Lady Gaga
“Born This Way”
(Interscope Records)
Rating: 3 out of 5

Spoiler alert: In the booklet for “Born This Way,” there is a two-page photo of Lady Gaga drenched in afterbirth and probably a placenta or two. Just so you know.

It’s not nearly as surprising a picture as it should be. Gaga has cultivated a real image for herself. You see, we only know what Gaga wants us to know about Gaga. She’s made herself up to be an avant-garde savior of everything, and the world has accepted her for this role.

So what, then, of her music? It’s... well... it’s pop music. It’s big — often dumb — very catchy pop music. But it’s also very bland pop music.

There’s nothing here that hasn’t been done before. A lot of it is done very well, but it’s not as groundbreaking and paradigm-shatteringly weird as Gaga’s style of dress would lead one to believe.

Gaga clearly knows the line between amusing and crazy, genuinely unsettling and challenging. She toes it but never crosses it. And then she projectile vomits — on purpose — all over it to keep up appearances.

But it’s still fun, even if it’s unsurprising. “Judas” pairs spacey keyboards with a manic beat and an awkward metaphor. “Marry the Night” is actually pretty lovely before it turns into a typical sex-rave pop song that sounds like Abercrombie and Fitch smells. And there’s “Heavy Metal Lover,” which is endearingly trashy — it’s almost down-to-earth in its gaudiness. “I want your whiskey mouth / All over my blonde south,” Gaga sings over a heavy drums-and-bass beat. It’s standard stuff, but it’s still, you know, not bad.

According to the liner notes, Lady Gaga either wrote or co-wrote all of the songs, which is impressive. It may be bland, calculated and sometimes kind of boring, but at least it’s hers.

So should you buy this album? Yes, with reservations. If you’re a fan of Lady Gaga — a “monster,” apparently — obviously you should buy it. If you’re less in tune with the Gaga phenomenon but still enjoy pop music, buy it (or check it out from the library in a year and a half.) It’s an enjoyable album — it’s just not the album the meat dress suggests.

— Danny Hatch/The Daily

David Bazan
“Strange Negotiations”
(Barsuk Records)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

As if a thesis statement, the opening track — “Wolves at the Door” — tells the listener what to expect in the next nine songs — crunchy guitar riffs, simple and prominent drum beats and, of course, wry observations made in David Bazan’s signature throaty voice.

The album departs from Bazan’s predominantly acoustic style of his first album, both with distorted guitars and a change in the subject matter of the lyrics.

In his freshman album, “Curse Your Branches” (2009), Bazan documented his breakup with God. Despite the way he had been pegged the Christian of indie rock, Bazan decided he and God just weren’t working out.

In “Strange Negotiations,” God creeps into the lyrics here and there, but Bazan seems relieved to write about issues other than his spirituality.

“Virginia,” the standout stong that breaks the album’s musical mold, Bazan clicks off his distorted pedal and tells a nostalgic story about a girl named Virginia with whom the protagonist felt enamored. Bazan, for the first time I have heard in his solo albums or his work with Pedro the Lion, sounds almost happy. The sun shines through the high, shimmery notes, complementing the clean strum of his guitar. You can almost here him smile as he name-drops a Dr. Seuss book.

The song is an enigma — both on this album and in Bazan’s larger musical catalogue.

But the album is in no short supply of short tracks. The awkward rhythm but catchy melody of “People” is still stuck in my head. “Don’t Change” hilariously depicts a man stuck in a rut while being bouncy and wonderfully sarcastic.

David Bazan has consistently put out thoughtful and catchy indie rock for over 10 years, and this album is no exception.

— Kevin Pickard/The Daily

Glee: The Music
"Volume 6"
(Columbia)
Rating: 2 out of 5

The new volume of “Glee: The Music” leaves me less than gleeful — lame pun intended.

Instead of calling this album “Glee: The Music, Volume 6” producers might as well call the album a Fleetwood Mac cover album, since three of the songs are Fleetwood Mac covers.

Not that I have any problem with that — these are three of my favorite songs on the album, especially “Dreams,” which features the vocals of the devilishly handsome Matthew Morrison as Mr. Schuester and Oklahoma’s own beloved Kristen Chenoweth.

Unfortunately, the song I most looked forward to, Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” was the shortest track on the album, lasting a mere one minute and 40 seconds. By the time I got really into the song it was over.

Furthermore, the choir’s cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” left me longing for the passionate voice of the English singer, as well as the catchy beat and piano in the background of the original song. The Glee version is devoid of any instrumentals, which would greatly improve the song.

The producers of this album clearly made it their mission to choose the least catchy songs from this season of Glee, with the exception of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” But who are they kidding? No show choir can take the place of this century’s queen of pop.

Also, where is Glee’s signature number “Don’t Stop Believin’”? I know it already appeared in the first Glee album, but it is what both Billboard and I consider to be their best single, I suggest it be on every Glee released.

All in all, this album only deserves two Rachel Berry-approved gold stars, because it really isn’t Glee without all of the high school drama between songs.

— Carmen Forman/The Daily

Raphael Saadiq
“Stone Rollin’”
(Columbia)
Rating 4 1/2 out of 5

It has always been a disappointment that the best music from the R&B era is found in the music of 40 to 50-year-old artists. Granted, the music of James Brown, Ray Charles and Etta James is nothing to trifle with, but modern R&B “slow jams” by Beyoncé, R. Kelly and the infinite, depressing list of today’s R&B artists don’t give the current generation an accurate depiction of genre’s excellence.

Enter Raphael Saadiq.

Saadiq’s new album, “Stone Rollin,’” is a bolt of modern blues, soul and funk that re-energizes the R&B market with only a missed beats.

Saadiq’s fourth studio album opens the gate with “Heart Attack” — an up tempo track with funky riffs and soulful rhythm — to let the listener know this won’t be your typical R&B album. This sets the tempo for the rest of the album. It’s a 43-minute blast from the past laced with just enough modern touch to avoid being a tribute or a call-back.

However, Saadiq does dip into the 60’s and 70’s enough that the album may make the listener feel like they should be wearing bell bottoms. “Daydreams” is wonderfully old-school with moaning chords and a rhythm akin to the pops of a Ford Model-T. The song is great, but it may turnoff anyone under the age of 25.

To keep the album from using too much old energy, the slower songs “Go to Hell” and “The Answer” dance back toward modern R&B sounds with lots of string instruments, brass and exaggerated lyrics. They aren’t bad, but it’s obvious Saadiq’s strength is quicker beats and older sounds.

“Stone Rollin’” isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close. Any music lover that doesn’t hate the old-school will find something to enjoy in the album. It has class, funk and soul. It’s the saving grace of R&B.

— Chase Cook/The Daily