two have found a successful way to advance their sound while staying true to themselves.  —Jeff Jackson

South Cry
Blue Moon
(Big Sky Rock)

This English-friendly Brazilian band has been struggling to break into the U.S. for a decade. Their music has a solid rock footing that flirts with the pop-metal aesthetic of Pearl Jam, Tonic, Foo Fighters or Incubus—veering into the breakdown lane of crass commercialism, but never quite hitting the guardrail of suck. Singer/songwriter Daltri Barros and company are very good at what they do (Barros’ voice sometimes sounds uncannily like Ozzy’s), and the tunes seem earnest, but there’s still just a wee bit too much breathiness, affectation, production and/or pre-fab anthem-crafting on this album for it to feel entirely genuine or organic. Their cover of The Beatles’ “Help” changes some chords and keeps it in a bizarre half-time groove that winds up sounding like Oasis playing “Comfortably Numb,” and, atypically, the last track, “She,” is the best on the record. —Tom Sturm

Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica
The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel
(independent)

In 1994, Juan Garcia Esquivel (who died in 2002) released a compilation of work from the late ’50s and early ’60s called Space Age Bachelor Pad Music. That phrase is the best possible description of his mad, stereo-happy, cartoonish lounge music. It swirls with smooth cocktail flair, rings with zither, cha-cha and big band brio. There’s nothing quite like it. That’s probably reason enough to forgive Boston’s “Mr. Ho” (Brian O’Neill) for wanting to recreate, with a 23-piece band, Esquivel’s overflowing arrangements of jazz standards and quirky originals. Mere re-creation is seldom praise-worthy, but the sheer audacity of Ho’s undertaking alone commands respect. The recording documents sessions that must have been remarkably fun, and the result is a grand piece of entertainment. It may be merely an excuse for Ho and crew to play this music live, a service the world richly deserves. Even if you own Esquivel’s recordings, this modern take on them is a great companion, worthy of repeated listening. —James Heflin