MUSIC Reviews

John Mayer couldn't ignore the "Paper Doll" (4:16) SINGLES dual EDM and folk PRODUCERS' John Mayer, Don IN DIE resurgences of the Was M.I.A. last two years, so he WRITER:John Mayer combined the trends "Bring the Noize" (3:23) PUBLISHER: Specific Harm on his latest single with Music, administered by Sony/ PRODUCERS' Switch & Surkin a brisk, stomping beat. ATV Tunes (ASCAP) WRITERS: various A tribute to life on the Columbia PUBLISHERS: various road, "Best I Ever Had" N.E.ET./Interscope is a refreshingly rhyth- "Truth is like a rotten mic return for a singer tooth," M.I.A. boasts. who benefits from a "You gotta spit it out." change of pace.-AH But the truth is com- plicated, especially ALTERNATIVE for one of the world's NEKO CASE most confrontational "Man" (1311 pop -rappers. "Bring the Noize" is trademark PRODUCER: M. Ward M.I.A. capriciousness: WRITER not listed part militaristic battle cry, PUBLISHER: not listed part brag -rap buffet, with Anti - POP explosively brash beats For her first single that blend bhangra exoti- in four years, Case cism with electro-grime adopts the jangly Mayer Sounds Good On 'Paper' muscle. Like M.IA.ls best power -pop of her side work, "Bring the Noize" project the New Por- leaves a spellbinding nographers (courtesy John Mayer's career has hit some unfortunate speed "You're like zz girls in one, and none of them know black eye.-RR of guest producer M. bumps: debilitating throat granulomas and resulting who they're runnin' from," Mayer sings over a supple Ward), while featur- vocal surgeries kept him off the touring circuit lastgroove that recalls both Dire Straits and Steely Dan. FOLK ing the feisty attitude year and steadied the public eye upon his tabloid - "Paper Doll" might be a winking reference to ex - THE CIVIL WARS that's been a mainstay bait breakups. But on a musical level, the 35 -year -old flame Taylor Swift (and a clever response to her own "The One That Got Away" (3:33) of her solo work. "I'm has never been stronger. "Paper Doll," his first single breakup ballad "Dear John"), but much more impor- a man/You'll have PRODUCER: Charlie Peacock since 2012's folk -leaning Born and Raised, is one of tant, it's a perfectly crafted pop song. Mayer's voice to deal with me/My WRITERS: Joy Williams, John proxy is mine/You'll his finest achievements, a return to his ultra -smooth has triumphantly returned, ahead of his forthcoming Paul White, Charlie Peacock jazz -pop roots topped off with a sublime guitar solo. album, Paradise Valley. -RR deal with me directly," PUBLISHERS: various she informs the lis- Sensibility/Columbia tener. A lock for solid LEGEND When it comes to hiatus- triple A play, "Man" CREDITS "Paper Doll" might be a reference to ex - es, the Civil Wars aren't previews Case's up- exactly the Smiths: The coming sixth LP, due flame Taylor Swift, but more important, Grammy Award -winning in September. -AH Edited by Mitchell folk duo split up last No- Peters (albums) vember due to "internal and Jason it's a perfectly crafted pop song. DANCE discord," and somehow Upshots (singles) ALEXA ROCKS announced a new album CONTRIBUTORS: six months later. With its "Cause We Feel Like It"13:33) David Downs, austere arrangement and PRODUCERS:Team Wh000piii, Alex Gale, Phil Tony Prendatt-Carter Gallo, Gary Graff, Joy Williams' quivering APP Andrew Nampo, vocals, the group's new WRITERS: various Kathy landoli, PUBLISHERS: various Jason Lipshutz, single operates in the Ryan Reed, Reggie haunting shades that col- 2CK/AlexaRocks Music Ugwu, Emily ored its zon. debut, Barton Zemler Audio, Visual Scarsdale, N.Y., Hollow. Rock fans should All albums pop newcomer Rocks commercially Make a drawing and take a pic- snap a photo, and the app uses be thankful that the Civil has snagged a mal- available in the Wars did not, in fact, get United States ture of it, and the free iOS app machine vision to find the lines leable, multifaceted away fromthem.-JL are eligible. Send Tunetrace turns it into music. in an image, then assign each chunk of electronica album review Well, sort of: Abstract minimal- line a tone. Hit play, and twin- to glide over on her copiesto Mitchell POP Peters at Billboard, ism sounds boring, but self- kling white lights trace each line single "Cause We Feel 5700 Wilshire ies (self-portraits taken with a playing a note. When lines inter- GAVIN DeGRAW Like It," which has Blvd., Suite 500, mobile device) are rather me- sect, the lights reverse course found a solid audi- Los Angeles, CA "Best I Ever Had" (3:47) lodic. Tunetrace-which Queenand play an alternate tone-so ence on YouTube. The 90036 and singles PRODUCER: Martin Johnson review copies to Mary Universityof Londona drawing of a cross generates lyrics leave some- Jason Lipshutz company QApp released this a two-tone oscillation, while an WRITERS: Gavin DeGraw, thing to be desired, at Billboard, 770 Martin Johnson spring on iPhone, iPod Touch Erykah Badu tattoo encodes a but the singer hints Broadway, Seventh PUBLISHERS: various Floor, New York, and iPad-is a novelty hinting little ditty. Designed for ages 4 at a still -developing NY 10003, or to at the potent idea of combining and up, Tunetrace has online RCA vocal persona that the writers in Pop -rock singer the appropriate machine vision and procedural teaching instructions for middle could someday prove bureaus. music. Open Tunetrace and and high schoolers.-DD DeGraw apparently absorbing. -JL

0 BILLBOARD I JULY 6, 2013