Currently in my earphones…

Air, “Moon Safari”— I’m xenophobically contemptuous of the knob-twiddling Euro-electronic genre, which generally reminds me of the “Sprockets” parody on SNL. That said, this record is actually pretty great, with real melodies, lovely female vox and a broad pallet ranging from trip-hop to Krautrock to cheesy film scores, all impeccably produced and performed.  World-class bassline on “La Femme d’Argent;”

T-Bone Burnett, “Trap Door”—ubiquitous producer’s later works became progressively more artsy and inaccessible, but this rootsy 1982 EP is near-perfect, with five tight, shimmery originals and a genius reimagining of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

Kevn Kinney, “MacDougall Blues”—his Drivin N Cryin weren’t fully convincing as heavy rockers, but he’s a natural at this pure folkie milieu. His adenoidal tenor is unpretty (if expressive), but he’s a strong acoustic player and tunesmith and no stupe as a lyricist—sagas like “Maddie Hope” and “Tina’s  Grocery” show surprising depth and resonance.

Comsat Angels, “Waiting for a Miracle”— debut from atmospheric Brit postpunks, whose first three hard-to-find releases make a strong a trilogy as anyone’s.  More melodic than Joy Division and more cerebral than the Cure, the songs are uniformly superb, with spare, driving rhythms and memorable dadaistic lyrics. “Total War;” “Independence Day.”

The Johnsons, “Break Tomorrow’s Day”— hooky, smart raw-edged  guitar pop from Pennsylvania trio who dropped one disc in 1986 before vanishing from the face of the earth. There’s a classic 60’s folkrock vibe to these songs—Lovin Spoonful and Beau Brummels come to mind– though you can also hear the ebullient drive of early Beatles and the effortless harmonies of the Hollies. The punchy cover of Peter Laughner’s “Sylvia Platt” is spot-on, but originals like “Call Your Name” and “Burning Desire” are just as good.

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