Album Capsules--Three More New Albums

Phoenix

Bankrupt!

77/100

This French band really took off with their last release, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.  After that kind of success, almost anything that Phoenix released afterwards was bound to be a bit of a letdown.  There's nothing here as catchy, enthusiastic, or memorable as their last album, but the songs are still fairly solid.  If you don't have anything by these guys, though, Bankrupt! is not the place to start.  That would be like introducing yourself to Pink Floyd by listening to A Momentary Lapse of Reason.  Here's "Entertainment."

*      *      *

The James Hunter Six

Minute by Minute

81/100

This album is a fun collection of retro soul that evokes--as allmusic.com points out--Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Bobby Bland.  Really fun stuff.  If you like "Drop on Me" (below), then I can't see how you won't like the album.  I also like it because it adds a little more variety to my music collection.

*      *      *

Young Galaxy

Ultramarine

72/100

Slick, sunny electronic pop music.  The album seems to be overwhelmed by the opening track, "Pretty Boy," which seems far superior the other tracks on the album.  So even if you like that song--and I'm not sure that I do--you still might not like the album.  It's a good collection of songs nevertheless.  At its best, it creates a wistful, uplifting mood.  At its worst, it's forgettable.