Jackson and His Computerband

“Glow”

Warp

So you know those times when you’re listening to an album, but you’re not truly “listening” — it’s just kind of on in the background — and then, the next thing you know, you realize that you’ve been doing stuff in complete silence for a while, and you’re like, “How long has the album been over? ” That happened with “Glow.” Twice. “Glow” is what I’d imagine you’d get if you walked up to the replicator in “Star Trek” and said “Europop dance album, please.” Maybe it’s because Jackson has taken so long between debut and follow-up (“Smash” was released eight years ago), but it feels like he’s pushing at boundaries that the rest of the dance scene walked past about three years earlier. That’s great, if you’re into nostalgia, but a little tiresome, if you’re into good music. CV

Neko Case

“The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You”

Anti-

When someone asks you what the new Neko Case album is like, you’re first reaction is almost to say, “It’s Neko Case. You know what it’s like,” and that’s in no way a bad thing. Much like Quentin Tarantino or David Sedaris, Case has established her own vernacular. Every album she puts out is so uniquely a piece of her that it’s impossible to confuse her work with that of another. With every successive release, Case gets more and more comfortable with the idea of revealing herself, and since she was plenty comfortable with it from the get-go, “The Worse Things Get…” is at once charming, endearing and as intimate as reading someone’s journal. Case covers some serious material in an unflinching manner and continues to get better with every successive release. CV